Matsue Castle, National Treasure listed castle. (Shimane Prefecture) It was once a rule that girls were not allowed to dance in the streets of Matsue City. If they did, the base of the city’s symbol, Matsue Castle, would begin to shake, endangering the towering building. The story goes that Matsue Castle’s Ishigaki stone [...]
Itagaki Nobukata (1489- killed in battle, March 23, 1458) Itagaki Nobutaka Itagaki Nobukata was one of the famed 24 Generals of Takeda Shingen who often led troops into battle when Takeda Shingen was unable to, or was otherwise indisposed. In the 1542 Siege of Fukuyo and the following Battle [...]
Wakisaka Yasuharu (1554 - September 26, 1626) Wakisaka Yasuharu Wakisaka Yasuharu was the daimyo of Awaji Island, and later Ozu, Iyo Province. Wakasaka played a major role in The Battle Of Sekigahara in 1600. Wakisaka first served directly under Akechi Mitsuhide as part of Oda Nobunaga's forces. In [...]
Shimazu Tadatsune, Daimyo of Satsuma (November 27, 1576 – April 7, 1638) Shimazu Tadatsune Shimazu Tadatsune was one of the most affluent and powerful lords of the early Edo Period With a stipend of 605,000 koku. Born in 1576, Tadatsune was named heir to the Shimazu (Also written as [...]
Shimazu Takahisa (May 28, 1514 - July 15, 1571) Shimazu Takahisa The Daimyo Shimazu Takahisa introduced firearms to Japan, forever changing samurai warfare. The 15th head of the Shimazu clan, Takahisa was interested in fostering relations with the international travelers of the day. Realising the importance of trade, he [...]
Akiyama Nobutomo (1531- December 23, 1575) Akiyama Nobutomo There are ways for a brave samurai to die. To be killed in battle, lying face down is the ideal way, or to cut oneself open in the practice known as seppuku is also deemed acceptable. To die in bed, lying [...]
Horio Tadauji (1578 - August 8, 1604) Horio Tadauji was the son of Horio Yoshiharu, first lord of Matsue Castle. As his father, Yoshiharu had been badly injured in a brawl at a tea ceremony prior to the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Horio Tadauji took his father’s place in Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern forces. [...]
Nakagawa Kiyohide (1542 – June 10, 1583) Nakagawa Kiyohide The Daimyo Nakagawa Kiyohide, also known as Nakagawa Toranosuke as a child, and commonly as Nakagawa Sebe, was born in modern-day Ibaragi City, Osaka in 1542. Kiyohide was originally in the employ of Ikeda Katsumasa, daimyo of Settsu (now bordering [...]
Tokugawa Iemitsu, The Third Edo Shogun (August 12, 1604 – July 8 1651) Tokugawa Iemitsu was born the first son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and was the favored grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. His younger brother Tadanaga was his parents favorite, and was suggested as Hidetada’s heir, however Ieyasu demanded that Iemitsu would succeed the [...]
Ii Naomasa (March 4, 1560-March 24, 1602) Along with the generals Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Sakai Tadatsugu, Ii Naomasa was regarded as one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa clan. Naomasa was born in Hoda Village in Totomi Province (modern-day western Shizuoka Prefecture). His family served Imagawa Yoshimoto for many years until [...]