"Merī kurisumasu"! It is undisputed that Christmas is the number one most celebrated holiday worldwide. While it is a staple for many Christians, the holiday is also celebrated in areas where Christianity is not as prominent. Japan is one of these examples. While there is a Christian population in the country, Christmas actually looks more … Continue reading Christmas in Sengoku Japan

Map of Japan before Sekigahara Sekigahara was not just the battle that was fought on October 21, 1600. There were campaigns in the north and south and all over the main island of Honshū. Unfortunately, since Sekigahara gets all the attention from historians, many of these other battles and sieges get set aside. Research on … Continue reading Other Sekigahara Sideshows

Monument to the victims of hitobashira at the Jomon Tunnel On May 16, 1968, the Tokachi Earthquake hit northern Japan, registering as an 8.3 magnitude on the Richter scale. It caused a significant amount of damage and triggered a tsunami. One of the structures that was damaged by the earthquake was the Jomon Tunnel, which … Continue reading Sengoku Hauntings: Hitobashira

Tachibana Muneshige official artwork from Samurai Warriors 4 The Kyūshū Sekigahara Campaign were a series of sieges fought mainly between the Tachibana clan of Kyūshū, who sided with the Western Army, and various generals from the Eastern Army. This campaign tends to get pushed to the side when talking about the Sekigahara Campaign as a whole, … Continue reading The Kyūshū Sekigahara Campaign

Ueda Castle Forces: Sanada (Western Army) vs. Tokugawa (Eastern Army) Numbers: 2,000 (Sanada)/38,000 (Tokugawa) Casualties: Unknown The Siege of Ueda was a battle that took place just days before the Battle of Sekigahara, which took place on October 21, 1600. The battle was fought between the Sanada clan, at least the part of the clan that sided with … Continue reading Siege of Ueda, 1600