Ueda Castle (Nagano Prefecture) Ueda Castle in Nagano Prefecture once sat on a cliff facing the Saigawa River. Ueda Castle was also known as Amagafuchi-Jo, Isesaki-Jo, Matsuo-Jo and even Sanada-Jo after it’s first master, Sanada Masayuki who built the castle around 1583. The sturdy but small fortress made good use of the surrounding [...]
Kisouma, Samurai Horses The horses ridden by the samurai were mostly sturdy Kisouma, native horses that resembled stocky ponies rather than modern-day thoroughbreds. They were stub faced, long haired, short legged, shaggy looking creatures, their backs averaging about 120 to 140cm in height. Samurai mounted their horses not from the left, like modern [...]
Nagoya Castle’s Aomatsuba Incident The Aomatsuba Incident was a mysterious incident that occurred at Nagoya Castle on February 16, 1868. Between February 16th and the 21st, 1868, 14 high-ranking retainers of the Owari Tokugawa clan were suddenly captured and executed within the grounds of Nagoya Castle, and another 20 were imprisoned and demoted. [...]
Sakamoto Ryoma (January 3, 1836 – assassinated December 10, 1867) Sakamoto Ryoma was one of the key figures in the overthrowing of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Still recognized as one of the nation’s great heroes of the Edo period, Sakamoto Ryoma was born January 3, 1836 in Kochi, Toda domain in Shikoku. His ancestors [...]
Juzu, Rice Rations Juzu were rice rations rolled in cloth and worn by low ranking samurai. During battle and on campaigns, ashigaru (foot soldiers) would often carry their rice rations with them, rolled in a long white cloth and tied at intervals for daily use. Three to four days’ worth was usually prepared. The [...]
Hamamatsu Castle, The Castle of Success (Shizuoka Prefecture) Hamamatsu Castle in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture was originally called Hikuma Castle, or Shusse jo（Castle of Success) and was built by Imagawa Sadatsuke around 1532 on a small hill. With the fall of the Imagawa clan after defeat by Oda Nobunaga at Okehazama in 1560, the [...]
Tsu Castle (Mie Prefecture) Tsu Castle in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, was first built by Hosono Fujiatsu in 1558 and known as Anotsu Castle, after the old name for the region. The site was chosen as the Ano and Iwata Rivers come together, forming a natural moat around the precincts, and the nearby [...]
Nakagawa Hidemasa (1568 - Killed in Battle November 27, 1592) Nakagawa Hidemasa Nakagawa Hidemasa was the son of the daimyo of Settsu Province (modern-day Hyogo Prefecture) Nakagawa Kiyohide, and older brother of Nakagawa Hidenari. Hidemasa's wife Princess Tsuru (Tsuruhime) was the youngest of Oda Nobunaga’s seven daughters. His uncle [...]
Komaki Castle (Aichi Prefecture) Komaki Castle, properly known as Komakiyama Castle (Aichi Prefecture) was constructed in 1563 during the warlord Oda Nobunaga’s expansionist efforts. His plans were to defeat the neighboring warlord, Saito Tatsuoki, and take the province of Mino (Gifu Prefecture). Oda Nobunaga was a military genius, and realized that in order [...]
Kubi-Oke Kubi-oke were round wooden bucket-like containers used for the storage and transportation of severed heads. They stood around 29cm high, and 33cm in diameter. Often they were fitted with steel “gatari” brackets to carry the box on a pole. The higher quality kubi-oke were lacquered, and the simpler ones were of plain [...]