2025 Nagashino Nobori Matsuri

 Here is the flyer for the 2025 Nagashino Nobori Matsuri which will be May 3rd to the 5th. The flyer below includes other festivals related to the Battle of Nagashino.

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga and Kitsuno Statue

 Believe or not, there is a new Nobunaga statue. This is a first in its kind. Meitetsu Hotei Station Konan City (Aichi Prefecture) now has a station statue of Nobunaga and his concubine Kitsuno (1528?-66), along with her children. This is the first statue of Kitsuno, Nobunaga's concubine. Of course, if you visit Kiyosu, there is the statue of Nobunaga and his wife Nohime at Kiyosu Castle Park. 

I will write another post later on this with pictures.

Tenka no tame!

Special Red Seal Exhibition

 For those who live in Gifu or plan to visit you are in for a real treat. April 29th to May 6th Gifu City Museum of History will display Nobunaga's Red Seal documents. By all means, go and see Nobunaga's documents. The red seal documents are rare and now people can see and read what Nobunaga was up to during his tenure in Gifu. With AI coming people will soon translate and read in their native languages what Nobunaga wrote.

Nobunaga no tame!

Recent Readings

 

Earlier this year while in Japan, I bought a historical fiction novel, Tenyuu wa Nobunaga ni ari (Heavenly Blessings are in Hands of Nobunaga) by Iwamuro Shinobu. The novel series is in three volumes. I have the first two and currently reading the second volume regarding to the Battle of Okehazama. The second volume goes into great depth into the meeting between Nobunaga and Dosan, Battle of Muraki, Kiyosu, assassination of Nobuyuki, Battle of Nagaragawa, Nobunaga's trip to Kyoto, unification of Owari, and Okehazama. I am extremely enjoying reading the novel so far. Highly recommend it for a spring or summer reading.

Tenka no tame!

Kannonji Tsushima

 Last year I visited Tsushima and found a gem near the Meitetsu Tsushima station. Goouzan Kannonji Tsushima is a temple that had a relationship with the Oda family. Three generations that is: Oda Nobuhide, Nobunaga, and Nobutada. Kannonji Tsushima is part of the Chisan-ha Shingon sect of Buddhism.

Nobunaga no tame!

2025 Dosan Matsuri

 

The 2025 Gifu Saito Dosan Matsuri will be held next month. April 5/6 are the days the festival will be held in downtown Gifu.

Tenka no tame!

Moriyama Castle Update

 

Last year I made a visit to the Moriyama Castle landmark. During the time of Nobunaga, Moriyama Castle was in the hands of Nobunaga's uncle Oda Nobumitsu. If history is correct, he became the lord if the castle in 1535. Located near the Yada River in Owari Province, it measured between 167 by 190 feet. It was known as a hirayamajo or plain and mountain castle. I will not go into the Moriyama Kuzure incident. Moriyama before Nobumitsu became the lord was in the possession of the Matsudaira family. When Moriyama Castle was built and who constructed it is still unknown today.

The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 60) "Lord Bingo's younger brother, Lord Magosaburo (Nobumitsu), was truly outstanding exemplar of the profession of Arms. His residential castle was in a place called Moriyama."

Nobunaga no tame!