Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan

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Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan

by Eiji Yoshikawa, William Scott Wilson (Translator)

4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 · rating details · 1,484 ratings · 191 reviews

In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.
Amid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. At one extr...more In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.
Amid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga, whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. At the opposite pole is the cold, deliberate Ieyasu, wise in counsel, brave in battle, mature beyond his years. But the keystone of this triumvirate is the most memorable of all, Hideyoshi, who rises from the menial post of sandal bearer to become Taiko-absolute ruler of Japan in the Emperor's name.
When Nobunaga emerges from obscurity by destroying an army ten times the size of his own, he allies himself with Ieyasu, whose province is weak, but whose canniness and loyalty make him invaluable. Yet it is the scrawny, monkey-faced Hideyoshi-brash, impulsive, and utterly fearless-who becomes the unlikely savior of this ravaged land. Born the son of a farmer, he takes on the world with nothing but his bare hands and his wits, turning doubters into loyal servants, rivals into faithful friends, and enemies into allies. In all this he uses a piercing insight into human nature that unlocks castle gates, opens men's minds, and captures women's hearts. For Hideyoshi's passions are not limited to war and intrigue-his faithful wife, Nene, holds his love dear, even when she must share it; the chaste Oyu, sister of Hideyoshi's chief strategist, falls prey to his desires; and the seductive Chacha, whom he rescues from the fiery destruction of her father's castle, tempts his weakness.
As recounted by Eiji Yoshikawa, author of the international best-seller Musashi, Taiko tells many stories: of the fury of Nobunaga and the fatal arrogance of the black-toothed Yoshimoto; of the pathetic downfall of the House of Takeda; how the scorned Mitsuhide betrayed his master; how once impregnable ramparts fell as their defenders died gloriously. Most of all, though, Taiko is the story of how one man transformed a nation through the force of his will and the depth of his humanity. Filled with scenes of pageantry and violence, acts of treachery and self-sacrifice, tenderness and savagery, Taiko combines the panoramic spectacle of a Kurosawa epic with a vivid evocation of feudal Japan.(less)

Hardcover, 940 pages

Published January 16th 2001 by Kodansha (first published 1967)

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Dec 28, 2008 Dhieta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, novel, history

Novel ini mengambil seting Jepang zaman dahulu ketika keshogunan dalam masa kritis dan peperangan perebutan kekuasaan terjadi di mana – mana. Cerita dimulai dari tahun Temmon kelima, 1536, yaitu masa ketika Kinoshita Hiyoshi menjalani masa kanak – kanaknya yang berat. Setelah ayahnya meninggal, ibu Hiyoshi menikah dengan Chikuami. Hubungan Hiyoshi dengan ayah tiri yang memanggilnya Saru ini tidak baik, sehingga Hiyoshi dikirim ke kuil untuk belajar, namun dipulangkan karena berbuat kenakalan. Ak...more Novel ini mengambil seting Jepang zaman dahulu ketika keshogunan dalam masa kritis dan peperangan perebutan kekuasaan terjadi di mana – mana. Cerita dimulai dari tahun Temmon kelima, 1536, yaitu masa ketika Kinoshita Hiyoshi menjalani masa kanak – kanaknya yang berat. Setelah ayahnya meninggal, ibu Hiyoshi menikah dengan Chikuami. Hubungan Hiyoshi dengan ayah tiri yang memanggilnya Saru ini tidak baik, sehingga Hiyoshi dikirim ke kuil untuk belajar, namun dipulangkan karena berbuat kenakalan. Akhirnya Hiyoshi mengembara mencari pengalaman dengan berjualan jarum. Dalam perjalanan ini ia mengalami berbagai hal yang membuatnya belajar mengenai sifat manusia. Dari seorang yang sederhana, berkat kecerdikan dan ketulusannya Hiyoshi memperoleh kepercayaan dari orang – orang, sampai ia menjadi kepercayaan Oda Nobunaga. Sedemikian dalam kepercayaan Nobunaga padanya sampai – sampai Hiyoshi yang namanya menjadi Toyotomi Hideyoshi dianugerahi daerah dan kekuasaan militer. Sebagai tangan kanan Nobunaga, Hideyoshi berjumpa dengan banyak orang penting yang kelak berperan besar dalam sejarah Jepang, salah satunya adalah Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Nobunaga, Ieyasu, dan Hideyoshi bertemu dalam masa kekacauan. Ketiganya sama – sama ingin menyatukan Jepang, namun siapa di antara mereka yang berhasil mewujudkan impian tersebut ?

Ketiga tokoh tersebut merupakan tokoh penting dalam sejarah keshogunan Jepang. Kepribadian mereka diabadikan dalam senryu (comic haiku) berikut : “Nakanunara, koroshiteshimae, hototogisu. Nakanunara, nakashitemiseyou, hototogisu. Nakanunara, nakumadematou, hototogisu”. Arti dari haiku tersebut adalah “Jika burung tekukur tidak mau berkicau, bunuh saja. Jika burung tekukur tidak mau berkicau, buatlah ia ingin berkicau. Jika burung tekukur tidak mau berkicau, tunggulah.” Haiku tersebut melukiskan Nobunaga yang kejam , Hideyoshi yang cerdas, lalu Ieyasu dengan kesabarannya.

Taiko yang berjudul asli Taiko Ki merupakan buah karya novelis legendaris Yoshikawa Eiji. Novelis bernama asli Yoshikawa Hidetsugu ini dilahirkan pada 11 Agustus 1892 di prefektur Kanagawa. Ketertarikannya pada sastra dimulai pada usia belia 18 tahun, namun beliau benar – benar terjun dalam dunia tulis – menulis setelah menjadi juara pertama lomba penulisan novel Kodansha pada tahun 1914 dengan karya The Tale of Enoshima. Beliau bergabung dengan koran Maiyuu dan menulis serial Life of Shinran di koran tersebut. Karya berjudul Miyamoto Musashi yang ditulisnya tahun 1915 membuat namanya dikenal sebagai penulis novel fiksi histori. Beliau terpengaruh oleh karya – karya sastra kuno seperti Sānguó Yǎnyì (Romance of Three Kingdoms), Heike Monogatari (The Tale of Heike) , Hikaru Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji), dan Shu¡hû Zhuàn (Outlaws of The Marsh). Sebelum meninggal pada 7 September 1962, beliau pernah mendapat penghargaan Cultural Order of Merit, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, dan Mainichi Art Award. Yoshikawa - sensei telah menulis puluhan cerita fiksi, beberapa di antaranya adalah Edo Sangokushi, Sangokushi (penulisan ulang Romance of Three Kingdoms), Uesugi Kenshin, Ooka Echizen, Shin Suikoden (penulisan ulang Outlaws of The Marsh), Shin Heike Monogatari (penulisan ulang The Tale of Heike) , dan masih banyak lagi.

Sekitar tahun 90 – an novel Taiko pernah dirilis sejumlah sepuluh volume sebelum digabung menjadi satu buku seperti versi baru. Bentuk buku yang tebal dan jumlah halaman mungkin membuat beberapa orang sudah merasa malas duluan untuk membacanya. Saya mungkin tidak akan pernah membaca Taiko jika belasan tahun lalu saya yang masih SD disodori buku setebal ini. Terjemahan novel Taiko sangat baik, bahasa yang digunakan tidak begitu rumit sehingga enak dibaca serta mudah dimengerti. Plot cerita yang kuat dan karakterisasi yang tergali dengan baik membuat penulis betah membaca buku ini dari awal sampai akhir hampir tanpa jeda. Selain itu, peristiwa – peristiwa bersejarah serta kemunculan tokoh – tokoh sejarah dalam novel ini merupakan daya tarik bagi penggemar sejarah Jepang. Bahkan bagi pembaca yang bukan penggemar sejarah, novel ini tetap menarik karena menyajikan ajaran filosofis, intrik politik, dan taktik perang zaman dulu. Oleh karena itu jangan gentar duluan melihat tebalnya buku, cobalah membaca perlahan dan kamu akan terbawa dalam suasana Jepang pada ratusan tahun yang lalu. (less)

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Oct 21, 2008 Farhan Sani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Based on true story of Hideyoshi, the taiko, the ruler of japan on behalf of the emperor at feudal era.

A fascinating story about a person who struggles from zero to hero, and yet still very "human" which his strengths and weaknesses.

This book, together with "Musashi", indeed made me, until now, eager to learn anything related with japan. its culture, spirit, people, way of life, language...anything.
Not mentioning that currently I am working in a japanese company :)

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Aug 08, 2009 nanto marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: history-and-sociology, nant-s-book

Saya dulu pernah membaca beberapa jilid novel Musashi. Waktu itu bacanya karena tukar pinjam sama seorang teman. Saya punya novel silat lokal, Wiro Sableng, dia punya novel fiksi sejarah dari Jepun itu. Terakhir kemaren dapat lemparan buku dari Andri. Buku The Swordless Samurai yang bercerita mengenai sosok Hideyoshi. Lalu, saat Kopdar Goodreads di Rawamangung kemarin, saya berbincang-bincang dengan Haikal mengenai buku The Swordless Samurai itu. Di situ saya mengungkapkan kelebihan dan kekurang...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Bryan added it

Great Story; Somewhat Difficult Read: This is a story of feudal Japan and unification of the clannish and war torn country by a once poor, downtrodden commoner who became Taiko (supreme ruler) through a series of battles and diplomatic strategies.

The story is captivating and the subject matter is rich with possibility. However, there are two main shortcomings with the novel that I believe detract from what could have been a five star effort:

1. The virtual avalanche of Japanese names, for both...more Great Story; Somewhat Difficult Read: This is a story of feudal Japan and unification of the clannish and war torn country by a once poor, downtrodden commoner who became Taiko (supreme ruler) through a series of battles and diplomatic strategies.

The story is captivating and the subject matter is rich with possibility. However, there are two main shortcomings with the novel that I believe detract from what could have been a five star effort:

1. The virtual avalanche of Japanese names, for both places and people make it sometimes extremely difficult to follow some story lines. I am well aware that this might be exclusively a cultural issue, but I'm assuming that most readers of this review are American or at least non-Asian. Many of the names are very long and to complicate matters, sometimes differ from each other by a single letter. A character might appear, then reappear later in the story. In such cases it might take quite awhile to become apparent that this is the same character that appeared before. This is only slightly addressed with a "cast of characters" that appears at the beginning of each chapter. Inability to track key characters is a major hindrance to enjoyment of the story.
Of somewhat lesser importance is confusion regarding place names. This could be dramatically improved upon with a more detailed map, or preferably additional maps. It is impossible to follow the many travels and battle plans without any meaningful reference to a detailed map.

2. This is a translation. As such, the prose simply fails to flow as I'm sure it does in the original. Also, there were numerous errors in sentence structure, misspellings and dropped words. Not enough to constitute a major problem, but simply indicative of the problems faced in translation.

As I pointed out earlier, the subject matter is fascinating and the story is well worth telling. The obvious comparison between this novel and Shogun must be made. In my opinion, Shogun is far superior. It deals with much the same subject matter with none of the shortcomings listed above. If forced to choose between the two, I would not hesitate to recommend Shogun. In fact, given the time required to read this book (not just the 1000 pages, but the increased time required as a result of the problems set out above), I could only recommend this book if you've run out of other things to read.
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Mar 01, 2013 Helmut Barro rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: japan, favorites

Japanische Geschichte, spannend nacherzählt

Der spätere "Regent in Ruhestand" Toyotomi Hideyoshi hat, so lernt man in diesem durch viel Fiktion angereichterten Historienroman, ganz unten angefangen: Als Kind in ärmlichster Umgebung aufgewachsen, hat sich der "Affe", so genannt wegen seines unvorteilhaften Aussehens, bis zu der wahrscheinlich wichtigsten Persönlichkeit der japanischen Geschichte hochgearbeitet.

In dem Stil, der für Yoshikawa so typisch ist, erzählt der Autor den Weg Hideyoshis: Nah...more Japanische Geschichte, spannend nacherzählt

Der spätere "Regent in Ruhestand" Toyotomi Hideyoshi hat, so lernt man in diesem durch viel Fiktion angereichterten Historienroman, ganz unten angefangen: Als Kind in ärmlichster Umgebung aufgewachsen, hat sich der "Affe", so genannt wegen seines unvorteilhaften Aussehens, bis zu der wahrscheinlich wichtigsten Persönlichkeit der japanischen Geschichte hochgearbeitet.

In dem Stil, der für Yoshikawa so typisch ist, erzählt der Autor den Weg Hideyoshis: Nah an den Personen, sehr viel bildhafte Beschreibungen. Die unglaubliche Arbeitsamkeit, den unbezähmbaren Ehrgeiz und vor allem die Begeisterungsfähigkeit Hideyoshis werden sehr plastisch geschildert, und die Hauptperson des Romans wächst einem sehr ans Herz. Auch wenn die späte Phase, in der der Taiko sich eher zum Negativen wandelte, in diesem Roman nicht vorkommt, erhält man einen breiten Rundumschlag über den (aus literarischer Sicht gesehen) spannendsten Teil der Historie Japans; man kann den Roman kaum weglegen, denn Yoshikawa schafft es immer wieder, einen geschickten Cliffhanger einzubauen. Auch ist das Zusammenspiel zwischen den "großen Drei", also Nobunaga, Ieyasu und Hideyoshi, sehr spannend dargestellt.

Zur Kodansha-Ausgabe: Ein schön gestalteter Schutzumschlag verdeckt das stabile Hardcover mit qualitativ hochwertiger Bindung und einer historischen Karte Japans auf der Innenseite. Der Druck wirkt durch das sehr weiße Papier sehr kontrastreich; das übergroße Format packt viel Text auf eine Seite. Insgesamt ist die Präsentation also hervorragend gelungen, auch wenn das Buch dadurch sehr schwer ist. Dem Übersetzer gelingt es, Yoshikawas blumigen Stil gut ins Englische zu übertragen.

Leider ist bei der deutschen Ausgabe, wie auch bei "Musashi" desselben Autors, der völlig unverständliche Weg über die amerikanische Übersetzung gegangen worden; d.h. das Buch ist nicht aus dem Japanischen direkt, sondern von der bereits vorhandenen amerikanischen Übersetzung ins Deutsche übersetzt worden - für mich ein absoluter Killer. Diese Ausgabe kann ich somit leider nicht mit der dem Roman eigentlich zustehenden 5-Sterne-Wertung versehen.Ich empfehle daher jedem, der des englischen mächtig genug ist, lieber dann gleich die englische Übersetzung zu nutzen.

Wer Musashi mochte, wird auch "Taiko" lieben (und umgekehrt), aber auch sonst für alle Freunde von historischen Romanen bedenkenlos empfehlenswert. (less)

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Nov 13, 2012 David S rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

As suggested in the title, this is a truly epic tale of the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the era of civil war in 16th century Japan in which he was a prominent player. Much as with Yoshikawa's novel on Musashi, the author breathes life into the historical figures that he portrays in the book. The character of Hideyoshi is very likable, though not without his faults. Hideyoshi has a charming ability to bend and break the rules of social convention to his advantage and extricate himself from imp...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Firmanila rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: asdf-ide

Awalnya waktu saya pertama kali lihat buku ini di Gramedia saya segan banget. Pikir saya, 'wah gila! Ini novel nyaingi Order of Phoenix banget!'. But, bless my mom and her bookworm tendencies, ibu saya bilang ketebalan novel ini setara dengan jalan cerita yang tertulis di dalamnya. Yap, ibu saya ternyata sudah pernah baca buku ini dan beliau memaksa-maksa saya buat beli.

Dan akhirnya saya pun beli. Masih segan buat bacanya tentu. Ada barangkali dua minggu novel ini saya taruh begitu saja di lemar...more

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May 04, 2011 Isnaini Nuri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whuahhh,,,hilang semua review gara2 inet ngerror :(
Padahal udah nulis panjang bangettttt.... T,T
Jadi singkat ajah lah....

bagaimana jika seekor burung berkicau?

Nobunaga menjawab "Bunuh saja!"
Hideyoshi menjawab "Buat burung itu ingin berkicau"
Ieyasu menjawab "Tunggu"

dari jawaban ketiga orang tersebut terlihat bagaimana sifat ketiga tokoh besar zaman keshogunan Jepang tersebut.

Oda Nobunaga, sang penguasa Oda, brutal, gegabah, tegas
Dalam menjalankan strategi militer dia mengandalkan keberaniannya. T...more Whuahhh,,,hilang semua review gara2 inet ngerror :(
Padahal udah nulis panjang bangettttt.... T,T
Jadi singkat ajah lah....

bagaimana jika seekor burung berkicau?

Nobunaga menjawab "Bunuh saja!"
Hideyoshi menjawab "Buat burung itu ingin berkicau"
Ieyasu menjawab "Tunggu"

dari jawaban ketiga orang tersebut terlihat bagaimana sifat ketiga tokoh besar zaman keshogunan Jepang tersebut.

Oda Nobunaga, sang penguasa Oda, brutal, gegabah, tegas
Dalam menjalankan strategi militer dia mengandalkan keberaniannya. Tanpa pikir panjang dia akan segera menyerbu musuhnya. Dalam masa kepemimpinannya rakyat dalam kondisi makmur. Sampai akhirnya dia dibunuh oleh Akechi Mitsuhide, salah satu pengikutnya yang berkhianat.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, sang Taiko, cerdik, sederhana, halus, dan kompleks
Perjalanannya sampai puncak tertinggi dalam penyatuan Jepang benar-benar berawal dari bawah. Mulai dari pembawa sendal Nobunaga, pengurus dapur dan kandang sampai menjadi seorang komandan militer. Hideyoshi lebih menyukai diplomasi daripada cara militer. Dia lebih memilih merangkul semua provinsi untuk bersatu meskipun akan mengalami proses yang lama daripada menjalankan militer.
Yang saya suka dari si Hideyoshi adalah ketulusan dan kesetiaannya. Ketulusannya dalam menjalankan semua pekerjaannya tak terlepas dari kesetiaannya terhadap junjungannya, Oda Nobunaga. Dalam suasana perang yang penuh tipu muslihat dia mengandalkan kejujuran dan komunikasi dari hati ke hati. Untuk membangkitkan semangat para bawahan dia menerangkan kepada mereka akibat-akibat yang akan mereka dapat jika mereka tidak melaksanakan tugas mereka sesuai perintah atasan. Karena apa yang diperintah oleh atasan akan memberikan keuntungan pada mereka juga.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, tenang, sabar, dan penuh perhitungan. Ieyasu tidak terlalu memikirkan peperangan yang terjadi di luar sana. Dia hanya memikirkan kesejahteraan daerah kekuasaannya. Meskipun dia juga akan megerahkan pasukannya jika Nobunaga, yang merupakan sekutu Ieyasu, meminta bantuan dalam peperangan. Pertempurannya dengan Hideyoshi juga terjadi karena permintaan Nobuo, anak Nobunaga. Sikap Ieyasu yang tenang dan penuh perhitungan menjadikan dia menjadi lawan yang sepadan untuk Hideyoshi. Dan pada akhirnya semua pertempuran berakhir dengan perjanjian damai karena Nobuo melakukan perdamaian dengan Hideyoshi.

Yang saya suka ketika membaca kisah Jepang Klasik adalah sikap para samurai yang memegang teguh Janji Samurai. Kesetiaan, tanggung jawab, harga diri..
Setidaknya dengan membaca novel ini saya jadi ngeh dengan sejarah yang satu ini. Soalnya dari dulu sering denger soal Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, Ieyasu di komiknya si Conan tapi tetep gak ngerti hubungan antara mereka. Sampai saya baca novel ini dan,,yah saya jadi tahu hubungan yang terjadi antara ketiga orang ini. Sejarah akan lebih mudah diingat jika disajikan dalam bentuk novel..:D
Eh, tapi tetep saya masih suka perjalanannya si Mushashi. Si samurai bebasss.....:D(less)

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Jan 09, 2011 Lisamaria rated it 3 of 5 stars

It is definitely a major work, one can imagine how hard it was for Yoshikawa to try to piece the past together, and make up lines beyond history. One can imagine that the real history is somewhat like that, but I believe one would be gravely mistaken to take this AS history. Sometimes people forget. There are many aspects that should have been expounded more, but not. i believe it is important for readers to feel what the harsh realities of a samurai soldier life is, and the power politics among...more

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Dec 25, 2011 Shan Vrolijk is currently reading it · review of another edition

Antara Taiko dan Inggit Ganarsih

Taiko, julukan bagi Kinoshita Hideyoshi, telah menjadi pembicaraan yang legendaris. Bagaimana seorang Taiko yang dulunya hanya anak petani miskin berwajah monyet, akhirnya mengubah tak hanya hidupnya tapi juga seluruh Jepang. Figur Taiko yang bisa mengubah dirinya dengan belajar dengan tekun membuatku terkagum-kagum, sampai aku berjanji aku harus bisa seperti Hideyoshi: nggak kenal lelah, nggak kenal waktu, aku bakal terus belajar.

Novel setebal 1142 halaman ini t...more Antara Taiko dan Inggit Ganarsih

Taiko, julukan bagi Kinoshita Hideyoshi, telah menjadi pembicaraan yang legendaris. Bagaimana seorang Taiko yang dulunya hanya anak petani miskin berwajah monyet, akhirnya mengubah tak hanya hidupnya tapi juga seluruh Jepang. Figur Taiko yang bisa mengubah dirinya dengan belajar dengan tekun membuatku terkagum-kagum, sampai aku berjanji aku harus bisa seperti Hideyoshi: nggak kenal lelah, nggak kenal waktu, aku bakal terus belajar.

Novel setebal 1142 halaman ini terus kubuka karena penasaran pada sepak terjang Hideyoshi yang berikutnya. Aku akhirnya menemukan kekecewaan terbesar pada buku ini. Bukan karena Taiko karangan Eiji Yoshikawa terlalu mirip buku sejarah, tapi karena sikap Hideyoshi yang benar-benar nyata… dan dulu sekali terjadi.

Dikisahkan Hideyoshi memulai karir kesamuraiannya dengan lumayan mulus, hingga akhirnya dia jatuh cinta pada anak seorang samurai yang lebih senior. Keberuntungan berpihak pada Hideyoshi, karena akhirnya ia dapat mempersunting Nene.
Beberapa bab berlalu, dan secara implisit dikisahkan Hideyoshi mempunyai seorang gundik bernama Oyu, adik Takenaka Hanbei yang jadi anak buah Hideyoshi.
Aku tersentak kaget. Romansa memang bukan menu utama buku ini, tapi dengan cepat imajinasiku berkelebat ke hubungan ketiga orang itu. Bagaimanakah perasaan Nene? Seandainya dia tahu dan diam saja, apakah lumrah bagi lelaki saat itu untuk bergundik ria? Apakah Hideyoshi lupa cara mencintai? Apakah Oyu tidak merasa bersalah?

Aku teringat pada Inggit Ganarsih yang akhirnya ditinggalkan Bung Karno, setelah 20 tahun menemani. Membaca laporan Bre Redhana tentang pementasan monolog Inggit yang dibawakan Happy Salma, aku mendapat kesan bahwa cinta Inggit dinilai suci dan selamanya, dan Bung Karno adalah sebuah kesalahan.

Bung Karno, mirip dengan Hideyoshi, telah menduakan... Aku tahu Bung Karno adalah pemimpin yang sangat luar biasa. Tidak bisa dibandingkan dengan penerus-penerusnya. Tapi, apakah karena kedudukan, Hideyoshi dan Bung Karno dapat membenarkan tindakan mereka?

Ada harga untuk tiap perbuatan manusia. Inggit yang menceraikan suaminya dan memilih Bung Karno, akhirnya dikecewakan. Bung Karno sendiri… akhirnya ditinggalkan Fatmawati. Entah bagaimana Hideyoshi dan Nene… aku harap ada keadilan untuk Nene.

Entah bagaimana rumitnya percintaan di antara anak manusia, tapi kalimat ‘segalanya sah dalam perang dan cinta’, bagiku hanya pembenaran egoistis mereka-mereka yang tidak peduli perasaan. Seberapa besarkah harga perasaan untukmu?
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Jun 16, 2011 Ionut Dumitrascu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

The Sengoku (or Warring States) period in feudal Japan is the one that receives the most attention nowadays. Most of the books, movies, anime, video games that are connected to medieval Japan have settings or characters inspired by the Sengoku period.
From a historical point of view its importance is due to the fact that all of Japan was practically at war, each 'daimiyo' trying to control as much land as possible and neither one being powerful enough to control everything. However, after three g...more

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Jul 17, 2007 Victor Hardjono rated it 5 of 5 stars

Please be reminded that it's a BIG and THICK book, about the size of serious dictionary from Oxford or Merriam-Webster. No paperback, pocket-size version available. So, yeah, it takes a strong will to start read it.

But afterwards, you won't put it down. Well, unless you hate to read foreign names, hate to read novel with hundreds (or at least dozens) of characters in it, never have any interest on Japan, or just too lazy to pick it up.

Long story short: superb!

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May 23, 2007 Sharika rated it 5 of 5 stars

What i love about this book that it's based on true story, a story about a young (very naughty) peasant that dreams to be somebody famous. Turns out from his hard work and his smart ideas he reached to the top and became one of the greatest ruler of Japan.

This book shows that everything starts from a dream and we can be whoever we want to be as long as we work hard (starting from the bottom) and be smart, but also be tactful.

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Oct 03, 2012 Sean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Taiko is an epic: prepare for a long, long 1,000 page journey.

If you've got a serious interest in Sengoku period Japan, this book is essential: it walks you through the life of a samurai--in many ways the most successful samurai ever--and gives you a front-row ticket to the great battles of the period. For me, it pieced a lot of random knowledge together into a refreshingly coherent narrative.

It is also an incredible human novel. Hideyoshi was not a macho warrior: what made him a great general w...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Jennifer (JC-S) rated it 5 of 5 stars

‘A great man is not made simply by innate ability.’

Towards the middle of the 16th century the Ashikaga shogunate crumbled. As a consequence Japan came to resemble a huge battlefield as rival warlords vied for dominance. Three very different men emerged seeking to control and unify Japan. Those men were Oda Nobunaga; Toyotomi Hideyoshi; and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Their divergent leadership styles are expressed in the answers to this question:

‘What if the bird will not sing?’

Oda Nobunaga answers ‘Kill i...more

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Jul 31, 2008 Esti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another history of samurai.
Kalo di Musashi kita bener2 diajak untuk menyelami kehidupan seorang samurai pengembara, di buku ini lebih kepada sisi politis dan diplomatis seorang samurai.
Dari seorang yang bukan apa2 sampai jadi penguasa negeri.
Banyak intrik, banyak tokoh (jadi suka lupa yg mana..), banyak kisah, tapi menarik.

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Jul 31, 2011 Ronald rated it 3 of 5 stars

hideyoshi hanyalah anak petani biasa yang hidupnya serba kekurangan. Agar masa depannya lebih baik, ibunya menitipkannya pada sebuah kuil agar dia bisa belajar menulis dan membaca juga mengetahui ilmu keagamaan. Hideyoshi tak betah disana dan segera saja dia meninggalkan tempat itu. Dia lalu bekerja di sebuah toko, tapi disana dia malah bermusuhan dengan anak tuannya.

untuk melanjutkan hidupnya Hideyoshi menjadi seorang pedagang jarum keliling. dari sinilah dia belajar banyak. dia mulai mengetah...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Joey LaBartunek rated it 4 of 5 stars

How I came to become a fan of feudal Japanese history is an epic tale all on it's own, but suffice to say by the time I was 18 I knew the names of generals and heroes of the pre-Tokugawa era as well as I knew U.S. revolutionary war heroes (which I suppose is to say kinda, LOL). A friend bought me this book knowing that it told the tale of one of my favorite historical characters, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a monkey of a man who rose from a peasant to one of the greatest warriors in Japanese history. Ep...more

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Jan 18, 2013 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, history

An excellent historical novel of the Sengoku period of Japanese history. The book centers around the life story of Hideyoshi (aka Taiko), the second of the three great unifiers of Japan, the first being Oda Nobunaga and the third Ieyasu Tokugawa.

The story begins with Hideyoshi as a young child, and ends with him at the age of 50 as he has overcome the last great obstacle between him and his rule of Japan. Interestingly, it does not cover the dozen years of his rule that followed, except to summa...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.
Amid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga, whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. At the opposite pole is the cold,...more In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.
Amid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga, whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. At the opposite pole is the cold, deliberate Ieyasu, wise in counsel, brave in battle, mature beyond his years. But the keystone of this triumvirate is the most memorable of all, Hideyoshi, who rises from the menial post of sandal bearer to become Taiko-absolute ruler of Japan in the Emperor's name.
When Nobunaga emerges from obscurity by destroying an army ten times the size of his own, he allies himself with Ieyasu, whose province is weak, but whose canniness and loyalty make him invaluable. Yet it is the scrawny, monkey-faced Hideyoshi-brash, impulsive, and utterly fearless-who becomes the unlikely savior of this ravaged land. Born the son of a farmer, he takes on the world with nothing but his bare hands and his wits, turning doubters into loyal servants, rivals into faithful friends, and enemies into allies. In all this he uses a piercing insight into human nature that unlocks castle gates, opens men's minds, and captures women's hearts. For Hideyoshi's passions are not limited to war and intrigue-his faithful wife, Nene, holds his love dear, even when she must share it; the chaste Oyu, sister of Hideyoshi's chief strategist, falls prey to his desires; and the seductive Chacha, whom he rescues from the fiery destruction of her father's castle, tempts his weakness.
As recounted by Eiji Yoshikawa, author of the international best-seller Musashi, Taiko tells many stories: of the fury of Nobunaga and the fatal arrogance of the black-toothed Yoshimoto; of the pathetic downfall of the House of Takeda; how the scorned Mitsuhide betrayed his master; how once impregnable ramparts fell as their defenders died gloriously. Most of all, though, Taiko is the story of how one man transformed a nation through the force of his will and the depth of his humanity. Filled with scenes of pageantry and violence, acts of treachery and self-sacrifice, tenderness and savagery, Taiko combines the panoramic spectacle of a Kurosawa epic with a vivid evocation of feudal Japan.(less)

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Sep 16, 2009 Rick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Eiji Yoshikawa’s historical novel TAIKO chronicles the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the 16th-century unifier of Japan.

Of humble origins, Hideyoshi found a way to attach himself to the court of the powerful Oda Nobunaga. Starting in the most menial positions, the brilliant, energetic and ambitious Hideyoshi excelled at every task and gradually worked his way up to become Nobunaga’s top general. After Nobunaga’s death, he succeeded in unifying Japan, completing the task Nobunaga had started.

The nov...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Philipp rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, japan

You know there used to be this thing in Japan called the "Sengoku" period which was basically civil war all over the place, the Shogun was kind of a loser and every lord of any clan tried to become the leader of Japan.

This book is a fictionalized account of the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the guy who finally united the country, first under Oda Nobunaga and later on by himself. Because that life was long and complicated the book is with 944 pages big enough to kill a cat, there's enough Japanese...more You know there used to be this thing in Japan called the "Sengoku" period which was basically civil war all over the place, the Shogun was kind of a loser and every lord of any clan tried to become the leader of Japan.

This book is a fictionalized account of the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the guy who finally united the country, first under Oda Nobunaga and later on by himself. Because that life was long and complicated the book is with 944 pages big enough to kill a cat, there's enough Japanese names to confuse any non-Japanese person (how many names are there? 500? Even the main guy's name changes three times!) and it's easily the most epic book I've read in the last 10 years (the Internet ruined the word "epic", by the way).

The book details the life of Hideyoshi from son of a poor country warrior, to wandering salesman, to personal page, to soldier, to leader of a regiment, to trusted retainer to finally leader of the entire clan.

There's a billion small stories about a country which attitudes are completely alien to me, one example is: Hideyoshi is laying siege to a castle, the enemy's leader doesn't want to give in, Hideyoshi doesn't want to loose thousands of soldiers in storming the castle, so he has a messenger approach the enemy general directly, asking him to commit suicide so that Hideyoshi can take the castle and everyone can safely go home. The general happily agrees (after all, his family and soldiers don't have to die, and he doesn't loose face), he commits ritual suicide on a boat in front of witnesses, everybody is happy and the campaign can continue. It's weird, but interesting.

The style may not be anyone's cup of tea, here's a pretty central paragraph:

How boring would be a life lacking the confusions of many digressions or the difficult struggles! How soon would a man grow tired of living if he only walked peacefully along a level path. In the end, a man's life lies in a continuous series of hardships and struggles, and the pleasure of living is not in the short spaces of rest.

As you can see, it's a very "grandiose" style, but one that I find makes it relatively easy to read, took me about 2 weeks to read the entire book. There are a couple of downsides - I don't think Hideyoshi makes a single mistake in the entire book, which I find hard to believe, and judging from the Wikipedia-article on him it looks like his life isn't that well documented that you can safely say "these things actually happened". He's got a couple of mistresses but that's all the "bad" there is to him, the rest of the story he's the most perfect human being imaginable, which makes it boring here and there.

One interesting side-effect is that you learn so much about warfare in Japan of the 15th and 16th century that the entire movie "The Last Samurai" is revealed as the complete bollocks that it is.

Recommended for:
- fans of historical fiction or ancient Japan, Samurais cutting off each others' heads, Ninjas murdering people, people who like to read about ritual suicide every 50 pages or so, people who like to see long plans work out nicely
- people who like to play Total War: Shogun

Not recommended for:
- people who can't distinguish "Nobuo" from "Nobutada" or "Nobunaga" (these three are different, but related and quite important characters)
(less)

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Nov 22, 2012 Rich Knight rated it 4 of 5 stars

So, I finally finished Eiji Yoshikawa's "Taiko" and what can I say? It's a beautifully written book of war and glory that focuses mainly on two famous generals in Japanese history-Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. Honestly, I've heard of Nobunaga from the video game series, "Nobunaga's Ambition," but I wasn't familiar with Hideyoshi, who is the focal character of this book, until I read about him here. And man, this guy could talk his way out of anything. He'd turn enemies into lifelong companions, and wi...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Tom Dillon rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Japanese History, Fans of ASoIF

Shelves: 2012

First, I have to admit that it took me two tries to read this book. The first time was over a decade ago, and I had just read Musashi, and loved it (it still is my favorite book of all time). I made it more than halfway through Taiko, and then stopped. I couldn't finish it for a few reasons, namely that it was a very different book from Musashi (to which I naturally compared it) and a couple of elements of Hideyoshi's character made it hard for me to fully engage with the book.

Since then, I read...more

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May 29, 2012 Wiley added it

Shelves: put-aside-for-another-day

I'm putting this one aside for an indeterminate period. At 110 pages into it, there is very little character development other than the protagonist of the story, Hideyoshi. Characters are all Two-dimensional, if that. In a book about a Samurai warrior who fought for decades in the 16th century massive conflicts in Japan, the first "battle" is colorless, even boring, lacking in detail and description....again a simplistic approach to story-telling. There is virtually no development of, exposure t...more

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May 14, 2012 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reading, favorites

Taiko is a story set in the middle of the 16th century as the Ashikaga shogunate crumbled. As a consequence Japan came to resemble a huge battlefield as rival warlords vied for dominance. Three very different men emerged seeking to control and unify Japan. Those men were the brutal, rash, and charismatic Oda Nobunaga; the cunning Toyotomi Hideyoshi; and the patient Tokugawa Ieyasu. Their divergent leadership styles are eloquently expressed in the answers to this question presented at the beginni...more Taiko is a story set in the middle of the 16th century as the Ashikaga shogunate crumbled. As a consequence Japan came to resemble a huge battlefield as rival warlords vied for dominance. Three very different men emerged seeking to control and unify Japan. Those men were the brutal, rash, and charismatic Oda Nobunaga; the cunning Toyotomi Hideyoshi; and the patient Tokugawa Ieyasu. Their divergent leadership styles are eloquently expressed in the answers to this question presented at the beginning of the book:

`What if the bird will not sing?'

Oda Nobunaga answers `Kill it if it does not want to sing'
Toyotomi Hideyoshi answers `Make it want to sing'
Tokugawa Ieyasu answers `Wait until it sings'

Essentially, this is Toyotomi Hideyoshi's story: how one man rose from obscurity to be the supreme regent of Japan. The novel follows Hideyoshi's life, his development from a peasant to a loyal servant of Oda Nobunaga and his final assumption of leadership after Oda Nobunaga is killed by Akechi Mitsuhide. We see his successes and failures in both love and war, and watch as he ultimately rises (after many struggles), to become Taiko, the supreme ruler of Japan under the Emperor even if it is to be a short lived reign.

I find this book fascinating. Yoshikawa has an excellent way of taking the historical Japan full of political intrigue and bitter rivals and weaving into a simply story of a young man finding his way in a samurai dominated feudal Japan. He has also managed capture the motivations and the bonds of loyalty of the samurai class that enabled them to give their lives so freely to one another. To throw themselves into battle so willing is such a foreign idea, but Yoshikawa has managed to make the warrior code palatable to this westerner without the being too brash and beating the me over the head with it. I still can't imagine that people in a modern society would be so willing to trust their lives to the whims of a single person like that. Or that dying in battle for a master was not just honorable but was your duty. Anyway, Taiko is truly an engrossing epic from start to finish that demands to read again and again. I would even dare to say it is my Don Quixote of this year and that's not just because they are similar in length.(less)

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Jun 23, 2010 dedeh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sastra-dunia, fiksi-sejarah

memang tidak seseru baca Musashi, tapi tetep menarik. meski butuh waktu hampir 7 bulan buat namatin ni buku (diselang-seling buku lain pula), tapi puas. agak membosankan, tapi yg membuat terus bertahan adalah rasa ingin tahu bgm Hiyoshi/Tokichiro/Hideyoshi yang berangkat dari seorang pembawa sandal dan sama sekali tanpa modal buat jadi orang besar, bisa jadi Sang Taiko.

eh.. 1200-an halaman :D

catatan:

*ia memiliki bakat alam (sifat2) yang diperlukan untuk menjadi pemimpin.
*ada ambisi dan nurani ya...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Antonini Ramon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: big-history, viksi

Membaca Taiko sekali lagi. 9 tahun lalu baca Taiko yg masih dalam bentuk jilid 1, 2, 3 dan seterusnya. Sekarang baca yang seribuan halaman sekaligus. Terasa menyenangkan, penasaran setelahmenyelesaikan Musashi kemarin. Sudah sampai halaman 109, dan buku ini memang benar2 menambah pengetahuan tentang sejarah jepang. Rasanya seperti menonton film, berwisata sambil dijelasin sm tour guide gitu.

Jarang ada karya besar seperti Taiko sekarang ini. Minat baca meningkat, perpustakaan bertaburan, cover2 b...more

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Sep 08, 2009 Benjamin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those interested in Japanese history.

Recommended to Benjamin by: Bought on a lark at a garage sale.

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

A sprawling novel of feudal Japan covering the period of the break up of the Shogunate (1500's). Four characters emerge as potential rivals for domination over the islands, most notable are Nobunaga and his loyal Lord Hideoyoshi.

This novel and its companion are billed as the "Gone with the wind" of Japanese literature. In it's embrace of detail, well drawn characters, and sweep of Japanese experience,it lives up to its billing.

The book offers insight into the Japanese inspiration to self destruc...more

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Mar 13, 2008 Anton Tri Laksono rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

HEI
Novel ini adalah buku ajaib di dunia (salah satunya)
bukan cuma ceritanya tapi juga karakter-karakternya.
Novel buatan Eiji Yoshikawa ini membawa pembacaya menuju sebuah cerita panjang seorang pembawa sendal sang Raja dari sejak ia kecil,kisah percintaannya,politik,sampai akhirnya,pembawa sendal ini bisa menggantikan Raja itu.Agak klise memang apabila dari status pembantu bisa menjadi majikan.Namun,itulah kisah nyata The Monkey King of Japan,Hideyoshi Toyotomi.Ada tiga tokoh utama di dalam nove...more

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