An Encyclopedia of Japanese History
compiled by Chris Spackman
Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2002-2005 Chris Spackman and contributors
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License.”
Table of Contents
Abe Family (Mikawa) – Azukizaka, Battle of (1564) 11
Baba Family – Buzen Province 41
Daido Masashige – Dutch Learning 95
Echigo Province – Etō Shinpei 98
Habu Yoshiharu – Hyūga Province 116
Ibaraki Castle – Izu Province 138
Japan Communist Party – Jurakutei Castle 154
MacArthur, Douglas – Mutsu Province 203
Nabeyama Sadachika – Nunobeyama, Battle of 238
Pacific War – Privy Council 275
(Q: No Entries) 289
Sado Province – Suzuki Zenkō 294
Tachibana Muneshige – Twenty-One Demands 345
Uchida Ryohei – Uzen Province 372
(V: No entries) 375
Wado Province – Witte, Sergei 375
(X: No entries) 377
Yagyū Munenori – Yūryaku-tennō 377
Zaibatsu – Zeami 386
Chronological List of Emperors 389
Prime Ministers, 1885 to Present 395
Alphabetical List of the Prefectures 399
Provinces and Corresponding Prefectures 402
List of Tables
Table 1Cabinet Positions Held by Abe Nobuyuki 12
Table 2Abe Nobuyuki's Cabinet 13
Table 3Cabinet Positions Held by Adachi Kenzō 15
Table 4Data on Akita Prefecture 19
Table 5Cabinet Positions Held by Araki Sadao 28
Table 6Cabinet Positions Held by Ashida Hitoshi 31
Table 7Ashida Hitoshi's Cabinet 32
Table 8 i-ro-ha Alphabet, 1-7 Checkerboard Cipher 81
Table 9 Checkerboard Cipher Using Waka Poem 82
Table 10Creating a Pseudo-Random Number from Two Other Numbers 92
Table 11 Portraits on Japanese Bills 94
Table 12 Dates of Use for Japanese Bills 95
Table 13 Cabinet Positions Held by Gotō Shinpei 114
Table 14 Cabinet Positions Held by Gotō Shōjirō 115
Table 15 Cabinet Positions Held by Hamaguchi Osachi 117
Table 16 Hamaguchi Osachi's Cabinet 118
Table 17 Cabinet Positions Held by Hara Kei 119
Table 18 Hara Kei's Cabinet 120
Table 19 Cabinet Positions Held by Hatoyama Ichirō 121
Table 20 Cabinet Positions Held by Hayashi Senjūrō 122
Table 21 Hayashi Senjūrō's Cabinet 122
Table 22 Cabinet Positions Held by Hayashi Tadasu 123
Table 23 Cabinet Positions Held by Hiranuma Kiichirō 127
Table 24Hiranuma Kiichirō's Cabinet 128
Table 25 Cabinet Positions Held by Hirota Kōki 129
Table 26 Hirota Kōki's Cabinet 130
Table 27 Cabinet Positions Held by Inoue Junnosuke 142
Table 28 Cabinet Positions Held by Inoue Kaoru 143
Table 29 Cabinet Positions Held by Inoue Kowashi 143
Table 30 Cabinet Positions Held by Inukai Tsuyoshi 144
Table 31 Inukai Tsuyoshi's Cabinet 144
Table 32Domains in Ise Province 145
Table 33 Cabinet Positions Held by Itagaki Taisuke 147
Table 34 Cabinet Positions Held by Itō Hirobumi 148
Table 35 Itō Hirobumi's First Cabinet 148
Table 36 Itō Hirobumi's Second Cabinet 151
Table 37 Itō Hirobumi's Third Cabinet 151
Table 38Itō Hirobumi's Fourth Cabinet 152
Table 39Cabinet Positions Held by Katō Takaaki 169
Table 40 Katō Takaaki's First Cabinet 169
Table 41Katō Takaaki's Second Cabinet 170
Table 42 Cabinet Positions Held by Katō Tomosaburō 170
Table 43 Katō Tomosaburō's Cabinet 171
Table 44Cabinet Positions Held by Katsura Tarō 172
Table 45 Katsura Tarō's First Cabinet 173
Table 46Katsura Tarō's Second Cabinet 173
Table 47Katsura Tarō's Third Cabinet 174
Table 48 Cabinet Positions Held by Kido Kōichi 177
Table 49Cabinet Positions Held by Kobiyama Naoto 181
Table 50Cabinet Positions Held by Kodama Gentarō 181
Table 51Cabinet Positions Held by Kodama Hideo 182
Table 52Cabinet Positions Held by Koiso Kuniaki 184
Table 53Koiso Kuniaki's Cabinet 185
Table 54Kōke Families 186
Table 55Cabinet Positions Held by Kōno Togama 188
Table 56Cabinet Positions Held by Komura Jūtarō 188
Table 57Cabinet Positions Held by Konoe Fumimaro 189
Table 58Konoe Fumimaro's First Cabinet 190
Table 59Konoe Fumimaro's Second Cabinet 191
Table 60Konoe Fumimaro's Third Cabinet 192
Table 61Cabinet Positions Held by Kuroda Kiyotaka 198
Table 62Kuroda Kiyotaka's Cabinet 198
Table 63Filmography of Kurosawa Akira 201
Table 64Cabinet Positions Held by Kurusu Takeo 201
Table 65Cabinet Positions Held by Machida Chūji 203
Table 66Cabinet Positions Held by Maeda Yonezō 205
Table 67Cabinet Positions Held by Makino Nobuaki 205
Table 68Cabinet Positions Held by Matsuda Masahisa 206
Table 69Cabinet Positions Held by Matsukata Masayoshi 207
Table 70Matsukata Masayoshi's First Cabinet 208
Table 71Matsukata Masayoshi's Second Cabinet 209
Table 72Cabinet Positions Held by Matsumoto Jōji 210
Table 73Cabinet Positions Held by Matsumura Kenzō 210
Table 74 Leaders of the Meiji Restoration 213
Table 75Filmography of Mifune Toshirō 215
Table 76Cabinet Positions Held by Minami Hiroshi 217
Table 77Cabinet Positions Held by Mitsuchi Chūzō 225
Table 78Cabinet Positions Held by Mizuno Rentarō 229
Table 79Cabinet Positions Held by Mochizuke Keisuke 229
Table 80Cabinet Positions Held by Motoda Hajime 232
Table 81Cabinet Positions Held by Murase Naokai 233
Table 82Cabinet Positions Held by Murata Shōzō 233
Table 83Cabinet Positions Held by Mutsu Munemitsu 237
Table 84Cabinet Positions Held by Nagai Ryūtarō 238
Table 85Cabinet Positions Held by Nakahashi Tokugorō 247
Table 86Cabinet Positions Held by Nakajima Chikuhei 247
Table 87Cabinet Positions Held by Narahashi Wataru 248
Table 88Cabinet Positions Held by Nishio Suehiro 252
Table 89Cabinet Positions Held by Noda Uichi 253
Table 90Cabinet Positions Held by Noda Utarō 253
Table 91Cabinet Positions Held by Ogata Taketora 260
Table 92Cabinet Positions Held by Ohara Naoshi 260
Table 93Cabinet Positions Held by Okada Keisuke 262
Table 94Okada Keisuke's Cabinet 262
Table 95Cabinet Positions Held by Okada Ryōhei 263
Table 96Cabinet Positions Held by Okano Keijirō 263
Table 97Cabinet Positions Held by Ōki Enkichi 264
Table 98Cabinet Positions Held by Ōki Takatō 265
Table 99Cabinet Positions Held by Okuda Yoshindo 266
Table 100Cabinet Positions Held by Ōkuma Shigenobu 266
Table 101Ōkuma Shigenobu's First Cabinet 267
Table 102Ōkuma Shigenobu's Second Cabinet 267
Table 103Cabinet Positions Held by Ōura Kanetake 272
Table 104Cabinet Positions Held by Ōyama Iwao 272
Table 105 Notable Hired Foreigners 274
Table 106Cabinet Positions Held by Saigō Tsugumichi 296
Table 107Cabinet Positions Held by Saionji Kinmochi 297
Table 108Saionji Kinmochi's First Cabinet 298
Table 109Saionji Kinmochi's Second Cabinet 299
Table 110Cabinet Positions Held by Saitō Makoto 299
Table 111Saitō Makoto's Cabinet 300
Table 112Cabinet Positions Held by Saitō Takao 301
Table 113Cabinet Positions Held by Sakurauchi Yukio 302
Table 114Cabinet Positions Held by Sasamori Junzō 305
Table 115Cabinet Positions Held by Satō Eisaku 305
Table 116Satō Eisaku's First Cabinet 305
Table 117Satō Eisaku's Second Cabinet 305
Table 118East and West Armies at Sekigahara 308
Table 119Cabinet Positions Held by Sengoku Mitsugu 309
Table 120Cabinet Positions Held by Shibata Kamon 310
Table 121Cabinet Positions Held by Shidehara Kijūrō 311
Table 122Shidehara Kijūrō's Cabinet 312
Table 123Cabinet Positions Held by Shigemitsu Mamoru 313
Table 124Cabinet Positions Held by Shimada Toshio 315
Table 125Cabinet Positions Held by Shiono Suehiko 317
Table 126Shōgunates 319
Table 127Cabinet Positions Held by Sone Arasuke 340
Table 128Cabinet Positions Held by Suematsu Kenchō 341
Table 129Cabinet Positions Held by Sugiyama Gen 342
Table 130Cabinet Positions Held by Suzuki Kantarō 343
Table 131Suzuki Kantarō's Cabinet 344
Table 132Cabinet Positions Held by Suzuki Kisaburō 344
Table 133Cabinet Positions Held by Suzuki Teiichi 345
Table 134Cabinet Positions Held by Suzuki Yoshio 345
Table 135Cabinet Positions Held by Takahashi Korekiyo 347
Table 136Takahashi Korekiyo's Cabinet 347
Table 137Cabinet Positions Held by Takarabe Takeshi 349
Table 138Cabinet Positions Held by Takashima Tomonosuke 349
Table 139Cabinet Positions Held by Takeda Giichi 350
Table 140Cabinet Positions Held by Taketomi Tokitoshi 352
Table 141Cabinet Positions Held by Tanabe Harumichi 353
Table 142Cabinet Positions Held by Tanaka Giichi 353
Table 143Tanaka Giichi's Cabinet 354
Table 144Cabinet Positions Held by Terauchi Masatake 359
Table 145Terauchi Masatake's Cabinet 359
Table 146Yonai Mitsumasa's Cabinet 385
Table 147Cabinet Positions Held by Yoshida Zengo 386
Table 148Chronological List of Emperors 393
Table 149Emperors of the Northern Court 393
Table 150Prime Ministers, 1885 to Present 398
Table 151Alphabetical List of the Prefectures 401
Table 152Provinces and Corresponding Prefectures 405
Table 153Chronological List of Nengō 413
Table 154 List of Nengō of the Northern Court 414
Table 155List of the Kamakura Shōgun 415
Table 156List of the Ashikaga Shōgun 415
Table 157List of the Tokugawa Shōgun 416
The following people have contributed to this encyclopedia:
Carl F. Kelley
Seige of Kozuki entry
W. G. Sheftall (sheftall at ia.inf.shizuoka.ac.jp)
Imperial Way Faction entry
February 26th Revolt entry
Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org)
Several pages are included (and possibly modified) from the content available at www.wikipedia.org. These include but are not limited to:
Kofun, Kotoamatsukami, Meiji, Nagasaki, Bombing of, Nagasaki City, Sengoku Period,
Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), Tokugawa Ieyasu, Nengo, the Nengo appendix,
This encyclopedia started as a web site back in 1998. As I added more and more pages, the limitations of html for a large project began to show, so in late 2000 I switched everything over to LaTeX. With the 0.3.3 release, the format has again changed – this time to the OpenOffice.org XML-based format.
This work was originally published under the Open Content License but I republished it under the GNU Free Documentation License in March 2001. Please see the copyright section and the GNU License at the back of the book for more details.
Please direct questions, bug reports (factual mistakes in the text, for example), or suggestions concerning this work to Chris Spackman (spackman@openhistory.org). The newest version will always be available at www.openhistory.org.
This encyclopedia is continually under development and anyone is welcome to contribute.
Some of the sources from which this encyclopedia is compiled are Japanese and use Japanese dates for events. Unfortunately, the Japanese used a less-than-perfect lunar calendar until the 1870s. As a result, the dates listed for events from more than about 130 years ago can seem misleading when compared with dates for the same event from an American or other `Western' source. So, for example, Bryant (and probably everyone else in America) lists the Battle of Sekigahara as taking place in October while Japanese sources say that it took place in September. In time I hope to have both dates listed, but that is not going to happen soon.
As a convenience, I have converted phrases like “fifth day of the second month” to “5 February''.
Currently, I have compiled this encyclopedia mostly from:
Janet Hunter's Encyclopedia of Modern History [hunter_1984] for people and events from modern history.
Stephen Turnbull's Samurai Sourcebook [turnbull_1998] for the Sengoku Period and samurai in general.
The Samurai Archives homepage at: http://www.angelfire.com/realm/kitsuno01/index.html A great site with lots of information about samurai and the Sengoku Period.
E. Papinot's Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan [papinot_1972] is a bit dated but has wonderfully detailed information on topics that tend to get ignored these days.
Wikipedia: http://www.wikipedia.org : the online, free (as in speech) encyclopedia.
Most if not all of the data for prefecture entries is from Noritaka Yagasaki's Japan: Geographical Perspectives on an Island Nation [yagasaki_1997].
There are several very helpful tables at the back of New Nelson's Kanji Encyclopedia, which I have used to double and triple check a lot of the data about nengo and emperors.
This is not a comprehensive list.
Hōgen (added Japanese), Chronological List of Nengō (added Japanese), Yonai Mitsumasa (added cabinet), Hayashi Yūzō(fixed name, added cabinet info), fixed some entries that were out of alphabetical order, fixed some errors in the chart of prefectures. Added and modified the Ishida Mitsunari, Miyamoto Musashi, and the Kurosawa Akira entries from wikipedia. Added some material from the Wikipedia article on Sekigahara, Battle of, added and modified slightly the entry on the Shimabara Rebellion from wikipedia. Added some Wikipedia info for Minamoto Yoriie, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Ashikaga Shōgunate, Nagato Province, Kagoshima City, Perry, Matthew Calbraith, Minamoto Yoshitsune, Oda Nobunaga, Sanada Nobuyuki, Sanada Masayuki, Sanada Yukimura, Satsuma Province, Sengoku Period, Sonnō-Jōi, dropped the “no” from the entry names for Fujiwara Kaneie and Fujiwara Michinaga to make them more consistent with the rest of the Fujiwaras. Added some stuff from wikipedia to: Ankan-tennō, Ashigaru, Azukizaka, Battle of (1564), Bakamatsu.
Hōgen Insurrection, Fujiwara Yorinaga, Yoshida Zengo, everything alphabetically from Kimmei-tennō to Kizugawa, Battle of was accidently dropped from 0.3.3 and has been reinserted. Added Jōō (1222). Added Muromachi Period, Azuchi-Momoyama Period, Boshin War, Ran, Yagyū Munenori, Takuan, (from Wikipedia),
Added Kagoshima City, Kumamoto City, Nara City, Toyama City, Bunchū (main entry and entry in Chronological List of Nengō). Added entries for people who touch on Miyamoto Musashi, including Sasaki Ganryū, Yoshikawa Eiji, Mifune Toshirō, also Heian Period, Kamakura Period, Meiji Restoration, Comfort Women, Recreation and Amusement Association, (all based on the articles at Wikipedia). Sankin-Kōtai, Abolition of the Domain, Muromachi Period, Sakai Tadamasa, Comfort Women, Recreation and Amusement Association, added a table of emperors of the Northern Court. Added entries for those emperors.
Takamine Jokichi, Oyatoi Gaikokujin, Pacific War, Peace Preservation Law, Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), (all wikipedia)
Descended from Ōhiko (pg 260), a son of Kōgen-tennō (pg 184).
Abe Hirafu was a governor of Koshi. He fought against the aboriginal inhabitants of Japan (called, at that time, ebisu, which basically just means 'barbarian'). This was in 658. Three years later, in 661, he led an expedition into Korea to help Kudara, a Japanese colony / protectorate / ally on the Korean peninsula.
Note that the early dates on this info means that everything is suspect (more than usual) and should be double and triple checked.
Abe Hirafu might be the anscestor of one or more of the Abe clans, as well as the Ando and Akita clans.
Lived 1865 to 1949
Christian Socialist from Fukuoka Prefecture. Studied at Doshisha University and abroad. Became a Unitarian preacher. Taught at Tokyo College from 1899.
Active in the socialist movement.
1900 --- became president of the Socialist Society
1901 --- one of the founders of Shakaiminshuto
1924 --- became president of the Japan Fabian Society
1928 --- elected to the Diet
1932 --- chairman of Shakaitaishuto
Withdrew from politics in 1940
A river which starts in Suruga and whose mouth is near Shizuoka.
Lived 1541 to 1600
Masakatsu was an important member of the Abe clan of Mikawa. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu until his (Masakatsu's) death in 1600 (just coincidence, or did he die at Sekigahara?). In 1590, Ieyasu gave him Ichihara (in Izu), worth 5,000 koku.
Lived 1569 to 1647
Abe Masatsugu was the eldest son of Masakatsu. After Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu promoted him to daimyō status.
Lived 701 to 770
Lived 1875 to 1953
Soldier and Politician from Ishikawa Prefecture. Put on reserve list with rank of general in 1936.
Prime Minister from 30 Aug. 1939. Took over from Hiranuma Kiichirō (pg. 127) and was replaced by Yonai Mitsumasa (pg. 384) in January of 1940.
Joined the House of Peers in 1942.
President of the Imperial Rule Assistance Political Association (pg. 141).
Governor of Korea from July 1944.
|
Cabinet |
Position |
From |
To |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hanretsu |
Jun 16, 1930 |
Dec 10, 1930 |
|
|
War |
Jun 16, 1930 |
Dec 10, 1930 |
|
|
Abe |
Foreign Affairs |
Aug 30, 1939 |
?? |
|
Abe |
Prime Minister |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
Table 1Cabinet Positions Held by Abe Nobuyuki
|
Name |
Position |
From |
To |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Agriculture & Forestry |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Oct 16, 1939 |
|
|
Agriculture & Forestry |
Oct 16, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
|
Endō Ryūsaku |
Chief of Cabinet Secretariat |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Karasawa Toshiki |
Chief of Legislative Bureau |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Kanemitsu Tsuneo |
Colonization |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Godō Takuo |
Commerce & Industry |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Nagai Ryūtarō |
Communications |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Kawarada Kakichi |
Education |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Finance |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
|
Foreign Affairs |
Aug 30, 1939 |
XXX |
|
|
Nomura Kichisaburō |
Foreign Affairs |
XXX |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Ohara Naoshi |
Home Affairs |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Miyagi Chōgorō |
Justice |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Yoshida Zengo |
Navy |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Prime Minister |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
|
Nagai Ryūtarō |
Railways |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Nov 29, 1939 |
|
Nagata Hidejirō |
Railways |
Nov 29, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Hata Shunroku |
War |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
|
Ohara Naoshi |
Welfare |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Nov 29, 1939 |
|
Welfare |
Nov 29, 1939 |
Jan 16, 1940 |
Table 2Abe Nobuyuki's Cabinet
A plain in Settsu. Abeno was the scene of several battles during the Warring States period.
Lived 1019 to 1062
Died 1005.
Abe Seimei was a famous astronomer.
Japanese: 廃藩置県, (Haihan-chiken)
Starting in July of 1871, the system of independent han (feudal domains) was abolished and a new system of semi-independent regional governments was introduced.
In an attempt to wipe out feudalism in Japan, the new Meiji government abolished hundreds of feudal domains or han. In their place it established a new local government scheme based on geographically defined prefectures. This system is still in effect today, although the number and boundaries of the prefectures has changed over time.
The han were ruled by the daimyō. While theoretically owing allegiance to both the Shōgun and the Emperor, the daimyō were for the most part independent in their han. However, over the years of since the establishment of the Tokugawa Shōgunate, most domain had run up serious debts (due in part to the construction and sankin kotai demands of the Tokugawa rulers) and this one carrot the new Meiji leaders used to entice the daimyō to willing “return” their domains to the Emperor. In exchange for recognising the Emperor's legal control of their land, the central government would take on the domain's debt and would often appoint the ex-daimyō governor of the province (ken). It wasn't a bad deal but after the daimyō of Satsuma and Chōshū proved their loyalty to the Emperor by returning their domains, the smaller daimyō didn't really have much choice.
Modified from the Wikipedia article available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolition_of_the_Han_system
aka Akurigawa.
A river with source at Asahi-san and mouth near Iwanuma.
aka Abutsu-ni, aka Hokurin-zenni
A family of samurai who were descended from Fujiwara Yamakage (pg XXX). They are presented here because of their successes during the Minamoto---Taira wars and their subsequent affiliation with the Hōjō Family (pg XXX).
Died 1248
A warrior of the Adachi family, Kagemori was the son of Morinaga. He served with Minamoto Yoriie but became a monk when Minamoto Sanetomo died. This did not stop him from joining the Hōjō Family for the Shōkyū War, however.
Hōjō Tsunetoki and Hōjō Tokiyori were his grandsons.
Minamoto Sanetomo (pg XXX), Minamoto Yoriie (pg XXX), Hōjō Family (pg XXX), Shōkyū War (pg XXX), Hōjō Tsunetoki (pg XXX), Hōjō Tokiyori (pg XXX)
Lived 1864 to 1948.
Politician from Kumamoto.
Involved in the murder of the Korean queen in 1895.
Founding member of the Kumamoto National Party.
Elected to the House of Representatives in 1902.
Active in the Rikken Doshikai, Kenseikai, and Minseito.
Formed and was president of the Kokumin Domei in 1932.
|
Cabinet |
Position |
From |
To |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1st Katō |
Communications |
May 31, 1925 |
Aug 2, 1925 |
|
2nd Katō |
Communications |
Aug 2, 1925 |
Jan 30, 1926 |
|
1st Wakatsuki |
Communications |
Jan 30, 1926 |
Apr 20, 1927 |
|
1st Wakatsuki |
Home Affairs |
Dec 16, 1926 |
Mar 15, 1927 |
|
Home Affairs |
Jul 2, 1929 |
Apr 14, 1931 |
|
|
2nd Wakatsuki |
Home Affairs |
Apr 14, 1931 |
Dec 13, 1931 |
Table 3Cabinet Positions Held by Adachi Kenzō
Kumamoto National Party (pg XXX), Rikken Doshikai (pg XXX), Kenseikai (pg XXX), Minseito (pg XXX), Kokumin Domei (pg XXX).
Died 1200
Adachi Morinaga was a warrior who fought for Minamoto Yoritomo (pg XXX) against the Taira (pg XXX).
After the wars, he became a monk and took the name Rensai.
Died 1285
Died 1255.
Area: 5,150 km2 (1995)
Capital: Nagoya
Population: 6,770,000 (1996)
Lived 1782 to 1863
Died 1333
Son of Akagawa Fusanobu.
Mōri retainer.
Lived 1381 to 1441
Lived 1277 to 1350
Lived 1312 to 1371
Lived 1721 to 1801
Lived 1358 to 1427
Died 1618.
Baptised a Christian in 1596.
Was a vassal of Ukita Hideie, the daimyō of Okayama.
Morishige fought against Tokugawa Ieyasu at Sekigahara. He surrendered to Kuroda Nagamasa.
Later, he fought for the Toyotomi at Ōsaka Castle. Somehow managed to escape the fall of the castle.
Ukita Hideie (pg XX), Sekigahara, Battle of (pg XX), Kuroda Nagamasa (pg XX), Toyotomi Family (pg XX), Ōsaka, Siege of (pg XX)
aka Akaza Kyūbei.
Died 1606.
One of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's retainers.
Akaza Naoyasu fought at Sekigahara under Ōtani Yoshitsugu, but switched to the Eastern side during the battle.
Later Naoyasa became a retainer of Maeda Toshinaga.
aka Mitsutoshi
Akechi Mitsuhide's cousin. Mitsuharu was present for his cousin's coup, but missed the Battle of Yamazaki.
He battled Hori Hidemasa at Uchidehama, lost and fled. He committed hari-kiri and supposedly wrote a poem with his own blood before dieing.
Akechi Mitsuhide (pg XX), Yamazaki, Battle of (pg XX), Hori Hidemasa (pg XX), Uchidehama, Battle of (pg XX)
Lived 1526 to 1582
Akechi Mitsuhide was a general under, and the assassin of, Oda Nobunada.
When they found out about the assassination, both Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu rushed to be the first to avenge Nobunaga and take his place. Hideyoshi got to Mitsuhide first.
Mitsuhide began serving Oda Nobunaga in 1566 and recieved Sakamoto (in Ōmi, 100,000 koku) in 1571.
In 1579, he captured Yakami Castle from Hatano Hideharu by taking Hideharu's mother hostage. This accomplished Mitsuhide's goal but unfortunately, Nobunaga had the woman executed (crucified?). Naturally this did not make the Hatano family happy and a short while later several of Hideharu's (ex-?) retainers murdered Akechi Mitsuhide's mother!
Mitsuhide blamed Nobunaga for his mother's death and the attack at Honnōji in 1582 was his revenge.
Mitsuhide survived for 13 days, until he was defeated by Hideyoshi at the Battle of Yamazaki.
Oda Nobunaga (pg XX), Honnōji, Seige of (pg XX), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (pg XX), Tokugawa Ieyasu (pg XX), Hatano Hideharu (pg XX), Akechi Mitsuharu (pg XX), Yamazaki, Battle of (pg XX), Uchidehama, Battle of (pg XX)
Died 1628
Lived 1647 to 1714.
Lived 1580 to 1642.
A province in the Western part of Honshū (pg. ), part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture (pg. ).
The capital of Akita Prefecture (pg 19).
Welfare Minister in Abe Nobuyuki's cabinet, from 29 November 1939 to 16 January 1940
|
Area: |
11,612 km2 (1995) |
|
Capital: |
Akita City (pg. 19) |
|
Population: |
1,220,000 (1996) |
Table 4Data on Akita Prefecture
The old Ugo Province (pg. 374) is today Akita Prefecture.
died 1659
Sanesue served Tokugawa Ieyasu and received Shishido (in Hitachi, 50,000 koku) in 1602.
dates currently unknown
Toshisue was the son of Sanesue. He also served the Tokugawa and received Miharu (in Mitsu, 50,000 koku) in 1645.
dates currently unknown
Nobutomo was a famous general in service of the Takeda family.
Akizuki Tanenaga
Tanenaga served under Kuroda Nagamasa during the Korean campaign. He sided with Ishida Mitsunari at the battle of Sekigahara but managed to keep his fief (which was?) after the battle.
Kuroda Nagamasa, Korea, Invasion of Ishida Mitsunari, Sekigahara, Battle of
Tanezane lost to the Ōtomo (the who, what, when, where, and why is still to be researched). Sometime after that he joined the Shimazu (as an ally or a vassal?) and fought with them against Hideyoshi in Kyūshū.
After Sekigahara, he was transfered to Takanabe (in Hyūga, 20,000 koku).
Kagemochi was a famous general for the Uesugi family. Among other things, he fought at the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima (1561).
A samurai family that fought the Mōri family. They mostly lost. The Mōri had been one of their vassals.
Mōri Family (pg XXX)
Lived 1514 to 1562.
Fought against Ōuchi Yoshitaka.
Fought against Mōri Motonari.
Mostly a failure (he lost a lot of battles and a lot of territory) but regained some ground after Sue Harukata killed Ōuchi Yoshitaka.
Ōuchi Yoshitaka, Mōri Motonari, Sue Harukata
dates currently unknown
Lost to someone at Nunobeyama (which is where?) in 1570.
Lost to Mōri Terumoto in 1571 (where? what battle?) and fled to the island of Oki.
Later returned from Oki and captured Tajima and Inaba provinces. Defended Kozuki castle for Hideyoshi against the Mōri.
Katsuhisa was attacked by Kobayakawa Takakage and Kikkawa Motoharu (at Kozuki castle?), was defeated and committed suicide.
Nunobeyama, Battle of, Mōri Terumoto, Tajima Province, Inaba Province, Kōzuki, Seige of, Kobayakawa Takakage, Kikkawa Motoharu
Lived 1492 to 1554
Kunihisa was the son of Tsunehisa.
Died 1534
Okihisa was the son of Tsunehisa.
Lived 1458 to 1541
Fought against Ōuchi Yoshioka
Mōri Motonari was one of his retainers
Yoshihisa was the son of Amako Katsuhisa (pg XXX). He continued the family fight against the Mōri.
While besieged in Toda Castle, Yoshihisa had a retainer, Moriyama Hisakane executed. This caused most of his remaining men to desert. With no hope of holding the castle, Yoshihisa fled and became a monk.
aka Masuda Tokisada.
A leader of the Shimabara Rebellion, Shirō led the defence of Hara Castle and died when it fell.
Shimabara Rebellion, Hara Castle, Hara, Seige of
Lived 1503 to 1584.
Lived 1537 to 1637.
Died 1548
“Ama shōgun” refers to Hōjō Masako, who was the wife of Minamoto Yoritomo, and the power behind the Kamakura shōgunate after his death. She became a nun in 1199. Ama shōgun roughly means the “Nun shōgun.”
Hōjō Masako (pg. X), Minamoto Yoritomo (pg. X), Kamakura Shōgunate (pg. X),
Ama is a term used to refer to nuns. In English it would be something like “nun” or “sister.”
“Black Chamber” was the name used in Europe for the government section involved in codebreaking and illicit reading of private (especially diplomatic) communications. The American govenment did not set up it's own black chamber until after World War I.
The American Black Chamber (actually the Cipher Bureau) was a group of codebreakers working for the United States government (with funding from the Army and the State Department) between July 1917 and October 1929, headed by Herbert O. Yardley (pg 379). Cracking Japanese codes was a priority. Kahn ([kahn_2004], pg 62) states:
The most important target was Japan. Its belligerence toward China jeopardized America's Open Door policy. Its emigrants exacerbated American racism. Its naval growth menaced American power in the western Pacific. Its commercial expansion threatened American dominance of Far Eastern markets.
After close to a year, Yardley and his staff finally managed to break the Japanese codes and were still reading Japanese diplomatic traffic when Washington hosted the Washington Naval Conference in 1921. The information the the Cipher Bureau provided the American delegation was instrumental in getting the Japanese side to agree to a 10:6 ratio instead of the 10:7 ratio the Japanese wanted. This was the hight of Yardley's cryptanalytic career.
The Japanese Navy was not happy with the treaty and when several years later Yardley described the whole incident in his book The American Black Chamber (pg. 23), the Japanese were not amused.
Despite their success at the Washington Conference, the truth of the matter is that Yardley and his codebreakers were not as good as Yardley believed them to be. Japanese government codes were rediculously weak in the early 1920s. The real difficulty probably lay in the Japanese language, not the Japanese codes – for several months after its founding, the American Black Chamber had no one with a good command of Japanese. British codebreakers at the time considered Japanese codes hardly worth the name.
Unfortunately, for the men and women of the Cipher Bureau the flow of diplomatic telegrams dried up as companies became less willing to break the law to help the government. In Washington, William Friedman was actively exploring cryptographic frontiers for the Army – the Cipher Bureau was becoming irrelevant. However, it was moral indignation that finally doomed the bureau. Henry L. Stimpson was Secretary of State under President Hoover. When he found out about the Cipher Bureau, he was furious and withdrew funding, summing up his argument with “Gentlemen do not read each other's mail.”
The Cipher Bureau closed its doors for good on 31 October 1929 – just two days after the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began.
The American Black Chamber by Herbert O. Yardley, [yardley_1931]
The Codebreakers by David Kahn [kahn_1996]
Angō Kaidoku Nyūmon by Toshio Takagawa, [takagawa_2003]
The Reader of Gentlemen's Mail by David Kahn, [kahn_2004]
American Black Chamber, The (pg 23), Five-Powers Treaty (pg 102), Washington Naval Conference (pg 376), Yardley, Herbert O. (pg 379),
A book by Herbert O. Yardley (pg 379), published in 1931, dealing with American efforts to read the communications of other countries. A large part of it is devoted to describing how Yardley and his codebreakers managed to read Japanese government codes and the advantage this gave to the American side at the Washington Naval Conference.
The American Black Chamber by Herbert O. Yardley, [yardley_1931]
The Codebreakers by David Kahn [kahn_1996]
Angō Kaidoku Nyūmon by Toshio Takagawa, [takagawa_2003]
The Reader of Gentlemen's Mail by David Kahn, [kahn_2004]
American Black Chamber (pg 22), Kowalewski, Jan (pg 194), Yardley, Herbert O. (pg 379), Washington Naval Conference (pg 376)
Kōtoku Shūsui led the anarchist movement until his death in 1911. It continued under Ōsugi Sakae until his murder in 1923. Both men were anarcho-syndicalists and advocated direct action by workers.
Anarchists were at odds with other socialist groups. With the success of the Russian Revolution and the death of Ōsugi, communist groups took control of the labor unions away from the anarcho-syndicalists.
Ōsugi Sakae (pg 270), Kōtoku Shūsui (pg. 194), Red Flag Incident (pg. 291),
Lived 1541 to 1582.
aka Baisetsu Nobukimi.
Lived 1558 to 1622
Lived 1540 to 1587
Died 1571
Took place in 1570.
Oda Nobunaga, with Tokugawa Ieyasu and Inaba Ittetsu, fought the combined forces of Asai Nagamasa and Asakura Yoshikage. Tokugawa forces engaged the Asakura while Oda forces dealt with the Asai.
The Tokugawa forces finished off the Asakura and then turned and hit the Asai's right flank. Inaba had been held in reserve, came forward and hit the Asai left flank.
Oda Nobunaga (pg. X), Tokugawa Ieyasu (pg. X), Inaba Ittetsu (pg. X), Asai Nagamasa (pg. X), Asakura Yoshikage (pg. X)
Nengō: 1772--1780
Nengō: 1175--1176
Japanese: 安閑天皇
The 27th Emperor of Japan.
Reigned 531 to 535.
The Emperor Ankan was the 27th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor or to his reign, but he is believed to have ruled the country during the early 6th century CE.
According to the Kojiki, Ankan was the elder son of the Emperor Keitai. Ankan became emperor at age 66 and died four years later. No significant events were recorded during his reign.
Modified from the Wikipedia article available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Ankan_of_Japan
Died 1600.
The 20th Emperor of Japan.
Reigned from 453 to 456.
Nengō: 968--969.
The 3rd Emperor of Japan.
Reigned 549 to 511 B.C.
A purge, in 1858--1859, of over 100 people from the bakufu, various han, and the Imperial court. Eight of those `purged' were also executed. It was carried out by Ii Naosuke in an effort to quiet opposition to his handling of the question of shōgunal succession and the signing of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce.
(Todo: Add more details on the succession dispute and the people who were purged.)
Ii Naosuke (pg. X), U.S.-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce (pg. X),
Nengō: 1854--1859
See U.S.-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce on page XREF
Nengō: 1227--1228
The 81st emperor of Japan.
Reigned from 1180 to 1183.
There were two nengō during his reign, Yōwa (pg XREF) which lasted from 1181 to 1182 and Juei (pg XREF), from 1182 to 1183.
Nengō: 968--969
Finance Minister in Abe Nobuyuki's cabinet, from 30 August 1939 to 16January 1940.
The capital of Aomori Prefecture.
Area: 9,605 km2 (1995)
Capital: Aomori
Population: 1,510,000 (1996)
Lived 1887 to 1981
aka Arahata Katsuzo
Mr. Arahata participated in many of the socialist movements in his career. He started as a socialist, became an syndico-anarchist and eventually a communist and ended up serving in the Diet as a representative of the postwar Japan Socialist Party.
Arahata was from Yokohama.
He joined the Heiminsha in 1904 and was among those arrested for the Red Flag Incident of 1908.
Arahata published Kindai Shiso with Osugi Sakae.
He was member of the first Central Committee of the Japan Communist Party.
Belonged to the Rono Faction.
He was on the Central Executive Committee of the Japan Socialist Party from 1946 to 1948.
Served in the Diet from 1946 to 1949 and spent his time after that writing.
Heiminsha (pg. X), Red Flag Incident (pg. X), Kindai Shiso (pg. X), Ōsugi Sakae (pg. X), Japan Communist Party (pg. X), Rono Faction (pg. X), Japan Socialist Party (pg. X), Socialism (pg. X), Anarchism (pg. X),
Born 26 May 1877 to 2 Nov. 1966.
Soldier.
Originally from Tokyo.
Sadao was a leading member of the “Imperial Way Faction” (Kodoha). He was put on the reserve list as a result of the February 26 Uprising.
Minister of Education from 1938 to 1939.
He was tried as a “Class A” war criminal and sentenced to life.
Released from prison in 1955 for health reasons.
|
Cabinet |
Position |
From |
To |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Inukai |
War |
Dec 13, 1931 |
May 26, 1932 |
|
Saitō |
War |
May 26, 1932 |
Jan 23, 1934 |
|
1st Konoe |
Education |
May 26, 1938 |
Jan 5, 1939 |
|
Hiranuma |
Education |
Jan 5, 1939 |
Aug 30, 1939 |
Table 5Cabinet Positions Held by Araki Sadao
February 26 Revolt (pg. X), Imperial Way Faction (pg. X), War Crimes, Class A (pg. X),
Possibly born in 1561. Died on 6 May 1612.
Lived 1570 to 1642.
Lived 1521 to 1576.
Asai Sukemasa --> Hisamasa --> Nagamasa
Lived 1524 to 1673.
The son of Asai Sukemasa. Lost to the Sasaki and retired in favor of his son Nagamasa.
Lived 1545 to 28 Aug. 1573.
Son of Asai Hisamasa, from whom he took over in (year??). Nagamasa successfully battled both Rokkaku Yoshitaka and Saitō Tatsuoki.
Married Oda Nobunaga's sister but later joined the Asakura family and the monks of Mt. Hiei against Nobunaga. Nagamasa was defeated by Oda and Tokugawa Ieyasu at the battle of Anegawa in 1570.
In 1573, Oda laid siege to Nagamasa's castle at Odani. Unfortunately for Nagamasa, he was there at the time. He committed suicide and in exchange, Oda spared Nagamasa's family (which of course included his---Nobunaga's---own sister).
Three of Nagamasa's daughters are famous for marrying famous men.
Asai Hisamasa (pg. X), Rokkaku Yoshitaka (pg. X), Saitō Tatsuoki (pg. X), Oda Nobunaga (pg. X), Tokugawa Ieyasu (pg. X), Odani, Seige of (pg. X), Asakura Family (pg. X), Anegawa, Battle of (pg. X),
Lived 1495 to 1546.
Father of Asai Hisamasa. Built Odani Castle. Fought the Sasaki family.
Lived 1529 to 1574.
Lived 1583 to 1637.
Lived 1474 to 1552.
Lived 1473 to 1512.
Lived 1493 to 1546.
Died 1475?
Lived 1428 to 1481?
Lived 24 Sept. 1533 to 20 Aug. 1573.
Lived 1586 to 1632.
Lived 1546 to 1610.
Lived 1667 to 1701.
Died 1719.
Lived 1848 to 1930
Businessman. From a samurai family in the Toyama region. Purchased Fukagawa Cement Works from the government in 1884, with help from Shibusawa Eiichi. Diversified his business interests, which eventually became a minor zaibatsu. Without a bank, it remained minor.
Fukagawa Cement Works (pg. X), Shibusawa Eiichi (pg. X), Zaibatsu (pg. X)
Lived 1576 to 1613.
Lived 1887 to 1959.
Was Prime Minister from 10 March 1948 to 15 October 1948. He replaced Katayama Tetsu and was replaced by Yoshida Shigeru.
|
Cabinet |
Position |
From |
To |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Shidehara |
Welfare |
Oct 9, 1945 |
May 22, 1946 |
|
Katayama |
Foreign Affairs |
Jun 1, 1947 |
Mar 10, 1948 |
|
Ashida |
Foreign Affairs |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Ashida Hitoshi |
Prime Minister |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
Table 6Cabinet Positions Held by Ashida Hitoshi
|
Name |
Position |
From |
To |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ashida Hitoshi |
Prime Minister |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Nagae Kazuo |
Agriculture & Forestry |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Suzuki Yoshio |
Attorney General |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Tomabechi Gizō |
Chief of Cabinet Secretariat |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Mizutani Chōzaburō |
Commerce & Industry |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Tomoyoshi Eiji |
Communications |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Hitotsumatsu Sadayoshi |
Construction |
Jul 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Morito Tatsuo (sp?) |
Education |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Kitamura Tokutarō |
Finance |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Ashida Hitoshi |
Foreign Affairs |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Katō Kanjū |
Labor |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Nomizo Masaru |
State: Chairman of the Local Finance Committee |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Funada Kyōji |
State: Director of Administrative Management Agency |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Kurusu Takeo |
State: Director of Central Economic Investigation Agency |
Aug 1, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Kurusu Takeo |
State: Director of Economic Stabilization Board & Director of Price Board |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Funada Kyōji |
State: Director of Reparations Agency |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Hitotsumatsu Sadayoshi |
State: President of Construction Board |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Jul 9, 1948 |
|
Nishio Suehiro |
State: Without Portfolio |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Jul 6, 1948 |
|
Tomabechi Gizō |
State: Without Portfolio |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Okada Seiichi |
Transport |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
|
Takeda Giichi |
Welfare |
Mar 10, 1948 |
Oct 15, 1948 |
Table 7Ashida Hitoshi's Cabinet
Katayama Tetsu (pg. X), Yoshida Shigeru (pg. X)
Japanese: 足軽
Ashigaru were foot-soldiers in medieval Japan.
Their root is believed to be that of shimobe (下部), who served by the side of government officials during Heian period. Ashigaru (literally “light-foot”, but the word most likely stems from “light armored”) were the lowest-class warriors, either the low-class buke (noble) or commoners who had joined or been impressed to the daimyo's army.
The ashigaru were foot soldiers—the cavalry was the territory of the samurai. They might have been armed with katana or just with spears