Nobunaga and Nobuyuki Video

 Here is a nice video I found on Nobunaga during his Owari unification era.  Video includes the death of Saito Dosan and the dispute between Nobunaga and Nobuyuki.  What struck me about the video was that Nobunaga was block off at his headquarters at Kiyosu because Nobuyuki created a line between Nagoya with Hayashi Hidesada, with auxiliary castles of Owaki and Komeno, Suemori, and Iwakura.  However, Nobunaga would defeat Nobuyuki at the Battle of Ino 1556.  Nobunaga's victory at Ino spearheaded the unification of Owari.

Tenka no tame!

Ashikaga Yoshihide

 Ashikaga Yoshihide's (1538-68) career as shogun was extremely short.  He died of an incurable illness.  Also according to Owada Tetsuo's video above, he did not stay in Kyoto, but resided at Fumonji Castle.  Fumonji Castle was located at Settsu Province, modern day Osaka-fu, Tonda-cho.  Yoshihide was literally a figurehead for the Miyoshi and Matsunaga Hisahide.  After he passed away, it created an opening for Nobunaga to march to Kyoto with the soon to be new shogun Yoshiaki.

Nobunaga no tame!

Maeda Toshiie Article

 My good Okehazama friend Seishiro Mizuno has written a small article on Nobunaga's retainer Maeda Toshiie.  Article goes into detail on Toshiie and Arako Castle.

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Festival Odaka Ryokuchi 2020

 There will be a Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu festival near the Odaka Castle ruins this year.  The festival will be held on November 8 at Odaka Ryokuchi Park.  This is good news as Japan is getting back to normal.  

Nobunaga no tame!

Battle of Konoshima

 

The Battle of Konoshima took place during August in 1566.  Nobunaga who was stationed at Komaki, lead his army to Mino to attack the Saito.  Unfortunately, the Kiso River was flooding and the attack stopped.  Saito Tatsuoki sent his army to attack Nobunaga.  The area where the two armies supposedly engaged is now known as Kinan/Ginan in Gifu Hashima.  Owada Tetsuo in the middle of the video explains the battle and the geography.  That being said, the documentation of the battle is scarce.  Now there is a letter that is supposed to be addressed to Kaisen Joki, a monk from Eirin Temple in Kofu.  Hino Hironari, Takeguchi Naomitsu, Ando Sadaharu (Ando Morinari's son), and Ujiie Naomoto wrote the letter.  The document written was nothing more than to poke fun at Nobunaga.  

The Battle of Konoshima is a defeat for Nobunaga losing men drowning in the Kiso River. While the battle did take place, little is known and in the end it nothing more than a small skirmish.

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New Rekishi Kaido Issue

 Here is the new issue of Rekishi Kaido regarding Nobunaga's battles.

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Azuchi Discovery

 There is big news regarding Azuchi Castle, the house that Nobunaga built.  Over the summer, research was going on by using laser and discovered on the north side of the ridge of some unknown fortifications.  Big news in my opinion.  

Link in Japanese: https://t.co/DxVMecghzP

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Nobunaga Tettei Kaidoku

 

Great video by Owada Tetsuo reviewing Nobunaga Tettei Kaidoku. This book is looks well researched and it will require time and patience to process the data.  So far from what I have seen from the video, this is a must have Nobunaga book.

Nobunaga no tame!

Honnoji Talk

 There will be a talk show on the Honnoji Rebellion with historian/author Kirino Sakujin at the Honnoji on September 12/13.  It is free and if you are in Kyoto during that time, please go if you can.  The Gifu Busho group will be there as well.  I have participated in these events often and they are fun and informative.  At the same time, you will never know who you will bump into.  For example, famous historians and the like.

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Komaki Castle Video

 Here is a nice video on Komaki Castle by Owada Tetsuo.  He first goes into details on Nobunaga's movements from Nagoya, Kiyosu, Komaki, Gifu, and Azuchi. Then explains his father, Nobuhide's movements Shobata, Nagoya, Furuwatari, and Suemori.  Nobuhide moved often, but stayed in Owari.  Nobunaga moved throughout central Japan.  Tetsuo also explains that Uesugi Kenshin stayed at Kasugayama as well as Takeda Shingen at Tsutsujigasaki.  

The video continues with Nobunaga's genius plan to move from Kiyosu to Komaki by first suggesting Ninomiya.  His retainers did not want to move to the deep mountains, so Komaki it was.  Tetsuo also drives home the use of stone walls at Komaki, which Kiyosu did not.  Last was Komaki becoming a castle town with economic power.

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga, Yoshiaki, and Noh

 

In 1568, Nobunaga and the newly installed Ashikaga shogun Yoshiaki held a Noh performance in Kyoto.  There were supposed to be thirteen plays of noh performance, but Nobunaga ordered to be shorten to five.  The Noh performance was held at the mansion of Hosokawa Fujikata.  During the performance, Yoshiaki proposed that Nobunaga should be ranked as vice-shogun, but Nobunaga rightly refused.  I will explain shortly.

The Introductory Noh play participants:

Takasago Kanze Sakon no Tayu, Konparu Odayu, Kanze Kojiro.

Large drum Okura Jisuke

Small drum Kanze Hikoemon

Flute Choai

Stick drum Kanze Matasaburo

Now back to Nobunaga's refusal of Yoshiaki's request.  One must remember that Nobunaga was an independent self-made man.  If Nobunaga accepted the shogun's request, he would be a subordinate to the shogun.  That was the last thing Nobunaga wanted.  Nobunaga respected the position of the shogun, but was he never going to be a subordinate to anybody.  Yoshiaki should have known this from the start, but he was not smart enough to recognize it.  In a way, this started the friction between the two and Nobunaga eventually banished the shogun in 1573.

Tenka no tame!