Matsunaga Hisahide (1508 – November 19, 1577) Matsunaga Hisahide     The Sengoku period daimyo Matsunaga Hisahide is remembered as an infamous schemer, an evil, withered and wrinkled devious character, a wonton destroyer of property and lives, the ultimate villain. Even today, in modern plays, TV dramas, movies, and [...]

Kondo Isami, October 9, 1834 - executed May 17, 1868 Kondo Isami Kondo Isami, expert swordsman and Commander of the Shinsengumi, was born Miyagawa Katsugoro in Kami-Ishihara, a small farming village in Chofu, western Tokyo. He was adopted into the samurai caste by Kondo Shusuke, who heard about the [...]

Prince Hisaaki The Eighth Kamakura Shogun (October 19, 1276 – November 16, 1328) The Eighth Kamakura Shogun, Prince Hisaaki was the son of Emperor Go-Fukakusa and the younger brother of Emperor Fushimi. He was nominated as successor to his cousin, and adoptive father Prince Koreyasu upon his deposition as Shogun in [...]

Hosokawa Fujitaka Yusai (June 3, 1534 – October 6, 1610)   Hosokawa Yusai Hosokawa Fujitaka, also known as Yusai was a highly respected daimyo, poet and scholar who served the 13th Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshiteru and the 15thShogun Yoshiaki, before coming into the service of Oda Nobunaga. Born the second [...]

Hosokawa Sumimoto (1489 - June 24, 1520) Hosokawa Sumimoto Hosokawa Sumimoto was a Muromachi period samurai general and supporter of the 11th Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshizumi. 
Born in Awa Province in 1489, he was the 6th son of Hosokawa Yoshiharu, but later adopted as heir to the deputy-shogun, Hosokawa Masamoto. [...]

Goto Matabei (May 5, 1565 – June 2, 1615) Goto Matabei Goto Matabei (also known as Mototsugu) was said to have been born ready to fight. A native of  Yamada Village, Harima Province (now part of Himeji City, Hyogo Pref.) he was a much-respected professional warrior of the Sengoku [...]

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 [...]