FAMOUS LORES AND TRIVIA

 

1. Oda Nobunaga usually becomes a titular character of a video game due to his historical significance. The video games franchises Samurai Warriors and Nobunaga’s Ambition are based on him and his adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was called “Monkey” (“saru” in Japanese) by Oda Nobunaga in official history records.

 

3. Similarly, Oda Nobunaga once called Tokugawa Ieyasu a “tanuki”.  

 

4. Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose from a sandal-bearer (the person who warms the footwear of their Daimyo) of Nobunaga to the most powerful warlord in Japan.

 

5. Date Masamune was called “One-Eyed Dragon” (Dokuganryu in Japanese) because he lost his right eye to smallpox when he was a child.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Katakura Kojuro, Masamune’s strategist, was called the “Dragon’s Right Eye” due to his intelligence and brilliance.   

 

7. Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen fought four times at Kawanakajima, with neither of them having the advantage. They considered each other as both a nemesis and also an inspiration.

 

8. Edo Castle, former castle of the Hojo Clan that became the headquarters of the Tokugawa Shogunate evolved into the modern day Tokyo we know of today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Oda Nobunaga pretended to be ill one day, only to discover that his own brother was attempting to murder him. Instead, he killed his brother first.

 

10. Oda Nobunaga was an atheist.

 

11. The previous Shogunate before the Tokugawa reestablishes the institution was the Ashikaga Shogunate, led by the Daimyo and Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru. Due to a massive plot by Matsunaga Hisahide, he was killed, and the Shogunate declined immediately.

 

12. Ishiyama Honganji alliance, led by the anti-warrior monk Honganji Kennyo, opposed Nobunaga’s conquest of the central plains. With his supporters, he burned several of Nobunaga’s provinces. Nobunaga responded by burning Mount Hiei, killing thousands of Honganji rebels, including innocent women and children. This act was deemed too cruel even for the “Demon King” himself. Historians argue that he needed to do this, before the Honganji can kill the Oda’s family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. Historians are still debating today on the true motive behind Akechi Mitsuhide’s betrayal. Two of the most famous theory is that Nobunaga ordered him to do so, and the other one is due to Mitsuhide losing his mother in Nobunaga’s aggressive conquest. Some say Nobunaga escaped and lived. Either way, his body was never found in Honnoji.

 

14. Chosokabe Motochika, the Daimyo of the Chosokabe Clan, started off as a small clan from Tosa province. Under his leadership, he conquered the entire island of Shikoku in just ten years. Unfortunately for him, Toyotomi Hideyoshi conquered his lands afterwards. The Mori Clan signed the truce with Toyotomi Hideyoshi thinking that Nobunaga was still alive (when in fact he just died).

 

15. The former headquarters of the Honganji monks, Ishiyama Temple, was redeveloped into Osaka Castle, a gigantic castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Osaka would later be the Toyotomi’s last stand against the ambition of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16. The Shimazu suffered the same fate as the Chosokabe. With their domination of Kyushu Island, they were looking strong. However, Hideyoshi arrived and conquered the entire island.

 

17. Shimazu Yoshihiro, known as the “Shimazu Devil”, was famous for being a great warrior. His reputation sent fear into the Toyotomi army, forcing Hideyoshi to plan a strategy that avoids fighting him altogether.

 

18. Maeda Keijiro Toshimasu was considered to be the most powerful warrior and fighter in all of Japan. Known to be a master spearman, he wields a crimson pike that instills fear into both friends and foe. Most enemy soldiers flee from battle due to his skills as a warrior, and also for his very tall, muscular figure.

 

19. Honda Tadakatsu was Tokugawa Ieyasu’s finest warrior. Famous for his deer-horn helmet and his legendary spear Tonbokiri (literal Japanese “Dragonfly Cutter”), he participated in 57 battles but suffered no injury from any of them.

 

20. Date Masamune was a famous swordsman, well-known for his crescent moon helmet and personal katana, Yoroi Kiri (literal Japanese “Armor Cutter”).

 

21. Sanada Yukimura fought against Date Masamune at the Siege of Osaka. Neither had an advantage in the battle. Sanada’s spear could not overpower Date’s katana.

 

22. Aside from the iconic katana, the samurai also used other weapons like the yari spear, bow and even muskets.

 

23. A famous folklore in Japan suggests that Uesugi Kenshin might be female.

 

24. Mori Motonari, Daimyo of the Mori Clan, once repelled an army fifteen times larger than his own forces. (2,000 soldiers VS 30,000 troops)

 

25. The Three Great Swordsman of Japan was Kamiizumi Nobutsuna (Shinkage-ryu), Yagyu Sekishusai (Yagyu Shinkage-ryu), and Miyamoto Musashi (Two Heavens as One Style). Musashi wrote a book on his swordsmanship and life’s principles, titled the “Book of Five Rings”, which is still studied today. You can buy it on Amazon.com.

 

26. Takenaka Hanbei, the strategist of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, took control of Inabayama Castle in Mino with just 16 men.

 

27. Daimyos often have concubines apart from their own wife.

 

28. Akashi Teruzumi was the only Christian samurai general in history.

 

29. Uesugi Kagekatsu was fabled to be an extremely fierce man. He was rumored to smile only once in his entire life.

 

30. Ii Naomasa, an elite general of the Tokugawa, dressed his soldiers in red, causing enemy troops to fear his "Red Devil" Army. Date Msamune did the same, by dressing his soldiers with black, green and gold theme.