2023 Toyoake City Okehazama Festival

 The 2023 Toyoake City Okehazama Matsuri will be held June 3/4. This two day festival will be a treat since they will have a mock battle. I have participated in both the Arimatsu and Toyoake City Okehazama Festival. 

Tenka no tame!

2023 Okehazama Day

 Today is May, 19th, Battle of Okehazama Day! Today's post will be a little different. I have been doing some thinking and here is one question that needs to be asked.  What if Matsudaira Motoyasu (Tokugawa Ieyasu) was killed at the Battle of Okehazama? I am talking about his siege of Fort Marune. What if the attack of Fort Marune failed? Here is the answer, the Matsudaira family would have greatly weakened. Mikawa Province would have been in shambles. With Mikawa weak, Nobunaga would have invaded it with ease. However, with Mino still strong with Saito Yoshitatsu in charge, Nobunaga rear would have been exposed.

While in Japan earlier this year, I still had a heated discussion related to the Arimatsu and Toyoake City Battlefields. One must remember that the scope of the battle was more expansive than originally thought. The battle dead were scattered everywhere. Imagawa soldiers who were trying to escape to Kutsukake Castle was killed around the Toyoake City Battlefield. The same goes for Odaka Castle.  Those who were trying to flee there, was killed around the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield.

Nobunaga no tame!

Sugitani Zenjubo Update

 Earlier today I have been reading some articles on Sugitani Zenjubo, who tried to assassinate Nobunaga in 1570. The rock where he was hiding is still around. There is not much information on him, unfortunately. Was he a Saigashu, Negoroshu, or a hunter? Nobody knows.  There is speculation that he was a monk.  Again, only speculation.

Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (pp. 144-5). "In cold blood, Sugitani took aim at Lord Nobunaga from a distance of twelve or thirteen ken (twenty-two to twenty-four meters) and fired a double load. But the Way of Heaven watched over Nobunaga, and the bullets merely grazed his body."

Since he missed the opportunity to kill Nobunaga, it was only a matter of time before he was caught and put to death. After Nobunaga destroyed the Azai and Asakura in 1573, Sugitani Zenjubo met his fate. Isono Tanba caught him and brought him to Nobunaga. Suganoya Kuemon and Hafuri Yasburo interrogated him and Nobunaga finally put Sugitani Zenjubo to death. Buried to up to his shoulders, his head was slowly sawed off.

Tenka no tame!

Owada Tetsuo Mikatagahara Video

 Earlier this morning I watched another video by Owada Tetsuo explaining the Battle of Mikatagahara. Takeda Shingen led his army and fought Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara. Nobunaga was only able to send a token force, more on that later. What was Shingen's goal? There are two explanations. 1) Take over Totomi and Mikawa. 2) March to Kyoto.  Mikatagahara was a total disaster for Ieyasu. Nobunaga's token force was routed and did not do much. Why did Nobunaga provided Ieyasu with a token army? Unfortunately, Nobunaga was preoccupied with the Asakura, Azai, and the Shogun Yoshiaki. If Nobunaga was able to send his full army, Mikatagahara might have been different. Ieyasu realized he needed Nobunaga support to fight the Takeda. He was not strong enough to handle Shingen by himself. Nobunaga and Ieyasu learned from their mistakes from Mikatagahara. They shorten the battlefield to their advantage and their use of firearms at Nagashino in 1575 damaged the Takeda.

Nobunaga no tame!

Kubi Trailer

 

Here is the trailer to Takeshi Beats's new film Kubi. Takeshi will play the role of Hideyoshi while Ryo Kase will play the role of Nobunaga. This is another Honnoji film, but is it a comedy or not? I do not know.  That being said, there seems to be a lot of action in this film, a plus. Kubi is suppose to open in theaters later this fall.

Tenka no tame!

Okazaki to Hikuma (Hamamatsu) Video

 

Here is a recent video by historian Owada Tetsuo. This video discusses Ieyasu's move to Hikuma from Okazaki. Then Ieyasu changes the name Hikuma to modern day Hamamatsu. Also the last part of the video discusses Ieyasu's involvement with Nobunaga at the Battle of Anegawa.

Nobunaga no tame!

2023 Okehazama Festival

 Finally, some great news regarding to the Battle of Okehazama.  This month, on May 14th, which is on a Sunday, the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield will host its yearly festival. I have participated in the festival in the past. Unfortunately, not this year. That being said, if you have the chance to go, by all means go!

Tenka no tame!