It is that time of year again where I hand out the awards for 2015. The list is small this year due to my busy schedule traveling to Japan, writing the novel, and going to therapy at the Naval Hospital and VA.
Book of the Year: Japan's Medieval Population: Population, Fertility, and Warfare in a Transformation Age by William Wayne Farris.
Highly recommend this book since it explains why at times Sengoku warlords went campaigning. To steal grain from other provinces and reduce the population's suffering at home by shipping them somewhere else. Also Muromachi Kyoto was one of dirtiest and smelliest places in Japan.
Historian of the Year: There are two. One as an individual and a group. I was fortunate this year to meet several historians while in Japan. Owada Tetsuo was one of them. A decent man. Izawa Motohiko was another historian I met at the Toyoake City Okehazama Battlefield. Nice man.
However, the award goes Ota Teruo. This person wrote Okehazama Kassen Kishu no Shinjutsu. Now I met him by chance at the Toyoake City Okehazama Battlefield. He is a local historian. I was able to spend a few hours with him to chat about the Battle of Okehazama. There is a few things I disagree with him on the battle, but that is the beauty of it. Discussing various opinions and coming to a conclusion.
The group award goes to the Arimatsu Okehazama Preservation Committee. I am member of this committee. That being said, I was impressed on how much work goes into planning and prepping for the Okehazama festival. The Kajino family and others made sure everyone was welcomed. They also provided visitors personal tours and lectures about the battle from a local perspective. As a group, they earned the award.
Tenka no tame!
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