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The Sengoku Period: Unrivalled Conflict In Medieval Japan

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The Sengoku Period was a time of unrivalled conflict and disunity in medieval Japan. It spanned from 1467 to 1615 and was named by historians who compared it to the most warlike period in Ancient Chinese history: the Age of the Warring States. This parallel shows the great magnitude of the chaos and violence that occurred during Japan in these years. The onset of the Onin War marked the beginning of this period. The authority of the Ashikaga Shogunate dissolved, and the country was left in the hands of power-hungry daimyos ("the great names"). Various daimyos across Japan gained authority and fought each other for land and the shogunate himself. They created an environment of endemic warfare which directly hindered the unification of Japan. …show more content…

Ujitsuna captured Edo castle and Kawagoe from rival daimyos, obtaining the key to controlling the Kanto region. Ujitsuna and following generations continued to acquire land and exert their prominence through superior military strength and cunningness. The Hojo family survived for a few more generations until 1590. Toyotmi Hideyoshi, one of the great Japanese unifiers, conducted the largest besieging operation until that point in Japan history on the capital city, Odawara. The Hojo inevitably surrendered and were absorbed into an empire that would soon reunite …show more content…

The Sengoku period saw many warlords accumulate power one moment and get absorbed into another daimyo the next. This constant handing of power from one power-hungry entity to another provided a large obstacle for unification. None of these daimyos gained enough power or lasted long enough to unify Japan. The regional rising of power exhibited in the Hojo family and other daimyos continued to plague Japan until it was unified with the help of three great unifiers. Oda Nobunaga, one of the great unifiers, had a lowly start similar to Soun Hojo. Oda, a young daimyo during the 1560's, was attacked by one of Japan's most powerful daimyos, Imagawa Yoshimoto. After breaking through the border of Nobunaga's fortresses, Yoshimoto grew complacent and oblivious. Nobunaga seized this opportunity to turn the tides of the battle; Yoshimoto was killed, and Nobunaga instantly rose in power. Within eight years of defeating Yoshimoto, Nobunaga in 1568 entered Kyoto and deposed of the last Ashikaga Shogun,

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Notes: - The 100 years from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 16th century is known and the warring states period or sengoku jidai - The shogun government was unstable because it often depended on deputies to look after the shogun’s interests in the provinces - This became ineffective when the bonds between the Shogun and the deputies started to loosen which meant this system was no longer effective - The deputies were military governors with small holdings and appointed one son, not always the oldest to inherit the holdings - Then they appointed local warriors as the military officers and recruited peasants as the soldiers - The nature of war soon changed in this period and instead of small combat between the local land owners

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The societies of Tokugawa Japan (c.1603-1867C.E.) and medieval Europe (c.1000-1500C.E.) had two things in common; a feudal system. A feudal system is something that features hierarchies or social structures. The feudal system normally starts with a religion, which is at the very top of the social pyramid, then it’s the King or monarch for Europe and the shogun for Japan, then there are the nobles for Europe and the daimyos for Japan. As we go down the pyramid there are the warriors, like the knight in Europe and the samurai in Japan, then there are the peasants. The peasants were included in both eras and are at the lowest part of the pyramid.

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(5) He applied pressure from land and sea. After six months, Hideyoshi asked for the Hojo daimyo 's surrender and commenced a 3-day attack on the castle when he refused. When the surrender came he confiscated the land. The great Hojo clan was eliminated and from this time on Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the undisputed military dictator of the land. (5) Considered a symbol of his power and desire to rule all of Japan, he ordered the construction of Osaka Castle, later ordering the restoration of the Imperial Palace.

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All throughout history, numerous nations have tried to conquer the islands of Japan. However, no matter how large their invasion forces were, those who tried never fully succeeded. Of all those who attempted to conquer Japan, arguably the most famous of all were the Mongols, who tried to subjugate the Japanese people twice, one in 1274, and the other in 1281. The leader of the invading armies, Kublai Khan, wished to expand his people’s influence and culture across the Tsushima Strait, and into the islands east of China. But, try as they may, they could not tame the people that called these islands home.

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On the website It states that “,Japan was dominated by a delicately-balanced, feudal-military system led by daimyos.” This shows that for five centuries Samurais kept the large landowners safe. Without them Daimyos would have had to pay taxes and the Shoguns would not be ruling.

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Tojo raised to be a leader for Japan, also he he was associated with the troops faction system to upgrade. Against that Japan 's fighting capabilities although they a tight budget, and “Citizen Interference” after Japan surrendered the next year, Tojo attempted suicide when they were threatened but that never happened in 1937 he was head chief of staff of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria, China (“Hideki Tojo”).

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Katsu’s family lived in Edo, Japan. Even though Edo had been transformed into a big city known as present day Tokyo, it had started out small. In 1457 Edo was a small little-known fishing village, that later grew into the largest metropolis in the world. The city, followed under Tokugawa shogunate, was the de facto capital and center of political power. It was built around Edo castle, formerly known as Chiyoda castle, which had been the chief headquarters for Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1590.

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Oda Nobunaga had his own dynasty which was considered one of the most controversial and powerful Daimyos in Japan. He assumed total power by eliminating all opposition that were against him. In battle Oda Nobunaga used clever tactics such as surprise and deception to defeat his opponents who were larger in numbers, he also incorporated the use of long pikes, firearms and castles to change the way wars were fought in Japan. He built monuments to show off his power. According to a warrior’s fighting ability that warrior would be ranked in a warrior class system which Nobunaga introduced.

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The Kamakura period, which saw the emergence of samurai as a specific class, began the practices and code of samurai. Seppuku, a form of ritual suicide and one of the more widely known samurai practices, also developed during this time (Pletcher). The Kamakura period brought the concept of feudalism to Japan and established the rank of shogun: the military leader of Japan. The shift to a military government was reasoning behind the samurai class and evident through the loyal and honorable, yet stoic and disciplined, culture of this time (“Kamakura Period”). The bushido code faced much outside influence, but core emphasis was placed on living frugally, upholding honor, and honing athletic and mental strength in order to remain fearless during battle.

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Nobunaga Oda was a politician, a general and a member of the Fujiwara family. He lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan. He was born in 1534 and was killed committed suicide in 1582 at the age of 48. Oda was betrayed by Akechi Mitsuhide, one of his generals when he was a Daimyo (Daimyos where powerful Feudal Lords who ruled on lands that they earned by inheritance). Unfortunately, the history of Feudal Japan is not very popular among westerners although it is very fascinating and an important part of Japanese culture.

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Oda Nobunaga had laid the basement on which Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokygawa Leyasu had expanded on to unify Japan. Today he is valued as a successful leader in Japanese leader, but what characteristics of Oda were and believed in by the people of that period? There is a Japanese Myth that reflects the observations of the people of that period. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa were watching a cuckoo bird waiting for it to sing, but the bird wouldn't sing.

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After World War One, Japan took it upon itself to become one of the world’s mightiest superpower. Becoming an imperialistic power, Japan grew a thirst for land and resources, so they invaded resourceful Manchuria in 1937, initiating a conflict in Asia with China. They occupied a lot of the land and

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