1.The Samurai's Tale
By: Harutomo Murakami
Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright @ 1984
215 Park Avenue New York, New York
234 Pages
2. Harutomo Murakami (Taro)- The hero of the story, the son of a poor samurai who died in battle
Lord Akiyama Nobutomo- One of Lord Shingen's generals, Taro's master and friend.
Lord Akiyama Nobutora- Father of Lord Akiyama Nobutomo
Lord Oda Nobunaga- Lord Takeda Shingen's rival and enemy.
Lord Oda Nobutada- Son of Lord Oda Nobunaga
Lord Takeda Katsuyori- Son of Lord Shingen, also called the Wakatono, the prince
Lord Takeda Shingen- The Lord of Kai, a ruthless warlord whose ambition is to rule all of Japan.
Lord Takeda Yoshinobu- Son of Lord Shingen. He revolts against his father and is killed.
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A priest taught Taro how to write, and he practiced Zen Buddhism, as he wanted to prepare for being a samurai. Bullied by a couple of ronins one day, Taro ran away and told his master's father, who sent him to Iida castle with a message for his son (Lord Akiyama). After delivering the message about the disloyal ronins who had harassed him, Taro became Akiyama's messenger and befriended Yoshitoki, a young samurai. At age 15, he was sent with Yoshitoki to carry a message to Tsutsujigasaki Castle. On the way, they escaped from two bandits disguised as monks. A strange old man invited them into his hut and predicted that neither Lord Oda Nobunaga nor Lord Takeda Shingen would rule Japan. On their return from the castle, Yoshitoki and Taro found the hut of the strange man empty and decided that the man had been a ghost. Lord Akiyama gave Taro back his family name- Murakami- and presented him with a sword. Everyone anticipated a huge battle from which either Lord Takeda Shingen or Oda Nobunaga would emerge as ruler of Japan. When Murakami was 18, Lord Takeda decided to go to war and Murakami was disappointed to find himself appointed aide to the officer in charge of food supplies. When a thief tried to steal some rice, Murakami showed both firmness and compassion by beating him, but not killing him. Murakami won a sword fight with a ronin bandit loyal to Lord Obu, but
At his arrival at Mishima, he claims being a retainer in the service of Harima-no-kami of Mito in order to intimidate the guards. According to the book, Mito was one of the three highest-ranking collateral houses of the tokugawa family.
The Samurai’s Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard is about a boy named Taro, the protagonist in the story. The major characters in the story are Taro, Yoshitoki, Lord Takeda Katsuyori, Lord Akiyama Nobutomo, and Togan. The setting of the story is in Japan, in around the 16th century. In the beginning of the story he was presented as a gift by the great Lord Takeda Shingen to Lord Akiyama after his parents had been killed. By using his wits and suppressing his fierce pride, Taro slowly escalates the ranks of his lord’s household until he achieves his greatest goal—becoming a samurai like his father and Lord Akiyama, whom he has come to admire. The life of a samurai is not so easy, Taro finds himself sacrificing opportunities of love and friendship
These clans would then unite themselves with other clans to form alliances that would unite with higher lords in order to accumulate even greater power. With the growing power, many clans were able to gain as much, or even more, control over the nations as even the government. Eventually these clans began to clash, and the strongest two, the Taira and Minamoto, broke out into war for control, known as the Gempei war, which also served as the official point where samurai nobles became more influential than the emperor (Doc F). The Minamotos won the battle, and the chief was rewarded by the emperor with the title “Shogun.”
In 1159, Kiyomori of the Taira clan was victorious over the Minamoto clan. Kiyomori murdered all the adults of the Monamoto clan and forced the children into exile. The emperor rewarded Kiyomori victory by giving him an advisor position in the government. This event was significant because Kiyomori was the first warrior in Japan’s government. Like the Fujiwara family, Kiyomori desired a royal bloodline within the Taira clan. So the Taira clan consorted with the imperial family in efforts to secure an imperial bloodline. Later, Kiyomori obtain a higher government position and more importantly a grandson was born and is heir to the throne. Feeling cheated an imperial prince sought the exiled Minamoto to overthrow the Taria clan. In 1180, Yoritomo of the Minamoto clan formed an army and battled with Taira clan that is known as the Genpei War. Eventually, Kiyomori died and the Taria clan shortly declined after him. During these battles warriors ran amok pillaging the Japan’s cuntryside. To end the chaos and violence the imperial turned to Yoritomo. Yoritomo in return raise an army of samurais and took complete control of the government and transformed it into a military government. The Kamakura government consisted of the emperor, shogun, and the house men. The emperor served merely as a figurehead, he little to no control of his government. The shogun had
Cameron, C. M. (2002). American samurai: myth, and imagination in the conduct of battle in the First Marine Division, 1941-1951. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
By the 900’s, the Japanese government began losing control over rural areas due to its weak ruler and the samurai warrior class stepped in to take control. This was due to a civil war called the “Hogen Rebellion” in 1156. This rebellion was due to conflicts regarding Imperial Japanese succession and unexpectedly laid the groundwork for the samurai clans to gain dominance. With both “would-be emperors” losing the Hogen Rebellion, the imperial government of Japan lost all of its remaining power. This led to the Heiji Rebellion in 1160 which was fought between two samurai clans, the Minamoto and Taira. With the victory of the Taira clan, the first samurai-led government (Shogunate) was formed. This type of government was controlled by the samurai clans, and the Emperor of Japan was only used as a figurehead to the government.
The story “Lazy Taro” is a success story reflecting Gekokujo which is the social condition of the middle age of Japan, especially the end of Muromachi era to Warring period. Gekokujo menas “overcoming the higher by the lower.” Several Japanese historical persons at this period started their lives in the lower class as a peasant, and became a powerful ruler, such as Hideyoshi Toyotomi. The story of Lazy Taro exactly exemplifies the success of Gekokujo.
The Minamotos won, and the emperor made Minamoto Yoritomo shogun, the head of the military. Yoritomo however wanted more and took all power away from the emperor and made himself dictator. At this time the samurai gained power, through land given to them by the new shogun. Their rise in status was beginning.
In feudal Japan, a young man named Oda Hachirou was once famed samurai and Japan’s hero under Lord Shin Nijimura who sought to bring peace to the nation. Born on May 23, 1055, the young warrior came from a small family of three, his parents, and a younger sister. He traveled across the country to learn Bushido, proven to be worthy after his father, Tatsuo Hachirou. Until recently, the Japanese town of Seika became plagued with disease and sickness, eventually attacked by vengeful spirits and demons; rumors were rogue samurais held responsible for this tragedy, including the deaths of Lord Nijimura and his family. No men and women know where these hostile entities came from, though Oda had soon learned that the evildoer was a woman, someone
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Hideyoshi was an influential Japanese influential feudal ruler, daimyo, throughout the 16th century. Hideyoshi was known to be a daimyō, warrior, general, samurai, and politician of the Sengoku period, and was especially known to have started a new age of in Japanese culture. Hideyoshi was a highlight of the Japanese feudal era which made choosing an influential person a worthwhile task. I have personal history with the level of influence his prestige has over history. His name was once referenced in a conversation between my second generation Japanese American friend. I was interested in what she told me about the history of her family back in Japan. I will be using this paper as a conduit to help start my understanding a small portion of Japan history through researching the famous Hideyoshi and his celebrated achievements
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