Historian Spotlight - Karl Friday

Karl Friday is one of the few historians out there who has a real "hands on" experience with the subject material that he writes about. He has lived in Japan and trained with the famed Kashima Shinryu.

I admit I had never read a Friday book until recently. Friday was kind enough to help me through my graduate school application process. I figured I owed it to the guy to read at least one of his books. The first book I purchased was Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai

This work was extremely well done and it immediately vaulted Friday to the top of my favorite historians list. (Yes, I am nerdy enough to have a favorite historians thread.)

Since then, I have read several other Friday works and his spot among the top of my aforementioned list is secure.

For more info on Friday, check out his faculty page at the University of Georgia

Karl Friday

The Generals of Uesugi Kenshin

Since I posted earlier about Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals, I thought it would only be fair to spend some time discussing the leadership of Shingen's greatest rival, Uesugi Kenshin,

The most common moniker associated with these men is "Uesugi Kenshin's 28 Generals." Because of this, I will list the 28 generals that I think figured the most prominent in Kenshin's battles. There are a few individuals that I really don't know too much information on. So you'll have to forgive my brevity when discussing these subjects.

Kakizaki Kageie - Kageie was one of Uesugi Kenshin's most famous generals. He was known as an extremely ferocious warrior that I like to compare to Kato Kiyomasa. He fought at 3 of the Kawanakajima battles against the Takeda and led the vanguard force for the Uesugi at the 4th battle. For some reason, Kenshin suspected Kageie of treason and ordered his death. Something that he would regret for the rest of his life.

Naoe Kanetsugu - Kanetsugu was one of Uesugi Kenshin's chief retainers, serving him as a top councilor. Kanetsugu may have been the greatest logistical tactician of his day. His command in this arena led to much of the success of the Uesugi during his career.

Murakami Yoshikiyo - Yoshikyo was an independent daimyo before joining the ranks of the Uesugi after losing his lands to the Takeda. Prior to this defeat, however, the Murakami were perhaps the chief rival of Shingen. Even more so than the Uesugi. He handed Shingen several defeats before eventually capitulating to a much larger force. He was perhaps the most "independent" of all the Uesugi generals.

Jojo Masashige - Masashige served both Uesugi Kenshin as well as Uesugi Kagekatsu. He fought with distinction in the wars against the Oda and also served Tokugawa Ieyasu at Sekigahara. Obviously he is one of the later names to appear on this list.

Suda Chikamitsu - Much like Murakami Yoshikiyo, Suda Chikamitsu was an independent daimyo before losing his lands to Takeda Shingen. In order to seek revenge on the Takeda, Chikamitsu decided to join the Uesugi clan in their effort to oppose him. He fought at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima and is known to have been the guardian of Sanada Yukimura at a later stage in his life.

Saito Tomonobu - Tomonobu fought in several campaigns for the Uesugi throughout his career. After Kenshin's death, he supported Uesugi Kagekatsu in the Otate no Ran. He is often considered to be one of the most capable generals for the Uesugi and he was highly regarded for his administrative capabilities as well as a being a terrific warrior.


Uesugi Kagenobu - Kagenobu was a very respected retainer under Kenshin. He fought in the Uesugi campaigns in the Kanto region as well as at the Battles of Kawanakajima. He made the unfortunate mistake of supporting Uesugi Kagetora during the Otate no Ran.


Irobe Katsunaga - Katsunaga was highly respected within the Uesugi clan. He fought during the Uesugi campaigns in Kozuke and participated in the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima, where he fought in the headquarters division. Katsunaga is often known as being one of the "Countrymen of Northern Echigo."


Amakusa Kagemochi - Kagemochi distinguished himself in the fighting at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima. At the battle he commanded the rearguard for the Uesugi and clashed with the famed Takeda warriors, Kosaka Masanobu and Baba Nobufusa. This skirmish took place in what is called Amenomiya.

Naoe Sadatsuna - Sadatsuna fought at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima, where he commanded the supply division.

Honjo Shigenaga - Shigenaga was a very experienced retainer for the Uesugi. He is also somewhat of a controversial figure. During the wars with the Takeda, Shigenaga switched his allegiance to Shingen. However, he switched back to the Uesugi and was forgiven. Some years later, during their wars with the Oda, Shigenaga again defected the Uesugi to join their enemy. However, once again Shigenaga switched back and was forgiven.


Shibata Naganori - Naganori began serving Kenshin at a very young age and fought in many of his battles. He fought on the right flank at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima and supported Uesugi Kagekatsu during the Otate no Ran.


Yasuda Nagahide - Nagahide was a trusted retainer of Kenshin's. He fought in the left flank at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima and received a personal commendation from Kenshin for his bravery in the action. He supported Uesugi Kagekatsu during the Otate no Ran.

Usami Sadamitsu - Also known as Sadakatsu, Sadamitsu was one of Uesugi Kenshin's chief retainers. He was placed in charge of the messengers during the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima.


Suibara Takaie - Takaie was a noted retainer of both Uesugi Kenshin and Uesugi Kagekatsu. His military career spanned several years and many engagements. He most notably fought at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima and the Osaka Winter Campaign. That's a 53 year difference in case you're wondering.

Takanoshi Masayori - Once again, Masayori provides another example of a once independent daimyo forced to join the Uesugi after he is removed from his lands by the Takeda. His service with the Uesugi did not last very long, however, He served at the 3rd and 4th Battles of Kawanakajima and then abruptly left the clan.


Takemata Hirotsuna - Hirotsuna fought in the vanguard at Kawanakajima. He is credited with being one of the first men to make contact with the Takeda forces.


Matsumoto Kageshige - Kageshige was a close retainer of Kenshin and was active in many of his campaigns, including the Battles at Kawanakajima. He is credited with playing a crucial role in the peace negotiations between the Uesugi and the Hojo.


Naoe Kagetsuna - Kagetsuna was also very close to Kenshin. He was a logistics genius and was extremely effective in coordinating supply lines during the Uesugi battles.

Nagao Masakage - Masakage was Kenshin's brother-in-law as well as the father of future clan leader, Uesugi Kagekatsu.

Ayukawa Kiyonaga - Kiyonaga fought at Honjo Castle in 1539 as well as in the headquarters division at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima.

Shibata Hironaga - Hironaga fought in the vanguard at Kawanakajima.

Nagao Fujikage - Fujikage fought in the left flank at the 4th Battle of Kawanakjima.

Inoue Kiyomasa - Kiyomasa fought in the headquarters division at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima.

Shimonjo Saneyori - Saneyori fought at Kawanakajima.

Nakajo Fujikasuke - Also known as Fujikashi, he distinguished himself at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima where Kenshin personally commended him for his bravery.


Yamayoshi Toyomori - Also known as Toyouji, he played a vital role in the negotiation of a peace treaty between the Uesugi and the Hojo in 1570.


Shimazu Norihisa - Norihisa fought in the vanguard at Kawanakajima.

Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals

This group of men are known to have been the ablest Takeda warriors during the reign of Takeda Shingen. These individuals all played a critical role in the many conquests of the Tiger of Kai throughout his career.


Baba Nobufusa - Also known as Baba Nobuharu. He fought at Odawara, Mikatagahara, Kawanakajima and Mimasetoge. Nobufusa personally objected to Nagashino, because he recognized how futile the fight was. Despite his objections, he led the charge for the Takeda and was killed while protecting Takeda Katsuyori's retreat after the battle. He was known for his wisdom as well as his bravery and was often consulted on all matters by Takeda Shingen. Prior to his death at Nagashino, Nobuharu was said to have fought in over 70 battles without being injured.



Yamagata Masakage - Masakage is considered to have been the fiercest warrior in the Takeda clan. He performed admirably during the Takeda's campaign in Shinano and played an important role in the defeat of the Murakami at the Siege of Toishi. Masakage also played a major role in the Takeda victory at Mikatagahara as well as the battle of Mimasetoge. Much like his older brother, Obu Toramasa, Masakage dressed his troops in all red. This earned them the nickname "Red Regiment." Masakage died at Nagashino while commanding the vanguard of the Takeda force.

Sanada Masayuki - Masayuki is often overshadowed in history by his son, Yukimura. The fact is Masayuki was a capable fighter n his own right and is often considered one of the greatest generals of the later Sengoku period. His first battle was for the Takeda at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima. He became the head of the Sanada in 1575 and immediately began to expand his family's influence. In 1580, Masayuki gained control of Kozuke from the Hojo. Five years later, Masayuki stoutly defended the territory against an invading Tokugawa force. Masayuki would join Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590 to help attack his rivals, the Hojo, during the Odawara Campaign. He sided with the Western Army at Sekigahara and stubbornly defended Ueda Castle.

Hara Toratane - Toratane earned a reputation as being one of the fiercest warriors of the Takeda. He was also thought as one of the more skilled generals employed by Shingen during his many campaigns. His use of Ashigaru units has become legendary. It has been said that Toratane could use 10 Ashigaru with the same effectiveness as 100 Samurai. He is also reported to have been wounded no fewer than 50 times in at least 30 battles, a direct opposite of the career of Nobuharu.


Yamamoto Kansuke - Kansuke provided valuable service to the Takeda in their wars within Shinano. Kansuke helped to defeat the Murakami in 1551, and fought valiantly in all of the Kawanakajima battles. Kansuke was the chief strategist for the Takeda and his suicide is something that has grown to become a legend. After (falsely) believing that his strategy had failed at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima, Kansuke threw himself into the ranks of the Uesugi and fought til the death.


Takeda Nobushige - Nobushige was the chosen successor to the Takeda domain until his brother, Shingen, rebelled. Shingen, realizing the abilities of Nobushige, not only allowed him to live, but also gave him a commanding role within his vanguard. Nobushige was known for his military capabilities as well as his wisdom. He often provided Shingen with invaluable advice throughout his campaigns. Nobushige was eventually killed during the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561.


Kosaka Masanobu - Masanobu played a pivotal role in the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima,
proving to be a thorn in the side of the Uesugi throughout the engagement. Masanobu was one of the few Takeda generals to survive the Battle of Nagashino. He is responsible for the safe retreat of Takeda Katsuyori and his personal guard at this engagement.

Obu Toramasa - Toramasa's moniker was "The Wild Tiger of Kai." Now that's just plain awesome! Toramasa rightly earned that nickname on the battlefield. He was a well renowned general known for dressing his unit in all red. Something that would be copied by several later generals. His most brilliant moment came during the Siege of Uchiyama Castle. With only 800 men, the "Wild Tiger" successfully defended the castle from 8,000 troops led by Uesugi Kenshin.


Obata Toramori - Toramori was a valuable retainer of the Takeda clan throughout his entire life. Toramori fought for Baba Nobuharu in all of his battles. As the opposite of Nobuharu, he was reported to have been wounded no fewer than 40 times in his long career. Toramori is known to have been an ashigaru tairo.


Akiyama Nobutomo - Nobutomo was noted as being perhaps Takeda Shingen's fiercest warrior, earning him the moniker, "The Raging Bull of The Takeda Clan." Any nickname as cool as that was usually earned. Nobutomo is also one of the unfortunate Samurai to have met his demise by being crucified. This was done after Nagashino, when Nobutomo attempted to hold onto Iwamura Castle.

Anayama Baisetsu - Also commonly known as Anayama Nobukini, he was a noted warrior for the Takeda. He fought in all of Shingen's campaigns, and even fought for Takeda Katsuyori at Nagashino, despite objecting to it. There’s an interesting story about his death. After Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled against Oda Nobunaga, Baisetsu and Tokugawa Ieyasu needed to flee the capital. As the story goes, Ieyasu followed the advice of his noted retainer, Hattori Hanzo, ad took a different route than Baisetsu. As they say in the business, the rest is history...


Sanada Yukitaka - Yukitaka was a warrior of renowned skill. Shingen actually sought out his services after seeing his abilities firsthand. Yukitaka helped to capture several castles during the Takeda's campaign in Shinano. He was a noted strategist, and along with Sanada Nobutsuna, Yukitaka helped to capture Toishi castle. He also fought at the Battles of Kawanakajima.

Naito Masatoyo - Masatoyo was one of Shingen's most reliable generals. He fought in many of the Takeda's battles, particularly distinguishing himself at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561, as well as at the Siege of Minowa Castle 5 years later. Masatoyo was a cavalry commander and he fought in the forefront at both the Battle of Mikatagahara as well as at Nagashino, where he was killed.

Ichijo Nobutatsu - Nobutatsu was a brother of Shingen, and fought in several of his battles. Nobutatsu was particularly skillful in the use of diplomacy, In this area, he was able to strengthen the alliance between the Takeda and several of their allies.


Takeda Nobukado - Nobukado was another one of Shingen's brothers. He was very well-educated and used his intelligence in the role of adviser to Takeda Katsuyori. He fought and died at Nagashino.

Hara Masatane - Masatane was a skilled commander who fought for the Takeda in many battles as a senior retainer, most notably Mimasetoge and Kawanakajima. He was killed while fighting in the forefront at Nagashino.


Itagaki Nobukata - Nobukata was one of the chief conspirators in the plot to overthrow Shingen's father, Nobutora as the head of the Takeda clan. After helping to install Shingen to power, Nobukata quickly became a powerful figure within the Takeda clan. He was a close adviser to Shingen as well as a noted warrior. He is often credited with fielding a spy unit for the Takeda. Nobukata was killed at the Battle of Uedehara.


Oyamada Nobushige - Nobushige was a distinguished general for Shingen who fought at several battles including, Kawanakajima, Takiyama and Mikatagahara. He deserted Katsuyori in 1582 in favor of the Oda, but was executed for his "cowardice" by Nobunaga.


Saigusa Moritomo - Moritomo fought at Mimasetoge and Mikatagahara, as well as at Nagashino. He was killed alongside Takeda Nobuzane during the raid on their position at Nagashino by Sakai Tadatsugu's forces.

Tada Mitsuyori - Served the Takeda as an infantry captain under Itagaki Nobukata. Mitsuyori fought in this capacity in 40 battles for Shingen. He particularly distinguished himself in the fighting at the Battles of Sezawa and Uehara.

Yokota Takamatsu - Takamatsu started out as a very low ranking warrior within the Takeda clan. However, he quickly proved himself on the battlefield, earning several promotions. He was noted as being very skillful with the bow and arrow. Takamatsu was killed during the Siege of Toishi. It is reported that Takeda Shingen used Takamatsu as an example for his other samurai to follow.

Sanada Nobutsuna - Nobutsuna was a veteran of many wars during his career. He was the commander during the capture of Toishi Castle for Shingen. At Nagashino, Nobutsuna was in charge of leading a large group of cavalry.

Amari Torayasu - Torayasu served both Takeda Nobutora and Takeda Shingen during their respective reigns as the head of the Takeda clan. He was elevated to the position of clan elder up until the time of his death at the Battle of Uedehara.


Tsuchiya Masatsugu - Masatsugu is perhaps most famous for the charge he led against the Oda barricades during the Battle of Nagashino. Of course, he was killed in the resulting action, but his deeds have lived on.

Site of The Day - Oda Nobunaga: The Warlord Who Changed Japan

Today's site is another blog. This one is run by a friend of mine named Les Paterson. He is the author of Oda Nobunaga: The Battle of Okehazama. When he's not busy writing a book, he's running his blog, which is deceptively not all about Oda Nobunaga. Les also posts translation projects as well as info on some of the other major figures in Japanese history.

He is a self-proclaimed Nobunaga nut, though and that shows through in some of his work. I can't be mad at that, however. As I'm sure you've noticed, I can have a bias towards Takeda Shingen.

Stop by his site sometime and tell him I sent ya.

Oda Nobunaga: The Warlord Who Changed Japan.

Book Review: Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan

Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan in Dr. Karl Friday's contribution to the "Warfare and History" series created by Jeremy Black. I've only read a few other titles in this series, but Friday's is easily my favorite.

This work provides a stunning amount of information on the advancements in weapon technology in Japan's medieval period. A feat that is even more amazing considering the length of the book. (It's only 236 pages including an extensive notes and index section.) Friday spends a great deal of time discussing the Later Three Years War. I particularly liked this feature as I am not very familiar with this particular conflict, and it was very interesting to see the weapons and strategies used at this time.

Friday also discusses the gokenin in great deal. These men carried a great deal of responsibility in Pre-Sengoku Japan. They served the Shogunate during the Kamakura period and served all types of roles from bodyguard to warrior to administrator. These men were some of the most important people in Japan's history and Friday paints them in the appropriate light.

Friday also delves into the difference between tactics and strategy in military affairs. This is something that is usually sorely needed in any academic study of a military field. One of my favorite sub-fields within this area was Friday's discussion of mounted tactics used by the soldiers at this time. There were terrific diagrams used to show how mounted Samurai would maneuver their horse to position themselves perfectly for an attack or defense, depending on their situation.

Outside of the diagrams used for defining mounted fighting tactics, Friday uses chart and tables tremendously in this work. There were several graphic comparisons between the different weapons that were in use at the time. In fact, outside of a typical weapons manual, this work may have the most detailed information on the different tools used for warfare during this period. The tables on both military and governmental organization were also well done and very helpful.

Armor construction is one of the more confusing aspects of Samurai warfare. Fortunately, Friday does his best to describe a few of the techniques used for armor construction within becoming too reliant on jargon. His section on this are was extremely informative and is a source that I will certainly turn too for future reference on the subject.

5.0/5.0

I don't give too many books a perfect rating. I can usually find something wrong or irritating with any work. However, Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan is one of my favorite works in any subject. I really can't recommend this book high enough.

Battle of Nagashino

I know I've been on a bit of a Takeda/Nagashino binge here lately. Hopefully this will be the post that gets everything out of my system.

I've already discussed the battle in my Takeda Katsuyori post earlier, and the specifics of the battle are pretty well known. So there's no need to delve into the actual battle itself. I will explain it briefly, however.

The Battle of Nagashino took place in June of 1575, and it started with the siege of Nagashino castle by Takeda Katsuyori. The castle was held by Okudaira Sadamasa, a former "iffy" supporter of the Takeda. Sadamasa called for support from Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga, who were both eager to assist.

The decimation of the famed Takeda cavalry by an insurmountable force of arquebus behind a solid defense of barricades is now something that is a part of Japanese legend.

Recent scholarship has suggested that while firearms did play a pivotal role in the defeat of the Takeda, their numbers may have been greatly exaggerated. Most older sources cite that the Oda used no less than 3,000 arquebus troops at the battle. Recent studies suggest that the number may have been at the most 1,000. Thomas Conlan uses recent excavations of the battlefield to establish the theory that there may have been as few as half that number.

One thing that can't be argued about the battle is the amount of shear devastation that it caused upon the Takeda clan. Perhaps no other battle in Japanese history can account for more field commander casualties than Nagashino.

Of the 97 named Samurai that Takeda Katsuyori took with him into the battle, 54 were killed. Some of these casualties were very important men with illustrious warrior careers. A few of the men that were killed are as follows:

Baba Nobufusa - One of my personal favorite historical figures. Nobufusa was one of Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals and was renowned for his wisdom and intelligence. He was often consulted by Shingen himself during many of his battles.

Yamagata Masakage - Masakage was another one of Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals. He was one of the fiercest commanders in the Takeda army, and was perhaps the eldest of the men fighting at Nagashino.

Hara Masatane - Yet another one of Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals. He was killed while attacking in the vanguard of the Takeda lines at Nagashino.

Takeda Nobuzane - Nobuzane was the younger brother of Takeda Shingen and Katsuyori's uncle. He was in charge of Tobigasu, a position in the rear of the Takeda army during Nagashino. It was here that he was killed by Sakai Tadatsugu's raid.

Tsuchiya Masatsugu - Masatsugu was one of Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals. (Surprise!) He also led a charge against the Oda barricades and was cut down by the ashigaru teppo units summarily.

Naito Masatoyo - Guess what? You got it! Masatoyo was one of Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals. He was a very reliable warrior who fought in many battles throughout his career for the Takeda. Of course, culminating with Nagashino.

Sanada Nobutsuna - Another one of the 24. Nobutsuna played a critical role in the capture of Toishi castle from the Murakami early on in his career. His is probably more famous in history for being the uncle of Sanada Yukimura.

Sanada Masateru - The brother of Nobutsuna, Masateru was one of the more experienced generals at Nagashino for either side.

Saigusa Moritomo - Moritomo was one of Takeda Shingen's 24 generals. He aided Takeda Nobuzane in his position at Tobigasu. He was killed alongside Nobuzane during the raid on their position.

Yonekura Shigetsugu - Shigetsugu served Amari Haruyoshi for the Takeda and was killed while attacking the Oda barricades.

Mochizuki Nobumasa - Nobumasa was the Son of Takeda Nobushige. He was shot down and beheaded by an ashigaru during the Takeda attack.

If you're into strategy, here's an interesting take on Nagashino for you:

Tsukahara Bokuden

Most any fanboy nowadays can recite the life story of Miyamoto Musashi to you. You know, the one where he traveled across the country mercilessly killing anyone dumb enough to get in his way. Then he marries the princess and slays all the demons and becomes an immortal and blah blah blah.

The story of Tsukahara Bokuden, on the other hand, is not quite as famous among the Western audience. Like Musashi, he fought in many duels over his life and came away the victor in all of them. Bokuden is credited with founding the Kashima Shinto-ryu, as well as creating a technique called, Mutekatsu-ryu. (Winning without hands.)

Bokuden is documented to have fought in over 30 battles. Including these 30 battles, he is supposed to have fought a little over 200 individuals, having never been bested. He was also trained by one of the founding fathers of the Kashima Shinryu. Plus he personally trained 2 Ashikaga Shoguns as well as the man Takeda Shingen himself.

From Karl Friday's Legacy of the Sword:

In his (Bokuden) travels throughout Japan, leading an entourage at times numbering more than 800, he is said to have fought at least nineteen duels with live blades and participated in some thirty-seven battles, during all of which he bested more than 212 opponents.

Then there's this legend:

Bokuden came across a young, brash warrior who was bragging that he could take the older Bokuden. He agreed to fight the youngin', and when he was asked which style he used, he replied, "The Style without hands/sword" (depending on how you translate).

This confused the young warrior, so he agreed to fight the old man on a nearby island. Bokuden quietly rowed out to the island and the young swordsman quickly jumped off the boat and onto the island. No sooner than he touched the ground, Bokuden began to row back to shore. As he was rowing away he yelled back to the man, "This is my no hands/sword school."

This might sound a little familiar. It was completely jacked by Bruce Lee for one of his Hollywood films.



This is a woodblock print of a fictional training session between Bokuden and Musashi. Bokuden is doing the training, which may show you how he is revered outside of the West.