Post by washi on Jun 3, 2015 6:52:15 GMT
Today, June 3, 2015, is the 400th anniversary of the death of Sanada Yukimura, one of the most highly praised warriors in all of Japanese history. He was described by his contemporaries as "日本一の兵" (nippon ichi no hei - the best soldier in Japan) and "the last great hero of the Civil War Period." I am little qualified to speak of his military accomplishments, but I have always though it particularly poignant that such a great warrior should die, victory nearly in his grasp, but wounded, weary, and too weak to defend himself, not in some great clash of arms against another champion, as would be portrayed in the movies, but at the hands of common foot soldiers who happened upon him unprotected.
It is also the 400th anniversary of the death of Toyotomi Hideyori, the young heir of the once mighty ruler of Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyori, whether he wanted to challenge the hegemony of the Tokugawa shoguns or not (and I rather suspect he didn't), could not help but become a magnet for all of those who were still willing and eager to oppose the House of Tokugawa.
And finally, it is the 400th anniversary of the destruction of Osaka Castle, one of the many mighty castles that Toyotomi Hideyoshi built, and the one where his only surviving son was raised to early manhood.
The attached file gives a brief account of the Wars of Osaka Castle, with placemarks on the place where Sanada Yukimura earned his reputation as a general, and on the place where he died. There are also several overlay maps which I made to help me understand how the castle which was destroyed in 1615 differed from what we see today.
Maps and illustrations used in this posted were photographed at Osaka Castle and its museum.
Siege of Osaka in Wikipedia
Sanada Yukimura in Wikipedia
Download File
