Azuchi Video

I found a great video on Azuchi Castle last night.  Beautiful and highly detailed.  In Japanese, this shows Azuchi might have been in its full glory while tourists climb and observe the castle ruins.

https://youtu.be/8XmiRsS2zC4

Tenka no tame!

Paul Varley RIP

Japanese history lost one of its famous historians, Paul Varley.  From what I understand, he was a kind man.  I have read several of his works such as Samurai and the Onin War.  I have one of his written works "Oda Nobunaga, Guns, and Early Modern Warfare in Japan."  A great piece on Nobunaga and Nagashino.  He will be missed.

https://networks.h-net.org/node/103024/h-paul-varley=1931-2015-xpost-h-japan

Nobunaga no tame!

2017 Nobunaga Museum

There is news that there will be a temporary museum built for the 450th anniversary of Gifu.  The Nobunaga museum will be a theme of his economic policy of Rakuichi-Rakuza.  2017 is the 450th anniversary of Nobunaga's Gifu.

Link in Japanese: https://t.co/7hzkOyDISw

Tenka no tame!

2015 Awards

It is that time of year again where I hand out the awards for 2015.  The list is small this year due to my busy schedule traveling to Japan, writing the novel, and going to therapy at the Naval Hospital and VA.

Book of the Year: Japan's Medieval Population: Population, Fertility, and Warfare in a Transformation Age by William Wayne Farris.

Highly recommend this book since it explains why at times Sengoku warlords went campaigning.  To steal grain from other provinces and reduce the population's suffering at home by shipping them somewhere else.  Also Muromachi Kyoto was one of dirtiest and smelliest places in Japan.

Historian of the Year:  There are two.  One as an individual and a group.  I was fortunate this year to meet several historians while in Japan.  Owada Tetsuo was one of them.  A decent man.  Izawa Motohiko was another historian I met at the Toyoake City Okehazama Battlefield.  Nice man.

However, the award goes Ota Teruo.  This person wrote Okehazama Kassen Kishu no Shinjutsu.  Now I met him by chance at the Toyoake City Okehazama Battlefield.  He is a local historian.  I was able to spend a few hours with him to chat about the Battle of Okehazama.  There is a few things I disagree with him on the battle, but that is the beauty of it.  Discussing various opinions and coming to a conclusion.

The group award goes to the Arimatsu Okehazama Preservation Committee.  I am member of this committee.  That being said, I was impressed on how much work goes into planning and prepping for the Okehazama festival.  The Kajino family and others made sure everyone was welcomed.  They also provided visitors personal tours and lectures about the battle from a local perspective.  As a group, they earned the award.

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga Tray

Today I was going to write about the 2015 Awards, instead I found some interesting news.  Nobunaga's serving tray has been donated to Chofukuji Temple.  From the picture I have seen, the serving tray is in good condition.

https://t.co/Q5JITNHBro

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga and ISIS

What would Nobunaga do about ISIS?  The answer is simple.  He would have slaughtered them with no mercy.  Nobunaga knew the confederates that he fought throughout the 1570s could be incorporated into vassal band.  This tick him off to the point he had no choice but to exterminate them.  And Nobunaga did his job well.

Quotes from Japonius Tyrannus:  "curse on the nation and if I do not suppress them, there will never be an end to it.  That is why I wipe them out." (p. 104)

"...I want to exterminate them root and branch this time, I shall not forgive their crimes." (p. 103)

So if you want to defeat ISIS and their ilk, you are going to need a guy like Nobunaga to do the job.  He would send them to hell.

Tenka no tame!

Kiyosu Video

A good friend of mine from Kiyosu sent me a promotional video about Nobunaga and Kiyosu Castle.  The video explains how tourists can wear armor, visit the castle, see the Nobunaga Festival, and other activities people can enjoy.  One can receive an official samurai certificate.  Believe it or not, it is true.

https://youtu.be/xnVP4HX5i7o

The video is in English and easy to understand.  For a simple video trying to promote Nobunaga and Kiyosu Castle, it did its job.

Nobunaga no tame!

Study Material

I bought this Nobunaga study guide earlier this year at the Kiyosu Castle gift shop.  As you can see, it is simple and basic.  Perfect for someone who is a newbie.  Even for the professional historian, it is useful in my opinion.  Included is dates, key battles such as Okehazama, Anegawa, and Nagashino, key Oda retainers, castles, and weapons.  If you can find one these study guides, buy one!

Tenka no tame!

Gifu Nobunaga Forum II

Last month, the city of Gifu held their yearly Nobunaga academic forum.  One of my Okehazama colleagues, Seishiro Mizuno attended the forum and wrote a post on the subject.http://chuplus.jp/blog/article/detail.php?comment_id=4452&comment_sub_id=0&category_id=233

Mr. Mizuno mentions Nobunaga hospitality, the work being done at Gifu Castle, and the 450 Project.  I have been a few of these forums before.  A few years ago I went to an Okehazama forum and earlier this year a Sekigahara forum which the great Sengoku historian Owada Tetsuo spoke.

Nobunaga no tame!