True enough,but Ieyasu was set behind from the start,as he was a hostage and his home province was held in bondage. Where as Nobunaga started off in charge with the resources to succeed,much like Alexander. Don't get me wrong though,Slexander and Nobunaga were both gods among men.
@@promnightdumpsterbaby9553 Nobunaga didn't start off in a good position, he started off fighting amongst his own clan and then built his own army, he had a much harder start than alexander.
@@JamesVolsung Alexander’s mother Olympias had to kill many rivals and many other members of her husbands family there were multiple conspiracies in the Macedonian royalty
@@Eycei your right there seemed to be a lot of coincidental murders including philip himself, however this all benefited alexander and most importantly as i was alluding too he didnt have a civil war on his hands like nobunaga did.
I just found this channel recently, and I have one simple question. How the hell do you not have at least 100 times the subscribers? I’m not even joking, your content is that good of a level, you deserve so many more subs.
It's genuinely baffling. I recommend it to my friends whenever the topic of history TH-cam comes up, even just TH-cam in general. Hopefully more will do the same.
I feel Date Masamune deserves a mention because of how his non-military exploits. He became a patron of the arts, advocated the importation of foreign technology, sent expeditions abroad and even brought emissaries to the Pope despite Tokugawa's isolationism. Through force and guile, he was able to preserve Sendai's autonomy from the likes of Hideyoshi and Tokugawa and turn it into an economic power. He is also probably a secret Christian.
Totally agree with @gonavygonavy. Date Masamune’s legacy or bravery was exaggerated at best. By historical documents, Date kissed ass to whomever was ruling Japan at that time (Hideyoshi and then Tokugawa). In today’s term, it is best described as douchebag. Perhaps that’s why Date clan paid huge taxes to Edo Bakufu yearly. Sanada Yukimura or Kuroda Yoshitaka would be a better candidate than Date in sengoku jidai era !
@@gonavygonavy1193 He didn't kill is father. That's an unfounded myth. He was held hostage, and Masamune hesitated, but Terumune told him to attack anyway, and not worry about accidentally killing him. He died in the skirmish, but he didn't "kill him to gain power". He regarded this as one of his greatest failures, and coupled with the many lives lost to ensure victory, he vowed to become a better leader for his clan. Also, he didn't kiss up to Hideyoshi, he simply did what he had to in order to ensure the safety of the Date. When he was late in showing up, his white robes were worn, knowing Hideyoshi would be on-edge and highly suspicious of him. He prevented a large-scale battle from occuring between the two clans, but also showed Hideyoshi that he wasn't afraid of him, nor was he afraid of death. Hideyoshi was impressed by his fearlessness in the face of a potential execution, and had the Date clan join his cause. As for Ieyasu, he did a lot of favours for Masaume. He interveined when Hideyoshi's deteriorating mental health nearly resulted in Masamune's beheading. He also gave back the lands Hideyoshi stripped from him, and while he still owed Masamune a lot of money for his efforts, he sought to repay him in other ways, like awarding him Lordship of the sendai domain. Masamune wasn't a world leader or a ultra-powerful hero, but he was a good leader who learned from his past failures, stared death unflinchingly in the face, and lead the Date clan to the other side of the war. He's also a large reason for why Yukimura was defeated, having forced a retreat from his powerful Sanadamaru fortress.
I am Japanese and recommend Hojo Tokimune. He is one of the underrated Japanese leaders from 1251-1284. When he was 24 and the head of Japan, the first Mongolian army attacked Japan. This army was not very horde and returned home because it was unlikely to beat Japan. Then, when he was 31 years old, the second Mongolian army attacked. This time in a horde, the Mongolian army set sail to invade Japan with as many as 550,000 military personnel. Tokimune had predicted that they would invade japan again, so he stopped invading the Mongolian side and focused on national defense. Today, typhoons are said to have saved the invasion of Mongolia, but in fact this fact has been reviewed in recent years. Japan lost in World War II and is banned from nationalism education by the GHQ. For that reason, Japanese textbooks did not deal with Hojo Tokimune, and a history was formed in which a typhoon saved the invasion of Mongolia from Japan. It was actually a mistake, and the typhoon was a bonus. The defeat of the Mongolian army seemed certain before the typhoon Even if there was no typhoon Mongolia would not have been able to conquer Japan. If he made any mistake, Kyushu (Southern Japan) became Mongolia's first base in Japan, and Japan as it is today may not exist. As others say, your video is very good, and above all, its voice astringent and cool to hear. It may be used for education in Japanese schools. lol but Not a joke, it's more valuable than many Japanese educational videos. ありがとう、そして幸運を。
@@benerdick_cumberbiatch I do not totally agree with that, not that I am the one to say that his reign was perfect, just keep in mind that Ieyasu had already claimed that he descended from Minamoto clan, so with Ieyasu alive no one was to be sure about his reign. However my point was that Hideyoshi started from the lowest possible level of medieval Japan society
@@sniebow Aye, but, none of that would of been possible without the true greatest samurai leader of all time, Oda Nobunaga. Neither Ieyasu nor Hideyoshi would have the opportunity to unify Japan if it wasn't for the sheer force of Nobunaga's ambitions, and eyes for talent.
@@goose0078 Oda should be ahead of Ieyasu and Hideyoshi, as he was the original genius behind it all. Hideyoshi fumbled. And Ieyasu was left to grab the mantle and run with it.
@@charlesmartin1121 Ieyasu wasn't left to grab the mantle... he awaited to grab it. It's not the same. While Nobunaga and Hideyoshi acted aggresively to gain all the power, he made alliances and breaked them, silently building economic power and strength. When the time came, he was the last left standing, while the others exhausted themselves. He also built a succession which lasted 250 years. For me he is the best leader, not the most glamorous or charismatic, but the best.
@@charlesmartin1121 As far as i know the man never lost a battle due to how patient and calculating he was. He didnt grab a mantle and run with it. He planned and plotted to gain it.
Masamune Date is my favourite, by far. While some of it is because of his badass portrayals in fiction, his actual history does resonate with me as being one of failure, redemption, and growth. He'd overcome his depression and lack of confidence with the help of his Katakura friends, and managed to take charge of the clan. With Kojuro pulling his smallpox-riddled right eye out, he was able to grow into his role of the Date leader, and earn his One-eyed Dragon moniker. He'd failed to rescue his father, and while he'd won against his bitter enemies in the North, he had lost a lot of soldiers. Even he was aware of his own shortcomings, and vowed to become a better leader for the Date clan. This would be put to the test when Hideyoshi was the next obstacle in his way. The Toyotomi clan vastly outnumbered his. Rather than risking another bloodbath that would consume his clan however, Masamune made the tough yet rational decision to put his ambition to the wayside for the sake of his people and join him. He was late, so knowing Hideyoshi would be suspicious of him, he arrived in his white robes. This showed that Masamune was prepared to die, but that he also didn't fear the prospect of death staring him right in the face. This alone impressed Hideyoshi enough to have the Date join him. He's also credited as one of the main reasons Yukimura Sanada retreated from the Sanadamaru, as he and the other clans allied with Tokugawa launched their Osaka campaign. Yukimura knew that he continued to face the full might of the Date, the best he could hope for was Masamune's head at the cost of his entire army. I could be wrong about a few things here, but I'm guessing this was a big inspiration for Masamune's rivalry with Yukimura in the Sengoku BASARA franchise.
Great consept, it would be good seeing this kind of lists. Here is my list (entirely sengoku era leaders, honestly I know them more): 10-Ouchi Yoshioki: He marched Kyoto before it was a cool thing and actually succed. There is a reason a Ouchi used to dominate Western Japan. 9-Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Second unifier, humble background. He earned everything with his brain and talent but how he started that class system considering his background makes him questionable. 8-Amago Tsunehisa: Another power house from west. Humble beginning, won everything with his talent. Underrated leader imo. 7-Takeda Shingen: Truly a questionable leader. Overthrowing his father, kiling his son, betraying Imagawa, he is a real scoundrel but one of most interesting leader as well. His retainer, his actions, everything about him is interesting. He simply represents the era. 6-Date Masamune: He simply born too late. He had Nobunaga's wisdom and spirit, one of the most revolutionary leader. And don't forget cool helmet. 5-Uesugi Kenshin: God of war. He could be attack Takeda after Nagashino but he didn't do it, a true noble leader (unlike Shingen). His good reputation makes him one of my favorite. 4-Hojo Ujiyasu: Legendary victory in the Kawagoe Castle. Another underrated leader imo. 3-Mori Motonari: Genius mastermind, he survived against two power houses and dominated both of them in the end. Made the clan a big power house. 2-Tokugawa Ieyasu: Survived against Oda, Imagawa and Takeda. He sacrificed his wife and son and many retainers, he was another scoundrel like Shingen but like him truly represents the era. He earned everything, pop culture can vilify him but imo he is the true hero of the era. 1-Oda Nobunaga: Obvivious choice, a mind ahead of the time, a fair leader promotes people for merits, his influence united japan, he simply summerizes sengoku era. Honorable mentions: Sanada Masayuki, a leader did everything for his clan's survivor, Saito Dosan, another humble beginning to top, Hojo Soun, defination of gekokujo, Tachibana Dōsetsu andTachibana Ginchiyo, brave father and daughter.
@Seraphil1 exactly. When Sue Harukata killed his son and took control over the clan, China refused to trade with them, another big blow for Ouchi power.
Mori Motonari is the one who did the three arrows admonition which means that if one is alone, he can be defeated but when he is with his men, he cannot be defeated
Dude you say Takeda was a scoundrel, his father was leading the clan to ruin, so he replaced him, And created a system of government that later leaders based their governments on, while Nobunaga you place as number one, killed his brothers, kill innocent people while burning down temples, he played his generals against each other which led to his death, Shingen was a way better leader of Samurai.
It's great to see a photograph of Mori Motonari (died in 1571) at 7:04. One would think that photography wasn't invented then, and evidently one would be wrong ;-)
Interesting fact: the battle banner used by Takeda Shingen-「疾如風、徐如林、侵掠如火、不動如山」was derived from Sun Tzu's "Art of War." And the first record of using it on the Japanese battlefield was by a young noble warrior named Kitabatake Akiie (北畠顕家) who fought with Kusunoki Masashige (楠木正成) and Nitta Yoshisada (新田義貞) defending Emperor Go-Daigo during the downfall of the Kamakura Shogunate.
ODA even if controversial should be number1 or 2 in my opinion. He was the one that completely changed the tactics in war by massively using muskets and he was the one that setted up the unification of Japan. Plus he wasn't really defeated but assassinated. As a Warlord he was probably the most effective.
If the bird refuses to sing, Nobunaga will kill it If the bird refuses to sing, Hideyoshi will ask it to sing If the bird refuses to sing, Ieyasu will wait for it to sing
you do my ancestor Mori Motonari great honor as a cunning warlord, though it should be noted he was also quite the patron of the arts and a crafty political mind.
My top list based on historical significance 1. Tairano Kiyomori - Responsible for Rise of Samurai class 2. Ashikaga Takauji - Made sure Shogunate is the ruler of Japan, not Emperor 3. Minamoto Yoritomo - Established the codes of Samurai Ruling 4. Oda Nobunaga - Started unifying Japan 5. Tokugawa Ieyasu - Completed unifying Japan
While this list is super great I still think you should’ve included Masamune Date (plz forgive me if a little of the info I give is wrong but I assure you that most is correct lol); not only was he an extremely ambitious, loyal, eyepatch wearing badass, but he was also a patron of the arts, in charge of the first Japanese voyage across the globe to establish diplomatic relations with the Pope, gifted katanas to the Pope, survived poisoned food that his mother had given to him, was an amazing tactician as well as a fashionista, wrote in Latin, could cook amazingly, and was one of the reasons behind cultural diversity in Japan. He earned the title “Dokuganryu”, or “the One-Eyed Dragon” of Oshu (due time the eye he’d lost because of smallpox) when he became leader of his clan after being forced to kill his father, Terumune Date, in the hands of the Hatakeyama. After that he avenged him by killing most, if not all of the Hatakeyama and set fourth to the conquest of the entire northern regions of Japan. In addition to all of this, while Ieyasu Tokugawa was in charge, Masamune freed a Christian prisoner by the name of Padre Sotelo, (who later took part in the voyage mentioned earlier), and was in general very accepting of Christianity in Japan. In fact, people in Spain with the surname “Japón” are descendants of the voyagers who were on the ship that Masamune sent across the globe, which he himself had based off of western ships. Sorry for the rambling, I just love this epic dragon king 🤴🏻🐲
I feel like Chosokabe Motochika or Hojo Ujiyasu should've been up here. Chosokabe Motochika put up a pretty good fight for Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Konodai, and he did things to improve agriculture in his region as well, and sure, he might've been sort of Autocratic, but he was a pretty effective leader and ruled Shikoku efficiently. Hojo Ujiyasu should've been up here because he was pretty much Takeda Shingen's rival with the exception of Uesugi Kenshin, and he was basically one of the big three before Oda went into power
The very good choices from the point of the view of Japanese. I love your list. Watching top2, I wonder which will be chosen, Tokugawa or Minamoto. Fun moment!
I like your channel because you present information in a easy to view format. I was raised in Los Angeles and was taught very little about Japanese history and learned from listening to relatives and reading books as well as watching Japanese historical dramas. I have met decedents of some of these famous leaders and it is interesting to see how Japan is connected to the past.
I think the idea of "the greatest samurai leader" is interesting. In terms of legacy: it'd definitely be the heavily glorified Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, Mori Motonari, Oda Nobunaga and such. In terms of impact in history (long-lasting ones), it'd be more about Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and of course the two previous shogunate-starters - Ashikaga Takauji and Minamoto Yoritomo, whom I'm glad to see not forgotten on your list. However, in terms of accomplishments, it becomes vague.In the sense of commanding ability, one would think Takeda Shigen, Uesuhi Kenshin, Hojo Soun and his grandson Hojo Ujiyasu. In terms of achievement in land gained, it's interesting that many daimyos, while didn't possess as much land as the more famed ones, actually grew their influence by an incredible amount. That list would include men such as Ryuzoji Takanobu, Chosokabe Motochika, Amago Tsunehisa (who was also a great commander), Miyoshi Nagayoshi (who had become immensely powerful in Kansai only to suffer illnesses and faced his demise) and such.
Great list and great channel. I've been a fan of samurai history for many years as well as a kendo/iaido/nihonto enthusiast. I really enjoy the thoroughness of the videos. I would say that Yoshitsune was a great leader as well and seemed to be the architect of the Genji military victories according to the tales. I might add Kusunoki Masashige and Nitta Yoshisada from the 1300s who helped overthrow the Hojo and who played a part in the the changing nature of warfare in Japan.
Minamoto Yoshitsune was a samurai leader. He was the best General of his brother Minamoto Yoritomo and fought the whole Genpei War for him. Minamoto Yoritomo was a great politician and ruler but he was a bad leader in the battle. He leaded his troops just one time personal in the battle and he lost. It was his brother who won the Genpei War for him
Masayuki Sanada, not neccessary in the top 10 mightiest but given how impressively he managed to save his clan during the chaotic era of sengoku jidai, he is one of the if not the mightiest underdog daimyo in that period of japan.
1 takeda shingen 2 oda nobunaga 3 uesegi kenshin( yes i know kenshi defeated nobunaga but that was only 1 battle, overall nobunaga would win) 4 tokugawa ieyasu 5 toyotomi hideyoshi 6 mori motonari 7
I do agree that masamune date and the date clan may have deserved a mention and I also believe that yoshihiro shimazu deserves at least the conqueror of kyushu but I feel nobody as mentioned ugiyasu Hojo needs a mention to representing Kanto region
that was a really good list. before watching i made my own list, to see how they would be different. i liked your list much better than mine. you made some great points.
In my opinion I think that Takeda Shingen should be higher on the list. Because as you sad before, Takeda Shingen was known for leading he’s clan in to stability. If he didn’t died so suddenly he might have defeated the Tokugawa and the Oda and become shogun. But that is just my opinion.
just want to chip in...I heard about one Japanese saying about Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu ,regarding about how the three of them would handle if they want to make a bird to come down from the tree: 1. Nobunaga would shoot the bird 2. Toyotomi would coax the bird to come down 3. Tokugawa would wait patiently for the bird to come down on its own Might be somewhat different from the original saying because this was many years ago when I heard them. Personal favourite damiyo is Takeda Shingen because he was the 1st damiyo that I learn of when watching drama, I think was 'Shingen' . From then whatever game like Nobunaga Ambition or Total War:Shogun , I will always select him first.
Why didn’t you include Kusunoki Masashige and Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the greatest ten samurais. There seems to be a strange view about history of ours. Even losers in our history are sometimes respected. At any rate, the film of yours is excellent. Thank you for your great knowledge about our history.
This list reminded me of something I felt was missing from the series so far based on all the sengoku games and anime I know of... The heck is going on in the north of Japan right now with Date Masamune? Hope to see his namedrop soon now :D
I totally agree with you putting Shingen and Kenshin as runner-ups despite their martial prowess and governance skills, they both fall short of reaching the top. They're the "Could've been(s)". What's most interesting is that they are the physical representation of two contrasting Virtues/Aspects of the Warrior. The Ying and the Yang. Mind you I am big fan of both Shingen and Kenshin. So that in itself, is saying a lot about the quality of your content. Keep em coming! #StayOriginal *Edit -Grammar-
I've been trying to figure out how they painted and clear coated their armor for a shiny look . lacquer wasn't invented yet. Or is this a the Hollywood perception.
Great work Mr. Shogunate. Just sharing. Last March 2020 (or around that time), it was shown on TV program hosted by the Manzai due of Ohta and Tanaka of Bakusho Mondai that a survey covering 100,000 people in Japan to rank top samurai during Sengoku period. Below was the ranking. In the said program, there was small commentary of the positive attributes of each lord and why they were positively viewed: Oda- forward looking and his tolerance on Christianity; Uesugi and Sadada - I think their pure samurai spirit or something on that direction, Date - military skills and the way he built his town, Takeda for being a good administrator and his engineering work aside from being a skilled warrior. Of the ranking were Uesugi was above Takeda, Ohta made a comment saying he though and probably most people thought Takeda was above. I wanna post the screen shot of the TV program but apparanelty this is not possible on youtube? And ow - the other 2 Sanadas entered the top 30 (the father within 20 and the younger brother withn 30) while Yamamoto Kansuke was 13 I think. 1. Oda Nobunaga 2. Uesugi Kenshin 3. Date Masamune 4. Sanada Yukimura 5. Tokugawa Ieyasu 6. Toyotomi Hideyoshi 7. Takeda Shingen 8. Kuroda Kanbei 9. Akemichi Mitsuhide 10. Ishida Mistunari
Heya, just wondering, how do you research all the info that you share? Really love your content, it has helped me learn so much about Japan's history, especially about the samurai!
Your voice is tailor-made for this kind of content. Great job. I do disagree with a good few of your nominations - I'd have definitely found space for Hojo Masako, for rallying the Kamakura samurai, in the absence of a shogun, and in the face of an imperial uprising, while also creating the idea of supremacy of the shogunate as an institution, rather than supremacy of an individual commander-in-chief. Mighty lady. Also I'd have also included her later Hojo kinsman, Tokimune - Japan's Churchill - who defiantly and doggedly thwarted Kublai Khan. Going back a few centuries, I'd have also chosen Minamoto Yoshiie - the anointed son of the warriors' god Hachiman, exceptional samurai, and leader of men, who provided the blueprint for charismatic, effective man of action that was later copied by so many of his Minamoto kinsmen, as they rose to the summit of power, not only among the samurai, but over all the land of Japan. You make terrific clips - happy they came up in my feed!
The Kenjutsu Ryu Founders and Duelists. Itto Ittosai Kagehisa, Bokuden Tsukahara, Ienao Iezasa, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, etc. The contemporaries of Shinmen Musashi and Sasaki Ganryu, etc.
Fantastic list. While there are some other names I would have considered for mine like Hojo Soun and Shimazu Takahisa, I can agree with all of your choices. I would love to see a list of "10 greatest samurai rises to power" for those who basically went from nothing to great power, like Motonari or Hideyoshi did.
Personally felt that Ujiyasu Hojo should be in the list, that legendary Siege of Kawagoe cannot be overstated. Also throughout his rule, he was frequently attacked by Shingen and Kenshin, also facing the fearsome Yoshishige Satake. Yet he prevailed, and left Hojo in a very strong position by the end of his reign.
Oda Nobunaga! For the first time he adopted Western armor and Western tactics. And he is the first leader to give a foreigner the title of Samurai. Bc I am a western Japanese.
Interesting list👍. But if i have to make a list, allow me to present this list from my point' of view : Honorable list : Nita Yoshisada, he show what a true blue loyalty to the Empire, and his legendary Kozuke-Musashi campaign that ending Kamakura. Otomo Sorin, underated Daimyo, but when you see his sphere of influence, king of Bungo. Now it is my list : 10. Toyotomi Hideyoshi : He must be an exceptional leader, taking Oda legitimacy in crucial and perfect time. 9. Uesugi Kenshin : A patronage not only in terms of military but also in art. But lack of ambition despite his genuine military strategist. 8. Takeda Shingen : the only Daimyo at the time who could stop Oda sphere and ambition. 7. Mori Motonari : Exceptional Daimyo, a typical leader like Ieyasu but with a more chivalry action. Sandwiches beetwen the still powerful Amako and Ouchi. He led the Mori clan became the true king of the West, king of Chugoku. 6. Ashikaga Takauji : To be honest, i don't like him since im a big fan of duo Kusunoki Masashige-Nitta Yoshisada. But how could i spare him, the founder of Ashikaga Shogunate. 5. Hojo Tokimune : The regent of the Shogun, his action prior to Mongol Invasion of Japan, must be regarded as an action of bravery and chivalry. 4. Minamoto Yoritomo Unifying the pieces of Minamoto, and taking down the once mighty army of Taira clan, only great leader can do. 3. Taira Kiyomori The true founder of Samurai-dominated government that would last until Meiji. 2. Tokugawa Ieyasu When Oda still small, he gambling by chosing them as an ally, denying a much preferable and powerful Takeda. When Oda grew stronger, he totally sided with Nobunaga cause. When Hideyoshi rise he patiently watching. At the end of the day, Ieyasu was the last man standing. Building the Shogunate and society to make sure that there will be no more Sengoku Jidai for another 250 years. 1. ODA NOBUNAGA It would take thousands of pages to describe this man. But let me explain in this way, Oda Nobunaga, A man who accustomed to be the last word on everything, accustomed to have people waiting on him, accustomed to make final decision for him and his clan since his childhood. And from the day he was born until he die, Oda Nobunaga bow no one.
If you already answered this question from another video my bad. When would say the line samurai commanders ends? I’m just curious if you would consider the generals/admirals from the Russo-Japanese war or the imperial Japanese army commanders from WW2 as samurai as well?
Interesting... How bout narrowing it down to the Sengoku Jidai? There are interesting figures such as Yoshihisa Shimazu, Masamune Date, Ujiyasu Hōjō, and Motochika Chōsokabe... Just saying 😁😁 Btw, just a matter of interest... Can you do the following lists? Worst Clan Leaders of Sengoku Jidai Battles in Sengoku Jidai with the Most Casualties Clans which Has Many Notable Family Members during Sengoku Jidai Weakest Clans during Sengoku Jidai
My favorite of the heian period was Yoshitsune Minamoto, great samurai, sadly if not for hia tragic end :'(, I remember back then as a kid play Genji Dawn of Samurai on Ps2, damn that was beautiful game, but from the sengoku period my favorite would be Nobunaga Oda, this man bring change's to the era
i watch the whole thing . not knowing much of this i like the way you walked me through it. also i see in some pic. that the person is holdinf a bow and they had horses . where did they get the horses and learn how to shoot the bow.
Good video but there are 2 things I would correct. 1st was the dates of hideyoshi’s conquest of Kyushu. The 2nd thing was that after hideyoshi’s death Ieyasu was not the most powerful samurai in Japan. In truth it was actually Toshiie Maeda. He was the senior member of the council of 5 elders appointed by hideyoshi before his death to govern Japan after his death. It was only after Toshiie’s death in 1599 that Ieyasu was really able to make his move to gain allies against mitsunari ishida
Tbh i feel nobunaga should be number 2 instead cause basically he is the one that manage to make an opening for Unification thus even destroyed the Coalition against him tons of time. Ieyasu Tokugawa i say number 4 cause he just followed nobunaga and learn much from him. His memorable defeat was the battle of Mikatagahara. He also allied with Nobunaga and help him through all his journey cause he knew if Nobunaga can destroy Yoshimoto Imagawa that time he could do the same to Ieyasu. But ya that's my point. After all Ieyasu life ks mostly about him struggle and not expanding vastly. Unlike Nobunaga. Hideyoshi however inherited his master legacy. But i am impress that from a farmer.
I think you are underestimating Hideyoshi a bit. After the betrayal of Nobunaga by Mitsuhide, Hideyoshi successfully made piece with the Mori, re-mobilized and beat the Akechi within something like 10 days. To then beat the Shibata. He fought to a draw with Ieyasu to then through clever diplomacy and selective wars expand to the point Ieyasu capitulates. There are are other instances of Hideyoshi showing his talent as well. Point being, I think you have an undue low opinion of Hideyoshi. Nobunaga is definitely above him tho. Lastly I have no love for Ieyasu.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the second great unifier of Japan, he is, at least in my opinion, one of the greatest Japanese commanders and Samurai leaders in all of Japan's history. Starting from a simple and loan Ashigaru, all the way till becoming of Japan's second great unifier, and one of it's best military commanders
Oee I just discover this channel and im already gassed up, i love this kind of content, I have a question, aside from the more mainstream books that I've read (heike monotagari, furinkazan, taiko) what books can i read to learn more? Thank you beforehand.
One has to wonder how the course of history not only in Japan but Asia in general would have been greatly changed if Takeda Shingen had succeeded in killing Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573. No Ieyasu, no Third Unifier and no Tokugawa Shogunate.
This is late but an honorable mention I feel like should be masayuki sanada the father of yukimara and noboyuki. If not for him during the tensho jingo conflict constantly betraying the Tokugawa, Hojo, and Uesugi clans for the survival of his dying clan. The Ueda conflicts earned him an audience from hideyoshi himself even tho he wasn’t daimyo. Hideyoshi said himself that he is man who shouldn’t be trusted but for his tactics and constant betrayals was the very thing that saved his clan. Not many people in history could pull that off, the only person who come a little close is hisahide matsunage because he actually killed a shogun and lived for quite some time.
The Ashikaga had de jure rule for 235 years, yet in practice, they really only got to enjoy little more than 100 of it before their authority started to become impossible to exercise. In some ways, while Takauji himself is impressive, the Ashikaga shogunate overall is surprisingly weak politically in the long run. If only they had thought of Sankin Kotai first.
Honestly, I can't really argue with any u picked, didn't know much about Yoritomo so maybe him, Nobunaga I would have placed him as Number 1, Surprised u never picked Masayuki Sanada, but although he was a great leader of the Sanada he didn't really conquer much if anything. Masamune is a possible choice but can't really think of anyone else really. Otherwise another great ideo.
Pretty much the same for me except Saigo Takamori, as I wasn't thinking that modern. Instead I would probably choose Shimazu Yoshihiro for #10 and Date Masamune as an honorable mention.
The Battle of Sacheon was one of the battles during the Japanese invasion of Korea. It was the battle where 7,000 of Shimazu forces led by Shimazu Yoshihiro fought against tens of thousands of forces of Ming and Korean allied forces in Sacheon, Shimazu forces defeated them. It is known as a legendary battle that was won by the inferior Shimazu forces despite the desperate gap in strength.
At this time, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had already died, but his death was kept secret and the Japanese forces were ordered to retreat. The Shimadzu forces defeated the enemy forces at this Battle of Sacheon, allowing for the systematic retreat of the japanese forces. And soon after, in the Battle of Noryang, the Shimazu forces defeated Yi Sun-sin, the general of the Korean naval force to rescue the Konisi forces on its side.
Shimazu Yoshihiro's achievements were highly valued by the five feudal lords, and among the great lords who participated in the battle, only the Shimadzu family increased their "Kokudaka" (the value of the territory). He was also a man of great humanity. Yoshihiro built a memorial for the war dead of the Japanese and Ming and Korean armies on Mt.Koya in Keicho 4, and honored their souls.
Takeda Shingen is the goat he only lost a single pitched battle and only two of his sieges were unsuccessful, he repeatedly humbled Oda Nobunaga and was far superior to the other great daimyo of the time and Tokugawa Ieyasu credited him with the tactics that allowed him to finish Hideyoshi’s efforts of administrative unification of Japan and defeat Isshida at the Battle of Sekigahara
For Takeda Shingen, I argue that Oda feared Kenshin perhaps even more than Takeda Shingen especially after the battle of Tedorigawa no Tatakai. It is rumoured that upon hearing news of Kenshin’s death, Oda cried out at last there is no one to stand in his way of dominance of Japan. Imo Katsuyori was a good leader but had the misfortune of living in an era where he is surrounded by genius and monsters. For Mori Motonari, (he whom the Japanese nickname the ‘God of Strategies’) ensured his clan’s future success cause he made effort to groom the 2 younger sons he had with his wife. His eldest died before himself and the strong kinship of his younger sons (the twin rivers) sustained the clan. This strength however doomed the clan as a whole when they continued to support his grandson Mōri Terumoto a weak-willed and inefficient daimyo who folded under external pressure without the support of his uncles.
My top 4 is different. 1. Toyotomi Hideyoshi 2. Tokugawa Iyeyasu 3. Oda Nobunaga 4. Minamoto Yoritomo. As for my top 5 and 6. 5. Takeda Shingen 6. Uesigi Kenshin. Why? Because the battles are on another level with much more intricate strategies and better use of technologies available. I ranked Shingen higher than Kenshin although I like Kenshin better is I felt as If Kenshin was not able to flourish to the fullest until Shingen died. Kenshin would not have had the chance to seize the capital because the only way to do so was to crush and annihilate Shingen which he was not able to do and he really had no desire to take the capital. Shingen on the other hand could have been the unifier of Japan had he not died so early because since Kenshin had lost appetite in conquering him, he was able to focus on Nobunaga and It was very clear that he was kicking Nobunaga's ass left and right. But, yea shit happens. 🤣🤣🤣. That's just my humble opinion✌
Tbh I'd put Oda Nobunaga at number 2 or 1. Why? Because both Hideyoshi and Ieyasu road on the coat tails of Nobunaga. If it wasnt for Nobunaga, there wouldnt have been a Hideyoshi or an Ieyasu. If Nobunaga lost at against the Imagawa, Japan would have been completely different.
Can't argue with how you placed them, but I would have put Oda Nobunaga at 1 or 2. He really set up Hideyoshi and Tokugawa for success.
True enough,but Ieyasu was set behind from the start,as he was a hostage and his home province was held in bondage. Where as Nobunaga started off in charge with the resources to succeed,much like Alexander. Don't get me wrong though,Slexander and Nobunaga were both gods among men.
@@promnightdumpsterbaby9553 Nobunaga didn't start off in a good position, he started off fighting amongst his own clan and then built his own army, he had a much harder start than alexander.
True
@@JamesVolsung Alexander’s mother Olympias had to kill many rivals and many other members of her husbands family there were multiple conspiracies in the Macedonian royalty
@@Eycei your right there seemed to be a lot of coincidental murders including philip himself, however this all benefited alexander and most importantly as i was alluding too he didnt have a civil war on his hands like nobunaga did.
I just found this channel recently, and I have one simple question.
How the hell do you not have at least 100 times the subscribers? I’m not even joking, your content is that good of a level, you deserve so many more subs.
It's genuinely baffling. I recommend it to my friends whenever the topic of history TH-cam comes up, even just TH-cam in general. Hopefully more will do the same.
Absolutely right!
I strongly agree with you
I feel Date Masamune deserves a mention because of how his non-military exploits. He became a patron of the arts, advocated the importation of foreign technology, sent expeditions abroad and even brought emissaries to the Pope despite Tokugawa's isolationism. Through force and guile, he was able to preserve Sendai's autonomy from the likes of Hideyoshi and Tokugawa and turn it into an economic power. He is also probably a secret Christian.
YES!!!!!!!!!!! (Sorry. Date Masamune fangirl here.)
He also killed his dad and numerous other relatives to gain power only to suck up to the Tokugawa/Hideyoshi hegemony without a fight.
Totally agree with @gonavygonavy. Date Masamune’s legacy or bravery was exaggerated at best. By historical documents, Date kissed ass to whomever was ruling Japan at that time (Hideyoshi and then Tokugawa). In today’s term, it is best described as douchebag. Perhaps that’s why Date clan paid huge taxes to Edo Bakufu yearly. Sanada Yukimura or Kuroda Yoshitaka would be a better candidate than Date in sengoku jidai era !
The Date Maru was an example of wasted potential for Japan
@@gonavygonavy1193 He didn't kill is father. That's an unfounded myth. He was held hostage, and Masamune hesitated, but Terumune told him to attack anyway, and not worry about accidentally killing him. He died in the skirmish, but he didn't "kill him to gain power". He regarded this as one of his greatest failures, and coupled with the many lives lost to ensure victory, he vowed to become a better leader for his clan.
Also, he didn't kiss up to Hideyoshi, he simply did what he had to in order to ensure the safety of the Date. When he was late in showing up, his white robes were worn, knowing Hideyoshi would be on-edge and highly suspicious of him. He prevented a large-scale battle from occuring between the two clans, but also showed Hideyoshi that he wasn't afraid of him, nor was he afraid of death. Hideyoshi was impressed by his fearlessness in the face of a potential execution, and had the Date clan join his cause.
As for Ieyasu, he did a lot of favours for Masaume. He interveined when Hideyoshi's deteriorating mental health nearly resulted in Masamune's beheading. He also gave back the lands Hideyoshi stripped from him, and while he still owed Masamune a lot of money for his efforts, he sought to repay him in other ways, like awarding him Lordship of the sendai domain.
Masamune wasn't a world leader or a ultra-powerful hero, but he was a good leader who learned from his past failures, stared death unflinchingly in the face, and lead the Date clan to the other side of the war. He's also a large reason for why Yukimura was defeated, having forced a retreat from his powerful Sanadamaru fortress.
I am Japanese and recommend Hojo Tokimune. He is one of the underrated Japanese leaders from 1251-1284.
When he was 24 and the head of Japan, the first Mongolian army attacked Japan. This army was not very horde and returned home because it was unlikely to beat Japan. Then, when he was 31 years old, the second Mongolian army attacked. This time in a horde, the Mongolian army set sail to invade Japan with as many as 550,000 military personnel. Tokimune had predicted that they would invade japan again, so he stopped invading the Mongolian side and focused on national defense.
Today, typhoons are said to have saved the invasion of Mongolia, but in fact this fact has been reviewed in recent years. Japan lost in World War II and is banned from nationalism education by the GHQ. For that reason, Japanese textbooks did not deal with Hojo Tokimune, and a history was formed in which a typhoon saved the invasion of Mongolia from Japan. It was actually a mistake, and the typhoon was a bonus. The defeat of the Mongolian army seemed certain before the typhoon Even if there was no typhoon Mongolia would not have been able to conquer Japan.
If he made any mistake, Kyushu (Southern Japan) became Mongolia's first base in Japan, and Japan as it is today may not exist.
As others say, your video is very good, and above all, its voice astringent and cool to hear. It may be used for education in Japanese schools. lol but Not a joke, it's more valuable than many Japanese educational videos.
ありがとう、そして幸運を。
Can I ask some questions about Japan? Because I love the country and culture.
Could you answer any questions I have about Japan and it’s history?
He didnt really do anything but sit in kamakura, give credit to the samurai warriors that were on the field that day
Oda Nobunaga number one for me. Thanks for video, from Azerbaijan.
I think Hideyoshi is the mightiest of all, if you think he started from being an ashigaru, not a daimyo's heir, to become master of Japan.
@@benerdick_cumberbiatch I do not totally agree with that, not that I am the one to say that his reign was perfect, just keep in mind that Ieyasu had already claimed that he descended from Minamoto clan, so with Ieyasu alive no one was to be sure about his reign. However my point was that Hideyoshi started from the lowest possible level of medieval Japan society
@@sniebow Aye, but, none of that would of been possible without the true greatest samurai leader of all time, Oda Nobunaga. Neither Ieyasu nor Hideyoshi would have the opportunity to unify Japan if it wasn't for the sheer force of Nobunaga's ambitions, and eyes for talent.
@@goose0078 Oda should be ahead of Ieyasu and Hideyoshi, as he was the original genius behind it all. Hideyoshi fumbled. And Ieyasu was left to grab the mantle and run with it.
@@charlesmartin1121 Ieyasu wasn't left to grab the mantle... he awaited to grab it. It's not the same. While Nobunaga and Hideyoshi acted aggresively to gain all the power, he made alliances and breaked them, silently building economic power and strength. When the time came, he was the last left standing, while the others exhausted themselves. He also built a succession which lasted 250 years. For me he is the best leader, not the most glamorous or charismatic, but the best.
@@charlesmartin1121 As far as i know the man never lost a battle due to how patient and calculating he was. He didnt grab a mantle and run with it. He planned and plotted to gain it.
Masamune Date is my favourite, by far. While some of it is because of his badass portrayals in fiction, his actual history does resonate with me as being one of failure, redemption, and growth.
He'd overcome his depression and lack of confidence with the help of his Katakura friends, and managed to take charge of the clan. With Kojuro pulling his smallpox-riddled right eye out, he was able to grow into his role of the Date leader, and earn his One-eyed Dragon moniker.
He'd failed to rescue his father, and while he'd won against his bitter enemies in the North, he had lost a lot of soldiers. Even he was aware of his own shortcomings, and vowed to become a better leader for the Date clan.
This would be put to the test when Hideyoshi was the next obstacle in his way. The Toyotomi clan vastly outnumbered his. Rather than risking another bloodbath that would consume his clan however, Masamune made the tough yet rational decision to put his ambition to the wayside for the sake of his people and join him. He was late, so knowing Hideyoshi would be suspicious of him, he arrived in his white robes. This showed that Masamune was prepared to die, but that he also didn't fear the prospect of death staring him right in the face. This alone impressed Hideyoshi enough to have the Date join him.
He's also credited as one of the main reasons Yukimura Sanada retreated from the Sanadamaru, as he and the other clans allied with Tokugawa launched their Osaka campaign. Yukimura knew that he continued to face the full might of the Date, the best he could hope for was Masamune's head at the cost of his entire army. I could be wrong about a few things here, but I'm guessing this was a big inspiration for Masamune's rivalry with Yukimura in the Sengoku BASARA franchise.
Great consept, it would be good seeing this kind of lists. Here is my list (entirely sengoku era leaders, honestly I know them more):
10-Ouchi Yoshioki: He marched Kyoto before it was a cool thing and actually succed. There is a reason a Ouchi used to dominate Western Japan.
9-Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Second unifier, humble background. He earned everything with his brain and talent but how he started that class system considering his background makes him questionable.
8-Amago Tsunehisa: Another power house from west. Humble beginning, won everything with his talent. Underrated leader imo.
7-Takeda Shingen: Truly a questionable leader. Overthrowing his father, kiling his son, betraying Imagawa, he is a real scoundrel but one of most interesting leader as well. His retainer, his actions, everything about him is interesting. He simply represents the era.
6-Date Masamune: He simply born too late. He had Nobunaga's wisdom and spirit, one of the most revolutionary leader. And don't forget cool helmet.
5-Uesugi Kenshin: God of war. He could be attack Takeda after Nagashino but he didn't do it, a true noble leader (unlike Shingen). His good reputation makes him one of my favorite.
4-Hojo Ujiyasu: Legendary victory in the Kawagoe Castle. Another underrated leader imo.
3-Mori Motonari: Genius mastermind, he survived against two power houses and dominated both of them in the end. Made the clan a big power house.
2-Tokugawa Ieyasu: Survived against Oda, Imagawa and Takeda. He sacrificed his wife and son and many retainers, he was another scoundrel like Shingen but like him truly represents the era. He earned everything, pop culture can vilify him but imo he is the true hero of the era.
1-Oda Nobunaga: Obvivious choice, a mind ahead of the time, a fair leader promotes people for merits, his influence united japan, he simply summerizes sengoku era.
Honorable mentions: Sanada Masayuki, a leader did everything for his clan's survivor, Saito Dosan, another humble beginning to top, Hojo Soun, defination of gekokujo, Tachibana Dōsetsu andTachibana Ginchiyo, brave father and daughter.
Great list!
I think Yoshioki also deserves mention for his influence on Chinese trade.
@Seraphil1 exactly. When Sue Harukata killed his son and took control over the clan, China refused to trade with them, another big blow for Ouchi power.
Mori Motonari is the one who did the three arrows admonition which means that if one is alone, he can be defeated but when he is with his men, he cannot be defeated
Dude you say Takeda was a scoundrel, his father was leading the clan to ruin, so he replaced him, And created a system of government that later leaders based their governments on, while Nobunaga you place as number one, killed his brothers, kill innocent people while burning down temples, he played his generals against each other which led to his death, Shingen was a way better leader of Samurai.
It's great to see a photograph of Mori Motonari (died in 1571) at 7:04. One would think that photography wasn't invented then, and evidently one would be wrong ;-)
awesome. my favourite youtube channel together with fire of learning.
Listening to these is officially my new favorite pastime.
I just love the history of feudal Japan so much.
Thank you for doing what you're doing!
Yup time to sub and binge watch all these videos! Love some samurai history!
Interesting fact: the battle banner used by Takeda Shingen-「疾如風、徐如林、侵掠如火、不動如山」was derived from Sun Tzu's "Art of War." And the first record of using it on the Japanese battlefield was by a young noble warrior named Kitabatake Akiie (北畠顕家) who fought with Kusunoki Masashige (楠木正成) and Nitta Yoshisada (新田義貞) defending Emperor Go-Daigo during the downfall of the Kamakura Shogunate.
ODA even if controversial should be number1 or 2 in my opinion. He was the one that completely changed the tactics in war by massively using muskets and he was the one that setted up the unification of Japan. Plus he wasn't really defeated but assassinated. As a Warlord he was probably the most effective.
Good points!
Very good list! My fav is Oda Nobunaga but probably most skilled in my opinion was Hideyoshi
If the bird refuses to sing, Nobunaga will kill it
If the bird refuses to sing, Hideyoshi will ask it to sing
If the bird refuses to sing, Ieyasu will wait for it to sing
you do my ancestor Mori Motonari great honor as a cunning warlord, though it should be noted he was also quite the patron of the arts and a crafty political mind.
My top list based on historical significance
1. Tairano Kiyomori - Responsible for Rise of Samurai class
2. Ashikaga Takauji - Made sure Shogunate is the ruler of Japan, not Emperor
3. Minamoto Yoritomo - Established the codes of Samurai Ruling
4. Oda Nobunaga - Started unifying Japan
5. Tokugawa Ieyasu - Completed unifying Japan
While this list is super great I still think you should’ve included Masamune Date (plz forgive me if a little of the info I give is wrong but I assure you that most is correct lol); not only was he an extremely ambitious, loyal, eyepatch wearing badass, but he was also a patron of the arts, in charge of the first Japanese voyage across the globe to establish diplomatic relations with the Pope, gifted katanas to the Pope, survived poisoned food that his mother had given to him, was an amazing tactician as well as a fashionista, wrote in Latin, could cook amazingly, and was one of the reasons behind cultural diversity in Japan. He earned the title “Dokuganryu”, or “the One-Eyed Dragon” of Oshu (due time the eye he’d lost because of smallpox) when he became leader of his clan after being forced to kill his father, Terumune Date, in the hands of the Hatakeyama. After that he avenged him by killing most, if not all of the Hatakeyama and set fourth to the conquest of the entire northern regions of Japan. In addition to all of this, while Ieyasu Tokugawa was in charge, Masamune freed a Christian prisoner by the name of Padre Sotelo, (who later took part in the voyage mentioned earlier), and was in general very accepting of Christianity in Japan. In fact, people in Spain with the surname “Japón” are descendants of the voyagers who were on the ship that Masamune sent across the globe, which he himself had based off of western ships.
Sorry for the rambling, I just love this epic dragon king 🤴🏻🐲
I feel like Chosokabe Motochika or Hojo Ujiyasu should've been up here. Chosokabe Motochika put up a pretty good fight for Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Konodai, and he did things to improve agriculture in his region as well, and sure, he might've been sort of Autocratic, but he was a pretty effective leader and ruled Shikoku efficiently. Hojo Ujiyasu should've been up here because he was pretty much Takeda Shingen's rival with the exception of Uesugi Kenshin, and he was basically one of the big three before Oda went into power
Hey TH-cam, give this man all the subs.
The very good choices from the point of the view of Japanese.
I love your list.
Watching top2, I wonder which will be chosen, Tokugawa or Minamoto. Fun moment!
I like your channel because you present information in a easy to view format. I was raised in Los Angeles and was taught very little about Japanese history and learned from listening to relatives and reading books as well as watching Japanese historical dramas. I have met decedents of some of these famous leaders and it is interesting to see how Japan is connected to the past.
I think the idea of "the greatest samurai leader" is interesting. In terms of legacy: it'd definitely be the heavily glorified Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, Mori Motonari, Oda Nobunaga and such. In terms of impact in history (long-lasting ones), it'd be more about Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and of course the two previous shogunate-starters - Ashikaga Takauji and Minamoto Yoritomo, whom I'm glad to see not forgotten on your list. However, in terms of accomplishments, it becomes vague.In the sense of commanding ability, one would think Takeda Shigen, Uesuhi Kenshin, Hojo Soun and his grandson Hojo Ujiyasu. In terms of achievement in land gained, it's interesting that many daimyos, while didn't possess as much land as the more famed ones, actually grew their influence by an incredible amount. That list would include men such as Ryuzoji Takanobu, Chosokabe Motochika, Amago Tsunehisa (who was also a great commander), Miyoshi Nagayoshi (who had become immensely powerful in Kansai only to suffer illnesses and faced his demise) and such.
10:51 That sword looks a lot like the Dragon Katana from Highlander: The Series XD
My boi Takeda Shingen only at #9?! That hurt more than Nagashino😢
Great list and great channel. I've been a fan of samurai history for many years as well as a kendo/iaido/nihonto enthusiast. I really enjoy the thoroughness of the videos. I would say that Yoshitsune was a great leader as well and seemed to be the architect of the Genji military victories according to the tales. I might add Kusunoki Masashige and Nitta Yoshisada from the 1300s who helped overthrow the Hojo and who played a part in the the changing nature of warfare in Japan.
A fun fact is Taira No Kiyomori was adopted by Taira No Tadamori, some documents mentioned that his original name is Fujiwara No Kiyomori.
Minamoto Yoshitsune was a samurai leader. He was the best General of his brother Minamoto Yoritomo and fought the whole Genpei War for him. Minamoto Yoritomo was a great politician and ruler but he was a bad leader in the battle. He leaded his troops just one time personal in the battle and he lost. It was his brother who won the Genpei War for him
Masayuki Sanada, not neccessary in the top 10 mightiest but given how impressively he managed to save his clan during the chaotic era of sengoku jidai, he is one of the if not the mightiest underdog daimyo in that period of japan.
the list is really fair, couldnt agree more.
great channel!
I can't endorse Yoritomo. He betrayed his brother. His government was subverted within a century too. Tokugawa remained strong until the Meiji War.
Your channel and content is brilliant. Especially love the use of woodblock prints for illustration, keep up the great work :-)
I just discovered your channel. I subscribed, I find your programs excellent.
Dude your series is so good
I always thought what would happen if Nobunaga never got betrayed, how Japan would look today if he lived.
I put Kenshin at number one. He/She was just incredible. Class act. I never felt he was fighting for his own personal ambition.
1 takeda shingen
2 oda nobunaga
3 uesegi kenshin( yes i know kenshi defeated nobunaga but that was only 1 battle, overall nobunaga would win)
4 tokugawa ieyasu
5 toyotomi hideyoshi
6 mori motonari
7
I do agree that masamune date and the date clan may have deserved a mention and I also believe that yoshihiro shimazu deserves at least the conqueror of kyushu but I feel nobody as mentioned ugiyasu Hojo needs a mention to representing Kanto region
that was a really good list. before watching i made my own list, to see how they would be different. i liked your list much better than mine. you made some great points.
Hope you post Top 10 samurai swords katana or sword maker. More power
As a Date Masamune fangirl, I'm still pleased with this list even though he's not on it
Yeah not having Date there feels bad :(
Thanks to Team Ninja for creating all these Date Masamune fans
Thank you for the videos. What was it like deciding you would take time to make them?
In my opinion I think that Takeda Shingen should be higher on the list. Because as you sad before, Takeda Shingen was known for leading he’s clan in to stability. If he didn’t died so suddenly he might have defeated the Tokugawa and the Oda and become shogun. But that is just my opinion.
just want to chip in...I heard about one Japanese saying about Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu ,regarding about how the three of them would handle if they want to make a bird to come down from the tree:
1. Nobunaga would shoot the bird
2. Toyotomi would coax the bird to come down
3. Tokugawa would wait patiently for the bird to come down on its own
Might be somewhat different from the original saying because this was many years ago when I heard them.
Personal favourite damiyo is Takeda Shingen because he was the 1st damiyo that I learn of when watching drama, I think was 'Shingen' . From then whatever game like Nobunaga Ambition or Total War:Shogun , I will always select him first.
Why didn’t you include Kusunoki Masashige and Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the greatest ten samurais. There seems to be a strange view about history of ours. Even losers in our history are sometimes respected. At any rate, the film of yours is excellent. Thank you for your great knowledge about our history.
Please make a video about the greatest samurai military strategists
My recommendation would be Hojo Tokimune. He practically gave birth to zen buddhism, zen in the bushido code, and helped fend off the Mongol invasion.
This list reminded me of something I felt was missing from the series so far based on all the sengoku games and anime I know of... The heck is going on in the north of Japan right now with Date Masamune? Hope to see his namedrop soon now :D
The north is a bit of a mess at the moment, things don't start shaping up until a little later
I totally agree with you putting Shingen and Kenshin as runner-ups despite their martial prowess and governance skills, they both fall short of reaching the top. They're the "Could've been(s)". What's most interesting is that they are the physical representation of two contrasting Virtues/Aspects of the Warrior. The Ying and the Yang.
Mind you I am big fan of both Shingen and Kenshin. So that in itself, is saying a lot about the quality of your content. Keep em coming!
#StayOriginal
*Edit -Grammar-
I've been trying to figure out how they painted and clear coated their armor for a shiny look . lacquer wasn't invented yet. Or is this a the Hollywood perception.
Great work Mr. Shogunate. Just sharing. Last March 2020 (or around that time), it was shown on TV program hosted by the Manzai due of Ohta and Tanaka of Bakusho Mondai that a survey covering 100,000 people in Japan to rank top samurai during Sengoku period. Below was the ranking. In the said program, there was small commentary of the positive attributes of each lord and why they were positively viewed: Oda- forward looking and his tolerance on Christianity; Uesugi and Sadada - I think their pure samurai spirit or something on that direction, Date - military skills and the way he built his town, Takeda for being a good administrator and his engineering work aside from being a skilled warrior. Of the ranking were Uesugi was above Takeda, Ohta made a comment saying he though and probably most people thought Takeda was above. I wanna post the screen shot of the TV program but apparanelty this is not possible on youtube? And ow - the other 2 Sanadas entered the top 30 (the father within 20 and the younger brother withn 30) while Yamamoto Kansuke was 13 I think.
1. Oda Nobunaga
2. Uesugi Kenshin
3. Date Masamune
4. Sanada Yukimura
5. Tokugawa Ieyasu
6. Toyotomi Hideyoshi
7. Takeda Shingen
8. Kuroda Kanbei
9. Akemichi Mitsuhide
10. Ishida Mistunari
Just perfect 👌
Your top four is very perfect the order is do correct
I love this channel but my English is not so good, I hope that someday these videos will have subtitles in Spanish
Heya, just wondering, how do you research all the info that you share? Really love your content, it has helped me learn so much about Japan's history, especially about the samurai!
Your voice is tailor-made for this kind of content. Great job. I do disagree with a good few of your nominations - I'd have definitely found space for Hojo Masako, for rallying the Kamakura samurai, in the absence of a shogun, and in the face of an imperial uprising, while also creating the idea of supremacy of the shogunate as an institution, rather than supremacy of an individual commander-in-chief. Mighty lady. Also I'd have also included her later Hojo kinsman, Tokimune - Japan's Churchill - who defiantly and doggedly thwarted Kublai Khan. Going back a few centuries, I'd have also chosen Minamoto Yoshiie - the anointed son of the warriors' god Hachiman, exceptional samurai, and leader of men, who provided the blueprint for charismatic, effective man of action that was later copied by so many of his Minamoto kinsmen, as they rose to the summit of power, not only among the samurai, but over all the land of Japan. You make terrific clips - happy they came up in my feed!
The Kenjutsu Ryu Founders and Duelists. Itto Ittosai Kagehisa, Bokuden Tsukahara, Ienao Iezasa, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, etc.
The contemporaries of Shinmen Musashi and Sasaki Ganryu, etc.
12:42: You said 1566 to 1567, while the Kyushu campaign was from 1586 to 1587, but I forgive you for that mistake, I still love this video :)
Fantastic list. While there are some other names I would have considered for mine like Hojo Soun and Shimazu Takahisa, I can agree with all of your choices.
I would love to see a list of "10 greatest samurai rises to power" for those who basically went from nothing to great power, like Motonari or Hideyoshi did.
Great idea!
Does Date Masamune count? For some reason, there don't seem to be many videos about him on TH-cam. Personality-wise he's my favorite.
Personally felt that Ujiyasu Hojo should be in the list, that legendary Siege of Kawagoe cannot be overstated. Also throughout his rule, he was frequently attacked by Shingen and Kenshin, also facing the fearsome Yoshishige Satake. Yet he prevailed, and left Hojo in a very strong position by the end of his reign.
Yeah,his success to maintain power in Kanto despite get gangbang all side by satake,satomi, uesegi and Takeda is outstanding.
Oda Nobunaga!
For the first time he adopted Western armor and Western tactics.
And he is the first leader to give a foreigner the title of Samurai.
Bc I am a western Japanese.
Interesting list👍. But if i have to make a list, allow me to present this list from my point' of view :
Honorable list :
Nita Yoshisada, he show what a true blue loyalty to the Empire, and his legendary Kozuke-Musashi campaign that ending Kamakura.
Otomo Sorin, underated Daimyo, but when you see his sphere of influence, king of Bungo.
Now it is my list :
10. Toyotomi Hideyoshi :
He must be an exceptional leader, taking Oda legitimacy in crucial and perfect time.
9. Uesugi Kenshin :
A patronage not only in terms of military but also in art. But lack of ambition despite his genuine military strategist.
8. Takeda Shingen :
the only Daimyo at the time who could stop Oda sphere and ambition.
7. Mori Motonari :
Exceptional Daimyo, a typical leader like Ieyasu but with a more chivalry action. Sandwiches beetwen the still powerful Amako and Ouchi. He led the Mori clan became the true king of the West, king of Chugoku.
6. Ashikaga Takauji :
To be honest, i don't like him since im a big fan of duo Kusunoki Masashige-Nitta Yoshisada. But how could i spare him, the founder of Ashikaga Shogunate.
5. Hojo Tokimune :
The regent of the Shogun, his action prior to Mongol Invasion of Japan, must be regarded as an action of bravery and chivalry.
4. Minamoto Yoritomo
Unifying the pieces of Minamoto, and taking down the once mighty army of Taira clan, only great leader can do.
3. Taira Kiyomori
The true founder of Samurai-dominated government that would last until Meiji.
2. Tokugawa Ieyasu
When Oda still small, he gambling by chosing them as an ally, denying a much preferable and powerful Takeda. When Oda grew stronger, he totally sided with Nobunaga cause. When Hideyoshi rise he patiently watching. At the end of the day, Ieyasu was the last man standing. Building the Shogunate and society to make sure that there will be no more Sengoku Jidai for another 250 years.
1. ODA NOBUNAGA
It would take thousands of pages to describe this man. But let me explain in this way, Oda Nobunaga, A man who accustomed to be the last word on everything, accustomed to have people waiting on him, accustomed to make final decision for him and his clan since his childhood. And from the day he was born until he die, Oda Nobunaga bow no one.
If you already answered this question from another video my bad. When would say the line samurai commanders ends? I’m just curious if you would consider the generals/admirals from the Russo-Japanese war or the imperial Japanese army commanders from WW2 as samurai as well?
keep doing what you do
Thank you for your support!
Interesting... How bout narrowing it down to the Sengoku Jidai? There are interesting figures such as Yoshihisa Shimazu, Masamune Date, Ujiyasu Hōjō, and Motochika Chōsokabe... Just saying 😁😁
Btw, just a matter of interest... Can you do the following lists?
Worst Clan Leaders of Sengoku Jidai
Battles in Sengoku Jidai with the Most Casualties
Clans which Has Many Notable Family Members during Sengoku Jidai
Weakest Clans during Sengoku Jidai
My favorite of the heian period was Yoshitsune Minamoto, great samurai, sadly if not for hia tragic end :'(, I remember back then as a kid play Genji Dawn of Samurai on Ps2, damn that was beautiful game, but from the sengoku period my favorite would be Nobunaga Oda, this man bring change's to the era
if the bird dont speak break his neck , Nobunaga was very effective at making his message across. Damn you Mitsuhide!!!!
Thank you.
i watch the whole thing . not knowing much of this i like the way you walked me through it. also i see in some pic. that the person is holdinf a bow and they had horses . where did they get the horses and learn how to shoot the bow.
What about Tom Cruise?
I would have placed Tokugawa 1st. He had the most trials to deal with, and his Shogunate did last until Commodore Matthew Perry's dramatic entrance.
Good video but there are 2 things I would correct. 1st was the dates of hideyoshi’s conquest of Kyushu. The 2nd thing was that after hideyoshi’s death Ieyasu was not the most powerful samurai in Japan. In truth it was actually Toshiie Maeda. He was the senior member of the council of 5 elders appointed by hideyoshi before his death to govern Japan after his death. It was only after Toshiie’s death in 1599 that Ieyasu was really able to make his move to gain allies against mitsunari ishida
Nobunaga should be at 2😊
This is a good list but Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen are 1 and 2 for me because their rivalry was so badass
Tbh i feel nobunaga should be number 2 instead cause basically he is the one that manage to make an opening for Unification thus even destroyed the Coalition against him tons of time. Ieyasu Tokugawa i say number 4 cause he just followed nobunaga and learn much from him. His memorable defeat was the battle of Mikatagahara. He also allied with Nobunaga and help him through all his journey cause he knew if Nobunaga can destroy Yoshimoto Imagawa that time he could do the same to Ieyasu. But ya that's my point. After all Ieyasu life ks mostly about him struggle and not expanding vastly. Unlike Nobunaga. Hideyoshi however inherited his master legacy. But i am impress that from a farmer.
I think you are underestimating Hideyoshi a bit. After the betrayal of Nobunaga by Mitsuhide, Hideyoshi successfully made piece with the Mori, re-mobilized and beat the Akechi within something like 10 days. To then beat the Shibata. He fought to a draw with Ieyasu to then through clever diplomacy and selective wars expand to the point Ieyasu capitulates. There are are other instances of Hideyoshi showing his talent as well.
Point being, I think you have an undue low opinion of Hideyoshi. Nobunaga is definitely above him tho. Lastly I have no love for Ieyasu.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the second great unifier of Japan, he is, at least in my opinion, one of the greatest Japanese commanders and Samurai leaders in all of Japan's history. Starting from a simple and loan Ashigaru, all the way till becoming of Japan's second great unifier, and one of it's best military commanders
Very nice vid., But I got to say man, you sure know how to put the hurt on!! 👍
I enjoyed this list, but think leaving Hojo Masako off the list may have been a mistake.
Oee I just discover this channel and im already gassed up, i love this kind of content, I have a question, aside from the more mainstream books that I've read (heike monotagari, furinkazan, taiko) what books can i read to learn more? Thank you beforehand.
Speaking of books, can you recommend must read books for Japanese history perticularly sengoku jiday period? Maybe top 3 must read would be great.
One has to wonder how the course of history not only in Japan but Asia in general would have been greatly changed if Takeda Shingen had succeeded in killing Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573. No Ieyasu, no Third Unifier and no Tokugawa Shogunate.
Where is Soun Hojo?
do you have a video about Hattori hanzo ?
Not yet, but he does make an appearance in episode 19 of my main series th-cam.com/video/EqtxD9hA7As/w-d-xo.html
This is late but an honorable mention I feel like should be masayuki sanada the father of yukimara and noboyuki. If not for him during the tensho jingo conflict constantly betraying the Tokugawa, Hojo, and Uesugi clans for the survival of his dying clan. The Ueda conflicts earned him an audience from hideyoshi himself even tho he wasn’t daimyo. Hideyoshi said himself that he is man who shouldn’t be trusted but for his tactics and constant betrayals was the very thing that saved his clan. Not many people in history could pull that off, the only person who come a little close is hisahide matsunage because he actually killed a shogun and lived for quite some time.
The Ashikaga had de jure rule for 235 years, yet in practice, they really only got to enjoy little more than 100 of it before their authority started to become impossible to exercise. In some ways, while Takauji himself is impressive, the Ashikaga shogunate overall is surprisingly weak politically in the long run. If only they had thought of Sankin Kotai first.
Honestly, I can't really argue with any u picked, didn't know much about Yoritomo so maybe him, Nobunaga I would have placed him as Number 1, Surprised u never picked Masayuki Sanada, but although he was a great leader of the Sanada he didn't really conquer much if anything.
Masamune is a possible choice but can't really think of anyone else really. Otherwise another great ideo.
Hi bro , how about mitsunari ishida ??
I think he was a great warrior because he led their army for sekigahara battle ?
Date Masamune should've had a place on this list.
AND DATE MASAMUNE???
Pretty much the same for me except Saigo Takamori, as I wasn't thinking that modern. Instead I would probably choose Shimazu Yoshihiro for #10 and Date Masamune as an honorable mention.
Why exactly Yoshihiro instead of Yoshihisa, or their father Takahisa? I'm curious.
@@Seraphil1 he was insane in the invasion of Korea, go read up on how he would win battles against forces multiple times the size of his army
The Battle of Sacheon was one of the battles during the Japanese invasion of Korea.
It was the battle where 7,000 of Shimazu forces led by Shimazu Yoshihiro fought against tens of thousands of forces of Ming and Korean allied forces in Sacheon, Shimazu forces defeated them. It is known as a legendary battle that was won by the inferior Shimazu forces despite the desperate gap in strength.
At this time, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had already died, but his death was kept secret and the Japanese forces were ordered to retreat. The Shimadzu forces defeated the enemy forces at this Battle of Sacheon, allowing for the systematic retreat of the japanese forces.
And soon after, in the Battle of Noryang, the Shimazu forces defeated Yi Sun-sin, the general of the Korean naval force to rescue the Konisi forces on its side.
Shimazu Yoshihiro's achievements were highly valued by the five feudal lords, and among the great lords who participated in the battle, only the Shimadzu family increased their "Kokudaka" (the value of the territory).
He was also a man of great humanity. Yoshihiro built a memorial for the war dead of the Japanese and Ming and Korean armies on Mt.Koya in Keicho 4, and honored their souls.
Takeda Shingen is the goat he only lost a single pitched battle and only two of his sieges were unsuccessful, he repeatedly humbled Oda Nobunaga and was far superior to the other great daimyo of the time and Tokugawa Ieyasu credited him with the tactics that allowed him to finish Hideyoshi’s efforts of administrative unification of Japan and defeat Isshida at the Battle of Sekigahara
5:00
Maybe Hojo Soun should be mentioned.
Takeda Shingen got 9th place!? WHAAATT!?
For Takeda Shingen, I argue that Oda feared Kenshin perhaps even more than Takeda Shingen especially after the battle of Tedorigawa no Tatakai. It is rumoured that upon hearing news of Kenshin’s death, Oda cried out at last there is no one to stand in his way of dominance of Japan.
Imo Katsuyori was a good leader but had the misfortune of living in an era where he is surrounded by genius and monsters.
For Mori Motonari, (he whom the Japanese nickname the ‘God of Strategies’) ensured his clan’s future success cause he made effort to groom the 2 younger sons he had with his wife. His eldest died before himself and the strong kinship of his younger sons (the twin rivers) sustained the clan. This strength however doomed the clan as a whole when they continued to support his grandson Mōri Terumoto a weak-willed and inefficient daimyo who folded under external pressure without the support of his uncles.
My top 4 is different.
1. Toyotomi Hideyoshi
2. Tokugawa Iyeyasu
3. Oda Nobunaga
4. Minamoto Yoritomo.
As for my top 5 and 6.
5. Takeda Shingen
6. Uesigi Kenshin.
Why? Because the battles are on another level with much more intricate strategies and better use of technologies available.
I ranked Shingen higher than Kenshin although I like Kenshin better is I felt as If Kenshin was not able to flourish to the fullest until Shingen died. Kenshin would not have had the chance to seize the capital because the only way to do so was to crush and annihilate Shingen which he was not able to do and he really had no desire to take the capital. Shingen on the other hand could have been the unifier of Japan had he not died so early because since Kenshin had lost appetite in conquering him, he was able to focus on Nobunaga and It was very clear that he was kicking Nobunaga's ass left and right. But, yea shit happens. 🤣🤣🤣. That's just my humble opinion✌
For me, it's - 1. Ieyasu 2. Hideyoshi 3. Nobunaga 4. Date Masamune 5. Takeda Shingen
one more thing will you mention Yagyu Jubei in your Samurai videos
Tbh I'd put Oda Nobunaga at number 2 or 1. Why? Because both Hideyoshi and Ieyasu road on the coat tails of Nobunaga. If it wasnt for Nobunaga, there wouldnt have been a Hideyoshi or an Ieyasu. If Nobunaga lost at against the Imagawa, Japan would have been completely different.