Mitsuashi no Kaeru Kouro

 If you visited the Honnoji Museum in Kyoto in the past, you have probably seen the Mitsuashi no Kaeru incense burner. On the eve of the Honnoji Rebellion, legend has it, the Three Legged Frog incense burner croaked to warn Nobunaga the danger that was about to come. Was it true? Who knows. That being said, it is a good story. Nobunaga did own the incense burner and it survived the Honnoji destruction. To see the original incense burner with your own eyes is a real treat. Also at the Honnoji Museum, is various tea cups (chawan) and tea kettle Nobunaga owned. Regarding to the Three Legged Frog incense burner, it played a role in the movie The Legend and the Butterfly. 

Nobunaga no tame!

Higishou

 Nobunaga performed a higishou, a ordeal by fire at Sanno/Hiyoshi Shrine near Kiyosu. The shrine is a short walk from Meitetsu Shin Kiyosu Station. The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (pp. 98-99)

"It was decided to hold an ordeal by fire in front of the Sanno Shrine, in presence of officials and witnesses nominated by both parties involved in the suit. Here was demonstrated how terrible is the Way of Heaven. 

Nobunaga had each side give him its version of what had happened and quickly sized up the situation. His complexion changed. He asked to hear the details regarding the ordeal by fire.

Nobunaga received the blazing-hot axe head onto his hands took three steps, and placed in on its tray. 'Did you see that?' he asked, and had Sasuke put to death."

The Sanno/Hiyoshi Shrine is not far from the Minoji and the Gojo River. It is only about a ten to fifteen minute walk to Kiyosu Castle.

Tenka no tame!

Matsunaga Hisahide Hiragumo Tea Ketttle Video

 Here is a video by historian Owada Tetsuo explaining Matsunaga Hisahide and the famous tea kettle (hiragumo). Near the end of the video, he discusses a document between Nobunaga and the Hosokawa family. If you are in the Kyoto area, you can visit Matsunaga Hisahide's grave at Myoekaiso graveyard. Not far from Myoekaiso graveyard is Shinnyoin, a temple that has a relationship with Nobunaga and Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki. As for the tea kettle Hiragumo, it is shaped as a spider crawling on the ground.

Nobunaga no tame!

Camp Hot Pot (Jinchunabe)

 Continuing with the Sengoku food series with Jinchunabe. Jinchunabe is roughly translated as camp hot pot. Nobunaga's Jinchunabe consists of chicken, daikon radish, ginger simmered in grilled miso with sake. A simple and hearty dish packed necessary nutrients. The video also includes dish for Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. The recipes are simple and one can recreate a Sengoku Era hot pot by watching the video. I to admit all three hot pots looks delicious (Nobunaga's jinchunabe was superb).

Tenka no tame!

More News on Gifu Castle Shutdown

 Here is another video regarding to the Gifu Castle being shutdown for a year for renovations. This video interviews locals and domestic tourists. One of the highlights of this video is when the newscaster presents a bar graph showing when Gifu Castle hit its peak as well as decline. When NHK broadcasted Kunitori Monogatari and Nobunaga: King of Zipangu, many people came to visit Gifu Castle. As the previous video I posted awhile ago, when all done, the emaki will added to the new Gifu Castle exhibit. 

Nobunaga no tame!

Rare Okehazama Postcard

 We continue with the celebration of the Battle of Okehazama. Here is a rare Battle of Okehazama postcard. This postcard was probably pre-war (WW2). If you look at the card, Imgawa Yoshimoto's name begins on the right side. After the war, it became left-right in terms of reading.

Tenka no tame!

Kasugayama Nikki Okehazama

 Happy Battle of Okehazama Day! Today's post will be different. Believe or not, the first mention of the Battle of Okehazama did not come from Owari, Mikasa, Totomi, or Suruga. It came from Echigo. The home province of Uesugi Kenshin. If everything is true and correct, it was recorded not long after the Battle of Okehazama. The first recording of the Battle of Okehazama comes from the Kasugayama Nikki. In Ota Teruo's Kikei Okehazama kassen no Shinjitsu page 3 has a small passage. One of the key words was kikei (ingenious plan) and fuiuchi (surprise attack). The Kasugayama Nikki does provide some clues what happen during the Battle of Okehazama. Nobunaga planned something out of the ordinary and there was possibly a surprise attack. 

It is highly possible that Uesugi Kenshin sent spies or scouts to observe the battle. I highly believe that happened. As for the area where the battle took place, the Kasugayama Nikki mentioned the word Okehazama.  One of the first recordings of Okehazama. It is  possible the scouts or spies did not know the true name of the area and mentioned the area as Okehazama to be on the safe side. Actually, while the Kasugayama Nikki does give historians a clue on what happened at Okehazama, there is always more questions than answers.

Nobunaga no tame!