Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Here is a one minute clip on the upcoming NHK Taiga drama Dou Suru Ieyasu. It looks decent and I plan to watch it while in Japan early next year.
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
The 2022 Awards are here, while it will be small this year, the quality is high.
Documentary: Rirekisho BS11 This show is hosted by Yuri Nakanishi and Kaku Kozo. The show has covered many historical topics, but as for the Sengoku Era, it has just about covered everything. The show is easy to understand and the guests are local historians than the national famed ones. A breath of fresh air. So far the show has covered Nobunaga, Okehazama, Oda Nobuhide, Saito Dosan, Azai Nagamasa, Asakura Yoshikage, and others. You can usually watch the show on YouTube.
Book of the Year: The Samurai Encyclopedia A Comprehensive Guide to Japan's Elite Warrior Class. I received this book about a month ago and I am impressed. The author, Constantine Nomikos Vaporis has done a fantastic job of breaking down the warrior class of Japan. This 449 page book is published by Tuttle. It does cover some events related to Nobunaga such Nagashino. I plan to write a proper review soon since it needs it.
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Did she divorce Nobunaga? That theory is false, no proof.
Did Nohime die at the Honnoji Rebellion? No. Again, no proof.
Mostly likely scenario was that she lived a quiet life after Nobunaga's death and died in 1612. I agree with this.
Link: Https://mag.japaaan.com/archives/187372
Nobunaga no tame!
Before Nohime married Nobunaga, she was briefly married to Toki Yorizumi. It was nice to see the article written that part in. Eventually, Yorizumi died or was possibly killed by Dosan since Oda Nobuhide was constantly attacking Mino, so he needed a possible peace pact with the Oda. The second page of the article goes into detail about Nobunaga's marriage to Nohime, its beginnings.
Article: Https://mag.japaaan.com/archives/187370
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Sakamoto: Akechi Mitsuhide
Omizo Castle: Oda Nobuzumi
Nagahama Castle: Hideyoshi
Azuchi: Nobunaga
With Lake Biwa in his hands, Nobunaga controlled the supply chain that was need to unify the country. He was able to get goods and services from other parts of Japan as well as China and Korea.
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga "On Eiroku 11, Seventh Month, 25th day, Nobunaga having sent Wata Iga no Kami, Fuwa Kawachi no Kami (Mitsuharu), Murai Minbu, and Shimada Tokoro no Suke as envoys to Echizen to welcome the kubo, Yoshiaki made his progress to the Ryushoji, a temple located in Nishi-no-sho, Mino Province."
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Ieyasu's Independence and Shingen
Oda/Tokugawa alliance and the fall of the Imagawa
Ieyasu and Takeda Shingen
Hamamatsu Castle
Start of the war
Tokugawa/Takeda Decisions on the battlefield
Historical significance of the battle
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Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Here is a decent video about the 15th and last Ashikaga shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki (1537-97). Ijin Sugao Rirekisho does a good job and a balanced view on Yoshiaki. Yes, he was known to be cruel, feeble minded, and know to be the beggar shogun, but he was known to be skilled at brush writing. Unfortunately, Yoshiaki did not have retainers, the army, nor money. Without Nobunaga taking him to Kyoto in 1568, he would have been a nobody. Yes, the video goes into detail about the 17 point letter and Nobunaga banishing Yoshiaki in 1573. With Yoshiaki's banishment, the Ashikaga shogunate was finished.
I highly suggest you watch the video before it is pulled down.
Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 202)
"On the 4th of the Eleventh Month, Nobunaga arrived in Kyoto and lodged in the Myokakuji at Nijo."
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
If you are near the Okehazama area in late November, you are in for a real treat. The 2022 Samurai Ninja Festival will be held at Odaka Ryokuichi Park. You will be able to see Nobunaga and his friends and a live matchlock rifle display as well. To remind everyone in Gifu, next weekend is the Gifu Nobunaga Festival, security will be tight.
Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Https://mag.japaaan.com/archives/187377
Kitsuno was from the Ikoma family who were heavily into the ash and oil trade. She was the daughter of Ikoma Iemune and the mother of Nobunaga's first three children Nobutada, Nobukatsu, and Tokuhime.
While the article is short and brief, one thing stood out. That is the relationship between Nobunaga and his mother. The article mentioned that Nobunaga was shunned by his mother (which was true. She preferred Nobuyuki over Nobunaga) and Kitsuno had that gentle womanly touch which attracted Nobunaga.
Nobunaga no tame!
Here is a passage from The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga describing Ashikaga Yoshiaki being installed as shogun in 1568.
The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 124)
"On the 22nd of the Tenth Month, Yoshiaki went to the imperial palace and, at a ceremony held in formal attire, was installed as Seii Shogun, Barbarian-Conquering General. Having established the Shogun securely in the capital city, Nobunaga enjoyed glory unparalleled in the Precincts of the Sun. He deserved to be honored until the end of times, to be held up as an example to his descendants. "
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Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
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In 1578, Juami was executed by Nobunaga.
The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 295)
" Tiger, Tenth Month, first day: Nobunaga returned from Sumiyoshi to the capital. He stopped for a brief rest at Yasumi Shinshichiro's place and then went on his to newly built Nijo residence. The following day, Nobunaga had Juami executed for his misbehavior during his absence. He passed the same sentence on a woman called Sai, who had been in his service for a long time, in connection with the same offence."
Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Link:Http://ameblo.jp/mikawa-hide/entry-12764964298.html
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Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 161) " On the 24th of the Second Month, Isono Tanba surrendered, pleading for mercy, handed over Sawayama Castle, and withdrew to Takashima. Niwa Gorozaemon was appointed the keeper of the castle."
Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Tenka no tame!
The strength of the Imagawa was in diplomacy and their house laws. Their alliance with his rivals, the Hojo and Takeda made it possible for peace, but more importantly, the march to Kyoto. Sessai was the brains of the Imagawa and the video reinstates that. That was a plus. When Sessai passed away, it was the start of the decline of the Imagawa.
Regarding to the Battle of Okehazama, Ota Teruo and his team at the Toyoake City Okehazama Battlefield Committee did a fantastic job. All of usual facts were stated. One of the keys to the batttle, was geography. Since the battle was in Nobunaga's backyard, he knew every square inch. Probably due to his love of falconry. Another twist to the story is what if? What if Sessai was alive during the time of the battle? The answer is Yoshimoto might have been more cautious about advancing to Owari or might even win the battle. If he did, he would have Owari's key ports Atsuta and Tsushima which would made the Imagawa more richer. It was known that Yoshimoto want to end the constant warfare, but it was not to be. It was left to Nobunaga to start the unification process.
One other interesting fact I learned from the video from Nobunaga's point of view was his triple alliance. After his victory at the Battle of Okehazama, Nobunaga created an alliance between the Tokugawa and the Azai. This alliance made it possible along with his conquest of Mino in 1567 to march his army to Kyoto in 1568.
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Before Nobunaga put Mt. Hiei to the torch and slaughtered the people, he to make sure his surroundings were in check. In late August of 1571 Nobunaga stayed at Niwa Nagahide's residence and his army surrounded the villages of Ogawa and Shimura. It was not long before Shimura was attacked by Nobunaga's army. On the 1st of September 1571, Sakuma Uemon, Nakagawa Hachiroemon, Shibata Shuri, and Niwa Gorozaemon led the attack to destroy Shimura Castle. The result was the total of 670 heads taken by the Oda army. Almost two weeks later Nobunaga led his infamous attack on Mt. Hiei.
Nobunaga no tame!
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Here is the full video Ijin Rirekisho with the main topic on Saito Dosan. It is not that bad. There are things that I disagree with. For example, his father was the oil merchant. Which is false in my opinion. It is the new flavor of the month for historians in my opinion. That being said, it does a great job explaining the struggles between the Toki and Saito as well as the Oda. One other great point is how Dosan made Mino an economic power. This is so important because it made the Saito as well as Mino rich. The video continues with his relationship with Nobunaga, which was key. After Dosan's death the video correctly states that Nobunaga continued to make Gifu and Mino an economic hub.
Nobunaga no tame!
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Here is the full Oda Nobuhide video by Ijin Rirekisho. After watching the video a couple of times, I was impressed on how informative it was. It was well known that Nobuhide had a lot of economic advantages over his rivals. His ports of Tsushima and Atsuta made him enough money to wage a war on two fronts. Fighting the Saito of Mino as well as the Matsudaira/Imagawa. Unfortunately he bit off more than he can chew. He did not unify Owari during his lifetime. If he did, Nobuhide would have been more powerful economically as well as militarily. He good at diplomacy as well as making political marriages possible. Something Nobunaga learned from his father and was skilled at it. Yes, Nobuhide was optimistic, which was needed during the time of war. He was skilled at song and kemari as well.
Nobuhide also moved around a lot. However, only in the Owari domain. Nagoya, Furuwatari, and Suemori. Nobunaga did too, but he was more expansive. Nagoya, Kiyosu, Komaki, Gifu, and Azuchi. It seems that Nobunaga learned that money was key to success as well as a formidable army. Nobunaga would create free tax zones, abolition of toll barriers, and promotion of foreign trade. This made Nobunaga rich and he was able to purchase high quality firearms and ammunition. I liked the video and learned some new things.
Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Key points:
Detour Attack (traditional theory)
Frontal attack
Withdraw attack
Due to my own military experience, I believe Nobunaga defeated the Imagawa by using a frontal surprise attack. It was the only way in my opinion. Now, the withdrawal attack is the new flavor of the month. Yoshimoto leaving Odaka and Nobunaga attacking him. I am not in favor of that theory because it does not make any sense. That said, it is interesting since it is a different view point.
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Nobunaga put Mt. Hiei to the torch in 1571. Just about everything was destroyed as well as the people massacred at Enryakuji. That said, some things did escaped the wrath of Nobunaga. There is a recent discovery that nine Buddhist statues did survive Nobunaga's destruction. At first, it was believed that the statues were rebuilt during the Edo Era. Now, with new evidence, the statues were constructed during the Kamakura Era. Extremely rare find indeed.
Link: Https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGKKZO62776340R20C22A7CE0000
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Https://bizgate.nikkei.co.jp/article/DGXZQOLM057NN005072022000000
Here is a great article by Nikkei by professor Fujita on Nobunaga and his use for firearms. Key points:
Mass use and deployment of guns
Stable supply of raw materials
Foreign and domestic production, Nobunaga wanted domestic production
Quality of guns, gunpowder, and balls at Nagashino
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Conrad Totman Tokugawa Ieyasu Shogun (p. 108)
"Popular wisdom credits Ieyasu's fondness for simple food with being the end of him. His final sickness commenced during a hawking expedition, and the customary story tells us that while he was hunting, his friend, the merchant Chaya Shirojiro, visited to pay his respects. Talking idly, Chaya described a tasty dish then fashionable in Kyoto, the fish sea bream (tai) fried in sesame oil and garnished with shredded garlic. Ieyasu said it sounded delicious and promptly ordered two varieties of sea bream caught and prepared in the Kyoto manner. They were served, and and he pronounced them excellent and ate his full. Shortly afterward he became sick and presumably from spoiled fish, and never recovered."
The video above is a simple recipe of what Ieyasu might have ate. Nothing luxurious. Fish, flour, water, and salt.
Nobunaga no tame!
Believe it or not Nobunaga participated in the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto in 1578. I myself have participated a couple of times. It was a beautiful experience. As always, I will use the Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 286) as my source.
"Sixth Month, 14th day: Nobunaga watched the Gion Festival. He told his horse guards and pages that was no need for bows, spears, halberds, or other hand weapons, so they carried none. After viewing the festival, he gave leave to his guards and went hawking straight away with about ten pages."
What stands out is that there were no weapons. Save environment? Or did not want to start any trouble with the amount of participants.
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Okehazama
Mikatagahara
Nagashino
Lady Tsukiyama
Sekigahara
Battle of Osaka
Unfortunately, Anegawa was not mentioned. I presume it will be some reference to the battle since Nobunaga and Ieyasu participated and won for the day.
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The article is broken down into four parts. That being said, one of key points in my opinion, was Anegawa a draw? Yes and no. The Oda/Tokugawa army did defeat the Asai/Asakura army on that day. However, the Asai/Asakura did live to fight another day. It was not until 1573, when Nobunaga wiped out the Asai and the Asakura.
It is well known that Asakura Yoshikage did not participate at the Battle of Anegawa. The person who led the Asakura army was Asakura Kagetake. The Asakura/Tokugawa fought at Mitamura, while the Oda/Azai at Nomura.
Https://bushoojapan.com/bushoo/oda/2022/06/27/64972
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Nobunaga no tame!
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Https://bushoojapan.com/bushoo/oda/2022/06/15/23133/2
Here is an article on Azuchi Castle. The topic is who burned down Azuchi Castle. The article lists three main culprits. Akechi Mitsuhide, Oda Nobukatsu, and Hideyoshi. It is widely excepted that Nobukatsu foolishly burned down Azuchi. As for Mitsuhide, I do not think he done it. Hideyoshi theory does sound plausible. Even after the castle was destroyed, the ni no maru was still being used.
Nobunaga no tame!
Wakamusha Tokugawa Ieyasu by Shimazu Yoshitada is a novel about a young Tokugawa Ieyasu. Themes include life as a hostage during the Oda/Imagawa years and The Battle of Okehazama.
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Key points:
Motoyasu as a hostage during the Oda/Imagawa years.
Education at Rinzaiji with Sessai as his instructor
Yoshimoto's campaign goals. For example, Mikawa, Owari, or Kyoto.
Yoshimoto's alliance with the Hojo and Takeda
Motoyasu's delivery of supplies to Odaka Castle.
His attack on Fort Marune
Okehazama: Nobunaga's intelligence network, quality of troops, weather, and Yoshimoto's mishaps.
Battlefield more spread out than originally thought.
Oda/Tokugawa alliance
The fall of the Imagawa
Ieyasu's conflict with the Ikko Ikki in Mikawa
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Link: Http://shizuoka.tokaido-guide.jp/location/124
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When Mitsuhide betrayed Nobunaga and attacked him at the Honnoji in June of 1582, he was a man who had serious doubts. I do believe this. Why? Jeroen Lamers give us a clue in his book, Japonius Tyrannus (p. 214) " Mitsuhide's behavior directly before the Honnoji Incident was that of a man having serious doubts as to what course of action to take."
Mitsuhide owed everything to Nobunaga. He was an outsider. If Nobunaga did not employ Mitsuhide, he would end up as a nobody.
Nobunaga no tame!
Link: Http://plus.chunichi.co.jp/blog/mizuno/article/233/10656
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Right before Mitsuhide rebelled against Nobunaga, he made a visit to Mt. Atago.
Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 466)
"On the 26th of the Fifth Month, Koreto Hyuga no Kami departed Sakamoto for the Chugoku campaign and arrived at his residential castle of Kameyama in Tanba. The following day, the 27th, he went Kameyama on a votive vist to Mount Atago. Koreto Hyuga no Kami spent the night there in solitary meditation."
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Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p.89)
"Imagawa men-at-arms formed a circle around Yoshimoto, covering him while they retreated. Twice, thrice, four, and even five times they counterattack, but their numbers were gradually depleted. There have been roughly three hundred of them at first; at the end, only fifty remained."
The people who were guarding Yoshimoto were NOT foot soldiers. They were bushi/warrior type. That is important. Again, they were not ashigaru/foot soldiers. It was the bushi who tried to protect Yoshimoto. Yoshimoto was soon killed by Mori Shinsuke. The victory at the Battle of Okehazama started Nobunaga's quest to unite Japan.
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Nobunaga no tame!
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Now is is a snippet years later when the Takeda surrounded the Castle in 1572.
Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 176)
"This is what happened on the Totomi front.
In the last decade of the Eleventh Month, reports came in that Takeda Shingen had surrounded Futamata Castle in Totomi. Lord Nobunaga immediately sent a force under his household elders Sakuma Uemon no Jo, Hirate Jinzaemon, Mizuno Shimotsuke no Kami to the relief, but by the time this force arrived at Hamamatsu in Totomi, Futamata had fallen."
This was the prelude to the Battle of Mikatagahara.
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May is the Battle of Okehazama month. If you have the cash, you can participate in a short video. It looks like fun and if I had the chance to do it, I would with hesitation. All the information as well as link is printed on the flyer above.
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Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 132)
"The imperial palace was so dilapidated that it had lost its essential character, and Nobunaga ordered it to be repaired. Nichijo Shonin and Murai Minbu were put in charge of the project."
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