WTF

Bad news in Gifu.  The city put a make on the face of the golden Nobunaga statue for the propaganda stay at home campaign.  One must remember that Nobunaga was physically strong as well as mentally.  To be honest, he was rarely sick during his lifetime.  That is right.  He was rarely sick.  Probably because he was always active in war and the like. However, there is a tradeoff.  Nobunaga was wounded a few times in battle.  He was shot by a sniper by the name of Sugitani Zenjubo in 1570 right before the Battle of Anegawa.  And in 1576, he was shot in the leg at Tennoji.  Remember, Nobunaga was an Alpha male, not some sissy snowflake.  For a man who was hardly sick, this is just another ploy to be scared.  Nobunaga would tell them, up yours!

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga's Attire

Many movies and television dramas have aired the meeting between Nobunaga and Dosan. Nobunaga's attire was well known and he did not dress properly that often.  The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga describes his attire in full detail before meeting with Dosan.

P. (62) "This was Nobunaga's get-up day: He had his hair straight up like a tea whisk, tied with fresh-green ribbons, and wore a bathrobe with sleeves removed.  He bore a great sword and a dagger, both with gold-encrusted sheaths, stuck into a straw  rope that he had wrapped around himself, and a thick bracelet made of hemp secured his sword to his wrist.  From his waist dangled seven to eight gourds and pouches for flints, as though he were some kind of monkey-trainer.  His half-trousers were made of four panels of tiger and leopard skin, each dyed a different color."

The recent Kirin ga Kuru showed Nobunaga wearing a colorful robe, but without the trousers.  If one watches Nakamura Kinnosuke's Fuunj Nobunaga 1959, you will get a more accurate account what Nobunaga wore on that day.

Nobunaga no tame!

Battle of Muraki Link

My Sengoku warfare colleague Hide has an article on the Battle of Muraki 1554.  http://sengokushiseki.com/?p=1408

His blog post describes the Battle of Muraki landmarks and I have been there myself many times. 

The Battle of Muraki was a key victory for Nobunaga and it was warm up for the Battle of Okehazama. 

For the Imagawa here are the targets.

Strategic: Owari
Operational: Chita Bay
Tactical: Muraki, a stepping stone to the heart of Owari.

Key points for Nobunaga's victory.

1. Support from his father-in-law, Saito Dosan.
2. Quick crossing of the Ise Bay.
3. Nobunaga's use of firearms.
4. Leadership.

Tenka no tame!

Imagawa Yoshimoto Statue Update

Big news regarding the new Imagawa Yoshimoto statue.  The statue will be located on the north side of Shizuoka station.  In May, the statue will be open to the public.  At the moment, the only Yoshimoto statue is at the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield.  Now there will be a statue at Yoshimoto's homeland.  To tell you the truth, it is long overdue.

https://www.shizuoka-cci.or.jp/blank-39


Nobunaga no tame!

Oda Nobumitsu at Muraki

Nobunaga's uncle Oda Nobumitsu participated at the Battle of Muraki (1554). His headquarters was located at the west side of Muraki.  The picture above is where Nobumitsu's camp was located.  Mizuno Nobumoto was located on the east side and Nobunaga's on the south.  The Battle of Muraki was six years before Okehazama and Nobunaga's victory was critical for his confidence and the protection of Owari.  His use of firearms was one of the main factors for his victory.

The Battle of Muraki is often overlooked by Nobunaga historians and historical dramas in general.  That being said Kirin ga Kuru did show a small Battle of Muraki scene with Nobunaga using his gunnery squad.  Also it showed Dosan sending aid to Nobunaga by helping him to protect Nagoya, a nice touch.  Dosan sent Ando Morinari along with 1,000 men to help Nobunaga. Morinari's men were stationed at Shiga and Tabata which was located north of Nagoya.

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga and Dosan Meeting

I just watched the famous meeting between Nobunaga and Dosan on the recent Kirin ga Kuru episode.  The one thing that stood out for me was Nobunaga's gunnery squad and the size of his army.  Of course, Nobunaga knows his father-in-law is hiding at the abandoned shack.  Another thing that sticks out is Mitsuhide.  Mitsuhide is with Dosan at the abandoned shack.  Unfortunately, this is not true.  Mitsuhide was not with Dosan at the shack.  The person who was probably with Dosan at the time was Hotta Doku.

Shotokuji Temple was located at Tonda (Tomita).  It was approximately ten miles south from Inabayama Castle and from Nagoya almost fifteen miles.

There are four reasons why Dosan wanted to meet his son-in-law Nobunaga.

1. Dosan never met Nobunaga in person.
2. Wanted to know if Nobunaga was a fool.
3. To find out if Owari was weak enough to invade.
4. To find out if the Saito/Oda alliance was good enough to continue.

Dosan quickly found out that Nobunaga was no fool and the alliance was good enough to continue.  He knew Nobunaga was a self-made man and knew the art of war well.  Dosan eventually sent aid to Nobunaga a year later in 1554 to help with the Battle of Muraki.

Nobunaga no tame!

Fort Zenshoji Article

My good friend and Battle of Okehazama colleague Seishiro Mizuno has written a small article on Fort Zenshoji.  Fort Zenshoji was built in 1559 by Nobunaga and his retainer Sakuma Nobumori was put in charge of the fort during the Battle of Okehazama.  The fort was massive and it measured between 768 by 118 feet in length.  Nobunaga arrived at Fort Zenshoji around ten in the morning with his army on the day of the battle.  The article has a picture of where the location of Takaneyama from Fort Zenshoji.  Takaneyama was the headquarters of Matsui Munenobu, a retainer of Imagawa Yoshimoto.  West of Fort Zenshoji is Narumi Castle which was in the hands of the Imagawa.  South of Fort Zenshoji was Fort Nakajima.  Nakajima was built in 1559 by Nobunaga and Kajikawa Takahide was in charge of the fort.

After the Battle of Okehazama, Nobunaga ordered Sakuma Nobumori to take over Narumi Castle.


Tenka no tame!

Hirate Masahide's Grave

Hirate Masahide (1492-1553) was Nobunaga's adviser.  He was a man skilled in poetry  and the tea ceremony.  Masahide also made the marriage between  Nobunaga and Nohime possible.  He took his own life in 1553 due to many misbehavior by Nobunaga.  His grave is located at Heiwa Koen in the Nagoya area.


Nobunaga no tame!

Oda Nobuhide Picture

Here is a picture of Nobunaga`a father, Oda Nobuhide.  At the moment, Takahashi Katsunori is playing the role of Nobuhide in Kirin ga Kuru.  His father was Oda Nobusada.  Nobuhide moved around a lot in Owari.  Starting at Shobata Castle, Nagoya, Furuwatari, and Suemori.  In the 1540s, he was at war with Saito Dosan of Mino and the Matsudaira of Mikawa.  Nobuhide was known as the Tiger of Owari.

Tenka no tame!

Okehazama Maps

Here are two maps related to the Battle of Okehazama.  The bottom picture shows where Yoshimoto's headquarters was located as well as his army attacking Fort Marune and Washizu.  It also shows the route where Matsudaira Motoyasu (Tokugawa Ieyasu) delivered the supplies to Odaka Castle.  The path he took was known as the Odaka Path.  As for Nobunaga, it shows his army stopping at Fort Zenshoji, Nakajima, and finally attacking Yoshimoto's camp.  Narumi Castle, an Imagawa castle, is located on the left side of the map.  Narumi was commanded by Okabe Motonobu.

The map above shows Motoyasu's attack on Fort Marune as well as Asahina Yasutomo' raid on Fort Washizu.  Fort Marune was to counter Odaka and Kutsukake while Fort Washizu was to counter Odaka and Narumi.

The maps are helpful in my opinion and are basic. 

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga Holy Land

There is a new book out by Nobunaga historian Taniguchi Katsuhiro Nobunaga Holy Land.  From what I have read from reviews and interviews, the book covers places from his youth to his tragic death.  Good color photographs as well.  Even though I disagree with Katsuhiro on issues regarding to Okehazama, he is a superb historian and I do have many of his books which are highly recommend.  His recent book is a must have in your personal library.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4418202056

Nobunaga no tame!

Dosan and Katsuie

News on the upcoming Okehazama movie.  Sato Koichi will star as Saito Dosan and Matsuda Ryuhei as Shibata Katsuie.  Again, I have high hope for the upcoming movie.  My only worry about the movie is that it is a television production and not a theater one.  You need the blood, guts, and cruelty to capture real life during the Sengoku Era.

Tenka no tame!