2018 Awards

2018 is about to come to an end, and that means awards time.  My pick for the 2018 Nobunaga award is Neil McMullin's thesis Oda Nobunaga and the Buddhist Institutions.  Neil's paper is a gold mine covering Nobunaga's war with the Ishiyama Honganji.  What I came away with the paper is that Kennyo Kosa did not have the stomach for a prolong war against Nobunaga.  If he can make a deal for peace, he would do it.  He also would likely obey an Imperial decree.  Nobunaga would only obey if it was to his advantage.  I plan to write more on Neil's work next year.

My new book The Viper and the Fool, (E-Book only) is finally published and can be bought on Amazon Kindle.  The novel covers Saito Dosan's conflict with Oda Nobuhide, the meeting with Nobunaga in 1553, Battle of Muraki, Battle of Nagaragawa, and the birth of Gifu.

Tenka no tame!

2019 Nobunaga Forum

The 2019 Nobunaga Forum will be held on January 20th at Juroku Plaza in Gifu.  These Nobunaga Forums are interesting and educating and I have been to a couple of them.

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga's Yashiki Found?

There is news from Komaki that Nobunaga's yashiki or mansion was found at Komaki Castle.  If the discovery is true, this is great news in general relating to Nobunaga and Komaki Castle.

Article: https://www.asahi.com/sp/articles/ASLCG2V5NLCGOBJB001.html

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Sumo at Jorakuji

Nobunaga often held sumo bouts at Azuchi's Jorakuji.  He held one early in 1570 and it was recorded in Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki.

Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 139)

"On the 3rd of the Third Month, Nobunaga summoned sumo wrestlers from throughout Omi Province and watched them compete in Jorakuji.  The participants were

Shika of the Hyakusaiji, Kojika of the Hyakusaiji, Taito, Seigon Nagamitsu, Miyai Ganzaemon, Taishin of the Kawaraji, Hashi Kozo, Fukao Matajiro, Namazue Mataichiro, and Aoji Yoemon.

In addition to these countless other wrestlers with good skills flocked to Jorakuji, all of them thinking to outdo the others.  The referee was Kinose Zoshun'an.
Nobunaga summoned before him two wrestlers who had won the most bouts, Namazue Mataichiro and Aoiji Yoemon, and gave each of them a sword and a dagger with gold-encrusted sheaths.  From this day onward they were admitted to Nobunaga's vassal band and were appointed sumo commissioners, the ultimate of honors for both men.  The skilful and attractive sumo put on display by Fukao Matajiro on this occasion caught Nobunaga's eye, so he gave Fukao a present of some clothes--a happy event for Fukao."


Nobunaga no tame!

Yasuke Part II

Here is Yasuke Part II using They Came to Japan, An Anthology of European Reports on Japan 1543-1640 by Michael Cooper, p. 70.

"All this aroused the curiosity of Nobunaga who summoned the man into his presence.  He was so intrigued by the dusky fellow that he made him strip to the waist to satisfy himself that his colour was genuine.  The ruler thereupon called his children to witness this extraordinary spectacle and one of his nephews gave the man a sum of money."



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Nobuhide Facts

Here are some facts on Nobunaga's father, Oda Nobuhide.

• In 1540, Nobuhide contributed money for the construction of the Outer shrine in Ise.
• For his efforts, he was granted the title of Bingo no Kami.
• in 1543, Nobuhide donated large sums of money for the Imperial Palace in Kyoto.
• For his efforts, he received a letter from Emperor Go-Nara and a copy of the first part of the Kokin Wakashu, poetry from the Heian Era.

During the early part of the 1540s, Nobuhide was fighting against the Imagawa in western Mikawa and soon would be fighting against Saito Dosan.


Nobunaga no tame!

New Okehazama Magazine

Rekishijin Magazine has a new issue on the Battle of Okehazama.  I need this issue ASAP.  I wonder if the local historians, the Kajino family has been consulted?  Hopefully, they were.

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Nobunaga link

There is a Nobunaga link that I use time to time and it is highly useful.  The page is in Japanese.  That being said, this is one of the better Nobunaga links out there.  The link also has a twitter and facebook account.

https://www.oda-sha.jp/

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Nobunaga and Kunitomo

In 1549, Nobunaga ordered 500 matchlock rifles from Kunitomo in Omi.

Tanegashima (Lidin, p. 135)

"Over and over again, Lord Nobunaga repeated that the number of teppo were too few, and the iron workers and teppo specialists were ordered to step up their efforts.  Ichiyu received the command that all kinds of preparations should be made and since quick action was asked for, instructions were sent to Kunitono village in Omi Province, to kunitomo Zenbee, Hyoeshiro, Sukedayu, Tokyusaemon in Kunitomo in (Goshu) Omi Province.  These four men undertook the work together with the iron experts, and 500 teppo for six-momme bullets were manufactured.  On the 18th day of the 7th month of Tenbun 18 (10 August 1549), they received the order from Lord Nobunaga through Hashimoto Ippa, . . ."

1 momme=3.75
The bullets for Nobunaga's guns were 22.5 grams.

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Young Nobunaga

I did some artwork drawing a young Nobunaga during his "Owari no Utsuke" days and it turned out okay.  Here is a passage from Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki (Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga), pp. 58-9.

"As for young Nobunaga's manner: He had on a bathrobe (yukatabira) with its sleeves removed, wore half-trousers (hanbakama) over it, and carried any number of pouches for flints and that sort of thing around his waist.  He kept his hair straight up like a tea whisk, tied with crimson and fresh-green cords. He bore a great sword with a vermilion sheath and ordered all the samurai of his retinue to outfit themselves in vermilion."

Nobunaga no tame!

Rokkaku at Okehazama

When I was at the Okehazama battlefield early this spring, I found out that the Rokkaku family of southern Omi provided some support for Nobunaga.  the information I received from the Kajino family and Chofukuji Temple near the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield is interesting.  According to the ancient documents from Chofukuji, the Rokkaku send an army of 1,500 which 272 were killed in action.  From the Mikawa Fudoki, 2,300 men were sent to provide aid.  If Rokkaku did provide aid for Nobunaga, I think that number is too high. According to the Kajino family, 1,500 or less is a more probable number.

With Nobunaga's victory over Imagawa Yoshimoto, the Saito had a major problem.  Saito Yoshitatsu knew he was next.  Right after the the Battle of Okehazama, Yoshitatsu made an alliance with the Rokkaku.  Nobunaga's relationship with the Rokkaku has been up and down.  In 1568, while marching to Kyoto with a massive army, Nobunaga brushed aside the Rokkaku with ease.


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Nagoya Debate

Photo of Nagoya Castle landmark 2006.

Nagoya Castle is back in the news for Nobunaga's birthplace.  Link: https://ameblo.jp/mikawa-hide/entry-12397181294.html

No matter if Nobunaga's birth place is Shobata or not, chances are it was Nagoya.  Shobata was too close to enemy territory, Mino.  Nagoya, located in the heart of Owari was a safer place for the birth of Nobunaga.  If Shibota was Nobunaga's birthplace, he was taken to Nagoya as soon as possible for safety issues.  I still stand with Nagoya as the place of birth for Nobunaga.  At the same time, I add Shobata for another point of view to be fair.  Nagoya Castle during the time of Nobunaga was measured 1640 by 1968 feet in length.

Nobunaga no tame!

Yasuke Part I

There has been a lot of news about Nobunaga's black attendant Yasuke of late.  Which is good.  Yasuke was only with Nobunaga for over a year or so.  Not that long.  Nobunaga came into contact with Yasuke in February of 1581.  He was about 6'2 in height and where he came from Africa is still a mystery.  Some say he was a Habshi from Ethiopia or a Dinka from South Sudan.  Who knows.  That being said he was able to some Japanese to communicate with the locals.

The Shincho-Ko ki does has a passage about him.

The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga pp. 385-6.

"On the 23rd of the Second Month, a blackmoor came from the Kirishitan Country.  He appeared to be twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.  Black over his whole body, just like an ox, this man looked robust and had a good demeanor.  What is more, his formidable strength surpassed that of ten men."

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Merit

Nobunaga promoted his captains and soldiers on merit, not linage and it proved to be a success.  He hated the the old order on how the long established families kept the the ones who did the work down and out.  He change it.  If you did well on the battlefield or other related works, you were rewarded.  At the same time he demoted, banished, or killed high or low for not doing their job.  Nobunaga was not afraid to hire someone on the outside, like the Men of the Fields, Hideyoshi, or even Akechi Mitsuhide to do the dirty work for him.  It proved to be extremely successful.  Competition created success for Nobunaga.

Neil McMullin, Oda Nobunaga and the Buddhist Institutions, p 84

"Breeding and proper blood lines meant nothing to Nobunaga.  Together with such patricians as Niwa Nagahide and Hosokawa Fujitaka, he added to his inner circle such low born people as Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide.  Oda promoted people on the basis of their ability, and demoted those--no matter what their breeding--who failed to meet his expectations.  A good example of the latter was Nobunaga's punishment of Sakuma Nobumori, a person of noble family and one of Oda's top ranking generals, for his poor performance during the siege of the Honganji citadel from 1575 to 1580. Persons, whether they were bonzes, kuge, or peasants, who showed loyalty to Oda were rewarded, and those who opposed him were destroyed."

Nobunaga also banished Hayashi Hidesada and Ando Morinari for not doing their job. Even maidservants were put to death for skipping work.  Yet, someone like Maeda Toshiie who was banished and allowed back in the Oda house due to his merits on the battlefield at the Battle of Moribe in 1561.  It must have been difficult for the old guard as well as the newbies to work for Nobunaga.  You had to perform or else.  Knowing your boss was not afraid to hire someone on the outside added the stress.  That being said, if you were consistent on the battlefield and the like, you were well rewarded.

Nobunaga no tame!

2018 Nobunaga Gifu Matsuri News

There is some big news regarding the 2018 Nobunaga Gifu Matsuri which takes place in October.  Kaoru Nagata will play the role of Oda Nobunaga during the festival.

Link:https://t.co/ZG6P6itjAP

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Dosan Portrait

This is a portrait of Nobunaga's father-in-law Saito Dosan.  After Dosan was killed at the Battle of Nagaragawa in 1556, Nobunaga's wife Nohime, requested an artist to draw a portrait of her father.  Not long after the portrait was done, Nohime donated the painting to Jozaiji Temple.  The temple is about a five minute walk from Gifu Castle Park.

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Sunomata Summary

If wants to get a clear picture of the Battle of Sunomata or the construction of the fort, look to David D. Neilson's paper, Society at War.  The construction of the fort took months of planning and Nobunaga again used the Men of the Fields to do the job.

Neilson, p. 217  "Despite the fact that Sunomata was a defensive battle with an established perimeter, the situation here was much different than say, a siege of a castle.  In a castle siege the castle was surrounded by the enemy and the food and sometimes, the water supplies were cut off.  many sieges lasted for months and sometimes, more than a year before the besieged were starved into submission.  The fort at Sunomata was a forward outpost that was backed up to a river the opposite side of which was friendly territory.  Unless the Saito were willing and able to send their people into Owari and attack back across the river, which would have meant risking contact with Oda forces that were already gathering in the area, supply lines into Sunomata and escape routes into Owari were in no danger being cut off. Once the fortifications were in place, if the defenders of the Fort at Sunomata allocated their people and firepower wisely, control of the battlefield would have been theirs."

Sunomata was not a battle to kill the enemy as soon as they are found, but sneaking into enemy territory and securing the cooperation of the population.


Firearms was the main weapon used at Sunomata and there were about 500 or so used at the battle.   Quite a bit of rifles.  The Men of the Fields were also arms dealers and had the wealth and military power to be independent from daimyo control.  Nobunaga at the time needed their financial and military resources that they controlled at the times.  He tried to bring the Men of the Fields under his control earlier in his career, but at the time he could not be so picky.

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Improvements at Sokenin

There has been major improvements at Daitokuji's Sokenin.  While in Japan in May, I visited Sokenin on their Spring opening.  The improvements has been the grave markers on Nobunaga's women.  The graves of Nohime, Onabe no kata, and Nobunaga's daughter Gotoku all have a name tage besides their grave.  This has been a major improvement since before the tags were in place, one had to ask where the tombstone was.  With the tags, one now can identify Nobunaga's women.

Nobunaga no tame!

Luis Frois

This is a statute of the Portuguese Jesuit missionary Luis Frois (1532-97) located at the Gifu City Museum of History.

Frois was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1532 and first arrived in Japan in 1563, the same year that Nobunaga moved his headquarters from Kiyosu to Komaki.  In 1569, Frois first saw Nobunaga in person in Kyoto.  That day, Nobunaga was constructing Nijo Castle for shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki.  It was noted in Frois's writings that one of Nobunaga's soldiers was harassing a young woman.  Nobunaga saw this and took immediate action as he chopped off the soldier's head in one single stroke of the blade.  Later in 1569, Frois visited Nobunaga again in Gifu.  He described Gifu as ancient Babylon.  Frois is one of the few foreigners who have met with Nobunaga on a consistent basis and has several writings on the meetings with the Uesama.

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Mitsuhide Talk

There will be a seminar on Akechi Mitsuhide on August 4th and 5th this year.  On the 4th, it will be held at Mizunami Cultural Center.  As usual, Owada Tetsuo is the leading guest speaker.  This will lead up to the 2020 Mitsuhide Taiga drama.

Nobunaga no tame!

Roads that lead to Okehazama

On my recent trip back to the Okehazama battlefield, I learned that here are two roads in the back of the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield Park.  The photo below is the Mikawa Michi.  During the time of the Battle of Okehazama, the road was extremely small and narrow.

This is the Chikazaki Michi which is below the Mikawa Michi.  These two roads connected.  Mikawa Michi stands out for me.  When the Kajino's told me how small and narrow the road was at the time, I was shocked.  Again, over time, the geography has changed, but not the secrets of the Battle of Okehazama.

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Okehazama 2018

I just returned home from another fantastic trip to Japan and already planning for next year.  The Arimatsu Okehazama Festival will be held this weekend.  Last weekend I was able to attend the Toyoake City festival, a beautiful festival it was.

I did a walking tour with the Kajino family and I will write about that in the near future.  I want to write about news that the Rokkaku from southern Omi did provide Nobunaga some assistance during the Battle of Okehazama.  According to the Chofukuji Temple, there is some relics that belong to a retainer of the Rokkaku who was killed in action at Okehazama.  That is news indeed.  The question is how did the Rokkaku know about the Imagawa campaign?

This brings me back to the Men of the Fields and their meeting at Ikoma mansion for Nobunaga's dance party.  Hachisuka Koroku and Maeno Shoemon usually had Hideyoshi with them when meeting with Nobunaga.  Without Hideyoshi, the two felt nervous and uneasy when meeting Nobunaga alone.  Guess what?  It happened.  Hideyoshi was not there at the dance party and Koroku and Shoemon had to meet with Nobunaga directly.  Where was Hideyoshi that night?  Kiyosu Castle?  Or requesting help from southern Omi?  It is a stretch, but it is quite possible that Nobunaga did request help from the Rokkaku using Hideyoshi as a messenger.  As for me, I am open about it.  Possible, but chances are not that high.

Nobunaga no tame!

2018 Azuchi Matsuri

The 2018 Azuchi Nobunaga Festival will be held on Sunday June 3rd.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend due to the Toyoake Okehazama Festival.  That being said, this is one of the better Nobunaga festivals that is held in Japan.  Also I will be able to make a trip to Azuchi later this month.

Link: http://www.azuchi-shiga.com

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Sena Ujitoshi's Bucket

May is the Battle of Okehazama month and I will be at the battlefield on May 19th.  That being said, here is a picture of the bucket that Imagawa retainer Sena Ujitoshi presented to Shinmei Shrine as a gift to the gods right before the Battle of Okehazama.  Ujitoshi's camp was not far from the shrine and his camp was 49 by 125 feet in length.  Ujitoshi later served under the Takeda after the Battle of Okehazama.

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Ryusenji and Nobuyuki

Just before Nobunaga assassinated his younger brother Nobuyuki in 1557, Nobuyuki practically turned Ryusenji into a fort.  This made Nobunaga angry.  He already forgave Nobuyuki the first time for treason, second time, no way!  Nobuyuki written his death sentence with the second rebellion.

Photo above is Ryusenji.

Ota Gyuichi Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (Shincho-Ko ki) p. 93.

"The younger brother of Lord Kazusa no Suke Nobunaga, Lord Kanjuro, built up the Ryusenji, turning that temple into a fort.  He and Oda Ise no Kami (Nobukata) of Iwakura, who controlled the upper districts of Owari, had entered into an agreement to invade the Three Villages of of Shinoki, a fine estate that was part of Nobunaga's immediate domain."

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Arimatsu Okehazama 2018

The 2018 Arimatsu Okehazama Festival will be held on Sunday June 10th.  I have been to the festival before and it is one of the better Nobunaga festivals in the country.  I will be in Japan, but will unfortunately will miss it.  However, I will be at the Toyoake City Okehazama Festival earlier in the month.

http://okehazama.net

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Nobunaga and Yoshiteru

In 1559, Nobunaga made his first trip to Kyoto with a selected few men.  There, he met shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru in person.  A rare event indeed.

Ota Gyuichi Shincho-Ko ki (The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga) pp. 93-4.

"All of a sudden Lord Kazusa no Suke announced that he would go up to Kyoto and drew up a list of eighty men selected to accompany him.  After touring the capital city, Nara, and Sakai, he made a courtesy call on the shogun, Kogenin Yoshiteru, and sojourned in Kyoto.  This was a truly festive occasion, and Nobunaga had outfitted himself accordingly.  He bore a great sword that had a gold-encrusted sheath and was fitted with a sword guard shaped like a wheel.  All of his escorts, too, bore swords with gold-encrusted sheaths."

The woodblock print above is from the Ehon Taikoki.

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Mitsuhide Drama

There is finally some good news on the NHK Taiga front.  In 2020, there will be a Taiga drama on one of Nobunaga's capatains, Akechi Mitsuhide.  If NHK puts the money and quality into this project, this drama will be a winner.  I am looking forward to this.

Link: http://www6.nhk.or.jp/nhkpr/post/original.html?i=14251

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Anegawa, Nomura, and Mitamura

Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu scored a victory at the Battle of Anegawa over the Azai/Asakura in 1570.  Depending where the armies were stationed at, the name is different.  Nobunaga's position was stationed at Nomura.  So the Oda and Azai armies fought at Nomura at Anegawa (Nomura Kassen).  Ieyasu's position was Mitamura.  Again, the Tokugawa and Asakura armies fought at Mitamura at Anegawa (Mitamura Kassen).

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Okehazama at Kiyosu

Kiyosu Castle will be hosting a mock Battle of Okehazama next month.  This is fantastic news.  The event will be held on May 20th at Kiyosu Castle.  I do plan to attend this event.

Link: https://t.co/YtDtJrJ6Af

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Spring at Sokenin

For those who are in Kyoto this early spring are in for a real treat.  Daitokuji's Sokenin will be open for a short time.  Staring March 24th to May 26th, one can see a wooden statue of Nobunaga (picture above), graves of the Oda family, graves of Nohime and Onabe no Kata.  That being said, most of the time Sokenin will only be open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.  I plan to visit Sokenin in May for sure.

Link: http://kyotoshunju.com/?temple=daitokuji-sokenin

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Ehon Taikoki Okehazama

These three Okehazama woodblock prints are from the Ehon Taikoki.  The top print is Nobunaga singing and dancing to Atsumori.  The second print is Nobunaga praying at Atsuta Shrine.  The third is Imagawa Yoshimoto's death.  Happy Easter to you all and God Bless!

Nobunaga no tame!

Discovery at Omizo Castle

News related to Nobunaga's cousin, Oda Nobuzumi on his castle Omizo.  According to the archaeological discovery at Omizo, the castle was built with the Azuchi method.  Omizo Castle was located on the western side of Lake Biwa.  With Hideyoshi located at the north with Nagahama, Nobunaga with Azuchi at the east, and Mitsuhide at the south with Sakamoto, it created a diamond around Lake Biwa.

Link: https://t.co/cvdV9rxjuT

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Okehazama Talk in April

Okehazama and local Nobunaga historian Seishiro Mizuno will host a seminar on the Battle of Okehazama in April.  The seminar will be held on April 28th, at the Meito Cultural hall near the Nagoya subway station Kamiyashiro.  If you are in the Nagoya area during this time, by all means go.  His last seminar on the Battle of Inou and Shibata Katsuie was a huge success.

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Nobunaga and Kozuke

The Gunma Prefectural Museum of History will host a special exhibition Oda Nobunaga to Kozuke kuni.  Nobunaga and Kozuke domain will be held March 17th to May 13th.

http://grekisi.pref.gunma.jp/95exhibition.html

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Shiga Castle

Shiga Castle was the home of Nobunaga's elder adviser Hirate Masahide (1492-1553).  Masahide excelled in diplomacy, poetry, and the tea ceremony.  While Nobunaga's father Nobuhide was still alive, he asked Masahide to work out a peace agreement with the Kiyosu faction in the late 1540s.  At first, it stalled, but Masahide eventually made the two parties agree to a deal.  More importantly, Masahide worked out another deal with Saito Dosan of Mino to allow Nobunaga to marry Dosan's daughter Nohime.  After Masahide's death in 1553, Nobunaga built a temple for him Seishuji.  His grave however was moved to Tounji.

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga's Kyoto Parade

I have never really touched on Nobunaga's famous Kyoto Parade which was held in 1581.  As of today, it is still debated whether or not Nobunaga's real intention was to scare the living hell out of the Imperial household into submission.

Lamers Japonius Tyrannus (206-7)

"Nobunaga staged a military parade in Kyoto in March 1581 as a formal celebration of the Honganji's defeat.  It was unquestionably the ceremonial crowing of Nobunaga's career.  Of special interest is that Nobunaga carefully wove strands of Imperial fabric into the carpet of magnificence he unrolled on the streets of Japan's capital."

Nobunaga ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to organize the parade.  Nobunaga left his Kyoto headquarters Honnoji around eight in the morning on his horse Daikoku.  As for the picture above here is a list:

1. Emperor Ogimachi
2. Prince Sanehito
3. Oda Nobunaga
4. Spectators
5. Emperor's temporary residence
6. Court ladies
7. The military horse parade
8. Courtiers
9. Imperial Palace

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Samonji Sword News

Big news out of Shizuoka as swordsmiths are trying to replicate Yoshimoto's Samonji sword for his 500th anniversary of his birth.  Yoshimoto was in possession of the sword during the Battle of Okehazama.  The sword was two feet six inches in length.  After Yoshimoto's death at Okehazama, the sword was in the hands of Nobunaga.  He later cut down the length to two feet two inches.

Link:  https://t.co/78stXYzDWb

Nobunaga no tame! 

Oda Nobuhide Book Review

Title: Tenkajin no Chichi Oda Nobuhide
Author: Taniguchi Katsuhiro
Publisher: Yodensha
Year: 2017
Pages: 254

I received Taniguchi Katsuhiro's new book on Oda Nobuhide in the mail last year.  So far, the book is a must have for any scholar on Oda Nobunaga.  The book's bibliography is no exception.  It is extensive and Taniguchi used everything he could get his hands on.

If there is anything that stood out in the book, it is on page 205.  Nobuhide moved often and only in Owari.  Shobata, Nagoya, Furuwatari, and Suemori.  Nobuhide moved from western Owari near Mino to eastern Owari near Mikawa.  Here is my opinion on this.  After his alliance with Saito Dosan, Nobuhide had is back somewhat protected.  The real threat came from the Imagawa and Nobuhide moved his headquarters to Suemori to be ready for them when the time came.

Nobunaga saw this too when he was young and no doubt had an effect on him.  He too, moved often. Nagoya, Kiyosu, Komaki, Gifu, and Azuchi.  Nagoya, Kiyosu, and Komaki are in Owari while Gifu is in Mino and Azuchi is in Omi.  Nobunaga moved for military, political, and economic reasons.

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Dengakutsubo

This is an old photo of the Okehazama Battlefield.  Dengakutsubo is supposedly where Yoshimoto made his last stand at the Battle of Okehazama.  The photo was probably taken during the Taisho/Showa Era.  One can notice how rural and virgin the area was.

Other news related to Nobunaga, if one is in Kyoto right now, the Teramachi Honnoji is having a spring treasure display of Nobunaga's last tea ceremony until April 22nd.  I highly recommend this.
Link to Honnoji display:  https://t.co/UmoGMD1R39

Nobunaga no tame!

Old Okehazama Photos

I am slowly working on a picture book on the Battle of Okehazama.  When will the book be finished?  I do not know.  That being said I received some old photos from the Kajino family on Okehazama.  These photos are from Sakakibara Kunihiko Okehazama Kassen Shashin Shu, which was published in 1993.  Mr. Sakakibara has another book on Okehazama, Okehazama Kassen Kenkyu, a book I highly recommend.

The first photo above is the old Okehazama Battlefield Park.  You will notice right away there is not much modern development.  The second photo is Narumi Castle.  The landmark area almost looks completely virgin.  What I like about the photos is that it gives us historians some clues what the battlefield might have looked like before modern development.  It was still extremely rural.

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Battle of Inou Seminar

My good friend and Battle of Okehazama colleague Seishiro Mizuno will be hosting a seminar on the Battle of Inou, Nobunaga, Shibata Katsuie, and Suemori Castle.  The seminar will be held on March 2nd, near Nagoya subway station Kamiyashiro at the Meito Cultural Hall.

If you are in the Nagoya area during this time, by all means go to the event.  It is free and you will learn  a lot on young Nobunaga during his pre-Battle of Okehazama days.

Nobunaga no tame!

Old Okehazama Guide

Here is an old Battle of Okehazama guide from the 6th year of Ansei (1859), called as Okehazama Kassen Enki (Kosenjozu).  It seems that this guide was sold just before you arrived at the battlefield.  I do have another link regarding to the Battle of Okehazama as well.

Link: http://www.nagoya-info.jp/nobunaga/nobunaga_kouro/

Tenka no tame!

Happy 2018

Happy 2018 to you all!

As always, every year I like to post a picture of Nobunaga's famous golden skulls display he held on New Year's at Gifu Castle in 1574.  The skulls of Azai Nagamasa, his father Hisamasa, and Asakura Yoshikage.

What does 2018 have in store for us Nobunaga fans? 2017 was Gifu's 450th anniversary.  2018 is another important milestone.  2018 will be the 450th anniversary when Nobunaga marched to Kyoto to help install the 15th and last Ashikaga shogun Yoshiaki.

During the Christmas break, I have been reading Taniguchi Katsuhiro's book on Nobunaga's father, Nobuhide.  It is not that bad and will write a small review soon.  I do highly recommend it.


Nobunaga no tame!