Kobayakawa Hideaki Kobayakawa Hideaki is probably one of the most infamous figures in Japanese history, mainly remembered for his betrayal at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Yet, he is more of a tragic figure in Japanese history than one would expect, mainly because his life was not his own. He was a figure I … Continue reading Kobayakawa Hideaki
Articles
Fujita Nobuyoshi: The Catalyst of Sekigahara
Fujita Nobuyoshi When it comes to wars, people always look for the “how” and “why”. Most believe it is simple to pinpoint one exact thing that lit the first spark of war, and sometimes we are given a short explanation while in school, or just reading a history book that briefly touches on the subject. … Continue reading Fujita Nobuyoshi: The Catalyst of Sekigahara
Sanada Masayuki
Portrait of Sanada Masayuki Sanada Masayuki (1547—July 13, 1611) was a damiyō who controlled Ueda Castle in Shinano Province and is famous for being the father of Sanada Nobuyuki and Sanada Yukimura. He started out being a vassal to the Takeda, however, after the clan fell in 1582, he managed to work his way through … Continue reading Sanada Masayuki
Yamanote-dono
Sanada clan mon There is very little information about this woman, so I apologize for the short article. I was amazed to find that the Japanese Wiki Corpus had an article on her, so most of the information will be coming from that source. Yamanote-dono (?—July 20, 1613) was the wife to Sanada Masayuki and … Continue reading Yamanote-dono
Mori Ranmaru and Wakashudō
Mori Ranmaru's official artwork from Samurai Warriors 4 Mori Ranmaru is one of the most famous figures to come from the Sengoku Jidai, almost as famous as the lord he served, Oda Nobunaga. Much like others from this era, his life is shrouded in mystery, with a lot of what we know coming from Edo … Continue reading Mori Ranmaru and Wakashudō
Naitō Joan
Naitō Joan Naitō Joan (c.1549-1626) was a Kirishitan samurai during the Sengoku Jidai and is famous for his role in the failed peace negotiations between the Japanese and the Chinese during the Imjin Wars (1592-1598). Little is known about Joan, for his sister, Julia, is more famous. He is also known by many different names, … Continue reading Naitō Joan
Aya-Gozen
Nagao Masakage (left) with Aya-Gozen (right) Aya-Gozen (1524-March 10, 1609), also known as Sentō-in, was the mother of Uesugi Kagekatsu. Not much is known about her here in the West, only being able to find two articles that talk about her, and unfortunately, one is Wikipedia. It is known that her father was Nagao Tamekage, … Continue reading Aya-Gozen
The Controversial Naoe-jo
Naoe Kanetsugu's official artwork from Samurai Warriors 4 The Battle of Sekigahara is one of the most well-known battles in Japan’s history. It is an impressive and important battle, yet much of the history that surrounds it tends to be forgotten at times, especially by those who study the battle for military strategy only. The … Continue reading The Controversial Naoe-jo
‘Silence’ and Suffering: A Review and Reflection
WARNING: SPOLIER ALERT! Note: This review is different from previous ones, for it is more of opinion piece than a historical analysis. Suffering is an unfortunate part of life that happens to all of us. We see it play every day in many ways. On a larger scale, suffering has come in the form of … Continue reading ‘Silence’ and Suffering: A Review and Reflection
‘Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan’ Full Review (Pt. 2)
Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan promotional banner For a review of episodes 1-3, click here. Welcome back! We are continuing to look into the Netflix docuseries, Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan, which was released in February 2021. In light of recent events, I have decided to release an episode-by-episode review of the series. … Continue reading ‘Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan’ Full Review (Pt. 2)