Honnoji Magazine

 Here is a magazine covering the Honnoji Rebellion and the death of Akechi Mitsuhide.  Contents include who was the mastermind behind the rebellion, documentations, why Nobunaga was killed, and the Battle of Yamazaki where Hideyoshi defeated Mitsuhide.  Also the magazine interviews the actor who plays Nobunaga in the recent drama.

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Sekigahara Museum I

 Last year I posted a video on the opening of the new Battle of Sekigahara Museum located in Gifu Prefecture.  Here is the second part of the video with Owada Tetsuo explaining the various floors of the museum.  Just from watching the video, the museum is so well done and looking forward to seeing it myself in the near future.

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Honto no Nobunaga

 Honto no Nobunaga by Watanabe Daimon was published last year.  It seems to be a good read and would eventually read it myself when the opportunity comes.

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Gizan no Cho

 Gizan no Cho is a historical fiction novel written by Shino Ayako.  The novel is about Nohime and her relationship with Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide.  Published by Shueisha in 2019.  I do not have this book in my library, but plan to read it in the future.

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Honnoji Theory Video

 Here is a new video by Owada Tetsuo explaining the new documents regarding the Honnoji Rebellion.  There is some caution about the documents and questions if Mitsuhide was located south of the Honnoji.  Again, the new documents must be reviewed thoroughly.  

Link: https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20210114_1627515.html

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Dobora Castle News

 Dobora Castle is in news due to discovery of black charcoal rice.  Nobunaga attacked Dobora Castle in 1565 during the conquest of Mino.  Dobora Castle was located in eastern Mino.  Niwa Nagahide and Ota Gyuichi stood out during the battle and Nobunaga rewarded them for their efforts.  To support the recent discovery, according to the Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga, Nobunaga ordered his troops to torch the castle.

Links: http://otsuke.blogspot.com/2016/10/gyuichi-and-dobora.html

Http://www.gifu-np.co.jp/news/20210103/20210103-33927.html

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Honnoji Magazine

 Rekishi Kaido February's issue will discuss the Honnoji Incident.  If you able to purchase the magazine, by all means do.  Highly recommend it.

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More Questions Than Answers

 There are more questions than answers regarding to the Otoya no Kakimono. Yes, the chronicle was composed by Sekiya Masaharu, but who benefits from it.  Masaharu himself to keep the family name alive or Saito Toshimine and Toshimitsu. A plan to keep their name alive since they were probably minor players in their role in the Akechi family.  Again, the document is from the Edo Era.  There were lots of changes and rewrites as well.  The document should be scrutinize to the fullest in my opinion.

That being said, you can certainly put the blame on Saito Toshimitsu and Akechi Hidemitsu for leading the attack on the Honnoji if Mitsuhide requested a stand down.  If it was not a stand down and if Mitsuhide wanted the attack without the responsibility, he can put the blame on those two.  Again, it seems that Mitsuhide was slowly losing it mentally.  I do not think he was suffering from dementia, but he was rapidly approaching it.  After the Honnoji raid, Mitsuhide waited.  A major blunder on his part.  That allowed Hideyoshi time to regroup his army and eventually defeated Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki.  

Again, more questions than answers.  Again, this makes history fun and interesting.

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New Honnoji Theory

 There is news out there about an Edo Era document about the attack on the Honnoji.  The three volume document Otoya no Kakimono complied by Sekiya Masaharu, who was a military scholar of the Kaga domain stated that Akechi Mitsuhide was not leading the attack on the Honnoji.  In the first volume of document, Saito Toshimitsu (1534-82) along with Akechi Hidemitsu led the Akechi army to attack Nobunaga at the Honnoji.  Mitsuhide?  According to the document, he was almost five miles south near the Toba-Fushimi area.  In a way, it make some sense to delegate authority and order a vassal to lead the attack.  

I will in a week or so give you my opinion on this matter.

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Azuchi Castle Why?

 Here is another great short video by Owada Tetsuo on why Nobunaga moved to Azuchi and built a new castle.  There are many reasons why.  Mino, while strategically located in Central Japan was just a holding place for a regular daimyo.  Yes, it was close to Kyoto, but took a few days to get there.  At Azuchi, it would take a half a day by crossing Lake Biwa.  Also, Azuchi was close enough to control the political situation in Kyoto, but far enough of its daily shenanigans.  Highways such as tge Hokokukaido, Tosando, Nakasando, and Tokaido were easily accessible.  Another key advantage at Azuchi was he had to keep in check Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo and the Honganji Ozaka.  Also Azuchi would be the new economic center for Nobunaga creating new wealth for him as well as to wage war.  If there was one major drawback for Nobunaga at Azuchi, it was completely barren.  Building materials had to imported by cart and land had to be reclaimed.  Later in the video Owada Tetsuo briefly explains Nobunaga holy War against the Honganji.

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Watch and Observe

 It is well known that the elites and some of the masses called Nobunaga the "Fool of Owari" due to his bizarre behavior as a youth.  That being said, it became a strength of his.  Instead of being holed up in studies or participating in boring ceremonies, Nobunaga went on his daily business of falconry, horsemanship, swimming, sumo, and more importantly participating in mock battles.  

The video above is a New Years special with Ken Watanabe as Nobunaga.  It is not the best, but around the six minute mark in the video, you will understand quickly that Nobunaga was no idiot.  In this mock battle, he observed that longer spears was a key to success in certain situations.  Even the Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga has passage on this (p. 58), "If your spear is short, you'll be at a disadvantage no matter what.  So he hed spears made with a shaft of three to three and a half ken (5.4 to 6.3 meters)."

During this time as well Nobunaga knew firearms would be the new weapons to conquer Sengoku Japan.  This can be only achieved by watching, observing, and implementing the tactics and weapons when needed.  One had to be opened minded and no doubt Nobunaga was opened minded when it came to new weapons of war or a free market economy.

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Greetings From Okehazama

 This is a New Years Greeting from the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield Preservation Committee wishing everyone a New Year.  I will continue to work on the Battle of Okehazama this year.  One of my goals is to try to explain to people that the area the battle took place was more expansive than people think.  No matter what the mainstream historians tell you in the media, both the Arimatsu and Toyoake City battlefields are related and have historical significance.

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2021

 Happy 2021!  2020 was disastrous and with a new year comes a new beginning.  As always, I like to celebrate the new year Nobunaga style.  The famous 1574 New Year celebration at Gifu Castle with the gold lacquered skulls of Azai Nagamasa, Azai Hisamasa, and Asakura Yoshikage.

To celebrate 2021 I will start with a passage from the Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 248). This passage happened in early 1576.

"From the middle decade of the First Month, Korezumi Gorozaemon began construction work at Mount Azuchi in Omi Province on Nobunaga's orders. On the 23rd of the Second Month, Nobunaga moved his seat to Azuchi.  As the initial work was to his liking, he rewarded Gorozaemon with one of the famous objects of art from his own collection, a tea bowl that had once belonged to Shuko--a happy event for Korezumi."

The tea bowl that Nobunaga rewarded Korezumi Gorozaemon (Niwa Nagahide) was a Chinese tea bowl that was treasured by the fifteenth century aesthete Murata Shuko, the forefather of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Tenka no tame!