Gifu Castle Summary By Owada Tetsuo

 Here is a small summary of Gifu Castle by Owada Tetsuo.  Now, I think this page is discussing the Battle of Sekigahara and Gifu in general.  Owada first notes that before Nobunaga took over Inabayama Castle, it was first held by the Saito (Dosan, Yoshitatsu, and Tatsuoki).  After the conquest of the Saito, Nobunaga moved his headquarters from Komaki to Mino and renamed the castle Gifu.  The Gifu Castle area to this day is being excavated and new artifacts related to Nobunaga are being discovered.

Nobunaga no tame!

Furuwatari Castle Facts

 It is known that Nobunaga's genpuku was held at Furuwatari Castle in 1546.  That being said, there is a theory that his younger sister Oichi was born there.  The second picture below is to believed of that of remains of the old moat.  Oda Nobuhide built Furuwatari in 1542, but was abandoned it in 1548 as he left for Suemori.

Tenka no tame!

Falconry and Rewards

 Nobunaga loved falconry.  In 1577 he rewarded a man named Ochi Genba for returning his prized hawk.  Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 275)

"After his Majesty viewed his falcon, Nobunaga departed through the gate called Tatchimon and directly went hawking at Higashiyama.  There he was overtaken by a sudden snowstorm, and his falcon was swept away by the winds.  It ended up in an inner district  of Yamato Province. Because this falcon was one of his favorites, Nobunaga had all directions searched for it. Tge next day, a native of Yamato called Ochi Genba (Iehide) brought it back to the capital on his arm and returned it to Nobunaga, who was not a little pleased. He immediately rewarded the finder with a set of clothes and a prized spotted horse. Ochi's hereditary estate had been confiscated years ago, leaving him with no income. Since Nobunaga promised to grant him any wish, Ochi Genba explained his situation, and Nobunaga promptly issued a vermilion seal letter confirming his proprietary rights.  It was a happy event for Ochi. But it was inadequate to say that. Here was demonstrated that our fate rests with Heaven."

Nobunaga no tame!

2022 Gifu Castle Talk

 Saturday January 8th, there will be a talk on Gifu Castle.  My Nobunaga colleague Shibata Masayoshi will be on the panel.  I am sure it will cover the eras of Saito Dosan, Nobunaga, and post Nobunaga.  I know this is a short notice, but if you are in Gifu, please attend.  Wish I could participate.

Tenka no tame!

Matsudaira Motoyasu and Okehazama

 On January 29th, there will be a walking lecture by historian Owada Tetsuo.  The topic is about Matsudaira Motoyasu (Ieyasu) and the Battle of Okehazama.  The tour starts at JR Odaka Station and continues to the Odaka Castle ruins.  I thank the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield Preservation Committee for the update.  Unfortunately, I cannot participate because I and still in the states.  That being said, I will receive information on this lecture early next month.

Nobunaga no tame!

New Year 1578

 Here is a passage from the Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga about a New Years greeting from in 1578 at Azuchi.

(P. 278)

"On the first day of the First Month, everybody who was anybody in the Home Provinces and in Wakasa, Echizen, Owari, Mino, Omi, Ise, and neighboring provinces came to Azuchi. They all presented themselves before Nobunaga and paid their respects to him."

Tenka no tame!

Happy 2022

 Happy 2022 to you all! As always I try to celebrate the new year on this blog Nobunaga style.  The famous 1574 New Year at Gifu Castle with the gold lacquered skulls of Azai Nagamasa, Hisamasa, and Asakura Yoshikage.  This is a clip from the 2006 Taiga drama Komyo ga Tsuji. The role of Nobunaga is played by actor Hiroshi Tachi.

Hopefully, 2022 will be a great year and everyone who studies Nobunaga and Okehazama will be able to return to the motherland.

Nobunaga no tame!

Tenka no tame!