The museum rediscovered this important document only recently while organizing, updating and cataloguing its entire collection during a closure for renovations starting in July 2024. The museum reopened last week on April 24, and its first exhibition opens on May 1.

While the letter is believed to have been in their possession for approximately 30 years, the exact acquisition process of the letter is unknown.

The joint letter is signed by Ishida Mitsunari (1559-1600), the self-appointed leader of the Western forces at the Battle of Sekigahara, his ally Otani Yoshitsugu (1558 or 1565 -1600), and Mashita Nagamori (1545-1615), one of the Toyotomi administrations’ Five Commissioners. The letter is dated the 21^st day of the 7^th month by the traditional lunar calendar, August 29, 1600, by the Gregorian calendar. Sekigahara was fought less than two months later on the 15^th day of the 9^th month, or October 21, 1600, by the modern calendar. Considering the three individuals’ joint signatures, it is presumed to have been issued shortly after they began to raise an army to quell the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu before the Battle of Sekigahara.

The letters recipient’s name is illegible due to wear, but the inscription, “We would like to meet with you and discuss various matters,” suggests the three individuals were to make a desperate attempt to win this person over to their side.

Besides its historical importance, the interesting point about this letter is a black ink fingerprint stain to the upper right of Masuda’s signature. Chizuru Hayashi, a curator at the museum, commented in newspaper reports saying, “It appears that Mashita accidentally left a stain from his ink-covered fingertip when writing his signature. I have never seen a historical document like this before.” The fingerprint remains quite clearly visible.

Also of interest is that while Mashita Nagamori was a key signature to this letter and appearing to side with Ishida Mitsunari, Nagamori was in fact involved in an intrigue with Ieyasu, secretly sending Ieyasu intel about western commander Ishida Mitsunari, his plans and contacts. As it was, Mashita Nagamori did not take part in the actual battle at Sekigahara, instead he remained as part of the guard garrison at Osaka Castle. Due to his providing of information prior to the battle, Ieyasu spared his life, but his domains were confiscated.

In 1615 during the Summer Siege of Osaka, Mashita Nagamori’s son, Moritsugu who served Ieyasu’s ninth son, Tokugawa Yoshinao, lord of Nagoya Castle, escaped and defected to the Toyotomi clan defending Hideyori and Osaka Castle. As a result, Nagamori was ordered to commit seppuku.

Otani Yoshitsugu was the only lord to have committed seppuku on the battlefield that day during the great skirmish. His head was taken by his assistant Yuasa Gosuke and hidden to prevent his head from falling into the hands of the enemy. His head is yet to be found.

The Yatsushiro City Museum, which has just re-opened this week following major renovations will exhibit 38 historical documents, including this joint signature letter in its special exhibition, “Rediscovering the Future Forest Museum,” which begins on May 1st. The exhibition runs until June 14^th 2026.

Various sources used for this article including “The Battle of Sekigahara” the most detailed book in English on the battle, available from Frontline books and all booksellers.

Original Japanese news article:

https://kumanichi.com/articles/1981843

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cb27b316ebd3761745860d22770d94545d1fabc9

As a child, Toshiie served Oda Nobunaga, four years his senior, as a page from the age of 14. Nobunaga apparently called the youth Inu, or “Dog”, because of his name, Inuchiyo. Toshiie was more than a page, and became a close friend of the wild and unruly Nobunaga, flowing him in dressing in outlandish fashions and causing general mischief. Toshiie served Nobunaga first as a member of the elite Akahoro-shu, the Red Cape Brigade, a unit under the direct command of Nobunaga, and was later made Ashigaru-Taisho, Captain of the Foot-soldiers in his early years. Highly skilled in the use of a spear, he was nicknamed “Yari-no-Mataza” (Spearman Matazaemon) for his prowess.

Later, as a retainer of Shibata Katsuie, he fought in various battles as part of the Hokuriku region forces and was granted the entire province of Noto with a stipend of 230,000 koku, becoming a daimyo. Toshiie is considered the founder of the Kaga Maeda clan, lords of Kaga Domain, and one of the Five Great Elders of the Toyotomi regime.

Toshiie and Hideyoshi

During their time under the Oda, Toshiie and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were equals. They lived next door to each other in Kiyosu and across the street from each other in Azuchi. Toshiie and his wife remained close friends from Hideyoshi’s time as a foot soldier. In 1574, Toshiie and Matsu bestowed their fourth daughter, Gohime, upon the childless Hideyoshi and his wife. Even after becoming a vassal of Hideyoshi following the Battle of Shizugatake, when Toshiie and Hideyoshi became enemies, they continued their friendship in secret, even sending each other moxibustion treatments.

Hideyoshi rose from the ranks of a foot soldier, and Toshiie, though from a collateral branch of a powerful family, was initially of a vastly different social standing. However, partly because Toshiie spent time as a ronin, there was less resentment compared to other Oda vassals who were overtaken in similar relationships, and their relationship smoothly transitioned from a near-equal friendship to a master-vassal relationship. Due to this trust, Toshiie was one of the few people who could offer advice to Hideyoshi in his later years. In his will, Hideyoshi described Toshiie’s character as that of a man of integrity, the likely reason why he entrusted him with the role of guardian of Hideyori. However, Toshiie’s will does not mention the Toyotomi, only the Oda clan and his loyalty to them.

When Nobunaga was killed by Akechi Mitsuhide in the Honno-ji Incident, he initially sided with Shibata Katsuie, but later pledged allegiance to Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi. Thereafter, as a senior retainer of the Toyotomi, he participated in Hideyoshi’s campaigns to unify Japan, and was granted Kaga and Etchu Provinces, laying the foundation for the million koku Kaga Domain. He was also appointed as one of the Five Great Elders of the Toyotomi administration and as the guardian of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s son and heir, Hideyori. After Hideyoshi’s death, he acted as a mediator in the growing conflict between the military and civil samurai factions and worked to keep Tokugawa Ieyasu in check. However, he died of illness eight months after Hideyoshi’s death.

A Servant and Page

Initially, the Maeda family served as retainers to Hayashi Hidetada, the chief retainer of the Oda clan, and according to the Shincho Koki, Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga, he entered the service of Oda Nobunaga in January 1551, the year he came of age and took the name Sonshiro Toshiie. In his youth, Toshiie — rather like his master Nobunaga — was described as short-tempered, quick to fight, and a flamboyant, eccentric character.

In 1552 he fought his first battle, being the Battle of Kayatsu, between Oda Nobutomo, lord of Kiyosu Castle (Kiyosu Oda clan) who controlled the lower four districts of Owari, and Nobunaga. Toshiie distinguished himself by taking an enemy head. The hot-blooded and courageous spearman had himself painted his approximately 6.3-meter-long spear vermilion so as to stand out on the battlefield, an act that greatly impressed Nobunaga.

On August 24, 1556, shortly after his coming-of-age ceremony and during the Oda clan succession dispute between Nobunaga and his younger brother Nobuyuki, in the Battle of Ino, Maeda Toshiie was struck below the right eye by an arrow fired by the enemy general Miyai Kanbei Tsunetada. Although his allies urged him to retreat, he charged into the enemy lines with the arrow still lodged in his face, shouting, “We haven’t taken a single head yet!” He then managed to kill Miyai himself, a feat greatly appreciated by Nobunaga, who reportedly encouraged his men during the battle by saying, “Even though Inuchiyo is still just a boy, he has already achieved such a great feat!” It is said that Toshiie participated in the post-battle head inspection ceremony without removing the arrow.

Battle of Ukino

In 1558 he participated in the Battle of Ukino, a conflict against Oda Nobukata, the son of Oda Nobuyasu (of the Iwakura Oda clan), lord of Iwakura Castle and deputy governor of the four northern districts of Owari Province, and distinguished himself in the battle, after which he was promoted to the head of the Aka horoshu, one of the newly established red and black horoshu of Nobunaga’s elite personal guard. Later that year, he married his cousin Matsu and soon had a daughter, Yuki.

In 1559, Toshiie came into dispute with Juami, a favoured member of Nobunaga’s entourage. Juami, who was known for his arrogant attitude towards Nobunaga’s generals, had stolen Toshiie’s kogai, a hair ornament said to have been a gift from Toshiie’s wife, Matsu, enraging Toshiie, who vowed to punish Juami. However, Nobunaga intervened, temporarily calming the situation and preventing a major incident. Yet Juami continued to insult Toshiie repeatedly, leading Toshiie to kill Juami in front of Nobunaga without permission. This incident is commonly known as the Kogai-giri incident. Nobunaga was furious. Initially, punishment for this crime seemed unavoidable, but thanks to the intercession of Shibata Katsuie and Mori Yoshinari, among others, Toshiie’s punishment was reduced to suspension from service, and he lived as a ronin, though he received protection from the Matsuoka family, priests of Atsuta Shrine.

In 1560, despite being suspended from service, Toshiie participated in the Battle of Okehazama without Nobunaga’s permission, taking one head in the morning battle and two in the main battle, for a total of three heads. Despite this, he was not allowed to return to Nobunaga’s service.

In 1561, Toshiie participated in the Battle of Moribe, again without permission. Here, he distinguished himself by killing Adachi Rokubei, a powerful warrior known as “Adachi the Head Taker,” a retainer of Hibino Kiyosane, a senior retainer of the Saito family. He also took one other head, and when he presented these two heads to Nobunaga, his military achievements were recognized, and Nobunaga increased his stipend by 300 kan, bringing it to 450 kanmon, and he was finally allowed to return to service.

While Toshiie was a ronin, his father, Toshiharu, died, and the leadership of the Maeda clan was inherited by his eldest brother, Toshihisa. However, in 1569, Nobunaga suddenly ordered Toshiie to succeed his brother as head of the Maeda family. The reason given was that Toshihisa had no biological children, although he had an adopted son, Toshihisa, and was in poor health. This was seen as a concern for the clan, and so Toshiie took control.

From then on, Toshiie participated in the various battles in accordance with Nobunaga’s unification efforts. In April 1570, during the Battle of Kanegasaki against the Asai and Asakura clans, he was responsible for guarding Nobunaga during his retreat, and in June, he distinguished himself by killing Asai Sukeshichiro at the Battle of Anegawa. In September of the same year, during the Battle of Kasugai against the Ishiyama Hongan-ji, he single-handedly held his ground while his allies retreated, defeating the enemy. His participation as a firearms commander, alongside Sasa Narimasa, Nonomura Masanari, Fukutomi Hidekatsu, and Hanawa Naomasa, is confirmed in battles such as the Battle of Ichijodani Castle in 1573, the Nagashima Ikko-ikki rebellion of 1574, and the Battle of Nagashino in May 1575.

In 1574, Maeda Toshiie became a retainer of Shibata Katsuie and participated in the brutal suppression of the Echizen Ikko-ikki rebellion, recorded in various tomes, as well as being inscribed on roof tiles unearthed from the ruins of Komaru Castle, which read, “Maeda Matazaemon Toshiie captured about 1,000 Ikko-ikki followers, crucified them, and boiled them alive.” These tiles are thought to have been made by laborers who survived the rebellion and participated in the re-construction of Komaru Castle shortly thereafter. These were unearthed in 1932 from the second bailey of Komaru Castle and are currently housed at the Takefu Echizen no Sato Local History Museum.

Towards the end of the Battle of Nagashino, while pursuing the retreating Takeda army, Maeda Toshiie suffered a serious injury when an enemy warrior named Yuge Saemon engaged in close combat, cut deeply into Toshiie’s right leg and brought him down. His life was saved by the quick thinking of his retainer, Murai Nagayori.

The Echizen Ikko-ikki rebellion was quelled in the summer of 1575. A month later Toshiie was granted 33,000 koku in Echizen Province, becoming known as one of the Three Generals of Fuchu along with Sasa Narimasa and Fuwa Mitsuharu. After the pacification of Echizen Province, he fought alongside Sasa Narimasa and others against the Uesugi forces as a retainer of Shibata Katsuie and in the pacification of the Hokuriku region, including the subjugation of Takatsuki Castle in Settsu Province, Itami Castle, Harima Province, and Tottori Castle in Inaba Province.

Lord of Noto Province

In the spring of 1581, by order of Nobunaga, he governed Noto Province together with Sugaya Nagayori and others. That September, he was granted the entire province of Noto, when Toshiie entered Nanao Castle. Kaga Domain was established at this point, and Toshiie is considered the first lord of the domain. The following year, he abandoned Nanao Castle, which although considered impregnable, was located far from the port town to be able to govern efficiently and instead built Komaruyama Castle on a small hill overlooking the harbor.

Battle of Shizugatake

When Nobunaga was killed by his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide in the Honnoji Incident of June 1582, Toshiie was serving under Shibata Katsuie and was in the process of attacking Uozu Castle in Etchu Province, then held by Uesugi Kagekatsu, and was therefore unable to participate in the Battle of Yamazaki.

Shibata Katsuie urged Toshiie to take action to defeat Akechi Mitsuhide, but Toshiie declined, concerned about the situation in his territory, and instead asked Katsuie to provide support in Noto. During the Battle of Ishidoyama, Toshiie’s burning of the holy mountain and temples is said to be similar to lord Nobunaga’s burning of the Hieizan monasteries, but the gruesome nature of the attack, in which he slaughtered hundreds of priests and even children, and hung 1,060 heads on either side of the temple gate, is reminiscent of Toshiie’s boiling of prisoners during his suppression of the Echizen Ikko-ikki rebellion. This suppression solidified Toshiie’s control over Noto.

Shortly after Nobunaga’s death, on June 27, at the Kiyosu Conference to decide on the succession of the Oda family, when Hashiba Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuie clashed, Toshiie, being a retainer of Katsuie, due to their close friendship since their youth, and through long having served Nobunaga together, sided with Katsuie. However, he also struggled with his relationship with Hideyoshi, with whom he had a long-standing friendship. In November that year, at Katsuie’s command, along with Kanamori Nagachika and Fuwa Katsumitsu, Maeda Toshiie negotiated a temporary peace treaty with Hideyoshi at Hoshakuji Castle in Yamashiro Province (Oyamazaki-cho, Kyoto Prefecture).

In April 1583, Toshiie led approximately 5,000 troops as part of the Shibata army at the Battle of Shizugatake, but there are signs that he abandoned the battle line before fighting. It is speculated that Toshiie had accepted Hideyoshi’s invitation to defect early on, as, at the height of the battle, he suddenly retreated, sealing the victory for Hideyoshi’s forces. However, there is an anecdote that contradicts the common belief that Yokoyama Nagataka, a senior retainer of Maeda Toshinaga and one of the eight prominent families of Kaga, served as the rearguard and died in battle; Toshiie was holed up in Echizen Fuchu Castle (present-day Takefu City, Fukui Prefecture), when Shibata Katsuie, on his way to Kitano-sho Castle after his defeat, stopped by to thank Toshiie for his efforts and requested a meal of rice porridge. Not long after this, and following the advice of Hori Hidemasa, Toshiie surrendered and became the vanguard in the attack on Shibata Katsuie’s Kitano-sho Castle. For his efforts, Hideyoshi confirmed his domain and he was granted two additional counties in Kaga Province, formerly the territory of Sakuma Morimasa, and so Toshiie moved his base from Komaruyama Castle in Noto to Kanazawa Castle in Kaga.

Sakuma Morimasa had built a castle on the site of Oyama Gobo, the base of the Ikko-ikki rebels, and named it Kanazawa Castle. However, Toshiie renamed Kanazawa Castle to Oyama Castle to remove Morimasa’s influence, to promote harmony with the Ikko-shu Buddist sect, as it was related to his birthplace, Owari Province. However, because the place name Kanazawa had been used since before Oyama Gobo, the name was restored to Kanazawa Castle in Toshiie’s later years or after his death, and it has remained ever since.

The Battle of Komaki and Nagakute

During the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute in 1584, when Hideyoshi clashed with Oda Nobukatsu, supported by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sassa Narimasa invaded Kaga and Noto provinces in coordination with Ieyasu and others, but was defeated in the Battle of Suemori Castle. Although Hideyoshi’s forces suffered defeat at the Battle of Nagakute on April 9th, the two armies continued to stand off against each other, resulting in a stalemate. Toshiie, who was entrusted with the defence of the Hokuriku region along with Niwa Nagahide, remained in Hokuriku.

After winning the Battle of Suemori Castle, Toshiie then captured the Arayama and Katsuyama forts on the border of Kaga and Etchu Provinces. Toshiie was congratulated by Hideyoshi for his victories in this series of battles, however the conflict with his former friend, Sasa Narimasa continued into the following year, during which time Toshiie contacted Uesugi Kagekatsu and had him advance to the border of Etchu Province, and extended an invitation to Kikuchi Takekatsu, a general of Etchu Province serving under Narimasa to defect, and dispatched troops to attack Etchu Province.

Chief Official of Hokuriku

In August of 1585 as part of the Battle of Toyama, Toshiie led Hideyoshi’s 100,000 troops into Etchu Province, forcing Sassa Narimasa to surrender. Toshiie’s eldest son, Maeda Toshinaga, was granted three additional counties in Etchu Province, Tonami, Imizu, and Nei, bringing the Maeda clan’s total holdings to 765,000 koku. In April that year, after the death of Echizen’s Niwa Nagahide, the Niwa clan was transferred to another domain, and Toshiie rose to a position of chief official of the Hokuriku region under the Toyotomi regime.

In July 1585, Hideyoshi was appointed Kanpaku, or regent, and in September, he was granted the Toyotomi surname. In 1586, Hideyoshi allowed Toshiie to adopt the Hashiba surname and appointed him Governor of Chikuzen Province.

During the 1590 Siege of Odawara to subdue the Hojo clan, Maeda Toshiie, as the overall commander of the northern forces, entered Kozuke Province with Uesugi Kagekatsu and Sanada Masayuki, capturing Matsuida Castle, a key northern stronghold of the Hojo clan, and then successively captured other castles. Next, he entered Musashi Province and captured Hachigata and Hachioji Castles.

Date Masamune had gone to Odawara and surrendered to Hideyoshi at this time, and it is said that Toshiie and others interrogated him, and that Toshiie also acted as an intermediary in diplomacy. After the fall of Odawara, Hideyoshi himself departed for home (Osaka) but Toshiie and others remained behind to quell the remaining unrest in Oshu and Dewa Provinces.

The Bunroku-Keicho War

After unifying Japan, Hideyoshi began the invasion of Korea, and issued an order for military action, and construction of Hizen Nagoya Castle. In the spring of 1592, Toshiie departed Kyoto ahead of the other generals and headed for Hizen Nagoya accompanied by 8,000 samurai, but his eldest son, Toshinaga, was kept in Kyoto. Initially, Hideyoshi intended to cross the sea himself, but Toshiie and Tokugawa Ieyasu, argued against it and dissuaded him. On July 22, Hideyoshi received news that his mother, Omandokoro, was critically ill and hurried back to Kyoto. After the funeral, he departed Osaka again for Hizen Nagoya, having been away for about three months, during which time Ieyasu and Toshiie took command of the generals and handled government affairs in Hideyoshi’s place, showing the prototype of the later Go-Tairo Council of Five Great Elders.

In January 1593, Toshiie received orders to cross the sea and prepared for the expedition, even deciding on the battle formation. However, peace negotiations with the Ming Dynasty soon progressed, and ultimately, the expedition did not take place. When the Ming envoys arrived in Hizen Nagoya, Ieyasu and Toshiie’s residences were used as their lodging. In August, upon hearing the news of Toyotomi Hideyori’s birth, Hideyoshi returned to Osaka. Toshiie followed him eastward, returning to Kanazawa Castle in November. It was at this time that he had a child with Chiyo-no-kata, Matsu’s lady-in-waiting, who was Saruchiyo, later to become Maeda Toshitsune, the second lord of the Kaga Domain.

At new years’ of 1594, Toshiie was promoted, and again that spring. This is seen as an attempt by Hideyoshi to elevate Toshiie’s rank, even in ceremonial terms, in order to have him oppose Tokugawa Ieyasu and assist the Toyotomi clan. Toshiie had a long-standing relationship with Hideyoshi and is also speculated that he was expected to counter Ieyasu as he was the only daimyo among the Five Great Elders who was of Oda vassal lineage.

The following year, the Maeda family’s total rice yield spanned Kaga, Noto, and Etchu, reaching over 830,000 koku, the largest in Toshiie’s lifetime.

Five Elders and Guardian of Hideyori

By 1598, not just Hideyoshi, but Toshiie too began to show signs of declining health. On March 15, he attended the cherry blossom viewing at Daigo with his wife Matsu, and on April 20, he handed over the family leadership to his eldest son, Toshinaga, and retired. At this time, he was granted a total of 15,000 koku in Ishikawa and Kahoku districts of Kaga, Himi district of Etchu, and Kashima district of Noto as a retirement allowance. However, in reality, he was not allowed to retire, and upon returning from Kusatsu, Toshiie was appointed one of the Great Elders by Hideyoshi. Moreover, he held the position of the highest-ranking Great Elder, on par with Ieyasu. Hideyoshi repeatedly entrusted the future of his eldest son, Hideyori, to Toshiie and others before passing away. On New Year’s Day of 1599, the various daimyo gathered in Fushimi to pay their New Year’s greetings to the new lord, Hideyori. Despite his illness, Toshiie attended as Hideyori’s guardian, holding him in his arms. Then, on the 10th, as per Hideyoshi’s will, Ieyasu entered Fushimi Castle, and Toshiie accompanied Hideyori to Osaka Castle. From then on, he became the de facto lord of Osaka Castle as Hideyori’s guardian.

The Death of Maeda Toshiie

Immediately after Hideyoshi’s death, Tokugawa Ieyasu made moves that threatened the authority of the Toyotomi. Maeda Toshiie opposed these actions. To control the situation, Ieyasu and Toshiie together with the Four Elders and Five Commissioners, exchanged written oaths, resulting in a temporary reconciliation. Prior to this, Toshiie was able to visit Ieyasu. At this time, Toshiie told his son, Toshinaga, “Hideyoshi entrusted Lord Hideyori to us until his dying moments, but Ieyasu is already acting on his own. I will go and negotiate directly with Ieyasu to make him keep his promise. If the negotiations break down, I will kill Ieyasu with this sword. If I am killed by Ieyasu, you must avenge me in battle,” and then headed to Fushimi Castle.

Toshiie was supported by the three great elders, Mori Terumoto, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and Ukita Hideie, as well as Ishida Mitsunari of the Five Commissioners, while the military faction, including Hosokawa Tadaoki, Asano Yukinaga, Kato Kiyomasa, and Kato Yoshiaki, who would later side with Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara. However, on February 2nd, Ieyasu Toshiie and the four great elders and five commissioners, gathered and exchanged oaths. At Toshiie’s suggestion, Ieyasu agreed to reconcile by moving from his residence, located directly below the Jibu-no-sho Kuruwa in Fushimi Castle where Ishida Mitsunari’s residence was located, to Mukojima Castle on the opposite bank.

Shortly after this, Toshiie’s condition worsened, and Ieyasu visited Toshiie’s residence to check on his health. An anecdote tells that Toshiie had hidden a drawn sword under his futon at this time, ready to strike should the need arise.

Since Toshiie himself handled all of the Maeda family’s settlements, his favourite abacus remains a family heirloom. During his two years as a ronin, Toshiie learned firsthand the importance of money, and in later years is quoted as having said, “If you have money, you don’t have to fear what others or what the world thinks of you, but when you are poor, the world is a terrifying place.”

Once when an elderly samurai named Awa Hayato had an audience with Toshiie, he tripped and fell in his long ceremonial hakama due to his age. His retainers laughed at this, but Toshiie became furious, saying, “Be quiet! Elderly people often fall. How dare you laugh without helping him? I cannot forgive you. Those who laughed will commit seppuku.” The retainers trembled with fear, and while Awa was grateful that Toshiie had protected him, he felt that seppuku was too much, and it is said that he pleaded with Toshiie to withdraw the order.

In his later years, Toshiie studied classical Chinese texts and actively engaged in cultural activities such as the tea ceremony and Noh theatre. He studied the tea ceremony under Sen no Rikyu and Oda Uraku, and his tea caddy was a masterpiece given to him by Hideyoshi, the “Fuji Nasu,” considered one of the three greatest tea caddies in Japan. Toshiie particularly loved Noh theatre and was so enthusiastic about it that he practiced every three days as a form of recreation and social interaction.

Although Toshiie was sometimes teased by his wife as being stingy, he lent money to many daimyo who were struggling to support their retainers after the fall of the Odawara Hojo clan. In his will, he instructed his son, Toshinaga, “Do not press them for repayment; if they cannot repay, let their debts be forgotten.” Furthermore, on his deathbed, he said, “Family disputes are always caused by the mismanagement of the previous generation; it would be a pity if the magistrates were wrongly suspected after my death,” and affixed his seal to all kinds of documents before passing away.

On April 27, 1599, Toshiie died of illness at his residence in Osaka aged 61 years old.

Maeda Toshiie participated in 38 battles throughout his life, and his fighting style was acquired under Oda Nobunaga. He often preached about battle, saying, “When fighting, one must always enter the enemy’s territory and fight there. You must never allow even a small portion of your own territory to be encroached upon.”

Toshiie’s wife Matsu was skilled in the literary and the martial arts. Together they had 10 children, five boys and five girls. The sons all achieved Daimyo status, while the daughters were all married into prestigious families. Matsu’s intelligence and strong will was instrumental in Toshiie’s rise to power and fame. After Toshiie’s death, and the Battle of Sekigahara, she volunteered to become a hostage of the Tokugawa at Edo Castle, a move that preserved the Maeda clan throughout the Edo period and beyond.

The Tokyo National Museum is currently hosting an exhibition of the Kaga Maeda clan armours, weapons and a wide range of items, including the abacus mentioned in this article. The exhibition runs until June 7, 2026.

Read more

Read more

The weapon he used was an ominous three-meter-long hexagonal oak staff 24 centimetres in circumference at its tip and fitted with iron reinforcements and studded with numerous large iron rivets, which he used to smash down his opponents instead of using a sword. It was akin to a kanabo, the weapon of the demons of mythology. Ujimoto became known as ‘Oni Makabe’ or Demon Makabe, for his prowess in wielding the demonic club-like weapon.

Makabe Clan

The Makabe clan were a respected and historically significant warrior clan directly descended from the mighty Taira no Masakado, who dominated the Kanto region during the mid-Heian period. They were a powerful clan that ruled the southwestern part of Hitachi Province (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture), from their Makabe Castle in Sakuragawa City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Makabe Ujimoto was born September 12, 1550. His father, Makabe Hisamoto, was a man of exceptional bravery and he too was feared by the people as Oni Makabe. Ujimoto was an unusual warrior who used a staff instead of a sword on the battlefield. He was also a practitioner of the Shinto-ryu style of swordsmanship, making him a formidable figure in martial arts. As a child, Makabe Shigenobu spent his days immersed in swordsmanship, receiving instruction from his father.

Kasumi-ryu Bojutsu

Although exactly when is uncertain, Ujimoto also studied swordsmanship from Tsukahara Bokuden at a young age, though despite his father and Tsukahara’s training Makabe Ujimoto’s specialty was not swordsmanship, but rather staff fighting. Based on his swordsmanship training, he is said to have founded the Kasumi-ryu Bojutsu Staff Fighting Style, however, there are various theories regarding the founding of Kasumi-ryu Bojutsu. One theory suggests that his father, Makabe Hisamoto, was the founder. In fact, his father also used a staff with iron rivets on it in battle, so it remains a mystery whether father or son was the true founder. Currently, it is thought that his father laid the foundation for the bojutsu style, and his son, Makabe Ujimoto, further developed his father’s techniques and elevated it into a distinct ryu.

When Makabe Ujimoto inherited the family headship and became lord of Makabe Castle circa 1558-1569, word of his martial prowess, inherited from his father, disturbed neighboring provinces.

At the time, the Makabe clan had sided with the Satake clan, who controlled most of Hitachi Province, and their relationship was close to a subordinate alliance. Makabe Ujimoto served under Satake Yoshishige and Satake Yoshinobu, and contributed greatly to the expansion of the Satake family’s power. Makabe Ujimoto participated in almost all of the Satake clan’s battles, but in return, a special relationship was established where, to maintain their status as an independent force, the Satake clan was not allowed to interfere in matters concerning the interests of the Makabe clan’s territory.

Makabe Ujimoto didn’t rely solely on brute force with his studded staff, but paid attention to the latest weaponry, including firearms. In the Battle of Tebaizaka in November 1569 fought against Oda Ujiharu, he skillfully used single shot matchlock guns to lead the Satake clan to victory. According to Makabe Ujimoto, such flexible strategies and military tactics were within the realm of Kasumi-ryu bojutsu staff fighting. He even once boasted that Makabe County was under the control of Kasumi-ryu.

As mentioned, although serving the Satake, on occasions he acted quite independently as a powerful lord of Hitachi Province, and his assistance to Daijo Kiyomoto in the Battles of Fuchu against Satake Yoshishige can be seen as a reflection of this. When fighting broke out between Edo Shigemichi and Daijo Kiyomoto in 1585 and 1588, Ujimoto rushed to the aid of his relative, Kiyomoto, and when Satake Yoshishige and his son marched out to aid Edo Shigemichi, Makabe Ujimoto also fought against them. Although Ujimoto was defeated in this battle, he remained active behind the scenes and in contact with Satake Yoshishige acting as a mediator for peace, showing that while he was subservient to the Satake clan as the head of the Makabe, he was not afraid to confront the Satake clan on matters concerning the interests of the Makabe clan.

On Oda Nobunaga’s defeat of Takeda Katsuyori, he independently sent an envoy to Nobunaga congratulating him, and Nobunaga conveyed his gratitude through his retainer Hara Shigemasa. The Letter from Hara Shigemasa dated May of 1582, remains in the Makabe Documents collection.

Conflict Between the Kasumi-ryu and Ten-ryu Schools of Swordsmanship.

Makabe Ujimoto, being a warrior renowned for his combination of bravery and military strategy, and for his Kasumi-ryu school attracted numerous samurai seeking to become his disciples or to test their skills against his techniques.

One major embarrassment arose when a famous martial artist of neighboring Shimotsuma, Hitachi Province (present-day Shimotsuma City, Ibaraki Prefecture), one Saito Denkibo, who had been studying swordsmanship under Tsukahara Bokuden and had developed the Ten-ryu school of swordsmanship and the Makabe style clashed.

Saito Denkibo was a highly skilled samurai employed by Tagaya Shigetsune as a martial arts instructor at Shimotsuma Castle (Shimotsuma City, Ibaraki Prefecture), located near Makabe Castle. Many samurai from the surrounding area who aspired to swordsmanship rushed to become his disciples as a major Ten-ryu boom swept through southern Hitachi Province.

This enraged Sakurai Kasuminosuke, a disciple of the Makabe’s Kasumi-ryu school. Sakurai challenged Saito Denkibo to a duel but was killed instantly by a single blow from a staff that split his head open. Upon learning of this, his father, Sakurai Osumi-no-kami, was furious, and he incited Makabe Ujimoto to take action, saying, “This will bring shame to the Kasumi-ryu school,” and the usually straightforward Makabe Ujimoto, also enraged, ordered Sakurai Osumi-no-kami to kill Saito Denkibo.

It is not known if the action was sanctioned by Makabe, however in 1587 Saito Denkibo was assassinated by a gang of Kasumi-ryu practitioners who harbored resentment towards him. According to accounts, Denkibo was traveling with one disciple when he was ambushed by dozens of Kasumi-ryu adherents. Realizing they were surrounded and outnumbered, Denkibo ordered his disciple to escape while he hid in a roadside Fudo-do temple. Arrows were fired at the temple from all sides. Denkibo leaped out and deflected the arrows with his spear but was unable to defend himself completely. Pierced throughout his entire body, badly injured and outnumbered he died there and then aged 38. This incident only served to raise the profile of Saito Denkibo and tarnish the reputation of the Kasumi school. Makabe Ujimoto, it appears, was deceived by his vassals’ anger and ended up suffering a painful rebuttal.

Servants of the Satake

The Makabe only became completely subservient to the Satake clan in 1590, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched the Siege of Odawara. Makabe Ujimoto accompanied Satake Yoshinobu to Odawara, during which time he even had an audience with Hideyoshi in which, the Makabe clan was fully incorporated into the Satake clan’s forces.

Similarly, during Hideyoshi’s invasion of the Korean Peninsula, Ujimoto crossed the waters to Korea as part of the Satake forces accompanied by his younger brother, Yoshimoto. On their return, having no heir, he adopted his nephew, Makabe Fusamoto, the son of Yoshimoto, and handed over the family headship to Fusamoto in 1598. However, when the Satake clan sided with the Western forces in the Battle of Sekigahara and found themselves on the losing side, they were transferred to Akita in Dewa Province, present-day Yamagata and Akita Prefectures) however Makabe Ujimoto did not follow them and instead remained in Hitachi Province.

He died there on April 17, 1622, aged 71 and was buried at the now abandoned Jorinji-ji Temple in Shimodate.

Read more

Hiroshima Castle was a flatland castle constructed in the 1590s by Mori Terumoto. Originally, the area was not called Hiroshima, but Gokamura, or Five Villages. When the castle was being built, the name was changed to the more impressive “Hiroshima”. Although the name Hiroshima translates to “Wide Island”, and indeed the castle sits on the island-like delta of two rivers, the “Hiro” part came from the Mori’s ancestor, Oe no Hiromoto, and the “Shima” part from Fukushima Motonaga, Mori Terumoto’s trusted vassal, who helped choose the site of the fortress.

The Mori clan’s previous residence, Yoshida-Koriyama Castle, was a strong mountain castle that had withstood numerous attacks from the rival Amago clan forces. Its location connecting the San’in and San’yo regions made it suitable for the Mori clan during the constant territorial struggles of the Sengoku period.

During the time of Motonari’s grandson, Mori Terumoto, the nation political situation stabilized, and the focus shifted from primarily defensive castle construction to the Kinsei, early modern castle styles, where castles became symbols of power, and the surrounding castle towns developed as a centre of administration and commerce for the domain. For the Mori clan, who ruled nine provinces in the Chugoku region with a total of 1.12 million koku (over 1.5 million koku if including clan members Kobayakawa and Ankokuji), Yoshida-Koriyama Castle, a mountain castle was seen as too small to fill those roles. They began considering relocating to the coast, to take advantage of the Seto Inland Sea water transport routes and wide plains suitable for forming a castle town.

At the invitation of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, in 1588, Mori Terumoto travelled to Kyoto with Kobayakawa Takakage and Kikkawa Hiroie and visited Hideyoshi’s sumptuous fortified Jurakudai Palace and Osaka Castle and was so impressed by the importance of the modern castles that he too decided to build a new castle.

Construction of the Castle

In February 1589, Terumoto went to what is now Hiroshima for a site survey. He climbed three locations: Myojoin-yama (present-day Futaba-yama, Higashi-ku), Shin-yama (now Ushida, Higashi-ku), and Koi-Matsuyama (Koi, Nishi-ku ). After surveying the lower reaches of the Ota River, he decided to build the castle on the site of Gokamura Village, the largest island area. The groundbreaking ceremony took place On April 15, 1589. In August 1589, Mori Terumoto ordered his retainers to construct the moat and collect stone materials, mostly granite due to its dense and hard nature. Because the Seto Inland Sea has many sources of high-quality granite, it was mainly transported from the coastal areas. Recent investigations have revealed that it was also transported from islands such as Kogane-yama, Eba-yama (which was an island at the time), Kurahashi-jima, and Yashiro-jima (Suo-Oshima).

Tenshu Tower Keep

The castle tower was of a type called a renketsu-shiki, in which the five-story, five-tiered watchtower-style main tower said to be modelled after Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Osaka Castle tower, were connected to two three-story, three-tiered watchtower-style smaller towers to the south and east by short, fortified corridors. According to Hiroshima Domain records, the main tower was approximately 32.7 meters tall. The walls were covered with black lacquered ita-bariclapboard. The roof was covered with gold-leafed eave tiles and features. The interior however had no ceiling, and so the log beams were exposed. During the feudal period, the castle tower keep was used almost entirely as an armour and weapons storage room.

Recent research has pointed to the castle’s original wooden structure as having possibly survived the effects of the initial atomic blast of 1945, but then being destroyed by shrapnel-like debris smashing through the lower floors, bringing the entire structure crashing down on itself and burning. A similar hypothesis suggests that although the castle withstood the heat rays from the atomic explosion, the shock wave and pressure from the blast caused the lower two floors to collapse under the weight of the upper three floors, scattering a large amount of building materials into the castle base and the moat to the northeast. This hypothesis was based on photographs and eyewitness accounts. The castle tower remained untouched for some time after its collapse. The fate of the building materials is uncertain, but testimonies suggest they were used by impoverished citizens. It is also said that the city of Hiroshima exchanged building materials for salt with salt producers in the Seto Inland Sea to help the victims of the atomic bombing. This is not mentioned in any official city documents.

In 1951 a temporary wooden replica castle tower was built to coincide with the Hiroshima National Sports Festival. It was lit up at night, and a wooden roller coaster was installed around the tower as an attraction. It withstood a major typhoon but was demolished after the National Sports Festival.

The current Third Generation main keep was reconstructed in 1958 for the Hiroshima Reconstruction Grand Exposition. The exterior finishing was done by master carpenters, and for the most part, the keep was a fairly accurate version of the original. When restoring the roof tiles, they searched for those that had sunk into the moat and solicited old Hiroshima Castle tiles through newspaper advertisements.

Golden Shachihoko Tiles

In March 2009, shachihoko fired clay rooftop ornamental tiger-fish tiles approximately 70 cm high x 30 cm wide, with black and red lacquer applied as a base coat resembling the shachi of Azuchi Castle, and many other gold leaf roof tiles were discovered during a preliminary survey for the construction of a government building in Hiroshima’s central Kami-Hatchobori. The discovery site was a samurai residence located between the inner and outer moats on the east side of the main keep. The roof tiles were buried, neatly stacked at the bottom of a well. This was the first time golden shachihokotiles had been unearthed in almost complete condition, making them the oldest complete golden shachihoko tiles remaining. The rare tiles are presumed to be from the time of the castle’s construction, during the Mori clan era, and are thought to have been preserved as they were submerged in groundwater. Presumed to be the golden shachi of the main keep’s turret gate, because it is of lower technical quality than the typical shachi tiles made in Kyoto at the time, it is speculated that they may have been made in Hiroshima. Under the Toyotomi regime, gold-leaf tiles were considered a symbol of authority and its installation required Hideyoshi’s permission. One purpose of these roof tiles was to showcase Japan’s splendour to envoys from Korea and the Ming Dynasty.

Regarding the reason they were buried in the well, Professor emeritus, Miura Masayuki of Hiroshima University speculated that as these tiles were not carelessly thrown into the well, but rather were carefully piled up; “after Mori Terumoto was transferred to Suo and Nagato provinces, Fukushima Masanori, may have removed these tiles from the main keep gate tower and respectfully had them buried them in the well as a ceremonial gesture to widely announce the change of castle lord.”

By late 1590, the main innermost fortifications were completed, and Mori Terumoto entered the castle on January 8, 1591. In April 1592, Hideyoshi, on his way to Hizen Nagoya Castle to direct the Korean Campaign, stopped and toured the castle. The last of the outer stone walls were completed in 1593, and all minor construction was completed in 1599. It was a practical castle with a triple moat and numerous outworks, comparable in size to Hideyoshi’s Osaka Castle. The name Hiroshima was decided around this time, just as Japan was about to witness the greatest of samurai field battles and a major regime change, The Battle of Sekigahara, and the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Mori chose to support the Toyotomi loyal western forces. They lost.

The Mori clan were then ousted from Hiroshima following Sekigahara and their territory reduced. In their place, Fukushima Masanori became the lord of Hiroshima Castle. Under Fukushima, the Ano-shu stonemasons of Omi were hired, and the castle and castle town — considered inadequately developed during the Mori clan’s rule — were redeveloped in earnest. When the outer fortifications were completed, the castle covered approximately 900,000 square meters with inner, middle, and outer moats. Of this total area, all that really remains now is the Hiroshima Castle Honmaru and Ni-no-maru, including the inner moat, covering an area of ​​approximately 120,000 square meters. Only a portion of the third bailey remains. While maps of Hiroshima Castle depict it as being built according to the compass directions, it is actually tilted approximately 18 degrees clockwise. No documents explain the reason for this, but it is presumed that the layout was determined by the topographical constraints of the surrounding Honkawa (formerly the Ota), the Kyobashi, and the Johoku Rivers.

Fukushima Masanori anticipated attacks from daimyo to the west, mainly the Mori clan who had been transferred to Suo-Nagato and reinforced the western side in particular. This can be seen from the number of turrets along the Honkawa River and the umadashi on the west side. Also, to the west across the Honkawa River, are a concentration of temples such as the Hiroshima Hongan-ji, creating a temple district for the purpose of defending the castle.

The irregularly stacked and interrupted stone wall near the northeast of the main keep, at the eastern end of the upper level of the main keep, is thought to historically support the story of Fukushima Masanori’s dismissal. Shortly before Masanori’s dismissal, the shogunate had once pardoned him on certain conditions. One of those conditions was the destruction of the repaired stone wall. This section is thought to be the boundary of the stone wall destroyed by Masanori.

Under Masanori, the Saigoku Kaido highway, which passed north of the castle was rerouted to pass south of the castle town. The Unseki Kaido route was also improved, and the merchant district expanded. This large-scale castle development and castle town construction greatly concerned Tokugawa Ieyasu who still viewed Masanori as a potential threat, and so in 1609, Fukushima Masanori was placed under house arrest but was later pardoned. Ten years later, in 1619, a flood damaged parts of the outer walls. Fukushima​​ Masanori applied for permission to repair the walls, but permission was not forthcoming. Again he applied, and having waited a considerable time, and concerned that the damage constituted a breach in security, Masanori went ahead and made the repairs, but was then accused by the shogunate of unauthorized reconstruction in violation of the Buke Shohatto Laws for Military Houses, and was stripped of his domain and transferred to a lesser land in Kawanakajima, Shinano Province.

Asano Years

Following the removal of Fukushima Masanori, Hiroshima became the residence of the Asano clan, who ruled Hiroshima Domain for 12 generations and approximately 250 years until the Meiji era with a 426,000 koku income, one of the largest territories in western Japan. According to the mid Edo period penned Hiroshima Domain Memorandum, the castle complex included a five-story, five-tiered watchtower-style keep and a three-story, three-tiered watchtower-style keep, along with 88 turrets. There were 23 yagura watchtowers in the main enclosure, 5 in the second enclosure, 17 in the third enclosure, and 43 in the outer enclosure. The western side was reinforced with 11 twin level turrets along the Honkawa (former Ota) River, connected by walls. Records show that the watchtowers collapsed during the 1624 earthquake and the 1854 Ansei Nankai earthquakes. The main keep, built in 1592 by Mori Terumoto, was designated a National Treasure in 1931 partly due to its distinctive exterior features, including clapboard siding and a balustrade around the top floor.

Because of the Buke Shohatto restrictions, it was thought that Hiroshima Castle had been completed during the Fukushima clan’s time, but recent investigations have revealed that some of the turret base stone walls were constructed during the Asano clan’s era. While little castle construction was carried out during the Asano clan’s time, large-scale land reclamation projects continued, expanding useable land to five or six times its original size over approximately 250 years. The city was frequently plagued by floods, and there are numerous records of flood damage and subsequent repairs. As countermeasures, river embankments were raised, stone walls were constructed to control the river flow, trees were planted for flood protection, and rivers were dredged. A unique law was the prohibition of lucrative iron sand mining in the Ota River basin in 1628, to prevent silt blocking the canals, and in 1632, the Embankment Control Order was issued, prohibiting the drilling of holes in embankments and the removal of stones from stone walls.

Ni-no-maru

In the Edo period, the Ni-no-maru had an earthen wall, the main gate, a flat turret, a multi-story turret, a drum turret, a guardhouse, and a stable. In the Meiji era, the multi-story turrets on the northeast and west sides were dismantled. The reconstructed wooden buildings of the Ni-no-maru include the main gate, earthen wall, multi-story turret, and drum turret, were based on old photographs of the exterior taken from the Meiji to Showa eras and Showa-era survey drawings and completed in 1994, but excluded the multi-story turret on the northeast side, the guardhouse, and the stable. Hiroshima’s Ni-no-maru, second bailey is a fortified enclosure called an umadashi, and is one of the distinctive features of Hiroshima Castle. Umadashi were a most effective style of defensive barrier and compound complex built directly in front of castle gates, just outside of the main moats, and used as a screen to allow cavalry charges and other attacks during times of siege. The Umadashi formed an obstacle for attacking enemy, preventing direct attack on the gates. It was created during later renovations of Hiroshima and thought to have been built between 1598 and 1600. The outer moat’s southern end is now Aioi-dori Street, its northern end is roughly Johoku-dori, and its eastern end is on the inner side of the road one block west of Hakushima-dori, with a portion of the northern side coinciding with Hakushima-dori, and the Honkawa River being positioned as the western outer moat.

San-no-maru

During the Edo period, samurai residences and other structures were located in San-no-maru. San-no-maru is now outside the boundaries of the Hiroshima Castle ruins

Hiroshima also suffered from earthquakes; the first in 1624 with its epicentre in Aki Province caused the collapse of stone walls, gates, turrets, and fences, and there have been records of several earthquake disasters since then. After 1873, the main keep’s East and South attached small keeps were removed for reasons that are unclear, leaving only the main keep and some connecting turrets.

The remaining structures were demolished after the Meiji Restoration, and due to the atomic bombing, no watchtowers from the Edo period or earlier remain. The locations of most of the watchtowers are currently unknown, but some have been identified through recent archaeological excavations.

During the First Choshu Expedition in 1864, Hiroshima Castle served as the headquarters for the shogunate forces under the command of Tokugawa Yoshikatsu. A photograph of Hiroshima Castle in the late Edo period, taken by Yoshikatsu at that time, is now preserved. During the Boshin War, Hiroshima domain fought on the side of the imperial army, so the castle suffered no damage. From its construction through the Edo period, the castle was never the site of a battle.

On July 14, 1871, the feudal domains were abolished and prefectures were established. The domain system under the Asano clan came to an end, and Hiroshima Prefecture was established, with the Hiroshima Prefectural Office being set up in the Honmaru. In December of the same year, the Imperial Army took over the Honmaru, and the prefectural office moved to the Kokutai-ji Temple. In January 1873 the Hiroshima Garrison was officially established, and from then on, Imperial Japanese Army facilities were built at Hiroshima Castle. Many Edo-period buildings were lost due to demolition and fires, in particular, a fire in 1874 that Honmaru that destroyed the main palace and Ni-no-Maru.

Hiroshima then experienced explosive population growth, and the foul odor from Hiroshima Castle’s moat became increasingly noticeable. As the city began filling in the outer moats and canals in the early 1900s. The outer moat was filled in November 1911, the Nishitogawa River in 1912, and the Hiratayagawa River in 1915. Railway lines were developed on the reclaimed land, and part of the former outer moat became a bustling commercial area.

The historical value of Hiroshima Castle was finally recognized, and in 1928 the castle tower keep was opened to the public. In January 1931 the keep was designated a National Treasure.

In the final stages of the Pacific War, in preparation for a decisive battle on the Japanese mainland, Hiroshima castle remained an important military base. Until the end of WW2, buildings from the Edo period remained, including the keep, the East Tower, parts of the front, middle and rear gates, the Hira-yagura, Tamon-yagura, and Taiko-yagura in the second bailey remained standing. Although tall buildings were being constructed in the city, the keep could still be seen from anywhere in the city at that time.

At 8:15am on August 6, 1945, a single atomic bomb obliterated Hiroshima City and its castle. 80,000 people were killed instantly. 35,000 were horribly maimed or injured. An estimated 60,000 died within the year from the effects of the radiation. Hiroshima was targeted for destruction due to the concentration of military facilities, and as it had remained mostly undamaged by the war, it was therefore was used to gauge the effectiveness of the atomic weapon. Hiroshima Castle was located approximately 980 meters from the hypocenter.

U.S. military aerial photographs show that part of the castle’s inner moat’s stone wall collapsed during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The burn marks on parts of the stone walls at the Omote-mon and Naka-mon gates are due to fires caused by the bombing.

Within the grounds of Hiroshima Castle is an Australian Eucalyptus tree that still bears the scars of the atomic blast. Like everything in Hiroshima, it was left a burnt, disfigured hull. Of all the trees in Hiroshima City following the bombing, this Eucalyptus was the first tree to sprout new leaves, and signs of it returning to life are said to have inspired the survivors of Hiroshima to rebuild their lives and city. The castle tower was reconstructed in concrete in 1959.

Moving on 68 years, and the castle tower itself had aged and no longer met earthquake resistance standards, and so it was closed on March 22, 2026. The exhibits such as swords and armor inside were moved to a newly constructed history museum in the San-no-maru area. Long term plans to authentically re-build the keep in timber are currently underway, but may take as long as 25 to 30 years to complete.

When reports say that Hiroshima Castle is closed, what they mean to say is that the tower keep as a lookout tower and museum has closed, but remains standing, and the rest of Hiroshima Castle’s grounds and facilities remain open to the public to enjoy.

Jikkyu‘s older brother was Miyoshi Nagayoshi, (1522 – 1564) and his younger brothers were Ataka Fuyuyasu and Sogo Kazumasa. Their father was killed in battle in late 1532, placing Nagayoshi and six-year-old Jikkyu in a politically important position from a young age. The date on the acceptance of the will which bears Nagayoshi and Jikkyu’s childhood names, is some 49 days after their father’s death. It appears that Jikkyu was one of the most important vassals of Nagayoshi, as the Miyoshi clan went into sharp decline after Jikkyu’s death.

His older brother, Nagayoshi, served Hosokawa Harumoto, the head of the Keicho Hosokawa clan, and entrusted Awa Province to Jikkyu. Jikkyu served Hosokawa Ujiyuki Mochitaka, Harumoto’s younger brother who succeeded to the position of governor of Awa Province allowing the Hosokawa to maintain influence in Shikoku.

In 1539, Jikkyu accompanied his master, Ujiyuki, and participated as the leader of the Miyoshi forces in a battle against the Kono clan in Iyo Province.

In 1544, Miyoshi Jikkyu entered Kyoto with his brother and by 1546 he had taken the title of Buzen-no-kami, another name by which he is remembered by. To oppose Hosokawa Ujitsuna, Hatakeyama Masakuni, and Yuza Nagamichi, who were in conflict with Hosokawa Harumoto, Jikkyu sent troops from Awa Province across the sea and achieved a great victory at the Battle of Shariji in late August of 1547. After that, Miyoshi Jikkyu continued to fight in areas including Iyo, Sanuki, and Izumi Provinces all the while leading to the expansion of his brother Nagayoshi’s influence. With his younger brother Sogo Kazumasa becoming lord of Kishiwada Castle in Izumi Province, Jikkyu effectively brought the Sanuki region south of Osaka under his control and took charge of the Miyoshi clan’s political and military affairs in the Shikoku region.

Betrayal - The Killing of Lord Ujiyuki

In August of 1553, together with Sogo Kazumasa, Miyoshi Jikkyu murdered his lord, Hosokawa Ujiyuki and installed Ujiyuki’s son, Hosokawa Saneyuki as his successor.

Hosokawa Ujiyuki, the head of the Awa Hosokawa family (Awa Yakata, Governor of Awa and Sanuki Provinces) and resident of Shozui Castle, faced a deepening conflict with Miyoshi Saneyasu, who held real power at the castle, and was driven to his death.

According to the Miyoshi-ki chronicles Hosokawa Ujiyuki, feeling threatened by the Miyoshi’s growing poewer, had attempted to assassinate Miyoshi Saneyasu at a sumo wrestling match he had invited him to. However, his confidant, the magistrate Shinomiya Yokichibei, betrayed Ujiyuki, exposing the plot. Saneyasu quickly gathered 3,000 samurai, Ujiyuki’s forces numbered only about 100 mounted guards. He sought reinforcements from the Kensho-ji Temple, but no forces responded. On September 7, (some sources suggest August 19)1552, Ujiyuki committed seppuku, and his retainers, Hoshi Soemon and Hasuike Seisuke died with him.

As a result, Hosokawa Masayuki, Ujiyuki’s son, became the Lord of Awa.

There are many unclear points regarding the background of Ujiyuki’s sudden opposition to Nagayoshi and Jikkyu, given that he did not take any active action during the conflict between Hosokawa Harumoto and Nagayoshi, and had long been in a favourable position towards the Miyoshi clan.

Jikkyu, it appears, eliminated Ujiyuki and his faction in order to stabilize his own brother, Nagayoshi’s regime and seize control of Awa. At this time, Kume Yoshihiro and Sano Tanba, both supporters of Ujiyuki, resisted and rose up, but Jikkyu defeated them in the Battle of Yariba, seized the power of the Awa Hosokawa clan, and brought the local lords known as the Asan-shu under the control of the Miyoshi regime.

Unsurprisingly, Jikkyu had many enemies, and they sided with Hosokawa Saneyuki, forcing Jikkyu to engage in a power struggle, preventing him from completely seizing control of Awa. As a result, the Miyoshi clan established a multi-layered political control system consisting of Nagayoshi’s Miyoshi Main House centred in the Kinai region and Jikkyu’s Awa Miyoshi House controlling Shikoku and the surrounding Awaji and Minami-Kawachi areas of Kinai. Jikkyu maintained a close cooperative relationship with his brother while establishing a separate system of rule in his territories which remained under his direct military command.

Miyoshi Jikkyu would later lead the Shikoku forces in the Harima expedition from 1554 to 1555 and in the Battle of Kitashirakawa in 1558. In 1560, with his brother Nagayoshi, he defeated the Daimyo of Kawachi Province, Hatakeyama Takamasa and his retainer Yasumi Munefusa. In December that same year, he moved into Takaya Castle, which had been the residence of successive Hatakeyama clans, and made it his home, becoming a member of the Shogun’s council in the spring of 1561. A month later, his younger brother, Sogo Kazumasa, died. Following this, Hatakeyama Takamasa and Rokkaku Yoshikata formed an alliance and began to attack the Miyoshi clan from both sides.

Night Attack - Death of Jikkyu

On April 8 1562, just after midnight, the Hatakeyama forces launched a night attack on Kumeda, where Jikkyu and his allies were positioned. Between 17,000 and 50,000 samurai from both sides are said to have clashed, during which, Shinohara Nagafusa and others under the Miyoshi’s command sallied forth and scattered a group of Negoro-shu warrior monks. The Miyoshi then appeared to be turning the tide on this surprise attack, and so they launched a full-scale counterattack on the enemy lines, sending the bulk of their troops into action. This left the area around Jikkyu, their commander-in-chief, with only about 100 cavalrymen and retainers remaining, and therefore highly vulnerable. Hatakeyama realized Jikkyu’s predicament and seized the opportunity. He brought a unit of troops through this gap in security and charged towards Jikkyu.

According to the Hosokawa Ryoke Ki, clan diaries, Hosokawa Saneyuki faced this attack bravely, refusing to retreat despite being severely wounded, and was killed along with over 30 of his men.

Miyoshi Jikkyu was surrounded and killed by gunfire, indicating that a gunshot fired by the Negoro-shu warrior monks dealt the fatal blow. With their commander killed, the Miyoshi army completely collapsed. Shinohara Nagafusa and the Miyoshi troops fled to Miyoshi Nagayoshi at Iimoriyama Castle, evading the pursuing Hatakeyama forces, Ataka Fuyuyasu also escaped to Awaji Island.

When Jikkyu was killed in battle, Nagayoshi is said to have been in the middle of a linked verse gathering at Iimoriyama Castle. Upon hearing of Jikkyu’s death, Nagayoshi remained unfazed, responding to the preceding line, “A clump of pampas grass among the reeds”, with “From the shallow lagoon of the old marsh to a field,” impressing the participants. Meanwhile, Miyoshi Nagayoshi’s eldest son, Yoshioki, was outraged by the death of his uncle, and wrote in a letter that he would wage a revenge battle. As Yoshioki promised, the Miyoshi clan would strike a blow in the Battle of Kyokoji that May.

Man of Culture

Books such as the Old Tales of Awa portrays Jikkyu as a fierce general and a cunning warrior, but a man far removed from culture. This document spread the impression that Jikkyu was simply a sinister, scheming warrior who killed his lord, Hosokawa Ujiyuki. In reality, Jikkyu studied the tea ceremony under Takeno Joo, and founded the Myokoku-ji Temple, demonstrating a deep appreciation for culture and leaving behind significant contributions. This was partially due to the fact that his father, Miyoshi Motonaga, had deep connections with the townspeople of Sakai, providing Jikkyu the opportunity to interact with tea masters. Of the famous people of Sakai, Tsuda Sotatsu, the father of Tsuda Sokyu was the closest of friends to Miyoshi Jikkyu. He also associated with the likes of Imai Sokyu, Kitamuki Dochin, and Sen no Rikyu, and would invite them to his tearooms.

Jikkyu donated his villa in Sakai Kitasho to Nichiko, a follower of the Nichiren sect, for the founding of Myokoku-ji Temple. The grounds measured some 300 meters east-west and 500 meters north-south. Jikkyu became a monk a few years after assassinating his former lord, Hosokawa Ujiyuki, and it is believed that his decision to become a monk and his devotion to the sect stemmed from a sense of remorse for killing Ujiyuki. However, he began using the name Jikkyu from 1558, five years after Ujiyuki’s death.

While Jikkyu was not as devoted to waka and renga poetry as his brother Nagayoshi, he was instead deeply devoted to the tea ceremony. Yamanoue Soji, in his diary Yamanoue Soji Ki, described Jikkyu as possessing “fifty kinds of famous tea utensils” and stating that “Jikkyu, though a samurai, was a connoisseur of the tea ceremony.” Jikkyu was the only samurai whom Soji recognized and praised as a master of the tea ceremony. Among the famous tea utensils owned by Jikkyu, a certain crescent moon vase was so highly regarded that Soji, in his diary, called it “the most unparalleled famous tea utensil in the world.” This vase, along with many other treasured tea utensils owned by Jikkyu, fell into the hands of Oda Nobunaga and was among those destroyed in the Honno-ji Incident.

Although as leader of the Miyoshi clan, Miyoshi Nagayoshi is better remembered to history, it appears his younger brother, Jikkyu, was both the brains and the brawn behind the Miyoshi’s successes. Indeed, Jikkyu’s death is considered one of the reasons for the downfall of the Miyoshi clan.

Read more

Read more

According to the Ministry of Self Defense, the government will re-instate former members of the samurai class to act as security for government officials and at certain state events, including the upcoming Aichi Asian Games. Already a team of specially trained samurai have commenced patrolling the streets of Nagoya City in conjunction with the Aichi Police Farce to keep the city streets safe, as well as add to the historical and cultural image of this City of Samurai.

Those claiming samurai ancestry will be given first preference. If positions are not filled, members of the public will be permitted to apply for one of the 1,600 positions envisaged to commence as of the financial year, April 1, 2026.

Swordsmanship, Japanese history, culture and manners must be mastered. The New Samurai will be permitted to wear the two swords of the station but will not have the right to use them at will as in the past. Those not yet skilled in the art of the sword will wear two bokuto, wooden swords until they have progressed enough to be allowed to carry real swords. A government minister has been quoted as saying that he expects these New Samurai will be a hit with foreign tourists wanting to see and meet a real samurai during their stays.

Although the “Shin-Samurai” or New Samurai as they have been dubbed, will not be required to have their heads shaven or wear topknots, they will be expected to wear traditional kimono and hakama when on duty.

Osawa Jirozaemon was a minor warlord of the late Sengoku and early Edo periods. He was the lord of Unuma Castle in Mino Province. His name is usually recorded as Jirozaemon, although his given name is said to have been either Masahide, Motoyasu, Masashige, Masatsugu, Tameyasu, or Masamori. There is yet another theory that claims there were more than one Osawa Jirozaemon. When and where he was born is unclear, and he remains a mysterious figure with few details remaining.

Theories About Jirozaemon’s Background

The Sakata-gunshi, a collection of documents from Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture) contains a document dated October 11, Tenbun 3 (1534), in which Asai Ryomasa gives land in Onogi Village (present-day Maibara City), which had originally been purchased by Osawa Jirozaemon, to one Okurabo in Tamamura (present-day Sekigahara Town) because Osawa is no longer residing there.

From this document, it is thought that the Osawa family originally resided on the border between Mino and Omi provinces but later moved to Iguchi (Gifu) after becoming vassals of Saito Dosan. It is believed that they then captured Unuma Castle around 1552 and became its lord.

According to the Kan’ei Shokakeizu Den, or Genealogies of Various Kan’ei Era Clans, Osawa was initially a retainer of the Saito clan, and his wife was apparently the daughter of Saito Dosan, which, if correct, would effectively make him the brother-in-law of Oda Nobunaga. It is known that he served Saito Dosan’s son, Yoshitatsu and grandson Tatsuoki.

He warrants a brief mention in the Shincho Koki, the Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga. When Nobunaga invaded the Saito clan’s Mino Province, he planned to capture Unuma Castle held by Osawa Jirozaemon, and then Sarubami Castle, both allied with the Saito. Nobunaga then built Igiyama Castle approximately 1km west of Unuma Castle, along the Kiso River, and set up camp there. Jirozaemon, realizing that with Nobunaga building a castle so close, would make it impossible to defend his own territory, so he surrendered and handed over the castle, or so the texts claim.

The Taiko-ki, the Chronicles of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, states that in December 1566, Osawa Jirozaemon surrendered to Oda Nobunaga through the mediation of Hideyoshi, and on January 5 of the following year, Jirozaemon accompanied Hideyoshi to Kiyosu, ostensibly to bow to Nobunaga, but was nearly killed by Nobunaga who felt that as he had turned his back on the Saito, Jirozaemon couldn’t be trusted. Nobunaga ordered Hideyoshi to kill him, and Jirozaemon only escaped through Hideyoshi’s strategy of letting himself be “captured” and “taken as a hostage”, enabling Osawa Jirozaemon’s escape. However, the more reliable Shincho Koki, the Chronicles of Nobunaga, states that the capture of Osawa Jirozaemon’s Unuma Castle took place in August of 1564, so this Taiko-ki account cannot be taken at face value. Indeed, the Taiko-ki was written by Oze Hoan ( see; https://samuraihistoryculture.substack.com/p/oze-hoan-samurai-historian), known as a historian, but also known to have enhanced and re-written history to have made things more exciting for Edo period readers. As such, the Taiko-Ki was written in a way that portrays Hideyoshi as a hero. The Mino Zatsuji Ki, the Miscellaneous Records of Mino Province, in mentioning Unuma Castle, states that Osawa Izumi-no-kami Fujiwara Masahiro and his son Osawa Jirozaemon Masatsugu resided in Unuma Castle until the Eiroku era (1558-1570). It also states that the Osawa clan surrendered to Nobunaga due to Hideyoshi’s machinations, and that Hideyoshi resided in Unuma Castle for a time. According to other records, Unuma was attacked by Nobunaga, who burned the castle down and retreated.

According to the Kansei Fu Genealogy of the Kansei Era, Jirozaemon died at the age of 76. His birth and death dates can be estimated to be 1547-1622, but this is not certain. If this is true, the Osawa Jirozaemon at the time of this historical drama would have been around 18 years old. The episode of him being manipulated by Hideyoshi might actually be an episode from his father Masanobu’s time, but as all sources lack details or credibility, it remains unclear.

While both the Shincho Koki and the Taiko-ki share a similar story about Osawa Jirozaemon leaving Unuma Castle, there are no historical records of Jirozaemon’s subsequent activities as a retainer of Nobunaga, and he appears only sparingly in the Shincho-Koki and the Taiko-ki. After Nobunaga’s death, on August 24, 1582, Osawa Jirozaemon was granted the former territory of warrior Abe Sadao and lands in Asai County from Shibata Katsutoyo, who had become the master of northern Omi Province, and that in 1590, he was granted an additional 600 koku and land in Owari Province, including Chokoji Village (present-day Toyota City), from Toyotomi Hidetsugu. By then, he was serving both Hideyoshi and Hideyoshi’s nephew and one time heir, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, receiving a fief of 2,600 koku. However, after Hidetsugu’s seppuku — forced upon him by his uncle — Jirozaemon too appears to have fallen from favor with Hideyoshi, who issued an order that Osawa Jirozaemon and his men are not to be harbored or aided in any way (see Aichi Prefectural History, Materials Volume 13, No. 1106). Jirozaemon then wandered the country, passing through Mino and eventually settled at the Bansho-in Temple in Odawara, where he died at the age of 76.

Unuma Castle – A Mysterious Future

Unuma Castle was located on Shiroyama, a natural rocky mountain of 95 meters in height, and surrounded by sheer cliffs on the north bank of the Kiso River, opposite Inuyama Castle. Unuma Castle was also known as Shisuiyama Kiriga-jo and was built in the 1430s by Osawa Toshiharu who served the Toki clan, governors of Mino and later, the Saito clan. Unuma Castle was later given to Ikeda Tsuneoki, master of Inuyama Castle. After the Ikeda were transferred, Nakagawa Sadanari took over Inuyama Castle and Unuma.

On March 13, 1584, during the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, Ikeda Tsuneoki fighting for Hideyoshi entered Unuma Castle, his former domain, under the pretence of going to Eastern Mino, and took advantage of castellan, the Tokugawa allied Nakagawa Sadanari’s absence to swim the river and capture Inuyama Castle. Although Unuma Castle does not appear in historical records after this point, the Unuma area remained a strategically important location. In 1584 during the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, Hideyoshi deployed forces at Unuma. Hideyoshi considered the ferry crossing from Unuma to Inuyama to be important and fortified both banks of the crossing. This suggests that Unuma played an important role as a supply base. Unuma Castle was later abandoned.

The castle ruins are near the Inuyama Bridge on the Meitetsu Line. Until the 1950s, a moat and dorui earthen mounds remained on the castle’s west side but most were lost due to roadway development. It is said that there is a monument to the Osawa clan at the top of the mountain, but the site is now Off Limits to the public. In the early Showa period, a businessman named Miwa Ichitaro built a villa there, but he passed away suddenly after its completion. The building was then repurposed as an annex to the Saiunkaku Inn. After WWII, it was used as a club for the occupying forces, and later as a traditional ryokan Japanese styled inn called Shiroyama-so. A murder is said to have taken place some years back among guests staying at the inn. It was finally closed due to a major fire in December 1972 in which a number of people were apparently killed. The inn’s remains were finally removed in 2002. The mountain itself is now owned by Kakamigahara City, and plans there are plans underway to develop it into a park, but the foot of the mountain is currently private property and cannot be accessed.

220cm?

As mentioned, Osawa Jirozaemon is said to have lived in the Odawara area of ​​present-day Kanagawa Prefecture where he died at the age of 76. A five-tiered stone gorinto pagoda at the Bansho-in Temple is believed to be the tomb of Jirozaemon and beside it, his son, Osawa Masashige (who was summoned by Tokugawa Ieyasu after Sekigahara and became a hatamoto, a direct retainer of the shogun, allowing the Osawa clan to continue until the end of the Edo period, holding a territory of 856 koku in Kazusa and Shimosa provinces).

Jirozaemon’s gorinto grave stands 2.2 meters tall. This could be the reason he is listed as being 220cm tall, as in some cases— not all — but some cases, a samurai’s grave or ihai memorial tablet was created to match the height of the man in real life. Indeed, all Tokugawa Shogun had official ihai made at their exact height and these are kept at the Daiju-ji Temple in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture. The grave of Takeda general Yamagata Masakage at Nagashino is also the height of the great warrior, standing 130cm. However, a 220cm man in Sengoku period Japan would have been most rare, enough to have warranted mention in the journals of the day, but none exist. Many famous warriors had large graves erected as a show of their power and might, rather than as an indication of their actual height, and so it could well be that Jirozaemon was considered a very important figure, or at least, very highly thought of, hence having a large gorinto grave marker erected. It is therefore highly possible that the temple, and the Honcho Bugei Shoden records in claiming Jirozaemon to be so tall, have made a grave mistake.

Taira no Masakado (903 – March 25, 940) is remembered for causing the Tengyo no Ran (935-940) a rebellion against the central government, in which he declared himself Shinnou or New Emperor in 939, and challenged the authority of the Kyoto-based imperial court. He is also remembered as a kind and compassionate man with a strong sense of justice

So how did the head of a Heian period (794-1185) warrior general and statesman end up in what is now Tokyo?

Read more

Read more

Read more

Indeed, there are no remaining structures, but a castle is not a tower keep, nor watchtowers, palaces or gates. A castle is not structures as such, but a fortified area, and the old chusei medieval castles of Japan are just as interesting as the kinsei, early modern castles most expect to see. If you know even a little about castles, and how the remaining features functioned to protect and counterattack, about the battle tactics of the samurai and about the construction methods used, then there is much to learn from an ancient site such as Kozukue Castle. And these castles have some great stories to tell about samurai history and culture too.

History and Background – Early Sengoku Period

Kozukue Castle is believed to have been built by the Uesugi clan, the Kanto Kanrei, governors of the Kanto region and deputy Shogun, around the time of the Eikyo Rebellion of 1438-1439, a conflict that occurred in the Kanto region during the early Muromachi period, stemming from a conflict between Ashikaga Mochiuji, the fourth Kamakura Shogun, and Uesugi Norizane, the Kanto Kanrei. The sixth shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshinori, ordered Mochiuji’s subjugation. While the reasons for its creation are mostly understood, the exact date of its construction is unknown.

Kozukue Castle first appears in history records during the offensive and defensive battles of 1478 as part of the Nagao Kageharu Rebellion. Nagao Kageharu, the chief retainer of the Yamanouchi Uesugi clan, revolted against his lord after failing to inherit his father’s elevated position following his father’s death. At this time, warlord and military strategist Ota Dokan, best remembered as the founder of Edo Castle — now the Imperial Palace — in what is now modern day Tokyo and the castle town which grew up around that fortress, attacked Kozukue Castle, which had sided with Nagao Kageharu. For this attack, Dokan sent a smaller expeditive force inland to a position just north of Kozukue, while a larger force took a circuitous route via ship through Edo Bay, landing south east of Kozukue, and approached from the south. He set up camp on Kame-no-koyama mountain across the Tsurumi River and in a series of some six battles captured the castle within two and a half months. The pine tree under which Dokan is said to have composed poems while he planned his actions has since been known as “Suzuri-matsu” (Inkstone Pine), and after several re-plantings, it remains alongside a stone monument.

From that time on, Kozukue Castle fell into disuse, but when the region came under the control of the Later Hojo clan of Odawara, it was restored by Hojo Ujitsuna, whose retainer, Kasahara Nobutame, was appointed as the castle lord. The Kasahara clan is believed to have focused on developing the castle town, inviting monks to nearby villages and building temples, and their descendants continued to live in the vicinity of the castle well into the Edo period. Subsequently, the castle lords changed hands several times, including Hojo Ujitaka, Hojo Ujimasa’s younger brother Saburo (apparently not Uesugi Kagetora), and Hojo Ujimitsu.

The castle saw action once again during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s final bid for total supremacy over the country in the Siege of Odawara in 1590, yet Kozukue Castle surrendered easily and fell unscathed. Kozukue was later abandoned when Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of the Kanto region.

Positioning and Layout

The position atop a small hill provided excellent views of the surrounding area in all directions, and it overlooked the strategically important Iida Highway, a key traffic point, nearby. The Tsurumi River ran to the north of the castle site, forming a natural moat protecting the north, east and western sides. The areas east, towards the modern-day Yokohama Nissan Stadium and south of the castle being lower lying areas, were wetlands which provided excellent protection for the castle. The boggy conditions were ideal for growing rice, and also for preventing enemy from crossing and approaching the castle easily.

Most visitors enter via a narrow road to the south, through the negoya section. Negoya, written in kanji as 根庫, 根古屋, or 根古谷, refers to a residential area for samurai formed at the foot of a fortified mountain castle, and is a place name commonly found mainly in Sengoku period castles of the Kanto region.

The two remaining large enclosures, the Higashi-kuruwa (east) and Nishi-kuruwa (west) have been deliberately made square, rather than allowing the shape of the mountain dictate the shape of the kuruwa as is often the case in older mountain top castles, and each enclosure was made perfectly flat, suggesting great efforts were made to construct this obviously important castle, despite the obvious time constraints. The entire complex would have been completed in less than three months, lest they fall to attacking enemy during construction. The Nishi-kuruwa is generally believed to have been the main Honmaru, although this has been contested. One of the reasons is that the actual main gate is yet to be correctly identified, with four possible routes into the castle proper known. Personally, looking at the layout of the castle, having the current Nishi-kuruwa as the main enclosure makes sense, in that it is protected on all sides by other kuruwa, dry moats, horikiri trenches, and by towering dorui, earthen embankments. The most plausible route, to my mind, would be from the south, not only the best defended, by the aforementioned negoya and other defensive features, but considered the most auspicious direction for a castle gate, via an umadashi, a gate protection feature, then towards the main enclosure via a narrow earthen bridge surrounded by deep dry moats, and heavily defended by gated watchtowers. To the west, where the expressway now runs, there were more, smaller protective compounds and features. The Higashi-kuruwa may have had steep slopes enhanced through earthworks along the outer edge, but below this were just wetlands, probably offering less protection than that enjoyed by the central Nishi-kuruwa.

The dorui, earthen embankments surrounding both enclosures are particularly thick and high. The dry moats and horikiri trenches are considerably deep and wide, carved by hand from the mountain itself. The dry moats are an average of 20m wide, and measure up to 12m deep – about the same as a four-story building.

There are no ishigaki, stone walls as seen in other castles, particularly in the central and western parts of Japan. In fact, the rich Kanto loam soils are considered ideal for early castle construction as it is a hard soil and provides little foothold making it quite difficult to climb, and particularly slippery when wet. The average angle of the moats and kirigishi, enhanced slopes at Kozukue was 36^o. This was enough to prevent attackers from scaling the steep walls easily. So, being made of dirt, is it weaker than castles of central and western Japan? Not at all. It must be remembered that the kanji for castle, 城, shiro consists of the compounds, tsuchi, 土 being earth and soil, and 成, nari, to become, i.e., castles are earthworks, constructed of earth.

From excavations carried out prior to the construction of the roadway that cuts through a third of the castle complex, the western compound is known to have had byobu-ori walls. Byobu-ori walls refer to the walls being made like a concertina folding screen, with angled panels rather than a single flat wall. This enabled a wider range of arrow – and after around 1550 — matchlock gun fire too at all angles.

Old coins, a kogai hair skewer, various pieces of pottery, the remains of kawarake (shallow sake drinking cups), and small lumps of gold and silver were discovered within the western compound.

Holes dug in the earth to support structures were discovered in the eastern compound, suggesting an older style of architecture in which a buildings’ pillars stood in the holes. Later architectural styles had the pillars mounted on flat stonescalled soseki at ground level to prevent the wood from rotting. The pillar post holes suggest the possibility that the Higashi-kuruwa may have once been the original main compound, but could have been changed at a later stage to the safer central Nishi-kuruwa.

Modern Era

The castle ruins are known locally as Shiroyama, literally Castle Mountain. In 1892, nearly 15 years after the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the nine districts of Kozukue Village, Shimosugata, Hazawa, Sanmaibashi, Kozukue, Toriyama, Katakura, Jindaiji, Rokkakubashi, and Kishine decided at a village council meeting to change the village’s name from Kozukue to Shirosato, Castle Village. This name was used until the town was incorporated into Yokohama City in 1927, although the name Shirosato remained in school names and other contexts.

The castle ruins are maintained as the Kozukue Castle Ruins Citizens’ Forest, but is not designated as a historical site. The castle’s two main enclosures and the narrow Tsunagi-kuruwa enclosure between them remain. Excavation surveys have been conducted in part of the area currently designated as the second enclosure.

The western enclosure, currently designated the main enclosure, is used for baseball games and other public activities, causing gradual deterioration of the remains. Part of the western side of the main enclosure was divided, and along with various features and smaller enclosures, was partially destroyed in 1964 during the construction of the Daisan Keihin Expressway. Adding to the modern damage, the castle ruins once continued along the ridge to the southwest, and the Yokohama Line’s Shiroyama Tunnel passes through the site underground, yet the remains above it were largely destroyed during construction. Traces of a moat exist on the side of the enclosure across the Daisan Keihin Expressway, but beyond that point, the area has been developed into residential land, and no remains can be confirmed. Around 60 years ago, there was very little bamboo within the old castle confines, however the site is currently covered in forests of bamboo, held in check by groups of local volunteers dedicated to maintaining and preserving the castle site.

The Surrounding Area

Within the former Jogo Village, in the Oaza Jindai-ji area, place names remain such as Kyuyozuka and Jusanzuka commemorate the samurai who were killed in the Battle of Kozukue Castle. Takuhara is where Ota Dokan executed the remaining Kozukue samurai, and Akadayato, the valley said to have been stained red with their blood.

Coupled with the ruins of Shinohara Castle, to the east of Shin Yokohama Station, and the well-preserved ruins of Chigasaki Castle six kilometers to the northwest of Kozukue, one can trace the route of the invading Ota forces in their quest to capture Kozukue.

Kozukue is off the tourist tracks, but accessible via the Yokohama line from Shin-Yokohama. As mentioned, Kozukue has been designated by the Japan Castle Foundation as one of the Extended Top 100 Castles of Japan, and that is your guarantee of visiting a castle site steeped in samurai history.

As with many items of the samurai, what was once an everyday tool, the kogai, began to be decorated with elaborate techniques by traditional kinkoka metalworkers in the mid-Muromachi period, and its craftsmanship and value as a work of art came to be recognized and appreciated.

Japan’s innovative artisans experimented with different techniques such as carving, engraving, and inlaying metal combinations, including gold, silver, and copper, to create sophisticated sword fittings. Early kogai were simple and plain, made from raw, unrefined red copper known as yamagane. Many later kogai were fashioned from a gold and copper alloy called shakudo, often chemically treated to create a dark blue-black colour. Kogai were often adorned with family crests or heraldic insignia, scenes from famous occurrences, auspicious animals or plants.

When carrying a kogai, it is stored in the kogai-bitsu, a small slot on the scabbard’s outer side, facing outwards when the sword is worn. On the opposite side of the scabbard, the sashiura, the side facing the body, there is a kozuka-bitsu, a similar slot for the carrying of a small knife called a kozuka, used like a modern paper or utility knife.

In sword mountings that include a kogai and kozuka, there are holes on either side of the nakago-ana (tang hole) in the center of the tsuba sword guard, a kogaibitsu-ana hole for the kogai and a kozukabitsu-ana hole for the kozuka.

During the Edo period, it was considered stylish to unify the design themes of the kogai, kozuka, and the menuki decorative metal fittings attached to the handle, and this set came to be called a mito-koro-mono or three-piece set. Besides its practical use, it also served an ornamental purpose, conveying the status and wealth of the owner.

The main parts of the kogai are the body-like main grip section called the dou, the spike-like sao, while the little scoop-like part at the back of the grip is called the mimi-kaki, literally the ear scratcher. While it is commonly believed for ear picking, this theory is unlikely as the tip is too short to actually clean one’s ears with. The purpose of the mimi-kaki part remains unclear, but it has been suggested it held the sword’s handguard in place, rather like a small locking device, preventing the blade from slipping out. The internal section is called the ji-ita, the decorations are called mon, while the outer framing pieces are known as koberi. The decorative swirl beside the mimi-kaki is known as a warabite.

A type of kogai called the saki-kogai or wari-kogai, which could be split lengthways into two sections is believed to have been not for grooming as such, but rather as portable chopsticks, however, little proof of this exists. Some experts suggest that it was not used as eating chopsticks but for ceremonial purposes, such as for handling incense. During the Edo period, the kogai was omitted from the sword fittings of the wakizashi short sword of the daisho (the pairing of the katana and wakizashi). Only the menuki and rarely the kozuka were attached.

The Kogaikiri Incident

How important were the kogai? An incident involving the theft of a kogai once saw Maeda Toshiie expelled from the Oda clan services.

During the Sengoku period, a tea boy named Juami (?? - 1559) was a member of the Dohoshu, a trusted group of personal servants of the Oda clan. Taking advantage of his status as Oda Nobunaga’s favourite servant, he is said to have acted arrogantly towards Nobunaga’s generals. On one occasion, he stole a kogai from Maeda Toshiie — a gift from Toshiie’s wife, Matsu, said to have been a memento of Matsu’s father. Enraged, Toshiie nearly killed him, but on Nobunaga’s advice and the intervention of Sasaki Narimasa, who was friends with Juami, Toshiie calmed down and spared his life. However, Juami showed no sign of remorse and continued to insult Toshiie, who eventually killed Juami, cutting him down in front of Nobunaga. This is commonly known as the Kogaikiri Incident.

While he would likely have been ordered to commit seppuku, thanks to the intercession of Shibata Katsuie and others, Toshiie narrowly avoided punishment, but an enraged Nobunaga expelled him from service making him a ronin. During this time, he was protected by the Matsuoka family of Atsuta Shrine.

Despite being a ronin, Toshiie later participated in battles such as the Battle of Okehazama and the Battle of Moribe without permission yet achieved great success in action. Through these exploits, Maeda Toshiie once again regained Oda Nobunaga’s trust and was returned to his position as a vassal of the Oda clan.

Kogai and other associated fittings are often sought after by collectors for their historical and artistic value, particularly as they remain an iconic part of the samurai culture.

Used since the Heian period, the naginata’s development is unclear due to lack of research, but it is thought that the handle naturally became longer as a result of a simple need for a cutting weapon that provided greater reach. From the late Nara period to the Kamakura period, a blade of about one shaku (approx. 30 cm) to two shaku (approx. 60 cm),

A naginata consists of a cross section oval shaped wooden shaft of around 120 cm to 240 cm long, fitted with a 30 cm to 60 cm long distinctly curved, single-edged steel blade at the top end, housed within a wooden sheath when not in use, and a metal end cap known as an ishizuki or hirumaki at the butt end. The distinctive naginata blade, forged in the same manner as traditional Japanese swords, has a long nakago, or tang, often signed by the smith in the same way as a samurai sword, and is inserted in the shaft before being secured with a bamboo peg called a mekugi that passes through the mekugi-ana, the small hole the tang.

The hole in the top of the shaft where the tang is inserted is called the tachiuchi or tachiuke, and is often reinforced with metal rings called dogane. Similar to the samurai katana, some naginata have a round tsuba handguard fitted between the blade and shaft head, while some are fitted with hook like protrusions called kagi.

The early samurai’s main fighting method was mounted archery, in which they fired bows from horseback at long distances, but also used hand-held pole-arm striking weapons in close quarters combat when they are arguably said to have announced their names before engaging in one-on-one combat. As such combat techniques developed and larger, closer battles were fought amongst infantry, the naginata became one of the main weapons widely used by all ranks from the elite samurai to the average ashigaru.

The naginata provides a longer reach and is capable of not only cutting but stabbing, allowing striking with the butt end, and the handle, and became an important weapon for the samurai of the Nanbokucho (1336 - 1392)and Muromachi (1336 - 1573) periods, who, instead of fighting on horseback, now fought as infantry. The naginata, able to unleash a variety of attacks, became the most powerful weapon during the Nanbokucho and Muromachi periods. the longest extant Nanbokucho period naginata has a shaft length of about five shaku or approximately 150 cm long. Nanbokucho period spears were shorter and were used as piercing and striking weapons, while tachi (long swords) and naginata were also used as thrusting and hitting weapons. Naginata could strike, pierce, and cut and were more effective than spears and therefore deemed to have had a higher utility value.

The standard blade length is one to two shaku (approximately 30 to 60 cm), but many are known to have lengths exceeding three shaku (approximately 90 cm). The blade has a habaki face and a generally curved tip and has either a shobu-zukuri or kanmuri-otoshi-zukuri blade shape. The nakago, the stem like tang, is longer than a sword, and is usually about the same length as the blade, but shorter than a spear. Any inscription on the tang is usually similar to that of a sword.

From the Meiji period onwards, naginata were classified based on the degree of curvature of the blade. Historical naginata blades tended to be longer and the curve becomes shallower as the periods change, but the age and shape are not necessarily proportional. A sword with a narrow width and little curvature is called Shizuka-gata, after Shizuka Gozen, and a wide blade width and a large curvature is called Tomoe-gata, supposedly after Tomoe Gozen. Among the naginata that still exist together with the koshirae, most of the short-handled ones have Tomoe-shaped blades. It is often thought that this is because the Tomoe type has a large curve, making it easier to slash with less force, and was advantageous for use on horseback and by small-sized people (including women and girls). However, the large naginata, with its high destructive power, is difficult to handle. On the battlefields of the Nanbokucho period, military chronicles such as the Taiheiki depict flamboyant scenes of brave warriors wielding naginata and mowing down their enemies, or attacking the legs of the enemy’s horse, bringing both man and beast down, and suggesting that it was extremely powerful as a weapon. The naginata continued to be a major weapon until around the mid Muromachi period, when it appears to have fallen from favour to a degree. However, it was not uncommon for naginata to be used on the battlefield even at the end of the Sengoku period, despite spears being used more frequently than naginata.

During the Battle of Sekigahara however, the famed spearman, Kazi Saizo is said to have fought not with a spear that day, but with a naginata, a weapon he had mastered as well as the spear. It served him well, Kani claimed to have taken over 20 heads that day, but not wanting to leave the excitement of war to register his kills, he would leave the heads he took on the battlefield and move on to his next opponent. At the end of the day, he could only find 17 of the over 20 heads, which was still a record for Sekigahara.

Following Sekigahara, in the peaceful Edo period, the naginata became established as a wedding accessory among samurai clans, and as such the demand for the weapons as a work of art increased. These types of naginata have blades made by master craftsmen, and the koshirae, the furniture housing the blade and its scabbard, are often highly decorated with kinrikoji, maki-e gold working, and mother-of-pearl, providing a unique gorgeous finish. A distinctive feature of these Edo period scabbards is that they often have family crests engraved on them. As such, the naginata became a status symbol. Being a weapon kept in the home, and its benefit of offering distance between the wielder and opponent, it was often practiced by women of warrior clans to protect the home. On reaching a certain age, or with the passing of their husbands, women of samurai heritage would often dedicate their naginata to their family temples.

As the use of naginata on the battlefield decreased, many naginata were reconfigured into swords, in practice known as suriage particularly becoming wakizashi or short swords during the Edo period, but there are cases where larger naginata were used as uchigatana (striking katana) such as the one owned by late Sengoku period samurai sea captain, Kuki Yoshitaka.

In the Edo period, naginata-jutsu maintained its status as a martial art on par with spear and sword techniques. The number of martial arts schools of naginata increased, and training was held in each domain. The naginata was accepted as a form of education and self-defense for women in samurai families, giving rise to the misconception that the naginata was primarily a women’s weapon. Adding to this, during the Meiji period the naginata’‘ became popular as a martial art practiced mainly by women, partly due to the influence of government policies, further establishing the naginata as a woman’s fighting art. Incidentally, although there are a few exceptions, when naming a naginata, it is customary to give it a woman’s name.

Extant Naginata

Since the naginata was widely used for a long time, many were made, but since warfare changed and its use in battle waned, many prized pieces were reconfigured as mentioned above or melted down and made into spears or agricultural tools such as hoes and plows. As such, there are very few naginata still existing in their original form. What remains are mainly wedding gift naginata from the Edo period, of which many have been designated as cultural properties due to their luxurious koshirae, and large naginata blades made for dedication.

The art of the naginata is known as naginata-jutsu and is practiced at many high schools and universities across Japan. The naginata used in modern naginata for practice, competitions and sparring is known as the shiai-yo, and features an oak shaft with a replaceable bamboo blade, as these are often damaged or break with use. They are 210 cm to 225 cm in length and must weigh over 650g.

The naginata used by koryu traditional combat practitioners is called a kihon-yo and consists of the shaft and blade carved from a single piece of oak wood, and may include a basic tsuba guard. Combative naganata-jutsu disciplines are still practiced within Suio Ryu, Araki Ryu, Tendo Ryu, Jikishinkage Ryu, Higo Koryu, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, Toda-ha Buko Ryu, and Yoshin Ryu traditional koryu.

Naginata were difficult to master, but until the end of the Edo period, remained an elegant and important weapon of the samurai.

Koriki Kiyonaga was born in 1530 at his namesake Koriki Castle, Mikawa Province, located in what is now Koda Town, Nukata County, as the eldest son of Koriki Yasunaga, a vassal of the Matsudaira clan. Kiyonaga’s grandfather originally served Ieyasu’s grandfather, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, and the Matsudaira – later Tokugawa - and the Koriki clans had a long and deep connection.

In 1535, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu was killed by a senior vassal during a misunderstanding at Moriyama Castle in the Moriyama Kuzure Incident. Taking advantage of this, Oda Nobunaga’s father, Oda Nobuhide of Owari Province invaded Mikawa, killing both Kiyonaga’s father Yasunaga and his grandfather Shigenaga in the resulting action. From the age of six, Kiyonaga was raised by his uncle, Shigemasa, and served Matsudaira Hirotada, Ieyasu’s father.

Under his uncles’ instructions, from 1552 Koriki Kiyonaga came to serve the young Tokugawa Ieyasu directly, and accompanied him while he was sent as a hostage to warlord Imagawa Yoshimoto of Suruga Province. Ieyasu was six, Kiyonaga was 19. In May 1560, Kiyonaga joined Ieyasu in Imagawa Yoshimoto’s campaign against Owari, where he distinguished himself breaking through the Oda lines and running the supply route to Odaka Castle. With Imagawa Yoshimoto’s death at the hand of the Oda forces in the Battle of Okehazama, Ieyasu suddenly found himself free of his hostage situation, and so Koriki Kiyonaga together with Honda Tadakatsu led their lord home to Okazaki, although they fully expected Oda Nobunaga to take advantage of Mikawa’s vulnerable state, the expected attack never came. Instead with Kiyonaga and his other generals’ support and advice, Ieyasu united Mikawa.

In 1562, Ieyasu was invited to Oda Nobunaga’s Kiyosu Castle in Owari to conclude the Kiyosu Alliance with the Oda clan. As part of his entourage, he was joined by Koriki Kiyonaga. He subsequently participated in the campaign to conquer Western Mikawa and the Mikawa Ikko Ikki uprising in 1563, where he pacified the Toro Honshuji Temple. During the suppression of the Ikko Ikki, Kiyonaga went beyond his duties striving to protect Buddhist statues and scriptures, preventing their scattering and returning the temples and shrines to their original state, earning him high praise form the worshippers, local people and warriors alike. For this reason too, he was appointed the position of Magistrate of Okazaki the following year. In 1565, he was appointed one of the Three Magistrates of Mikawa, along with Honda Shigetsugu and Amano Yasukage. Each of the magistrates was famed for certain personality traits. Amano, for example, was admired for his patience, Honda for his endurance, while Koriki Kiyonaga was recognized for his leniency, for which he was nicknamed “Hotoke Koriki” or, The Buddha Koriki.

During the Totomi campaign in 1568, it was Kiyonaga who persuaded Imagawa Ujizane’s long-time vassal, Kuno Muneyoshi, to defect to the Tokugawa side during the siege of Kuno Castle, which was enabled the Tokugawa forces clear passage to Kakegawa Castle. The following year, Kiyonaga and his men faced a tough battle at Kakegawa Castle, where they faced fierce resistance from the Imagawa clan vassal, Asahina Yasutomo, but after a protracted battle, they were able to capture Kakegawa Castle.

Kiyonaga saw action participating in the Battle of Anegawa in June 1570, where he once again distinguished himself as a warrior and was awarded 100 kanmon of land in Nagakami County, Totomi. He was one of the few survivors involved in the devastating Battle of Mikatagahara in January of 1573, when Ieyasu was defeated by the great warlord Takeda Shingen, forcing the Tokugawa army to flee. Kiyonaga was wounded in action, and many dozens of his family and retainers were killed in battle. Ieyasu awarded him Umafutsuka Castle and Kamada District in Totomi around 1580 for his services. In June 1582, Oda Nobunaga was killed in the Honno-ji Incident. At the time Ieyasu and Kiyonaga were in Sakai near Osaka. Fearing for his masters’ life, Kiyonaga accompanied Ieyasu on his journey across enemy Iga Province, serving a vital role as the rear guard. However, at one stage, he was attacked by pursuing enemy warriors and suffered a gunshot wound. That same year, he was awarded Tanaka Castle in Suruga and was provided with 25 cavalry warriors to lead the Suruga vanguard.

Koriki Kiyonaga again saw action in the protracted Battle of Komaki and Nagakute in 1584, where he was beside Ieyasu at his headquarters in the ruins of Komakiyama Castle. After the battle, he served as an emissary to Hideyoshi, and Hideyoshi favoured him so much so that in 1586, he was bestowed the surname Toyotomi and appointed Kawachi no Kami, Junior Fifth Rank, enabling him nobility. Kiyonaga served as the construction magistrate for the construction of Hideyoshi’s magnificent Jurakudai fortified palace, which began that year, and was given a wakizashi (short sword) by Kunimitsu from Hideyoshi.

During the 1590 Siege of Odawara, Kiyonage was chosen along with Naruse Kunitsugu as emissaries from Ieyasu carrying Hideyoshi’s message to Odawara Castle, and negotiated with Hojo Ujimasa and his son, Ujinao. Following the successful Siege of Odawara, Kiyonaga was granted a fief of 20,000 koku in Iwatsuki, Musashi Province, and also entrusted with 10,000 koku treasury land in Urawa-go, Adachi County. An entrusted treasury land is essentially the territory of a person with responsibilities assumed for the land and naturally, the annual tax income could be kept as a perk of one’s position, without any concern. However, Kiyonaga never kept the tax from his entrusted land himself, and had it duly transported directly to Edo. For this, he was seen as most honest and trustworthy. Later, when Hideyoshi visited Koriki’s domain in Iwatsuki, he was so impressed by the reception that he presented Kiyonaga with a poem about the bush clover flowers in the garden.

From 1592, with Japan at peace, and thousands of battle hardened warriors sitting idle, Toyotomi Hideyoshi decided to conquer China via the Korean Peninsula. Kiyonaga was dispatched to the hurriedly built Nagoya Castle in Hizen Province, where he was put in charge of building warships. When he completed building the warships, he tried to return the remaining construction costs of 20 gold coins to Ieyasu, Ieyasu was said to be so impressed by his honesty that he gave the gold to him as a reward.

Koriki Kiyonaga’s eldest son, Masanaga, died young in 1599. As a result, he saw action for one last time at Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, then retired and handed over the family headship to his eldest grandson, Tadafusa. He then became the first head of the Shimabara Domain Koriki clan.

Eight years after Ieyasu’s victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, the man who had dedicated his life to serving Ieyasu, Koriki Kiyonaga died on March 12, 1608, aged 79, and was buried at Joan-ji Temple in Honmachi, Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. How must Ieyasu have felt when Kiyonaga, who had always been his side for nearly 70 years, since childhood, passed away?

Koriki Kiyonaga doesn’t appear much in the history books as often as perhaps he should, but he spent his life in the shadows, supporting his master, Ieyasu, loyally.

Before the development of tosei gusoku armour, samurai wore the large, squarish and cumbersome O-yoroi styled armour, primarily worn by mounted samurai archers, and later torso shaped do-maru, made to fit the body closer and to suit infantry class samurai. To cut costs and protect the emerging infantry and foot soldier class, hara-ate (belly guards), and hara-maki (belly wraps) came into being.

In response to this trend, simpler and more durable do (cuirass) armors were developed. Tousei gusoku means literally “Modern Armour”, and by modern, it meant from the Muromachi period onwards, when armour was no longer made with small plates of steel or nerikawa, raw leather laced lamella scales called kozane — small plates —which were then connected and braided together with either silk or cotton braiding, or cords of deerskin leather strips to form rows, which were then co-joined to build a cuirass, but of larger plates of steel. The shaping, lacquering, and lacing each individual kozane was extremely time consuming and cost inefficient, and instead of wrapping around the body like the older styles, most tosei gusoku generally consisted of a two-piece cuirass, hinged on the left to open like a clam shell, and enclosing the samurai by tying it shut on the right with an upper and lower cords. Modern tousei gusoku armor was characterized by a greater degree of freedom in its construction than earlier Japanese-style armour. These types of armour could be produced in a shorter time, and the steel plates were much sturdier, offering greater defensive properties than small plate manufacturing. It was armour made for combat, the rigours of protracted campaigns and sieges, during which the samurai would have to wear the heavy, protective casings for long periods of time, and although the armour of the time is generally classified as tosei gusoku, there are many different types.

Typical examples include the Mogami-do, or literally top-level cuirass, which consisted of a cuirass of five horizontal naga-gawa plates covering the stomach area, and three upper tateage chest plates laced together with closely fitted kebiki-odoshi, or the sparser sugake-odoshi types of braiding. Another type was the okegawa-do, or bucket-do, named for its resemblance to the outside sides of a barrel or bucket. These okegawa-do are further categorized into two types: tatehagi-do, consisting of vertical steel plates, and yokohagi-do formed with horizontally jointed steel plates and fastened together with rivets or leather ties.

Yet another common type was the Hotoke-do, in which the surface of the barrel like body was coated with kokuso, a strengthening undercoating of urushi lacquer mixed with finely cut, powdery sawdust, rather like the bog filling for car repairs and fiberglass work, and then finished with finer lacquer to hide the surface seams. In some cases, sheets of asa, a rough woven hempen cloth was pasted to the steel with kokuso, making the end result even stronger. These Hotoke-do were so named as they resembled the fleshy, rounded figure of the Buddhist god, Hotoke. They were also preferred by some samurai as it was claimed that arrows and spear thrusts were deflected, whereas laced armour caught and retained arrow or spear blades.

Dangae-do is a form of body armour made by combining several armour styles, and is so named because the style changes for each tier.

Dangae-do means Two-Tiered Body. Basically, the lower part is usually a barrel-like Okegawa-do made of 5 nagagawahorizontal steel strips riveted together before being urushi lacquered as one piece, while the three narrower horizontal plates forming the tateage covering the upper chest area and the below the topmost mune-ita breast plate, are separately styled, lacquered and laced together with various coloured cotton, silk or leather braids in the close fitting kebiki odoshistyle. In many cases, the upper three rows of tateage are of a different style of metal work called kiritsuke kozane, shaped with kokuso and urushi to represent old-style linked kozane, but formed from a single steel plate. It is a mixture of the older and newer styles.

The above two photos show an Edo period (1603~1868) Dangei-Do Tousei Gussoku, with seven sets of five plate nerikawa kusazuri, being plates of urushi lacquered raw leather suspended below the cuirass, and kusari haidate, chain mail thigh protectors. The kote sleeves too are also of mostly chain mail interspersed with metal plates and outer edged with tanned deerskin. The wrist areas feature gourd shaped plates. This type of kote is called an Oda-Gote. The helmet is a sturdy zunari kabuto with five bands of shikoro, neck guard rings.

Like most items of the samurai, everything had form and function. The samurai armour was a protective device, yet not being a uniform as such, was highly artistic in its manufacture, showing the tastes of each individual samurai.