Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: famous person

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Takadaya Kahee

高田屋嘉兵衛
alternative words: Kahee Takadaya, Takadaya Kahei, Kahei Takadaya
keywords: famous person , northern territory
related topics: Ezochi , Edo period , Matsumae domain , Basho , Golovnin
related web sites: http://www.hakodate.ne.jp/fumoto/f_takadaya.html , http://www.marimo.or.jp/~munenobu/rekisi/takadaya/takadaya.htm , http://member.nifty.ne.jp/jf3mxu/hyogotsu/step19.html
explanation: Born in Awaji island in 1769 in a poor family. He became the richest merchant of Ainu's land (Ezochi) by opening a route to Etorofu island and was accepted in samuirai clan. Russians captured him as a retaliation of the capture of captain Golovnin, off the coast of Kunashiri island. During his imprisonment on Kamchatka peninsula, he learned Russian language and strove with Golovnin for a reconciliation of the 2 countries after his liberation. He died in 1827.

Takasugi Shinsaku

高杉晋作
alternative words: Shinsaku Takasugi
keywords: famous person , meiji revolution
related topics: Yoshida Shoin , Kido Takayoshi , Choshu domain , Meiji revolution
related web sites: http://www2.nkansai.ne.jp/users/syura/ , http://member.nifty.ne.jp/MOONRIVER/takasugi.html , http://member.nifty.ne.jp/mihiro/bakumatsu/tyosyu/tyosyutop.html
explanation: Born in 1839 in a samurai family of Choshu domain. After having studied at Shoka Sonjuku school of Yoshida Shoin, he traveled to Shanghai, where he witnessed the western colonialism in China. He organized Kiheitai, a militia composed with farmers and merchants to fight against westerners during Shimonoseki bombardment (1863-64). In 1865, Shinsaku took control of Choshu domain with Kido Takayoshi and repelled the 2e attack of Edo shogunate in 1866. He died of tuberculosis in 1867.

Takeda Shingen

武田信玄
alternative words: Shingen Takeda, Shingen, Takeda Singen
keywords: famous person , war lord
related topics: Sengoku period , Tokugawa Ieyasu , Uesugi Kenshin , Imagawa Yoshimoto
related web sites: http://www.interq.or.jp/pure/miyatate/ , http://shingen3.hp.infoseek.co.jp/
explanation: Born in 1521 as the eldest son of Nobutora in Yamanashi prefecture. In 1541 he inherited the father's feud by expelling him from the country. He tried first to expand his territory toward the north and entered a conflict with another strong war lord, Uesugi Kensin. Both being good tacticians, the battle of Kawanakajima ended in a draw. After the death of Imagawa Yoshimoto, he raised a big army to occupy Kyoto and died due to illness during a battle against Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1573.

Tokugawa Ieyasu

徳川家康 松平家康
alternative words: Ieyasu Tokugawa, Ieyasu
keywords: famous person , shogun , war lord
related topics: Sengoku period , Oda Nobunaga , Toyotomi Hideyoshi , Ishida Mitsunari , Battle of Sekigahara , Shogun , Edo shogunate , Tokugawashi
related web sites: http://member.nifty.ne.jp/gongen/ieyasu/ , http://www.shibuyam.com
explanation: Born in the family of a local war lord in 1542 in the west of Aichi Prefecture. Sandwiched between 2 powerful clans, Imagawa in the east and Oda in the west, he spent his youth as a hostage of those families. But with a great patience, he had successfully enlarge his feud. After his allied, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, Ieyasu entered in a conflict with Hideyoshi's deputy, Ishida Mitsunari and beaten him in the great battle of Sekigahara in 1600. He became shogun in 1603 and died in 1616.


Tokugawa Yoshinobu

徳川慶喜 徳川慶喜
alternative words: Yoshinobu Tokugawa, Tokugawa Keiki, Hitotsubashi Keiki
keywords: famous person , meiji revolution , shogun
related topics: Edo shogunate , Shogun , Gosanke , Kanagawa treaty , Meiji revolution
related web sites: http://www.wnn.or.jp/wnn-history/bakumatsu/ishin/yosinobu/f_right.html , http://www.edu.pref.ibaraki.jp/rekishi/QandA/QandA.htm
explanation: Last and 15th shogun of Edo shogunate. Born in 1873 as the 7th son of Seignior Mito. He strongly criticized a weak attitude of Edo shogunate when Commodore Perry had forced Japan to open her harbors. He had been then condemned to a house confinement but soon pardoned and nominated to the adviser of 14th shogun Iemochi, whom Yoshinobu succeeded in 1866. At that moment, Edo shogunate had been shaken by many factors, he had to surrender to Emperor's army in 1868.

Toshusai Sharaku

東洲斎写楽 写楽
alternative words: Sharaku Toshusai, Toushuusai Sharaku, Sharaku Toushuusai, Sharaku
keywords: artist , famous person , mystery , ukiyoe
related topics: Edo period , Ukiyoe , Katsushika Hokusai
related web sites: http://j-entertain.co.jp/Bellsystem/SharakuWorld/Edoinformation/WSharaku-j.html , http://www.lint.ne.jp/~meirokun/sharaku2.htm , http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~h-arita/sharaku.html
explanation: An obscure ukiyoe artist of the middle Edo period. The birth date and place unknown. Because he has left splendid ukiyoe works only during a short period around 1794-1795, it is suggested that Sharaku should be a pseudonym of another well known artist like Katsushika Hokusai or Maruyama Okyo. Being specialized in portrait of kabuki actors, his works show lively their face and gesture.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

豊臣秀吉 木下藤吉郎 羽柴秀吉
alternative words: Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Hideyoshi
keywords: famous person , korea , war lord
related topics: Sengoku period , Azuchi Momoyama period , Oda Nobunaga , Invasion of Korea , Ishida Mitsunari
related web sites: http://www.biwa.ne.jp/event/hideyosi/ , http://www.na.rim.or.jp/~magnet/hideyo1.html
explanation: Born in a modest family of samurai in 1536, Nobunaga recognized immediately his talent after an enrollment to the army, and Hideyoshi answered well his requests in many circumstances. After a surprising assassination of his boss by Akechi Mitsuhide in 1582, Hideyoshi killed the latter and continued the work of his superior, i.e. unification of Japan. Unsatisfied with his achievement, he sent troops to Korea to become Chinese Emperor but died in 1598 without seeing the result.

Tsukahara Bokuden

塚原卜伝
alternative words: Bokuden Tsukahara, Bokuden
keywords: famous person , swordsman
related topics: Sengoku period
related web sites: http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/data/people/bokuden.htm
explanation: Famous swordsman of early Sengoku period. Born in 1489 as a son of shintoist priest at Kashima shrine in Ibaraki prefecture. He learned first spear combat from Iizaki Choisai then sword combat from Kamiizumi Nobutsuna to become later an instructor of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru. A legend says that he ridiculed his adversary by leaving him alone on an islet when Bokuden was challenged by him. It was called "Mutecatsu ryu" (how to win without hands). He died in 1571.

Uesugi Harunori

上杉治憲 上杉鷹山
alternative words: Uesugi Yozan, Uesugi Youzan, Harunori Uesugi, Yozan Uesugi, Harunori, Yozan
keywords: famous person , statesman
related topics: Daimyo , Uesugi Kenshin
related web sites: http://www.vivi.ne.jp/~yozan/ , http://www.e-yone.co.jp/yozan/
explanation: Born in 1751 in a small daimyo of Kyushu, he inherited in 1767 Yonezawa domain of Tohoku region. Though Yonezawa domain was descent of Uezsugi Kenshin, the fief had become much smaller while there was a great famine. In order to overcome the unprecedented economic crisis, Harunori recommended a thriftiness while extended the fields and introduced textile industry by learning himself the technique. He was considered one of the most successful economy reformers of Edo period.

Uesugi Kenshin

上杉謙信 長尾景虎
alternative words: Kenshin Uesugi, Kenshin
keywords: famous person , war lord
related topics: Sengoku period , Takeda Shingen , Kanto Kanrei , Bishamonten
related web sites: http://www2.harimaya.com/uesugi/
explanation: Born in 1530 in a Uesugi's sub branch, Nagao family, who was charged to administer Niigata region (Shugo dai). Though Uesugi had a responsibility over the whole Kanto region (Kanto kanrei), they had been weaken by Hojo family. So Shingen succeeded his overlord to restore his feud by fighting against Hojo and his allied, Takeda Shingen. Kenshin and Shingen crashed 5 times at Kawanakajima in northern Ngano but the battles had been never conclusive. He died in 1578 due to an cerebral paralysis.
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148 articles extracted from postgresql database.




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