x Guns were a relatively
new innovation, probably
introduced by Portuguese
traders in the mid-1500s, and
the Japanese quickly learned
to manufacture them. On
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thus armed were deployed
in mass blocks, where
their volleys would have a
shock effect.x Soldiers were equipped
with a variety of body
armor, ranging from solid
breastplates to cuirasses
formed of hundreds of
metal plates held together
with intricate bindings.
This armor was frequently
lacquered and, thus, could be brightly colored. Metal helmets were
standard, as were shin and arm guards. Military units were not
standardized; each lord organized his men as he wished.The Battle
x The actual battle was preceded by several months of hostilities,
during which each side attempted to seize key castles occupied
by the other. Ishida’s forces captured the castle of Fushimi, held
by Tokugawa’s friend Mototada. Other Ishida-faction armies took
Tanabe Castle and Otsu Castle, but these local victories obviously
occupied some of Ishida’s forces so that they were not present at
Sekigahara.
x Meanwhile, Tokugawa’s generals seized the strategically located
Gifu Castle, but Tokugawa’s son allowed himself to be delayed
unnecessarily in attempting to take Ueda Castle. All these moves
were like a chess game, in which the opposing sides sometimesSamurai were bound by a rigid
code of behavior, sometimes called
bushido—“the way of the warrior.”© Vassil/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain.