E-Books →Tanaka 1587 Japan's Greatest Unknown Samurai Battle (From Retinue to Regiment)

In 1986 everything changed. Prompted by the approaching fourth centenary of the battle the local council set in motion a systematic archaeological investigation of the castle site. Many interesting finds were made, but the greatest discovery of all came in 1989 in a distant library when a researcher unearthed what turned out to be Japan's oldest surviving battle map. It featured a detailed drawing of Tanaka Castle during the siege that matched up exactly with the picture that was emerging from the excavation. The unique document also contained so much extra information that, when combined with the archaeological finds, the written materials and local folklore, the almost forgotten siege of Tanaka became one of the best documented battles in the whole of Japan's samurai history.
Tanaka 1587 tells the complete story of the epic struggle for the first time outside Japan by using the evidence that is available from history, literature, folklore, archaeology and cartography. It is based on the author's own translations of the chronicles and the archaeological report together with his extensive fieldwork over a period of many years. The story is presented as an exciting (and sometimes violent) historical narrative illustrated with unique photographs and maps. The contribution of the battle's enshrined spirits to present-day folk religion is also assessed, while attitudes towards the site's conservation, preservation and celebration provide a fascinating insight into how modern Japan views and exploits its samurai history in a society that has had to come to terms with a violent past.
Before 1987 the siege of Tanaka Castle was virtually unknown beyond its immediate boundaries. Just as thirty years of painstaking work and enthusiastic publicity have transformed its status within Japan, this unique ground-breaking book will enable Tanaka's story to be understood and appreciated by a much wider international audience.