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

Oiran Buchi Bridge Daytime Just outside the city Tokyo is the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. It has eight peaks and spans over 2,000 miles. This beautiful park covers over four prefectures in Japan: Saitama, Yamanashi, Nagano and Tokyo.(1) In Yamanashi Prefecture, in between the city of Kōshū and the village of Tabayama, just off of an old road … Continue reading Sengoku Hauntings: Oiran Buchi

Entrance to Goshuden at Hachiōji Castle Just west of Tokyo lies the town of Hachiōji, now a town for commuting workers who want to get away from the metropolis. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the town of Hachiōji seems like a great town to rest in after spending time in a busy city like Tokyo. … Continue reading Sengoku Hauntings: Hachiōji Castle