I'm having trouble trying to look for art of towns/cities (as opposed to small villages) of how they looked during the Sengoku period. The problem is that I am often getting art from the Edo period which I am not sure which paints an accurate picture of the time period I'm trying to research. Are there any resources that could help me with this?

For context, I was trying to specifically look for art or even descriptions of Hamamatsu pre-Edo period, but I couldn't come across anything on that. I appreciate any help that I can get.

Is hideki tojo as bad as hitler?

There is the The Cambridge History of Japan and also The New Cambridge History of Japan. There's little proper reviews of both book series which I find quite surprising for such big projects. Also it seems like one of its kind as a can't find similar works. Can anyone recommend me some?

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!