Takeda Shingen

Takeda Shingen was born in 1521 in Kai Province as the eldest son of Sengoku daimyo Takeda Nobutora (Takeda Nobutora). He is said to have been bright from childhood and skilled in martial arts.
His father, Nobutora, was a capable warlord who unified Kai Province, but his heavy-handed rule also drew widespread dissatisfaction from retainers and the public.
Working with his retainers, Takeda Shingen exiled his father, Nobutora, to Suruga Province (present-day Shizuoka Prefecture) in 1541 and succeeded to the family leadership.
He was still only 21 at the time, but had already demonstrated exceptional leadership and command, ushering in a new era for the Takeda clan.

After succeeding to the family leadership, Takeda Shingen’s first major undertaking was an invasion of neighboring Shinano (present-day Nagano Prefecture).
His first target was Suwa. In his father Nobutora’s time it had been an ally and also where his sister had married, but relations deteriorated after Nobutora was exiled, and there were fears of a Suwa invasion into Kai.
In 1542, Takeda Shingen marched into Suwa and captured Uehara Castle, the stronghold of daimyo Suwa Yorishige (Suwa Yorishige), then went on to besiege Kuwabara Castle.
Pretending to negotiate peace, he summoned Suwa Yorishige and forced him to commit suicide. With this, he brought Suwa under control and established a foothold for his Shinano campaign.
Shinano was home to many powerful figures, and fighting continued against the likes of Murakami Yoshikiyo (Murakami Yoshikiyo), Ogasawara Nagatoki (Ogasawara Nagatoki), and Kiso Yoshimasa (Kiso Yoshimasa).
Among them, the conflict with Murakami Yoshikiyo was especially fierce, and in 1548 at the Battle of Uedahara, Shingen was defeated and suffered major losses, including the deaths of senior retainers.
Even so, he made skillful use of diplomacy, and in 1554 formed the Kōsōsun Tripartite Alliance with Imagawa Yoshimoto (Imagawa Yoshimoto) of Suruga Province and Hōjō Ujiyasu (Hōjō Ujiyasu) of Sagami Province (part of present-day Kanagawa Prefecture).
This alliance stabilized the eastern and southern borders and created conditions that allowed him to focus on conquering Shinano.

The one who stood in the way of Takeda Shingen as he advanced his conquest of Shinano was Uesugi Kenshin (Uesugi Kenshin), who ruled Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture).
After Murakami Yoshikiyo, pressed by Takeda Shingen, fled to Echigo seeking Uesugi Kenshin’s help, Kenshin sent troops into Shinano, and the rivalry between the two intensified.
This rivalry took shape in the “Battles of Kawanakajima.” From 1553 to 1564, the two armies are said to have faced off a total of five times. The fiercest of these was the “Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima” in 1561.
In this battle, the Takeda forces are said to have mobilized Approx. 20,000 troops, while the Uesugi forces mobilized Approx. 13,000, making it one of the largest engagements of the Sengoku period.
There is also a legend that Uesugi Kenshin rode on horseback and charged into Takeda Shingen’s headquarters.
While the tale of Uesugi Kenshin swinging his sword and Takeda Shingen parrying with a war fan is likely fictional, it spread through Edo-period war chronicles and has been passed down to later generations.
The battle ended without a clear victor, and both armies ultimately withdrew. After that, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin avoided direct clashes and focused on their respective fronts.
Although there is no record of the two meeting face-to-face, they are still remembered today as iconic rivals of the Sengoku period.

After establishing dominance in Shinano, Takeda Shingen turned his attention to further expansion.
In 1560, at the Battle of Okehazama, Imagawa Yoshimoto—who had been Shingen’s ally—was killed by Oda Nobunaga, dramatically changing the political landscape.
Takeda Shingen broke the Kōsōsun Tripartite Alliance and invaded Suruga, taking key locations one after another.
This move made conflict with Tokugawa Ieyasu (Tokugawa Ieyasu), who had allied with the Imagawa, unavoidable.
Takeda Shingen also advanced troops into Tōtōmi Province (present-day Shizuoka Prefecture), waging fierce battles along the border with Mikawa Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture).
Meanwhile, Tokugawa Ieyasu strengthened ties with Oda Nobunaga, and Takeda Shingen increasingly found himself opposed to the combined forces of the two.
As his power expanded, Takeda Shingen began a march toward Kyoto in pursuit of becoming the Sengoku era’s dominant ruler.
He would press forward into what became known as the “Westward Campaign.”

On the way to Kyoto, Takeda Shingen clashed with Tokugawa Ieyasu at Mikatagahara (Mikatagahara).
The story that he routed Ieyasu’s forces despite an overwhelming disparity, and that Tokugawa Ieyasu barely escaped back to Hamamatsu Castle, is known as a major turning point in Ieyasu’s life.
Though the Westward Campaign seemed to be going well, Takeda Shingen’s chronic illness worsened, forcing him to suspend the अभियान.
In 1573, he fell ill and died in Mino Province (present-day Gifu Prefecture) while returning home. He was 53 years old.
He was succeeded by Takeda Katsuyori (Takeda Katsuyori), but it proved difficult for him to demonstrate the same command as his father, and the Takeda clan gradually lost power.

“Fūrinkazan” is a phrase said to have been displayed on Takeda Shingen’s battle standard, and it is widely known as a motto symbolizing his strategy.
More precisely, the following four lines were written on the standard, and “Fūrinkazan” is an abbreviated form of them.

It is quoted from a passage in the Chinese military classic The Art of War, and Takeda Shingen is said to have used it as a guiding principle for his tactics.
Its meaning is: “Move as swiftly as the wind, take position as quietly as the forest, attack as fiercely as fire, and defend as immovable as a mountain.”
Even today, “Fūrinkazan” is sometimes cited in discussions of strategy in business and sports.

The essence of Takeda Shingen’s strength is said to have been not the cavalry, praised as the strongest of the Sengoku period, but skillful tactics backed by meticulous intelligence gathering.
The groups that mainly handled intelligence for the Takeda army were ninja known as “Mitsumono” and “Suppa.”
The Mitsumono carried out a wide range of activities, such as investigating enemy information, scouting nearby forces, and infiltrating enemy territory to assess troop movements and supply routes.
One particularly distinctive group was the “Aruki Miko,” made up of female shrine maidens.
Aruki Miko were women who lived by traveling without belonging to a specific shrine, listening to people’s wishes and performing prayers and fortune-telling.
During the Sengoku period, movement by ordinary people was restricted, but Aruki Miko were accepted everywhere as religious figures and could gather information without arousing suspicion.
Takeda Shingen is said to have taken note of their ability to move freely and their social credibility, training them in espionage techniques and having them serve as part of his intelligence network.

There is also an unexpected episode that’s hard to imagine from the portrait of Takeda Shingen presented so far.
It involves a small incident between Takeda Shingen and his retainer, Shungestu Gensuke (Shungestu Gensuke).
Takeda Shingen and Shungestu Gensuke are said to have had a close relationship that went beyond that of lord and retainer.
In the Sengoku period, life-and-death bonds between a lord and vassal could sometimes develop into romance, especially when young and beautiful attendants served at one’s side and such ties were formed.
When Shungestu Gensuke learned that Takeda Shingen had secretly met with Yashichiro (Yashichiro), he became displeased.
Hearing this, Shungestu Gensuke lost his temper. The feelings of learning of a lover’s infidelity may not have changed, then or now.
Takeda Shingen hurriedly wrote a letter of explanation, insisting, “Nothing happened with Yashichiro,” and “If I am lying, I am willing to suffer divine punishment,” pleading desperately.
This letter still exists today and is held by the Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo.

A phrase that symbolizes Takeda Shingen’s philosophy of governance.
It means, “People themselves are the castle, the stone walls, and the moat that protect a country. Treat people with compassion, and avoid heartless methods.”
It expresses the idea that no matter how splendid the castle or stone walls, in the end it is “people” who support the nation.
If you value retainers and the public and treat them with gratitude, they will naturally become allies, but if you treat them poorly, they will turn into enemies. It’s a succinct quote showing the importance of people and trust in the Sengoku period.

This saying means, “What matters is not using the person themselves, but making use of the ‘abilities’ they have.”
Takeda Shingen identified the talents of his retainers and subordinates and placed each in the right role, enabling his organization to function at its best.
Rather than forcing someone to change, Shingen’s flexible leadership—bringing out each person’s strengths—comes through clearly.
It’s an idea that also applies to modern business management and team-building, and a forward-looking quote that highlights the importance of empowering people.

This is a famous quote pointing out “the weakness of those who give up without trying, even though they could succeed if they did.”
It confronts the weakness of people who decide from the start that something is impossible and give up, even when it could be accomplished through continued effort.
In war and politics alike, Shingen did not give up even in situations that seemed unfavorable, opening a path forward through ingenuity and sustained effort. This line can be seen as a concise expression of that conviction.

In front of Kofu Station, a bronze statue was erected in 1969, driven by the passionate desire of local citizens to honor Takeda Shingen’s achievements.
Since then, it has been cherished as a symbol of the city, and it is carefully maintained, including an annual year-end cleaning each December.
The statue is modeled on Shingen’s 모습 in camp during the “Battles of Kawanakajima,” where he fought his lifelong rival, Uesugi Kenshin.

A historic Rinzai Zen temple of the Myoshin-ji school, and also Takeda Shingen’s family temple.
Erin-ji, founded in 1330 by Musō Kokushi (Musō Kokushi), was designated as Takeda Shingen’s family temple in 1564.
Amid the Sengoku era, when powerful warlords vied for dominance, the Kai Takeda clan was destroyed, and Erin-ji was once burned down by Oda Nobunaga, the ruler who had gained momentum at the time.

A hot spring area with over 1,200 years of history, said to have been founded in 808 by the Heian-period monk Kōbō Daishi.
Records say that the famed Sengoku commander Takeda Shingen visited this area often to heal battle fatigue and wounds.
The hot spring town offers many types of accommodations, including hotels with beautiful Japanese gardens and long-established ryokan inns.