Happy New Year friends of Nobunaga! As always, I like to celebrate the New Year Nobunaga style with his famous celebration at Gifu Castle in 1574. There is a great passage in Kicho&Nobunaga I like to share with you on this famous event.
Kicho&Nobunaga (Rumi Komonz, p. 102)
"I'll show you something," Nobunaga beamed at Kicho in the private lounge.
"It is a beautiful box. I wonder what treasure is inside." Nobunaga watched Kicho, smiling.
Kicho sat in front of a large box and bowed according to the manners for appreciating an art work. She took off the lacquered lid adorned with gold inlays and put her hands inside. Lifting a large lacquered pot, her face turned pale and she dropped it.
"Be careful Kicho."
"Is this who I think it is?"
"It is a skull, cured and lacquered with many layers. It belonged to Azai Nagamasa. It is a prize head, my trophy. He betrayed me and we fought; we made amends and fought five times. I gave him Ichi. I wanted him to be my brother. He eventually chose death rather than to be my subordinate, but he did not murder-suicide with her. I am going to show everyone that there was no hatred between us. We shared a mutual respect."
Kicho heard afterwards that Nobunaga showed off the trophy to his major retainers at the New Year's party, and when Monkey admired it everyone followed suit. Kicho wondered if they were all trying to please their master. By this time, there weren't many who dared to disapprove of anything Nobunaga did."
Nobunaga no tame! Tenka no tame! Owari ni hikari wo!
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