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China
China (
i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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East China Sea
Coordinates: 30°N 125°E / 30°N 125°E / 30; 125
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 square kilometres (482,000 sq mi).
The East China Sea is bounded on the east by Kyūshū and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, on the south by the island of Taiwan, and on the west by mainland China and the Asian continent. It is connected with the South China Sea by the Taiwan Strait and with the Sea of Japan by the Korea Strait; it opens in the north to the Yellow Sea.
States with borders on the sea (clockwise from north) include: South Korea, Japan, Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China.
The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the "Eastern China Sea (Tung Hai)" as follows:
On the South.
On the East.
On the North.
On the West.
The Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) is the largest river flowing into the East China Sea.
There is a cluster of submerged reefs in the northern East China Sea. These include:
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Fushimi Castle
Fushimi Castle (伏見城, Fushimi-jō?), also known as Momoyama Castle (桃山城 Momoyama-jō) or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a castle in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward. The current structure is a 1964 replica of the original built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The construction of the original castle was begun in 1592, the year after Hideyoshi's retirement from the regency, and completed in 1594. Twenty provinces furnished workers for the construction, which numbered between 20,000 and 30,000.
Though bearing the external martial appearance of a castle, the structure was intended as a retirement palace for Hideyoshi, and was furnished and decorated as such. It is particularly famous for its tea ceremony room in which both the walls and the implements were covered in gold leaf. The castle was intended to be the site for Hideyoshi's peace talks with Chinese diplomats seeking an end to the Seven-Year War in Korea, but an earthquake destroyed the castle entirely only two years after its completion.
It was rebuilt soon afterwards, and came to be controlled by Torii Mototada, a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1600, the castle fell in a famous and significant siege by Ishida Mitsunari. Torii Mototada, in a celebrated act of honor and bravery, defended the castle for eleven days, delaying Ishida's forces and allowing his lord Tokugawa time to build his own army. This had a profound effect on the Battle of Sekigahara, which came soon afterwards, and which marked the final victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu over all his rivals.
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Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] (
listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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India
India (i/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
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Jakarta
Jakarta (
/dʒəˈkɑrtə/), officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta (Indonesian: Daerah Khusus Ibu Kota Jakarta), is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Located on the northwest coast of Java, Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre, and with a population of 10,187,595 as of November 2011, it is the most populous city in Indonesia and in Southeast Asia, and is the twelfth-largest city in the world. The official metropolitan area, known as Jabodetabekjur, is the second largest in the world, yet the city's suburbs still continue beyond it. Jakarta is listed as a global city in the 2008 Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) research. and has an area of 661 square kilometres (255 sq mi)
Based on Brooking Institute survey about growth, in 2011 Jakarta ranked 17th among the world's 200 largest cities, a significant jumps from 2007 when Jakarta ranked 171st. Jakarta has seen more rapid growth than Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Bangkok.
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Japan
Japan
i/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 
Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.
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Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate (Japanese: 鎌倉幕府, Kamakura bakufu) was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 (or 1192, when it was formally recognized) to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate. From 1203 onwards, the family of the first Shogun Yoritomo's wife, the Hōjō clan, effectively had total control over the nation with the title Shikken (Regent), setting up a Hojo family court that discussed and made most of the significant decisions.
Before the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, civil power in Japan was primarily held by the ruling emperors and their regents, typically appointed from the ranks of the imperial court and the aristocratic clans that vied there. Military affairs were handled under the auspices of the civil government. However, after defeating the Taira clan in the Genpei War, Minamoto no Yoritomo seized certain powers from the aristocracy in 1185 and was given the title of shogun in 1192. The system of government he established became formalized as the shogunate.
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Kamakura Shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate (Japanese: 鎌倉幕府, Kamakura bakufu) was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 (or 1192, when it was formally recognized) to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate. From 1203 onwards, the family of the first Shogun Yoritomo's wife, the Hōjō clan, effectively had total control over the nation with the title Shikken (Regent), setting up a Hojo family court that discussed and made most of the significant decisions.
Before the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, civil power in Japan was primarily held by the ruling emperors and their regents, typically appointed from the ranks of the imperial court and the aristocratic clans that vied there. Military affairs were handled under the auspices of the civil government. However, after defeating the Taira clan in the Genpei War, Minamoto no Yoritomo seized certain powers from the aristocracy in 1185 and was given the title of shogun in 1192. The system of government he established became formalized as the shogunate.
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Korea
Korea (/kəˈriːə/ kə-REE-ə; Korean: 한국 Hanguk [hanɡuːk] or 조선 Joseon [tɕosʌn] – (see etymology) is an East Asian region that is divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea), and separated from Taiwan to the south by the East China Sea.
Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest the origins of the Korean people might have been Altaic language-speaking people from south-central Siberia,[dubious – discuss] who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age. The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
The Three Kingdoms of Korea was first united during the Silla dynasty under the king Munmu of Silla. The united Silla dynasty fell to Goryeo Dynasty in 935 at the end of Later Three Kingdoms of Korea era. Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in the 14th century, using the world's first movable metal type printing press. The Mongol invasions in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation which was forced to become a tributary state. After the Mongol Empire's collapse, severe political strife followed and Goryeo was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388.
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Kyoto
Kyoto (京都市, Kyōto-shi?, "Capital City") (Japanese pronunciation: [kʲoːto] ( listen)) is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area.
Although archaeological evidence places the first human settlement on the islands of Japan to approximately 10,000 BC, relatively little is known about human activity in the area before the 6th century AD, around which time the Shimogamo Shrine is believed to have been established. During the 8th century, when powerful Buddhist clergy became involved in the affairs of the Imperial government, the Emperor chose to relocate the capital to a region far from the Buddhist influence. Emperor Kammu selected the village of Uda, at the time in the Kadono district of Yamashiro Province, for this honor.
The new city, Heian-kyō (平安京, "tranquility and peace capital"), a scaled replica of the then Tang capital Chang'an, became the seat of Japan's imperial court in 794, beginning the Heian period of Japanese history. Although military rulers established their governments either in Kyoto (Muromachi shogunate) or in other cities such as Kamakura (Kamakura shogunate) and Edo (Tokugawa shogunate), Kyoto remained Japan's capital until the transfer of the imperial court to Tokyo in 1869 at the time of the Imperial Restoration. (Some believe that it is still a legal capital: see Capital of Japan.)
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Portugal
Portugali/ˈpɔrtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, IPA: [puɾtuˈɣaɫ]), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa) is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula . Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are part of Portugal. The country is named after its second largest city, Porto, whose Latin name was Portus Cale.
The land within the borders of the current Portuguese Republic has been continuously settled since prehistoric times: occupied by Celts like the Gallaeci and the Lusitanians, integrated into the Roman Republic and later settled by Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Swabians, Vandals and the Visigoths. In the 8th century most of the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by Moorish invaders professing Islam, which were later expelled by the Knights Templar under the Order of Christ. During the Christian Reconquista, Portugal established itself as an independent kingdom from León in 1139, claiming to be the oldest European nation state.
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Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire (Portuguese: Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire (Ultramar Português) or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (Império Colonial Português), was the first global empire in history. In addition, it was the longest-lived of the modern European colonial empires, spanning almost six centuries, from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the handover of Macau in 1999 or the grant of sovereignty to East Timor in 2002. The empire spread throughout a vast number of territories that are now part of 53 different sovereign states.
Portuguese sailors began exploring the coast of Africa in 1419, using recent developments in navigation, cartography and maritime technology such as the caravel, in order that they might find a sea route to the source of the lucrative spice trade. In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and in 1498, Vasco da Gama reached India. In 1500, either by an accidental landfall or by the crown's secret design, Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil on the South American coast. Over the following decades, Portuguese sailors continued to explore the coasts and islands of East Asia, establishing forts and factories as they went. By 1571, a string of outposts connected Lisbon to Nagasaki along the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, India, and Asia. This commercial network brought great wealth to Portugal.
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Rome
Rome (/ˈroʊm/; Italian: Roma pronounced [ˈroːma] ( listen); Latin: Rōma) is a city and special comune ("Roma Capitale") in Italy. Rome is the capital of Italy and the capital of Lazio (Latin: Latium). With 2.8 million residents in 1,285.3 km2 (496.3 sq mi), it is also the country's largest and most populated comune and fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. Between 3.2 and 3.7 million people live in the Rome metropolitan area. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.
Rome's history spans two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which was the dominant power in Western Europe and the lands bordering the Mediterranean for over seven hundred years from the 1st century BC until the 7th century AD and the city is regarded as one of the birthplaces of western civilization. Since the 1st century AD Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.
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Silla
Silla (57 BC – 935 AD) (Korean pronunciation: [ɕilːa]) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in Asian history. Although it was founded by King Park Hyeokgeose, who is also known to be the originator of the Korean family name Park (박, 朴), the dynasty was to see the Gyeongju Kim (김, 金) clan hold rule for most of its 992-year history. What began as a chiefdom in the Samhan confederacies, once allied with China, Silla eventually conquered the other two kingdoms, Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. Thereafter, Unified Silla or Later Silla, as it is often referred to, occupied most of the Korean Peninsula, while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae, a successor-state of Goguryeo. After nearly 1000 years of rule, Silla fragmented into the brief Later Three Kingdoms, handing over power to its successor dynasty Goryeo in 935.
From its founding until its growth into a full-fledged kingdom, Silla was recorded with various hanja phonetically approximating its native Korean name: 斯盧 (사로, Saro), 斯羅 (사라, Sara), 徐那(伐) (서나[벌], Seona[beol]), 徐耶(伐) (서야[벌], Seoya[beol]), 徐羅(伐) (서라[벌], Seora[beol]), and 徐伐 (서벌, Seobeol). In 503, King Jijeung standardized on the characters 新羅(신라), which in Modern Korean is pronounced "Shilla".
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Tokyo Station
Tokyo Station (東京駅, Tōkyō-eki?) is a railway station in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district.
It is the main intercity rail terminal in Tokyo, the busiest station in Japan in terms of number of trains per day (over 3,000), and the fifth-busiest in Eastern Japan in terms of passenger throughput. It is the starting point and terminus for most of Japan's Shinkansen high-speed rail lines, and is served by many local and regional commuter lines of Japan Railways, as well as the Tokyo Metro network.
The following lines pass through or terminate at Tokyo Station:
The station is linked by underground passageways to the Ōtemachi underground (subway) station complex served by the Tōzai, Chiyoda, Hanzōmon, and Mita subway lines.
It is also possible to walk to the Nijūbashimae, Hibiya, Yūrakuchō, Ginza, and Higashi-ginza Stations completely underground (the last a distance of over 2 km), but these stations can usually be reached more quickly by train.
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
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Yaesu
Yaesu (八重洲?) is a neighborhood in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, located north of Ginza, west of Nihonbashi and Kyōbashi, and adjacent to the east side of Tokyo Station. The Yaesu exit, which faces Nihonbashi, is recent and primarily provides access to the Shinkansen platforms.
The area was named after the 17th century Dutch adventurer Jan Joosten, who, for his services to Tokugawa Ieyasu, was granted a house in Edo (today's Tokyo). The area came to be called Yayosu Quay after him—his name was pronounced yan yōs'ten in Japanese—and the name exists in the name of Yaesu side of Tokyo Station. Yaesu Avenue has a monument dedicated to Jan Joosten and his life after his arrival in Japan on the Liefde with William Adams.
35°40′48″N 139°46′11″E / 35.680104°N 139.769806°E / 35.680104; 139.769806Coordinates: 35°40′48″N 139°46′11″E / 35.680104°N 139.769806°E / 35.680104; 139.769806 (Yaesu Avenue)
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Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty (Chinese: 元朝, p Yuán Cháo; Mongolian: Их Юань улс) was the branch of Mongol Borjigin dynasty established by Kublai Khan. Although the Mongols had ruled northern China for decades, it was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan officially proclaimed the dynasty in the traditional Chinese style. His realm – the Great Yuan Empire (t 大元帝國, s 大元帝国, p Dà Yuán Dìguó) – was by this point isolated from the other khanates and controlled only most of present-day China and its surrounding areas including modern Mongolia. It was the first non-Han dynasty to rule all of China and lasted until 1368, after which its remnants in Mongolia were known as the Northern Yuan.
The Yuan is considered both a successor to the Mongol Empire and as an imperial Chinese dynasty. In official Chinese histories, the Yuan Dynasty bore the Mandate of Heaven, following the Song Dynasty and preceding the Ming Dynasty. Although the dynasty was established by Kublai Khan, he placed his grandfather Genghis Khan on the imperial records as the official founder of the dynasty as Taizu.
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Akechi Mitsuhide
Akechi Mitsuhide (明智 光秀?, 1528? – July 2, 1582 Japanese calendar 6th month 13th day), nicknamed Jūbei or called Koretō Hyūga no Kami (惟任日向守?) from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.
Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji.
His birthplace is not specified but is inferred to be in Kyoto or in Kani of Mino Province—now Gifu Prefecture. Toki-Akechi is a descendant of the shugo Toki clan. Mitsuhide began serving Nobunaga after the latter's conquest of Mino province in 1566 and received Sakamoto (in Omi, 100,000 koku) in 1571. Before serving Nobunaga, Mitsuhide had served Ashikaga Yoshiaki after Asakura Yoshikage. Although Nobunaga rarely put too much trust in his retainers, he particularly trusted Shibata Katsuie, Hashiba Hideyoshi, and Akechi Mitsuhide. Akechi Mitushide was the first subordinate who received a castle from Nobunaga. After Mitsuhide received Sakamoto he moved to pacify the Tamba region by defeating several clans such as Hatanao and the Isshiki of Tango. Mitsuhide also received Kamiyama castle and the Tanba region.
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Asakura Norikage
Asakura Norikage (朝倉 教景?, 1477 – September 23, 1555), also known as Asakura Sōteki (朝倉 宗滴), was the eighth son of Asakura Toshikage and a powerful figure during the early Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan.
In 1506, he led the Asakura to victory against militant monks from Hongan-ji in battle at the Kuzuryu River, despite unfavorable numbers.
In 1548, he became a priest and changed his name to Soteki; however, this did not keep him from engaging in war.
He engaged in his last campaign at the age of 79 against Ikko adherents. He died of natural causes during this campaign.
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Asakura Yoshikage
Asakura Yoshikage (朝倉 義景?, October 12, 1533 – September 16, 1573) was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, who ruled a part of Echizen Province.
Born in Ichijodani Echizen, Yoshikage ascended to the head of the Asakura clan in 1548. He proved to be adept at political and diplomatic management, markedly demonstrated by the Asakura negotiations with the Ikkō-ikki in Echizen. As a result of the negotiations and effective governance by Yoshikage, Echizen enjoyed a period of relative domestic stability compared to the rest of Sengoku era Japan. Consequently, Echizen became a site for refugees fleeing the violence in the Kansai region.
It is said that Yoshikage's tragic flaw was indecision. After the capture of Kyoto, Ashikaga Yoshiaki appointed him regent and requested Asakura aid in driving Nobunaga out of the capital. As a result, Oda Nobunaga launched an invasion of Echizen. Due to Yoshikage’s lack of military skill, Oda's forces were successful at the Siege of Kanegasaki, leaving the entire Asakura domain open to invasion.
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Ashikaga Yoshimasa
Ashikaga Yoshimasa (足利 義政?, January 20, 1435 – January 27, 1490) was the 8th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1449 to 1473 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimasa was the son of the sixth shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori.
On the August 16, 1443 (Kakitsu 3, 21st day of the 7th month), 10-year-old shogun Yoshikatsu died of injuries sustained in a fall from a horse. He had been shogun for only three years. Immediately, the bakufu elevated Yoshinari, the young shogun's even younger brother, to be the new shogun. Several years after becoming shogun, Yoshinari changed his name to Yoshimasa, by which name he is better known.
Significant events which shaped the period during which Yoshimasa was shogun:
A number of decisions lead eventually to armed conflict:
By 1464, Yoshimasa had no heir, so he adopted his younger brother, Ashikaga Yoshimi, in order to avoid any conflicts which might arise at the end of his shogunate. However, in the next year, Yoshimasa was surprised by the birth of a son. The infant's birth created a conflict between the two brothers over who would follow Yoshimasa as shogun. By 1467 the simmering dispute had evolved, encouraging a split amongst the powerful daimyō and clan factions. The armed conflict which ensued has come to be known as the Ōnin War. This armed contest marks the beginning the Sengoku period of Japanese history, a troubled period of constant military clashes which would last over a century. A number of developments affect the unfolding Ōnin War's battles:
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Carl Steenstrup
Carl Steenstrup (born in 1934 in Vaasa, Finland) is a Danish translator of Japanese literature.
Carl Steenstrup is known for translating several works of Japanese literature, mostly those relating to the historical development of Bushido, Japanese Feudal Law, and the Kakun (House Codes) of famous Samurai Leaders Hōjō Shigetoki and Imagawa Ryoshun. Steenstrup's dissertation at Harvard University was entitled Hôjô Shigetoki (1198–1261) and his Role in the History of Political and Ethical Ideas in Japan.
He was a civil servant for the Danish Government from 1952 to 1985 and Professor of Japanese History at Munich University (1985 to 2000). From 1971 to 1972 he was a lecturer in Nordic languages for Tōkai University in Tokyo, Japan. Until his retirement, he lectured at Humboldt University in Berlin, and the Government Academy of Law and Economics in Irkutsk.
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Confucius
Confucius (551–479 BC) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history.
The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity. His followers competed successfully with many other schools during the Hundred Schools of Thought era only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin Dynasty. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius's thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known as Confucianism.
Confucius is traditionally credited with having authored or edited many of the Chinese classic texts including all of the Five Classics, but modern scholars are cautious of attributing specific assertions to Confucius himself. Aphorisms concerning his teachings were compiled in the Analects, but only many years after his death.
Confucius's principles had a basis in common Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong family loyalty, ancestor worship, respect of elders by their children (and in traditional interpretations of husbands by their wives), and family as a basis for ideal government. He espoused the well-known principle "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself", an early version of the Golden Rule.
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Date Masamune
Date Masamune (伊達 政宗?, September 5, 1567 – June 27, 1636) was a regional strongman of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyo in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he was made all the more iconic for his missing eye, and Date was often called dokuganryū (独眼竜), or the "one-eyed dragon".
As a legendary warrior and leader, Masamune is a character in a number of Japanese period dramas. He was played by Ken Watanabe in the popular 1987 NHK series Dokuganryu Masamune.
Date Masamune was the eldest son of Date Terumune, born in Yonezawa Castle (in modern Yamagata Prefecture). At the age of 14 in 1581 Masamune led his first campaign, helping his father fight the Sōma family. In 1584, at the age of 17, Masamune succeeded his father, Terumune, who chose to retire from his position as daimyo. The Date family was founded in the early Kamakura period by Isa Tomomune, who originally came from the Isa district of Hitachi Province (now Ibaraki Prefecture). The family took its name from the Date district (now Fukushima Prefecture) of Mutsu Province, which had been awarded to Isa Tomomune by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Kamakura shogun, for his assistance in the Genpei War (1180–85) and in Minamoto no Yoritomo’s struggle for power with his brother, Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Masamune's army was recognized by its black armor and golden headgear.
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Eiji Yoshikawa
Eiji Yoshikawa (吉川 英治, Yoshikawa Eiji?, August 11, 1892 – September 7, 1962) was a well known Japanese historical novelist. Among his most well-known novels, most are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as The Tale of the Heike, Tale of Genji, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, many of which he retold in his own style. As an example, the original manuscript of Taiko is 15 volumes, Yoshikawa took up the job to retell it in a more accessible tone, and reduced it to only two volumes. His other books also serve similar purposes and, although most of his novels are not original works, he created a huge amount of work and a renewed interest in the past. He was awarded the Cultural Order of Merit in 1960 (the highest award for a man of letters in Japan), the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Mainichi Art Award just before his death from cancer in 1962. He is cited as one of the best historical novelists in Japan.
He was born Hidetsugu Yoshikawa (吉川英次, Yoshikawa Hidetsugu?) in Kanagawa Prefecture, in what is now a part of Yokohama. Because of his father's failed business, he had to drop out of primary school to work when he was 11 years old. When he was 18, after a near-fatal accident working at the Yokohama docks, he moved to Tokyo and became an apprentice in a gold lacquer workshop. Around this time he became interested in comic haiku. He joined a poetry society and started writing comic haiku under the pseudonym "Kijiro."
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Emishi
The Emishi or Ebisu (蝦夷?) constituted a group of people who lived in northeastern Honshū in the Tōhoku region which was referred to as michi no oku (道の奥?) in contemporary sources. Some Emishi tribes resisted the rule of the Japanese Emperors during the late Nara and early Heian periods (7th–10th centuries CE). More recently, scholars believe that they were natives of northern Honshū and were descendants of those who developed the Jōmon culture. They are thought to have been related to the Ainu. The separate ethnic status of the Emishi is not in doubt; this understanding is based upon a language that is separate from Japanese and that scholars have been unable to reconstruct.
The Emishi were represented by different tribes, some of whom became allies of the Japanese (fushu, ifu) and others of whom remained hostile (iteki). The Emishi in northeastern Honshū relied on their horses in warfare. They developed a unique style of warfare where horse archery and hit-and-run tactics proved very effective against the slower contemporary Japanese imperial army that mostly relied on heavy infantry. Their livelihood was based on hunting and gathering as well as on the cultivation of grains such as millet and barley. Recently, it has been thought that they practiced rice cultivation in areas where rice could be easily grown. The first major attempts to subjugate the Emishi in the 8th century were largely unsuccessful. The imperial armies, which were modeled after the mainland Chinese armies, were no match for the guerrilla tactics of the Emishi.
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Emperor Kammu
Emperor Kammu (桓武天皇, Kanmu-tennō?, 737–806) was the 50th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Kammu reigned from 781 to 806.
Kammu's personal name (imina) was Yamabe (山部?). He was the eldest son of Prince Shirakabe (later known as Emperor Kōnin), and was born prior to Shirakabe's ascension to the throne. According to the Shoku Nihongi (続日本紀?), Yamabe's mother, Yamato no Niigasa (later called Takano no Niigasa), was a 10th generation descendant of King Muryeong of Baekje.
After his father, Kōnin, became emperor, Kammu's half-brother Prince Osabe was appointed to the rank of crown prince. His mother Princess Inoe was a daughter of Emperor Shōmu; but instead of Prince Osabe, it was Kammu who was later named to succeed their father. After Princess Inoe and Prince Osabe were confined and then died in 775, Prince Osabe's sister – Kammu's half-sister Princess Sakahito – became Kammu's wife. Later, when he ascended to the throne in 781, Kammu appointed his young brother, Prince Sawara, whose mother was Takano no Niigasa, as crown prince. Hikami no Kawatsugu, a son of Emperor Temmu's grandson Prince Shioyaki and Shōmu's daughter Princess Fuwa, attempted to carry out a coup d'état in 782, but it failed and Kawatsugu and his mother were sent into exile. In 785, Prince Sawara was expelled and died in exile.
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Emperor Meiji
The Emperor Meiji (明治天皇, Meiji-tennō?) (3 November 1852 – 30 July 1912) or Meiji the Great (明治大帝, Meiji-taitei?) was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death. He presided over a time of rapid change in Japan, as the nation rose from a feudal shogunate to become a world power.
His personal name was Mutsuhito (睦仁?), and although outside of Japan he is sometimes called by this name or Emperor Mutsuhito, in Japan deceased emperors are referred to only by their posthumous names.
At the time of his birth in 1852, Japan was an isolated, pre-industrial, feudal country dominated by the Tokugawa Shogunate and the daimyo, who ruled over the country's more than 250 decentralized domains. By the time of his death in 1912, Japan had undergone a political, social, and industrial revolution at home (See Meiji Restoration) and emerged as one of the great powers on the world stage.
A detailed account of the state funeral in the New York Times concluded with an observation: "The contrast between that which preceded the funeral car and that which followed it was striking indeed. Before it went old Japan; after it came new Japan."
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Emperor Mommu
Emperor Mommu (文武天皇, Monmu-tennō?, 683–707) was the 42nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Mommu's reign spanned the years from 697 through 707.
Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) was Karu-shinnō.
He was a grandson of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jitō. He was the second son of Prince Kusakabe. Mommu's mother was Princess Abe, a daughter of Emperor Tenji. Mommu's mother would later accede to the throne herself, and she would be known as Empress Gemmei.
Karu-shinnō was only six years old when his father, Crown Prince Kusakabe, died.
Emperor Mommu ruled until his death in 707, at which point he was succeeded by his mother, Empress Gemmei, who was also his first cousin once removed and his first cousin twice removed. He left a young son by Fujiwara no Miyako, a daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito: Obito no miko (Prince Obito), who eventually became Emperor Shōmu.
Emperor Mommu's reign lasted 10 years. He died at the age of 25.
The actual site of Mommu's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara.
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Emperor Tenji
Emperor Tenji (天智天皇, Tenji-tennō?, 626 – January 7, 671), also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Tenji's reign spanned the years from 661 through 671.
He was the son of Emperor Jomei, but was preceded as ruler by his mother Empress Saimei.
Prior to his accession, he was known as Prince Naka-no-Ōe (中大兄皇子, Naka-no-Ōe no Ōji?).
As prince, Naka no Ōe played a crucial role in ending the near-total control the Soga clan had over the imperial family. In 644, seeing the Soga continue to gain power, he conspired with Nakatomi no Kamatari and Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro to assassinate Soga no Iruka in what has come to be known as the Isshi Incident. Although the assassination did not go exactly as planned, Iruka was killed, and his father and predecessor, Soga no Emishi, committed suicide soon after. Following the Isshi Incident, Iruka's adherents dispersed largely without a fight, and Naka no Ōe was named heir apparent. He also married the daughter of his ally Soga no Kurayamada, thus ensuring that a significant portion of the Soga clan's power was on his side.
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Enomoto Takeaki
Viscount Enomoto Takeaki (榎本 武揚?, 5 October 1836 – 26 October 1908) was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War. He later served in the Meiji government as one of the founders of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Enomoto was born as a member of a samurai family in the direct service of the Tokugawa clan in the Shitaya district of Edo (modern Taito, Tokyo). Enomoto started learning Dutch in the 1850s, and after Japan's forced "opening" by Commodore Matthew Perry in 1854, he studied at the Tokugawa shogunate's Naval Training Center in Nagasaki and at the Tsukiji Warship Training Center in Edo.
At the age of 26, Enomoto was sent to the Netherlands to study western techniques in naval warfare and to procure western technologies. He stayed in Europe from 1862 to 1867, and became fluent in both the Dutch and English languages.
Enomoto returned to Japan onboard the Kaiyō Maru, a steam warship purchased from the Netherlands by the Shogunal government. During his stay in Europe, Enomoto had realized that the telegraph would be an important means of communication in the future, and started planning a system to connect Edo and Yokohama. Upon his return, Enomoto was promoted to Kaigun Fukusosai (海軍副総裁?), the second highest rank in the Tokugawa Navy, at the age of 31. He also received the court title of Izumi-no-kami (和泉守?).
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Felice Beato
Felice Beato (1832 – 29 January 1909), also known as Felix Beato, was an Italian–British photographer. He was one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the first war photographers. He is noted for his genre works, portraits, and views and panoramas of the architecture and landscapes of Asia and the Mediterranean region. Beato's travels gave him the opportunity to create images of countries, people, and events that were unfamiliar and remote to most people in Europe and North America. His work provides images of such events as the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the Second Opium War, and represents the first substantial oeuvre of photojournalism. He had an impact on other photographers, and his influence in Japan, where he taught and worked with numerous other photographers and artists, was particularly deep and lasting.
A death certificate discovered in 2009 shows that Beato was born in Venice in 1832 and died on 29 January 1909 in Florence. The death certificate also indicates that he was a British subject and a bachelor. It is likely that early in his life Beato and his family moved to Corfu, at the time part of the British protectorate of the Ionian Islands, and so Beato was a British subject.
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Hasekura Tsunenaga
Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga (or "Francisco Felipe Faxicura", as he was baptized in Spain) (1571–1622) (Japanese: 支倉六右衛門常長, also spelled Faxecura Rocuyemon in period European sources, reflecting the contemporary pronunciation of Japanese) was a Japanese samurai and retainer of Date Masamune, the daimyo of Sendai.
In the years 1613 through 1620, Hasekura headed a diplomatic mission to the Vatican in Rome, traveling through New Spain (arriving in Acapulco and departing from Veracruz) and visiting various ports-of-call in Europe. This historic mission is called the Keichō Embassy (慶長使節), and follows the Tenshō embassy (天正使節) of 1582. On the return trip, Hasekura and his companions re-traced their route across Mexico in 1619, sailing from Acapulco for Manila, and then sailing north to Japan in 1620. He is conventionally considered the first Japanese ambassador in the Americas and in Europe.
Although Hasekura's embassy was cordially received in Europe, it happened at a time when Japan was moving toward the suppression of Christianity. European monarchs such as the King of Spain thus refused the trade agreements Hasekura had been seeking. Hasekura returned to Japan in 1620 and died of illness a year later, his embassy seemingly ending with few results in an increasingly isolationist Japan.
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Hattori Hanzō
Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵?, ~1542 – December 23, 1596), also known as Hattori Masanari (服部 正成?), was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of varied portrayal in modern popular culture.
Hanzō was born as the son of Hattori Yasunaga, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa) clan. He would later earn the nickname Oni no Hanzō (鬼の半蔵, Devil Hanzō?) because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations; this is to distinguish him from Watanabe Hanzo (Watanabe Moritsuna), who is nicknamed Yari no Hanzō (槍の半蔵, Spear Hanzō?).
Though Hanzō was born and raised in Mikawa Province, he often returned to Iga Province, home of the Hattori family. He fought his first battle at the age of 16 (a night-time attack on Udo castle) and went on to serve with distinction at the battles of Anegawa (1570) and Mikatagahara (1572). His most valuable contribution came in 1582 following Oda Nobunaga's death, when he led the future shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to safety in Mikawa Province across Iga territory with the help of remnants of the local Iga ninja clans as well as their one-time rivals in Koga. According to some sources, Hanzō also helped in rescuing the captured family of Ieyasu.
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Honda Tadakatsu
Honda Tadakatsu (本多 忠勝?, March 17, 1548 – December 3, 1610), also called Honda Heihachirō (本多 平八郎), was a Japanese general (and later a daimyo) of the late Sengoku through early Edo period, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings along with Ii Naomasa, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Sakai Tadatsugu.
A native of Mikawa Province in Japan, he lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods. Ieyasu promoted him from daimyo of the Ōtaki han (100 000 koku) to the Kuwana han (150 000 koku) as a reward for his service. In addition, his son Honda Tadatomo became daimyo of Ōtaki. In 1609, he retired, and his other son Tadamasa took over Kuwana. His grandson, Tadatoki, married the granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Senhime. Despite his years of loyal service, Tadakatsu became increasingly estranged from the Tokugawa shogunate (bakufu) as it evolved from a military to a civilian political institution. This was a fate shared by many other warriors of the time, who were not able to make the conversion from the chaotic lifetime of warfare of the Sengoku period to the more stable peace of the Tokugawa shogunate.
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Hōjō Ujimasa
Hōjō Ujimasa (北条 氏政?, 1538 – August 10, 1590) was the fourth head of the late Hōjō clan, and daimyo of Odawara.
Ujimasa commanded in many battles, consolidating his clan's position, and retired in 1590. His son Hōjō Ujinao became head of the clan and lord of Odawara, but later that year they failed to hold Odawara against the forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (see Siege of Odawara (1590)). Ujimasa was forced to commit suicide along with his brother Ujiteru.
Like many samurai who committed seppuku in the face of shameful defeat, Ujimasa composed a death poem:
(雨雲の おほへる月も 胸の霧も はらひにけりな 秋の夕風)
(我が身今 消ゆとやいかに 思ふべき 空より来たり 空へ帰れば)
(吹きとふく 風な恨みそ 花の春 紅葉も残る 秋あらばこそ)
Hōjō Ujimasa appears in Koei's video games Kessen, Samurai Warriors 2, Samurai Warriors 3 and Warriors Orochi., also in Capcom's Sengoku Basara, Sengoku Basara 2, and Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes. He also appears in The Creative Assembly's Total War: Shogun, and Total War: Shogun 2.
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Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola (Basque: Iñigo Loiolakoa, Spanish: Ignacio de Loyola) (1491 – July 31, 1556) was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation. Loyola's devotion to the Catholic Church was characterized by unquestioning obedience to the Catholic Church's authority and hierarchy.
After being seriously wounded at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, he underwent a spiritual conversion while in recovery. De Vita Christi by Ludolph of Saxony inspired Loyola to abandon his previous military life and devote himself to labour for God, following the example of spiritual leaders such as Francis of Assisi. He experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus while at the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat in March 1522. Thereafter he went to Manresa, where he began praying for seven hours a day, often in a nearby cave, while formulating the fundamentals of the Spiritual Exercises. In September 1523, Loyola reached the Holy Land to settle there, but was sent back to Europe by the Franciscans.
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Ii Naotaka
Ii Naotaka (井伊 直孝?, March 16, 1590 – August 16, 1659) was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period who served under the Tokugawa shogunate. He was the son of the famous Tokugawa general Ii Naomasa.
Naotaka served in the Siege of Osaka in his brother Naokatsu's stead, where he would gain tremendous favor for his exploits at Tennoji. After the battle, he would be granted his brother's lands at Sawayama in Omi province. He would finish the construction of Hikone castle in 1622, a project which had been started by his brother in 1603.
Both Naotaka and his father Naomasa are playable characters from the Eastern Army in the original Kessen.
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Ikeda Nagaoki
Ikeda Nagaoki (池田 長発?, August 23, 1837 – September 12, 1879), formally "Ikeda Chikugo no kami Nagaoki", was the governor of small villages of Ibara, Bitchū Province (Okayama Prefecture), Japan, during the end of the Tokugawa shogunate.
He was, at 27, the head of the Second Japanese Embassy to Europe (Japanese:第２回遣欧使節), also called the Ikeda Mission, sent in 1863-1864 by the Tokugawa shogunate to negotiate the cancellation of the open-port status of Yokohama. The mission was sent following the 1863 "Order to expel barbarians" (攘夷実行の勅命) edicted by Emperor Kōmei, and the Bombardment of Shimonoseki incidents, in a wish to close again the country to Western influence, and return to sakoku status.
Nagaoki left with a mission of 36 men on a French warship, stopped in Shanghai, India and Cairo through the Suez canal. His mission visited the pyramids, a feat which Antonio Beato photographed at the time. He finally arrived in Marseille and then Paris, where he met with Napoleon III and with Philipp Franz von Siebold. He stayed at the Grand Hotel in Paris.
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Imagawa Sadayo
Imagawa Sadayo (今川 貞世?, 1326 - 1420), also known as Imagawa Ryōshun (今川 了俊?), was a renowned Japanese poet and military commander who served as tandai ("constable") of Kyūshū under the Ashikaga Bakufu from 1371 to 1395. His father, Imagawa Norikuni, had been a supporter of the first Ashikaga Shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, and for his services had been granted the position of constable of Suruga province (modern-day Shizuoka prefecture). This promotion increased the prestige of the Imagawa family (a warrior family dating from the Muromachi period, which was related by blood to the Ashikaga shoguns) considerably, and they remained an important family through to the Edo period.
During his early years Sadayo was taught Buddhism, Confucianism and Chinese, archery, and the military arts such as strategy and horse-back riding by his father (governor of the Tōkaidō provinces Tōtōmi and Suruga), along with poetry, which was to become one of his greatest passions. In his twenties he studied under Tamemoto of the Kyogoku school of poetry, and Reizei Tamehide of the Reizei school. At some point, he was appointed to head the boards of retainers and coadjudicators. He had taken religious vows when the Ashikaga Bakufu called upon him to travel to Kyūshū and assume the post of constable of the region in 1370 after the failure of the previous constable to quell the rebel uprisings in the region, largely consisting of partisans of the Souther Court supporting one of the rebellious Emperor Go-Daigo's sons, Prince Kanenaga. By 1374-1375, Sadayo had crushed the rebellion, securing for the Bakufu northern Kyūshū, and ensuring the eventual failure of the rebellion and the consequent success of the Bakufu Shogunate.
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John Ford
John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American film director. He was famous for both his Westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath. His four Academy Awards for Best Director (1935, 1940, 1941, 1952) is a record, and one of those films, How Green Was My Valley, also won Best Picture.
In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ford directed more than 140 films (although nearly all of his silent films are now lost) and he is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. Ford's films and personality were held in high regard by his colleagues, with Ingmar Bergman and Orson Welles among those who have named him as one of the greatest directors of all time.
In particular, Ford was a pioneer of location shooting and the long shot which frames his characters against a vast, harsh and rugged natural terrain.
Ford was born John Martin "Jack" Feeney (though he later often gave his given names as Sean Aloysius, sometimes with surname O'Feeny or O'Fearna; an Irish language equivalent of Feeney) in Cape Elizabeth, Maine to John Augustine Feeney and Barbara "Abbey" Curran, on February 1, 1894 (though he occasionally said 1895 and that date is erroneously inscribed on his tombstone). His father, John Augustine, was born in Spiddal,County Galway, Ireland in 1854. Barbara Curran had been born in the Aran Islands, in the town of Kilronan on the island of Inishmore (Inis Mór). John A. Feeney's grandmother, Barbara Morris, was said to be a member of a local (impoverished) gentry family, the Morrises of Spiddal, headed at present by Lord Killanin.
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Katō Kiyomasa
Katō Kiyomasa (加藤 清正?, July 25, 1562 – August 2, 1611) was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo period.
Kiyomasa was born in what is now Nakamura-ku, Nagoya (situated in contemporary Aichi District, Owari Province) to Katō Kiyotada. Kiyotada's wife, Ito, was a cousin of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mother. Kiyotada died while his son (then known as Toranosuke) was still young. Soon after, Toranosuke entered service with Hideyoshi, and in 1576, at age 14, was granted a revenue of 170 koku. He fought in Hideyoshi's army at the Battle of Yamazaki, and later, at the Battle of Shizugatake. Owing to his distinguished conduct in that battle, he became known as one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake. Hideyoshi rewarded Kiyomasa with an increased revenue of 3000 koku.
When Hideyoshi became the kampaku in the summer of 1585, Kiyomasa received the court title of Kazue no Kami (主計頭) and junior 5th court rank, lower grade (ju go-i no ge 従五位下). In 1586, after Higo Province was confiscated from Sassa Narimasa, he was granted 250,000 koku of land in Higo (roughly half of the province), and given Kumamoto Castle as his provincial residence.
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Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga (小西 行長, baptised under the personal name Agostinho (Portuguese for Augustine); 1555 – November 6, 1600) was a Kirishitan daimyō under Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Konishi Yukinaga was the son of a wealthy Sakai merchant, Konishi Ryūsa. His wife was also baptised under the name of Maria.
In 1587, during the Invasion of Kyushu, he quelled the local uprising in Higo Province and was awarded a fief in that province.
Yukinaga led the initial forces under Toyotomi Hideyoshi to invade Korea in the Seven-Year War. He was noted for his role in the capture of Busan and Seoul and the defensive at Pyongyang. Afterwards, his vassal, Naitō Joan acted as the envoy to negotiate peace with Ming China.
In order to achieve a truce, he negotiated a false surrender to China, although to Toyotomi Hideyoshi it was a truce between two equal states. Later, a Ming envoy came to Japan to award Toyotomi the position of the King of Japan. This enraged Hideyoshi and exposed the truth behind Yukinaga's earlier diplomatic mission and resultant deception. Despite the charge of disloyalty, Yukinaga again led forces alongside Katō Kiyomasa to invade Korea a second time. He defended Suncheon Castle, and repelled Ming (China) and Joseon allied forces.
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Kusunoki Masashige
Kusunoki Masashige (楠木 正成?, 1294 - July 4, 1336) was a 14th century samurai who fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in his attempt to wrest rulership of Japan away from the Kamakura shogunate and is remembered as the ideal of samurai loyalty.
A brilliant tactician and strategist, Kusunoki's cunning defense of two key Loyalist fortresses at Akasaka and Chihaya helped allow Go-Daigo to briefly return to power. However, one of the loyalist generals, Ashikaga Takauji, betrayed Go-Daigo and led an army against Kusunoki and the remaining loyalists. Kusunoki suggested to the Emperor that they take refuge on sacred Mount Hiei and allow Takauji to take Kyoto, only to swoop down from the mountain, and with the help of the monks of Mount Hiei, trap Takauji in the city and destroy him.
Go-Daigo was unwilling to leave the capital however, and insisted that Kusunoki meet Takauji's superior forces in the field in a pitched battle. Kusunoki, in what would later be viewed as the ultimate act of samurai loyalty, obediently accepted his Emperor's foolish command, left his death poem with his young son Masatsura and knowingly marched his army into almost certain death. The battle, which took place at Minatogawa in modern-day Chūō-ku, Kobe, was a tactical disaster. Kusunoki, his army completely surrounded, down to only 73 of the original 700 horsemen, committed suicide along with his brother Masasue, 11 close clan members, and 60 others. According to legend, his brother's last words were Shichisei Hōkoku! (七生報國; "Would that I had seven lives to give for my country!") and Kusunoki Masashige agreed. There are two accounts of arguments that Kusunoki Masashige made to emperor Go-Daigo. One was that they regroup and attack from two sides, the other was that they bring back general Takauji to their side thus balancing the scales. Both arguments were ignored.
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Matsudaira Katamori
Matsudaira Katamori (松平 容保?, February 15, 1836−December 5, 1893) was a samurai who lived in the last days of the Edo period and the early to mid Meiji period. He was the 9th daimyo of the Aizu han and the Military Commissioner of Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period. During the Boshin War, Katamori and the Aizu han fought against the Meiji Government armies, but were severely defeated. Katamori's life was spared, and he later became the Chief of the Tōshōgū Shrine. He, along with his three brothers Sadaaki, Yoshikatsu, and Mochiharu, had highly influential roles during the Meiji Restoration and were called the four Takasu brothers (Takasu yon-kyōdai 高須四兄弟).
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Matsuo Bashō
Matsuo Bashō (松尾 芭蕉?, 1644 – November 28, 1694), born Matsuo Kinsaku (松尾 金作?), then Matsuo Chūemon Munefusa (松尾 忠右衛門 宗房?), was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku. His poetry is internationally renowned, and in Japan many of his poems are reproduced on monuments and traditional sites. Although Bashō is justifiably famous in the west for his hokku, he himself believed his best work lay in leading and participating in renku. He is quoted as saying, “Many of my followers can write hokku as well as I can. Where I show who I really am is in linking haikai verses.”
Bashō was introduced to poetry at a young age, and after integrating himself into the intellectual scene of Edo (modern Tokyo), he quickly became well-known throughout Japan. He made a living as a teacher, but renounced the social, urban life of the literary circles and was inclined to wander throughout the country, heading west, east, and far into the northern wilderness to gain inspiration for his writing. His poems were influenced by his firsthand experience of the world around him, often encapsulating the feeling of a scene in a few simple elements.
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Mencius
Mencius (Chinese: 孟子; pinyin: Mèng Zǐ; Wade–Giles: Meng Tzu; Zhuyin Fuhao: ㄇㄥˋ ㄗˇ, most accepted dates: 372 – 289 BCE; other possible dates: 385 – 303/302 BCE) was a Chinese philosopher who was arguably the most famous Confucian after Confucius himself.
Mencius, also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou, now forming the territory of the county-level city of Zoucheng (originally Zouxian), Shandong province, only thirty kilometres (eighteen miles) south of Qufu, Confucius' birthplace.
He was an itinerant Chinese philosopher and sage, and one of the principal interpreters of Confucianism. Supposedly, he was a pupil of Confucius' grandson, Zisi. Like Confucius, according to legend, he travelled China for forty years to offer advice to rulers for reform. During the Warring States Period (403–221 BCE), Mencius served as an official and scholar at the Jixia Academy in the State of Qi (1046 BCE to 221 BCE) from 319 to 312 BCE. He expressed his filial devotion when he took an absence of three years from his official duties for Qi to mourn his mother's death. Disappointed at his failure to effect changes in his contemporary world, he retired from public life.
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Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo (源 頼朝?, May 9, 1147 – February 9, 1199) was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.
Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto (Seiwa Genji) clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the illustrious Fujiwara clan. Yoritomo was born in Atsuta, Owari Province(present-day Atsuta-ku, Nagoya). At that time Yoritomo's grandfather Minamoto no Tameyoshi, was the head of the Minamoto.
In 1156, factional divisions in the court erupted into open warfare within the capital itself. The cloistered Emperor Toba and his son Emperor Go-Shirakawa sided with the son of Fujiwara regent Fujiwara no Tadazane, Fujiwara no Tadamichi as well as Taira no Kiyomori (a member of the Taira clan), while Cloistered Emperor Sutoku sided with Tadazane's younger son, Fujiwara no Yorinaga. This was known as the Hōgen Rebellion, or the 'Hogen Disturbance'.
Unfortunately the Seiwa Genji were split. The head of the clan, Tameyoshi, sided with Cloistered Emperor Sutoku while his son, Yoshitomo, sided with Cloistered Emperor Toba and Emperor Go-Shirakawa, as well as Kiyomori. In the end, the supporters of Emperor Go-Shirakawa won the civil war, thus ensuring victory for Yoshitomo and Kiyomori. Cloistered Emperor Sutoku was placed under house arrest, and Yorinaga was fatally wounded in battle. Tameyoshi was executed as well, even after numerous pleas from Yoshitomo. Nonetheless, Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Kiyomori were ruthless, and Yoshitomo found himself as the head of the Minamoto, while Yoritomo became the heir.
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Minamoto no Yoshiie
Minamoto no Yoshiie (源 義家; 1039 – 4 August 1106), also known as Hachimantarō, was a Minamoto clan samurai of the late Heian period, and Chinjufu shogun (Commander-in-chief of the defense of the North). The first son of Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, he proved himself in battle with the Abe clan in the Zenkunen War (Early Nine Years' War) and the Kiyowara clan in the Gosannen War (Later Three Years' War). Subsequently, he became something of a paragon of samurai skill and bravery.
In 1050, Abe no Yoritoki held the post of Chinjufu shogun, as the Abe clan had for many generations; he was the chief commander of the defense of northern Honshū against the native Ezo (Ainu) people. Effectively, however, Yoritoki commanded the entire region, denying the official Governor any true power. As a result, Yoshiie's father was appointed both chinjufu shogun and governor, and Yoshiie traveled north with him to resolve the situation.
The campaign against the Abe clan lasted twelve years (nine, with three years truce). Yoshiie fought alongside his father in most if not every battle. Abe no Yoritoki died in 1057, but his son Abe no Sadato took up command of his father's forces.
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Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵?, c. 1584 – June 13, 1645), also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. He was the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of Five Rings (五輪の書, Go Rin No Sho?), a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today. Miyamoto Musashi is widely considered as a Kensei and one of the greatest warriors of all time.
The details of Miyamoto Musashi's early life are difficult to verify. Musashi himself simply states in Gorin no Sho that he was born in Harima Province.Niten Ki (an early biography of Musashi) supports the theory that Musashi was born in 1584: "[He] was born in Banshū, in Tenshō 12 [1584], the Year of the Monkey." The historian Kamiko Tadashi, commenting on Musashi's text, notes: "[...]Munisai was Musashi's father...he lived in Miyamoto village, in the Yoshino district [of Mimasaka Province]. Musashi was most probably born here." His childhood name was Bennosuke 弁之助.
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Nabeshima Naoshige
Nabeshima Naoshige (鍋島 直茂?, April 12, 1537 – July 24, 1619) was a retainer of the Ryūzōji clan during the Sengoku period of the sixteenth century. Naoshige was the son of Nabeshima Kiyosada and was known as Nobumasa throughout half of his career under the Ryūzōji. Naoshige proved himself as being one of the greatest generals under Ryūzōji Takanobu. Following the year of 1570 Naoshige assisted Takanobu while at Saga Castle when it was surrounded by a 60,000-man Ōtomo clan army. However, Naoshige had only 5,000 troops, so he suggested a night raid on the enemies camp which successfully routed them. Following the year of 1575 he attacked Suko Castle in western Hizen and forced its commander, Hirai Tsuneharu, to commit suicide.
In 1584, Nabeshima Naoshige was the chief retainer for the Lord of Hizen until the latter was killed in battle by the forces of the powerful Shimazu clan. After his lord's death, Nabeshima became the true leader of the fiefdom and fought against the Shimazu again in 1587. A Sengoku era warlord, Nabeshima distinguished himself in battle by killing hundreds of men. He was later sent on Hideyoshi's Korean campaigns where he struck up a friendship with Kato Kiyomasa and upon his return to Hizen, Tokugawa Ieyasu.
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Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長, Oda Nobunaga (help·info)?, June 23, 1534 – June 21, 1582) was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy shugo (military governor) with land holdings in Owari Province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering a third of Japan before his death in 1582. His successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a loyal Oda supporter, would become the first man to unify all of Japan, and was thus the first ruler of all Japan since the Ōnin War.
Oda Nobunaga was born on June 23, 1534, and was given the childhood name of Kippōshi (吉法師?). He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide. Through his childhood and early teenage years, he was well known for his bizarre behavior and received the name of Owari no Ōutsuke (尾張の大うつけ?, The Fool of Owari). With the introduction of firearms into Japan, though, he became known for his fondness of Tanegashima firearms. He was also known to run around with other youths from the area, without any regard to his own rank in society. He is said to be born in Nagoya Castle, although this is subject to debate. It is however certain that he was born in the Owari domain. In 1574 Nobunaga accepted the title of Kuge (or Court Noble), then in 1577 he was given the title of Udaijin (or Minister of the Right), the third highest position in the Imperial court.
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Saigō Takamori
Saigō Takamori (Takanaga) (西郷 隆盛(隆永）?, January 23, 1828 – September 24, 1877) was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai. He was born Saigō Kokichi (西郷 小吉), and received the given name Takamori in adulthood. He wrote poetry under the name Saigō Nanshū (西郷 南洲).
Saigō Takamori was born on December 7 in the lunar calendar, on the tenth year of the Bunsei era (January 23, 1828), in Kagoshima in the Satsuma domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture). Saigō served as a low-ranking samurai official in his early career. He was recruited to travel to Edo in 1854 to assist Satsuma Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira in promoting reconciliation and closer ties between the Tokugawa shogunate and the Imperial court (公武合体).
However, Saigō’s activity in Edo came to an abrupt end with the Ansei Purge by Tairo Ii Naosuke against anti-Shogunal activities, and the sudden death of Shimazu Nariakira. Saigō fled back to Kagoshima, only to be arrested and banished to Amami Ōshima island. He was recalled briefly in 1861, only to be banished again by the new Satsuma Daimyo Shimazu Hisamitsu. Hisamitsu finally pardoned Saigō in 1864, and sent him to Kyoto to handle the domain's interests towards the imperial court.
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Saitō Hajime
Saitō Hajime (斎藤 一?, February 18, 1844 – September 28, 1915) was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period, who most famously served as the captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi. He was one of the few core members who survived the numerous wars of the Bakumatsu period.
Saito was born in Edo, Musashi Province (now Tokyo). Very little is known about his early life. He was born Yamaguchi Hajime (山口 一?) to Yamaguchi Yūsuke (山口 祐助?), an ashigaru of the Akashi Domain, who had bought the rank of gokenin (a low-ranking retainer directly serving the Tokugawa shogun). He had an older brother named Hiroaki and an older sister named Katsu. According to the published records of his family, Saitō left Edo in 1862, after accidentally killing a hatamoto. He went to Kyoto and taught in the dōjō of a man named Yoshida, who had relied on Saitō's father Yūsuke in the past. His style comes apparently from Ittō-ryū or Mugai Ryū.
As a member of the Shinsengumi, Saitō was said to be an introvert and a mysterious person; a common description of his personality says he "was not a man predisposed to small talk." His original position within the Shinsengumi was assistant to the vice commander (副長助勤, fukuchō jokin?). His duties included being a kenjutsu instructor. Despite prior connections to Aizu, his descendants dispute that he served as a spy. His role as an internal spy for the Shinsengumi is also questionable; one common example being that he is said to have been instructed to join Itō Kashitarō's splinter group in 1867, to spy on them. However, this is disputed by Abe Jūrō, who did not believe he was a spy. It is probable that he also monitored other intelligence and enemy activity. His controversial reputation comes from accounts that he executed several corrupt members of the Shinsengumi; however, rumors vary as to his role in the deaths of Takeda Kanryūsai and Tani Sanjūrō.
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Sakamoto Ryōma
Sakamoto Ryōma (坂本 龍馬?, January 3, 1836 – December 10, 1867) was a leader of the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period in Japan. Ryōma used the alias Saidani Umetarō (才谷 梅太郎?).
Ryōma was born in Kōchi, of Tosa han (present day Kōchi Prefecture), on the island of Shikoku. By the Japanese calendar, this was the sixth year of Tenpō. Previous generations of his family had acquired enough wealth as sake brewers to purchase the rank of merchant samurai, or goshi, which was the lowest rank in the samurai social hierarchy (unlike other domains, Tosa had very strictly distinct joshi (high rank samurai) and kashi (low rank samurai). Joshi and kashi were treated unequally and they lived in separate places, also in Sakamoto Ryōma generation's (the third generation in the Sakamoto family), his family's samurai rank was kashi. At the age of twelve, Ryōma was enrolled in a private school, but this was a short-lived episode in his life, as he showed little scholarly inclination. His older sister enrolled him in fencing classes when he was 14, after he was bullied at school. By the time he reached adulthood he was a master swordsman. In 1853, he was in Edo as a disciple of Chiba Sadakichi, a master swordsman of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū style of kenjutsu. That year, Commodore Perry of the United States arrived with a fleet of ships to force Japan out of its centuries-old national isolation policy.
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Sanada Yukimura
Sanada Saemon-no-Suke Yukimura (真田 左衛門佐 幸村, Sanada Yukimura?, 1567–June 3, 1615 (Keichō 20. 5.7)) was a Japanese samurai, second son of the Sengoku period daimyo Sanada Masayuki (1544–1611). His proper name was Sanada Nobushige (真田 信繁), named after Takeda Shingen's younger brother Takeda Nobushige, who was a brave and respected warrior. He and his father were known as excellent military tacticians. Though their army was very small, they won many battles in which they were outnumbered. Sanada Yukimura was called "A Hero who may appear once in a hundred years" and "Crimson Demon of War", and the famed veteran of the invasion of Korea, Shimazu Tadatsune, called him the "Number one warrior in Japan" (日本一の兵?).
He was the second son of Sanada Masayuki, his elder brother was Sanada Nobuyuki. He was married to Akihime (Chikurinin), a foster-daughter of Ōtani Yoshitsugu. They had two sons, Daisuke (Yukimasa) and Daihachi (Morinobu).
In 1575, the Battle of Nagashino claimed the lives of two of Sanada Masayuki's elder brothers. Masayuki, previously serving Takeda Shingen and Takeda Katsuyori as a retainer, inherited the Sanada clan and left for Ueda Castle. Yukimura also went, taking the Sanada name as well.
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Sasaki Kojirō
Sasaki Kojirō (佐々木 小次郎?, also known as Ganryū Kojirō) (1585? – April 13, 1612) was a prominent Japanese swordsman widely considered a Kensei, born in Fukui Prefecture. He lived during the Sengoku and early Edo periods and is most remembered for his death while battling Miyamoto Musashi in 1612.
He went by the fighting name of Ganryū (巌流 lit. "Large Rock style"), which was also the name of the kenjutsu school he had founded. It is said that Kojirō studied the Chūjō-ryu of sword fighting from either Kanemaki Jisai or Toda Seigen. Toda Seigen was a master of the kodachi. If Kojirō had indeed learned Chūjō-ryu from Seigen, he would have been his master's sparring partner. Due to his master's use of the kodachi, Kojirō used a nodachi, or a long katana, against him, therefore eventually excelling in its use. It was after defeating his master's younger brother that he left and founded the Ganryū. The first reliable account of his life states that in 1610, because of the fame of his school and his many successful duels, including once when he fended off three opponents with a tessen, Kojirō was honored by Lord Hosokawa Tadaoki as the chief weapons master of the Hosokawa fief north of Kyūshū. Sasaki later became skilled in the wielding of a nodachi, and used one he called "Monohoshizao" ("The Laundry-Drying Pole") as his main weapon.
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Shibata Katsuie
Shibata Katsuie (柴田 勝家?, 1522 – June 14, 1583) or Gonroku (権六?) was a Japanese military commander during the Sengoku Period who served Oda Nobunaga.
Katsuie was born in the village of Kamiyashiro(present-day Meitō-ku, Nagoya), a branch of the Shiba clan (who descended from the Ashikaga clan, and were the former suzerains of the Oda clan). Note the differences between Shibata (柴田?), Shiba (斯波?), and the Shibata clan of Echigo (新発田?).
Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobukatsu (Oda Nobuyuki). When control of the Oda clan was contested, Katsuie initially supported his lord, Nobukatsu, against his elder brother Oda Nobunaga. In 1556, Katsuie launched a coup d'etat against Nobunaga. He was defeated at the Battle of Inō, and in the aftermath Nobunaga had his brother executed, but impressed with the retainer's loyalty and bravery, decided to spare the life of Katsuie. Katsuie pledged his services to Nobunaga, earning his praise until eventually Nobunaga would offer Katsuie the hand of his younger sister, Oichi, in marriage. In 1570, while a joint Oda-Tokugawa coalition fought the battle of Anegawa, Katsuie was under siege at Chokoji Castle by 4000 soldiers of the Rokkaku clan. Katsuie eventually won via an all-out attack, forcing the Rokkaku to retreat. This action, along with a series of brilliant victories, gained him renown as "Oni Shibata".
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Shimazu Takahisa
Shimazu Takahisa (島津 貴久?, May 28, 1514 – July 15, 1571), the son of Shimazu Tadayoshi, was a daimyo during Japan's Sengoku period. He was the fifteenth head of the Shimazu clan.
On 1526, Takahisa was adopted as the successor to Shimazu Katsuhisa and became head of the clan. He launched a series of campaigns to reclaim three provinces: Satsuma, Osumi, and Hyūga. While he made some progress, it would be up to the next generation in the Shimazu family to successfully reclaim them. He nurtured such future leaders like Shimazu Yoshihisa and his brothers Yoshihiro, Toshihisa and Iehisa who would, for a short time, see the Shimazu clan take over the entire island of Kyūshū.
Takahisa actively promoted relationships with foreign people and countries. He was the first daimyo to bring Western firearms into Japan, following the shipwreck of a number of Portuguese on Tanegashima in 1543. In 1549, he welcomed St. Francis Xavier. He granted the Jesuit protection to spread Christianity in his domain, but later retracted his support of Christianity under pressure from local Buddhist monks. Takahisa also held a diplomatic relationship with the Ryūkyū Kingdom.
wn.com/Shimazu_Takahisa -
Shimazu Yoshihiro
Shimazu Yoshihiro (島津 義弘?, August 21, 1535 – August 30, 1619) was the second son of Shimazu Takahisa and younger brother of Shimazu Yoshihisa. It had traditionally been believed that he became the seventeenth head of the Shimazu clan after Yoshihisa, but it is currently believed that he let Yoshihisa keep his position.
He was a skilled general and the victory against Ito clan at the battle of Kizaki on 1572 is counted as one of his many victories. He contributed greatly to the unification of Kyūshū. On 1587, facing Toyotomi Hideyoshi's troops that sought to pacify Kyūshū, Yoshihiro pressed for a war even after his brother and the head of clan Yoshihisa surrendered. After Yoshihisa repeatedly asked for the surrender, Yoshihiro finally did surrender. After Yoshihisa became a Buddhist monk, it had been believed that he became the head of the clan but the real power remained in Yoshihisa's hands.
He had been a willing and a skillful general for Hideyoshi. On both 1592 and 1597 of the Seven-Year War, Yoshihiro set his foot on the Korean peninsula and successfully carried out a series of battles. On 1597, working together with Todo Takatora, Katō Yoshiaki and Konishi Yukinaga, Yoshihiro defeated Won Kyun's navy. At the Battle of Sacheon (泗川) in 1598, facing Ming army counting 37,000, Yoshihiro defeated them with only 7,000 soldiers. Shimazu troops under Yoshihiro were called "Oni-Shimazu (literal translation-Shimazu demons or Shimazu ogres)" by Ming. On the final battle of the war, the Battle of Noryang, Yoshihiro's objective was to cross the Noryang Strait, link up with Konishi and retreat to Japan. The Korean admiral Yi Soon Shin that had obstructed Yoshiaki died in this battle. Afterwards, Yoshihiro rescued the Japanese commanders and returned to Japan.
wn.com/Shimazu_Yoshihiro -
Silla
Silla (57 BC – 935 AD) (Korean pronunciation: [ɕilːa]) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in Asian history. Although it was founded by King Park Hyeokgeose, who is also known to be the originator of the Korean family name Park (박, 朴), the dynasty was to see the Gyeongju Kim (김, 金) clan hold rule for most of its 992-year history. What began as a chiefdom in the Samhan confederacies, once allied with China, Silla eventually conquered the other two kingdoms, Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. Thereafter, Unified Silla or Later Silla, as it is often referred to, occupied most of the Korean Peninsula, while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae, a successor-state of Goguryeo. After nearly 1000 years of rule, Silla fragmented into the brief Later Three Kingdoms, handing over power to its successor dynasty Goryeo in 935.
From its founding until its growth into a full-fledged kingdom, Silla was recorded with various hanja phonetically approximating its native Korean name: 斯盧 (사로, Saro), 斯羅 (사라, Sara), 徐那(伐) (서나[벌], Seona[beol]), 徐耶(伐) (서야[벌], Seoya[beol]), 徐羅(伐) (서라[벌], Seora[beol]), and 徐伐 (서벌, Seobeol). In 503, King Jijeung standardized on the characters 新羅(신라), which in Modern Korean is pronounced "Shilla".
wn.com/Silla -
Taira no Kiyomori
Taira no Kiyomori (平 清盛?, 1118 – March 20, 1181) was a military leader of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.
After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he had previously only held a minor post. In 1156, he and Minamoto no Yoshitomo, head of the Minamoto clan, suppressed the Hōgen Rebellion. This established the Taira and Minamoto samurai clans as the top warrior clans in Kyoto. However, their new strength in effect caused the allies to become bitter rivals which culminated three years later during the Heiji Rebellion in 1159. Kiyomori, emerging victorious with Yoshitomo and his two eldest killed, was now the head of the single most powerful warrior family/clan in Kyoto. However, his clan's power and influence in the provinces at this time is a matter of debate. Kiyomori showed mercy and exiled a few of Yoshitomo's sons, including Yoritomo, Noriyori, and Yoshitsune – a benevolence that would turn out to be the Taira clan's downfall later on.
wn.com/Taira_no_Kiyomori -
Takeda Nobushige
Takeda Nobushige (武田 信繁?, 1525 – September 10, 1561) was a samurai of Japan's Sengoku period, and younger brother of Takeda Shingen. Takeda Nobushige held the favor of their father, and was meant to inherit the Takeda lands, wealth and power, becoming head of the clan. However, Shingen rebelled against their father and seized the lands and power for himself. Nobushige nevertheless fought alongside his brother who relied on him for support, He is famous not only for his strategic insight but also his wisdom; he wrote among other things Kyūjūkyū Kakun, a set of 99 short rules for Takeda clan members, some of which are erroneously attributed to Shingen himself from time to time. He is also known as Takeda Tenkyū (Tenkyū being another rank he held).
Nobushige became an important Takeda general and led large forces on several occasions. In 1544, Shingen had a rebellion on his hands. As part of his punitive effort he sent Nobushige to capture Fujisawa Yorichika's Kōjinyama castle. (He probably succeeded, though sources differ). Katsurao castle, main castle of Murakami Yoshikiyo, fell to Nobushige and Takeda Yoshinobu in 1553. This drove Yoshikiyo to Uesugi Kenshin and was really the last significant act before the start of the Kawanakajima campaigns proper.
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Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen (武田 信玄?, December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573), of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.
Shingen was called "Tarō" (a commonly used pet name for the eldest son of a Japanese family) or "Katsuchiyo" (勝千代) during his childhood. When he celebrated his coming of age, he was given a formal name of "Harunobu" (晴信), which included a character from the name of Ashikaga Yoshiharu (足利義晴), the 12th Ashikaga Shogun. It was a common practice in feudal Japan for a higher-ranked warrior to bestow a character from his own name to his inferiors as a symbol of recognition. From the local warlord's perspective, it was glorious to receive a character from the shogunate, although the authority of the latter had greatly degenerated in the mid-16th century.
Both the Ashikaga and the Takeda clans descended from the noble Minamoto (源) clan. Technically, Harunobu, as well as his forefathers, had borne the surname of Minamoto. Therefore, Harunobu would be referred to as "Minamoto-no Harunobu" (源晴信) in official records kept by the Imperial Court when he was conferred the official title of "Daizen Dayu" (大膳大夫). The Imperial Court had maintained a system of ritsuryō (律令) that was parallel to the shogunate apparatus.
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Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康?, January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616. His given name is sometimes spelled Iyeyasu, according to the historical pronunciation of we. Ieyasu was posthumously enshrined at Nikkō Tōshō-gū with the name Tōshō Daigongen (東照大権現?).
Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in Okazaki Castle in Mikawa on the 26th day of the twelfth month of the eleventh year of Tenbun, according to the Japanese calendar. Originally named Matsudaira Takechiyo (松平 竹千代), he was the son of Matsudaira Hirotada (松平 広忠), the daimyo of Mikawa of the Matsudaira clan, and Odainokata (於大の方), the daughter of a neighboring samurai lord Mizuno Tadamasa (水野 忠政). His mother and father were step-siblings. They were just 17 and 15 years old, respectively, when Ieyasu was born. Two years later, Odainokata was sent back to her family and the couple never lived together again. As both husband and wife remarried and both went on to have further children, Ieyasu in the end had 11 half-brothers and sisters.
wn.com/Tokugawa_Ieyasu -
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( /ˈtɒməs ˈkruːz ˈmeɪpɒθər/; born July 3, 1962), widely known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has won three Golden Globe Awards for the same movies: Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996), Magnolia (1999). He started his career with the movie Endless Love. Cruise's first appearance in a major film was in 1981's Taps. His first leading role was in the film Risky Business, released in August 1983. Cruise played the role of a heroic naval pilot in the popular and successful 1986 film Top Gun, and also secret agent Ethan Hunt in the series of Mission: Impossible action films.
He has starred in a variety of other successful films, including: Rain Man (1988), Days of Thunder (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), Vanilla Sky (2001), Minority Report (2002), The Last Samurai (2003), Collateral (2004), and War of the Worlds (2005).
Since 2005, Cruise and Paula Wagner have been in charge of the United Artists film studio, with Cruise as producer and star and Wagner as the chief executive. Cruise is also known for his support of and adherence to the Church of Scientology.
wn.com/Tom_Cruise -
Torii Mototada
Torii Mototada (鳥居 元忠?, 1539 – September 8, 1600) was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through late Azuchi-Momoyama Period, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Torii died at the siege of Fushimi where his garrison was greatly outnumbered and destroyed by the army of Ishida Mitsunari. Torii's refusal to surrender changed the course of Japanese history; the fall of Fushimi bought Ieyasu some time to regroup and eventually win the Battle at Sekigahara.
Torii was born in Okazaki, the son of Torii Tadayoshi. As a boy, he was sent as hostage to the Imagawa clan, together with the future Tokugawa Ieyasu. The young Mototada served the then-Matsudaira Takechiyo as a page. After Ieyasu's return from the Imagawa clan, and his unification of Mikawa Province, Mototada served as one of his chief generals.
In 1572, Mototada succeeded the Torii family headship, following the death of his father. He fought at the Battle of Mikata-ga-hara and Battle of Suwahara Castle the following year and was wounded in the legs, which rendered walking difficult for him from then on.
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉?, February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537 – September 18, 1598) was a daimyo, warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms. Hideyoshi is regarded as Japan's second "great unifier".
Very little is known for certain about Hideyoshi before 1570, when he begins to appear in surviving documents and letters. His autobiography starts in 1577 but in it Hideyoshi spoke very little about his past. By tradition, he was born in what is now Nakamura-ku, Nagoya (situated in contemporary Aichi District, Owari Province), the home of the Oda clan. He was born of no traceable samurai lineage, being the son of a peasant-ashigaru (foot soldier) named Yaemon. He had no surname, and his childhood given name was Hiyoshi-maru (日吉丸?) ("Bounty of the Sun") although variations exist.
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Uesugi Kenshin
Uesugi Kenshin (上杉 謙信?, February 18, 1530 – April 19, 1578) was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.
He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries and trade; his rule saw a marked rise in the standard of living of Echigo. Kenshin is famed for his honourable conduct, his military expertise, a long-standing rivalry with Takeda Shingen, his numerous campaigns to restore order in the Kanto region as the Kanto Kanrei, and his belief in the Buddhist god of war — Bishamonten. In fact, many of his followers and others believed him to be the Avatar of Bishamonten, and called Kenshin god of war.
His original name was Nagao Kagetora (長尾景虎). He changed his name to Uesugi Masatora (上杉政虎) when he inherited the Uesugi family name in order to accept the official title of Kantō Kanrei (関東管領). Later he changed his name again to Uesugi Terutora (上杉輝虎) to honor the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru (足利義輝), and finally to Kenshin (上杉謙信) after he became a Buddhist monk; in particular, he would become renowned for being a devotee of Bishamonten. For the majority of this description, the name of Kenshin will be used.
wn.com/Uesugi_Kenshin -
William Scott Wilson
William Scott Wilson (b. 1944 in Nashville, Tennessee) is known for translating several works of Japanese literature, mostly those relating to the martial tradition of that country. He is recognized by The American Literary Translator's Association (ALTA) as "today’s foremost translator of classic Samurai texts." Mr. Wilson is also described as the world's foremost expert on the warrior's philosophy of Bushido. He served as a Consular Specialist for the Consulate General of Japan in Seattle (1980)--Heading the trade section and advising the Consul on political and economic matters. Wilson received Japan’s Foreign Minister’s Commendation from the Consulate General of Japan in Miami, Masakazu Toshikage on November 15, 2005.
According to the Consulate Press release: The award is "conferred upon individuals or groups that have rendered especially distinguished service in strengthening the relationship between Japan and other countries. Through his literary works and translations, Mr. Wilson has contributed greatly to increased cultural understanding and friendship between the US and Japan."
wn.com/William_Scott_Wilson -
Yagyū Munenori
Yagyū Munenori (柳生 宗矩?, 1571 - May 11, 1646) was a Japanese swordsman, founder of the Edo branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, which he learned from his father Yagyū "Sekishusai" Muneyoshi. This was one of two official sword styles patronized by the Tokugawa Shogunate (the other one being Ittō-ryū). Munenori began his career in the Tokugawa administration as a hatamoto, a direct retainer of the Tokugawa house, and later had his income raised to 10,000 koku, making him a minor fudai daimyo (vassal lord serving the Tokugawa), with landholdings around his ancestral village of Yagyū-zato. He also received the title of Tajima no Kami (但馬守).
Munenori entered the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu at a young age, and later was an instructor of swordsmanship to Ieyasu's son Hidetada. Still later, he became one of the primary advisors of the third shogun Iemitsu.
Shortly before his death in 1606, Sekishusai passed the leadership of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū to his grandson Toshiyoshi. Following a period of musha shugyō, Toshiyoshi entered the service of a cadet branch of the Tokugawa clan that controlled the Owari province. Toshiyoshi's school was based in Nagoya and came to be called Owari Yagyū-ryū (尾張柳生流), while Munenori's, in Edo, the Tokugawa capital, came to be known as Edo Yagyū-ryū (江戸柳生流). Takenaga Hayato, the founder of the Yagyū Shingan-ryū, was a disciple of Yagyū Munenori and received gokui (secret teachings) of the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū from him.
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Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Yamamoto Tsunetomo (山本 常朝?), also read Yamamoto Jōchō (June 11 1659 – November 30, 1719) was a samurai of the Saga Domain in Hizen Province under his lord Nabeshima Mitsushige. For thirty years Yamamoto devoted his life to the service of his lord and clan. When Nabeshima died in 1700, Yamamoto did not choose to follow his master in death in junshi because the master had expressed a dislike of the practice in his life. Instead, Yamamoto followed his lord's wishes and refrained from junshi. After some disagreements with Nabeshima's successor, Yamamoto renounced the world and retired to a hermitage in the mountains. Later in life (between 1709 and 1716), he narrated many of his thoughts to a fellow samurai, Tsuramoto Tashiro. Many of these aphorisms concerned his lord's father and grandfather Naoshige and the failing ways of the samurai caste. These commentaries were compiled and published in 1716 under the title of Hagakure, a word that can be translated as either In the shadow the Leaves or hidden leaves.
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Yamaoka Tesshū
Yamaoka Tesshū (山岡 鉄舟?, June 10, 1836 – July 19, 1888) also known as Ono Tetsutarō, or Yamaoka Tetsutarō, was a famous samurai of the Bakumatsu period, who played an important role in the Meiji Restoration. He is also noted as the founder of the Itto Shoden Muto-ryu school of swordsmanship.
Yamaoka was born in Edo (present-day Tokyo) as Ono Tetsutaro, where his father was a retainer of the Tokugawa Shogunate and his mother was the daughter of a Shinto priest from Kashima Shrine. Yamaoka practiced swordsmanship from the age of nine, starting in the Jikishinkage Ryu tradition. Later his family moved to Takayama where he began the Ono Ha Itto-Ryu style of fencing. When he was seventeen, he returned to Edo and joined the government's Kobukan Military Institute and the Yamaoka School of Spear Fighting under Yamaoka Seizan. Not long after Yamaoka had joined the dojo, Seizan died, Yamaoka went on to marry Seizan’s sister in order to carry on the Yamaoka name. From an early age, Yamaoka showed dedication and talent in the practice of martial arts. As he grew up, he became well-known for several things: his swordsmanship, calligraphy, drinking, and sleeping.
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Ōishi Yoshio
Ōishi Yoshio (大石 良雄?, April 24, 1659 – March 20, 1703) was the chamberlain (karō) of the Akō Domain in Harima Province (now Hyōgo Prefecture), Japan (1679 - 1701). He is known as the leader of the Forty-seven Ronin in their 1702 vendetta and thus the hero of the Chūshingura. He is often referred to by his title, Ōishi Kuranosuke (大石内蔵助?).
He served Asano Naganori as the head chamberlain (hittōgarō (筆頭家老?)) for the Asano estate, supervising the daily running of the castle and the samurai. Due to the Tokugawa rules which required all the daimyos to spend every other year in Edo (now called Tokyo) the chamberlain was a very important man and the defacto ruler of the estate when the daimyo was away. Having attained this office at a rather young age, he is said to have had the implicit trust of his lord.
When Asano committed seppuku as punishment for his failed attempt to kill Kira Yoshinaka in Edo castle and the Tokugawa shogunate abolished the house of Asano in Akō, Ōishi was in Akō and managed all its administrative issues. He persuaded other samurai to vacate the castle to the agents of the Shogunate. During the next two years many people wondered what Oishi would do as he had a reputation as an honorable and capable man.
wn.com/Ōishi_Yoshio
- Samurai - Aerosmith
- Samurai - Avias
- Samurai - Djavan
- Samurai - Pretenders
- Samurai - Brazzaville
- Samurai - Blaze Bayley
- Samurai - Handsome Devil
- Samurai - Juno Reactor
a one two two three four
walkin' the line of the razor's edge
talkin' a long time ago-whoa
a slice of the sky in a silver wedge
higher and higher we go-whoa
let's go
born to the gods on the silken trail
thrust from the earth far below
unspoken lass never seek the grail
so be it i need it long legs blue eyes
oo she drives me crazy
ooo whoa drive me cra'-yeah-ah
ooo whoa drive me crazy yeah-yeah
ladies in black put a spell on me
feels like my head's goin' round and round
round and round around
ladies in white ain't my cup of tea
so be it well i need it long hair blue eyes
oo she drives me crazy
ooo whoa whoa whoa w-w-whoa ah
ooo whoa ya drive me cra' yeah yeah-ah-ah
so many things that i know about you
still ten thousand light years away
how can i make love to both of you
so be it well i need it long hair blue eyes
oo she drives me crazy
ooo whoa
ya drives me cra' what she do what she do
ooo whoa oh drive me cra' yeah-yeah
ooo whoa whoa
oh drive me cra' what she do when she do
ooo whoa whoa oh samurai ah whoa whoa whoa
look out look out
wassup wassup hi hi, where my niggaz thats reaching for the sky
blowing up fireworks, fourth of july
keep the swagger on a hundred, countings stacks on the side
this avias avias in yo speakers, thugs my music blowing up in yo tweakers
yall rappers old news like neon beepers
i bury yall lyrics 6 feet, um the reaper
verse1:
i once was lost but now im found, as i stand in my armor head facing the
ground
i remember those days that i thought i was a goner, now they call me
emperor bringing my family honor
everytime i refer back to the past i think of how i was clowned sitting in
class
now my life is the bomb it is a blast, and like gum i always wonder how
long its gonna last
theres was tough times getting kicked out in the streets
in my teens a runaway then to shelter would seek
i had fury so deep my face redder than dragons
always desired love so in music found passion
i stand 5 foot 8 with my shield on my side
blocking out all haters with envys and pride
cute face thin waist so im fit for a bride
an ill slice a ninja neck i have nothing to hide
every since i was younger niggas called me gay
they ridicule played in my head like symphonaes
i just wanted to fit in this all i was begging
wanted them to realize i was the next rap legend
and so the truth then hit the light now um chirping like crickets
niggaz downloading music, selling out show tickets
now the tables turned im surrounded by troops
lyrics wetter than a fresh bowl of egg drop soup
and i owe thanks to my god
my spiritual uplifter, who was there from the start
i now desire serenity, spread my wings and be free
shivers running through my body like a cold mug of tea
who gone make it to top yo we gonna see
music play more than videogames on a wii
im a samurai im the seed of prosperity
and i say
take me away
i tell him
take me away
i just wanna be free
take me away
take me away
whats comes around goes around
im the king of the this city im the king of this town
i have the victory so put ya swords down
Ai....
Quanto querer
Cabe em meu coração
Ai....
Me faz sofrer
Faz que me mata
E se não mata fere
Vai....
Sem me dizer
Na casa da paixão
Sai....
Quando bem quer
Traz uma praga
E me afaga a pele
Crescei, luar
Prá iluminar as trevas
Fundas da paixão
Eu quis lutar
Contra o poder do amor
Caí nos pés do vencedor
Para ser o serviçal
De um samurai
Mas eu tou tão feliz!
Dizem que o amor
Atrai...
When you came into
My room last night
And took off all your clothes
Did you think I would resist
Letting you inside
Did you think I could resist you
My favorite Samurai
You swam across the bedroom
Drunk on my champagne
You got into the air
Across the River Wye
And pushed aside your headstone
My favorite Samurai
Then you showed me something
I didn't know
How to let go
I was falling
Through the Tivoli sky
Expecting to fly
Expecting to fly
When I stood beside your tomb
Last night
Recalling how you rose
Did you think I would persist
Refusing to die
See how I've persisted
Lay me down
On the street
Where the hobos meet
Southern day dreams
I don’t know
Which way the wind blows
But I’ll tell you what comes and goes
People grow old and die
Cold like a Samurai
Under a dim, breathtaking winter sky
Perrier c’est foux
Lonely days
By the sea
Watch the ships go by
Taiwanese
Half as old
As the sky seems
In my larger dreams
Mangosteen
I am absolutely now prepared to pay the price
Even if I ultimately pay with my own life
Where did you give everything, to sacrifice it all
and without the will to die I know that I can't win
No mind, no pain, nothing can hold me back
Now I stand without fear in the valley of death
I'm willing to die, die, willing to die
Samurai
Die, willing to die, like a Samurai
Deep within my self is a decision that I made
to win it all, overwhelm those
who would want to bury me
To never, never yield and even with my only ?sprat?
to remain defiant, never to admit defeat
No mind, no pain, nothing can hold me back
Now I stand without fear in the valley of death
I'm willing to die, die, willing to die
Samurai
Die, willing to die, like a Samurai
Die!
Are you willing to die?
Die!
Are you willing to die?
Like a samurai
[Solo]
No mind, no pain, nothing can hold me back
Now I stand without fear in the valley of death
I'm willing to die, die, willing to die
Samurai
I did some time in Tokyo in a dojo
Learned karate and kung fu
And judo because you know
I'm a fuckin' samurai from the darkside
Eating fried rice, and I lie
I'm not Bruce Lee, I'm not Chinese
I'm on the trapeze, and I'm free
In Nagasaki, I'm drinking saki
And watching hockey in my jockeys
And I'm a servant to technology
I'm a fuckin' samurai, from the darkside
Eating fried rice, and I lie
I'm not Bruce Lee, I'm not Chinese
I'm on the trapeze, and I'm free
In my Nissan, I put the priest on
And I head out on the highway to Budokan
I'm metal basted and domo wasted
I'm a fuckin' samurai from the darkside
Eating fried rice, and I lie
I'm not Bruce Lee, I'm not Chinese
You are (the) sun.
You are (the) light.
You are the love who controls the night.
You are my support.
You are (the) sun.
You are (the) light.
You are the love who controls the night.
You are my support.
You are (the) sun.
You are (the) sun.
You are (the) light.
You are the love who controls the night.
You give me power.
You protect me.
You are my love.
RELEASE
ALBUMS
- Moto
- Cassablanca
- The Masters
- La traicion de la sonrisa
- Vomito cordíaco
- Más rápido
- Tierra helada
- When I Learn
- Todo el odio del unicornio
- Saving It Up for So Long
- More Rain
- Maudie James
- Holy Padlock
- Give a Little Love
- Face in the Mirror
- As I Dried the Tears Away
- Intro
- So Frish
- Mached Stuzz
- Keine wie ich (feat. P. Moos)
- Down Ass Chick (feat. Sergio)
- Hine im Club
- Afroswiss Kingz (feat. Nega)
- Tag&Nacht;
- Dale Fuego (feat. Mangu)
- Bordolatenight, Part II (Skit)
- Lauf mit mir
- Leaders (feat. Ras Charmer)
- Stahn uf!
- Telefonskit
- Guete Ziite
- Danke
- Saving It Up for So Long
- More Rain
- Maudie James
- Holy Padlock
- Give a Little Love
- Face in the Mirror
- As I Dried the Tears Away
- Give a Little Love (live)
- Holy Padlock (live)
- More Rain (live)
- Concerto for Bedsprings (live)
- Love You (live)
- Fires Of Hell
- Attack
- Rock Steady
- I've Got What You Need
- Fire In Our Eyes
- Spirit Woman
- Survivor
- Gotta Rock Tonight
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The Way of the Samurai
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 55:18
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
www.pbs.org - Tokugawa Ieyasu unifies Japan and establishes a dynasty that will rule Japan for over 250 years.
http://wn.com/The_Way_of_the_Samurai
www.pbs.org - Tokugawa Ieyasu unifies Japan and establishes a dynasty that will rule Japan for over 250 years.
Modern Samurai UNBELIEVABLE SKILLS. with subtitles
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:56
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Modern Samurai -- UNBELIEVABLE SKILLS with subtitles
http://wn.com/Modern_Samurai_UNBELIEVABLE_SKILLS_with_subtitles
Modern Samurai -- UNBELIEVABLE SKILLS with subtitles
- published: 09 Apr 2009
- views: 2205925
- author: reeve105a
Samurai Fight Scene
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:07
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Samurai Fight Scene from Zatoichi by Takeshi Kitano. In this scene Gennosuke Hattori defeats his rival Clan.
http://wn.com/Samurai_Fight_Scene
Samurai Fight Scene from Zatoichi by Takeshi Kitano. In this scene Gennosuke Hattori defeats his rival Clan.
- published: 29 Sep 2008
- views: 1197062
- author: VampireRonin
PBS NOVA - Secrets of the Samurai Sword DOCU (2007)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 54:39
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Watch More : adf.ly
http://wn.com/PBS_NOVA_Secrets_of_the_Samurai_Sword_DOCU_2007
Japanese Katana VS European Longsword - Samurai sword VS Knight Broadsword
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:57
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
Japanese Katana VS European Longsword - Samurai sword VS Knight Broadsword. samurai katana tachi broad long sword tameshigiri war warrior knight load swordsmanship bushido bushi sword smith master weapon technology test cut cold steel armour armor iron steel machine gun century late middle ages early modern period east west western japan japanese europe european 日本刀 刀 太刀 剣 ソード ロングソード ブロードソード 騎士 武士 侍 騎士道 武士道 西洋 東洋 検証 実験 試し斬り 試し斬り
http://wn.com/Japanese_Katana_VS_European_Longsword_Samurai_sword_VS_Knight_Broadsword
Japanese Katana VS European Longsword - Samurai sword VS Knight Broadsword. samurai katana tachi broad long sword tameshigiri war warrior knight load swordsmanship bushido bushi sword smith master weapon technology test cut cold steel armour armor iron steel machine gun century late middle ages early modern period east west western japan japanese europe european 日本刀 刀 太刀 剣 ソード ロングソード ブロードソード 騎士 武士 侍 騎士道 武士道 西洋 東洋 検証 実験 試し斬り 試し斬り
- published: 14 Jul 2010
- views: 5207923
- author: kinsei1560
Sucker Punch - Samurai Fight Scene [HD]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:02
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Next scene to be uploaded: Love Is The Drug Scene [HD]
http://wn.com/Sucker_Punch_Samurai_Fight_Scene_HD_
Next scene to be uploaded: Love Is The Drug Scene [HD]
- published: 20 Jun 2011
- views: 1381077
- author: SuckerPunchFilm2011
History Channel: Warriors - Samurai Showdown
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 45:05
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Samuri warriors always look incredible to me. Love their clothes and weapons as well. Got to be proud to be JAPANESE. We have a very old culture with rich traditions and one of the longest monarchies in the world lol Enjoy! xoxo Terry Schappert travels to Japan and studies the honour code of the Samurai, or Bushido. He also studies the lifestyle, weaponry, tactics, and psyche of the Samurai. He also retraces the steps of the most famous ronin samurai, Miyamoto Musashi. I do not own this video, all property is owned by their owners.
http://wn.com/History_Channel_Warriors_Samurai_Showdown
Samuri warriors always look incredible to me. Love their clothes and weapons as well. Got to be proud to be JAPANESE. We have a very old culture with rich traditions and one of the longest monarchies in the world lol Enjoy! xoxo Terry Schappert travels to Japan and studies the honour code of the Samurai, or Bushido. He also studies the lifestyle, weaponry, tactics, and psyche of the Samurai. He also retraces the steps of the most famous ronin samurai, Miyamoto Musashi. I do not own this video, all property is owned by their owners.
- published: 02 Feb 2012
- views: 257807
- author: WeAreWorldTV
"Modern Samurai" Isao Machii - Cutting "350km/h BB pellet & 300km/h and 500km/h Baseball" by Katana
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:56
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
He is Japanese "Modern Samurai" with Four Guinness World Records. "Modern Samurai" Isao Machii VS Archer - Cutting over 200km/h Arrow by Katana www.youtube.com "Modern Samurai" Isao Machii - Cutting 5mm grain Rice & Skipjack Tuna & Toilet Paper Roll by Katana www.youtube.com "Modern Samurai" Isao Machii - Katana Embu demonstration in American Documentary (2004) www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Modern_Samurai_Isao_Machii_Cutting_350km_h_BB_pellet_300km_h_and_500km_h_Baseball_by_Katana
He is Japanese "Modern Samurai" with Four Guinness World Records. "Modern Samurai" Isao Machii VS Archer - Cutting over 200km/h Arrow by Katana www.youtube.com "Modern Samurai" Isao Machii - Cutting 5mm grain Rice & Skipjack Tuna & Toilet Paper Roll by Katana www.youtube.com "Modern Samurai" Isao Machii - Katana Embu demonstration in American Documentary (2004) www.youtube.com
- published: 17 Sep 2011
- views: 1047103
- author: engzc707
SAMURAI SHARK
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:28
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Jack Scalfani tests out the Billy Mays knife sharpener called Samurai Shark. He bought it at the "As seen on TV" store for $12. He will do 4 tests on the device. Let's see if it works. BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL.
http://wn.com/SAMURAI_SHARK
Jack Scalfani tests out the Billy Mays knife sharpener called Samurai Shark. He bought it at the "As seen on TV" store for $12. He will do 4 tests on the device. Let's see if it works. BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL.
- published: 03 Sep 2010
- views: 61845
- author: jakatak69
Aikido, The Samurai Spirit
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 44:01
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Recomendado, esta muy bien explicado. La traduccion es normal, espero que les guste! Good, very well explained. The translation is normal, I hope you like it! To download: 1- Enter here: keepvid.com 2- Now copy and paste the video link: www.youtube.com 3- Choose the format you want (I recommend the mp4) ENJOY :)
http://wn.com/Aikido,_The_Samurai_Spirit
Recomendado, esta muy bien explicado. La traduccion es normal, espero que les guste! Good, very well explained. The translation is normal, I hope you like it! To download: 1- Enter here: keepvid.com 2- Now copy and paste the video link: www.youtube.com 3- Choose the format you want (I recommend the mp4) ENJOY :)
- published: 19 Oct 2011
- views: 843412
- author: Federico Sagretti
Power Rangers Samurai - Wii / DS - Become a Samurai Rangers
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:12
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
Based on Saban Brands' incredibly popular Power Rangers Samurai, players of all ages will finally be able to join the Rangers as they physically immerse themselves into the morphing action of the iconic team of heroes. Power Rangers Samurai will be available this year. For more informatin, please visit your local Namco Bandai Games website: www.namcobandaigames.eu
http://wn.com/Power_Rangers_Samurai_Wii_DS_Become_a_Samurai_Rangers
Based on Saban Brands' incredibly popular Power Rangers Samurai, players of all ages will finally be able to join the Rangers as they physically immerse themselves into the morphing action of the iconic team of heroes. Power Rangers Samurai will be available this year. For more informatin, please visit your local Namco Bandai Games website: www.namcobandaigames.eu
- published: 07 Jun 2011
- views: 4013516
- author: NamcoBandaiGamesEU
Real Samurai Sword Technique - Cutting BB Gun pellet by Isao Machii - Japanese Katana Kenjutsu
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:58
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Cutting pellet by Isao Machii (Guinness World Record holder). His Youtube Official Page www.youtube.com samurai katana tachi isao machii technique broad long sword tameshigiri war warrior knight load swordsmanship bushido bushi sword smith master weapon technology test cut cold steel armour armor iron steel machine gun century late middle ages early modern period east west western japan japanese europe european 日本刀 刀 太刀 剣 ソード ロングソード ブロードソード 騎士 武士 侍 騎士道 武士道 西洋 東洋 検証 実験 試し斬り 試し斬り 居合斬り 剣術 抜刀 居合 町井勲
http://wn.com/Real_Samurai_Sword_Technique_Cutting_BB_Gun_pellet_by_Isao_Machii_Japanese_Katana_Kenjutsu
Cutting pellet by Isao Machii (Guinness World Record holder). His Youtube Official Page www.youtube.com samurai katana tachi isao machii technique broad long sword tameshigiri war warrior knight load swordsmanship bushido bushi sword smith master weapon technology test cut cold steel armour armor iron steel machine gun century late middle ages early modern period east west western japan japanese europe european 日本刀 刀 太刀 剣 ソード ロングソード ブロードソード 騎士 武士 侍 騎士道 武士道 西洋 東洋 検証 実験 試し斬り 試し斬り 居合斬り 剣術 抜刀 居合 町井勲
- published: 30 Apr 2011
- views: 2631427
- author: kinsei1560
Naked Samurai Stand-Off with 32 Cops
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:54
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
San Jose cops spend New Year's Day in a two hour stand-off with naked man with a samurai sword. For more on this story: www.sourcefed.com Photo of Coco Bennett provided by reddit user kaarta. Check out our NEW SourceFed.com site for everything & anything that matters! Follow us on Twitter twitter.com Follow us on Tumblr: sourcefed.tumblr.com Like us on Facebook: on.fb.me Philly D OFFICIAL APP for instant updates: bit.ly Order your SourceFed Posters here: bit.ly Hosts: @elliottcmorgan @joebereta Music: @ronaldjenkees @hagemeister
http://wn.com/Naked_Samurai_Stand-Off_with_32_Cops
San Jose cops spend New Year's Day in a two hour stand-off with naked man with a samurai sword. For more on this story: www.sourcefed.com Photo of Coco Bennett provided by reddit user kaarta. Check out our NEW SourceFed.com site for everything & anything that matters! Follow us on Twitter twitter.com Follow us on Tumblr: sourcefed.tumblr.com Like us on Facebook: on.fb.me Philly D OFFICIAL APP for instant updates: bit.ly Order your SourceFed Posters here: bit.ly Hosts: @elliottcmorgan @joebereta Music: @ronaldjenkees @hagemeister
- published: 02 Jan 2013
- views: 145138
- author: SourceFed
Power Rangers Samurai Steel - iPad 2 - HD Gameplay Trailer
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 15:22
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
Power Rangers Samurai Steel by Saban Brands LLC Power up your favorite ranger to take on the evil Rofer and his army of Moogers in this stunning 3D game. Slash, block, and dodge your enemies with fierce but easy-to-use touch-screen gestures and powerful Kanji attacks. Enjoy scenes from the show as you move through each level. Saban's new iOS game Samurai Steel even lets you transform into the Megazord for the ultimate showdown. Go Go Power Rangers! FEATURES - Choose Your Ranger: Each of the five rangers has their own strengths and weaknesses! - Simple Controls: Slash, block, and dodge with easy to use touch-screen gestures - Ultimate Showdown: Defeat Rofer by transforming into the Megazord! - Scenes from the Show: Follow along level by level with actual live action scenes from the show! - Unlock Game Center Achievements: Prove yourself as a Samurai Ranger! - Powerful Kanji Attacks: Unleash destructive special attacks on your foes with a different power move for each ranger! iTunes Store Page: itunes.apple.com Homepage: www.powerrangers.com
http://wn.com/Power_Rangers_Samurai_Steel_iPad_2_HD_Gameplay_Trailer
Power Rangers Samurai Steel by Saban Brands LLC Power up your favorite ranger to take on the evil Rofer and his army of Moogers in this stunning 3D game. Slash, block, and dodge your enemies with fierce but easy-to-use touch-screen gestures and powerful Kanji attacks. Enjoy scenes from the show as you move through each level. Saban's new iOS game Samurai Steel even lets you transform into the Megazord for the ultimate showdown. Go Go Power Rangers! FEATURES - Choose Your Ranger: Each of the five rangers has their own strengths and weaknesses! - Simple Controls: Slash, block, and dodge with easy to use touch-screen gestures - Ultimate Showdown: Defeat Rofer by transforming into the Megazord! - Scenes from the Show: Follow along level by level with actual live action scenes from the show! - Unlock Game Center Achievements: Prove yourself as a Samurai Ranger! - Powerful Kanji Attacks: Unleash destructive special attacks on your foes with a different power move for each ranger! iTunes Store Page: itunes.apple.com Homepage: www.powerrangers.com
- published: 23 Dec 2011
- views: 4167789
- author: touchgameplay
Classic Game Room - SAMURAI SHODOWN! 2 for Neo-Geo Pocket Color review
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:43
- Updated: 18 Jan 2013
Classic Game Room HD reviews SAMURAI SHODOWN 2! for Neo-Geo Pocket Color from SNK released in 1999. This SNK fighting game is an excellent portable version of Samurai Shodown 2! and packs a boatload of characters from the series into a tiny game cartridge playable on the go. Cartoony, high contrast visuals and creative background designs (for a small screen) make this a catchy fighting game to play while waiting for lunch or riding the train to work. Although the Neo Geo Pocket Color does not have a backlit screen, if you play in bright light the visuals are impressive and the gameplay is solid. This CGR review of Samurai Shodown 2 has gameplay from the NeoGeo Pocket version of Samurai Shodown 2 with Samurai Showdown SNK fighting gameplay.
http://wn.com/Classic_Game_Room_SAMURAI_SHODOWN!_2_for_Neo-Geo_Pocket_Color_review
Classic Game Room HD reviews SAMURAI SHODOWN 2! for Neo-Geo Pocket Color from SNK released in 1999. This SNK fighting game is an excellent portable version of Samurai Shodown 2! and packs a boatload of characters from the series into a tiny game cartridge playable on the go. Cartoony, high contrast visuals and creative background designs (for a small screen) make this a catchy fighting game to play while waiting for lunch or riding the train to work. Although the Neo Geo Pocket Color does not have a backlit screen, if you play in bright light the visuals are impressive and the gameplay is solid. This CGR review of Samurai Shodown 2 has gameplay from the NeoGeo Pocket version of Samurai Shodown 2 with Samurai Showdown SNK fighting gameplay.
- published: 19 Aug 2010
- views: 30257
- author: InecomCompany
EAV - Samurai
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:22
- Updated: 18 Jan 2013
Crazy but cool
http://wn.com/EAV_Samurai
Classic Game Room - SENGOKU BASARA: SAMURAI HEROES review
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:48
- Updated: 20 Jan 2013
Classic Game Room reviews SENGOKU BASARA SAMURAI HEROES from Capcom for Playstation 3 PS3 and Nintendo Wii. This CGR review of Capcom's Sengoku Basara: Samurai Hereos features PS3 video game play of Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes showing Playstation 3 gameplay in HD action. This awesome hack and slash action game should appeal to fans of the Dynasty Warriors / Samurai Warriors / Ninety Nine Nights II videogame series with its over the top action and multiple characters with upgradable weapons.
http://wn.com/Classic_Game_Room_SENGOKU_BASARA_SAMURAI_HEROES_review
Classic Game Room reviews SENGOKU BASARA SAMURAI HEROES from Capcom for Playstation 3 PS3 and Nintendo Wii. This CGR review of Capcom's Sengoku Basara: Samurai Hereos features PS3 video game play of Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes showing Playstation 3 gameplay in HD action. This awesome hack and slash action game should appeal to fans of the Dynasty Warriors / Samurai Warriors / Ninety Nine Nights II videogame series with its over the top action and multiple characters with upgradable weapons.
- published: 15 Oct 2010
- views: 79054
- author: InecomCompany
Lego Ninjago SAMURAI X MECH 9448 Animated Building Review
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:05
- Updated: 21 Jan 2013
Custom Lego sets & Brick Light kits @ www.ArtiFexCreation.com Set details 452 pieces l MSRP $39.99 • 3 MiniFigures: Samurai X, Snike and Bytar • Weapons include fang blade with orange anti-venom capsule and weapon • Samurai Mech includes m assive blade, shoulder cannon shooter,...
http://wn.com/Lego_Ninjago_SAMURAI_X_MECH_9448_Animated_Building_Review
Custom Lego sets & Brick Light kits @ www.ArtiFexCreation.com Set details 452 pieces l MSRP $39.99 • 3 MiniFigures: Samurai X, Snike and Bytar • Weapons include fang blade with orange anti-venom capsule and weapon • Samurai Mech includes m assive blade, shoulder cannon shooter,...
- published: 18 May 2012
- views: 1015364
- author: artifexcreation
Classic Toy Room - POWER RANGERS SAMURAI MEGA RANGER FIRE toy review
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:55
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Also watch POWER RANGERS review on Sega Game Gear: www.youtube.com Classic Game Room presents a Classic Toy Room review of POWER RANGERS SAMURAI MEGA RANGER FIRE from Bandai. This video review of Power Rangers Samurai toy shows the red Power Rangers Samurai action figure in action with a giant sword fighting dinosaurs! Power Rangers Samurai Mega Ranger Fire is a red ranger with solid, plastic build quality and many bendable limbs. Comes with two swords and a few accessories. Watch Power Rangers Samurai toy reviews here on Classic Toy Room like this Power Rangers toy review of Power Rangers Samurai Mega Ranger Fire action figure.
http://wn.com/Classic_Toy_Room_POWER_RANGERS_SAMURAI_MEGA_RANGER_FIRE_toy_review
Also watch POWER RANGERS review on Sega Game Gear: www.youtube.com Classic Game Room presents a Classic Toy Room review of POWER RANGERS SAMURAI MEGA RANGER FIRE from Bandai. This video review of Power Rangers Samurai toy shows the red Power Rangers Samurai action figure in action with a giant sword fighting dinosaurs! Power Rangers Samurai Mega Ranger Fire is a red ranger with solid, plastic build quality and many bendable limbs. Comes with two swords and a few accessories. Watch Power Rangers Samurai toy reviews here on Classic Toy Room like this Power Rangers toy review of Power Rangers Samurai Mega Ranger Fire action figure.
- published: 27 Jul 2011
- views: 672785
- author: InecomCompany
Classic Game Room - SAMURAI SHODOWN 2 for Neo-Geo CD review
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:51
- Updated: 21 Jan 2013
Samurai Shodown 2 review. www.ClassicGameRoom.com Classic Game Room reviews SAMURAI SHODOWN 2 for Neo-Geo CD from SNK. Released in 1994, this sequel to Samurai Shodown has new characters, refined gameplay and amazing visuals inspired by classic Japanese cimema and artwork. This CGR review of Samurai Shodown 2 has gameplay from Samurai Showdown 2 showing SNK fighting game play in action. A re-released Samurai Shodown II is available for Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. Samurai Showdown 2 is on PS2 and can also be found for Neo Geo Pocket, NeoGeo AES and full size Neo-Geo MVS arcade systems.
http://wn.com/Classic_Game_Room_SAMURAI_SHODOWN_2_for_Neo-Geo_CD_review
Samurai Shodown 2 review. www.ClassicGameRoom.com Classic Game Room reviews SAMURAI SHODOWN 2 for Neo-Geo CD from SNK. Released in 1994, this sequel to Samurai Shodown has new characters, refined gameplay and amazing visuals inspired by classic Japanese cimema and artwork. This CGR review of Samurai Shodown 2 has gameplay from Samurai Showdown 2 showing SNK fighting game play in action. A re-released Samurai Shodown II is available for Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. Samurai Showdown 2 is on PS2 and can also be found for Neo Geo Pocket, NeoGeo AES and full size Neo-Geo MVS arcade systems.
- published: 24 Mar 2010
- views: 63916
- author: InecomCompany
A Power Rangers Samurai Halloween Safety Message
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:02
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
Be safe, have fun and power up your Halloween! For more tips, activities and fun go to www.PowerRangers.com
http://wn.com/A_Power_Rangers_Samurai_Halloween_Safety_Message
Be safe, have fun and power up your Halloween! For more tips, activities and fun go to www.PowerRangers.com
- published: 28 Sep 2011
- views: 5096467
- author: SabansPowerRangers
Afro Samurai
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:07
- Updated: 29 Nov 2012
AFRO SAMURAI : This week on In The Game, we slice into Afro Samurai FOR MORE GO TO: ca.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Afro_Samurai
AFRO SAMURAI : This week on In The Game, we slice into Afro Samurai FOR MORE GO TO: ca.youtube.com
- published: 05 Feb 2009
- views: 67754
- author: machinima
Zelkova Can't KMS - Episode 14 (Samurai/Hayato First and Second Job)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 41:11
- Updated: 13 Jan 2013
I had to do this on my own, but it was okay. This video covers first and second job advancement for the Samurai class, Hayato. Music by Renard Mayhem - Eggs The track can be purchased at lapfoxtrax.com http
http://wn.com/Zelkova_Can't_KMS_Episode_14_Samurai_Hayato_First_and_Second_Job
I had to do this on my own, but it was okay. This video covers first and second job advancement for the Samurai class, Hayato. Music by Renard Mayhem - Eggs The track can be purchased at lapfoxtrax.com http
- published: 26 Jul 2012
- views: 7824
- author: MochisGuides
photo: AP / Echorouk Elyaoumi
21 Jan 2013
Algerian security forces on Sunday made grisly discoveries of dozens of bodies at a sprawling natural gas facility, a day after a violent showdown put an end to an international hostage crisis. But as Algeria tallied up the losses, a debate was emerging about whether the militant group linked to al-Qaida that seized the plant had been intent on a massacre or whether it had simply been after money ... ....(size: 2.9Kb)
photo: AP / Anis Belghoul
22 Jan 2013
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. When then-Vice President Dick Cheney stated. "If there's a 1% chance that Pakistani scientists are helping al-Qaeda build or develop a nuclear weapon, we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response. It's not about our analysis...it's about our response,"(1) it was clearly evident that the "war on terror" had been lost ... And when Zacarias Moussaoui shouted. "America you lost ... 11....(size: 9.1Kb)
photo: US Army / Sgt. 1st Class Abram Pinnington
20 Jan 2013
WASHINGTON -- The war rages about cities with names such as Goa and Timbuktu, in a sparsely populated, mostly flat, dusty and landlocked country in northwest Africa. The combatants include a nomadic Berber people known as Tuareg, the French Foreign Legion and a coalition of al-Qaida affiliates who identify themselves with the Maghreb, the desert region of Northwestern Africa ... Some U.S ... Afghanistan ... J ... "They go to where the fight is ... ....(size: 6.6Kb)
photo: WN / Imran Nissar
20 Jan 2013
The world's 100 richest people earned enough money last year to end world extreme poverty four times over, according to released by international rights group and charity Oxfam. The $240 billion net income of the world's 100 richest billionaires would have ended poverty four times over, according to the London-based group's report released on Saturday ... [...] We're anti-poverty agency ... You don't normally hear us talking about wealth ... ....(size: 18.5Kb)
photo: AP / Burhan Ozbilici
21 Jan 2013
Germany has sent 240 soldiers to southern Turkey as part of a NATO mission using Patriot missiles to deter cross-border airstrikes from war-torn Syria. Units are also being provided by the Netherlands and the US. The main German contingent flew out of Berlin Sunday, headed for Kahramanmaras, 100 kilometers (62 miles) inside Turkey's border with Syria, where two German Patriot units are to be fully operational by early February ... DW.DE ... ....(size: 2.4Kb)
IMDb
23 Jan 2013
IMDb
23 Jan 2013
Death of a Samurai, in turn the fest's first premiere of a 3D film ... A stately samurai drama closely following the plot of Masaki Kobayashi's essential 1962 original, Hara-Kiri totally ......(size: 1.0Kb)
Empire
23 Jan 2013
Once touted as Keanu Reeves’ big return to martial arts action, Samurai tale 47 Ronin has instead been busy fighting negative buzz about runaway production schedules, squabbles between director Carl Rinsch and the executives, rising costs and shifting release dates....(size: 1.3Kb)
The Examiner
23 Jan 2013
Universal Pictures has finally released poster and promotional artwork for the upcoming Keanu Reeves samurai epic "47 Ronin" based on the legendary story about 18th century Japan, in which 47 Samurai warriors, having seen their master slain (marking them as dishonored “Ronin”), embark on a mission of revenge as their last act....(size: 6.5Kb)
The Daily Telegraph
23 Jan 2013
The Shogun & The English Samurai – which wings its way to Sadler’s Wells theatre next week ... But Adams’s counsel was also considered so valuable he was made a samurai (an honour unknown for a foreigner), and took a Japanese wife, staying on until his death in 1620, never seeing his own family or homeland again ... a samurai warrior....(size: 16.1Kb)
NZ Herald
23 Jan 2013
Peter Malcouronne meets the arrivals at Auckland Airport. Rona Sapolu, a 45-year-old Samoan by way of West Auckland has been in Tokyo for the past decade teaching English. With wife, Noriko, and 2-year-old daughter, Sahana, he's returning home for the first time in a year ... "It's a pretty full-on city," he says ... Just a few months later, Rona, in traditional Japanese costume - the first Samoan Samurai - walked up the aisle with Noriko. By. ....(size: 2.2Kb)
Hernando Today
23 Jan 2013
Bushido is a Samurai Code which means the "Way of the Warrior". To Steve Fuhs, Bushido also translates into "the best place to purchase Martial Arts and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gear" without heading south. And that is the premise behind the opening of his store, Bushido Martial Arts & MMA Supply on Spring Hill Drive ... What Steve doesn't carry, he can order from more than 30 wholesale companies. "We have all that you need," Fuhs said....(size: 5.1Kb)
The Examiner
23 Jan 2013
As National Hobby Month comes to a close at the end of January, Libby Segal's quest to try a new hobby once a week for a year has nearly come to fruition, reports NBC News ... But flying planes, she says, she liked best ... On Top of the WorldOn Top of the World. Among the most interesting hobbies Segal faced included samurai sword fighting, which she didn't know existed before embarking on her lofty journey. Oh, and pole dancing ... Tweet ... ....(size: 7.0Kb)
The Examiner
22 Jan 2013
Death of a Samurai ... Death of a Samurai, Takashi Miike’s 3D remake of Masaki Kobayashi’s 1962 film ‘Harakiri’, released on DVD and Blu-ray January 22nd ... Death of a Samurai can easily be missed ... Death of a Samurai sticks to the original plot which tells the story of a samurai who arrives at the doorstep of his feudal lord and requests an honorable death by ritual suicide in his courtyard ... Death of a Samurai ... Death of a Samurai DVD....(size: 4.1Kb)
The Examiner
22 Jan 2013
The main event was for the SPW Heavyweight title, a bare foot thumbtacks match between challenger Sir Samurai and reigning champion Bobby Hart ... The main event was a brutal bare foot thumbtacks match between Sir Samurai and SPW Heavyweight Champion Bobby Hart for the title ... Samurai took the match to Hart and not only did he want the belt but he seriously wanted to punish Hart....(size: 3.4Kb)
Indiewire
22 Jan 2013
Tartakovsky is an unparalleled visual storyteller (just watch any episode of "Samurai Jack" or dig up his prototypical, bite-sized "Star Wars....(size: 3.0Kb)
The Examiner
22 Jan 2013
Among the movies that became available Tuesday, Jan ... 'Beauty is Embarrassing' ... (NR – 92 minutes) ... B). ‘Death Race 3. Inferno’ ... (NR - 106 minutes) ... (Grade. D) ... C) ... D) ... Death of a Samurai'. A samurai arrives at the doorstep of his feudal lord, requesting an honorable death by ritual suicide ... Undaunted, the samurai tells a story of his own, with an ending no one could see coming ... Death of a Samurai” wields more than most martial arts motion pictures....(size: 11.4Kb)
For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation).
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Samurai (侍?) is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a persons in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean "those who serve in close attendance to the nobility," the pronunciation in Japanese changing to saburai. According to Wilson, an early reference to the word "samurai" appears in the Kokin Wakashū (905–914), the first imperial anthology of poems, completed in the first part of the 10th century.[1]
By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi (武士), and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class. The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as bushidō. While they numbered less than 10% of Japan's population[2] samurai teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in modern Japanese martial arts.
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History[link]
Following the Battle of Hakusukinoe against Tang China and Silla in 663 AD that led to a Japanese retreat from Korean affairs, Japan underwent widespread reform. One of the most important was that of the Taika Reform, issued by Prince Naka no Ōe (Emperor Tenji) in 646 AD. This edict allowed the Japanese aristocracy to adopt the Tang Dynasty political structure, bureaucracy, culture, religion, and philosophy.[3] As part of the Taihō Code, of 702 AD, and the later Yōrō Code,[4] the population was required to report regularly for census, which was used as a precursor for national conscription. With an understanding of how the population was distributed, Emperor Mommu introduced the law whereby 1 in 3–4 adult males was drafted into the national military. These soldiers were required to supply their own weapons, and in return were exempted from duties and taxes.[3] This was one of the first attempts by the Imperial government to form an organized army modeled after the Chinese system. It was called gundan-sei (軍団制) by later historians and is believed to have been short-lived.[citation needed]
The Taihō Code classified most of the imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks, each divided into two sub-ranks, 1st rank being the highest adviser to the emperor. Those of 6th rank and below were referred to as "samurai" and dealt with day-to-day affairs. Although these "samurai" were civilian public servants, the name is believed[by whom?] to have derived from this term. Military men, however, would not be referred to as "samurai" for many more centuries.[citation needed]
In the early Heian period, the late 8th and early 9th centuries, Emperor Kammu sought to consolidate and expand his rule in northern Honshū, but the armies he sent to conquer the rebellious Emishi people lacked motivation and discipline, and failed in their task.[citation needed] Emperor Kammu introduced the title of Seiitaishogun (征夷大将軍) or shogun, and began to rely on the powerful regional clans to conquer the Emishi. Skilled in mounted combat and archery (kyūdō), these clan warriors became the emperor's preferred tool for putting down rebellions.[citation needed] Though this is the first known use of the 'shogun' title, it was a temporal title, and was not imbued with political power until the 13th century. At this time (the 7th to 9th century) the imperial court officials considered them merely a military section under the control of the imperial court.
Ultimately, Emperor Kammu disbanded his army. From this time, the emperor's power gradually declined. While the emperor was still the ruler, powerful clans around Kyoto (京都) assumed positions as ministers, and their relatives bought positions as magistrates.[citation needed] To amass wealth and repay their debts, magistrates often imposed heavy taxes, resulting in many farmers becoming landless.[citation needed]
Through protective agreements and political marriages, they accumulated political power, eventually surpassing the traditional aristocracy.[citation needed]
Some clans were originally formed by farmers who had taken up arms to protect themselves from the imperial magistrates sent to govern their lands and collect taxes.[citation needed] These clans formed alliances to protect themselves against more powerful clans, and by the mid-Heian period they had adopted characteristic Japanese armor and weapons, and laid the foundations of Bushido, their ethical code.[citation needed]
After the Genpei war of the late 12th century, a clan leader Minamoto no Yoritomo obtained the right to appoint shugo and jito, and was allowed to organize soldiers and police, and to collect certain amount of tax. Initially, their responsibility was restricted to arresting rebels and collecting needed army provisions, and they were forbidden to interfere with kokushi governors, but their responsibility gradually expanded and thus the samurai-class appeared as the political ruling power in Japan. Minamoto no Yoritomo opened the Kamakura Bakufu shogunate in 1192.
Samurai warriors described themselves as followers of "The Way of the Warrior" or Bushido. Bushidō is defined by the Japanese dictionary Shogakukan Kokugo Daijiten as "a unique philosophy (ronri) that spread through the warrior class from the Muromachi (chusei) period. From the earliest times, the Samurai felt that the path of the warrior was one of honor, emphasizing duty to one's master, and loyalty unto death.[5]
In the 13th century, Hojo Shigetoki (1198–1261 AD) wrote: "When one is serving officially or in the master's court, he should not think of a hundred or a thousand people, but should consider only the importance of the master."[6]
In his 1979 Dissertation about the Hojo, Carl Steenstrup noted that 13th and 14th century warrior writings (gunki) "portrayed the bushi in their natural element, war, eulogizing such virtues as reckless bravery, fierce family pride, and selfless, at times senseless devotion of master and man."[7]
Feudal lords such as Shiba Yoshimasa (1350–1410 AD) stated that a warrior looked forward to a glorious death in the service of a military leader or the emperor: "It is a matter of regret to let the moment when one should die pass by....First, a man whose profession is the use of arms should think and then act upon not only his own fame, but also that of his descendants. He should not scandalize his name forever by holding his one and only life too dear....One's main purpose in throwing away his life is to do so either for the sake of the Emperor or in some great undertaking of a military general. It is that exactly that will be the great fame of one's descendants."[8]
In 1412 AD, Imagawa Sadayo wrote a letter of admonishment to his brother stressing the importance of duty to one's master. Imagawa was admired for his balance of military and administrative skills during his lifetime and his writings became widespread. The letters became central to Tokugawa-era laws and were a required study for traditional Japanese until World War II[citation needed]:
"First of all, a samurai who dislikes battle and has not put his heart in the right place even though he has been born in the house of the warrior, should not be reckoned among one's retainers....It is forbidden to forget the great debt of kindness one owes to his master and ancestors and thereby make light of the virtues of loyalty and filial piety....It is forbidden that one should...attach little importance to his duties to his master...There is a primary need to distinguish loyalty from disloyalty and to establish rewards and punishments."[9]
Similarly, the feudal lord Takeda Nobushige (1525–1561 AD) stated: "In matters both great and small, one should not turn his back on his master's commands...One should not ask for gifts or enfiefments from the master...No matter how unreasonably the master may treat a man, he should not feel disgruntled...An underling does not pass judgments on a superior"[10]
Nobushige's brother Takeda Shingen (1521–1573 AD) also made similar observations: "One who was born in the house of a warrior, regardless of his rank or class, first acquaints himself with a man of military feats and achievements in loyalty....Everyone knows that if a man doesn't hold filial piety toward his own parents he would also neglect his duties toward his lord. Such a neglect means a disloyalty toward humanity. Therefore such a man doesn't deserve to be called 'samurai'."[11]
The feudal lord Asakura Yoshikage (1428–1481 AD) wrote: "In the fief of the Asakura, one should not determine hereditary chief retainers. A man should be assigned according to his ability and loyalty." Asakura also observed that the successes of his father were obtained by the kind treatment of the warriors and common people living in domain. By his civility, "all were willing to sacrifice their lives for him and become his allies."[12]
Kato Kiyomasa was one of the most powerful and well-known lords of the Sengoku Era. He commanded most of Japan's major clans during the invasion of Korea (1592–1598). In a handbook he addressed to "all samurai, regardless of rank" he told his followers that a warrior's only duty in life was to "grasp the long and the short swords and to die". He also ordered his followers to put forth great effort in studying the military classics, especially those related to loyalty and filial piety. He is best known for his quote:[13] "If a man does not investigate into the matter of Bushido daily, it will be difficult for him to die a brave and manly death. Thus it is essential to engrave this business of the warrior into one's mind well."
Nabeshima Naoshige (1538–1618 AD) was another Sengoku Daimyo who fought alongside Kato Kiyomasa in Korea. He stated that it was shameful for any man to have not risked his life at least once in the line of duty, regardless of his rank. Nabeshima's sayings would be passed down to his son and grandson and would become the basis for Tsunetomo Yamamoto's Hagakure. He is best known for his saying "The way of the Samurai is in desperateness. Ten men or more cannot kill such a man."[14][15]
Torii Mototada (1539–1600) was a feudal lord in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu. On the eve of the battle of Sekigahara, he volunteered to remain behind in the doomed Fushimi Castle while his lord advanced to the east. Torii and Tokugawa both agreed that the castle was indefensible. In an act of loyalty to his lord, Torii chose to remain behind, pledging that he and his men would fight to the finish. As was custom, Torii vowed that he would not be taken alive. In a dramatic last stand, the garrison of 2,000 men held out against overwhelming odds for ten days against the massive army of Ishida Mitsunari's 40,000 warriors. In a moving last statement to his son Tadamasa, he wrote:[16]
"It is not the Way of the Warrior [i.e., bushido] to be shamed and avoid death even under circumstances that are not particularly important. It goes without saying that to sacrifice one's life for the sake of his master is an unchanging principle. That I should be able to go ahead of all the other warriors of this country and lay down my life for the sake of my master's benevolence is an honor to my family and has been my most fervent desire for many years."
It is said that both men cried when they parted ways, because they knew they would never see each other again. Torii's father and grandfather had served the Tokugawa before him and his own brother had already been killed in battle. Torii's actions changed the course of Japanese history. Ieyasu Tokugawa would successfully raise an army and win at Sekigahara.
The translator of Hagakure, William Scott Wilson observed examples of warrior emphasis on death in clans other than Yamamoto's: "he (Takeda Shingen) was a strict disciplinarian as a warrior, and there is an exemplary story in the Hagakure relating his execution of two brawlers, not because they had fought, but because they had not fought to the death."[17][18]
The rival of Takeda Shingen (1521–1573) was Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578), a legendary Sengoku warlord well-versed in the Chinese military classics and who advocated the "way of the warrior as death". Japanese historian Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki describes Uesugi's beliefs as: "Those who are reluctant to give up their lives and embrace death are not true warriors.... Go to the battlefield firmly confident of victory, and you will come home with no wounds whatever. Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death. When you leave the house determined not to see it again you will come home safely; when you have any thought of returning you will not return. You may not be in the wrong to think that the world is always subject to change, but the warrior must not entertain this way of thinking, for his fate is always determined."[19]
Families such as the Imagawa were influential in the development of warrior ethics and were widely quoted by other lords during their lifetime. The writings of Imagawa Sadayo were highly respected and sought out by Tokugawa Ieyasu as the source of Japanese Feudal Law. These writings were a required study among traditional Japanese until World War II[citation needed].
Historian H. Paul Varley notes the description of Japan given by Jesuit leader St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552): "There is no nation in the world which fears death less." Xavier further describes the honor and manners of the people: "I fancy that there are no people in the world more punctilious about their honour than the Japanese, for they will not put up with a single insult or even a word spoken in anger." Xavier spent the years 1549–1551 converting Japanese to Christianity. He also observed: "The Japanese are much braver and more warlike than the people of China, Korea, Ternate and all of the other nations around the Philippines."[20]
In December 1547, Francis was in Malacca (Malaysia) waiting to return to Goa (India) when he met a low-ranked samurai named Anjiro (possibly spelled "Yajiro"). Anjiro was not a nobleman or an intellectual, but he impressed Xavier because he took careful notes of everything he said in church. Xavier made the decision to go to Japan in part because this low-ranking samurai convinced him in Portuguese that the Japanese people were highly educated and eager to learn. They were hard workers and respectful of authority. In their laws and customs they were led by reason, and, should the Christian faith convince them of its truth, they would accept it en masse.[21]
By the 12th century, upper-class samurai were highly literate due to the general introduction of Confucianism from China during the 7th to 9th centuries, and in response to their perceived need to deal with the imperial court, who had a monopoly on culture and literacy for most of the Heian period. As a result they aspired to the more cultured abilities of the nobility.[22]
Examples such as Taira Tadanori (a samurai who appears in the Heike Monogatari) demonstrate that warriors idealized the arts and aspired to become skilled in them.
Tadanori was famous for his skill with the pen and the sword or the "bun and the bu", the harmony of fighting and learning. Samurai were expected to be cultured and literate, and admired the ancient saying "Bun Bu Ryo Do" (文武両道, lit., literary arts, military arts, both ways) or "The pen and the sword in accord." By the time of the Edo period, Japan had a higher literacy comparable to that in central Europe.[23]
The number of men who actually achieved the ideal and lived their lives by it was high. An early term for warrior, "uruwashii", was written with a kanji that combined the characters for literary study ("bun" 文) and military arts ("bu" 武), and is mentioned in the Heike Monogatari (late 12th century). The Heike Monogatari makes reference to the educated poet-swordsman ideal in its mention of Taira no Tadanori's death:[24]
Friends and foes alike wet their sleeves with tears and said,
What a pity! Tadanori was a great general,
pre-eminent in the arts of both sword and poetry.
In his book "Ideals of the Samurai" translator William Scott Wilson states: "The warriors in the Heike Monogatari served as models for the educated warriors of later generations, and the ideals depicted by them were not assumed to be beyond reach. Rather, these ideals were vigorously pursued in the upper echelons of warrior society and recommended as the proper form of the Japanese man of arms. With the Heike Monogatari, the image of the Japanese warrior in literature came to its full maturity."[24] Wilson then translates the writings of several warriors who mention the Heike Monogatari as an example for their men to follow.
Plenty of warrior writings document this ideal from the 13th century onward. Most warriors aspired to or followed this ideal otherwise there would have been no cohesion in the samurai armies.[25]
Kamakura Bakufu and the rise of samurai[link]
Originally the emperor and nobility employed these warriors. In time, they amassed enough manpower, resources and political backing in the form of alliances with one another, to establish the first samurai-dominated government.
As the power of these regional clans grew, their chief was typically a distant relative of the emperor, and a lesser member of either the Fujiwara, Minamoto, or Taira clans.
Though originally sent to provincial areas for a fixed four-year term as a magistrate, the toryo declined to return to the capital when their terms ended, and their sons inherited their positions and continued to lead the clans in putting down rebellions throughout Japan during the middle- and later-Heian period.
Samurai fought at the naval battle of Dan-no-Ura in 1185. Because of their rising military and economic power, the warriors ultimately became a new force in the politics of the court. Their involvement in the Hōgen in the late Heian period consolidated their power, and finally pitted the rival Minamoto and Taira clans against each other in the Heiji Rebellion of 1160.
The winner, Taira no Kiyomori, became an imperial advisor, and was the first warrior to attain such a position. He eventually seized control of the central government, establishing the first samurai-dominated government and relegating the emperor to figurehead status.
However, the Taira clan was still very conservative when compared to its eventual successor, the Minamoto, and instead of expanding or strengthening its military might, the Taira clan had its women marry emperors and exercise control through the emperor.
The Taira and the Minamoto clashed again in 1180, beginning the Gempei War, which ended in 1185. The victorious Minamoto no Yoritomo established the superiority of the samurai over the aristocracy. In 1190 he visited Kyoto, and in 1192 became Seii Taishogun, establishing the Kamakura Shogunate, or Kamakura Bakufu. Instead of ruling from Kyoto, he set up the Shogunate in Kamakura, near his base of power. "Bakufu" means "tent government", taken from the encampments the soldiers would live in, in accordance with the Bakufu's status as a military government.[26]
Over time, powerful samurai clans became warrior nobility, or "buke", who were only nominally under the court aristocracy. When the samurai began to adopt aristocratic pastimes like calligraphy, poetry and music, some court aristocrats in turn began to adopt samurai customs. In spite of various machinations and brief periods of rule by various emperors, real power was now in the hands of the Shogun and the samurai.
Ashikaga Shogunate[link]
Various samurai clans struggled for power during the Kamakura and Ashikaga Shogunates.
Zen Buddhism spread among the samurai in the 13th century and helped to shape their standards of conduct, particularly overcoming fear of death and killing, but among the general populace, Pure Land Buddhism was favored.
In 1274, the Mongol-founded Yuan Dynasty in China sent a force of some 40,000 men and 900 ships to invade Japan in northern Kyūshū. Japan mustered a mere 10,000 samurai to meet this threat. The invading army was harassed by major thunderstorms throughout the invasion, which aided the defenders by inflicting heavy casualties. The Yuan army was eventually recalled and the invasion was called off. The Mongol invaders used small bombs, which was likely the first appearance of bombs and gunpowder in Japan.
The Japanese defenders recognized the possibility of a renewed invasion, and began construction of a great, stone barrier around Hakata Bay in 1276. Completed in 1277, this wall stretched for 20 kilometers around the border of the bay. This would later serve as a strong defensive point against the Mongols. The Mongols attempted to settle matters in a diplomatic way from 1275 to 1279, but every envoy sent to Japan was executed. This set the stage for one of the most famous engagements in Japanese history.
In 1281, a Yuan army of 140,000 men with 5,000 ships was mustered for another invasion of Japan. Northern Kyūshū was defended by a Japanese army of 40,000 men. The Mongol army was still on its ships preparing for the landing operation when a typhoon hit north Kyūshū island. The casualties and damage inflicted by the typhoon, followed by the Japanese defense of the Hakata Bay barrier, resulted in the Mongols again recalling their armies.
The thunderstorms of 1274 and the typhoon of 1281 helped the samurai defenders of Japan repel the Mongol invaders despite being vastly outnumbered. These winds became known as kami-no-kaze, which literally translates as "wind of the gods." This is often given a simplified translation as "divine wind." The kami-no-kaze lent credence to the Japanese belief that their lands were indeed divine and under supernatural protection.
In the 14th century, a blacksmith called Masamune developed a two-layer structure of soft and hard steel for use in swords. This structure gave much improved cutting power and endurance, and the production technique led to Japanese swords (katana) being recognized as some of the most potent hand weapons of pre-industrial East Asia. Many swords made using this technique were exported across the East China Sea, a few making their way as far as India.
Issues of inheritance caused family strife as primogeniture became common, in contrast to the division of succession designated by law before the 14th century. To avoid infighting, invasions of neighboring samurai territories became common and bickering among samurai was a constant problem for the Kamakura and Ashikaga Shogunates.
The Sengoku jidai ("warring-states period") was marked by the loosening of samurai culture with people born into other social strata sometimes making names for themselves as warriors and thus becoming de facto samurai. In this turbulent period, bushido ethics became important factors in controlling and maintaining public order.
Japanese war tactics and technologies improved rapidly in the 15th and 16th century. Use of large numbers of infantry called ashigaru ("light-foot," due to their light armor), formed of humble warriors or ordinary people with nagayari (a long lance) or (naginata), was introduced and combined with cavalry in maneuvers. The number of people mobilized in warfare ranged from thousands to hundreds of thousands.
The arquebus, a matchlock gun, was introduced by the Portuguese via a Chinese pirate ship in 1543 and the Japanese succeeded in assimilating it within a decade. Groups of mercenaries with mass-produced arquebuses began playing a critical role.
By the end of the Sengoku Period, several hundred thousand firearms existed in Japan and massive armies numbering over 100,000 clashed in battles.
In 1592, and again in 1597, Toyotomi Hideyoshi decided to invade China (唐入り) through Korea and mobilized an army of 160,000 peasants and samurai.(See Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea, 朝鮮征伐.) Taking advantage of its mastery of the arquebus, Japanese samurai made major gains in most of Korea (Kato Kiyomasa did in fact enter Manchuria, but withdrew when it was clear he had outpaced the rest of the Japanese invasion force), but were unable to advance all the way through Korea into China due to the Japanese navy's defeats at sea at the hands of the Korean navy (resulting in the Japanese supply lines being severed) and the entry of Ming Chinese troops into Korea. A few of the more famous samurai generals of this war were Katō Kiyomasa, Konishi Yukinaga, and Shimazu Yoshihiro.
Social mobility was high, as the ancient regime collapsed and emerging samurai needed to maintain large military and administrative organizations in their areas of influence. Most of the samurai families that survived to the 19th century originated in this era, declaring themselves to be the blood of one of the four ancient noble clans, Minamoto, Taira, Fujiwara and Tachibana. In most cases, however, it is hard to prove these claims.
See also: Nanban trade period
Oda, Toyotomi and Tokugawa[link]
Oda Nobunaga was the well-known lord of the Nagoya area (once called Owari Province) and an exceptional example of a samurai of the Sengoku Period. He came within a few years of, and laid down the path for his successors to follow, the reunification of Japan under a new Bakufu (Shogunate).
Oda Nobunaga made innovations in the fields of organization and war tactics, heavily used arquebuses, developed commerce and industry and treasured innovation. Consecutive victories enabled him to realize the termination of the Ashikaga Bakufu and the disarmament of the military powers of the Buddhist monks, which had inflamed futile struggles among the populace for centuries. Attacking from the "sanctuary" of Buddhist temples, they were constant headaches to any warlord and even the emperor who tried to control their actions. He died in 1582 when one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, turned upon him with his army.
Importantly, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (see below) and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Tokugawa Shogunate, were loyal followers of Nobunaga. Hideyoshi began as a nameless peasant and became one of Nobunaga's top generals, and Ieyasu had shared his childhood with Nobunaga. Hideyoshi defeated Mitsuhide within a month, and was regarded as the rightful successor of Nobunaga by avenging the treachery of Mitsuhide.
These two were gifted with Nobunaga's previous achievements on which build a unified Japan and there was a saying: "The reunification is a rice cake; Oda made it. Hashiba shaped it. At last, only Ieyasu tastes it."[citation needed] (Hashiba is the family name that Toyotomi Hideyoshi used while he was a follower of Nobunaga.)
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who became a grand minister in 1586, himself the son of a poor peasant family, created a law that the samurai caste became codified as permanent and hereditary, and that non-samurai were forbidden to carry weapons, thereby ending the social mobility of Japan up until that point, which lasted until the dissolution of the Edo Shogunate by the Meiji revolutionaries.
It is important to note that the distinction between samurai and non-samurai was so obscure that during the 16th century, most male adults in any social class (even small farmers) belonged to at least one military organization of their own and served in wars before and during Hideyoshi's rule. It can be said that an "all against all" situation continued for a century.
The authorized samurai families after the 17th century were those that chose to follow Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. Large battles occurred during the change between regimes, and a number of defeated samurai were destroyed, went ronin or were absorbed into the general populace.
Tokugawa Shogunate[link]
During the Tokugawa shogunate, samurai increasingly became courtiers, bureaucrats, and administrators rather than warriors. With no warfare since the early 17th century, samurai gradually lost their military function during the Tokugawa era (also called the Edo period).
By the end of the Tokugawa era, samurai were aristocratic bureaucrats for the daimyo, with their daisho, the paired long and short swords of the samurai (cf. katana and wakizashi) becoming more of a symbolic emblem of power rather than a weapon used in daily life.
They still had the legal right to cut down any commoner who did not show proper respect (kiri sute gomen (斬り捨て御免)), but to what extent this right was used is unknown. When the central government forced daimyos to cut the size of their armies, unemployed ronin became a social problem.
Theoretical obligations between a samurai and his lord (usually a daimyo) increased from the Genpei era to the Edo era. They were strongly emphasized by the teachings of Confucius and Mencius (ca 550 BC), which were required reading for the educated samurai class. Bushido was formalized by several influential leaders and families before the Edo Period. Bushido was an ideal, and it remained fairly uniform from the 13th century to the 19th century — the ideals of Bushido transcended social class, time and geographic location of the warrior class.
Bushido was formalized by samurai such as Imagawa Ryoshun as early as the 13th century. The conduct of samurai served as role model behavior for the other social classes. With time on their hands, samurai spent more time in pursuit of other interests such as becoming scholars.
Bushido itself is no longer particularly prominent in modern Japan, though some of its ideals and precepts live on.
Modernization[link]
Main article: Late Tokugawa shogunate
The relative peace of the Tokugawa era was shattered with the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry's massive U.S. Navy steamships in 1853. Perry used his superior firepower to force Japan to open its borders to trade. Prior to that only a few harbor towns, under strict control from the Shogunate, were allowed to participate in Western trade, and even then, it was based largely on the idea of playing the Franciscans and Dominicans off against one another (in exchange for the crucial arquebus technology, which in turn was a major contributor to the downfall of the classical samurai).
From 1854, the samurai army and the navy were modernized. A Naval training school was established in Nagasaki in 1855. Naval students were sent to study in Western naval schools for several years, starting a tradition of foreign-educated future leaders, such as Admiral Enomoto.
French naval engineers were hired to build naval arsenals, such as Yokosuka and Nagasaki. By the end of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1867, the Japanese navy of the shogun already possessed eight western-style steam warships around the flagship Kaiyō Maru, which were used against pro-imperial forces during the Boshin war, under the command of Admiral Enomoto. A French Military Mission to Japan (1867) was established to help modernize the armies of the Bakufu.
The last showing of the original samurai was in 1867 when samurai from Chōshū and Satsuma provinces defeated the Shogunate forces in favor of the rule of the emperor in the Boshin War (1868–1869). The two provinces were the lands of the daimyo that submitted to Ieyasu after the Battle of Sekigahara (1600).
The Tokugawa Shogunate also isolated Japan until 1868 when the Meiji restoration shifted power from the shogunate to the Imperial family.
Decline[link]
Emperor Meiji abolished the samurai's right to be the only armed force in favor of a more modern, western-style, conscripted army in 1873. Samurai became Shizoku (士族) who retained some of their salaries, but the right to wear a katana in public was eventually abolished along with the right to execute commoners who paid them disrespect.
The samurai finally came to an end after hundreds of years of enjoyment of their status, their powers, and their ability to shape the government of Japan. However, the rule of the state by the military class was not yet over.
In defining how a modern Japan should be, members of the Meiji government decided to follow the footsteps of the United Kingdom and Germany, basing the country on the concept of "noblesse oblige". Samurai were not a political force under the new order.
With the Meiji reforms in the late 19th century, the samurai class was abolished, and a western-style national army was established. The Imperial Japanese Armies were conscripted, but many samurai volunteered as soldiers, and many advanced to be trained as officers. Much of the Imperial Army officer class was of samurai origin, and were highly motivated, disciplined, and exceptionally trained.
The last samurai conflict was arguably in 1877, during the Satsuma Rebellion in the Battle of Shiroyama. This conflict had its genesis in the previous uprising to defeat the Tokugawa Shogunate, leading to the Meiji Restoration.
The newly formed government instituted radical changes, aimed at reducing the power of the feudal domains, including Satsuma, and the dissolution of samurai status. This led to the ultimately premature uprising, led by Saigō Takamori.
Samurai were many of the early exchange students, not directly because they were samurai, but because many samurai were literate and well-educated scholars. Some of these exchange students started private schools for higher educations, while many samurai took pens instead of guns and became reporters and writers, setting up newspaper companies, and others entered governmental service.
Only the name Shizoku existed after that. After Japan lost World War II, the name Shizoku disappeared under the law on January 1, 1947.
Western samurai[link]
The English sailor and adventurer William Adams (1564–1620) seems to have been the first Caucasian to receive the dignity of samurai. The Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu presented him with two swords representing the authority of a samurai, and decreed that William Adams the sailor was dead and that Miura Anjin (三浦按針), a samurai, was born. Adams also received the title of hatamoto (bannerman), a high-prestige position as a direct retainer in the Shogun's court. He was provided with generous revenues: "For the services that I have done and do daily, being employed in the Emperor's service, the emperor has given me a living" (Letters). He was granted a fief in Hemi (逸見) within the boundaries of present-day Yokosuka City, "with eighty or ninety husbandmen, that be my slaves or servants" (Letters). His estate was valued at 250 koku (measure of the income of the land in rice equal to about five bushels). He finally wrote "God hath provided for me after my great misery," (Letters) by which he meant the disaster-ridden voyage that initially brought him to Japan.
Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn (1556?–1623?), a Dutch colleague of Adams' on their ill-fated voyage to Japan in the ship De Liefde, was also given similar privileges by Tokugawa Ieyasu. It appears Joosten became a samurai[citation needed] and was given a residence within Ieyasu's castle at Edo. Today, this area at the east exit of Tokyo Station is known as Yaesu (八重洲). Yaesu is a corruption of the Dutchman's Japanese name, Yayousu (耶楊子). Also in common with Adam's, Joostens was given a Red Seal Ship (朱印船) allowing him to trade between Japan and Indo-China. On a return journey from Batavia Joosten drowned after his ship ran aground.
Also, during the Boshin War (1868–1869), French soldiers joined the forces of the Shogun against the Southern Daimyos favorable to the restoration of the Meiji emperor. It is recorded that the French Navy officer Eugène Collache fought in samurai attire with his Japanese brothers-in-arms. At the same time, the Prussian Edward Schnell served the Aizu domain as a military instructor and procurer of weapons. He was granted the Japanese name Hiramatsu Buhei (平松武兵衛), which inverted the characters of the daimyo's name Matsudaira. Hiramatsu (Schnell) was given the right to wear swords, as well as a residence in the castle town of Wakamatsu, a Japanese wife, and retainers. In many contemporary references, he is portrayed as wearing a Japanese kimono, overcoat, and swords, with Western riding trousers and boots.
Culture[link]
As de facto aristocrats for centuries, samurai developed their own cultures that influenced Japanese culture as a whole. The culture associated with the samurai such as the tea ceremony, monochrome ink painting, rock gardens and poetry were adopted by warrior patrons throughout the centuries 1200–1600. These practices were adapted from the Chinese arts. Zen monks introduced them to Japan and they were allowed to flourish due to the interest of powerful warrior elites. Muso Soseki (1275–1351) was a Zen monk who was advisor to both Emperor Go-Daigo and General Ashikaga Takauji (1304–58). Muso as well as other monks acted as political and cultural diplomats between Japan and China. Muso was particularly well known for his garden design. Another Ashikaga patron of the arts was Yoshimasa. His cultural advisor, the Zen monk Zeami, introduced tea ceremony to him. Previously, tea had been used primarily for Buddhist monks to stay awake during meditation.[27]
Education[link]
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In general, samurai, aristocrats, and priests had a very high literacy rate in Kanji. Recent studies have shown that literacy in Kanji among other groups in society was somewhat higher than previously understood. For example, court documents, birth and death records and marriage records from the Kamakura period, submitted by farmers, were prepared in Kanji. Both the Kanji literacy rate and skills in math improved toward the end of Kamakura period.[22]
Literacy was generally high among the warriors and the common classes as well. The feudal lord Asakura Norikage (1474–1555 AD) noted the great loyalty given to his father, due to his polite letters, not just to fellow samurai, but also to the farmers and townspeople:
There were to Lord Eirin's character many high points difficult to measure, but according to the elders the foremost of these was the way he governed the province by his civility. It goes without saying that he acted this way toward those in the samurai class, but he was also polite in writing letters to the farmers and townspeople, and even in addressing these letters he was gracious beyond normal practice. In this way, all were willing to sacrifice their lives for him and become his allies.[28]
In a letter dated January 29, 1552, St Francis Xavier observed the ease of which the Japanese understood prayers due to the high level of literacy in Japan at that time:
There are two kinds of writing in Japan, one used by men and the other by women; and for the most part both men and women, especially of the nobility and the commercial class, have a literary education. The bonzes, or bonzesses, in their monasteries teach letters to the girls and boys, though rich and noble persons entrust the education of their children to private tutors.
Most of them can read, and this is a great help to them for the easy understanding of our usual prayers and the chief points of our holy religion.[29]
In a letter to Father Ignatius Loyola at Rome, Xavier further noted the education of the upper classes:
The Nobles send their sons to monasteries to be educated as soon as they are 8 years old, and they remain there until they are 19 or 20, learning reading, writing and religion; as soon as they come out, they marry and apply themselves to politics. They are discreet, magnanimous and lovers of virtue and letters, honouring learned men very much.
In a letter dated November 11, 1549, Xavier described a multi-tiered educational system in Japan consisting of "universities", "colleges", "academies" and hundreds of monasteries that served as a principle center for learning by the populace:
But now we must give you an account of our stay at Cagoxima. We put into that port because the wind was adverse to our sailing to Meaco, which is the largest city in Japan, and most famous as the residence of the King and the Princes. It is said that after four months are passed the favourable season for a voyage to Meaco will return, and then with the good help of God we shall sail thither. The distance from Cagoxima is three hundred leagues. We hear wonderful stories about the size of Meaco : they say that it consists of more than ninety thousand dwellings. There is a very famous University there, as well as five chief colleges of students, and more than two hundred monasteries of bonzes, and of others who are like coenobites, called Legioxi, as well as of women of the same kind, who are called Hamacutis. Besides this of Meaco, there are in Japan five other principal academies, at Coya, at Negu, at Fisso, and at Homia. These are situated round Meaco, with short distances between them, and each is frequented by about three thousand five hundred scholars. Besides these there is the Academy at Bandou, much the largest and most famous in all Japan, and at a great distance from Meaco. Bandou is a large territory, ruled by six minor princes, one of whom is more powerful than the others and is obeyed by them, being himself subject to the King of Japan, who is called the Great King of Meaco. The things that are given out as to the greatness and celebrity of these universities and cities are so wonderful as to make us think of seeing them first with our own eyes and ascertaining the truth, and then when we have discovered and know how things really are, of writing an account of them to you. 10[clarification needed] They say that there are several lesser academies besides those which we have mentioned.
Names[link]
A samurai was usually named by combining one kanji from his father or grandfather and one new kanji. Samurai normally used only a small part of their total name.
For example, the full name of Oda Nobunaga would be "Oda Kazusanosuke Saburo Nobunaga" (織田上総介三郎信長), in which "Oda" is a clan or family name, "Kazusanosuke" is a title of vice-governor of Kazusa province, "Saburo" is a name before genpuku, a coming of age ceremony, and "Nobunaga" is an adult name. Samurai were able to choose their own first names.
Marriage[link]
The marriage of samurai was done by having a marriage arranged by someone with the same or higher rank than those being married. While for those samurai in the upper ranks this was a necessity (as most had few opportunities to meet a female), this was a formality for lower ranked samurai. Most samurai married women from a samurai family, but for a lower ranked samurai, marriages with commoners were permitted. In these marriages a dowry was brought by the woman and was used to start their new lives.
A samurai could have a mistress but her background was strictly checked by higher ranked samurai. In many cases, this was treated like a marriage. "Kidnapping" a mistress, although common in fiction, would have been shameful, if not a crime. When she was a commoner, a messenger would be sent with betrothal money or a note for exemption of tax to ask for her parent's acceptance and many parents gladly accepted. If a samurai's wife gave birth to a son he could then one day become a samurai.
A samurai could divorce his wife for a variety of reasons with approval from a superior, but divorce was, while not entirely nonexistent, a rare event. A reason for divorce would be if she could not produce a son, but then adoption could be arranged as an alternative to divorce. A samurai could divorce for personal reasons, even if he simply did not like his wife, but this was generally avoided as it would embarrass the samurai who had arranged the marriage. A woman could also arrange a divorce, although it would generally take the form of the samurai divorcing her. After a divorce samurai had to return the betrothal money, which often prevented divorces. Some rich merchants had their daughters marry samurai to erase a samurai's debt and advance their positions.
A samurai's wife would be dishonored and allowed to commit jigai (a female's seppuku) if she were cast off.[citation needed]
Philosophy[link]
The philosophies of Buddhism and Zen, and to a lesser extent Confucianism and Shinto, influenced the samurai culture. Zen meditation became an important teaching due to it offering a process to calm one's mind. The Buddhist concept of reincarnation and rebirth led samurai to abandon torture and needless killing, while some samurai even gave up violence altogether and became Buddhist monks after realizing how fruitless their killings were. Some were killed as they came to terms with these realizations in the battlefield. The most defining role that Confucianism played in samurai philosophy was to stress the importance of the lord-retainer relationship; this is, the loyalty that a samurai was required to show his lord.
Bushidō ("way of the warrior") was a term that began to appear in intellectual and nationalist discourse after the Japanese defeat of China in 1885 and of Russia in 1905.[30] Hagakure or "Hidden in Leaves" by Yamamoto Tsunetomo and Gorin no Sho or "Book of the Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi both written in the Tokugawa period (1603–1868) are theories often associated with Bushido and Zen philosophy.
The philosophies of Buddhism and Zen, and to a lesser extent Confucianism and Shinto, are attributed to the development of the samurai culture. "The notion that Zen is somehow related to Japanese culture in general, and bushido in particular, is familiar to Western students of Zen through the writings of D. T. Suzuki, no doubt the single most important figure in the spread of Zen in the West." [31]
In an account of Japan sent to Father Ignatius Loyola at Rome, drawn from the statements of Anger (Han-Siro's western name), Xavier describes the importance of honor to the Japanese (Letter preserved at College of Coimbra.):
In the first place, the nation with which we have had to do here surpasses in goodness any of the nations lately discovered. I really think that among barbarous nations there can be none that has more natural goodness than the Japanese. They are of a kindly disposition, not at all given to cheating, wonderfully desirous of honour and rank. Honour with them is placed above everything else. There are a great many poor among them, but poverty is not a disgrace to any one. There is one thing among them of which I hardly know whether it is practised anywhere among Christians. The nobles, however poor they may be, receive the same honour from the rest as if they were rich.[32]
Women[link]
Main article: Onna bugeisha
Maintaining the household was the main duty of samurai women. This was especially crucial during early feudal Japan, when warrior husbands were often traveling abroad or engaged in clan battles. The wife, or okugatasama (meaning: one who remains in the home), was left to manage all household affairs, care for the children, and perhaps even defend the home forcibly. For this reason, many women of the samurai class were trained in wielding a polearm called a naginata or a special knife called the kaiken in an art called tantojutsu (lit. the skill of the knife), which they could use to protect their household, family, and honor if the need arose.
Traits valued in women of the samurai class were humility, obedience, self-control, strength, and loyalty. Ideally, a samurai wife would be skilled at managing property, keeping records, dealing with financial matters, educating the children (and perhaps servants, too), and caring for elderly parents or in-laws that may be living under her roof. Confucian law, which helped define personal relationships and the code of ethics of the warrior class required that a woman show subservience to her husband, filial piety to her parents, and care to the children. Too much love and affection was also said to indulge and spoil the youngsters. Thus, a woman was also to exercise discipline.
Though women of wealthier samurai families enjoyed perks of their elevated position in society, such as avoiding the physical labor that those of lower classes often engaged in, they were still viewed as far beneath men. Women were prohibited from engaging in any political affairs and were usually not the heads of their household.
This does not mean that samurai women were always powerless. Powerful women both wisely and unwisely wielded power at various occasions. After Ashikaga Yoshimasa, 8th shogun of the Muromachi shogunate lost interest in politics, his wife Hino Tomiko largely ruled in his place. Nene, wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was known to overrule her husband's decisions at times and Yodo, his mistress, became the de facto master of Osaka castle and the Toyotomi clan after Hideyoshi's death. Chiyo, wife of Yamauchi Kazutoyo, has long been considered the ideal samurai wife. According to legend, she made her kimono out of a quilted patchwork of bits of old cloth and saved pennies to buy her husband a magnificent horse, on which he rode to many victories. The fact that Chiyo (though she is better known as "Wife of Yamauchi Kazutoyo") is held to such high esteem for her economic sense is illuminating in the light of the fact that she never produced an heir and the Yamauchi clan was succeeded by Kazutoyo's younger brother. The source of power for women may have been that samurai looked down upon matters concerning money and left their finances to their wives.
As the Tokugawa period progressed more value became placed on education, and the education of females beginning at a young age became important to families and society as a whole. Marriage criteria began to weigh intelligence and education as desirable attributes in a wife, right along with physical attractiveness. Though many of the texts written for women during the Tokugawa period only pertained to how a woman could become a successful wife and household manager, there were those that undertook the challenge of learning to read, and also tackled philosophical and literary classics. Nearly all women of the samurai class were literate by the end of the Tokugawa period.
Weapons[link]
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- Japanese Swords are the weapons that have come to be synonymous with the samurai. Ancient Japanese swords from the Nara period (Chokutō) featured a straight blade, by the late 900s curved tachi appeared, followed by the uchigatana and ultimately the katana. Smaller commonly known companion swords are the wakizashi and the tanto.[33] Wearing a long sword (katana) or (tachi) together with a smaller sword such as a wakizashi or tantō became the symbol of the samurai, this combination of swords is referred to as a daishō (literally "big and small"). During the Edo period only samurai were allowed to wear a daisho.
- The yumi (longbow), reflected in the art of kyūjutsu (lit. the skill of the bow) was a major weapon of the Japanese military. Its usage declined with the introduction of the tanegashima (Japanese matchlock) during the Sengoku period, but the skill was still practiced at least for sport.[34] The yumi, an asymmetric composite bow made from bamboo, wood, rattan and leather, had an effective range of 50 meters (about 164 feet) or 100 meters (328 feet) if accuracy was not an issue. On foot, it was usually used behind a tate (手盾), a large, mobile wooden shield, but the yumi could also be used from horseback because of its asymmetric shape. The practice of shooting from horseback became a Shinto ceremony known as yabusame (流鏑馬).[35]
- Pole weapons including the yari and naginata were commonly used by the samurai. The yari (Japanese spear) displaced the naginata from the battlefield as personal bravery became less of a factor and battles became more organized around massed, inexpensive foot troops (ashigaru).[citation needed] A charge, mounted or dismounted, was also more effective when using a spear rather than a sword, as it offered better than even odds against a samurai using a sword. In the Battle of Shizugatake where Shibata Katsuie was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, then known as Hashiba Hideyoshi, seven samurai who came to be known as the "Seven Spears of Shizugatake" (賤ヶ岳七本槍) played a crucial role in the victory.[36]
- Tanegashima (Japanese matchlock) were introduced to Japan in the 1543 through Portuguese trade. Tanegashima were produced on a large scale by Japanese gunsmiths, enabling warlords to raise and train armies from masses of peasants. The new weapons were highly effective, their ease of use and deadly effectiveness led to the tanegashima becoming the weapon of choice over the yumi (bow). By the end of the 16th century, there were more firearms in Japan than in many European nations. Tanegashima, employed en masse, largely by ashigaru peasant foot troops were responsible for a change in military tactics which eventually led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate (Edo period) and an end to civil war. Production of tanegashima declined sharply as there was no need for massive amounts of firearms. During the Edo period tanegashima were stored in away and their use was mainly for hunting and target practice. Foreign intervention in the 1800s led to a renewed interest in firearms but the tanegashima was outdated and various samurai factions purchased more modern firearms from various European sources.
- Cannons became a common part of the samurai's armory in the 1570s. They often were mounted in castles or on ships, being used more as anti-personnel weapons than against castle walls or the like, though in the siege of Nagashino castle (1575) a cannon was used to good effect against an enemy siegetower. The first popular cannon in Japan were swivel-breech loaders nicknamed kunikuzushi or "province destroyers". Kunikuzushi weighed 264 lb (120 kg). and used 40 lb (18 kg). chambers, firing a small shot of 10 oz (280 g). The Arima clan of Kyushu used guns like this at the Battle of Okinawate against the Ryūzōji clan. By the time of the Osaka campaign (1614–1615), cannon technology had improved in Japan to the point where at Osaka, Ii Naotaka managed to fire an 18 lb (8.2 kg). shot into the castle's keep.[citation needed]
- Staff weapons of many shapes and sizes made from oak and other hard woods were also used by the samurai, commonly known ones include the bō, the jō, the hanbo, and the tanbo.
- Clubs and truncheons made of iron and/or wood, of all shapes and sizes were used by the samurai. Some like the jutte were one-handed weapons and others like the kanabo were large two-handed weapons.
- Chain weapons, various weapons using chains kusari were used during the samurai era, the kusarigama and Kusari-fundo are examples.
Armor[link]
Main article: Japanese armour
As far back as the seventh century Japanese warriors wore a form of lamellar armor, this armor eventually evolved into the armor worn by the samurai.[37] The first types of Japanese armors identified as samurai armor were known as yoroi. These early samurai armors were made from small individual scales known as kozane. The kozane were made from either iron or leather and were bound together into small strips, the strips were coated with lacquer to protect the kozane from water. A series of strips of kozane were then laced together with silk or leather lace and formed into a complete chest armor (dou or dō).[37]
In the 1500s a new type of armor started to become popular due to the advent of firearms, new fighting tactics and the need for additional protection. The kozane dou made from individual scales was replaced by plate armor. This new armor, which used iron plated dou (dō), was referred to as Tosei-gusoku, or modern armor.[38][39] Various other components of armor protected the samurai's body. The helmet kabuto was an important part of the samurai's armor. Samurai armor changed and developed as the methods of samurai warfare changed over the centuries.[40] The known last use of samurai armor occurring in 1877 during the satsuma rebellion.[41] As the last samurai rebellion was crushed, Japan modernized its defenses and turned to a national conscription army that used uniforms.[42]
Etymology of samurai and related words[link]
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The Term samurai originally meant "those who serve in close attendance to nobility", and was written in the Chinese character (or kanji) that had the same meaning. In Japanese, it was originally pronounced in the pre-Heian period as saburau and later as saburai, then samurai in the Edo period. In Japanese literature, there is an early reference to samurai in the Kokinshū (古今集, early 10th century):[43]
Attendant to your nobility
Ask for your master's umbrella
Are thicker than rain
The dews 'neath the trees of Miyagino
The word bushi (武士, lit. "warrior or armsman") first appears in an early history of Japan called Shoku Nihongi (続日本記, AD 797). In a portion of the book covering the year AD 721, Shoku Nihongi states: "Literary men and Warriors are they whom the nation values". The term bushi is of Chinese origin and adds to the indigenous Japanese words for warrior: tsuwamono and mononofu.
Bushi was the name given to the ancient Japanese soldiers from traditional warrior families. The bushi class was developed mainly in the north of Japan. They formed powerful clans, which in the 12th Century were against the noble families who were grouping themselves to support the imperial family who lived in Kyoto. Samurai was a word used by the Kuge aristocratic class with warriors themselves preferring the word bushi. The term Bushidō, the "way of the warrior," is derived from this term and the mansion of a warrior was called bukeyashiki.
The terms bushi and samurai became synonymous near the end of the 12th century, according to William Scott Wilson in his book Ideals of the Samurai—Writings of Japanese Warriors. Wilson's book thoroughly explores the origins of the word warrior in Japanese history as well as the kanji used to represent the word.
"Breaking down the character bu (武) reveals the radical (止), meaning "to stop," and an abbreviation of the radical (戈 ) "spear." The Shuo Wen, an early Chinese dictionary, gives this definition: "Bu consists of subduing the weapon and therefore stopping the spear." The Tso Chuan, another early Chinese source, goes further:
Bu consists of bun (文), literature or letters (and generally the arts of peace), stopping the spear. Bu prohibits violence and subdues weapons ... it puts the people at peace, and harmonizes the masses.
The radical shi (士) on the other hand seems to have originally meant a person who performs some function or who has the ability in some field. Early in Chinese history it came to define the upper class of society, and in the Book of Han this definition is given :
The shi, the farmer, the craftsman, and the tradesman are the four professions of the people. He who occupies his rank by means of learning is called a shi.
Wilson states that the shi, as the highest of the four classes, brandished the weapons as well as the books. bushi therefore translates as "a man who has the ability to keep the peace, either by literary or military means, but predominantly by the latter".[44]
It was not until the early modern period, namely the Azuchi-Momoyama period and early Edo period of the late 16th and early 17th centuries that the word saburai was replaced with samurai. However, the meaning had changed long before that.
During the era of the rule of the samurai, the term yumitori (弓取, "bowman") was also used as an honorary title of an accomplished warrior even though swordsmanship had become more important. (Japanese archery (kyujutsu) is still strongly associated with the war god Hachiman.)
A samurai with no attachment to a clan or daimyo (大名) was called a ronin (浪人). In Japanese, the word ronin means "wave man", a person destined to wander aimlessly forever, like the waves in the sea. The word came to mean a samurai who was no longer in the service of a lord because his lord had died, because the samurai had been banished or simply because the samurai chose to become a ronin.
The pay of samurai was measured in koku of rice (180 liters; enough to feed a man for one year). Samurai in the service of the han are called hanshi.
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The following terms are related to samurai or the samurai tradition:
- Uruwashii
a cultured warrior symbolized by the kanji for "bun" (literary study) and "bu" (military study or arts) - Buke (武家)
A martial house or a member of such a house - Mononofu (もののふ)
An ancient term meaning a warrior. - Musha (武者)
A shortened form of bugeisha (武芸者), lit. martial art man. - Shi (士)
A word roughly meaning "gentleman," it is sometimes used for samurai, in particular in words such as bushi (武士, meaning warrior or samurai). - Tsuwamono (兵)
An old term for a soldier popularized by Matsuo Bashō in his famous haiku. Literally meaning a strong person.
Myth and reality[link]
Most samurai were bound by a code of honor and were expected to set an example for those below them. A notable part of their code is seppuku (切腹, seppuku?) or hara kiri, which allowed a disgraced samurai to regain his honor by passing into death, where samurai were still beholden to social rules. Whilst there are many romanticized characterizations of samurai behavior such as the writing of Bushido (武士道, Bushidō?) in 1905, studies of Kobudo and traditional Budō indicate that the samurai were as practical on the battlefield as were any other warrior.
Despite the rampant romanticism of the 20th century, samurai could be disloyal and treacherous (e.g., Akechi Mitsuhide), cowardly, brave, or overly loyal (e.g., Kusunoki Masashige). Samurai were usually loyal to their immediate superiors, who in turn allied themselves with higher lords. These loyalties to the higher lords often shifted; for example, the high lords allied under Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉) were served by loyal samurai, but the feudal lords under them could shift their support to Tokugawa, taking their samurai with them. There were, however, also notable instances where samurai would be disloyal to their lord or daimyo, when loyalty to the emperor was seen to have supremacy.[45]
Popular culture[link]
Further information: Samurai cinema
Jidaigeki (lit. historical drama) has always been a staple program on Japanese movies and TV. The programs typically feature a samurai. Samurai films and westerns share a number of similarities and the two have influenced each other over the years. Kurosawa was inspired by the works of director John Ford and in turn Kurosawa's works have been remade into westerns such as The Seven Samurai into The Magnificent Seven and Yojimbo into A Fistful of Dollars. There is also a 26 episode anime adaptation (Samurai 7) of The Seven Samurai.
Eiji Yoshikawa is one of the most famous Japanese historical novelists. His retellings of popular works, including Taiko, Musashi and Heike Tale are popular among readers for their epic narratives and rich realism in depicting samurai and warrior culture.
The samurai have also appeared frequently in Japanese comics (manga) and animation (anime). Most common are historical works where the protagonist is either a samurai or former samurai (or another rank/position) who possesses considerable martial skill. Samurai-like characters are not just restricted to historical settings and a number of works set in the modern age, and even the future, include characters who live, train and fight like samurai. American comic books have adopted the character type for stories of their own.
A film released in 2003 titled The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, is inspired by the Samurai way of life.
The television series Power Rangers Samurai (Samurai Sentai Shinkenger in Japan) is also inspired by the way of the Samurai.
Famous samurai[link]
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See also[link]
References[link]
- ^ Wilson, p. 17
- ^ "Samurai (Japanese warrior)". Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ a b William Wayne Farris, Heavenly Warriors — The Evolution of Japan's Military, 500–1300, Harvard University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-674-38704-X
- ^ A History of Japan, Vol. 3 and 4, George Samson, Tuttle Publishing, 2000.
- ^ Cleary, Thomas Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook Shambhala (May, 2008) ISBN 1-59030-572-8
- ^ Wilson, p. 38
- ^ Carl Steenstrup, PhD Thesis, University of Copenhagen (1979)
- ^ Wilson, p. 47
- ^ Wilson, p. 62
- ^ Wilson, p. 103
- ^ Wilson, p. 95
- ^ Wilson, p. 67
- ^ Wilson, p, 131
- ^ Stacey B. Day; Kiyoshi Inokuchi; Hagakure Kenkyūkai (1994). The wisdom of Hagakure: way of the Samurai of Saga domain. Hagakure Society. p. 61. http://books.google.com/books?id=QYsQAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Brooke Noel Moore; Kenneth Bruder (6 August 2001). Philosophy: the power of ideas. McGraw-Hill. p. 494. ISBN 978-0-7674-2011-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=3kcIWXk8UhMC. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Wilson, p. 122
- ^ Wilson, p. 91
- ^ Daisetz Teitarō Suzuki (1938). Zen and Japanese culture. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-01770-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=j8c9AAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Daisetz Teitarō Suzuki (1938). Zen and Japanese culture. Princeton University Press. pp. 78–. ISBN 978-0-691-01770-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=j8c9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA78. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ H. Paul Varley (2000). Japanese culture. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 143–. ISBN 978-0-8248-2152-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=BvUEzBin61AC&pg=PA143. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Coleridge, p. 100
- ^ a b Matsura, Yoshinori Fukuiken-shi 2 (Tokyo: Sanshusha, 1921)
- ^ Philip J. Adler; Randall L. Pouwels (27 November 2007). World Civilizations: Since 1500. Cengage Learning. pp. 369–. ISBN 978-0-495-50262-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=mPoqfoiIp4sC&pg=PA369. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ a b Wilson, p. 26
- ^ Wilson
- ^ Wilson , p. 15
- ^ R. H. P. Mason; John Godwin Caiger (15 November 1997). A history of Japan. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 152–. ISBN 978-0-8048-2097-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=m_XL2iELo-oC&pg=PA152. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Wilson, p. 85
- ^ Coleridge, p. 345
- ^ Sharf, Robert H "The Zen of Japanese Nationalism" (University of Chicago Press, 1993)
- ^ Sharf, Robert H. "The Zen of Japanese Nationalism" (University of Chicago Press, 1993) p. 12
- ^ Coleridge, p. 237
- ^ Karl F. Friday (2004). Samurai, warfare and the state in early medieval Japan. Psychology Press. pp. 78–80. ISBN 978-0-415-32963-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=q5KBjpGSRgkC&pg=PA78. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ Kathleen Haywood; Catherine Lewis (2006). Archery: steps to success. Human Kinetics. pp. 10–. ISBN 978-0-7360-5542-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=-EFySHOgGmIC&pg=PR10. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Thomas Louis; Tommy Ito (5 August 2008). Samurai: The Code of the Warrior. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.. pp. 117–. ISBN 978-1-4027-6312-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=wExlaM1ov0sC&pg=PA117. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Stephen Turnbull (11 April 2008). The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 65–. ISBN 978-4-8053-0956-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=NR9j09T2hLkC&pg=PA65. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ a b Stephen R. Turnbull (1996). The Samurai: a military history. Psychology Press. pp. 20–. ISBN 978-1-873410-38-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=RMBdoimD2kIC&pg=PA20. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Clive Sinclaire (1 November 2004). Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior. Globe Pequot. pp. 32–. ISBN 978-1-59228-720-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=IQ3FAZG94ZsC&pg=PA32. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ William E. Deal (12 September 2007). Handbook to life in medieval and early modern Japan. Oxford University Press. pp. 171–. ISBN 978-0-19-533126-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=i0ni1NmbYe0C&pg=PA171. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ Oscar Ratti; Adele Westbrook (1991). Secrets of the samurai: a survey of the martial arts of feudal Japan. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 186–. ISBN 978-0-8048-1684-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZFf9e0DmHZUC&pg=PA186. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- ^ Clive Sinclaire (1 November 2004). Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior. Globe Pequot. pp. 58–. ISBN 978-1-59228-720-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=IQ3FAZG94ZsC&pg=PA58. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ The connoisseur's book of Japanese swords, Kōkan Nagayama, Kodansha International, 1998 p.43
- ^ Kokin wakashu (Japanese)
- ^ Wilson, p. 16
- ^ Mark Ravina, The Last Samurai — The Life and Battles of Saigō Takamori, John Wiley & Sons, 2004.
Bibliography[link]
- Coleridge, Henry James. the Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier. Forgotten Books. ISBN 978-1-4510-0048-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=o6n9jLF4IwUC. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
- Wilson, William Scott (1982). Ideals of the Samurai: Writings of Japanese Warriors. Kodansha. ISBN 0-89750-081-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=zAl8YHtqXxgC&printsec=frontcover.
External links[link]
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Look up 侍 in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Look up samurai in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Samurai |
- The Samurai Archives Japanese History page
- Samurai Swords and Samurai Culture
- History of the Samurai
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is about the anime and manga series. For the video game, see Afro Samurai (video game).
| Afro Samurai | |
| Volume one of Afro Samurai Volume one of the Afro Samurai manga remake, first released in America by Tor Books and Seven Seas Entertainment. |
|
| アフロサムライ (Afuro Samurai) |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Chanbara, science fiction, fantasy, avant-garde, black comedy, comedy-drama |
| Manga | |
| Afro Samurai! | |
| Written by | Takashi Okazaki |
| Published by | Self-funded dōjinshi |
| English publisher | Seven Seas Entertainment NA |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Nou Nou Hau (dōjinshi) |
| Original run | September 1999 – May 2000 |
| Volumes | 1 JP, 2 NA |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Fuminori Kizaki Jamie Simone |
| Written by | Tomohiro Yamashita Derek Draper Chris Yoo |
| Studio | Gonzo |
| Licensed by | Funimation Entertainment NA Madman Entertainment AUS |
| Network | Fuji Television |
| English network | Spike NA Adult Swim/Bravo UK MTV/ABC2 AUS |
| Original run | January 4, 2007 – February 1, 2007 |
| Episodes | 5 |
| Anime film | |
| Afro Samurai: Resurrection | |
| Directed by | Fuminori Kizaki Jamie Simone |
| Produced by | Eric Calderon Leo Chu Eric Garcia Shin'ichiro Ishikawa Samuel L. Jackson Arthur Smith |
| Written by | Yasuyuki Mutou Josh Fialkov Eric Calderon |
| Studio | Gonzo |
| Licensed by | FUNimation Entertainment NA Madman Entertainment AUS |
| Released | January 25, 2009 NA February 3, 2009 JP |
| Runtime | 90 minutes NA 100 minutes JP |
| Anime and Manga Portal | |
Afro Samurai (アフロサムライ, Afuro Samurai?), also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000. Inspired by Takashi Okazaki's love of soul and hip hop music and American media, Afro Samurai follows the life of Afro Samurai who witnessed his father (owner of the No. 1 headband) being killed by the hands of a gunslinger named Justice (owner of the No. 2 headband) while he was a child. As an adult, Afro sets off to avenge his father's death and kill Justice.
The Afro Samurai dōjinshi was adapted into a 5-episode anime TV series by studio Gonzo in 2007. The same studio also went on to produce a made-for-TV movie sequel entitled Afro Samurai: Resurrection in 2009, which gained two Emmy nominations, for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, which it won, and Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More). After the release of the anime series, Takashi Okazaki remade the original Afro Samurai dōjinshi into a two-volume manga. To be only released in North America, Tor Books and Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the title and published it under their new Tor/Seven Seas imprint.
In addition to the success of the anime series, Afro Samurai has also been adapted into a video game and an upcoming live-action feature film. For the TV series and the film, two soundtracks by the RZA of Wu-Tang Clan have been released as well as a profile book in Japan.
Contents |
Plot[link]
See also: List of Afro Samurai characters
[edit] Afro Samurai
In a futuristic yet feudal Japan, it is said that the one who wields the Number 1 headband is the fiercest fighter in the world and shall possess godlike powers. The only way to obtain the Number 1 headband is to challenge and defeat him in combat. However, only the Number 2 can challenge the Number 1, while anyone can challenge the Number 2, which causes a constant struggle for the Number 2 headband.
Justice, the owner of the No. 2 headband, goes to fight the owner of the No. 1 headband, Afro's father. The two battle, ending with Justice decapitating Afro's father and claiming his headband. His head rolls in front of his son, Afro, as he sobs and vows revenge.
Now an adult, "Afro Samurai" is the current No. 2 and a master swordsman. He travels Japan trying to make his way to the mountain-top keep where Justice awaits. As he makes his way to Justice, he recalls his journey from a frightened young boy to a master samurai. Along the way, many people challenge Afro for his headband, including the "Empty Seven Clan" who send various agents, including a robotic Afro, to kill him throughout his travels. He is also being hunted by his vengeful childhood friend Jinno, who was long thought to be dead. It is revealed that Afro's childhood samurai master became the new No. 2 after Justice killed Afro's father. When Afro confronts his master, they are both attacked by assassins, leading to the death of everyone except Afro, Jinno, Atsura (Ukikio) and their master. Jinno begs Afro not to kill their own master, claiming he is selfish and he is to blame for the death of their friends. Afro defeats the master and claims the number 2 headband. Jinno, filled with rage and hatred for Afro, throws himself off a nearby cliff. Afro as an adult finally confronts Justice. Afro learns that there are other headbands in existence, ranging to an unspecified higher number, and sees that the corpses of those who wore them are skewered throughout the room where Justice awaits. Afro defeats Justice and takes the No. 1 headband, and the other headbands disappear.
Afro decides to live in the mountains once again. Jinno, adorned with every headband in existence, returns and confronts Afro for the No. 1 band and his revenge.
[edit] Afro Samurai: Resurrection
Afro refuses to wear the No. 1 headband as the rules require, and spends his days making wooden sculptures of people from his past instead of fighting. On a bridge, after fishing, a group of people challenge him, but he easily slays all of them. One dark and stormy night, Jinno (now mindlessly taking orders) and a mysterious woman named Sio attacks Afro. Jinno easily defeats him and takes the No. 1 headband for Sio and then robs his father's grave of his remains. Sio is revealed to be Jinno's sister. Sio tells Afro her plans to resurrect Afro's father, Rokutaro, so she can torture him as revenge against Afro for the lives he has destroyed, including her brother's and her own. Sio challenges Afro to find the No. 2 headband to earn the right to challenge her. Afro, determined to recover the No. 1 headband and his father's remains, sets off to find the No. 2 headband. At "Lady's Luck Town" in a stripper/sex club, finds brothers No. 1 (who is in a stand-up wheelchair and has a catheter) and 3 and has to play a dice game against Brother No. 3. No. 3 cheats and Afro finds out, threatening to kill him and eventually learns from No. 3 that the bearer of the No. 2 headband is a man named Shichigoro.
Afro, in search of Shichigoro, coincidentally kills the kidnapper of Schichigoro's son and prompts Shichigoro to buy him a drink. They eventually fight to the death with the No. 2 headband at stake, and upon victory, Afro continues on toward Sio. Shichigoro's son, who witnessed his father's death, sobs and then vows revenge over the dead body of his father, much like Afro and Justice. Along the way he is observed by three masked, android warriors from his past. The warriors are revealed to be a part of Sio's original plan to overwhelm Afro in the final battle, but apparently had decided to battle Afro early in an attempt to finish him off before Sio had to dirty her hands.
Afro battles and defeats the three while Sio attempts to resurrect a mind-controlled version of Afro's father. However, Rokutaro is revived before he is completely restored, leaving him merely a mindless, though apparently somewhat controllable, killing machine. Afro defeats the three and is soon confronted by Sio, Jinno, and his resurrected father. With Afro hesitant to fight his father, Rokutaro defeats and kills him (stops his heart from beating by strangling him). Jinno comes to Afro's aid, though pointless as Sio points out, in a sudden flash of selective memories of being a childhood friend and sparring partner with Afro. Landing only a few blows, Jinno is quickly killed by Rokutaro, who kills Sio in the same blow when she attempts to come to Jinno's aid. The cybernetic remains of Jinno give off an electrical surge, which, conducted through the spilled blood of Sio, restarts Afro's heart. Afro apparently defeats Rokotaro and emerges from the scene wearing the No. 1 headband.
Afro walks away from the battle, wearing the No. 1 headband and clutching the No. 2 headband in right hand. He comes across Shichigoro's orphaned son, who had been following him, and hands him the No. 2, telling him to challenge him when he's ready.
Production[link]
Takashi Okazaki started drawing African-American characters on items like Kleenex boxes when he was a teenager, inspired by his fondness for hip hop and soul music. He also drew ideas from American media and their depiction of Japanese culture.[1] Takashi started combining elements of samurai into his work, eventually developing the design for Afro. Takashi Okazaki began writing the original dōjinshi, then called Afro Samurai!, when he and his friends started independently publishing the art magazine Nou Nou Hau.[2] The preparatory "issue 0" of Nou Nou Hau was released on November 1998 with Afro Samurai artwork featured on the cover.[3] Takashi Okazaki wrote the entire manga in the English direction, with elements from English and Japanese comics. He also used Afro Samurai for a cat food advertisement in the last pages of his manga book.[4]
In addition to the anime production, Takashi Okazaki re-made the dōjinshi, with much better art skills.[4] At the Japan Society from March 13 to June 14, 2009, original Afro Samurai dōjinshi artwork (as used on issue 0 of Nou Nou Hau) was showcased at the KRAZY!: The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games exhibition.[5]
Media[link]
Manga[link]
Written and illustrated by Takashi Okazaki, Afro Samurai was originally published in the self-funded Nou Nou Hau dōjinshi magazine.[2] First appearing in issue 0, the dōjinshi version was first published from September 1999 to October 2000.[3] After the release of the anime version, Takashi Okazaki recreated the original dōjinshi.[4] Although the recreation of the original manga was created in Japan, it was first published in the United States by Seven Seas Entertainment and Tor Books in two tankōbon volumes.[6] As a special supplement, thumb-nail sized clips of the original dōjinshi were shown at the end of the first volume.[7] The English release of the manga was Tor Books and Seven Seas' first publication under the newly formed Tor/Seven Seas imprint.[6] The manga was also released in Italy through Panini Comics' manga publishing division Planet Manga, starting on April 9, 2009.[8] The manga was released in one volume in Japan on December 18, 2009. The limited edition came with all the issues of the original dōjinshi included in a separate volume.[1]
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nothing personal...it's just revenge. | September 2008[9] | ISBN 978-0-7653-2123-7 | ||
|
|||||
| Afro witnessed his father get killed by Justice. Afro, now with the No. 2 headband sets forth to avenge his father's death. On his way Afro encounters several foes. | |||||
| 2 | Death isn't the end...it's only the beginning. | February 2009[9] | ISBN 978-0-7653-2239-5 | ||
|
|||||
Anime[link]
One of Takashi Okazaki's friends decided to make action figures based on the character, which were released in small amounts. After the action figures were created, a producer from the Japanese studio, Gonzo, happened to find them and thought of an animated TV project based on the series. The anime took three years to develop, and in the three years the studio also created a trailer, which happened to fall into the hands of Samuel L. Jackson.[10] It was announced that the project would be a five-episode "creative collaboration" between Samuel L. Jackson, Takashi Okazaki, and Gonzo, with a music score by hip hop artist RZA from the rap group Wu-Tang Clan.[11][12] In 2006, it was announced that Funimation Entertainment acquired the rights to the anime series which would premier on Spike TV (now simply known as "Spike") later that year, and that Samuel L. Jackson would voice Afro.[13] Afro Samurai debuted on Spike TV, on January 4, 2007.[14] The series' worldwide premier was on Spike TV's website where they streamed the first episode online. The anime was later released on Japanese television Thursday, May 3, 2007, in English with Japanese subtitles. The Japanese air was released completely uncut.[15] On Friday, May 11, 2007 Funimation released the first Afro Samurai DVDs at Anime Central, at their own booth, the regular Afro Samurai: Spike Version and the uncut Afro Samurai: Director's Cut. Both DVDs were released to the public on May 22, 2007.[16] On September 4, 2007, all five episodes of Afro Samurai were released on iTunes. To promote this, Funimation released eight custom designed iPods by Takashi Okazaki.[17] In 2008, Funimation released the Afro Samurai anime series onto Xbox Live in high definition format and also debuted on Blu-ray Disc in that year.[18][19] Also in 2008, Afro Samurai was shown at the German Film Festival in Germany.[20]
| # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Revenge" "Number Two" |
January 4, 2007 |
| As a boy, Afro witnessed his father's death by the hands of a man looking to claim the title of No. 1. Now a grown man, he has the title of No. 2 and sets out on his journey of revenge. | ||
| 02 | "The Dream Reader" "OKIKU" |
January 11, 2007 |
| Afro relives his harsh past through his dreams when he is discovered by a local by the riverbank who tends to his wounds. | ||
| 03 | "The Empty Seven Clan" "THE EMPTY SEVEN CLAN" |
January 18, 2007 |
| As The Clan of the Empty Seven continues to put pressure on Afro, he must battle his deadliest foe yet, himself. | ||
| 04 | "Duel" "KUMA" |
January 25, 2007 |
| The past comes back to teach Afro a lesson about the consequences of choosing revenge over family, and what it really means to wear the No. 2 headband. | ||
| 05 | "Justice" "JUSTICE" |
February 1, 2007 |
| Afro battles with his childhood friend and makes his final ascension towards the number one, Justice. | ||
Films[link]
In an Associated Press interview in 2007, Takashi Okazaki confirmed there would be a sequel to the anime series, and that it would also be shown on Spike TV.[21] In 2008, the sequel was announced to be a TV movie titled Afro Samurai: Resurrection, and that actors Lucy Liu and Mark Hamill would join the voice acting cast.[22] Hip hop artist RZA also came back to provide the soundtrack for the movie. Afro Samurai: Resurrection debuted on Spike TV on the night of January 25, 2009.[23] On July 16, 2009, Afro Samurai: Resurrection was nominated for an Emmy in the "Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or more)" category in the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards and the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. At the Emmy awards, Afro Samurai: Resurrection lost to Destination Imagination, a TV movie based on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.[24][25] The art director of Afro Samurai: Resurrection, Shigemi Ikeda, won an Emmy for his work on Resurrection, which is the first ever awarded for work on a Japanese-animated production.[26] Afro Samurai: Resurrection was the first Japanese anime to be nominated for and win an Emmy.[25]
Late 2009 also saw the release of Afro Samurai: Complete Murder Sessions on Blu-Ray and DVD. A 4-disc collection of both Afro Samurai Director's Cut and Afro Samurai: Resurrection, together in one complete boxset.
Announced at the 2006 Comic-Con, a live action version of Afro Samurai was said to be in the making.[27] On 2011-07-21, Gonzo K.K. and Indomina group announced Indomina group had obtained the rights to produce the film, with Samuel L. Jackson, Jasbinder Singh Mann (Indomina Group Vice Chairman and CEO), Shin Ishikawa (Gonzo Studios) as producers; Eli Selden of Anonymous Content as executive producer.[28][29]
Video games[link]
In 2005, Gonzo had awarded Namco Bandai Games exclusive rights to publish to Afro Samurai video games, as announced that year.[30] The debut trailer of the first game was released at the company's Editor's Day presentation.[31] Afro Samurai was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on January 27, 2009.[32][33]
Soundtracks[link]
Wu-Tang Clan member RZA produced the soundtrack for both the Afro Samurai TV series and the TV movie sequel Afro Samurai: Resurrection.[12][23] The first soundtrack for the anime series, The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai: The Soundtrack was released on January 30, 2007 by Koch Records (now known as E1 Music).[34] The second soundtrack for the TV movie, The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai: Resurrection: The Soundtrack was also released by Koch Records on January 27, 2009.[35]
Crew[link]
- Samuel L. Jackson - Executive Producer
- Jamie Simone - Casting and Voice Director
Reception[link]
The Afro Samurai manga series has received generally positive reviews from critics. Scott Green, writer of the Anime AICN segment of Ain't It Cool News said that the manga "is a work of design" and that it "utilizes the medium to which it is applied as a platform rather than as an ends unto itself." Scott notes that Okazaki does not have a "head for manga as a storytelling form" and that the "manga labors to show off Okazaksi' [sic] design."[36] Anime News Network reviewer, Carlo Santos stated about the anime that "like most typical action-adventures, the story starts out slow and only picks up toward the middle and end when the blades really start flying" and that "Afro Samurai is hardly a complex story" and that it only has "a handful of characters and a straightforward beat-the-next-guy plotline". Carlo Santos also noted that "the original Afro Samurai manga is pretty lousy" and that Takashi Okazaki often gets lost in "incomprehensible scribbles" and "style over substance."[37] Volume 2 of Afro Samurai also charted 147 on ComiPress' "Top 250 Manga Volumes" of February 2009.[38] The Blu-ray release of the anime series charted #16 on VideoScan's Blu-ray charts.[19] Zac Bertschy of Anime News Nerwork stated about Afro Samurai: Resurrection that "it's a gorgeous film," with "incredible animation, spectacular action setpieces [sic] and a thumping score by The RZA". Zac noted that the plot is just "window dressing" and that if it's about anything it's about "cool".
Zac criticized that the film is just an excuse to string fight scenes together and that the farther it goes on it becomes clearer how "weak the writing is".[39] Hyper commends the anime for its art, saying, "stylised poses and sharp, dynamic visuals have long been a trademark element of this series, and they hold true [in the anime]."[40] In January 2009, IGN ranked Afro Samurai 90th on a list of the top 100 animated series, saying that the over-the-top violence and quirky story and characters made the show enjoyable [41]
References[link]
- ^ a b "木﨑文智監督、岡崎能士(原作者)インタビュー" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 10 December 2007. http://www.cinema-factory.net/contents/317_afrosamurai/interview.html. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
- ^ a b Epstein, Daniel Robert; Takashi Okazaki. "Afro Samurai: Takashi Okazaki Interview". 670 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10012: UGO.com/UGO Networks, Inc.. http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=16499. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
- ^ a b "NOU NOU HAU vol.0". Kugelblitz. 2005-2006. http://www.kugel-blitz.com/en/nounouhau/history_1998.php. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
- ^ a b c Okazaki, Takashi (February 2009) [2009]. Adam Arnold. ed. Takashi Okazaki: The Man BEHIND the 'Fro. Afro Samurai. 2 (1 ed.). Seven Seas Entertainment. ISBN 978-0-7653-2239-5. OCLC 223883056. 52-Uz2WVpVwC. http://books.google.com/?id=52-Uz2WVpVwC&pg=PT167&lpg=PT167&dq=NOU+NOU+HAU&q=NOU%20NOU%20HAU. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ Aoki, Deb (2009). "Afro Samurai by Takashi Okazaki". About.com. http://manga.about.com/od/imagegalleries/ig/KRAZY--Exhibit-Gallery/Afro-Samurai.htm. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
- ^ a b "Tor Books Partners with Seven Seas to Form New Manga Imprint and Announces Publication of Afro Samurai". ComiPress. December 8, 2007. http://www.comipress.com/press-release/2007/12/07/2970. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
- ^ Okazaki, Takashi (2009) [2009]. Adam Arnold. ed. Afro Samurai. 1 (1 ed.). Seven Seas Entertainment. ISBN 978-0-7653-2239-5. OCLC 248983719.
- ^ "Afro Samurai 1 (Di 2) [Afro Samurai 1 (of 2)]" (in Italian). Viale Emilio Po 380 41126 Modena MO Italy: Panini Comics/Panini SpA. April 9, 2009. http://www.paninicomics.it/web/guest/productDetail?viewItem=393542. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
- ^ a b "Afro Samurai" (PHP). Seven Seas Entertainment, LLC. 2004-2009. http://www.gomanga.com/manga/afrosamurai.php. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
- ^ "Afro Samurai Vol 1". 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010: Macmillan. 2009. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. http://us.macmillan.com/afrosamuraivol1. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ "Afro Samurai Press Release". Anime News Network. May 5, 2005. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-05-05/afro-samurai-press-release. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ a b "The RZA Gets His Afro Samurai On". Anime News Network. June 2, 2006. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-06-02/the-rza-gets-his-afro-samurai-on. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
- ^ "Funimation Acquires Afro Samurai". Anime News Network. February 27, 2006. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-02-27/funimation-acquires-afro-samurai. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ "Afro Samurai Hits Spike TV on January 4". Anime News Network. October 31, 2006. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-10-31/afro-samurai-hits-spike-tv-on-january-4. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ "Afro Samurai to Air on Japanese TV in May". Anime News Network. March 8, 2007. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-03-08/afro. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ "Funimation to Sell Advance DVD Copies at Anime Central". Anime News Network. May 11, 2007. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-05-11/funimation-to-sell-advance-dvd-copies-at-anime-central. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
- ^ "Funimation Puts Afro Samurai on iTunes, Gives Away Custom iPods". Anime News Network. September 1, 2007. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-09-01/funimation-puts-afro-samurai-on-itunes-gives-away-custom-ipods. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
- ^ "Free Bakugan #1 on iTunes; HD Afro Samurai on Xbox Live". Anime News Network. February 29, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-29/free-bakugan-no.1-on-itunes-hd-afro-samurai-on-xbox-live. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
- ^ a b "VideoScan: Afro Samurai Debuted on Blu-ray at #16". Anime News Network. September 10, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-09-10/videoscan-afro-samurai-debuted-on-blu-ray-at-no.16. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
- ^ "Eva:1.0, L, Afro Samurai to Run in German Film Fest". Anime News Network. August 8, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-08-08/eva-1.0-l-afro-samurai-to-run-in-german-film-fest. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
- ^ "Afro Samurai Creator Takashi Okazaki Confirms Sequel". Anime News Network. October 25, 2007. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-10-25/afro-samurai-creator-takashi-okazaki-confirms-sequel. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
- ^ "Lucy Liu, Mark Hamill Join Afro Samurai: Resurrection (Updated)". Anime News Network. July 24, 2008. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-24/lucy-liu-mark-hamill-join-afro-samurai-resurrection. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
- ^ a b "Afro Samurai: Resurrection Movie Debuts Sunday Night". Anime News Network. July 25, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-01-25/afro-samurai/resurrection-movie-debuts-sunday-night. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
- ^ "Afro Samurai: Resurrection TV Film Nominated for Emmy (Updated)". Anime News Network. July 16, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-07-16/afro-samurai/resurrection-tv-film-nominated-for-emmy. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
- ^ a b "Foster's Home Wins Emmy over Afro Samurai: Resurrection". Anime News Network. September 15, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-09-15/foster-home-wins-emmy-over-afro-samurai. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ "Afro Samurai: Resurrection's Shigemi Ikeda Wins Emmy (Updated)". Anime News Network. August 27, 2009. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-08-27/afro-samurai/resurrection-shigemi-ikeda-wins-emmy. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
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- ^ "INDOMINA AND SAMUEL L. JACKSON TEAM FOR LIVE ACTION "AFRO SAMURAI" FILM". 2011-07-21. http://releasing.indomina.com/news/2011/7/21/indomina-and-samuel-l-jackson-team-for-live-action-afro-samu.html.
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- ^ Green, Scott (Friday, September 19, 2008). "AICN Anime-Afro Samurai Manga, A Survey of Upcoming Events, News and More!". Austin, TX 78718-0011 USA: Ain't It Cool News/Ain't It Cool, Inc.. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38397. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
- ^ Santos, Carlo (November 4, 2008). "Afro Samurai Blu-Ray". Anime News Network. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/afro-samurai/bluray-uncut. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
- ^ Blind, Matt (March 10, 2009). "2009-02: Manga Top 250 Volumes and Top 100 Series for February 2009". ComiPress. http://www.comipress.com/special/manga-ranking/manga-top-250-volumes-and-top-100-series-for-february-2009. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
- ^ Bertschy, Zac (January 27, 2009). "Afro Samurai: Resurrection Director's Cut DVD". Anime News Network. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/afro-samurai/resurrection/dub.dvd-uncut. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
- ^ "Afro Samurai: Resurrection". Hyper (Next Media) (192): 89. October 2009. ISSN 1320-7458.
- ^ http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/90.html
External links[link]
- Official website
- Official Afro Samurai: Resurrection website (Japanese)
- Official Gomanga page
- Afro Samurai (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Afro Samurai (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Afro Samurai: Resurrection (film) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Afro Samurai (film) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Afro Samurai at the Internet Movie Database
- Afro Samurai: Resurrection at Internet Movie Database
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
