Famous Japanese Swordsmen of the Warring States: The Warring States Period

by William de Lange

Rich in disasters, dreadful in its battles, rent by its seditions, and even cruel in its times of peace, the Warring States period (1467-1568) was the most destructive in Japan's long history of civil strife. It began when the dearly won supremacy of the Ashikaga clan was squandered by a weak and indecisive ruler, allowing the jealous rivalry between local warlords to spiral irrevocably out of control. It was a time when thousands upon thousands of warriors either perished on the battlefield, or persevered simply on the strength of their martial skill. At the end of the day, only those with superior skill remained standing to survey the carnage and to make up the balance by counting the severed heads of their fallen foes. In spite of all the mayhem and bloodshed, they were also men with an inextinguishable moral core, who adhered with almost religious devotion to the bushido dictates of duty, fidelity, decorum, indeed, even of benevolence. Two such men were Iizasa Choisai Ienao and Kami Izumi Nobutsuna. Both not only witnessed but actively participated in the dramatic events of the period at hand. Thus, Ienao served on the Shogunal guard when, following the outbreak of the Onin War in 1467, the capital Kyoto was reduced to ashes in a decade of trench warfare. And thus Nobutsuna had to witness how, in the terrible wave of anarchy that followed in its wake, all that his ancestors had toiled for was lost. Their story, told against the greater historical backdrop of ruthless political intrigue and vast military campaigns, is a story of the tragedy of civil war experienced at the personal level-it is a story of sacrifice, of blind devotion, of seemingly insurmountable setbacks. Yet it is at the same time a testimony to the kind of perseverance and dedication that can have no equal in times of peace.

Genres: Japan

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

William de lange is the author of books, ebooks and apps on Japan's traditional culture, from history, samurai culture, to arts & crafts, and language dictionaries.

Bio: William de lange was born in 1964 in Naarden, the Netherlands to Dutch and English parents. In the late 1980s, he aborted his English studies to embark on a journey that eventually led him to Japan, where he supported himself by making traditional Japanese scrolls and writing articles for the Japan Times Weekly. Following his graduation from Leiden University in 1994, he lived in Japan for the remaining decade, studying the art of Japanese fencing under Akita Moriji sensei, eighth dan master of the Shinkage-ryu. Since then he has written a large number of books on Japanese history and culture, including a highly acclaimed biography of Miyamoto Musashi. He is currently working on a history of the Yagyu clan.

William de Lange lives and works in the Netherlands and loves to travel, enjoying good food and wine with the love of his life.

Reviews

[Dorum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I generally try to avoid giving 1-star and 5-star reviews. After all, exceptional books, bad or good are rare. This book however is an exception. The author uses the title "Famous Japanese Swordsmen" but in truth all of these books have only a few pages on these people. I do assume he did this for money, and that is understandable, but dishonest.

For this reason, I do feel cheated and I do believe that dishonesty deserves a 1-star review. Otherwise, the history and the narrative is rather difficult to follow, and quite boring at times. The scholarship is dubious as well. Probably this whole set of volumes could be arranged in a more palatable way and renamed as "A history of Medieval Japan", or something like that... Rather boring. If it would not be for the DECEIVING TITLE I would probably give it 2-3 stars.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really like nonfiction books but this was good compared to other nonfiction books. Nonfiction does not compare to fiction.

[Manuel Taningco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written well with very descriptive detailed events. I am impressed how William put his heart and thoughts behind the stories.