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Why the 'Weakest Samurai Warlord' Is Admired To This Day 34

Posted by msmash from the closer-look dept.
New research suggests Oda Ujiharu, long derided as feudal Japan's most ineffective military leader, may have been mischaracterized. The Sengoku-period daimyo, who ruled from Oda Castle in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture, lost his fortress an unprecedented nine times to rival clans -- but recaptured it eight times, often with inferior forces.

"His refusal to accept defeat and his iron will to get up and keep fighting is why many historians reject the 'weakest samurai warlord' nickname and instead refer to him as 'The Phoenix,'" notes the research published in Tokyo Weekender. While Ujiharu's battlefield decisions appear strategically baffling -- repeatedly abandoning castle defenses for open combat -- some researchers propose these actions were deliberately taken to protect peasant settlements from the devastation of prolonged sieges. From the article: Ujiharu's blind charges may actually have had a noble purpose. Japanese battles involving castles almost always turned into sieges, and those always ended the same way: with the nearby fields and peasant settlements being either destroyed to try and draw the lord out of the castle or looted to feed the occupying army. Some researchers believe that Ujiharu was trying to avoid a siege to save his subjects. Despite numerous military setbacks, Ujiharu maintained remarkable loyalty from his subordinates. Historical records indicate that after his initial campaigns, attempts to bribe or threaten his retainers to defect consistently failed.

The daimyo demonstrated considerable diplomatic acumen, forming multiple alliances with former enemies throughout his career. His downfall came only after hesitating to pledge allegiance to Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's unification, resulting in his lands being confiscated.

Why the 'Weakest Samurai Warlord' Is Admired To This Day More | Reply

Why the 'Weakest Samurai Warlord' Is Admired To This Day

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  • This is not even news. And an article published on "Tokyo Weekender", which claimes to be "Japan's No.1 English Lifestyle Magazine", hardly qualifies as "research".

  • Why the 'Weakest Samurai Warlord' Is Admired To This Day

    He hired the best PR Firm and/or Publicist?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by rossdee ( 243626 )

      Was he played by Toshiro Mifune in a Kurosawa film?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by drnb ( 2434720 )

        Was he played by Toshiro Mifune in a Kurosawa film?

        If not, a deep fake could be created that renames a character in a Kurosawa film.

  • ... is not, by chance, Takeshi's?

    • No, it was owned by somebody named Howl. One of the things complicating the various battles was the way it kept moving around.

  • Nerds would find this fascinating. And pay attention to *why*.

    But, nah, it's not about the latest mobile, so it doesn't count Don't you trolls and Russian bots have better places to spew your garbage.

    Meanwhile... nobody could bribe his people, huh?

  • I'd wonder if someone has tried analysing his strategy in terms of GÅ. You know - the board game with the seriously challenging game tree, which gave Google a lot of problems on the AI front last decade.

    Avoiding close infighting - and with it large losses of prisoners - is a recognised mode of play. Certainly in the early part of the game - the first hundred or so moves.

    • but recaptured it eight times

      There's the answer.
      The castle likely prevents quick raids, but is not that defensible against a determined opponent.

      • That's not the logic that works on the Go board. What is your level of play? I'm quite middling at 10~11 kyu (at tournament).

      • It is a bit challenging to capture a castle and then fortify it to your liking, filling it with food and such.
        Those castles are all completely individually constructed. There is no common plan except: a gate, walls and towers. If you do not have the knowledge, it is often not straight forward to realize how to defend it perfectly.
        On the other hand, the previous owner and soon new owner again, knows perfectly well how his fortress is set up.
        On top of that: the surrounding land is hostile to you. No nearby vi

        • On top of that: the surrounding land is hostile to you. No nearby villager will smuggle something to you, if you raided the villages before, you are in double trouble.

          Julius Caesar showed how to deal with that one at ... the siege where he broke the back of organised Gaul resistance. Whose name is escaping me, at the moment. Double encirclement. : one wall around the siege point (not necessarily a "castle" ; but obviously a defensible bit of ground) ; an outer wall around your encampment to protect against

    • He went out from his castle to meet the enemy on the field directly. The enemy snuck into the castle behind him with part of their forces.

      Japan didn't really have high quality military strategy, they didn't fight enough.

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