would be punished. The kenka ryô seibai was also a way for the daimyo to
deal with the problems caused by their vassal’s desire for revenge when
wronged and a tool to better control them. The purpose of having strict
laws within the domain was to allow the daimyo an uninterrupted control
over his domain, and ultimately, increase his efficiency during wartime.
The need to control one’s domain by any means was a result of the unfor-
giving nature of Sengoku confrontations and the appearance of many war-
minded ambitious daimyo, who waited for a moment of weakness in neigh-
boring domains to launch an attack.
Among the fiercest warriors of the period were Takeda Shingen and
Uesugi Kenshin, whose armies confronted each other in some of the most
well-known battles of the Sengoku period. They met five times in Kawa-
nakajima, Shinano province, without resolution. Another celebrated battle
is that between Oda Nobunaga, the first to begin a successful unification
of Japan, and the Imagawa army at Okehazama (1560)—a battle that is
widely regarded as a classic surprise attack. But Nobunaga is probably
most remembered for his victory over Takeda forces led by Takeda Kat-
suyori at the battle of Nagashino (1575). Nobunaga, with the support of
Tokugawa Ieyasu, won the battle with three thousand gunners, who were
organized in small teams to achieve effective continuous firepower.
One of the most important results of Sengoku warfare, which signifi-
cantly contributed to the spread of martial traditions, was the appearance
of castles and castle towns. This trend began when Oda Nobunaga built his
Azuchi Castle in 1576, followed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Momoyama
Castle, and later followed by other daimyo. In war, the castle was not in-
tended to hold out to the end. When the attacking army reached ni-no-
maru(second line of defense) the lord of the castle would typically commit
seppuku(ritual suicide).
Toyotomi Hideyoshi succeeded Nobunaga, the second of the three
unifiers, who became known as a master of siege warfare by coalition. His
supreme military strategy was complemented by unusual diplomacy; de-
feated daimyo were given the opportunity to join Toyotomi’s camp after
swearing allegiance. In addition, his effective policies—heinô bunri(sepa-
ration of warriors and farmers) and katana-gari(sword hunt)—contributed
greatly to his success in unifying Japan. Toyotomi successfully implemented
a policy of moving samurai from the countryside to castle towns where
they could be closely monitored.
Following Toyotomi’s death (1592), his leading generals were divided
into two camps, the western camp of Toyotomi allies and the eastern camp
of Tokugawa forces. In 1600 the two camps met in what is perhaps the
most famous battle in Japanese history, the Battle of Sekigahara. Relying
on a last-minute betrayal within the Toyotomi coalition, Tokugawa forces
Japan 189