Japanese Warlord Played a Mean Game of Kickball

Oda Nobunaga, one of the most feared and powerful warlords in Japanese history, liked a good game of kickball. "Kickball?" you say. "Did it even exist 450 years ago?" Well, apparently it did.

Oda Nobunaga 1534-1582

According to the book, Japonius Tyrannus, kickball had been an aristocratic pastime since the late Heian period (794-1185) and surprisingly Nobunaga, a passionate falconer and sumo fan, displayed an interest in this surprisingly ceremonial sport.

Nobunaga actively involved himself with the court such as in 1575 when he organized a match between leading court nobles at the grounds of the temple Shokokuji. Nobunaga used these matches as well as the Tea Ceremony to establish or strengthen political bonds, or to associate with people from outside the warrior class: with merchants in the case of tea, and with nobles in the case of kickball.

The kickball matches also allowed Nobunaga to famliarize himself with the various court nobles. At the time, one of the players, Asukai Masanori (1520-94), served as Crown Prince Sanehito's special envoy to Nobunaga. The Asukai family had earned a dominant position as 'masters of kickball' in the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573), thanks to the sponsorship of successive emperors and the Ashikaga shoguns. Nobunaga continued this shogunal sponsorship of the Asukai, even calling himself Masanori's 'kickball pupil' on one occasion.

I think it would have been pretty cool to have played kickball with the great warlord Nobunaga. I would be careful to always let him win of course.

As Toranosuke correctly pointed out below in his comment, the sport is not like today's version of kickball. The ancient sport is called kemari and is more like the game of hackysack or juggling a soccer ball. There were varying numbers of players, between 2 and 12, and the ball was passed between players. There was no tackling or vying for the ball and the game was not competitive apparently but was more dignified and ceremonious however it did (and does) require a great amount of skill.

Tour of Duty: Samurai, Military Service in Edo

I recently read the book Tour of Duty by Constantine Nomikos Vaporis is professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. An excellent book on the sankin kotai system, the duty of samurai to "attend" the Shogun in Edo period Japan (1603-1868).

Alternate attendance (sankin kotai) was one of the central institutions of Edo-period (1603–1868) Japan and one of the most unusual examples of a system of enforced elite mobility in world history. It required the daimyo to divide their time between their domains and the city of Edo, where they waited upon the Tokugawa shogun. Based on a prodigious amount of research in both published and archival primary sources, Tour of Duty renders alternate attendance as a lived experience, for not only the daimyo but also the samurai retainers who accompanied them. Beyond exploring the nature of travel to and from the capital as well as the period of enforced bachelorhood there, Constantine Vaporis elucidates—for the first time—the significance of alternate attendance as an engine of cultural, intellectual, material, and technological exchange.

Vaporis argues against the view that cultural change simply emanated from the center (Edo) and reveals more complex patterns of cultural circulation and production taking place between the domains and Edo and among distant parts of Japan. What is generally known as “Edo culture” in fact incorporated elements from the localities. In some cases, Edo acted as a nexus for exchange; at other times, culture traveled from one area to another without passing through the capital. As a result, even those who did not directly participate in alternate attendance experienced a world much larger than their own. Vaporis begins by detailing the nature of the trip to and from the capital for one particular large-scale domain, Tosa, and its men and goes on to analyze the political and cultural meanings of the processions of the daimyo and their extensive entourages up and down the highways. These parade-like movements were replete with symbolic import for the nature of early modern governance. Later chapters are concerned with the physical and social environment experienced by the daimyo’s retainers in Edo; they also address the question of who went to Edo and why, the network of physical spaces in which the domainal samurai lived, the issue of staffing, political power, and the daily lives and consumption habits of retainers. Finally, Vaporis examines retainers as carriers of culture, both in a literal and a figurative sense. In doing so, he reveals the significance of travel for retainers and their identity as consumers and producers of culture, thus proposing a multivalent model of cultural change. (University of Hawai`i Press)

Tour of Duty is one of nearly 200 books submitted for the 2011 International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) Book Prize. The book is currently in second place with online polling taking place until March 20th. If you read this excellent book and enjoyed it like me, please go to the ICAS website and place your vote for Tour of Duty by Constatine Vaporis.

Jizo Bodhisattva: Guardian of Children, Travelers & Souls in Hell

The book, Jizo Bodhisattva - Guardian of Children, Travelers & Other Voyagers, written by American Zen teacher Jan Chozen Bays, provides an informative overview of the history of Jizo Bodhisattva or Ojizo-sama. For those who are familiar with or live in Japan, you probably have heard of Jizo Bodhisattva and you probably have seen many Jizo statues. It is a common sight in Japan.




I also had heard of Jizo but I did not know too much about what Jizo was or signifies. This book provided a good overview from a Zen Buddhist's perspective. The book also provided good information about some of the basic beliefs of Buddhism such as rebirth and the various hell realms.

Here are some of the interesting things I learned from this book.

A Bodhisattva is an enlightened being who vows not to enter nirvana, but instead works to free all others who suffer. Jizo's two most important vows are: "Only after the Hells are empty will I become a Buddha" and "Only after all beings are taken across to Enlightenment will I myself realize Bodhi."




Jizo is known to be the protector of children and travelers. You sometimes will see Jizo statues along roads or highways. At temples or cemetaries, a Jizo statue may be seen holding a child.

Statues of six Jizo's are often found at the entrance to cemeteries or temples. The six Jizo's represent the division of Jizo into six bodies, one to help suffering beings in each of the six realms. The six realms are the Hells, Hungry Ghosts, the Animal Realm, Human Realm, the Realm of the Asuras, and the Realm of the Gods.

There are actually many forms of Jizo. Below are some of them:

Emmei or Enmei Jizo - Jizo who prolongs life and provides benefits including watching over children and curing illness
Hara Obi Jizo - Stomach-wrapper Jizo who protects women during pregnancy
Hikeshi Jizo - Protects houses and harvests from fire
Indo Jizo - Saves humans after death and leads them to enlightenment
Meyame Jizo - Restores eyesight
Taue Jizo - Helps farmers plant rice
Mizuko Jizo - Water-Baby Jizo

There are many other Jizo's besides these above.

The popular Mizuko Jizo or Water-Baby Jizo is often portrayed as a monk with an infant in his arms and another child or two at his feet. In Japan, a ceremony called a Mizuko Kuyo is performed for grieving parents who have lost an infant either before birth or within the first few years of life. The Mizuko Jizo is a more recent creation. This Jizo and the Mizuko Kuyo ceremony arose in Japan in the 1960's.

The Jizo that is the special protector of Children arose during the medieval times in Japan. According to Japanese Buddhist beliefs, young children who have died are innocent souls who are unable to understand the teachings of the Buddha or to separate right from wrong. This also means that, through no fault of their own, they cannot become enlightened. They are stuck in a kind of limbo. Jizo protects the children in this limbo realm from demons.

Jizo statues often carry a pilgrim's staff. At the top are rings, usually four or six. Four for the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism or six for the six realms of existence such as the Hell or Human realms.

In the other hand of most Jizo statues is a cintamani jewel. The cintamani is the jewel that fullfills all wishes. The jewel is supposed to emit a warm brilliant light which illuminates the deepest reaches of the hells.

There were many other interesting facts I learned about the Jizo from this book. If you are curious about the many Jizo's located around Japan, I would recommend this book.

Samuel Hawley's "Imjin War"

The Shogun-ki blog has an excellent part one interview with Samuel Hawley, author of The Imjin War. The Imjin War is the story of the late 16th century Japanese samurai invasion of Korea from 1592 to 1598 initiated by the powerful Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi was the great warlord who finally succeeded in unifying Japan under his rule after more than a century of civil war. Hideyoshi's stated goal of the Korean invasion was to eventually conquer Ming China. Hideyoshi's dream was never achieved as his samurai armies, after early successes that took them to the very border with China, eventually bogged down into brutal warfare on the Korean peninsula. The failure of Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea was partly due to the intervention of tens of thousands of Ming Chinese troops that crossed the Yalu River to confront the invaders just as they did over 350 years later against the Americans. Hawley's book is probably the best English language work on the 16th Century Japanese invasion of Korea.

Here is part two of the interview with Mr. Hawley.

Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration

Sakamoto Ryoma is big in Japan right now with the current Taiga drama Ryomaden. But even before this drama, Ryoma was probably the most famous and popular historical figure in Japanese history. Why is that and is his popularity deserved? Recently I read Marius Jansen's book Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration. Jansen, who passed away in 2000, was a professor of Japanese History at Princeton University and author of more than twenty books of which this book he is probably best known for. First published in 1961, this book is still considered one of the excellent sources regarding the Bakumatsu period. In Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration, Jansen describes the societal transformation from the late Tokugawa Bakufu through the restoration of power to the Emperor. Jansen focused mainly on Sakamoto Ryoma but also devoted much of the book to Nakaoka Shintaro, another important figure in Meiji Restoration or Bakumatsu period. The title of the book really could have been Sakamoto Ryoma, Nakaoka Shintaro and the Meiji Restoration. Jansen begins by covering the political and economic situation of Japan in general and then moves to the political and economic issues in the domain of Tosa, Ryoma's home. Finally Jansen narrows the focus of the book further to that of the actions of the shishi and specifically of Ryoma and Shintaro. The shishi were the samurai, often ronin, who worked and fought for the overthrow of the Tokugawa Bakufu and the restoration of the emperor. One of the aspects I like about this book is how Jansen wrote it in a manner that could be easily understood by readers who may not be well-versed in Japanese history or the Bakumatsu period.

I am not going to detail the events of the Bakumatsu that Jansen covers in the book since these events are already so well known. I will highlight some interesting points I took from the book and use the book to try and answer some questions about Sakamoto Ryoma. It would be an understatement to say that Sakamoto Ryoma is one of the key figures in the Meiji Restoration period. Sakamoto Ryoma is a political hero in Japan and even a celebrity star. You can find his name and face everywhere. His grave site in Kyoto is a popular destination and although Nakaoka Shintaro is also buried there, visitors often leave with Sakamoto Ryoma merchandise which they purchase nearby. I am pretty sure there are not too many people buying Nakaoka Shintaro merchandise. This raises questions such as why is the popularity of Ryoma so high and is it deserved? How much of a contribution did Ryoma actually make to the events of the time?And how original were some of Ryoma's important ideas?

Jansen describes Ryoma's development from the early years of the Bakumatsu period when loyalist parties were being formed. He points out that both Ryoma and Shintaro were not so much innovators as they were followers of the opinion of their peers during this early time. They were literate but by no measure were they intellectuals. Even a few years later, a friend of Ryoma's, Hirai Shujiro, warned his sister against getting involved in Ryoma's plans: "Although Ryoma is a splendid fellow, he doesn't have any learning, and therefore he sometimes makes serious mistakes" (p80). One of the best examples of Ryoma's lack of political knowledge and education in his early years was his famous meeting with a group of samurai from Mito domain who had traveled to Tosa to win support for their loyalist cause. Ryoma and several others traveled to the Tosa border to meet with the Mito group. The diary of one of the Mito messengers revealed the lack of political awareness of the the Tosa group in 1858. "The two outsiders [Tosa men]," he wrote, "don't know a thing about their han's affairs; Ryoma doesn't even know the names of any of the ministers" (p89-90). Clearly Ryoma was not one of the most brilliant people around in his younger years. He was not highly educated and his writing ability was poor. Jansen describes Ryoma's letters to his sister as awkward and his vocabulary was limited. He certainly was not a person developing creative philosophies or ideas. So how did Ryoma come to be such an important figure?

In 1862, Ryoma fled Tosa. But the following months showed how little he realized the complexity of the problems facing Japan. Following the logic of a simple swordsman, Ryoma concluded that assassinating the "cowardly leaders" was the best course of action and his target would be Katsu Kaishu, a leading Tokugawa official. It is at this point according to Jansen that we see for the first time Ryoma's ability to adapt and learn. When confronted with evidence that he was wrong about Kaishu, Ryoma reconsiders his goal and decides to become Kaishu's disciple. Jansen states that this event showed Ryoma's growing sophistication and maturity (p153). Jansen also points out that one of the most important aspects of Ryoma's development was the fact that his duties for Kaishu brought him into contact with some of the most enlightened Tokugawa councillors where he first heard the possibility of a peaceful transfer of power from shogun to emperor. Already by 1863 as Ryoma continued to develop, Kaishu began entrusting him with more responsible and difficult missions (p169). Clearly Kaishu saw something in Ryoma to trust him with these types of assignments. Although Ryoma was not well educated, Kaishu's trust in him showed that Ryoma had other strong qualities. Ryoma's qualities lay in the fact that he was skilled at developing relationships which indicates that he probably had a high level of emotional intelligence.

Under Kaishu, Ryoma continued to refine and moderate his own political thinking. However, by late 1864 Kaishu was dismissed from his post and Ryoma was now back on his own as a ronin. But this now eventually brings Ryoma under the protection of Satsuma and the beginning of his important relationship with that domain. And as we all know, Ryoma may be most famous for his work in bringing about the Satsuma-Choshu alliance. The Sat-Cho alliance is certainly one of the most important events during the Bakumatsu period so the question is really how important was Ryoma in bringing this together? The fact is Ryoma was not solely responsible for bringing Satsuma and Choshu together. Although a quick scan of the internet for Sakamoto Ryoma would often tell you that he was. Nakaoka Shintaro joined the Choshu loyalists during the same time that Ryoma was working with Satsuma and he worked to convince the Choshu leaders of the importance of an alliance (p186). In addition, other Tosa Loyalists worked towards this alliance by working closely with the Kyoto nobles who had been expelled from the capital. I don't think this should take away from what Ryoma was able to accomplish or the significance of his role. However, at the very least Shintaro should be given as much credit for his work as Ryoma. In some ways, Shintaro's assignment was even more difficult than Ryoma's. Shintaro had to convince a Choshu domain whose bitterness and hatred towards Satsuma was strong due to Satsuma previously siding with the Bakufu in expelling Choshu forces from Kyoto.

Ryoma is of course known for more than just his work in bringing about the Sat-Cho alliance. He is also known for his efforts in developing a modern navy and the Kaientai, the naval auxiliary unit that also would later become one of the first modern corporations in Japan. I am not going to get into those accomplishments of Ryoma but rather his development of the Eight-Point Plan for which he his also famous for. Jansen states that Ryoma's ideas formed during his years of service with Kaishu where he was exposed to the idea that the shogun should resign in favor of the emperor. He had also become familiar with the idea of a conciliar form of government from bakufu officials such as Okubo Ichio who had developed ideas about a council of lords (p294). Similar ideas were also proposed by others such as lord Matsudaira Shungaku. Ryoma's time in Nagasaki also exposed him to many more ideas regarding new forms of government. It was in Nagasaki where Ryoma met Nagaoka Kenkichi who some believe was the person who first wrote the plan for a new government which came to be known as Sakamoto's Eight-Point Plan. However, Jansen states that regardless of who it was who worded the Eight-Point Plan, there can be no doubt that it represented ideas toward which Ryoma had been reaching for several years (p295).

So why is Ryoma so much more famous than Nakaoka Shintaro and the many other important players involved in the Meiji Restoration? Jansen provides some excellent examples for why Ryoma became so popular. Following the assassination of Ryoma and Shintaro, Jansen states "Restoration leaders lamented the loss of both shishi. Iwakura particularly regretted the death of Nakaoka, but on the whole Sakamoto Ryoma's warm and engaging personality won him more eulogies, as they had won him more friends" (p345). "Nakaoka was a sage," Tanaka Koken wrote, "Sakamoto a real hero." As Jansen states, "Ryoma's romantic career and bouyant, self-confidant bearing and correspondence lent themselves well to the image the nation wished to hold of its Restoration shishi." Another interesting point that Jansen mentions regarding Ryoma's popularity is his lack of involvement with the Meiji government. Ryoma may not have wanted to participate in the new government even had he not been assassinated. But the fact that he was never a part of the new Meiji government meant that his image would never be tainted by the negative politics and issues of the new government.

So does Ryoma's fame exceed his actual contributions during the restoration period? Of course it does. His likeness is everywhere in Japan including on toilet paper and candy wrappers. He is probably the most famous and popular figure in Japanese history. He is far more famous and popular than other Bakumatsu figures, especially Nakaoka Shintaro, even though Shintaro and others probably contributed as much to the restoration as Sakamoto Ryoma did.

Was Ryoma the originator of the major ideas that he is known for such as the Eight-Point Plan? I think it's safe to say that no, he was not an originator of the ideas he is known for but rather modified and refined these ideas. Marius Jansen says as much when he states that Kenkichi may have actually conceived of the idea of the Eight-Point Plan.

The reality of Ryoma in Japan is overshadowed by his myth and dramatic storytelling. Shiba Ryotaro's eight volume novel Ryoma ga Yuku is probably the biggest reason for Ryoma's fame and popularity in post-war Japan. Although Ryotaro's work is fiction and he took much poetic license when he wrote it, the novel still contributed greatly to Ryoma's legend and popularity. But hold on all you Ryoma fans out there. Don't come banging down my door just yet. The fact is Ryoma WAS one of the most significant figures during the Bakumatsu. His personality, his character, his ability to develop relationships and create alliances allowed him to do what few others could have done. Maybe the Sat-Cho alliance would have materialized eventually without Ryoma's efforts. But without his work, it would probably not have happened when it did. And maybe Ryoma did not originate the Eight-Point Plan. But as Jansen described, Ryoma modified it and expanded on it and he used his abilities to convince others of the viability of this plan including his lord Yamauchi Yodo who took the plan to the shogun and convinced him to resign his powers to the emperor. He was probably the only one who could have done that at that time and had he not, the end of the Bakumatsu likely would have been far bloodier. I think you will find many examples throughout history of famous historical figures who may not have developed many of the original ideas they are known for but they took those ideas and improved on them or used their charisma and skill to carry them through. Sakamoto Ryoma is no different. Marius Jansen did an excellent job showing how Ryoma grew and developed from a young, ignorant samurai from Tosa to a person respected by some of the most powerful figures of the Bakumatsu period. That by itself demonstrates how significant a person Sakamoto Ryoma was.

For Japan's cellphone novelists, proof of success is in the print - latimes.com

For Japan's cellphone novelists, proof of success is in the print - latimes.com: "One teenager who wrote a three-volume novel on her phone has gone on to sell more than 110,000 paperback copies, grossing more than $611,000 in sales."

Now we know why some people are constantly on their keitai and never look up, they are busy writing a novel.

The 47 Loyal Samurai

The 47 Loyal Samurai is one of the most famous stories in all of Japanese history. The story of the 47 are referred to by many names including The Forty-seven Ronin, The Ako Samurai, the Ako Vendetta, and the Genroku Ako Incident. Fictionalized accounts of the incident are known as Chushingura. There have been literally dozens and dozens of books, plays, TV shows, and movies about this event.

Here is the story of the events that led to the famous Ako Vendetta.

In 1701, imperial envoys were being entertained at Edo Castle after their arrival from Kyoto. Supervising the ceremonies was Kira no Suke Yoshinaka (1641-1702). Kira sent a message to a Kajikawa Yoriteru, a keeper of the castle, that the presentation of gifts would take place earlier than scheduled. To confirm these arrangements, Yoriteru proceeded along the main corridor, known as the Corridor of Pines on account of its paintings, in search of Kira. Unable to find him, he asked Asano Naganori (1667-1701), the daimyo lord charged with entertaining the imperial envoys, be summoned. Having exchanged the usual greetings, assuring each other of their cooperation, Asano returned to his seat. Then Kira appeared, and Yoriteru approached him to confirm the timing of the ceremonies. As the men were standing in discussion, Asano suddenly struck Kira with his sword from behind, shouting: "Did you forget my recent grievance?" Taken by surprise, Kira turned around and attempted to flee, but Asano struck him again, causing him to fall. At this point Yoriteru managed to restrain Asano, who was then led away shouting loudly that though the time and place were inappropriate, for some days he nursed a grievance against Kira and thus had to strike him. That same evening Asano was ordered by the authorities to disembowel himself. Because the area had been defiled by the shedding of blood, the ceremonies for the envoys were moved to different room s of the castle.

This is what the contemporaneous records tell us about the event that 18 months later caused forty-seven of Asano Naganori's retainers to attack Kira Yoshinaka's mansion in the dead of night, cut off his head, and place it on Asano's grave at Sengakuji. Forty-six of the retainers gave themselves up to the authorities and were ordered to commit suicide some two months later.

Over time the story transformed and developed. Kira was made the evil villain--the greedy, corrupt government official who had insulted Lord Asano one too many times. The 47 loyal samurai were made to be the perfect examples of samurai loyalty and bushido. They avenged their lord by taking the villainous Kira Yoshinaka's head and placing it on Asano's grave. The 47 samurai brilliantly lulled Kira into complacency by waiting almost 18 months to seek their revenge and by acting like drunks and cowards in order to throw Kira off. They then turned themselves into the authorities and later committed seppuku like honorable samurai.

However, as is usually the case with famous stories from history, events usually happened somewhat different than what the later stories tell. Author Beatrice Bodart-Baily, in the book The Dog Shogun, provides and excellent examination surrounding the famous incident of the Forty-seven Loyal Ronin. The author examines how the incident, rather than glorifying the samurai, speaks much more of the decline of the warrior tradition. Here are some interesting points from the book regarding the 47 Ronin incident. Some of these points may seem pretty obvious and yet the loyalty and honor of the 47 Ronin are glorified even today.

• Asano Naganori showed concern neither for the reputation of his house nor the fate of his family and retainers when he attacked Kira. Asano should have known that attacking a Shogunal official in the Shogun's castle was a grave offence that likely would result in his death and the destruction of his house and confiscation of his domain thereby destroying the livelihood of his loyal retainers.

• Asano was a student of Confucian scholar Yamaga Soko, whose principal teaching was that in peacetime the samurai "should set a high example of devotion to duty." However, although apprenticed to Soko in the military arts, Asano showed a marked lack of samurai spirit as well as a lack of sword skill in his attack on Kira. Asano attacked Kira from behind while Kira was engaged in a discussion and Asano did not succeed in killing Kira. This showed neither courage nor ability.

• There is no evidence in legitimate historical documents that shows that Kira Yoshinaka was the villain so often portrayed that would justify an attack on him in the Shogun's castle. But Kira had to become the villain in order to make the story of the 47 Loyal Ronin what it was. Little is ever mentioned of Kira's 40 year service in a responsible government position, only that he was a greedy official who gravely insulted Asano. Both of which there is a lack of evidence to support.

• It has been argued by some that since the 47 Ronin knowingly violated the law of the Bakufu when they attacked Kira's mansion, it was absurd for the samurai to notify the authorities on completion of their crime with the message that they were now awaiting their orders rather than immediately committing seppuku. This leads some to suspect that the driving force was NOT the revenge of their dead lord but the hope that praise and admiration for this act of "loyalty" would secure them a pardon and reemployment elsewhere. If they had not expected to live, why did they not disembowel themselves immediately on completion of their revenge?

• With a year and a half between Asano Naganori's death and the slaying of Kira, some had wondered whether the revenge was really a priority of Oishi Kuranosuke, the chief retainer of Asano Naganori. Of course the story goes that it was all part of Kuranosuke's plan to lull Kira into complacency. Yet the point has been made of the elaborate preparations for the attack in the dead of the night, after Kira's staff was tired out by entertaining guests and when snow muffled the footsteps of the attackers. Some contemporaries such as Sato Naotaka and Dazai Shundai thought such trickery was unworthy of a samurai.

• Kira, according to his income, was a man of lowly hatamoto status. The fact that 16 of his retainers were killed in the attack, while only 4 attackers received relatively light wounds, indicated that this was an unequal battle. The large loss of life among the Kira retainers and servants could have been avoided in a spirited day-time attack on Kira on the open road by just a few men in traditional samurai fashion. In such an assault the attackers would, however, most likely have been cut down immediately afterwards and the chance of a pardon lost. The Bakufu's charge against the 47 Ronin after the incident explicitly mentions the use of projectile weapons which could mean anything from arrows and catapults to firearms. It may well also refer to spears. This clearly gave the attackers an advantage against the Kira retainers who were probably only armed with swords.

• Consideration should be also given to the public emphasis on loyalty and filial piety. The 47 Ronin certainly must have been aware that at times Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi would overturn decisions of his officials to heap praise and rewards on people who in his opinion had lived up to these ideals particularly well. The suggestion that the Ako samurai did not commit suicide but gave themselves up to the authorities in the hope of being singled out for such shogunal praise was not altogether unlikely at the time.

• When the loyalty of the 47 are referred to, it is of course the loyalty to their immediate lord, for Asano's retainers had disobeyed the laws of the bakufu in order to discharge their duties towards their lord.

The picture that emerges from the story of the 47 Loyal Ronin is that of desperate men trying to survive in the maelstrom of change. With an abrupt discrediting of traditional values, the 5th shogun attempted a major paradigm change. This must have produced feelings of helplessness and confusion in the minds of many samurai as they attempted to make their way in this changed environment with its fundamental revision of the traditional value system. The Ako samurai came to symbolize this suffering as men from a nostalgic past, as battlers against the harsh government of the day that was intent on destroying their cherished values. Their summary death ordered by an unpopular shogun permitted quick deification. To complete the process of creating larger-than-life-size images, any human foibles had to be shed. Every part of their action came to be uncritically accepted as serving a greater public good, and those that appealed to an examination of the facts were in turn accused of delusion.

Warlords and Tea Ceremonies

The art of the tea ceremony has a long history in Japan going back many hundreds of years and practiced among the cultured nobility and the imperial family. But did you know that the tea ceremony was extremely popular among some of the most feared warlords in Japanese history.

Probably the most feared warlord of them all was Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) who had a great passion for the tea ceremony. Nobunaga did not just simply participate in the ceremonies but also had a great desire to collect the most incredible tea utensils, meibutsu, as well as how to use them expertly. Nobunaga received instruction in the art of tea from the greatest masters including Imai Sokyu, Tsuda Sogyu, and Sen no Rikyu.

For Rikyu, this association meant fame and fortune, and for Nobunaga it brought qualification as a man of culture. Each used the other to increase his own prestige.

Nobunaga valued he's tea utensils immensely. A sign of how much Nobunaga valued his great general Toyotomi Hideyoshi is revealed after Nobunaga rewarded him with twelve of his famed tea pieces. On the first day of the sixth month of 1582, Oda Nobunaga held a grand tea party at the Honnoji temple in Kyoto, having brought with him several dozen of his most precious tea implements to show an assembly of leading nobles and lords of the land. But before the next day had dawned, Nobunaga was dead, the victim of one of his general's, Akechi Mitsuhide. Both Nobunaga and his meibutsu were devoured by the flames that destroyed the temple in which he was staying.

Source:

Warlords, Artists, and Commoners

Samurai Cavalry

This poster from the Akira Kurosawa film Kagemusha illustrates the classic view of early samurai cavalry. Great cavalry charges of thoroughbred looking horses.

But as Karl Friday in his book Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan reveals, the mounted samurai of the movies bare little resemblance to the actual mounted warriors from medieval Japan. Early medieval Japanese war-horses were actually much smaller and slower than the horses seen in classic samurai movies.

According to Friday, the mounts favored by early medieval samurai were stallions raised in eastern Japan and selected for their size and fierce temperament. They were stout, short-legged, shaggy, short-nosed beasts, tough, unruly and difficult to control.

In 1953, a mass grave at Zaimokuza near Kamakura was unearthed that is believed to contain the remains of men and horses killed during Nitta Yoshisada's attack on the city in 1333. The skeletons show the horses of the period ranged in height from 109 to 140 cm at the shoulder. Modern thoroughbreds by comparison range in height around 160 to 165 cm.

Also, these medieval horses could not sustain high speeds for long distance due to their size and the weight they were carrying, mounted samurai with full armor. Even modern racing horses can only go full out for 200 or 300 meters. Early medieval Japanese horses gave the samurai a rugged, stable, and comfortable platform from which to shoot their arrows, but it was a heavy beast not well designed for high speeds or long distance riding.

So the scenes in the movies with the cavalry charges that seem to go on forever are of course greatly embellished. But they make for an exciting movie.

Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan

This book by Karl Friday covers the period prior to the Sengoku period. What is great about this book is how it attempts to reveal what the early samurai were really like, not how they are portrayed in many modern movies or popular culture. Fridays' book overturns many of the popular stereotypes of the samurai.

There are many romantic stereotypes of the samurai such as that during battles, fighting centered on one-on-one duels; or samurai selected suitable opponents during battle by self-introduction; or the honorable treatment of captured enemy or the safety of non-combatants. The common belief that medieval samurai would do anything for their clan.

However, most of these stereotypes are not based in reality. Medieval samurai often used deception or surprise to defeat an enemy. Samurai fought not just for honor but usually for very clear rewards.

One of the biggest myths of the samurai is that the samurai sword was his primary weapon, the soul of the samurai. However, during most of samurai history, it was the bow and arrow that was the true weapon of the samurai. It is true they carried a sword but it was a back-up weapon. Similar to modern soldier whose primary weapon is a rifle but they also carry a sidearm. It was not until the 250 years of peace during Edo period under the rule of the Tokugawa shoguns where the samurai considered the sword to be their soul.

This book does an excellent job in explaining the true aspects of the medieval samurai as well as detailing some of the weapons used during that time.

(Any readers who find inaccurate historical information in this post, please correct me with references)

Samurai William

A few weeks ago I completed another book, this one called Samurai William. This book follows the adventures of William Adams, the first Englishman to set foot in Japan.

Portrait of William Adams

Adams was a crewman on a small fleet of Dutch ships attempting to open trade with the Far East by sailing across the Pacific. The book follows their adventures across the oceans including their encounters with the "11 or 12 foot tall savages" at the southern tip of South America. According the these sailors of the time, the vast majority of the savages appeared to be cannibals.

Adams and a group of nearly dead survivors finally made it to Japan where they landed at a place on the Izu peninsula near present day Shizuoka. They became curiosities at first to shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. But the shogun quickly realized that Adams, the anjin or pilot, was an intelligent and skilled man.

Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu

Though not formally educated, his technical and geographic knowledge was substantial. And his ability with languages was to become a key factor in the subsequent history of Japan. William Adams, an English Protestant, eventually became the European translator for the most powerful man in Japan. He gave the Shogun new insights into the world of the Europeans (especially the ongoing war between Protestants and Catholics). Adams was so important to Ieyasu that Ieyasu even awarded him hatamoto status. Adams essentially became the equivalent of a high ranking samurai retainer to the Shogun.

But for Adams, all this was at a cost. Though given lands, honors, and a new family in Japan, the Shogun forbid William Adams from returning home to England. Adams ended up living in Japan for close to 20 years and eventually he died in Japan, never again seeing his family in England.

A couple of years after Adams’ arrival in Japan, other Englishman arrived in order to set up a trading company, which they were able to do. Adams ended up joining the English company in Hirado and the book follows much of the adventures of the company and its members.

It was an interesting book and it revealed an aspect of Japanese history that I had not read about yet, that of some of the first foreigners to visit Japan. One thing about the book, although it is a book about the life of William Adams in Japan, much of the book actually was less about him and more about the English company (factory) and its Chief Factor, Richard Cocks.

The character Blackthorne in James' Clavell's book Shogun is based on William Adams. In August, the town of Shizuoka holds a festival celebrating the event when Adams and his fellow sailors arrived in Japan near Shizuoka.

All in all it was an interesting book though and I learned more about the eventual persecutions of the Christians in Japan.

Swords of Vengeance: Fall of Ako Castle

Friday night I watched Swords of Vengeance: Fall of Ako Castle (Ako-jo Danzetsu). Starring in this movie is Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba and Toshiro Mifune and was filmed in 1978. This samurai movie is about the Chushingura or Loyal 47 Ronin. The story of the 47 Ronin is probably the most famous samurai story in Japanese history. The story is supposed to be the classic example of samurai loyalty and honor. Of course the story has been sensationalized and glorified in the over 300 years since the incident.

Basically in a real simple explanation, the Lord of the Ako domain was gravely insulted by court official in the Shogun's castle. The enraged lord pulled his knife and attacked the court official but failed to kill him. It was a grave offense to pull your weapon in the Shogun's castle, especially against a shogunal official. The lord was sentenced to commit seppuku and his fief was confiscated and his loyal samurai retainers then became ronin or masterless samurai. A group of the ronin vowed vengeance on the court official who they felt was responsible. They planned for two years and finally the day came for them to act. They attacked the court official's heavily guarded compound and finally killed him. All the surviving ronin were then sentenced to commit seppuku.

And that is what this movie was about. It was an entertaining movie even though all of the intense samurai action took place at the end of the movie. During the final battle scenes I could feel myself moving my body as I really got into the fight scenes. This is the only movie I have seen based on the 47 Ronin so although there may be others that are better, this movie was pretty good.

Earlier this year I read the book called The Dog Shogun by Beatrice Bodart-Bailey which is about the life of shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. It was during Tsunayoshi's reign that the Ako Vendetta, as it is also called, took place. This was a great book and it did a great job analyzing the 47 Ronin incident. It was very interesting how, even though the 47 Ronin are a national legend, Bailey logically explained the faults of the Lord of Ako as well as the loyal retainers. See the post for that book here.

Samurai Movie Weekend: Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island

The second movie of the weekend was Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (Miyamoto Musashi kanketsuhen: kettō Ganryujima - 宮本武蔵完結編　決闘巌流島).

This is the last of Hiroshi Inagaki's samurai trilogy about Miyamoto Musashi and I think the best. Unlike the first two films which were a lot more action oriented, the final film shows Musashi struggling with questions as much as opponents. The most important question which is: what makes a warrior worthy of renown-strength, and the number of victories, or something more?

Victorious in 60 duels, Musashi has become known throughout Japan. His only rival is the ambitious samurai Kojiro. The two do not meet in combat until the film's final scenes but they are clearly in competition from the beginning. The difference between the two are reflected in their methods. Having proved himself in combat, Musashi seeks a way to cope with the regret that he feels over the death he has caused, while Kojiro slays and maims without any conscience. Kojiro baits Musashi by slaughtering 4 hapless samurai.

But Musashi turns his back on this life by returning to his roots of farming while Kojiro goes into the service of the Shogun. Musashi drives off a band of murderous brigands and achieves a sort of grandeur very similar to that of the heroes of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Meanwhile, Kojiro has become famous using his sword on behalf of the Shogun and their long awaited duel is finally set and fought on a small island.

My favorite scene occurs when Musashi, interrupted from his meal by a ruffian, shocks the man into silence by showing his skill--not with his sword, but by plucking flies out of the air with his chopsticks (he got some clean chopsticks before continuing to eat of course). The final duel with Kojiro shows how Musashi has changed. Musashi chooses to fight Kojiro with a wooden staff rather then his sword.

The films do a pretty good job following the reality of Musashi's life. The real Musashi was a man of many different parts, both cruel and brutal, but also articulate and reflective. In the film he is shown creating several carvings of Amida Buddha. He was a gifted painter and writer. The real Musashi did have a vendetta against the Yoshioka school and he did injure and humble its leader Seijuro and killed Seijuro's two brothers. He defeated Kojiro Sasaki on a small island in 1612. Musashi later participated in the 1614 siege of Osaka castle against the surviving elements of the Toyotomi regime on whose side he had previously fought at Sekigahara. Later, he was also a participant in the destruction of the Christian community on the island of Kyushu. Musashi also apparently fought many of his duels with a wooden sword and after the duel of Ganryu Island, it was his only weapon. During the final years of his life he withdrew to a monk-like existence and wrote Go Rin No Sho (A Book of Five Rings), as a legacy to those who would follow him.

Samurai Battles of Kawanakajima, Nagashino & Sekigahara

I recently finished reading two books by Stephen Turnbull, a prolific author of samurai history as well as another book by the author Anthony Bryant about the famous battle of Sekigahara.

The first book was called "Kawanakajima 1553-64: Samurai Power Struggle".

The book detailed a series of five battles between two of the most famous samurai warlords in Japanese history, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. The book described the battles in pretty good detail laying out the tactics and strategies of both armies. One of the things I especially liked about the book were the detailed battle drawings. They were very realistic and may be fairly accurate as to how samurai battle might have looked like. One issue for me is the author's relative lack of references. Other than that it was a very interesting book.

The second book I read from this author is called "Nagashino 1575: Slaughter at the Barricades".

This book was also very interesting. This book was about the battle at Nagashino castle between the forces of the Takeda clan led by Takeda Katsuyori, Takeda Shingen's heir, and the combined forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose territory the Takeda invaded. This book, like the first one, provided good detail about the famous battle that eventually led to the collapse of the Takeda some years later. The book described how the Oda/Tokugawa forces utilized 3,000 gunners but many historians now feel that the real number of gunners were closer to 1,000. Whatever the real number was, the outcome was that the Takeda forces were annihilated and the survivors had to retreat back to their home province of Kai. The Takeda never again were a threat outside their borders and the clan was finally completely destroyed in 1582 by Ieyasu and Nobunaga. Once again, a lack of many references from the author is one of the issues I had.

The third samurai battle book I read was called "Sekigahara 1600: The Final Struggle for Power".

Sekigahara is the great battle between the eastern alliance led by Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Western alliance led by Ishida Mitsunari following the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who had ruled Japan since Oda Nobunaga's death in 1582. Ieyasu was victorious which allowed him to claim the title of Shogun three years later in 1603. This book by Anthony Bryant was in a similar format to those by Turnbull. It also explained the battle and the tactics involved in great detail. One thing I thought was a little cheesy was the author's use of photos from the outdoor Sekigahara War World attraction. He admits the place is a little cheeky at the end of the book but I think the pictures are pretty goofy. See a couple pics below:

Overall this book was pretty good. The maps and diagrams of the battle were excellent. Since I think this is the most important samurai battle in Japanese history, I recommend those interested to read this book.

Samurai I:Miyamoto Musashi 宮本武蔵

Last weekend I watched Samurai I (Miyamoto Musashi 宮本武蔵) a film by Inagaki Hiroshi with Toshiro Mifune playing the character of Miyamoto Musashi, one of Japan's most famous samurai swordsman. Samurai I is the first of three and I plan to watch Samurai II and III this weekend. Samurai I was pretty entertaining. It followed the young Musashi, at that time known as Shinmen Takezo, as he fought for the losing side at the battle of Sekigahara and later how he tried to elude the authorities who were searching for him. Eventually he was befriended by a monk and taken to Himeji castle where he is locked up in a room to contemplate himself. He is eventually released and is then given the samurai name Miyamoto Musashi.

Musashi is probably most famous for his book "The Book of Five Rings" a book on strategy, tactics and philosophy that is still studied today. I have not yet read the book but I just picked it up at the Little Tokyo Library here in downtown Los Angeles. I will start reading it this weekend since I just finished reading the book called "Samurai William" which follows the adventures of William Adams, the first Englishmen in Japan who became a retainer to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

I think I will also pick up Ran, another great Akira Kurosawa film that I last saw a few years ago.

Tenchijin & the "real" Uesugi Samurai Naoe Kanetsugu (updated)

The current NHK Taiga drama Tenchijin follows the life of Uesugi samurai Naoe Kanetsugu. The drama depicts Kanetsugu as a warm and emotional samurai. Not necesarily as a brutal, take no prisoners samurai vassal of the Uesugi Lord Uesugi Kagekatsu.

However, in the book "The Maker of Modern Japan" it describes an incident about Kanetsugu as just that, a brutal Uesugi samurai willing to do anything for his lord and the Uesugi clan. After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi but prior to the defining battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu learned that his rival Uesugi Kagekatsu was busy building a new castle at Kazashigahara. Ieyasu questioned Kagekatsu but received only a response from Kagekatsu's chief retainer Naoe Kanetsugu. Kanetsugu simply replied that these were normal repairs and nothing more. In response, Ieyasu sent an envoy to persuade Uesugi to visit him, but Naoe regarded the envoy as a spy, and recommended Uesugi to have him put to death. But the envoy somehow got wind of this and made his escape. This incident was one of the events that led to the final defining battle for power in Japan, Sekigahara, which led to Ieyasu becoming the supreme ruler, the Shogun.

The book reveals more about Ieyasu's style and about Naoe Kanestugu following Sekigahara. Ieyasu considered it politic not to be too drastic in his penalties to those who fought against him at Sekigahara. This is revealed in his reply to his chief retainer Honda Masanobu's suggestion that Naoe Kanetsugu deserved to be punished (death), since he had been one of the chief instigators of the rebellion. "No doubt," replied Ieyasu, "and not only he, but the chief councillors of Mori and Shimazu and the others, because they all pushed their lords at Ishida's instigation (Ishida Mitsunari). And if I punish Naoe the others will get upset and run away to their provinces, and we may have all the trouble over again."

The real Naoe Kanetsugu, at least the one portrayed in the book, does not really match the one in the NHK drama Tenchijin. My feeling is the book portrays him a little more accurately. None the less, the drama Tenchijin is one of my favorite Taiga dramas I have seen. I think the characters for Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Uesugi Kagekatsu are really good. I am interested to see how Tenchijin shows how Naoe 'instigates' the rebellion of Sekigahara.

The Pair of Pissers on the Kanto

My current read is The Maker of Modern Japan by A.L. Sadler published in 1937. It describes the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

One humorous section I like was from the Chapter about Ieyasu taking control of the Kanto region after the defeat of the Hojo clan by the coalition forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi which included Ieyasu's armies. Hideyoshi awarded the Hojo lands to Ieyasu as both a reward as well as to remove the powerful Ieyasu farther from Hideyoshi in central Japan. The provinces awarded to Ieyasu by Hideyoshi actually made Ieyasu the largest landowner in Japan, larger then Hideyoshi himself.

The humorous part of this chapter comes from the following excerpt:

One day Hideyoshi went out with Ieyasu, who was in charge of the main army there, to inspect the castle of Odawara. Taking Ieyasu's hand he said: "See, we shall soon overthrow the Hojo now, so I promise you as your fief the eight provinces of the Kanto." "Good. Let's piss on the bargain, then," replied Ieyasu, and the pair of them went over toward the castle and pissed together. So to this day the children speak of them as the 'Pair of pissers on the Kanto' (Kanto no tsureshoben).

I am not sure what references Sadler used to obtain this information but it was humorous none the less.

Hattori Hanzo

Have you heard of Hattori Hanzo. Many people have through the movie "Kill Bill". He was the greatest samurai sword maker in Japan who made the sword for Beatrix in order for her to seek her revenge against Bill and his clan of assassins.

However, the real Hattori Hanzo actually comes from the late Sengoku period in Japan (1467-1600), the Period of Warring States. Hanzo was a very loyal samurai retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In the book about Oda Nobunaga (Japonius Tyrannus), it was even reported that Hanzo may have practiced the arts of the Ninja. It is clear that Ieyasu did use Hattori Hanzo for special assignments such as reconnaissance and espionage during the turbulent and violent last days of the Sengoku period.

For those who have also been watching the NHK taiga drama Tenchijin, they have already heard of Hattori Hanzo as he has been mentioned in some of the episodes.

Hanzo earned the nickname Oni-Hanzo (Devil Hanzo) because of his fearless tactics he displayed in action. Hanzo died in 1596 supposedly of natural causes. However, rumor has it that Hanzo was killed by a ninja named Fuma Kotaro in battle.

Hanzo was succeeded by his 18 year old son. His son and his men would later act as guards of Edo Castle. Today, the legacy of Hattori Hanzo and his decendents remain. One of the gates of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the former Edo Castle of the Shogun, is named Hanzo's Gate. Also, the Hanzomon subway line which runs from central Tokyo is named after the gate and therefore named after Hattori Hanzo.

Hanzo's grave is located at the Sainen-ji temple in Shinjuku. The life of Hattori Hanzo is depicted in the fictional manga series Path of the Assassin as well as the video game series Samurai Warriors where he is depicted as a ninja as well as many other movies, manga and TV shows.

より大きな地図で 伊賀流忍者 を表示

Tenchijin: The Honnoji Incident

I just finished watching the Tenchijin Honnoji Incident episode. It was pretty intense. This taiga drama is the most intense and graphic of any I have seen, and that includes Shinsengumi which could have been much more violent but wasn't. I think the battle imagery in Tenchijin is pretty cool. The computer generated overview of the battles are pretty cool.

Nobunaga met his fate at the Honnoji temple. Too bad, I like Nobunaga. It would have been great to see him crush all his opponents and unify the country. I also like the actor that played the part of Oda Nobunaga. Interesting that the show implied that Nobunaga had a chance to ecape but chose to stay. My guess is that in reality, Mitsuhide would have had Honnoji completely surrounded preventing any chance of escape.

I liked the dream sequence where Uesugi Kenchin visits Nobunaga as Nobunaga is about to die where he tells him he does not have what it takes to be a good leader. Nobunaga does not have "tenchijin". I don't recall what tenchijin means. Can someone tell me again what is meant by "tenchijin?"

I especially liked how Nobunaga visited Mitsuhide as Mitsuhide was dying and told him the same. I guess it means that both Hideyoshi and Ieyasu do have tenchijin. The show was accurate in regards to how Mitsuhide died. They showed Mitsuhide being killed by a group of peasants. According the book Japonius Tyrannus, after Hideyoshi's army crushed Mitsuhide's army after the Honnoji Incident, Mitsuhide tried to escape but was attacked and killed by local peasants. Later, Hideyoshi collected Mitsuhide's head and presented it to Nobunaga at his grave.

The Murder of Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga, the great Japanese warlord of the late Sengoku period, was assassinated by one of his vassal generals. That traitor was Akechi Mitsuhide. There are many theories as to why Mitsuhide turned on his lord. Some have said it was to eliminate an evil dictator, others say that Nobunaga repeatedly insulted Mitsuhide while others have theorized it was only due to Mitsuhide's own greed for power and his own desire to rule Nobunaga's state, the tenka, himself. My guess it is probably the latter, especially following the assassination, Mitsuhide worked to quickly consolidate his power.

Nobunaga had ordered several generals to lead their armies west to assist Toyotomi Hideyoshi who was fighting the powerful Mori clan. Mitsuhide was one of those generals. However, Mitsuhide defied Nobunaga's order and instead marched his army of 13,000 to Kyoto where Nobunaga was staying at the Buddhist temple Honnoji where he often stayed while visiting Kyoto. Nobunaga was killed by Mitsuhide's army at the temple called Honnoji and the assassination has since then been called the Honnoji incident. Mitsuhide's army then hunted down and killed Nobunaga's heir, his oldest son, Nobutada.

However, Mitsuhide would not have much time to consolidate his power. While other Nobunaga vassals hesitated and Tokugawa Ieyasu retreated to his domain for safety, Toyotomi Hideyoshi quickly and decisively marched his army from the west where he had been fighting the Mori clan. The two armies of Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide met at the Battle of Yamazaki where Hideyoshi crushed Mitsuhide's forces. Hideyoshi collected the head of Mitsuhide and presented it at the grave of Nobunaga.

In episode 17 of the NHK drama Tenchijin, the groundwork is laid for Nobunaga's assassination. At the end of the episode, Nobunaga is shown gravely insulting Mitsuhide in front of his other generals. Clearly the NHK drama is reinforcing the theory that Nobunaga insulted Mitsuhide.

What is very, very interesting is the last scene of episode 17 where Mitsuhide is having tea with Tokugawa Ieyasu following the incident with Nobunaga. Mitsuhide clearly implies that "something" should be done with Nobunaga. What is so interesting is that the drama makes it appear that Ieyasu knows exactly what Mitsuhide is referring to but he says nothing. In the several books I have read about this time period, including Japonius Tyrannus, there is no reference to Ieyasu meeting with Mitsuhide shortly before the assassination nor any evidence that Ieyasu knew anything about Mitsuhide's plans. Just an interesting observation about the show.