Where did our story happen?

Haugaard, The Samurai's Tale

Historical fiction uses a realistic setting as the background; the times and places should be historically accurate. Some of the characters are also real historic figures. However, the main character is generally fictional, and the author imagines the details of conversations and thoughts.

History Outline of Japan

Map of Japan in 1550, showing lands at Taro's birth. This is the setting of the novel A Samurai's Tale. Look for the lands of Murakami, Uesugi, and Takeda.

Map of Japan in 1560, showing lands during Taro's childhood. Notice how the Takeda lands have expanded.

Map of Japan in 1572, showing lands during the climax of A Samurai's Tale. Notice the competition between Takeda and Oda, with the new addition of Tokugawa. Who will succeed and become Shogun?

Battle of Nagashino

This was the first major battle in which guns were significant.
Read more details below the picture.

Battle of Nagashino

June 28, 1575

Oda Nobunaga (30,000 men) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (8,000 men)
vs.
Takeda Katsuyori, son of Takeda Shingen (12,000 men)

In the summer of 1575, Takeda Katsuyori led his army into the Tokugawa domain and laid siege to Nagashino Castle, a locally important strongpoint that had changed hands a number of times in the previous few years.

The castle's defenders managed to resist the initial Takeda attacks, and thanks to the heroic efforts of a samurai named Torii Sune'emon, managed to alert Tokugawa Ieyasu of their plight. Tokugawa then convinced his ally Oda Nobunaga to commit to a battle with the Takeda.

The young Takeda commander Katsuyori, although faced with the larger enemy force, overruled the objections of his more veteran generals and chose to attack. Oda, meanwhile, used the new gunpowder weapon, the arquebus. He shielded his gunners with only a light picket fence, designed to keep horses from leaping past. The deceptively light obstacle evidently tempted Takeda into ordering his footsoldiers to charge. However, with his superior firepower, Oda was able to mow down thousands of Takeda men. He crushed the Takeda attack and relieved Nagashino Castle. Most of the Takeda generals present were killed in the battle, and the offensive power of the Takeda was severely crippled.

Source: Samurai-Archives

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Battle of Iwamura

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Siege of Iwamura

July - December, 1575

Oda Nobutada, son of Oda Nobunaga (30,000 men)
vs.
Akiyama Nobutomo, vassal of Takeda Shingen (3,000 men)

Iwamura Castle once belonged to Oda Nobunaga, and was held by Toyama Kageto, who was married to Oda's aunt. When Toyama died suddenly of illness, leaving his widow in command, the castle was attacked by the Takeda general Akiyama Nobutomo. In February 1572, the lady Toyama negotiated the surrender of the castle and her own marriage to Akiyama in exchange for his protection.

After the defeat of the Takeda at Nagashino in 1575, Oda decided it was time to recapture Iwamura Castle. Under the command of Oda's son Nobutada, his army laid siege to the castle. They surrounded the hilltop castle, remaining there for six months while the castle defenders gradually ran out of supplies. The rest of the Takeda clan was much weakened after their losses at Nagashino and could not afford to send reinforcements to Akiyama. The castle fell in December 1575. Akiyama and his wife were captured and executed.

This battle spelled the end of Takeda power and made Oda the ruler of all of Mino Province. Oda Nobunaga would later become Shogun, the military ruler of all Japan.

Source: Samurai-Archives

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