RELIVE JAPANESE HISTORY WITH A TRIP TO A FAMOUS BATTLEFIELD JUST OUTSIDE OF TOKYO

Japan is one of the oldest cultures and nations on the planet. That means that over the years, civil wars have inevitably happened, and indeed the country has a fascinating military history that continues to inspire films, books, and games to this day. You’ve heard of samurai and ninja, right?

And one of the best battlefields to visit is just a couple of hours out from Tokyo.



One of the most famous periods of military history in Japan is the Sengoku (or “Warring States”) Period―the time leading up to the Tokugawa shogunate in which a very fractured Japan witnessed endless battles between rival daimyō (大名; warlords). With so many colorful heroes and villains throughout the conflicts (think Oda Nobunaga, Sanada Yukimura, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Akechi Mitsuhide), the era has become a happy hunting ground for literature (Yoshikawa Eiji’s Taiko), video games (the Samurai Warriors series), and film and television for many years. Indeed, every year, NHK focuses a series of period dramas on a specific character from the Sengoku Period; last year it was the Sanadas’ story. This year the focus is on one of the most important women of the era: Li Naotora.

One of the most famous rivalries of the era was between two of the most powerful warlords in Japan: Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, who clashed over and over again in battles where the two of them just could not come to a decisive victory. The most famous battle between the two was the fourth battle of Kawanakajima (川中島), which now exists as a lovely park and small open-air museum in a sleepy little part of Japan.