I’m looking for books/films about taikomochi/geinin (japanese male geisha)or kagema.

Family tree of the Tokugawa Clan from Ieyasu and shoguns to the modern family heads. I had uploaded a prior version onto the UsefulCharts subreddit but this one has been ironed out and updated. Translation of Japanese sources was helped by my Japanese friends.

This chart includes: • All 15 shoguns, from Ieyasu to Yoshinobu • The Gosanke Branches of Owari, Kishu, and Mito. • The Gosankyo minor families of Hitotsubashi, Shimizu, and Tayasu • The modern family heads

Hope you enjoy this passion project of mine!

Parents of my great grandparents. Any experts out there that can give a little insight into what their professions might’ve been based on what theyre wearing or anything else? Might be too vague. What exactly is the seated man holding in his hand and what does that signify?

For example, what types of feudal venues sold books? Was there an industry in collecting books for resale? Were there often dedicated buildings for book selling or were they a street-vended affair? What are some examples of large book collections, perhaps by emperors and noteworthy aristocrats? Were there dedicated methods for storing books compared to storing other objects (for example, we have bookshelves in the modern day, where we are unlikely to store flour and bowls, but are ubiquetus in any stockpile of reading materials)?

The Uesugi Clan

Among the many warrior families in Japanese history, the Uesugi clan ranks among the most renowned. The individual who solidified the Uesugi family’s status and laid the foundation for its prosperity was Uesugi Noriaki. During the Nanboku-chō period, Noriaki experienced many rises and falls through the political unrest of the Kannō Disturbance, but ultimately, he was appointed the first “Kantō Kanrei” under the Kamakura Kubō, Ashikaga Motouji. In the Uesugi family chronicle, it is written that “the peace in Kyoto and the great governance of the Kantō region are all due to the strategies of Noriaki,” positioning him as a key figure in the formation of the Muromachi shogunate.

The Uesugi clan is a branch of the illustrious Fujiwara clan. During the Kamakura period, when a prince became the shogun and made his way to Kamakura, Uesugi Shigefusa and Uesugi Fusahide accompanied him, forging a connection with the Ashikaga family. Furthermore, they solidified ties through marriage; Shigefusa’s granddaughter, Kiyoko, was married to Ashikaga Sadauji and bore Ashikaga Takauji and Tadayoshi. Kiyoko’s brother was Uesugi Norifusa, and Norifusa’s son was Uesugi Noriaki, thus making Noriaki cousins with the Ashikaga brothers from their maternal side. The notable achievements of the Uesugi clan during the Nanboku-chō period began with Norifusa.

Uesugi Kamon

Ashikaga Takauji and Uesugi Norifusa

According to the Nan Taiheiki, when Ashikaga Takauji decided to rebel against the Kamakura shogunate, Uesugi Norifusa had been urging him to raise an army from an early stage. After the Kenmu government was established, in September of Genkō 3 (1331), Norifusa was appointed to the third rank of the Zassho Ketsudansho, the judicial body of the government (”Hishijima Documents”). Most of those appointed to the Zassho Ketsudansho at its inception were former officials of the Kamakura shogunate, with only Norifusa and Kō no Moroyasu representing Ashikaga’s faction.

In August of Kenmu 2 (1335), Tokiyuki, the son of the Hōjō Takatoki, raised an army in Shinano Province and successfully captured Kamakura (the Nakasendai Rebellion). Without seeking permission from the Kenmu government, Takauji marched to the Kantō region to suppress the rebellion. Norifusa accompanied him, and when Takauji turned against the Kenmu government, Norifusa was appointed as the shugo of Kōzuke Province (Baishōron). Since under the Kenmu government, Nitta Yoshisada held both the position of governor and provincial administrator of Kōzuke, fierce conflict between the Ashikaga and Nitta factions was anticipated, highlighting Takauji’s high expectations for Norifusa.

When Nitta Yoshisada was dispatched to the Kantō region by the Kenmu government to defeat Ashikaga Takauji, the two armies clashed at Hakone-Takenoshita in December of Kenmu 2 (1335). Uesugi Norifusa also participated in this battle (”Kumagai Family Documents”). In this battle, Ashikaga’s forces defeated Nitta’s army and quickly advanced to Kyoto in the first month of the following year. However, as forces from the Ōshū region pursued them and approached Kyoto, a fierce battle ensued between them and the Ashikaga army. On the 27th day of the first month, Norifusa was killed in action during the fighting in Kyoto. Due to the sacrifices of Norifusa and others, Takauji managed to escape from Kyoto and fled to Kyushu. The following year, he launched a counterattack, leading to the eventual establishment of the Muromachi shogunate.

The Rise of Uesugi Noriaki

After the death of Uesugi Norifusa, his position was inherited by Uesugi Noriaki. Based on the year of his death, Norikane is believed to have been born in 1306, making him 27 years old at the time of the fall of the Kamakura shogunate. Under the Kenmu government, a Kamakura Government was established in Kamakura, led by the prince of Go-Daigo and supported by Ashikaga Tadayoshi. Noriaki served as a Gosho bugyō (a role responsible for guarding the palace) under this administration (”Kenmu-ki”). While his father, Norifusa, remained in Kyoto as a member of the Zassho Ketsudansho, Noriaki followed Tadayoshi and became a member of the Kamakura Government.

When Takauji rebelled against the Kenmu government, Noriaki fought under Tadayoshi against the Nitta forces. He accompanied the Ashikaga army during both their advance to Kyoto and their eventual retreat to Kyushu. In February of Kenmu 3 (1336), Noriaki participated in the battle between the Ashikaga forces and the Kikuchi forces loyal to Emperor Go-Daigo at the Battle of Tatarahama (as recorded in the fifteenth volume of the Taiheiki). After Takauji returned to Kyoto and established the Muromachi shogunate, Noriaki once again headed to the Kantō region, where he supported Yoshiakira (Takauji’s son), who had been stationed in Kamakura. Noriaki also succeeded his late father as governor (shugo) of Kōzuke Province, where he demonstrated his administrative abilities. In a letter dated May 19 of Kenmu 4, Tadayoshi praised Noriaki’s achievements in bringing stability to Kōzuke following his arrival there (”Uesugi Family Documents”). This letter noted that after Noriaki’s arrival, peace had been restored throughout the province.

The determend will to die for a whole army. They're entire life practice was to face death unflinchingly, that alone would be a hard battle to win

How many examples exist of members of the Kuge taking up arms and exhibiting martial prowess equal to the Bushi class?

Possible examples of "militant Kuge" could possibly range from Kitabatake Chikafusa with his sons Akiie and Akiyoshi who lead military forces during the Nanboku-cho, and more literally to their contemporary Imperial Prince Moriyoshi who picked up the sword for his father's Kenmu Restoration.

Beyond these, are they're any other examples of nobles from Kuge lineages above the samurai class that showed great skill on the battlefield?

I would set a timeframe from the Kamakura period to the Sengoku period as warfare and opportunities to exhibit marital skill on the battlefield really declined at the start of the Edo period.

One of the best articles I have read about the created myth of Bushido. Well worth a read. It also has a massive 40 pages of references, if you want to dive down that rabbit hole.

BUSHIDO: THE CREATION OF A MARTIAL ETHIC IN LATE MEIJI JAPAN by OLEG BENESCH. Doctoral thesis.

Look it up through JSTOR, Google scholar or academia.

Does anyone know where I can find this publication? Especially in English??

I'm helping my friend by drawing character design concept art for a game he's working on, and we want to be as historically accurate as we can. He's got a vague idea of what he wants to do with it having it set sometime around the 14th century and following a noble woman. Any sources for reference you guys know of for while I'm designing characters would be greatly appreciated.

(Very sorry if this isn't the right subreddit for this)

There have been some discussions in these subs recently about what are ronin, what are kokujin, what is the role of a samurai, etc. In doing some research I came across this article. 平安初期の国衙と富豪層　by 戸田芳実 from 1959.

For sure it is a bit dated, a bit dense, and quite long. But it touches on some of these questions which have been floating around these parts recently. And it's kind of random that I came across it - so thought I would share on the off chance that anyone might enjoy it:

https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/249401/1/shirin_042_2_231.pdf

Does anyone know of any good libraries near Tokyo Station? I’m conducting some research about minamoto no yoritomo’s rise to power for my IB extended essay🥲. I’ll be going to tokyo for the winter break and i was wondering if anyone has any ideas on where to find good sources about minamoto! Hoping to find some primary sources if possible. If anyone has any advice to share it would be greatly appreciated!

The Fujiwara Revolt of 740AD

https://rekishinihon.com/2024/05/11/fujiwara-revolt-in-dazaifu-tenpyo-12-nen-740ad-kyushu-history-shorts/

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie japanologist in my home university and I am searching for any resources on finding haiku in the original language for a coursework I am doing on women writers. That being said most of their available haiku are in english and I can't find them in japanese.

I am specifically looking for any info on: Chigetsu-ni, Chiyo-ni, Shiba Sonome, Enomoto Seifu, Tagami Kikusha, Takeshita Shizunojo.

I saw this quote.

It goes even beyond that. For example before breakfast soldiers would line up and an officer would come and punch you in the mouth. You'd then be served grapefruit for breakfast which would obviously sting a bit considering your now cut up mouth.

If people were captured and you hadn't decapitated someone yet you were given a sword and forced to.

I'm not trying to absolve anyone of their responsibility but the Japanese knew how to physically and mentally abuse their soldiers to turn them into the types of fighters they wanted.

And of course any one who knows World War 2 already been exposed to stuff of this nature regarding Imperial Japan such as how fresh recruits were getting beaten in the face with the metal brass of a belt until they fell down unconscious for simply making tiny mistakes while learning how to march in formation and even officers having to commit self suicide by cutting their stomach and exposing their bowels in front of higher ranked leaders to save face because they disobeyed orders and so on.

But considering how Imperial Japan's military training was so hardcore recruits dying in training was not an uncommon thing and their cultural institution so Spartan that even someone as so high in the ranks like a one star general was expected to participate in fighting and to refuse surrender but fight to the death or commit suicide rather than capture...........

I just watched the first Ip Man trilogy and in the first movie in the occupation of the home town of Bruce Lee's mentor, the Japanese military governors wee making Chinese POWs fight to the death in concentration camps. In addition civilian Wushu masters who were out of jobs were being hired by officers of the Imperial Army to do fight matches in front of resting soldiers which basically was no holds barred anything goes (minus weapons but you can pick up rocks and other improvised things lying around). The results of these fights were brutal injuries like broken ribs that resulted with the loser being unconscious for months in a local hospital with possible permanent injury. A few of these matches resulted in the deaths of the participants later with at least several shown with people killed on the spot from the wounds accumulated shortly after the fight shows ended with a clear winner.

So I'm wondering since the reason why Imperial Japan's army training was so harsh to the point of being so outright openly abusive with high fatality rates is often ascribed to the motivation that they were trying to install Bullshido and the old Samurai fighting spirit into recruits...........

Why didn't the WW2 Japanese army have honor duels and gladiatorial style sparring that resulted in the deaths of recruits in training and officers killing each other? Esp since they army tried to imitate other Samurai traditions such as Seppuku suicide, extensive martial arts training (for the standards of contemporary warfare), and deference to the hierarchy?

I mean after all honor duels was a staple of Samurai warfare even as far as into the Sengoku during Oda Nobunaga's transformation of the Samurai from warriors into an actual organized pike-and-shot military culture. Where Samurai in command including generals would be expected to draw swords and slash at each other if they were challenged just before a battle and even during later the peaceful Tokugawa Shogunate people of Bushi background were given the legal right to engage in death duels to avenge an insult.

That even among the Ashigaru and other non-Bushi drafted into armies, the right to kill someone for a slight was possible against other non-Samurai in the army if they obtained permission from higher ranks. And some clans had brutal training on par with World War 2 era Imperial Japan that resulted in deaths of not just the conscripted but even proper Samurai including leadership like officers.

So I'm wondering why the Japanese army of the 1930s and later 1940s, for all their constant boasts about following the Samurai traditions of their forefathers, never had the old sword duels that was the norm among the actual Samurai of the feudal era? Nor did their rank and file esp infantry never had gladiatorial style sparring that resulted in fatalities during unarmed and bayonet and knife training? Since that was a real thing in some of the most warlike and fiercest Samurai clans of the Sengoku period?

If the logic behind Japanese warcrimes like the 100 man-beheading contest in China that was done by two officers after Nanking was captured was trying to imitate Samurai ancestors, why was there no death duel cultures within Imperial Japan's military? Why push your average drafted citizen in 1941 to the insane warrior lifestyle brutalities that only the most bloodthirsty and hardened Samurai clans would participate in back in the Sengoku (and which most normal Samurai clans wouldn't partake in), if they weren't gonna give them the right to hit another fellow recruited soldier over disrespectful behavior? Why were officers expected to commit suicide but were not allowed to challenge each other to prevent warcrimes or put another officer in his place for insulting your mother?

Why this inconsistency considering one of the premises behind waging a war in China in 1937 was for warriors glory and for the youngest generation of the time to keep the Bushi tradition alive and honor the Samurai ancestors?

Hello! So my grandmother passed away today and her name was Mishiru Okudaira, she never wanted to speak about her past.. I would like to know a little bit about her family history. She was born 20 July 1944. Thanks :)

https://rekishinihon.com/2024/06/11/fujiwara-no-sumitomo-the-first-pirate-king-of-japan/