Sekigahara and the Drums of War

I want to talk about Sekigahara. Few places resonate with me, few so deep in my soul. I will get to discussing my university life in due time, but I believe this warrants priority. Sekigahara is a small town in Gifu Prefecture. For clarity, it took me 4 hours to get there from Tsukuba, 1 hour from Nagoya. It has a population of just under 8000 and is relatively quiet. Its claim to fame, however, is that it was the site of the battle of Sekigahara. often described with the adjective; decisive. That is true as the battle decided the future of Japan. With victory here and at Osaka, Tokugawa Ieyasu consolidated control over Japan and established the eponymous Tokugawa Shogunate. A Shogun is analogous to a Generalissimo and was usually hereditary, held by a family with the greatest military in Japan. The battle of Sekigahara was fought between the Western Army, supporting Toyotomi Hideyori, and the Eastern Army, led by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Within my first two weeks in Japan, before seeing much of Tokyo, I journeyed to Sekigahara to see the 'Sekigahara Battle Festival'. My reasoning for going is twofold. Firstly, I have a love of all Samurai things and this is the pinnacle of that period of history. Secondly, and more importantly, I am doing a university project on this festival. My attendance of this event was paramount. Had I not been able to go, misery would have enveloped me as I searched for another project, knowing it would not be sufficient, in my eyes. My project supervisor, on the other hand, would have had no problem as long as my project conformed to the criteria. I would have noticed a subsequent lack of enthusiasm and following submission of a poorer quality piece, I would always regret not going when I had the chance. However, the planets aligned, and with the help of my tutor, I was able to book a hotel and plan transportation.

Poster for the event

   I began my journey to Sekigahara on the Shinkansen, the bullet train. This train appears to be like many others, with the interior resembling an aeroplane. The main selling point, is the speed of travel. I was in Nagoya in a few hours, but a local train would take at least twice that. After Nagoya, I took a local train for another hour to Sekigahara. My hotel was near to the neighbouring station, but before the big day, I had to go to the battlefield, see it for myself. I arrived in the darkness and my first sight was a large picture accompanied by a list of the major lords that fought and the number of soldiers in each army. I had no time to stay and explore, that would have to wait for the next day.

   The hotel I was staying at was a tiny place, hidden down the road from a massive highway heading to Kyoto. The room was my first taste of traditional Japan, with a tatami floor and a futon to sleep in. I loved staying there, away from a big city. I was the only Westerner for miles around. The bed was uncomfortable but eventually, I would get used to it and be perfectly fine sleeping on the floor. This was what I came to Japan for. I was living like a Samurai and I would soon see these magnificent warriors clash in an epic battle.

My hotel room

  
   The day had finally come. Everything in my life has been leading to this moment. I was finally here, finally in my dream. I had a delicious breakfast of fresh fish and rice, then I was on the move. Sekigahara was different than the previous night. Samurai banners flew proudly in the wind. Tourists and locals alike hiked up the hills and across the fields to see the show. When I reached the stage, I looked behind me to see a great wave of people crashing towards me. I had a good view of the show which consisted of each warlord showing off the might of their soldiers. Each army had different coloured armour and unique banners, each warlord stood out with fantastic helmets. Ii Naomasa and Honda Tadakatsu were particularly conspicuous. Naomasa wore bright red armour with long gold horns, while Tadakatsu wore black armour and was adorned with his famous deer antler helm. There was also some banter between the various lords that opposed each other or historically did not get along. I was impressed by both the magnificence of their dress and also my ability to understand what they were staying. At this time, my Japanese was not very good, but I could pick up a few words and my knowledge of the history of the time period enabled me to grasp the meaning behind what they were saying. Then, the crowd was split into two, making a large gap in the centre. At the same time, some actors returned, wielding rifles. These were replicas of the matchlock arquebus, the Tanegashima, which was prevalent in the warring states period and this battle. They fired volley after volley of blanks, causing a cacophony of sound that echoed around the base of the mountain and a billowing of smoke reminiscent of the incense at Asakusa.

The hill where the gun show took place 

   To my chagrin, this would not be sufficient for my project, I walked back towards the station, dejected. While fear had chased me across Japan to this very point, self loathing would carry me back. As I wallowed in misery, I began my descent back to the station, racking my brain for a potential topic for my project. As I returned to an area previously empty, I saw a large crowd forming. Weaving my way to the front, I realised that this was the re-enactment battle I had been looking for, I had been dreaming of seeing.

   It was better than I expected. Drums beat, swords clashed, warriors shouted. There would be a mass of actors fighting with remarkable choreography, then two warlords would pick each other out and engage in single combat. They leapt across the field, dodging swings of spears and thrusts of swords. It was a magnificent affair and among the epic scenes of Samurai crashing into each other, there were scenes of deep rumination, tragic characters would be alone before a horde of enemies and face their own mortality.

   This was an amazing experience and the best among the many I cherish from my time in Japan. I would return to Sekigahara a few more times, each one being different and enjoyable. I would return in the depths of Winter and the height of Summer.

The monument for the Battle of Sekigahara