Mitsuhide Landmark Magazine

The Akechi Mitsuhide landmark magazine is out just in time for the Taiga drama.  Magazine will cover Mitsuhide's career, Mitsuhide and Nobunaga, and Hosokawa Gracia.  I plan to pick this up while in Japan in late February.

Tenka no tame!

Things to Come

Hopefully, the Akechi Mitsuhide Taiga drama will be a hit, Kirin ga Kuru!  It needs to be a barnstorming blockbuster for the sake of Sengoku Era dramas in general.

Nobunaga no tame!

2019 Awards

It is that time of year where I give out the awards.  Fairly simple this year.

Historian of the year: Owada Tetsuo.  Yes, that guy who writes books on the Sengoku Era as well as Nobunaga.  I finally was able to meet him in person this year while in Shizuoka.  We were able to discuss the Battle of Okehazama as well as Nobunaga.  It was a rare event indeed. 

Book of the year: Moshi Honnoji no hen ga nakkata Nobunaga wa Ajia wo douiitsu shita by Izawa Motohiko.

This small book is a what if Nobunaga survived the Honnoji. It is well thought out and explains that Nobunaga would have Japan under his control in 1585, invasion of China by using the port Ninpo in 1587, and the invasion of the Philippines in 1589.  There is a section in the book that discusses Nobunaga's abolishment of toll barriers and why if he had some near Kyoto would have kept Mitsuhide in-check.  I have also met Izawa Motohiko a few years ago at the Toyoake City Okehazama battlefield.  He may look like a small potato, but he is a warm man.

Movie of the year:  Wakakihi no Nobunaga 

This film is average at best by Ichikawa Raizo's performance as Nobunaga is worth it.  Made in 1959.  I prefer Nakamura Kinnosuke's Nobunaga movie Fuunji Oda Nobunaga since it is more accurate.  Raizo's performance of Atsumori is one of better ones I have seen.

Tenka no tame!

Urabone at Azuchi

In 1581, Nobunaga held an Urabone or lantern festival at Azuchi Castle.  It was well noted in Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki and it was a hit with the locals. 

Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga, p. (406)

"On the 15th of the Seventh Month, Nobunaga had a great many lanterns suspended from the donjon of Azuchi Castle as well as from the Sokenji. Members of his horse guards, some posted along the new road and some riding in boats across the inlet, each lit a torch, so the foot of the mountain shone.  As the light reflected in the water, a spectacle delightful beyond words was created.  There were crowds of onlookers."

Nobunaga no tame!