1.
Japanese name
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Japanese names in modern times usually consist of a family name, followed by a given name. More than one name is not generally used. Japanese names are written in kanji, which are characters usually Chinese in origin. The kanji for a name may have a variety of possible Japanese pronunciations, Names written in hiragana or katakana are phonetic renderings, and so lack the visual meaning of names expressed in the logographic kanji. Japanese family names are extremely varied, according to estimates, there are over 100,000 different surnames in use today in Japan, the three most common family names in Japan are Satō, Suzuki, and Takahashi. Many Japanese family names derive from features of the landscape, for example, Ishikawa means stone river, Yamamoto means the base of the mountain. While family names follow relatively consistent rules, given names are more diverse in pronunciation. Unusual pronunciations have especially become common, with this trend having increased significantly since the 1990s, male names often end in -rō or -ta, or contain ichi, kazu, ji, or dai while female names often end in -ko or -mi. Other popular endings for female names include -ka and -na, the majority of Japanese people have one surname and one given name with no other names, except for the Japanese imperial family, whose members bear no surname. The family name – myōji, uji or sei – precedes the given name, the given name may be referred to as the lower name because, in vertically written Japanese, the given name appears under the family name. People with mixed Japanese and foreign parentage may have middle names, historically, myōji, uji and sei had different meanings. Sei was originally the patrilineal surname which is why up till now it has granted only by the emperor as a title of male rank. The lower form of the name sei being tei which is a name in Japanese men. Although there was an ancestor in ancient Japan from whom the name Sei originally came. There were relatively few sei, and most of the noble clans trace their lineage either directly to these sei or to the courtiers of these sei. Uji was another name used to designate patrilineal descent, but later merged with myōji around the same time, myōji was, simply, what a family chooses to call itself, as opposed to the sei granted by the emperor. While it was passed on patrilineally in male ancestors including in male ancestors called haku, multiple Japanese characters have the same pronunciations, so several Japanese names have multiple meanings. A particular kanji itself can have multiple meanings and pronunciations, in some names, Japanese characters phonetically spell a name and have no intended meaning behind them
2.
Toyotomi Hidetsugu
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Toyotomi Hidetsugu was a nephew and retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who lived during the Sengoku period of the 16th century of Japan. A practitioner of the tradition, Hidetsugu had a number of wakashū. Among these were Yamamoto Tonoma, Yamada Sanjuro, and his most beloved, Fuwano Mansaku, Hidetsugu was born to Hideyoshis elder sister, but adopted by the Miyoshi clan and given the name Miyoshi Nobuyoshi. He later renamed himself Hashiba Hidetsugu, in honor of his famous uncle, Hashiba was the Hideyoshis family name, after the Incident at Honnō-ji in 1582, Hidetsugu was given a 400 thousand koku fiefdom in Ōmi Province because he was one of Hideyoshis few relatives. In his subsequent career as a general, he sustained heavy losses in the Battle of Nagakute against Tokugawa Ieyasu and he also proved a competent manager of the castle town of Ōmihachiman. In 1590, he was appointed castellan of Kiyosu Castle in Owari Province, the following year, Hideyoshi lost his legitimate heir Tsurumatsu and so gave Hidetsugu the position of Imperial Regent. As Hideyoshi was busy handling the invasion of Korea, Hidetsugu acted in his place to handle domestic affairs, however, in 1593, Hideyoshis concubine, Yodo-dono, gave a birth to a new heir, Hideyori, and the relationship between Hidetsugu and Hideyoshi began to deteriorate. Rumours spread of Hidetsugu committing repeated and unjust murder, earning him the nickname life-killing kanpaku - although modern historians doubt that these rumours were accurate, finally, in 1595, Hidetsugu was accused of plotting a coup and ordered to commit ritual suicide at Mt. Koya. Together with him died his three wakashu, who committed suicide with his assistance, daimyōs associated with him were confined and the Jurakudai was destroyed. Controversially, Hideyoshi ordered the execution of Hidetsugus entire family, including children, wives and mistresses, the harshness and brutality of executing 39 women and children shocked Japanese society and alienated many daimyōs from Toyotomi rule. Combined with the fact that Hidetsugu was the last adult member of the Toyotomi clan besides Hideyoshi himself and her death caused the powerful Mogami clan to zealously support Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Battle of Sekigahara against Toyotomi loyalist forces, five years later. Only one of Hidetsugus children was spared, a daughter named Okiku, one month old, media related to Toyotomi Hidetsugu at Wikimedia Commons
3.
Tokugawa Ieyasu
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Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which effectively ruled Japan from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605 and his given name is sometimes spelled Iyeyasu, according to the historical pronunciation of he. Ieyasu was posthumously enshrined at Nikkō Tōshō-gū with the name Tōshō Daigongen and he was one of the three unifiers of Japan, along with his Former Lord Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in Okazaki Castle in Mikawa on the 26th day of the month of the eleventh year of Tenbun. His mother and father were step-siblings and they were just 17 and 15 years old, respectively, when Ieyasu was born. Two years later, Odai-no-kata was sent back to her family, as both husband and wife remarried and both went on to have further children, Ieyasu in the end had 11 half-brothers and sisters. The Matsudaira family was split in 1550, one wanted to be vassals of the Imagawa clan. As a result, much of Ieyasus early years were spent in danger as wars with the Oda and this family feud was the reason behind the murder of Ieyasus paternal grandfather, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu. Unlike his father and the majority of his branch of the family, Ieyasus father, Hirotada, in 1548, when the Oda clan invaded Mikawa, Hirotada turned to Imagawa Yoshimoto, the head of the Imagawa clan, for help to repel the invaders. Yoshimoto agreed under the condition that Hirotada send Ieyasu to Sunpu as a hostage, Oda Nobuhide, the leader of the Oda clan, learned of this arrangement and had Ieyasu abducted from his entourage en route to Sunpu. Ieyasu was just five years old at the time, Nobuhide threatened to execute Ieyasu unless his father severed all ties with the Imagawa clan. Hirotada replied that sacrificing his own son would show his seriousness in his pact with the Imagawa clan, despite this refusal, Nobuhide chose not to kill Ieyasu, but instead held him for the next three years at the Mansho Temple in Nagoya. In 1549, when Ieyasu was 6, his father Hirotada was murdered by his own treacherous vassals, at about the same time, Oda Nobuhide died during an epidemic. Nobuhides death dealt a blow to the Oda clan. An army under the command of Imagawa Sessai laid siege to the castle where Oda Nobuhiro, Nobuhides eldest son, with the castle about to fall, Sessai offered a deal to Oda Nobunaga, Nobuhides second son. Sessai offered to give up the siege if Ieyasu was handed over to the Imagawa, Nobunaga agreed, and so Ieyasu was taken as a hostage to Sunpu. Here he lived a good life as hostage and potentially useful future ally of the Imagawa clan until 1556 when he was age 13 years old. In 1556 he came of age, and, following tradition, one year later, at the age of 13, he married his first wife, Lady Tsukiyama, and changed his name again to Matsudaira Kurandonosuke Motoyasu
4.
Nakamura-ku, Nagoya
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Nakamura is one of the 16 wards of Nagoya, Japan. Nakamura Ward is famous as the birthplace of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the merchant areas is called Funairi-chō, which is close to the Hori Canal. The area was damaged during the Bombing of Nagoya in World War II. One of the houses that was saved from there is the Tōmatsu House, the modern ward was officially established on October 1,1937. Nagoya Station is in the wards Meieki district, inside and nearby the station are several department stores, including Matsuzakaya, Meitetsu Department Store, and Kintetsu Passe. There are two universities, namely Aichi University and Doho University, Central Japan Railway Company has its headquarters in the JR Central Towers in Meieki. Aokis Pizza has its headquarters in Nakamura-ku, DMG Mori Seiki has its headquarters in Nakamura-ku. Air France has an office in the Nagoya-Daiya Building in Nakamura-ku, the ward has a North Korean primary school, Nagoya Corean Elementary School & Kindergarten
5.
Fushimi Castle
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Fushimi Castle, also known as Momoyama Castle or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a castle in Kyotos Fushimi Ward. The current structure is a 1964 replica of the built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The construction of the castle was begun in 1592, the year after Hideyoshis retirement from the regency. Twenty provinces furnished workers for the construction, which numbered between 20,000 and 30,000, though bearing the external martial appearance of a castle, the structure was intended as a retirement palace for Hideyoshi, and was furnished and decorated as such. It is particularly famous for its tea room in which both the walls and the implements were covered in gold leaf. It was rebuilt afterwards, and came to be controlled by Torii Mototada. In 1600, the fell in a famous and significant siege by Ishida Mitsunari. Torii Mototada, in an act of honor and bravery, defended the castle for eleven days, delaying Ishidas forces. This had an effect on the Battle of Sekigahara, which came soon afterwards. In 1623, the castle was dismantled, and many of its rooms, in 1912, the tomb of Emperor Meiji was built on the original site of the castle. The castle was not rebuilt until 1964, when a replica was created very nearby and primarily in concrete. The new structure served as a museum of the life and campaigns of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the attraction of a small theme park called Castle Land. Jurakudai—Hideyoshis previous luxurious residence from 1587 to 1594 Bryant, Anthony J. Sekigahara 1600, schmorleitz, Morton S. Castles in Japan. Tokyo, Charles E. Tuttle Co. pp. 78–80, sengokuDaimyo. com, The website of Samurai Author and Historian Anthony J. Bryant
6.
Nene (aristocrat)
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Nene, also known as One or Nei or Nemoji or Kōdai-in, was the childhood name of Sugihara Yasuko. She was the principal wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. She is also known by the title of Kita no mandokoro and she was born in about 1546. She was the daughter of Sugihara Sadatoshi and it has been rumored that Toshiie Maeda held some romantic interest in Nene prior to her marriage. In about 1561, she married Hashiba Hideyoshi, a man who would become one of the three great unifiers of Japan, although at the time of their marriage he had yet to gain much fame. Nene was his wife and also one of his favorite wives. In 1585, after Hideyoshi was appointed to the post of Imperial Regent, Nene took on the title of Kita no mandokoro, as the wife of Hideyoshi, Nene is most famous for being one of his closest aides and confidantes. The daughter of a samurai, she had many connections that netted Hideyoshi several retainers. Among these retainers were Sugihara Ietsugu, Kinoshita Iesada, Kobayakawa Hideaki, the last of these characters would serve as an important official in Hideyoshis later administration. Nene was known to have been an intelligent woman who, at times, when Hideyoshi repealed the tax exemptions he had granted to the residents living in his headquarters at Nagahama, Nene appealed to him to reinstate the exemptions, and he did. It is also recorded that Hideyoshi frequently wrote letters to Nene to tell her about how his campaigns were going, Hideyoshi did this after his invasion of Sassa Narimasas territory in Japans Hokuriku region and after his campaign against the Shimazu clan. When Hideyoshi unified Japan, Nene often went with him to attend parties and she was courteous and respectful to her guests on every occasion. When Emperor Go-Yozei visited Hideyoshis mansion with his entourage in 1588, Nene worried about Hideyoshi often when he was on his deathbed. Eventually, as Hideyoshi was on his last throes, she petitioned the Imperial Court to sponsor a sacred dance ritual to pray for. Though adored, Nene often found herself competing with other women for Hideyoshis attention, in a letter to Nene, Oda Nobunaga also noted that Hideyoshi was somewhat dissatisfied with Nene. Nene did not bear any children. It has been quite sometime since I last saw you, tokichiro complains about you constantly and it is outrageous. While that bald rat flusters to find another woman, you remain lofty. After Hideyoshi died in 1598, Nene became a nun, taking the name Kōdai-in and establishing a Buddhist temple, Kōdai-ji and it became the burial area for her husband, his mother, and later Toyotomi Hideyori
7.
Yodo-dono
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Yodo-dono or Yodogimi was a prominently placed figure in late-Sengoku period. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man in Japan and she also became the mother of his son and successor, Hideyori. She was also known as Lady Chacha, after the death of Hideyoshi, she took the tonsure, becoming a Buddhist nun and taking the name Daikōin. In 1614, she led a Anti-Shogunate rebellion, the great wealth and changing fortunes of her husband and son affected Yodo-donos life as well. Surviving record books from luxury goods provide insight into patterns of patronage and taste amongst the privileged class of women like Yodo-dono. Her mother, Oichi was the sister of Oda Nobunaga. After Nagamasas death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the father and protector of Chacha. Her status changed when she became his concubine and her status and her name were changed again when Yodo-dono became the mother of a male heir for the aging Taiko. Yodo-donos middle sister, Ohatsu, was the wife of Kyōgoku Takatsugu, Yodo-donos youngest sister, Oeyo, also known as Ogō, was the principal wife of Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada and the mother of his successor Tokugawa Iemitsu. In 1570, Chachas father, Nagamasa, broke his alliance with Oda Nobunaga, Nobunaga, however, requested the safe return of his sister, Oichi. Chacha, along with her mother and her two sisters, left the castle with her, Odani castle fell, and amongst those who died were Nagamasa and Manpukumaru, Chachas only brother. Nobunagas death in 1582 caused open hostilities between Shibata Katsuie and Hashiba Hideyoshi over the issue of succession, katsuies forces were defeated at the Battle of Shizugatake, and he was forced retreat to Kitanosho castle. With Hideyoshis army laying siege to his home, Katsuie set the castle ablaze, he, however, before Oichi died, she passed Chacha, Oeyo, and Ohatsu to the care and protection of Hideyoshi. Yodo-dono became Hideyoshis concubine and soon moved to Yodo Castle, Hideyoshis wife, Nene, was said to have been unable to conceive, and thus Lady Yodo inherited many of her privileges. She had two sons with Hideyoshi, Tsurumatsu, who died young, and Hideyori, born in 1593, Hideyoshi was also the enemy of her parents, first her father, then her step-father and mother. In 1594, the moved to Fushimi Castle, but tragedy befell when Hideyoshi died in 1598. Yodo-dono moved to Osaka Castle with her son Hideyori and plotted the restoration of the Toyotomi clan, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who seized control from Hideyori after the death of his father, now viewed Hideyori as an obstacle to his unification of Japan. He laid siege to Osaka Castle in 1614, but the attack fell through, however, in 1615, Ieyasu broke the truce and once again attacked Osaka Castle, and this time he succeeded
8.
Sengoku period
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The Sengoku period is a period in Japanese history marked by social upheaval, political intrigue and near-constant military conflict. Japanese historians named it after the otherwise unrelated Warring States period in China and it came to an end when all political power was unified under the Tokugawa shogunate. In the years preceding this era the Shogunate gradually lost influence, many of these Lords began to fight uncontrollably with each other for control over land and influence over the shogunate. As trade with China grew, the developed, and the use of money became widespread as markets. This, combined with developments in agriculture and small-scale trading, led to the desire for local autonomy throughout all levels of the social hierarchy. As early as the beginning of the 15th century, the caused by earthquakes and famines often served to trigger armed uprisings by farmers weary of debt. The Ōnin War, a conflict rooted in economic distress and brought on by a dispute over succession, is generally regarded as the onset of the Sengoku period. The eastern army of the Hosokawa family and its allies clashed with the army of the Yamana. Fighting in and around Kyoto lasted for nearly 11 years, leaving the city almost completely destroyed, the conflict in Kyoto then spread to outlying provinces. The period culminated with a series of three warlords, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who gradually unified Japan, after Tokugawa Ieyasus final victory at the siege of Osaka in 1615, Japan settled down into several centuries of peace under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Ōnin War in 1467 is usually considered the point of Sengoku period. There are several events which could be considered the end of it, The Siege of Odawara, the Battle of Sekigahara, the upheaval resulted in the further weakening of central authority, and throughout Japan regional lords, called daimyōs, rose to fill the vacuum. There were many, however, whose positions eroded and were usurped by more capable underlings. One of the earliest instances of this was Hōjō Sōun, who rose from humble origins. Building on the accomplishments of Sōun, the Late Hōjō clan remained a power in the Kantō region until its subjugation by Toyotomi Hideyoshi late in the Sengoku period. Well-organized religious groups also gained power at this time by uniting farmers in resistance. The monks of the Buddhist True Pure Land sect formed numerous Ikkō-ikki and this in turn provided Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had risen through the ranks from ashigaru to become one of Odas most trusted generals, with the opportunity to establish himself as Odas successor. Toyotomi eventually consolidated his control over the remaining daimyōs and, although he was ineligible for the title of Seii Taishogun because of his common birth, during his short reign as Kampaku, Toyotomi attempted two invasions of Korea
9.
Oda Nobunaga
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Oda Nobunaga was a powerful Daimyō of Japan in the late 16th century who attempted to unify Japan during the late Sengoku period. Nobunaga is regarded as one of three unifiers of Japan along with his retainers Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Nobunaga was widely known as one of the most brutal figures in history, eliminating anyone who stood in his way. He was both a ruler and keen businessman, strategizing at both the micro- and macroeconomic scales. He met his demise when his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled against him at Honnō-ji, Oda Nobunaga was the first for whom this goal seemed attainable. Nobunaga had gained control over most of Honshu before his death during the 1582 Honnō-ji incident and it is not certain whether Nobunaga was killed in the attack or else committed seppuku. The motivations behind Mitsuhides betrayal was never revealed to anyone who survived the incident, following the incident, Akechi Mitsuhide declared himself master over Nobunagas domains, but was quickly defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who regained control of and greatly expanded the Oda holdings. Oda Nobunaga was born on June 23,1534, in the Owari domain and he was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy shugo with land holdings in Owari Province. He is said to have born in Nagoya Castle, although this is subject to debate. Through his childhood and early years, he was well known for his bizarre behavior. He was known to run around with other youths from the area, with the introduction of firearms into Japan, however, he became known for his fondness of tanegashima firearms. In 1551, Oda Nobuhide died unexpectedly, Nobunaga was said to have acted outrageously during his funeral, throwing ceremonial incense at the altar. This convinced many Oda retainers of Nobunagas mediocrity and lack of discipline, alienated, they then began to side with his soft-spoken and well-mannered brother, Nobuyuki. Hirate Masahide, a mentor and retainer to Nobunaga, was ashamed by Nobunagas behavior. This had an effect on Nobunaga, who later built a temple to honor Masahide. Although Nobunaga was Nobuhides legitimate successor, the Oda clan was divided into factions. Oda Nobutomo, the deceased Nobuhides brother and deputy to the shugo, used the weak Yoshimune as his puppet, Nobutomo murdered Yoshimune when it was discovered that he supported and attempted to aid Nobunaga. This also ensured that the Imagawa clan would have to stop attacking Owaris borders, although Nobuyuki and his supporters were still at large, Nobunaga brought an army to Mino Province to aid Saitō Dōsan after Dōsans son, Saitō Yoshitatsu, turned against him. The campaign failed, as Dōsan was killed in the Battle of Nagara-gawa, a few months later Nobuyuki, with support from Shibata Katsuie and Hayashi Hidesada, rebelled against Nobunaga
10.
Toyotomi Hideyori
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Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga, when Hideyoshi died in 1598, the five regents he had appointed to rule in Hideyoris place began jockeying amongst themselves for power. Tokugawa Ieyasu seized control in 1600, after his victory over the others at the Battle of Sekigahara, Hideyoris arranged marriage to Senhime, the seven-year-old granddaughter of Ieyasu, was designed to mitigate Toyotomi clan dissension and plotting. In this period, the boy practiced calligraphy with phrases wishing for peace throughout the world. However, Ieyasu continued to view the young Hideyori as a potential threat, Tokugawa forces attacked Hideyori in the Siege of Osaka in the winter of 1614. The attack failed, but Hideyori was induced to sign a truce, in April 1615, Ieyasu received word that Toyotomi Hideyori was gathering even more troops than in the previous November, and that he was trying to stop the filling of the moat of Osaka Castle. Toyotomi forces began to attack contingents of the Shoguns forces near Osaka, there was no time to set up a proper defense of the castle, and it was soon set ablaze and pummeled by artillery fire. Hideyori and his mother committed seppuku, and the final major uprising against Tokugawa rule for another 250 or so years was put to an end and his widow remarried but later became a Buddhist nun. Recognizing that they had a numerical disadvantage, they decided to attempt a tactic of inducing surprise. When the confusion was to be at its height, Hideyori would have marched out of Osaka castle with his home troops and would in theory be the final blow to the Tokugawa. What happened, according to Murdoch, was that Akashi was not able to get behind the Tokugawa troops, having been discovered and engaged before he emerged from the lanes. Whats more, the plans fell apart as Moris Ronin, ever eager to fight, began shooting at the Tokugawa ranks, Sanada at once told the ronin to stop but they only doubled their efforts. Mori Katsunaga, deciding to take advantage of his ronins eagerness, upon this, Sanada realized in order to keep any structure of his original plan, he too, would need to engage alongside the ronin. Hideyori began moving with his troops to leave Osaka, meanwhile, the Osaka troops had been doing quite well in spite of the numerical disadvantage. Not only did the Jesuits write this, but, in another account, ono Harunagas son entered the castle and immediately dispatched a letter from Tokugawa to his father. The letter said Do not let Hideyori leave the castle, in the castle is a conspiracy and as soon as Hideyori leaves it he will be attacked from the rear. It is because of this letter, according to Siebold, that Hideyoris portion of the plan miscarried and he was just about to leave when he was brought word of its contents, and at this point, stalled in entering the fray. Eventually, despite the ferocity and initial victories of the Osaka troops, let Hideyori defend the castle to the last, when it fell, it would be time to take a decision
11.
Samurai
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Samurai were the military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan. In Japanese, they are referred to as bushi or buke. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean those who serve in close attendance to the nobility, the pronunciation in Japanese changing to saburai. According to Wilson, a reference to the word samurai appears in the Kokin Wakashū. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, the samurai were usually associated with a clan and their lord, and were trained as officers in military tactics and grand strategy. While the samurai numbered less than 10% of then Japans population, following the Battle of Hakusukinoe against Tang China and Silla in 663 AD, which led to a retreat from Korean affairs, Japan underwent widespread reform. One of the most important was that of the Taika Reform and this edict allowed the Japanese aristocracy to adopt the Tang dynasty political structure, bureaucracy, culture, religion, and philosophy. As part of the Taihō Code of 702 AD, and the later Yōrō Code, the population was required to regularly for census. With an understanding of how the population was distributed, Emperor Monmu introduced a law whereby 1 in 3–4 adult males were drafted into the national military and these soldiers were required to supply their own weapons, and in-return were exempted from duties and taxes. This was one of the first attempts by the Imperial government to form an organized army modeled after the Chinese system and it was called Gundan-Sei by later historians and is believed to have been short-lived. The Taihō Code classified most of the Imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks and those of 6th rank and below were referred to as samurai and dealt with day-to-day affairs. Although these samurai were civilian public servants, the word is believed to have derived from this term. Military men, however, would not be referred to as samurai for many more centuries, Emperor Kanmu introduced the title of seii-taishōgun, or Shogun, and began to rely on the powerful regional clans to conquer the Emishi. Skilled in mounted combat and archery, these clan warriors became the Emperors preferred tool for putting down rebellions, though this is the first known use of the Shogun title, it was a temporary title, and was not imbued with political power until the 13th century. At this time, the Imperial Court officials considered them to be merely a military section under the control of the Imperial Court, ultimately, Emperor Kanmu disbanded his army. From this time, the Emperors power gradually declined, while the Emperor was still the ruler, powerful clans around Kyoto assumed positions as ministers, and their relatives bought positions as magistrates. To amass wealth and repay their debts, magistrates often imposed heavy taxes, through protective agreements and political marriages, they accumulated, or gathered, political power, eventually surpassing the traditional aristocracy. Some clans were formed by farmers who had taken up arms to protect themselves from the Imperial magistrates sent to govern their lands
12.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
13.
Owari Province
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Owari Province was a province of Japan in the area that today forms the western half of Aichi Prefecture, including the modern city of Nagoya. The province was created in 646, Owari bordered on Mikawa, Mino, and Ise Provinces. Owari and Mino provinces were separated by the Sakai River, which means border river and its abbreviated form name was Bishū. Owari is classified as one of the provinces of the Tōkaidō, under the Engishiki classification system, Owari was ranked as a superior country and a near country, in relation to its distance from the capital. Atsuta Shrine is of ancient origin, ranking with Ise Shrine in importance, and is the repository of one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. Under the Engishiki classification system, Owari was divided into eight counties, during the Heian period, the province was divided into numerous shōen controlled by local samurai clans. However, by the Sengoku period, the province had fragmented into small territories largely dominated by the Oda clan. Under Oda Nobunaga, the province was reunified, Nobunaga began his campaign to reunify Japan from his stronghold at Kiyosu Castle. and many of his retainers were natives of Owari, including Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Katō Kiyomasa. Yoshinao was founder of the Owari Tokugawa clan, one of the Gosanke, the castle town of Nagoya prospered during this period, and Owari Province was especially known for its ceramics industry. At the same time, the continued to exist for some purposes. For example, Owari is explicitly recognized in treaties in 1894 between Japan and the United States and between Japan and the United Kingdom, ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Papinot, Edmond. Historical and Geographic Dictionary of Japan, OCLC77691250 Media related to Owari Province at Wikimedia Commons Murdochs map of provinces,1903
14.
Oda clan
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The Oda clan was a family of Japanese daimyōs who were to become an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the soon after. The Oda family in the time of Nobunaga claimed descent from the Taira clan, by Taira no Chikazane, Taira no Chikazane established himself at Oda and took its name. His descendants, great vassals of the Shiba clan, shugo of Echizen, Owari and other provinces, followed the latter to Owari Province and this castle was built towards 1435, by Shiba Yoshitake who entrusted its safety to the Oda family. The Oda had been shugo-dai for several generations, in 1475, the Oda had occupied the greater portion of Owari Province, but the Shiba would continue to try to regain authority until Shiba Yoshikane, who had to leave Owari. The other famous castle of the Oda is Kiyosu Castle, built between 1394 and 1427 by Shiba Yoshishige who entrusted the castle to the Oda clan, and named Oda Toshisada vice-governor of the province. The fourth son, Nobusada, who lived in Katsubata Castle, was the father of Nobuhide, Nobuhide took Nagoya Castle in 1525, and built Furuwatari Castle. Oda Nobutomo held Kiyosu Castle, but he was besieged and killed in 1555 by his nephew Oda Nobunaga who operated from Nagoya Castle. This led to the family being divided into branches, until the branch led by Oda Nobunaga eclipsed the others. Then turning to neighboring rivals, it one by one achieved dominance over the Imagawa, Takeda, Azai, Asakura and other clans, until Nobunaga held control over central Japan. However, Nobunagas plans for domination were thwarted when he fell victim to the treachery of his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide who killed him at the Incident at Honnō-ji in the summer of 1582. The Oda remained titular overlords of central Japan for a time, before being surpassed by the family of one of Nobunagas chief generals. Though the Oda were effectively eclipsed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi following Nobunagas death, one branch of the family became hatamoto retainers to the Tokugawa shōgun, while other branches became minor daimyō lords. As of the end of the Edo period, these included Tendō Domain, Yanagimoto han, Kaiju han, during the reign of the daimyō Nobutoshi, the Oda of Tendō Domain were signatories to the pact that created the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei. Descendants of the Oda Clan can be found throughout Japan, mainly in the south and southwest
15.
Aichi Prefecture
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Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region and it is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area. Originally, the region was divided into the two provinces of Owari and Mikawa, after the Meiji Restoration, Owari and Mikawa were united into a single entity. Nagoya Prefecture was renamed to Aichi Prefecture in April 1872, and was united with Nukata Prefecture on November 27 of the same year, the government of Aichi Prefecture is located in the Aichi Prefectural Government Office in Nagoya, which is the old capital of Owari. The Expo 2005 World Exposition was held in Seto and Nagakute, ayuchi is the original form of the name Aichi, and the Fujimae tidal flat is all that remains of the earlier Ayuchi-gata. It is now a protected area and it measures 106 km east to west and 94 km south to north and forms a major portion of the Nōbi Plain. With an area of 5,153.81 km2 it accounts for approximately 1. 36% of the surface area of Japan. The highest spot is Chausuyama at 1,415 m above sea level, due to its robust economy, for the period from October 2005 to October 2006, Aichi was the fastest growing prefecture in terms of population, beating Tokyo, at 7.4 per cent. Thirty-eight cities are located in Aichi Prefecture and these are the towns and villages in each district, Companies headquartered in Aichi include the following. Companies such as Fuji Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Motors, Pfizer, Sony, Suzuki, Bodycote, as of 2001, Aichi Prefectures population was 50. 03% male and 49. 97% female. 139,540 residents are of foreign nationality, the sports teams listed below are based in Aichi. Other popular sites in Aichi include the tour of the Toyota car factory in the city by the name, the monkey park in Inuyama, and the castles in Nagoya, Okazaki, Toyohashi. Most attractions are man-made destinations, dealing with the history or modern marvels. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Aichi travel guide from Wikivoyage Official website Aichi Now-Official Site for Tourism Aichi Aichi, HOME of the Samurai Spirit Oda, Nobunaga Tokugawa, Ieyasu
16.
Imagawa clan
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Imagawa clan was a Japanese noble military clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan, Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa and took its name. Imagawa Norikuni received from his cousin the shogun Ashikaga Takauji the province of Tōtōmi, within a decade the clan had lost all of its land holdings to the Tokugawa and Takeda clans. The Imagawa subsequently became masters of ceremonies in the service of the Tokugawa clan, Suruga Tōtōmi Tōtōmi Tōtōmi Imagawa is a playable nation in Europa Universalis IV
17.
Imagawa Yoshimoto
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Imagawa Yoshimoto was a pre-eminent daimyō in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was one of the three daimyōs that dominated the Tōkaidō region, battling against the Takeda, and Hojo clans made Yoshimoto and his soldiers experienced. Imagawa Yoshimoto enjoyed a position, and wanted to be Shogun, he was said to even have an obsession with shaving his eyebrows. He was one of the dominant daimyōs in Japan until his death in 1560 after trying to march on the capital to become Shogun and he was killed in the village of Dengakuhazama in Okehazama by Oda Nobunaga, who would become the first unifier of Japan. Yoshimoto was born in 1519, the son of Imagawa Ujichika of the Imagawa clan-which claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa. {It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan, as he was not the eldest son, he was ineligible to inherit the family headship directly from his father. As a result, the boy was sent to a temple where his name was changed to Baigaku Shōhō or Sengaku Shōhō. Unrest broke out when his older brother Ujiteru died suddenly in 1536 and his elder half-brother, Genkō Etan, tried to seize the heirship but the clan split into two factions. Yoshimotos faction demanded that since Yoshimotos mother was the consort of Ujichika, Genkō Etans faction demanded that since he was older, he was the rightful heir. Genkō Etans mother was a concubine and a member of the Kushima family, Baigaku Shōhō changed his name to Yoshimoto at this point and succeeded the clan. After Yoshimoto succeeded to headship, he married the sister of Takeda Shingen of Kai. This allowed him to cement an alliance with the Takeda, when he helped seize, soon after, Yoshimoto fought against the Hōjō of Sagami. Starting in 1542, Yoshimoto began his advance into Mikawa Province, in an effort to fight the influence of Oda Nobuhide in that region. In campaigns over the course of the decades, Yoshimoto wrested control of a wide area including Suruga, Totomi. In 1552, Shingens son, Takeda Yoshinobu, married Yoshimotos daughter, Yoshimoto and the Hōjō clan reached a peace agreement in 1554 with the marriage of Yoshimotos son Ujizane to the daughter of Hōjō Ujitsuna. In 1558, Yoshimoto left the political affairs in Ujizanes hands. In the summer of 1560, after forming an alliance with the Takeda. Despite having a force of 25,000, Yoshimoto deliberately announced that he had 40,000 troops
18.
Suruga Province
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Suruga Province was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka Prefecture. Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces and its abbreviated form name was Sunshū. Suruga was one of the provinces of Japan established in the Nara period under the Taihō Code. The original capital of the province was located in what is now Numazu, which also had the Kokubun-ji, records of Suruga during the Heian period are sparse, but during the Kamakura period, Suruga was under direct control of the Hōjō clan. With the development of the Kamakura shogunate came increased traffic on the Tōkaidō road connecting Kamakura with Kyoto, the province came under the control of the Imagawa clan from the early Muromachi period through much of the Sengoku period. The Imagawa made efforts to introduce the customs and rituals of the aristocracy to their capital. However, after Imagawa Yoshimoto was defeated by Oda Nobunaga at the Battle of Okehazama, the Takeda were in turn defeated by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was already master of Mikawa and Tōtōmi. During the Edo period, Suruga prospered due to its location on the Tōkaidō, for defensive purposes, the Tokugawa shogunate forbade the construction of bridges on the major rivers of Suruga Province, which further led to town development on the major river crossings. Suruga was subsequently merged with the provinces of Tōtōmi and Izu to form modern Shizuoka Prefecture. At the same time, the continued to exist for some purposes. For example, Suruga is explicitly recognized in treaties in 1894 between Japan and the United States and between Japan and the United Kingdom, in the mid-19th century, Suruga was one of the most frequently mapped provinces in Japan. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Papinot, Edmond, historical and Geographic Dictionary of Japan. OCLC77691250 Suruga on Edo 300 HTML Media related to Suruga Province at Wikimedia Commons Murdochs map of provinces,1903 View of Entire Suruga Region from 19th century
19.
Battle of Okehazama
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The Battle of Okehazama took place in June 1560. In this battle, Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the warlords in the Sengoku period. In June 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto, with an army of about 25,000 men, entering the Oda territories in Owari Province, he first took the border fortresses of Washizu and Marune before setting up camp in a wooded gorge known as Dengaku-hazama. Had Nobunaga decided on an assault, the battle would have most likely been lost. A frontal assault would have resulted in defeat and an attempt to hold out at Zenshō-ji would have lasted a few days. Because the odds were against their side, some of Nobunagas advisers suggested to stand a siege at Kiyosu, Nobunaga refused, stating that only a strong offensive policy could make up for the superior numbers of the enemy, and calmly ordered a counterattack. Oda left an army at Zenshō-ji with a large number of banners. Meanwhile, Odas main force moved through the forest undetected to the rear of the Imagawa army at Dengaku-hazama from the north, the Imagawa samurai did not expect an attack, and that afternoon was very hot. The Imagawa were celebrating their recent victories at Dengakuhazama, an afternoon thunderstorm further shielded Odas soldiers advance. When the storm passed, Odas men poured into the camp from the north, and this left their commanders tent undefended, and the Oda warriors closed in rapidly. Imagawa Yoshimoto, unaware of what had transpired, heard the noise and emerged from his tent shouting at his men to quit their drunken revelry and return to their posts. By the time he realized, moments later, that the samurai before him were not his own, Yoshimoto was attacked by Mōri Shinsuke and Hattori Koheita. Yoshimoto engaged them in melee, and parried their initial attack, with their leader dead, and all but two of the senior officers killed, the remaining Imagawa officers joined Odas army. Soon the Imagawa faction was no more and Oda Nobunaga was in the front rank of military power, the most important of the samurai lords who joined Oda after this battle was Matsudaira Motoyasu from Mikawa Province. Matsudaira later took the name Tokugawa Ieyasu, and would remain a loyal ally until Nobunagas death, in 1937, Japans Ministry of Education designated the battlefield, Okehazama Kosenjo, a national historical site. Located at Minamiyakata, Sakae-cho, Toyoake City, the site hosts The Shichikokuhyo, or Seven Granite Pillars, the first of the pillars bears the words, Imagawa Yoshimoto was killed here. The battlefield is now a park, media related to Battle of Okehazama at Wikimedia Commons
20.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
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Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was a Japanese artist. He is widely recognized as the last great master of the genre of woodblock printing and painting. He is also regarded as one of the forms greatest innovators and his career spanned two eras – the last years of Edo period Japan, and the first years of modern Japan following the Meiji Restoration. By the end of his career, Yoshitoshi was in an almost single-handed struggle against time, as he worked on in the old manner, Japan was adopting Western mass reproduction methods like photography and lithography. Nonetheless, in a Japan that was turning away from its own past, he almost singlehandedly managed to push the traditional Japanese woodblock print to a new level, before it effectively died with him. His life is perhaps best summed up by John Stevenson, Yoshitoshis courage, vision and force of character gave ukiyo-e another generation of life, Yoshitoshi was born in the Shimbashi district of old Edo, in 1839. His original name was Owariya Yonejiro and his father was a wealthy merchant who had bought his way into samurai status. At the age of three years, Yoshitoshi left home to live with his uncle, a pharmacist with no son, at the age of five, he became interested in art and started to take lessons from his uncle. In 1850, when he was 11 years old, Yoshitoshi was apprenticed to Kuniyoshi, Kuniyoshi gave his apprentice the new artists name Yoshitoshi, denoting lineage in the Utagawa School. Although he was not seen as Kuniyoshis successor during his lifetime, during his training, Yoshitoshi concentrated on refining his draftsmanship skills and copying his mentor’s sketches. Kuniyoshi emphasized drawing from life, which was unusual in Japanese training because the artist’s goal was to capture the subject matter rather than making a literal interpretation of it. Yoshitoshi also learned the elements of western drawing techniques and perspective through studying Kuniyoshi’s collection of foreign prints, Yoshitoshis first print appeared in 1853, but nothing else appeared for many years, perhaps as a result of the illness of his master Kuniyoshi during his last years. Although his life was hard after Kuniyoshis death in 1861, he did manage to produce work,44 prints of his being known from 1862. In the next two years he had sixty-three of his designs, mostly kabuki prints, published and he also contributed designs to the 1863 Tokaido series by Utagawa School artists organized under the auspices of Kunisada. Many of Yoshitoshis prints of the 1860s are depictions of graphic violence, in late 1863, Yoshitoshi began making violent sketches, eventually incorporated into battle prints designed in a bloody and extravagant style. The public enjoyed these prints and Yoshitoshi began to move up in the ranks of ukiyo-e artists in Edo, with the country at war, Yoshitoshi’s images allowed those who were not directly involved in the fighting to experience it vicariously through his designs. The public was attracted to Yoshitoshi’s work not only for his composition and draftsmanship. Besides the demands of woodblock print publishers and consumers, Yoshitoshi was also trying to exorcise the demons of horror that he, as he gained notoriety, Yoshitoshi was able to have ninety-five more of his designs published in 1865, mostly on military and historical subjects
21.
Mount Kinka (Gifu)
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Mt. Kinka, also known as Kinkazan, is located in the heart of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and rises to a height of 329 m. Previously called Mt. Inaba, it has served as the representative symbol of Gifu. It stands along the Nagara River, creating bountiful nature within the city, though it is the most famous mountain in the city, Mount Dodo, to the north, is the tallest. First built by the Nikaidō family during the Kamakura period, Gifu Castle atop Mt. Kinka has gone through many forms, with the current building being constructed in 1956. One of its first major residents was Saitō Dōsan, who lived in the castle when it was still being called Inabayama Castle and the mountain was still called Mt. Inaba. The next resident of the castle, Oda Nobunaga, changed the name at the same time that he changed the name of the surrounding town. The castle eventually fell into disrepair and vanished from Gifus skyline, however, it was rebuilt in 1956 and that is the castle that still stands today. During reconstruction, tiles were carried to the top by volunteers and those who helped were able to write messages on the roof tiles before they were put in place. Those who helped were able to experience what it was like when the castle was built many years before. From the top of the castle, visitors have a 360-degree view, inside the castle are many artifacts from its past. Centuries ago, the mountain was protected as a ground for the Owari Clan. Today, the forest is designated as a national forest, giving protection to the over 700 types of plants and 80 types of birds that can be found on the mountain. In 2005, the top of the mountain was renovated, adding lights, the new signs provide additional information about the castle and the surrounding structures, while the lights add to the allure of the castles panoramic night viewing. Mt. Kinka has four marked trails for hikers who wish to walk to the top of the mountain, the Hundred-Turn Hiking Trail and the Seven-turn Hiking Trail both begin near the Nawa Insect Museum in the southern portion of Gifu Park. The Hyaku-magari is an 1,100 m intermediate trail that takes 50 minutes to traverse, the Meditation Hiking Trail and the Horses Back Hiking Trail begin together near the Mt. Kinka Ropeway in the middle of Gifu Park. The Meizō is a 2,300 m beginner course that, like Nana-magari, the Umanose is a 1,100 m advanced trail that takes 40 minutes to complete. The Mt. Kinka Clean Climb is held yearly along these trails and other places on the mountain, the other option for reaching the summit is by taking the Mt. Kinka Ropeway, which first opened in 1955. This ropeway enables visitors to reach the top of the mountain in less than five minutes, the hours of operation for the ropeway vary depending on the seasons throughout the year, but it is generally open from 9, 00am to 6, 00pm
22.
Ashigaru
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Ashigaru were foot-soldiers employed by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The first known reference to ashigaru was in the 14th century and these horse-owning landowners were the beginnings of the samurai class and the men who worked the land for the landowners became the common foot soldiers during times of war. These foot soldiers could have ties and loyalty to the landowners which went back many generations. Land-owning samurai, together with peasant foot soldiers, fought in many wars, constant warfare between the 14th and 16th centuries made the hiring of foot soldiers with no particular loyalty necessary at times. Paid only in loot, these mercenaries were not well-trained and thus could not always be depended upon in battle and these wandering foot soldiers eventually became the ashigaru. Ashigaru were commonly armed with naginata, yari, yumi and swords, the warfare of the Sengoku period required large quantities of armour to be produced for the ever-growing armies of ashigaru. In the 16th century the ashigaru were also armed with matchlocks of the known as tanegashima. Small banners called sashimono could be worn on their backs during battle for identification, in the Ōnin War, ashigaru gained a reputation as unruly troops when they looted and burned Miyako. In the following Sengoku period the aspect of the changed from single combat to massed formations. Therefore, ashigaru became the backbone of many armies and some of them rose to greater prominence. Those who were given control of ashigaru were called ashigarugashira The most famous of them was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, yamauchi Kazutoyo was one of such samurai and later daimyo who rose from ashigaru. Ashigaru formed the backbone of samurai armies in the later periods, the real change for the ashigaru began in 1543 with the introduction of matchlock firearms by the Portuguese. Almost immediately local daimyōs started to equip their ashigaru with the new weapon that required little training to use proficiently, as battles became more complex and forces larger, ashigaru were rigorously trained so that they would hold their ranks in the face of enemy fire. The advantage of the guns proved decisive to samurai warfare. After the battle, the role in the armies were cemented as a very powerful complement to the samurai. The advantage was used in the two invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597 against the Koreans and later the Ming-dynasty Chinese. Though the ratio of the guns and the bows was 2,1 at the first invasion the ratio became 4,1 at the invasion since the guns were very effective. Following the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate the conscription of ashigaru fell into disuse, since ashigarus change to the professional soldier was advanced after Oda Nobunaga, the ashigaru separated from the farmer gradually
23.
Sandal-bearer
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A sandal-bearer is a person who bears the sandals of his superior. The role existed in various cultures and epochs, being first documented in Egypts Early Dynastic Period, in Ancient Egypt the role of sandal-bearer was documented for the first time in history. A sandal-bearer is depicted on the Narmer Macehead, as well as on both sides of the Narmer Palette, in which he is identified by a rosette and a club as the servant of the king. Based on interpretations of these depictions, the sandal-bearer was possibly a high-ranking official, the sandal-bearer would also take on the role of feet washer, a common task in ancient times. Sandal-bearers also existed in Feudal Japan, being a position of high status. Probably the most famous person to take on this role in Japan was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, being of humble origins, around 1557 he joined the Oda clan, then headed by Oda Nobunaga, as a lowly servant. After the death of Nobunaga, he secured a succession of imperial court titles including
24.
Kiyosu Castle
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Kiyosu Castle is a Japanese castle located in Kiyosu, eastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is noted for its association with the rise to power of the Sengoku period warlord, the kanji in the name of the castle was written as 清須城. The current partial reconstruction dates to 1989 and was built as a celebration for the modern-day city of Kiyosu. Kiyosu Castle was built between 1394 and 1427, to guard the junction of the Ise Kaidō with the Nakasendō highways connecting Kyoto with Kamakura. The area was dominated by Shiba Yoshishige, then head of the Shiba clan, upon completion of construction, Oda Toshisada was installed in the castle as the shugodai. After the loss of Orizu Castle, Oda Nobuhide shifted his seat to Kiyosu, bringing prosperity to the city, after Nobuhide died in 1551, his son Oda Nobunaga was initially unable to assume control of the entire clan. Nobuhide’s younger brother Oda Nobutomo, with the support of Shiba Yoshimune, after Yoshimune revealed to Nobunaga an assassination plot in 1554, Nobutomo had Yoshimune put to death. The next year, Nobunaga retook Kiyosu Castle and captured his uncle, Nobunaga also had his younger brother, Oda Nobuyuki assassinated at Kiyosu Castle’s donjon in 1557. Nobunaga sealed his alliance with Tokugawa Ieyasu during treaty negotiations held at Kiyosu Castle in 1562, Nobunaga relocated from Kiyosu to Iwakura Castle in 1563. After Nobunagas death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi assembled his retainers at Kiyosu Castle and proclaimed his regency over Nobunaga’s infant grandson, however, Nobukatsu fell afoul of Toyotomi Hideyoshi when he refused orders to change his domains, and was replaced at Kiyosu by Fukushima Masanori in 1595. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Fukushima Masanori was relocated to Hiroshima Castle, however, he was in poor health from wounds suffered at Sekigahara, and died in 1607. The castle then passed to Tokugawa Yoshinao, in 1609, by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Yoshinao was ordered to relocate the seat of his government to Nagoya Castle. The move occurred from 1609-1613, during which time most of the buildings of Kiyosu Castle were dismantled and relocated to Nagoya, parts of Nagoya Castle were reconstructed with the use of building materials taken from Kiyosu Castle. The northwest turret of Nagoya Castles Ofukemaru fortress was called the Kiyosu Yagura, by the Meiji period, there was very little remaining of the ruins of Kiyosu Castle aside from earthenworks in the former main bailey. The tracks for the Tōkaidō Main Line railway were laid directly across the site, in 1989, to mark the centennial of the foundation of the modern town of Kiyosu, a reinforced concrete replica donjon was built. Inside the structure is a history museum, with displays of arms. Schmorleitz, Morton S. Castles in Japan, tokyo, Charles E. Tuttle Co. pp. 144–145. Castles of the Samurai, Power and Beauty, Kiyosu Castle Jcastle Profile City of Kiyosu, Sightseeing Guide - Kiyosu Castle Japanese Castle Explorer
25.
Sunomata Castle
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Sunomata Castle is a Japanese castle in Ōgaki in Gifu Prefecture at the confluence of the Kizu and Nagara rivers. It was constructed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the generals of Oda Nobunaga, the work of building at Sunomata was done by a band of adventurers under the direction of a local robber baron named Hachisuka. Hideyoshi also found a path into the castle and they found Saitō Tatsuoki. Oda Nobunaga put him in exile as they were victorious in this war, according to legend, Sunomata Castle was built overnight. Today, it is referred to as Sunomata Ichiya Castle, the castle tower has been reconstructed to serve as a local history museum
26.
Toyotomi Hidenaga
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Toyotomi Hidenaga, formerly known as Hashiba Koichirō was a half-brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the most powerful and significant warlords of Japans Sengoku period. He was also known by his title, Dainagon. He promoted Tōdō Takatora to chief engineer and he led Hideyoshis vanguard force a few years later into Satsuma Province, contributing heavily to his half-brothers victories in gaining control of Kyūshū. Hidenaga was awarded the provinces of Kii, Izumi and Yamato and he was regarded as Hideyoshis brain and right-arm. He died in Kōriyama, Yamato Province, and his tomb is called Dainagon-zuka
27.
Hachisuka Masakatsu
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Hachisuka Masakatsu, also Hachisuka Koroku, was a daimyō and retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japanese history. He was the son of Hachisuka Masatoshi, the Hachisuka clan were the kokujin of the Kaitō District of Owari Province. They controlled water transport on the Kiso River and their knowledge of local terrain made them useful to the Oda and Saitō clans, although they remained independent of control of the powerful clans. Later, Masakatsu served Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and may have participated in the building of Sunomata Castle as well as the campaigns against the Mōri. In 1585, Hideyoshi awarded him Awa Province as a fief, but he declined in favor of his son, Iemasa, serving instead as an intimate of Hideyoshi
28.
Siege of Inabayama Castle
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The Siege of Inabayama Castle of 1567 was the final battle in Oda Nobunagas campaign to defeat the Saitō clan in their mountaintop castle and conquer Mino Province, Japan. The siege ended in a battle and victory of Nobunagas combined forces, and resulted in the subjugation of the Saitō clan, their vassals. Due to the leadership of the Saitō, many samurai leaders defected to Nobunaga before the battle, while others willingly submitted afterward. With this victory, Nobunaga took control of the expansive and fertile Mino Province and gained numerous supporters, Nobunaga had the former Saitō castle repaired and renamed it Gifu Castle, a firm base from which to expand north into the Hokuriku region and to make his drive toward Kyoto. Gifu Castle functioned as his residence and military headquarters until he moved to the partially completed Azuchi Castle in 1575. Nobunagas young retainer Kinoshita Tōkichirō played an important role in attaining the victory at Inabayama, in addition to these preparations, Tōkichirō devised and led a bold plan, something of a commando raid, to break into the castle and open the gates for the attacking army. As a result of his efforts and the victory, his standing with Nobunaga rose considerably, thus, in addition to the battles immediate importance to Nobunagas plans, it was also an important step in Toyotomi Hideyoshis rise to power. Saitō Dōsan, lord of Mino, was a strong and ruthless leader, both clans needed some respite to deal with more pressing problems and thus the political marriage of Nobunaga and Nōhime brought an end to the clans rivalry and their border skirmishes. In 1555 Saitō Yoshitatsu, eldest son of Dōsan, came to believe his inheritance would be taken away, the following year he rallied troops loyal to him and openly rebelled against his father. Dōsan indeed changed his will and named his son-in-law, Oda Nobunaga, shortly thereafter Dōsan was killed by one of Yoshitatsus retainers at the Battle of Nagaragawa. At the time Nobunaga was not in a position to help his father-in-law, in 1561 Yoshitatsu died of leprosy and his son, Saitō Tatsuoki, succeeded to the leadership of the clan. Nobunagas plans for an invasion of Mino were ostensibly motivated by revenge for the death of his father-in-law, Saitō Dōsan, but Yoshitatsu died before Nobunaga could attack. As a result, Nobunaga reasoned that Yoshitatsus heir, Tatsuoki, likewise benefited from Dōsans demise, Oda Nobunaga mounted forays into Mino territory in 1561 and 1563, which resulted in brief battles. In each expedition Nobunaga and his 700 troops were outnumbered by rapidly assembled forces under local daimyo, caught in the open and unable to organize a defense, he fell back each time to his home territory. The local history of Gifu city states that in 1564 Nobunaga went so far as to attack Inabayama Castle, the headquarters of the Saitō clan. The castle was situated atop Mount Inaba, which had a steep northern face with the bank of the Sunomata River at its foot. Although it was considered impregnable, Tatsuoki fled the parapets and hid within the castle while his retainers Takenaka Shigeharu. Nobunaga then left or was driven out soon afterward, in later years Nobunaga had this setback expunged from records and omitted from the Nobunaga Chronicles
29.
Mino Province
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Mino Province, one of the old provinces of Japan, encompassed the southern part of modern-day Gifu Prefecture. Mino Province bordered Echizen, Hida, Ise, Mikawa, Ōmi, Owari, although the ancient provincial capital was near Tarui, the main castle town was at Gifu, the home of Inabayama Castle. In 713, the crossing through Mino and Shinano provinces was widened to accommodate increasing numbers of travelers. Mino Province served an important military and political role as the path to Kyoto as well as to Tokaido, during the Kamakura and Muromachi Period, Mino Province was governed by the Toki clan and later in Azuchi period controlled by Oda Nobunaga. His heirs continued to control it after Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi took power, the Battle of Sekigahara took place at the western edge of Mino, near the mountains between the Chūbu Region and the Kinki Region. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Titsingh, Isaac, paris, Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. Media related to Mino Province at Wikimedia Commons Murdochs map of provinces,1903
30.
Takenaka Shigeharu
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Takenaka Shigeharu, who was also known as Hanbei, was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. He initially served the Saitō clan of Mino province, but later plotted an uprising and he then directed the defense against the forces of Oda Nobunaga during the Siege of Inabayama Castle. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was so impressed by him that he invited Shigeharu to join his forces as a strategist, Shigeharu made many contributions to Hideyoshi with his exceptional talent in that field. He died of illness during Hideyoshis attack against the Mōri in the Chūgoku region of Japan, Takenaka Shigekado, Shigeharus son and successor, continued to serve Hideyoshi after his fathers death. At the Battle of Sekigahara, he fought on the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Takenaka family thus became a family of hatamoto, and would soon move from their old castle of Bodaisan to the new Iwate Castle. The holdings of the Takenaka included Sekigahara Village, in the mid-19th century, Shigeharus descendant Takenaka Shigekata served as commander of the Tokugawa forces in Fushimi at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. He is a character in Pokémon Conquest, in the Samurai Warriors games from Samurai Warriors 3. A young female version of Takenaka Hanbei is in The Ambition of Oda Nobuna and he appears in the Sengoku Basara series. People of the Sengoku period in popular culture, Information on Iwate Castle Information on Bodaisan Castle Woodblock print Photo of Shigeharus Grave
31.
Niwa Nagahide
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Niwa Nagahide, also known as Gorōzaemon, was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku through Azuchi-Momoyama periods of the 16th century. He served as a retainer to the Oda clan, and was eventually a daimyo in his own right, Nagahide was born in what is now Nishi-ku, Nagoya, but then part of Aichi District, Owari Province. From his youth, Nagahide served Oda Nobunaga and became one of his senior retainers, one such example was the Battle of Tedorigawa. He was also an effective governor tasked with the construction of Azuchi Castle, the extent of Nobunagas trust can be seen by the fact that Nagahide married Nobunagas adopted daughter and his son, Niwa Nagashige, married the fourth daughter of Nobunaga. These services let Nagahide rule over Wakasa Province and Sawayama Castle in Ōmi Province, in 1581, in a military parade held at Kyoto before the eyes of the Emperor as well as foreign missionaries, Nagahide was given the honor of leading the procession. In 1582, as Oda Nobutakas second in command, Nagahide launched a campaign on Shikoku, Nagahide abandoned the campaign and turned back to help Hashiba Hideyoshi avenge this by killing Mitsuhide. He thus became one of the most powerful retainers and daimyo, however, Nagahide died of illness in 1585 without making any impact at all. Bio of Nagahide Another bio of Nagahide
32.
Shibata Katsuie
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Shibata Katsuie or Gonroku was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 Siege of Nagashima. Katsuie was born in the village of Kamiyashiro, a branch of the Shiba clan, note the differences between Shibata, Shiba, and the Shibata clan of Echigo. Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobukatsu, when control of the Oda clan was contested, Katsuie initially supported his lord, Nobukatsu, against his elder brother Oda Nobunaga. In 1556, Katsuie launched a coup détat against Nobunaga and he was defeated at the Battle of Inō, and in the aftermath Nobunaga had his brother executed, but impressed with the retainers loyalty and bravery, spared the life of Katsuie. Katsuie pledged his services to Nobunaga, earning his praises, in 1570, while a joint Oda–Tokugawa coalition fought the Battle of Anegawa, Katsuie was under Siege of Chōkō-ji Castle by 4000 soldiers of the Rokkaku clan. Katsuie eventually won via an attack, forcing the Rokkaku to retreat. This action, along with a series of brilliant victories, gained him renown as Oni Shibata and he fought in the Battle of Nagashino. In 1575, after gaining control of Echizen, he took command of Kitanosho Castle and was ordered to conquer the Hokuriku region, after controlling Kaga and Noto, he began a campaign against Etchū Province in 1581. In a meeting in Kiyosu to determine the successor to Nobunaga, he supported Oda Nobutaka and he allied with Oda Nobutaka and Takigawa Kazumasu to battle Hideyoshi. However, his domain was sealed off in the winter by snowfalls, both of his allies were defeated while Katsuie battled snowfalls and Uesugi. His forces, under the leadership of Sakuma Morimasa, besieged Nakagawa Kiyohide at Shizugatake in a move to turn the tide launching the battle of Shizugatake, Sakuma ignored Shibatas orders to merely test the enemys defence and was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshis returning forces. He retreated to Kitanoshō castle but with the destroyed, Katsuie had no other option. Katsuie chose the option and ordered his retainers to set fire to the castle. He implored Oichi to take their daughters and leave, but she decided to follow his death, ironically, Katsuie had not so much as lifted a spear personally during the battle. His death poem was, 夏の夜の 夢路儚き 後の名を 雲井にあげよ 山不如 Natsu no yo no yumeji hakanaki ato no na o kumoi ni ageyo yamahototogisu Fleeting dream paths, O bird of the mountain, carry my name beyond the clouds. Shibata Katsuie is a character in Koei Tecmos Samurai Warriors 2, Empires. He fights with a spear in Empires and twin axes in later games
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Battle of Anegawa
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Nobunagas loyal retainer, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was assigned to lead troops into open battle for the first time. The battle came as a reaction to Oda Nobunagas sieges of the castles of Odani and Yokoyama and it was also referred to as the Battle of Nomura by the Oda and Azai clans and the Battle of Mitamura by the Asakura clan. There is a memorial marker in Nomura-cho, Nagahama city. As warriors sallied forth from the castles, the battle turned into a melee fought in the middle of the shallow Ane River, for a time, Nobunagas forces fought the Azai upstream, while the Tokugawa warriors fought the Asakura downstream. Ieyasu unleashed his second division under Honda Tadakatsu and Sakakibara Yasumasa onto Asakuras left flank, a famous duel involved Makara Jurozaemon, and his eldest son Makara Jurosaburo Naomata, who both covered the retreat of the Asakura army to the northern bank. Both were eventually killed however when confronted by four Mikawa samurai, Kosaka Shikibu, Kosaka Gorojiro, Kosaka Rokurogoro, and Yamada Muneroku, in another notable engagement, an Azai samurai named Endo Kizaemon attempted to take Nobunagas head, but was stopped short by Takenaka Kyusaku. After the Tokugawa forces finished off the Asakura, they turned, inaba Ittetsu, who had been held in reserve, then came forward and hit the Azai left flank. Many of the besiegers of Yokoyama even left their task to aid in the battle, the Azai and Asakura forces were soon defeated. It is often noted that Nobunaga used 500 arquebusiers in this battle and he was famous for his tactical use of firearms but would find himself on the opposite end of skilled arquebus tactics in his Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji that year. Meanwhile, no reliable source exists to reconstruct the battle, the Battle of Anegawa is vividly presented in the books compiled in the middle or the end of the Edo period. Many of the stories are pure fiction, the only valuable source is the Shinchōkō-ki, describing it very briefly without any notes concerning tactics or details of the battle. The exact number of the casualties in battle is unknown. However, the Shinchōkō-ki mentions 1,100 samurai from Asakura clan being killed in battle, an army of this period had at least several times more ashigaru than samurai, so it would be reasonable to assume at least several thousand men were killed. According to A. L. Sadler in The Life of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu there were 3,170 heads collected by the Oda camp, a good portion were taken by Mikawa men, the Tokugawa force. The Mikawa Fudoki gives a real picture of the battle, the retainers fighting in groups. The battle has featured in all games of the Samurai Warriors series. However, because Azai Nagamasa was made playable in Samurai Warriors 2, as opposed to the first game where he was a unique non-playable character, the battle had a larger significance. The battle has also appeared in revamped form in the Warriors Orochi series
34.
Azai clan
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The Azai clan was a line of daimyo during Japans Sengoku period that was based in Ōmi Province. The Azai clan, along with the Asakura clan, opposed Oda Nobunaga in the late 16th century and they were defeated by him at the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, and all but eliminated when their home castle, Odani Castle, was taken three years later. Hiei, he was defeated and forced to suicide by Nobunaga in 1573 and he was married to Nobunagas sister O-ichi. His daughters included Yodo-Dono and Oeyo Turnbull, Stephen
35.
Asakura clan
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The Asakura clan is a Japanese kin group. The clan claims descent from Prince Kusakabe, who was the son of Emperor Tenmu, the family was a line of daimyō which, along with the Azai clan, opposed Oda Nobunaga in the late 16th century. The Asakura were defeated by Nobunaga at the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, Asakura Nobumasa, nephew of Asakura Yoshikage, was allied with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and with Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1625, he was granted Kakegawa Domain in Tōtōmi Province, in 1632, he was implicated in a plot, causing him to be dispossessed and banished to Koriyama, where he died. Asakura Toshikage Asakura Sadakage Asakura Norikage Asakura Takakage Asakura Yoshikage Asakura Kagetake Asakura Kagetsura Turnbull, Stephen
36.
Nagahama, Shiga
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Nagahama is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan on the northeastern shore of Lake Biwa. The city center was developed and renamed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi when Hideyoshi moved the center of his administration from Odani Castle, kunitomo, the northeast of the city center, had been known for the production of arquebuses and guns since 1544. As of October 1,2016, the city has an population of 119,043. The total area is 680.79 km², the current city is now historically located within three former districts, Sakata District, Higashiazai District and Ika District. Nagahama used to be known as Imahama, but Toyotomi Hideyoshi renamed it Nagahama for Oda Nobunaga and it is not related to the area of the same name in Fukuoka City and same name town in Ehime Prefecture. On April 1,1943, the town of Nagahama from Sakata District merged with six other towns to gain city status, the last population count was conducted on December 1,2005, and the city had a population of 63,057. The total area was 45.50 km², on February 13,2006, the towns of Azai and Biwa were merged into Nagahama, which replaced all municipal organizations—including the old city of Nagahama itself. As a result of the annexation of Azai and Biwa in 2006. On January 1,2010, the towns of Kohoku and Torahime, both districts were thereby dissolved as a result of this merger. Nagahama is one of the most famous tourist cities in Shiga, attractions to be found in the city include, Central Nagahama Nagahama Castle Kurokabe Square, shopping streets centered a black wall glasswork shop which made use of an old bank building. The Old Nagahama Station Museum, built in 1882 and the oldest preserved station in Japan. Nagahama Bonbai event in January 20 to March 10, every year, international schools, Colégio Sun Family - Brazilian primary school The following cities were once sister cities of the former city of Nagahama. Nishinoomote, Kagoshima Tatsuno, Hyōgo Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany Verona, Veneto, Italy Holland, Michigan Nagahama City official website Nagahama Tourism Association
