Hidden Treasures

Growing up, I was greatly inspired by stories of feudal Japan. I longed to live in that world where men of extraordinary vision were free to conquer and expand their domain to match their lofty ambition. I imagined rising through the ranks of a local daimyo's (warlord) army to become a general, leading my own army and territory, and expanding my power until I was the undisputed ruler of the land! A lot of the important places from this period of Japanese history are now crowded with tourists, which for me has taken quite a bit of the magic out of the experience of visiting them. I have managed to seek out a few gems, however, places that I read about as a child and imagined in my mind many times.




Honnoji is a small temple in Kyoto where the warlord, Oda Nobunaga, died after being betrayed and surrounded by one of his own general's armies. The main building was burned to the ground in the attack, but a replica was built in its place. Unfortunately, this was being repaired when I visited. There was a monument there in Nobunaga's honor, but I'm not sure if it was his tomb or not.





I was very surprised to find myself alone at the mausoleum of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This was perhaps the highlight of my trip to Japan thus far. The story of Hideyoshi's life served as a role model for me when I was an adolescent at a time when I had no father figure in my life. His reign ended with his life; Tokugawa Ieyasu took control over Japan shortly after and established a lasting dynasty, and is thus the person whom is best remembered in guidebooks. While Tokugawa has his ostentatious palace at Nikko to celebrate his achievements, I was somewhat saddened to find only this very modest tomb, high atop two long flights of stairs on a quiet hill at the edge of Kyoto, to remember Hideyoshi. This may seem a bit ridiculous, considering Hideyoshi tried to conquer Korea twice and was the source of much grief in Korean history, but it was the story of his rise to power that provided guidance for me at a critical point in my development. His stubborn ambition, interminable optimism, and ability to inspire left a deep impression on me. I managed to find a secret entrance into the tomb, so I snuck in for a quick pic.










Yesterday, I visited Sekigahara, site of arguably the most significant battle in Japanese history. After Hideyoshi died, forces loyal to him clashed with those of Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1600. This was the turning point at which Tokugawa became ruler of the country. Some of you might better know of Sekigahara as the location at beginning of the famous novel, Musashi. It is now a small town, and significant sites of the battle, such as the camps of various daimyo, are scattered throughout, marked by banners and stone monuments. There is a small museum that briefly explains the details of the battle, though only in Japanese. I was the only non-Japanese person there. The last photo is of the road that used to be the Nakasendo, a famous highway that is featured prominently in the Musashi story.