Toyotomi Hideyoshi, otherwise known as Kinoshita Tōkichirō and Hashiba Hideyoshi, was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the late Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan. Although he came from a peasant background, his immense power earned him the rank and title of Kampaku and Daijō-daijin, the highest official position and title in the nobility class. He was the first person in history to become a Kampaku who was not born a noble. He then passed the position and title of Kampaku to his nephew, Toyotomi Hidetsugu. He remained in power as Taikō (太閤), the title of retired Kampaku, until his death. It is believed, but not certain, that the reason he refused or could not obtain the title of shogun (征夷大将軍), the leader of the warrior class, was because he was of peasant origin.
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the Edo shogunate, was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
The revenge of the forty-seven rōnin, also known as the Akō incident or Akō vendetta, is a historical event in Japan in which a band of rōnin avenged the death of their master on 31 January 1703. The incident has since become legendary. It is one of the three major adauchi vendetta incidents in Japan, alongside the Revenge of the Soga Brothers and the Igagoe vendetta.
Yagyū Munenori was a Japanese daimyo, swordsman, and martial arts writer, founder of the Edo branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, which he learned from his father Yagyū "Sekishūsai" Muneyoshi. This was one of two official sword styles patronized by the Tokugawa shogunate. Munenori began his career in the Tokugawa administration as a hatamoto, a direct retainer of the Tokugawa house, and later had his income raised to 10,000 koku, making him a minor fudai daimyō, with landholdings around his ancestral village of Yagyū-zato. He also received the title of Tajima no Kami (但馬守).
Honda Tadakatsu, also called Honda Heihachirō was a Japanese samurai, general, and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) along with Ii Naomasa, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Sakai Tadatsugu.
Watanabe is a Japanese surname derived from the noble and samurai Watanabe clan, a branch of the Minamoto clan, descending from the Emperor Saga (786-842), the 52nd Emperor of Japan, and refers to a location called 'Watanabe no tsu' which was settled by the Watanabe clan, who took the name of the place. It was located in the medieval period near the mouth of the Yodogawa River in Settsu Province, in present-day city of Osaka.
Ikeda Tsuneoki, also known as Ikeda Nobuteru, was an Ikeda clan daimyō and military commander under Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama periods of 16th-century Japan. He was a retainer of the famous warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In his early years, he served Nobunaga, since his mother was a foster mother of Nobunaga.
The Samurai is a Japanese historical fiction television series made by Senkosha Productions during the early 1960s. Its original Japanese title was Onmitsu Kenshi. The series premiered in 1962 on TBS and ran continuously until 1965 for ten self-contained story arcs (seasons), usually of 13 episodes each. Also created were two black-and-white feature films by Toei Company, made in 1964 by the same crew which created the TV series, and a stage show.
Araki Mataemon was a Japanese samurai active in the early Edo period. Araki Mataemon was the founder of the koryū martial art Yagyū Shingan-ryū, known sometimes as Yagyū Shingan-ryū Taijutsu.
Ōmizo Domain was a tozama feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in northwestern Ōmi Province, in the Kansai region of central Honshu. The domain was centered at Ōmizo jin'ya, located in what is now the city of Takashima in Shiga Prefecture.
Tottori Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now Tottori Prefecture on the island of Honshu. It controlled all of Inaba Province and virtually all of Hōki Province was centered around Tottori Castle, and was ruled throughout its history by a branch of the Ikeda clan. Tottori Domain was dissolved in the abolition of the han system in 1871 and is now part of Tottori Prefecture. Tottori Domain had two sub-domains, Shikano Domain (鹿奴藩) and Wakasa Domain (若桜藩). In addition, the two branches of the Arao clan, who served as hereditary karō of the clan and castellans of Yonago Castle and Kurayoshi Jin'ya both had kokudaka equivalents to that of daimyō.
Chūshingura: Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki is a 1962 Japanese jidaigeki epic film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, it is based on the story of the forty-seven rōnin. The film stars Toshiro Mifune as Genba Tawaraboshi, along with Matsumoto Hakuō I, Yūzō Kayama, Tatsuya Mihashi, Akira Takarada, Yosuke Natsuki, Makoto Satō, and Tadao Takashima.
Isao Yamagata was a Japanese film actor. In 1942, Yamagata and So Yamamura formed the Bunkaza Theatre Company. In 1949 he made his film debut with Kirareya Senta. Yamagata became famous for his role in 1953 film Gate of Hell. He became a character actor and often played villainous roles. In 1973, Yamagata landed main role on the TV jidaigeki Kenkaku Shōbai.
Bushido, Samurai Saga, also titled Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai and Cruel Tale of Bushido, is a 1963 Japanese drama and jidaigeki film directed by Tadashi Imai. It was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Golden Bear. It continues to receive critical acclaim, often considered one of the better samurai pictures ever filmed.
Vendetta of a Samurai is a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kazuo Mori made for Toho and starring Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura. The script was written by Akira Kurosawa.
Ikeda Sen, or Anyōin (安養院), was a late-Sengoku period onna-musha. She was the daughter of Ikeda Tsuneoki and the older sister of Ikeda Terumasa. Mori Nagayoshi was her first husband. She was a woman trained in martial arts and was commander of a unit that consisted of 200 female musketeers
The Iga ikki, full name Iga Sokoku Ikki, also known as the Iga Republic, Iga Confederacy, or Iga Commune, was a republic-style military confederation of ninjas based in Iga Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. One of the two major schools of ninjutsu, Iga-ryū, is attributed to, and takes its name, from this confederation. During the second half of the 15th century, the ninja families in Iga formed a military confederacy dedicated to the defense of the province. After centuries of rivalry with its northern neighbor, Kōka District in Ōmi Province, eventually Iga worked closely with in alliance with Kōka. In the 16th century, a constitution was drafted based on principles of mutual defense and voluntary association. The confederacy produced legendary figures such as Momochi Sandayu, Fujibayashi Nagato, Hattori Hanzō, Tateoka Doshun, and Shimotsuge no Kizaru. The activities of Iga eventually drew the ire of the Oda clan, who launched invasions in 1579 and 1581. The first invasion was decisively repelled by Iga, but the second overwhelmed the Iga forces and Oda Nobunaga viciously destroyed the confederation. Some ninja were spared and their activities allowed to continue. After Nobunaga's assassination in 1582, Iga and Kōka ninja, under the leadership of Hanzō, provided services to Nobunaga's ally Tokugawa Ieyasu and his descendants into the Tokugawa shogunate.
The Tottori Domain Ikeda clan cemetery is located in the Kokufu neighborhood of the city of Tottori, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The cemetery contains the graves of the successive daimyō of Tottori Domain. The cemetery was designated a National Historic Site in 1981.
The Okayama Domain Ikeda clan cemetery is the cemetery for the successive Ikeda clan daimyō of Okayama Domain of Edo period, Japan. It consists of three separate locations within Okayama Prefecture, and was collectively designated a National Historic Site in 1998.
