Here is a copy of the Kasugayama Nikki regarding to the Battle of Okehazama. This is one of the first primary sources written about the battle. Earlier in May, I wrote a post about it, but using a secondary source, Kikei Okehazama Kassen no Shinjutsu by Ota Teruo. First clue is Bishu Okehazama. Okehazama is where the battle was taken place. Second clue: Yoshimoto's army 30,000. It is a bit high, but much lower than the 45,000 mentioned in The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga and the Shinchoki (Oze Hoan) Third clue: the two words kikei (ingenious plan) and fuiuchi (surprise attack) by Nobunaga.
The Kasugayama Nikki is not perfect. No document is perfect. Uesugi Kenshin probably sent scouts or spies to Owari. Once Yoshimoto was killed in action, the news of his death quickly reached Echigo. Did Kenshin's spies/scouts know the geography around the Okehazama area. Probably not. Then why Okehazama is written instead of Dengakutsubo or Dengakuhazama? Highly probable scenario: one of the villagers gave the name of the area to the scouts. Only a decade later or so, the document Ashikaga Kisetsuki Okehazama was written down as the location of the battle.
My opinion, Okehazama was first used as the location of the area of the battle. Over time, the name changed. As in my previous post, many of the documents have different names written down. For example, Narumi Okehazama, Okehazama Okehazamayama, Dengakutsubo, Dengakuhazama, and others.
Kasugayama Nikki is the first document written on the battle, first written as Okehazama.
Tenka no tame!
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