Letter Apparently Written By Samurai General Akechi Mitsuhide In 1582 Discovered

Letter apparently written by samurai general Akechi Mitsuhide in 1582 discovered

An original letter believed written by samurai general Akechi Mitsuhide immediately after the "Honno-ji incident" -- in which Mitsuhide forced daimyo Oda Nobunaga to commit suicide on June 21, 1582, to end Nobunaga's pursuit to consolidate centralized power in Japan under his authority -- has been discovered, Mie University professor Tatsuo Fujita has revealed.

It is thought that Mitsuhide wrote the letter as a confidential reply to anti-Nobunaga clique leader Tsuchihashi Shigeharu in present-day Wakayama, with the content covering subjects such as restoration of the Muromachi shogunate. The letter also touches on communication between the 15th shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshiaki -- who was ousted by Nobunaga -- and Mitsuhide.

Samurai Horsemen Show Off Skills In Traditional Fukushima Festival

Samurai horsemen show off skills in traditional Fukushima festival

MINAMISOMA, Fukushima -- Horsemen clad in samurai armor showed off their skills in the traditional Soma Nomaoi festival held in the Soma district of Fukushima Prefecture on July 30.

Events were staged in various areas including the Hibarigahara festival field in the city of Minamisoma. In the Odaka district, where evacuation orders implemented in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster were lifted in July 2016, samurai horsemen returning from the Kacchu Keiba race and Shinki Sodatsusen flag battle performed the kaeri-uma (returning horse) ritual for the first time in seven years.

Trash-collecting 'samurai' Battle Littering On Streets Of Kyoto For Gion Festival

Trash-collecting 'samurai' battle littering on streets of Kyoto for Gion Festival

KYOTO -- Five trash-collecting "samurai" took to the streets here on July 12 to battle littering for the city's famous Kyoto Gion Festival.

The "Gomi Hiroi Samurai" (trash-collecting samurai) are members of "Jidaigumi Basara," the Tokyo-based branch of the street performance group "Issei Ichidai Jidaigumi" ("Let's go for broke once in a lifetime" period performance group) that bases their singing and dancing performances on traditional theatrical combat -- and cleaning up trash.

Samurai-sword-shaped Scissors Prove Popular With Foreign Tourists

Samurai-sword-shaped scissors prove popular with foreign tourists

Samurai-sword-shaped scissors developed by a manufacturer in Gifu Prefecture in central Japan are proving popular with foreign tourists as well as schoolchildren shopping for souvenirs.

The "Japanese sword scissors" by Nikken Cutlery Co. in Seki, Gifu, mimic decorative features found in the swords used by such feudal-era figures as Oda Nobunaga, a 16th-century warlord, and Sakamoto Ryoma, who tried to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate in the 19th century.

Samurai Ace Sugano Aims To Make Up For Absence Of Otani

Samurai ace Sugano aims to make up for absence of OtaniYomiuri Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano was composed as he spoke about the moment he heard two-way star Shohei Otani of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters would not be able to pitch in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
“I understand how eager he was to play [in the WBC],” Sugano said after Day 1 of training camp with the national team, nicknamed Samurai Japan.

Baseball: Samurai Japan Crushed By Taiwan All-stars In Pre-wbc Game

Baseball: Samurai Japan crushed by Taiwan all-stars in pre-WBC gameLin Chih-ping went 4-for-5 to lead a 17-hit attack as the Taiwanese all-star team beat the Japan national baseball team 8-5 in an exhibition game on Tuesday.
Samurai Japan took a 2-1 lead into the third inning, but Wang Po-jung hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Rakuten Eagles right-hander Takahiro Norimoto in the top half to turn the tide in favor of the visitors before a crowd of 22,477 at Yafuoku Dome in Fukuoka.

Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun Samurai Up

Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun Samurai UpThe Yomiuri Giants’ Tomoyuki Sugano, center, and other pitchers of the Samurai Japan national baseball team practice defense on Thursday, the first day of training camp in Miyazaki. The team is aiming to repeat its 2009 championship win in the second World Baseball Classic with victory in the fourth WBC in March.

Sakamoto Aims To Drive Yomiuri, Samurai Japan

Sakamoto aims to drive Yomiuri, Samurai JapanIn his third year as the Yomiuri Giants’ captain, Hayato Sakamoto is now at ease in his actions as the leader.
“All right, let’s go,” Sakamoto shouted as he energetically raced up the stairs at Kirishima Sunmarine Stadium Miyazaki on Feb. 2 at the head of a line of players. Thirteen teammates, mostly inexperienced players, repeatedly dashed up and down the stairs in the right wing of the stadium. They followed Sakamoto as if they were propelled by the captain, who wore a confident look as he worked out.

Aoki Brings Experience To Samurai Japan

Aoki brings experience to Samurai JapanThrough five seasons in the major leagues, outfielder Norichika Aoki never distanced himself from his roots across the Pacific. The aura of the Hinomaru looms large in his preparations for his first season with a new club.
“No matter what the situation is, I will be happy to participate,” Aoki told Samurai Japan manager Hiroki Kokubo last summer, when Kokubo visited him to sound him out about playing for Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Were Japanese Samurai Really Secret Christians?

Were Japanese Samurai Really Secret Christians?Is it possible that hundreds of Japanese Samurai were actually secret Christians who expressed their faith with codes hidden in their sword hilts? As far as the new findings of The Sawada Miki Kinenkan museum in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan are concerned, the answer is "yes."

Rarely-seen Samurai Weaponry Finally Goes On Display

Rarely-Seen Samurai Weaponry Finally Goes on DisplayMost people think of samurai as fierce swordsmen attuned to violence, but the artifacts currently on display in Samurai: The Way of the Warrior at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville reveal a commitment to impeccable craftsmanship as well as deadly force. On loan from the Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy, the exhibition boasts a priceless collection of ceremonial suits of armor, handscrolls, katanas (swords), and other samurai-related relics rarely seen outside of Japan.

First Clear Portrait Found Of Top Edo Period Swordsman

First clear portrait found of top Edo Period swordsmanThe first clear portrait of a famed swordsman who survived the bloody end to the Edo Period (1603-1867) and later became a policeman has been found by his descendants.
Saito Hajime (1844-1915) was considered one of the top samurai of his generation and, along with famed swordsman Okita Soji, was a leading member of the Shinsengumi, a special security corps that was formed in Kyoto to protect the Tokugawa Shogunate during the mid-19th century.