Azuchi Castle Light-Up: Japan’s First Illuminated Event by Oda NobunagaNew!!
Discover Azuchi Castle’s light-up, believed to be Japan’s first, led by Oda Nobunaga. Follow his rise from Okehazama to the Honnoji Incident.
Ichijo-dani Asakura Clan Ruins
Nestled in the quiet mountains of eastern Fukui Prefecture lies Ichijo-dani. This castle town served as the political and cultural center of the Asakura clan, who ruled the Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture) for five generations over a span of 103 years during the Warring States period. Asakura Sōteki (1477–1555, 朝倉宗滴), a wise and strategic […]
Ueda Castle: The Fortress That Repelled the Tokugawa Army Twice
In the turbulent age of the Warring States period, when warlords vied for supremacy, a genius strategist, Sanada Masayuki, who rose from the rank of an ashigaru commander to warlord, built the formidable Ueda Castle, renowned for repelling the overwhelming armies of Tokugawa not once, but twice. Masayuki was described by the unifier of the […]
Oda Nobunaga at Gifu Castle: The Rise of Tenka Fubu
Oda Nobunaga’s rise from turmoil to power—discover how he unified Owari, won the Battle of Okehazama, and from Gifu Castle proclaimed his vision of Tenka Fubu.
Matsusaka Castle and Gamo Ujisato: Samurai, Strategist, and Economic Visionary
Discover Gamo Ujisato, the samurai lord behind Matsusaka Castle—an economic visionary who served Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and later clashed with Date Masamune.
Matsue Castle, Festival, and Tea Culture by Two Great Matsue Lords
Amid the chants of Horan Enya, around 100 boats, adorned with performers wearing colorfu,l splendid costumes, sail through rivers between Lake Shinji and Nakaumi Lagoon in Matsue, the capital of Shimane prefecture. The Horan-Enya Festival is one of three major Shinto boat rituals in Japan, alongside the Tenjin Festival of Osaka Tenmangu Shrine and the […]
Hamamatsu Castle, Ieyasu's Journey of Building a Peaceful Era
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616, 徳川家康) was freed from his hostage of Imagawa Yoshimoto (1519-1560, 今川義元) defeated at the Battle of Okehazama, and took a step forward as the lord of Okazaki Castle. He put down the Mikawa Ikki riot and brought stability to the Mikawa region in 1645. Following the surrender of the Imagawa clan's Sunpu […]
Okazaki Castle, Hardship Made the Man: Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616, 徳川家康) was separated from his mother at the age of 3, became a hostage of Oda Nobuhide, father of Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582, 織田信長) at the age of 6, lost his father at the age of 8, then became a hostage of the Imagawa Yoshimoto (1519-1560, 今川義元). In total, he spent about 14 years […]
Nagoya of Art and Culture, Tokugawa Yoshinao's Achievement
Within the Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, esteemed artists of the Kano school, including Kano Tanyu (1602-1674, 狩野探幽), painted the finest sliding door paintings of tigers, pine trees, and other motifs. The 1,049 sliding door paintings survived the war and were completely restored and copied. These invaluable treasures continue to be precious gems that convey […]
Sakuradamon Gate of Edo Castle ruins with beautiful cherry blossoms: Ii Naosuke lost his life
The stunning sight of cherry blossoms in full bloom reflecting on the water of Chidorigafuchi moat of the former Edo Castle, now the Imperial Palace, is breathtaking. Its beauty leads to the Sakuradamon gate, where a startling event occurred under a cold sky with heavy snowfall in 1860 for the Tokugawa shogunate. Ii Naosuke (1815-1860; […]