Ukita Hideie (1573 – December 17, 1655) Ukita Hideie was born the second son of the Lord of Okayama Castle, Ukita Naoie. He was nine years old when his father died, leaving him in charge of the castle, clan and domain. Just before his father’s death, the Ukita had sided [...]
Yasuke, The First Foreign Samurai (c. 1556-?) Yasuke, from a 1943 story book on the African Samurai Yasuke(彌介・弥助) was an African page, brought to Japan in 1579 as the servant of the Italian Jesuit missionary inspector Alessandro Valignano. Arriving some 20 years before the Englishman, William Adams, Yasuke is [...]
Soga no Iruka (?? - assassinated, July 10, 645) Soga no Iruka was the son of the powerful statesman and Minister of State, Soga no Emishi, who had orchestrated the installation of the puppet Emperor Jomei on the Imperial Throne, despite Prince Yamashiro, son of Prince Shotoku, being the favored [...]
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 [...]
Saigo Takamori, the “Last Samurai” (January 23, 1828 - September 24, 1877) Saigo Takamori Saigo Takamori, remembered as “The Last Samurai”, was a low ranking samurai official born in Kajiya-cho in the castle town of Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain on January 23, 1828. He was one of the most influential [...]
Chosokabe Motochika (1539 - July 11, 1599) Chosokabe Motochika, Daimyo of Tosa Chosokabe Motochika, daimyo of Tosa, was born to the 20thhead of the powerful Chosokabe clan, Chosokabe Kunichika in Tosa (Modern-day Kochi Prefecture) in 1539. In 1560, shortly before his own death, Kunichika had subjugated much of Shokoku [...]
Ashikaga Yoshikatsu (March 19, 1434 - August 16, 1443) (ruled 1442 until 1443) Ashikaga Yoshikatsu was the seventh of the Ashikaga Shogun, ruling from the age of eight. Yoshikatsu’s 48 year-old father, the sixth Shogun, Yoshinori, was murdered by Akamatsu Mitsusuke in July of 1441, and so his then eight year-old son, [...]
Baba Nobuharu (1514 /15 - Killed in action June 29, 1575) Baba Nobuharu, also known as Baba Nobufusa was one of the much trusted 24 Generals of the great Takeda Shingen and is often mentioned in the Takeda clan’s Koyo Gunkan, diaries of war matters as a major personal advisor [...]
Asano Naganori (September 28, 1667 – committed seppuku April 21, 1701) Asano Naganori of Ako, master of the famed 47 Ronin was born the first son of Asano Nagatomo, Lord of Ako Domain (Hyogo Pref.) in Edo in 1667. Naganori was just 9 years old when his father died 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 [...]