Sengoku Basara Shorts
Description: Hattori Hanzo (服部半蔵), also known as Hattori Masanari, was a famous samurai of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of varied portrayal in modern popular culture especially in ninja.
Description: The Sanada clan (真田) was a Japanese samurai clan. The Sanada were key vassals in the Takeda army, with three famous generals being Sanada Yukitaka and his sons Sanada Nobutsuna, Sanada Masateru, and Sanada Masayuki. In the Sengoku period, Sanada Masayuki led the clan, his second son Sanada Yukimura was sent as a hostage to the Toyotomi clan in 1587. Sanada Yukimura later became a famous samurai warrior who was especially known as the leading general on the defending side of the Siege of Osaka. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Sanada clan, Rokumonsen (六文銭) or “Six coins”. Below the crest is “Sanada” in kanji.
Description: The Shimazu clan were the lords of Satsuma province in south Kyusu for nearly 700 years, from the 1180s through the 1870s, commanding considerable power and semi-independence within their domain. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Shimazu clan, the Jyuji (cross), there are many meanings for this mark; one says that they are a set of chopsticks that was used to celebrate to take the field, the other says that the mark represents two dragons, or it is simply a symbol of Christianity. Below the crest is “Shimazu” in kanji.
Description: The Tachibana clan (立花) was a Japanese clan of daimyo during Japan’s Sengoku and Edo periods. Originally based in Tachibana castle in Kyūshū, the family’s holdings were moved to the Yanagawa Domain in the far north-east of Honshū in the Edo period. The clan, which bore no direct relation to the Tachibana clan of the Heian period, originated with Otomo Sadatoshi, who took on the name and assigned it to the family of Otomo vassals who held Tachibana castle. For a time, the Tachibana served as loyal retainers under the Otomo clan, regularly battling the Shimazu, rivals to the Otomo. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Tachibana clan, Gion Mamori (祇園守) or “Gion amulet”. Below the crest is “Tachibana” in kanji.
Description: The Asakura clan (朝倉) was a Japanese samurai clan. The clan claims descent from Prince Kusakabe, who was the son of Emperor Tenmu.The family was a line of daimyo which, along with the Azai clan, opposed Oda Nobunaga in the late 16th century. The Asakura were defeated by Nobunaga at the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, the family’s home castle of Ichijodani was taken in 1573. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Asakura clan, Mitsumori mokkou (三つ盛木瓜) or “three Japanese quince” Below the crest is “Asakura” in kanji.
Description: Mori Motonari (毛利元就) was a prominent daimyo in the western Chugoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. Motonari is known as a great strategist who began as a small local warlord of Aki Province who extended his clan's power to nearly all of the Chugoku region through war, marriage, adoption and assassination. The kamon of Mori clan is Ichimonji Mitsuboshi (一文字三星) or "One character and three star"
Description: Uesugi Kenshin (上杉謙信) was a daimyo who was born as Nagao Kagetora, and after the adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. Kenshin is famed for his honourable conduct, his military expertise, a long-standing rivalry with Takeda Shingen, and his belief in the Buddhist god of war - Bishamonten. In fact, many of his followers and others believed him to be the Avatar of Bishamonten, and called Kenshin "God of War".
Description: Uesugi Kenshin (上杉謙信) was a daimyo who was born as Nagao Kagetora, and after the adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. Kenshin is famed for his honourable conduct, his military expertise, a long-standing rivalry with Takeda Shingen, and his belief in the Buddhist god of war - Bishamonten. The Dragon of Echigo (越後の龍) is the nickname given to Uesugin Kenshin because of his fearsome skills in the martial arts displayed on the battlefield.
Description: The Mori clan (毛利) was a Japanese samurai clan descended from Oe no Hiromoto, the family’s most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan’s power in Aki Province. They survived the Warring States period and are still active to this day. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Mori clan, “One” character and three stars, the three stars references three stars within Orion’s constellation. Below the crest is “Mori” in kanji.
Description: Takeda Shingen (武田信玄) was a pre-eminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. During his conquests in the eastern regions of Japan, he clashed with several prominent historical figures. After his death, Shingen has been romanticized as a masterful strategist and a thorough study of Sun Tzu, even going as far to adopt the Furinkazan as his banner. The Tiger of Kai (甲斐の虎) is the nickname given to Takeda Shingen for his martial prowess on the battlefield.
Description: Azai Nagamasa (浅井長政) was the last daimyo of Azai clan during the Sengoku period of Japan, his clan were located in northern Omi Province, east of Lake Biwa. He was the brother-in-law of Oda Nobunaga, but later became one of Nobunaga's enemies when Nobunaga decided to attack the allies of Azai, the Asakura clan. Nagamasa and his clan were destroyed by Oda Nobunaga in 1573. The kamon of Azai clan is Mitsumori Kikkou ni Hanabishi (三盛龜甲に花菱) or "Flower diamond in three turtle shell"
Description: Yagyu Munenori (柳生宗矩) was a Japanese swordsman, founder of the Edo branch of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, which he learned from his father Yagyu Muneyoshi, and father of Yagyu Jubei. This was one of two official sword styles patronized by the Tokugawa shogunate. Munenori entered the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu at a young age, and later was an instructor of swordsmanship to Ieyasu's son Hidetada. Still later, he became one of the primary advisors of the third shogun Iemitsu. The kamon of Yagyu family is Waremokou ni Suzume (地楡に雀) mon, meaning "Sparrow in Burnet".
Description: Shimazu Yoshihiro (島津義弘) traditionally believed to be the seventeenth head of the Shimazu clan, he was a skilled general during the Sengoku period who greatly contributed to the unification of Kyushu. His skill in battle earned him the nickname of "Devil Shimazu" (鬼島津) during Hideyoshi's attempt to invade Korea. The kamon of Shimazu clan is Juji (十字) or "cross"
Description: Katakura Kojuro (片倉小十郎), or real name Katakura Kagetsuna (片倉景綱), was a Japanese samurai of sengoku jidai, retainer of Date Clan, together with Oniniwa Tsunamoto and Date Shigezane, Kagetsuna was known as one of the "Three Great Men of the Date Clan", he was famed for his role as a senior retainer under Date Masamune. Kagetsuna fought in most of Masamune's major battles, and also assisted in the Date clan's administrative duties, he played a key role in the survival of the Date clan in 1590, by recommending that Masamune submit to Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Odawara Campaign.
Description: Shima Sakon (島左近), also known as Shima Kiyooki (島清興), was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku period. Shima eventually left the service of the Tsutsui, and eventually joined Ishida Mitsunari under the banner of the Toyotomi Clan. At the Battle of Sekigahara, Shima served as one of Ishida's higher-ranking officers, commanding a unit of 1,000 men. Some sources suggest Shima led musketmen and that his position had cannons. He was shot in the battle and forced to retreat. His fate remains somewhat of a mystery since he was not on the battlefield after the battle. Some say he died of his wounds about one month after the battle or died trying to escape. The kamon of Shima clan is Maruni Mitsu Kashiwa (丸に三つ柏) or "Three Leaves Oak in Circle"
Description: Ii Naomasa (井伊直政) was a general under the Sengoku period daimyo, and later shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. He is regarded as one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa along with Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Sakai Tadatsugu. The kamon of Ii clan is Maru ni tachibana (丸に橘) or "citrus Tachibana in a circle".
Description: Akechi Mitsuhide (明智光秀) was a samurai and general who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan. Mitsuhide was a general under Oda Nobunaga, who then became famous for his rebellion against Nobunaga in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honnoji in the Honnoji Insident. The kamon of Akechi clan is Tokikikyo (土岐桔梗) or "Japanese bellflower".
Description: Saika Magoichi (雑賀孫市) is the head of the Saika Ikki, based in western Kii Province. The name "Saika Magoichi" is adopted by each successive leader of the Saika. The Saika Ikki are a band of traveling mercenaries skilled in firearms, cannons, and other guns. The kamon of Yagyu family is Sansoku karasu (三足烏) mon, meaning "Three-legged Crow".
Description: The Maeda clan (前田) was a Japanese samurai clan who ruled most of the Hokuriku region of central Honshu from the end of the Sengoku period through the Meiji restoration of 1868. The Maeda rose to prominence as daimyo of Kaga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate, which was second only to the Tokugawa clan in kokudaka. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Maeda clan, Kaga Umebachi (加賀梅鉢) or “Kaga plum-basin”. Below the crest is “Maeda” in kanji.
Description: Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which effectively ruled Japan from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, and abdicated from office in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616. He was one of the three unifiers of Japan, along with his former lord Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi The kamon of Tokugawa clan is Mitsuba Aoi (三葉葵) or "triple hollyhock"
Description: Date Masamune (伊達政宗) was a regional ruler of Japan's Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyos in the Tohoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. In spite of facing an infamously traumatizing childhood, he rose to prominence as the most dominate ruling power in oshu. He is reputed as one of the wisest figures of the time era, biting back his ambitions to stay as one of the wealthiest independent rulers of his time. The kamon of Date clan is take ni suzume (竹に雀) or "sparrow in the bamboo"
Description: Takenaka Hanbei (竹中半兵衛), or Takenaka Shigeharu (竹中重治) is a retainer from Mino who eventually serves under Hideyoshi. His known historical exploits are plain and commonplace for the era, but he has been celebrated after his death to be Hideyoshi's genius strategist. Folklore states that he was known as "The All-knowing Hanbei" (知らぬ顔の半兵衛) who traded wits with his friend, Kuroda Kanbei. The kamon of Takenaka clan is Maru ni Kumai Sasa (丸に九枚笹) or "Nine Bamboo in Circle".
