Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Nobunaga Festival at Nagoya Castle


I just received this flyer on a short notice last night on a Nobunaga Festival at Nagoya Castle.  The festival will be held on Saturday December 2nd.  Nobunaga will appear along with the bushotai along with a Battle of Okehazama theme and other fun stuff.

Tenka no tame!

Sunday, November 26, 2017

The Meaning of Hazama


For those who want to know the meaning of Hazama, here it is: Narrow valleys sandwiched between the hills.  This is where the Battle of Okehazama took place in 1560.  The picture above is from the Owari Meisho Zue (1841) Okehazama Kosenjo.

Nobunaga no tame!

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Komaki Castle Discovery


There has been some archaeological findings at Komaki Castle of late.  The news from Komaki is that there is a third entrance to the castle's honmaru.  The south and east side has already been confirmed.  Now the third side is the west side.  Why?  Shortest route to the honmaru where Nobunaga's residence is located.  Nobunaga used Komaki Castle as his headquarters for only fours years (1563-67).  In 1567, Nobunaga moved his headquarters to Gifu in 1567.  As for myself, I have only been to Komaki once.  Another trip is much needed.

https://t.co/Md3Pj9tqhF

Tenka no tame!

Thursday, November 2, 2017

New Nagashino Book


There is a new book out on the Battle of Nagashino by Mr. Kobayashi.  Kobayashi, who is in his 80s, looks at the musket balls that were found at the battlefield.  The price of the book is 2,000 yen.

Link: https://t.co/yd1lZRRrIV

Nobunaga no tame!

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Sunomata

The construction of the forward outpost Sunomata was key for Nobunaga's conquest of Mino.  Constructed in 1566 with the help of the Men of the Fields and Tokichiro (Hideyoshi), Sunomata made sure that Nobunaga would be on the offensive when attacking Mino.

Passage from David D. Neilson's Society at War:
Page 202.

"The construction of the fort at Sunomata can be broken down into three basic components.  The first component was the fort buildings and main enclosure that surrounded them.  Second were the moats in front of the walls to make the approach more difficult and hazardous.  Third, was the construction of a horse-stopping fence that enclosed the entire perimeter of the camp that was indented to keep the enemy, and particularly, mounted cavalry, at bay.  The horse-stopping fence also had the benefit of keeping enemy musketeers and archers at a distance which even if it did not put them out of range of the fort itself, would have degraded their accuracy considerably.  The horse-stopping fence was reinforced by a moat.  Once their presence was discovered by the enemy, the group expected to be attacked.  Their primary mission was to complete the fort so that it could be passed off to Oda Nobunaga's main force troops as a forward base of operations from which to launch the offensive into Mino.  If the Men of the Fields were going to be successful in their task, it meant construction would have to continue nonstop, even if they were under attack."

Tenka no tame!