Sengoku Jidai Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari

The Battle of Sekigahara was also known as the Realm Divide. Ishida's army consisted of Toyotomi loyalists and many groups from western Japan, whereas Tokugawa's forces hailed from eastern Japan. In the end, Ishida lost and was later beheaded; his death sealed the fate of the Toyotomi clan and soon, Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power over the land.

The Tokugawa Shogunate or Bakufu would last from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration.

Answer: Fool of Owari

Nobunaga was known as the "Fool of Owari" during his young adulthood because he would often run around with those of lower rank than himself, wear bright and gaudy clothing, and impolitely stuff food into his mouth without a care. However, his militarism, strong hand, and callous nature in battle would later earn him the title of "Demon King."

Answer: Sanada Ten Braves

Yukimura was guarded by the Sanada Ten Braves, a group of ninjas. The most famous of these ninjas was Sarutobi Sasuke, who appears in many incarnations in popular culture (most notably "Sengoku Basara" and "Samurai Deeper Kyo").

Answer: Honganji

The temple Honganji housed a very prominent and powerful school of Pure Land Buddhism. Afraid that the monks would deny him some of his power, Nobunaga tried unsuccessfully to take over and destroy Honganji.

Answer: Azai

Odani Castle was home to the Azai clan. However, when Azai Nagamasa sided with the Asakura against Nobunaga's forces at Anegawa, Nobunaga later retaliated with a siege to Odani, resulting in the destruction of the Asakura. Outnumbered and cornered, Nagamasa committed seppuku.

Answer: Onin

Ashikaga Yoshimasa had no heir to be daimyo in his place upon his death. He instead asked his brother, Yoshimi, to serve for him instead. However, a child was born to Yoshimasa, and this put strife between the two men. Soon, many clans of Japan were upset by the strife and divided into different factions. This dissent lead to a civil war called the Onin War, which lasted for 100 years.

Answer: Mino

Saito Dosan, also known as the "Serpent of Mino," was a daimyo known for his cruel strategems. To secure an alliance with the Oda clan of the neighboring Owari province, he married his daughter, Nouhime, to Oda Nobunaga in 1549.

Answer: Hideyoshi

Nobunaga, known for his cruelty, was referred to in the first line of the poem. He would much rather kill a bird if it did not do what he wanted it to. Hideyoshi, the coaxer, was very intuitive and able, and would rather problem-solve in his own unique way rather than simply destroying the bird.
Lastly, Ieyasu was the one to wait. He had waited the longest of the unifiers and never stepped out of line, only watched patiently as an ally. His clan would go on to dominate Japan for over 200 years.

Answer: Tachibana Muneshige

Tachibana Muneshige was the adopted son of Tachibana Dosetsu, clan head of the Tachibana in Kyushu. Muneshige was said to be a valiant warrior and cultured man of his time, as he was well-versed in kyudo, poetry, the tea ceremony, and kemari. He first served the Toyotomi, and later joined the western army under Ishida Mitsunari after Toyotomi Hideyoshi died.

After Mitsunari's forces were destroyed at Sekigahara, Muneshige was stripped of all of his lands. However, he was later given a fief once more and allowed to serve as a daimyo under the Tokugawa bakufu.

Answer: Date Masamune

Date Masamune, or the One-Eyed Dragon (Dokuganryu), was a famous daimyo from Northern Japan. He is well-known for his interest in foreign culture, Christianity, and trade. Because he came from a powerful clan, many other daimyo were skeptical of Masamune's loyalty to the Toyotomi and Tokugawa whom he served under throughout his life. Nonetheless, Masamune never acted unfaithfully to his lords.

In fact, one story reads that when Tokugawa Ieyasu was dying, Masamune came to him and recited a piece of Buddhist poetry.