Honda Masashige (1580 – July 5, 1647) Honda Masashige was the second son of the trusted and close advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Honda Masanobu. Along with his father, Masanobu, Honda Masashige originally served Tokugawa Ieyasu, and then Ieyasu’s son, the future second Shogun, Hidetada. In 1597, the then 18-year-old Honda [...]
Hojo Tokimune (June 5, 1251 - April 20, 1284) Hojo Tokimune Hojo Tokimune was born an elite warrior and statesman, destined to rule his clan and country, on June 5, 1251, to the fifthShikken(Regent) to the Shogun, Hojo Tokiyori. Tokimune would become eighth Regent at age 18. The Hojo [...]
Hosokawa Tadaoki (November 28, 1563 -January 18, 1646) Hosokawa Tadaoki Hosokawa Tadaoki fought his first battle as a 15-year-old under the command of Oda Nobunaga. In 1580, he received the Tango domain in modern-day northern Kyoto Prefecture and was soon married to the daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide, another of [...]
Sakuma Morishige (?? -June 11, 1560) Sakuma Morishige, also known as Daigaku, was a Sengoku (Warring States) period samurai and master of Gokiso Nishi Castle (Now Biyo Shrine, Nagoya City) first under Oda Nobunaga’s younger brother, Nobuyuki, and later under Nobunaga himself. He is mentioned in the Shincho-Koki, the Chronicles [...]
Iwakura Castle Iwakura Castle was a hira-jiro, a flat-land castle located on the plains that would become Iwakura City, Aichi Prefecture. At one stage it rivaled Kiyosu Castle in size and stature. Constructed in 1479, it covered an area of 900m north to south and 400m east to west. Two sets of moats, [...]
The Battle of Yamazaki (July 2, 1582) Toyotomi Hideyoshi (around 30,000 troops ) Vs. Akechi Mitsuhide (around 12,000 troops) The Battle of Yamazaki, also known as the Battle of Tennozan, took place in Yamazaki, south of Kyoto less than two weeks after Akechi Mitsuhide had attacked and killed Oda Nobunaga at [...]
Mori Terumoto (January 22, 1553 – June 2, 1625) Daimyo Mori Terumoto Mori Terumoto was a late Sengoku, early Edo period Daimyo born in Yoshida, Aki Province (modern-day Hiroshima Pref.) in 1553 to the distinguished and influential Mori Clan. Mori Terumoto’s grandfather was Mori Motonari, and his father [...]
Niwa Nagahide (October 16, 1535 – May 15, 1585) Niwa Nagahide was born in Aichi, Owari Province (Modern-day Nagoya City’s Nishi-ku) in 1535. He served Oda Nobunaga directly, becoming one of Nobunaga’s most trusted senior vassals. Nagahide participated in most of the major battles of his time, except for the [...]
Toyama Kagemoto, Toyama No Kin San (September 27, 1793 - April 15, 1855) Toyama Kagetomo, aka Toyama no Kin San Toyama Kagemoto was an official of the Edo Bakufu, and a Hatamoto ranked samurai serving the Tokugawa clan. He is best remembered as the character in the TV series, [...]
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (February 23 1646 - February 19, 1709) Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the 5thEdo Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth Edo period Shogun and known as the Dog Shogun, was brought up as a scholar instead of a warrior, as it was feared his lively spirit might lead to him usurping [...]