Welcome to the Shingen Museum!

Takeda Shrine is dedicated to Takeda Shingen, a renowned feudal lord of the Warring States period. Here once stood the residence where the Takeda clan lived and governed over the region. The area surrounding the residence was developed as a castle town and served as a base for the Takeda clan’s territorial rule. In 1938, the site of the Takeda clan’s former residence was designated as a national historic site as it conveys the appearance of the residence of a feudal lord of the Warring States period.

The Shingen Museum was opened to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the founding of the city of Kōfu and presents the results of 40 years of excavations at the ruins of the residence and castle town, along with the history of the Takeda clan.

The Shingen Museum consists of two exhibition rooms related to the ruins of the Takeda clan’s residence and the area of the former Hotta Kojyoen, a restaurant/inn built in the early Showa period (1926-1989).

The Permanent Exhibition room introduces the three most prominent generations of the Takeda clan, the warring feudal lords, the people involved in the residence, and what has been learned from excavations of the Takeda residence and castle town.

The Special Exhibition room is the only facility in the museum that charges a fee. Since the exhibits consist of excavated artifacts, few of them are without flaws. However, all items give us an idea of the affairs of the residence at that time.

Highlights include “kawarake,” unglazed “pure” vessels that were essential for ceremonial feasts, ceramics and porcelain that decorated the alcove of the main hall, tea ceremony utensils, arquebus bullets, Chinese copper coins that circulated widely in Kai Province (modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture), and the only full-body skeleton of a horse from the Warring States period that has been excavated in Japan.

The Treasure Exhibit Corner displays artifacts relating to the theme of Shingen and the residence.

Tickets for the Special Exhibition room are 300 yen per person, 240 yen per person for groups of 20 or more, and free for high school students and younger and those who present a disability certificate.

Hotta Kojyoen, a former high-end restaurant/inn, established in 1933, is another must-see. This modern Japanese-style building is sympathetic to the traditions of Edo-period architecture (1603-1868). The buildings are decorated with motifs of the Takeda clan’s crests, Takedabishi, because of their proximity to the old castle. While enjoying your search for these crests, please also visit the detached building, which is rhombic in shape and has now been converted into a tea ceremony room. In 2021, the main building, detached house, tea ceremony room, and wooden gate were registered as National Tangible Cultural Properties. Today, in addition to being open for tours, it is also used as a venue for cultural exchanges, lectures, and other events open to the community. Part of the Hotta Kojyoen is also used as a café and souvenir shop.

The museum’s opening hours start at 9:00 am and last admission is at 4:30 pm. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, but if Tuesday is a national holiday, it is closed on the following Wednesday. Please also note that the museum is closed from the 29th to 31st December.

Allow us to introduce the historic Takeda clan headquarters from the age of the Warring States through historic records and the latest archaeological discoveries.

The original Takeda residence, Tsutsujigasaki, was built by Takeda Nobutora in 1519. Nobutora, Shingen, and Shingen’s son, Katsuyori, made this residence the headquarters from which they ruled the central part of the Japanese archipelago for three generations. The Tsutsujigasaki residence was used for 62 years until 1581 when Katsuyori built Shinpu Castle in Nirasaki, northwest of Kōfu, and relocated his headquarters there.

So, what kind of residence did Shingen live in?

It is said that many of the official residences of warring feudal lords were built to imitate the palace of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who served as the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate in the late 14th century. According to a pictorial map drawn up in the Edo period (1603-1868), the Takeda clan’s residence was similar, consisting mainly of a square pavilion and a garden. The residence was divided into a private area in the north and a public area in the south. The private area included family quarters and religious facilities such as the Fudo Hall, while the public area included a formal meeting place, a meeting place where people of all ranks and classes were allowed to sit together for events such as poetry festivals and legal proceedings, and a garden. The pictorial map also shows the locations of the second-floor turret, a place to practice archery, a place to play kemari (a type of football played by courtiers in ancient Japan), a temporary Noh stage, the bathhouse, and the toilets. In addition, with the aid of the pictorial map, we were able to identify the foundation stones of a former gate. From the location referred to on the map as sensui (pond), traces of a garden were discovered, including large standing stones and blue and white decorative pebbles that were spread over the bottom of the pond. It is said that Shingen even named some of the trees in his beloved garden.

Expensive ceramics, such as celadon from Song Dynasty China (960-1279) and ceramics from the Kamakura period (late 12th century-1333), similar to those that decorated the shogun’s palace, have been excavated from the site. The Takeda clan decorated their tokonoma, a slightly raised alcove found in formal reception rooms, with furnishings in accordance with samurai etiquette, which would have been immediately recognizable to the shoguns. Thus, by displaying these so-called prestige items, the Takeda clan was claiming their rule over the territory to be legitimate.

When excavating opposite the moat on the southern side of the Western Quarter, the remains of a war horse were found with its legs tucked in, its head facing north, and its body oriented in a westerly direction. The remains were those of a male horse of about 14 years of age which would have stood about 126 cm tall, the size of a modern-day pony. Japanese horses of the Warring States period were significantly smaller than modern-day horses. Notably, the condition of the bones indicate that this horse was well nourished and muscular. Furthermore, a piece of gold-trimmed, lacquered horse armor was unearthed near the northern gate of the Western Quarter. The discovery of such elaborate horse armor leads one to assume that horses were highly prized by the Takeda clan. Indeed, horses were highly prized throughout Japan well into the late Edo period.

Takeda Nobutora’s move to the Tsutsujigasaki residence in 1519 was intended as the first stage in the construction of a castle town that would serve as a center of commerce and culture. The original town is thought to have extended from the residence to the site of present-day Kōfu Castle, located approximately 3 km south of the residence, and from east to west between the two rivers flowing on either side of the residence.

While the roads connecting the north-south and east-west sides of the castle town were built, the town itself was designed as a defensive facility for the residence, with a complex network of roads that included sharp turns, cul-de-sacs, and dead-ends which would prevent enemies from easily reaching the residence. On the outer edge of the castle town, mountainside fortresses, and signal towers were built. Upon the completion of the provincial capital, leading officials were obliged to move to the town, partly to keep them under Nobutora’s watchful eye and partly to ensure they could be promptly mobilized in case of an emergency.

Two markets were established in the southern part of the town, one in the east and the other in the west, in order to support the economic activities of the territory. These markets, which were also important transportation links to neighboring provinces, served as hubs for traffic control through the post-horse system.

Initially, samurai and town’s people lived together in mixed areas, and during the reigns of Shingen and Katsuyori, centers for merchant craftsmen were organized and maintained. Thus, a shift to an urban structure with a high concentration of people and functions had been achieved.

Excavations at the site of the Takeda residence have gradually revealed aspects of castle town life. Various items including tableware and children’s toys have been excavated. Many unglazed vessels called kawarake, used in ceremonial feasts, have also been found. In a rare example, ceramics and a large quantity of old coins were found deliberately stored in a waterway that presumably ran through a vassal’s property. Why would the vassal do this? The questions are never ending.

Gold production was also prominent in Kai Province, modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture, and decorative metal fittings with gold applied to their surfaces and gold-encrusted tools have been excavated from the ruins of workshops scattered around the castle town. Scientific analyses have shown that most of the gold transported to Kōfu for processing came from the Kurokawa gold mine in Kōshū City.

During three generations of Takeda rule, many temples and shrines were either built or relocated near the Takeda residence. After the fall of the Takeda clan, a new castle was built as the center of Kōfu on Ichijyō Koyama (a small hill southeast of JR Kōfu Station). Excavations based on pictorial maps and historic records confirm that many temples and shrines were once again relocated to this new area. Kōfu-City is a valuable historic site, with the ruins of two castle towns, the Takeda residence and Kōfu Castle.

Imagine what life would be like if you could not call the police, an ambulance, or the fire department when you need help. What if you had to protect yourself and the ones you love from all manner of dangers? Let’s learn how feudal lords protected themselves during Japan’s Warring States period.

Takeda Shrine was built upon the ruins of the original Takeda residence in the early twentieth century to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Kōfu, however, you can still see many vestiges of the Takeda household’s glorious past.

The Takeda residence was built in 1519 during the rule of Shingen’s father, Nobutora. The residence site is surrounded by mountains and an alluvial fan area with rivers flowing on either side. The site was chosen because of its excellent view of the Kōfu Basin, making it a natural strategic location.

Initially, the residence was a simple 100 square meter structure surrounded by a small moat and earthen mounds. As the Takeda’s power expanded, the moat, earthworks, and foundations were extended, eventually making it the largest warlord’s residence in eastern Japan. Excavations have revealed that, under Shingen, the central pavilion was 200 square meters, and the Western Quarter, built for Shingen’s eldest son, Yoshinobu, was half that size again. The site of the former residence is surrounded by earthwork walls that are 12 meters high and 20 meters deep. In addition, there is a moat surrounding the walled-off former residence which is about 16 meters wide. Because the residence was built on the slope of an alluvial fan, it sits quite high on its northern side, while the lower southern section of the residence is surrounded by a water-filled moat. Who knows, the colorful carp in the moat may be the descendants of those that filled the moat in the sixteenth century!

Kōfu was never invaded during Shingen’s lifetime, but it was essential to be prepared for any contingency. Defendable entrances were critical to security during the Warring States period and a masugata koguchi, traditional-rice-measuring-box-shaped gate, still remains. After the fall of the Takeda clan, the earthen walls were further reinforced with stone cladding. Incidentally, while repairing the stone walls of the current approach to Takeda Shrine, which dates from after 1919, it was confirmed that they had undergone at least five renovations between 1519 and 1594.

To defend the main gate, an earthen mound called “Umadashi” was constructed just outside. The mound for the former main gate on the eastern side of the residence site, which took its current shape in the latter half of the sixteenth century, is about 6.9 meters wide and about 15.5 meters deep. During the Takeda era, the mound was crescent-shaped to provide optimal protection from intruders.

In 2022, the Shingen Museum held “Takeda Shingen Deified” as part of the special exhibition “Takeda Shingen and Yamamoto Kansuke,” exhibiting portraits of Takeda Shingen, and the Kōyō Gunkan. The purpose of the exhibition was to explore why Takeda Shingen was posthumously worshipped as a god.

The Kōyō Gunkan is a record of the military exploits of the Takeda clan, based largely on the account of the Takeda vassal, Kasuga Toratsuna, also known as Kōsaka Masanobu (1527-1578). It is a large work of 20 volumes that contains anecdotes about Shingen, his battles, his military and criminal law, etc., and is considered absolutely indispensable to the study of Shingen’s legacy. Furthermore, the term Bushidō, the famous samurai code of chivalry, appears in text for the first time in the Kōyō Gunkan. Moreover, during the Edo period (1603 to 1868), the Tokugawa shogunate officially recognized the Kōshū School of military science, a science based on Shingen’s military organization, thus, the Kōyō Gunkan became popular among samurai as a text to be studied.

The Kōyō Gunkan contains detailed descriptions and statistics of Shingen’s politics, military strategies, and warfare. But there are also many anecdotes about Shingen’s daily life and relationships with his retainers that cannot be found elsewhere. It compares Shingen to the ideal lord, and contrasts him to his son, Katsuyori, whose poor leadership hastened the downfall of the clan. The image of Shingen as the charismatic warlord, and Katsuyori, the foolish general who destroyed the Takeda clan, is based largely on the Kōyō Gunkan.

According to the Kōyō Gunkan, Shingen had a wooden statue of Fudo Myo-o made in his own image. Fudo Myo-o was worshipped as a Buddhist guardian deity to protect the country from plague and foreign invaders. Holding a treasured sword in his right hand and a rope snare in his left, he was represented as a terrifying figure with a wrathful expression on his face. Recent research has revealed that the “Takeda Fudo Myo-o” statue enshrined at Shingen’s family temple, Erin-ji, was created in April 1572, one year before Shingen’s death, by the Kyōto-based Buddhist priest, Kouju. As a result, many of Shingen’s posthumous portraits show the characteristics of Fudo Myo-o, including having one eye half-opened and fangs for teeth.

Although there are no reliable historical records that indicate a relationship between Shingen and Fudo Myo-o, “Fudo Hall” is shown at the northeast corner of the Takeda residence in an illustrated map said to depict the Takeda residence during Shingen’s reign. One can imagine that Shingen must have prayed there regularly.

At Shingen’s funeral, the priest, Kaisen Kokushi, who had had a close friendship with Shingen, stated that the Fudo Myo-o was inseparably linked to Shingen. The abbot of Enkoin Temple, the family temple of Shingen’s wife, Lady Sanjyō, also understood that Shingen had a statue of Fudo Myo-o made in his own image to rule the country with the treasured sword of the state.

Speaking of the deification of warlords, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who became the ruler of Japan after Oda Nobunaga, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was the first of 15 Tokugawa shoguns from 1603 to 1868, both willed that they be enshrined as gods after their deaths.

Did Shingen want to protect his territory like Fudo Myo-o? We don’t know whether the people of the time equated Shingen with Fudo Myo-o or not. However, many portraits of Takeda Shingen painted during the Edo period clearly make a connection between Fudo Myo-o and Shingen. Today, Takeda Shingen is enshrined at Takeda Shrine, which is visited by many people from within and outside the prefecture.

The Shingen Museum, with support from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, held a special countdown exhibition, “The Renowned Lord Takeda Shingen and his Legendary General Yamamoto Kansuke,” from September 14 to November 21, 2022, to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Shingen’s death.

“The Legend and Truth of Yamamoto Kansuke” introduced the real Yamamoto Kansuke (1493 or 1500 to 1561), the most famous of the Takeda clan’s vassals, from the legendary military strategist mentioned in the Kōyō Gunkan, a record of the military exploits of the Takeda clan, to the real Yamamoto Kansuke as revealed in contemporary documents.

In 1541, Takeda Shingen, supported by his vassals and fiefdom, banished his tyrannical father, Nobutora, to Suruga Province, modern-day Shizuoka Prefecture, and became the head of the Takeda clan, thereby stabilizing the province. It was near the beginning of this expansion of the Takeda clan’s power that Kansuke entered the service of Shingen (1543 or 1544).

Kansuke was recommended to Shingen as a man with excellent castle-building skills and was promptly taken into Shingen’s service. Kansuke is said to have launched a military operation during the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima, in which he fought a fierce battle with Uesugi Kenshin. However, other than the description of Kansuke in the Kōyō Gunkan, there were no other historical documents that indicated the existence or activities of the legendary general.

In 1969, his name was finally confirmed in a letter of commendation from Shingen to the Ichikawa clan, a powerful warrior family in the northern part of Shinano Province, modern-day Nagano Prefecture. From the contents of the letter, it can be inferred that Kansuke was not only Takeda’s emissary but was also entrusted with the mission to propose to the Ichikawa clan that they should oppose Uesugi’s forces. Another document, discovered in Gunma Prefecture in 2008, contains evidence of Kansuke’s true significance as one of Shingen’s most trusted generals. This document reveals that Shingen had requested Kansuke to consider military operations in northern Shinano and even to visit Shingen’s chief vassal when the vassal was ill. In yet another letter, Shingen promised to reward Kansuke for fighting.

The exhibition included old documents and paintings depicting Kansuke, who died in the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561. The exhibition revealed the real-life Yamamoto Kansuke, who worked tirelessly for Shingen, and brought to light the life of a legendary general who fought desperately to survive during the Warring States period.

Takeda Shingen’s military and political skills, which enabled him to rule over Kai Province, modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture, and much of the central part of the Japanese archipelago, struck fear into the hearts of other feudal lords of his time. However, his powers were not the result of his abilities alone. The Takeda clan was able to expand its influence because of the support of many capable vassals who understood Shingen’s military and political strategies and were able to put them into action.

During Japan’s Warring States period, the inheritance of clan leadership was usually the right of the first-born son. Therefore, many families chose their heirs regardless of their abilities. Shingen, however, promoted second and third sons who would normally not be eligible. He gave the most talented the chance to inherit the family’s title and to play active roles. Furthermore, Shingen promoted non-samurai such as farmers, without regard to their rank or status, and trained them from an early age by keeping them close to him as his lieutenants. Yamagata Masakage and Naitō Masahide, who supported the Takeda army and are known as two of the Big Four Takeda Generals, were second sons of their own families, while Baba Nobuharu was from a small powerful family guarding the border, and Kasuga Toratsuna was from a farmer’s family. Others, such as Yamamoto Kansuke, were actively promoted as long as they were excellent, even if they came from other provinces.

Before the Takeda clan rose to become a formidable force beyond Kai Province, it’s members were constantly embroiled in disputes over succession and power, and many of Shingen’s relatives perished in the process of the unification of the province under Shingen’s father, Nobutora. As a result, by the time Shingen became the feudal lord of Kai, there were few reliable relatives left, except for Shingen’s brothers and their close relatives. Furthermore, some long-standing vassals refused to follow Shingen’s directives. Yet, Shingen was successful in selecting capable vassals who in turn supported the Takeda clan’s rapid rise.

The organization of Shingen’s vassals is unclear due to a lack of historical records from the time, but according to the Kōyō Gunkan, a record of the military exploits of the Takeda clan, it was composed of three groups: the Goichimonshū, who were related to Shingen by blood; the Fudai Karōshū, who had served the Takeda clan for several generations; and the Senpōshū, who followed the Takeda clan as it expanded its territory.

The forces led by Shingen were feared by the rest of Japan and won a great victory at the Battle of Mikatagahara against Tokugawa Ieyasu, which was Shingen’s last major battle. After Shingen’s death, Ieyasu, who ultimately destroyed the Takeda clan, inherited the vassals and military system bequeathed by Shingen and eventually established the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo, modern-day Tōkyō, to rule the entire country for more than 260 years. During this period, known as the Edo period (1603-1868), Shingen and his vassals were revered for their victory over Ieyasu and the vassals became known as the “Twenty-three Generals of Takeda Shingen.” Thus, paintings of Takeda and his generals were very popular, and many survive to this day.

It is said that family businesses rarely last for more than 3 generations. Eventually, the business is either sold or simply closes its doors. Takeda Katsuyori (1546–1582) was the third and last of the most powerful daimyō, feudal lords, to emerge from Kai Province, modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture, during the Sengoku period, Japan’s Warring States period. This is his story.

Katsuyori’s mother was from the Suwa clan. The Suwa clan were one of the feudal lords of Shinano, modern-day Nagano Prefecture, and were the highest ranking priests of Suwa-Taisha Shrine for generations. Although Katsuyori succeeded to the Suwa clan, with the downfall of his elder brother, he became the heir to the Takeda clan, despite being Shingen’s fourth son.

Katsuyori had many victories in battle, including his participation in the Battle of Mikatagahara, fought in the western part of modern-day Shizuoka Prefecture in what is now Hamamatsu City. In 1574, a year after his father’s death, Katsuyori captured Takatenjin Castle, also located in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture, which even his father had not managed to do.

Despite early successes, Katsuyori suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Nagashino in 1575 (in what is now Shinshiro City in modern-day Aichi Prefecture). In the battle, Katsuyori lost many of his most capable generals to the allied forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Katsuyori’s defeat is said to have been caused by an ill-considered attack on a position established by the Oda and Tokugawa forces, which exposed his army to the fire of the reported 3,000 firearms that Oda had prepared. The Oda-Tokugawa army’s use of 3,000 firearms to defeat Takeda’s cavalry tactics is often cited as a turning point in Japanese warfare. Katsuyori and his forces would never fully recover from this defeat and it was only a matter of time before the rule of the Takedas came to an end.

After this defeat, Katsuyori’s power waned. Nobunaga, who was more wary of the Takeda clan than anyone else, took advantage of this opportunity to launch an invasion of Kai, modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture, and Shinano. The Takeda forces abandoned the Takeda residence in Kōfu and retreated to Shinpu Castle, which was under construction. On March 3, 1582, while being pursued by the combined forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Katsuyori abandoned Shinpu Castle, set it alight, and attempted to escape with about 500-600 samurai and more than 200 women and children from his family and kin. They fled eastward through the mountains of Kai to a mountain fortress located in modern-day Otsuki City, where they hoped to find refuge with the Takeda retainer, Oyamada. However, they were denied access to the fortress as the road leading there was blocked. With no fortress to hold and no additional allies, the remaining Takeda servants and warriors lost hope. All along the way, men had dropped out until only 41 warriors and some 50 women were left, close kinsmen of Katsuyori who could not abandon him.

On March 11, 1582, a final battle was fought at Tenmokuzan in Kōshū City. It is said that the small Takeda force fought to the bitter end while being cornered by Oda’s forces. Among them, Tsuchiya Masatsune is said to have fought while grasping ivy with one hand to keep from falling down a cliff! His heroism was so legendary that he became known as, “The warrior who single-handedly cut down one thousand men.” This and other valiant sacrifices bought time for Katsuyori and his retinue, including his wife and son, to commit ritual suicide. The Takeda family of the prestigious Kai Genji clan had perished. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who assumed the rule of Kai Province, built Keitokuin Temple on the site where Katsuyori and the others are said to have committed suicide, to mourn the souls of those who died in the battle.

In some Edo-period texts (1603-1868), Shingen is described as “a general who was a master of Japanese archery,” and a model warrior who never lost a battle from the age of 16 to 53. Shingen was also an outstanding statesman, but more than that, he was feared by other warring feudal lords as the “strongest” among them. Shingen had a brilliant record of 49 wins, 20 draws, and 3 losses during his lifetime. The following are accounts of just a few of these battles.

In 1541, at the age of 21, Shingen ousted his father to become the head of the Takeda clan and began a full-scale invasion of Shinano Province, modern-day Nagano Prefecture, starting with the invasion of Suwa the following year. However, the Takeda forces, which had won successive victories, were defeated twice by the powerful Murakami Yoshikiyo. In the Battle of Uedahara in 1548, Shingen suffered a particularly serious defeat, losing some of his chief vassals, as well as being wounded himself. Two years later, at the Battle of Toishi Castle, Shingen suffered his second crushing defeat to the Murakami clan. However, the Takeda forces gradually gained the upper hand, and the Murakami clan withdrew to seek the protection of Uesugi Kenshin in Echigo, modern-day Niigata Prefecture.

Shingen was later portrayed as a victorious general because of his many significant victories in battle, his conquest of extensive territories, and the publicity his warlike prowess received through such historic chronicles as the Kōyō Gunkan. The Kōyō Gunkan describes each of Takeda Shingen’s major battles, chronicling not only the strategies and tactics but the outcomes as well. Shingen’s most famous battle, the Battle of Kawanakajima, is also described in detail. Shingen fought for control of northern Shinano with Uesugi Kenshin, both of whom were known as two great warriors of the Warring States period. In their 12 years of warfare, the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561 is said to have been the fiercest. There is also a rare anecdote of hand-to-hand combat between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Having broken through Takeda’s forces, Uesugi Kenshin found his way to Shingen’s command tent and engaged him directly, slashing at him with his sword. While reaching for his own sword, Shingen deflected the attack with his iron war fan. A Takeda retainer then speared Kenshin’s horse, forcing him to retreat.

The chronicle also gives a detailed breakdown of the entire Takeda army, when Takeda Shingen was at the height of his power, counting everyone from pages and banner bearers to kitchen staff, horse doctors, and finance commissioners. According to the chronicle, the 33,736 members of Takeda’s army included 9,121 horsemen, 18,242 followers for the horsemen, 884 foot-soldiers (personal attendants to the lord), and 5,489 other foot-soldiers. The detailed breakdown of the army also provides an interesting look into the hierarchy of retainers or allies within such a force.

The battle with Uesugi Kenshin was the longest and most severe of Shingen’s life, but the battle with Tokugawa Ieyasu in his later years was both his last battle and largest military operation. The massive military operation known as Seijō-Sakusen, literally Operation Westward, in which Shingen moved an army of some 27,000 men, is said to have been initiated to assist the Ashikaga shogun in Kyōto to overthrow Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga, but the reason for the operation is actually not fully understood. Unfortunately for Shingen, after a series of victories and a great victory over the combined forces of Oda and Tokugawa at the Battle of Mikatagahara, his health deteriorated, making it difficult for him to continue further, and he was forced to withdraw his forces. On his way back to Kōfu, Shingen died in Shinano at the age of 53. The memory of this great victory, coupled with its lasting aftermath, may have heightened awareness of the legend of Shingen’s invincible spirit.

Although Takeda Shingen is most often thought of as a military commander who led his troops into battle, in his everyday life he resided at the Takeda residence in Kōfu, where he administered the affairs of government in his domain. In addition to being the leader of a large number of vassals, Shingen’s major role was to protect the livelihoods of his subjects as the feudal lord of the land.

Surrounded by high mountains, the Kōfu Basin had only a limited amount of arable land suitable for rice cultivation, and even this land was often inundated by flood waters. Therefore, a flood control project was undertaken by Shingen to prevent rivers from overflowing by building a levee near the confluence of the Kamanashi River, which flows southward through the western part of the Kōfu Basin, and its tributary, the Midai River. This is the dike on the Kamanashi River that remains to this day, and is known as the “Shingenzutsumi” (Shingen Dike).

Despite the relative success of these flood controls, the fact still remained that there was limited agricultural land available for rice cultivation and trade was hampered by the province’s lack of a vital sea port. However, the mountains and forests produced high-quality timber, and the province was also blessed with gold mines. Gold is said to have underpinned Shingen’s military power, and there were two large, high-quality gold mines in Kai Province (modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture), Yunooku and Kurokawa. There is no doubt that gold from the Kurokawa mine was brought to the castle town of Kōfu for processing as the presence of gold from the Kurokawa mine has been detected in earthenware smelting trays excavated there. Kai gold was of high purity, and it appears that it could be refined relatively easily, so it was intensively produced by people known as “Kanayamashu” who lived off mountain resources during Shingen’s reign. Furthermore, Japan’s first gold coins, Kōshū gold, were minted at this time. The Takeda clan offered this gold to court nobles, shrines, and temples, and also rewarded their vassals with it. In addition, as rice was difficult to cultivate in Kai Province, the Takeda clan allowed for one-third of annual tribute to be paid in the local currency. This arrangement, which was unique to Kai Province, resulted in the development of a cash economy and the need for standardized methods of measurement with scales and masu, rice measuring boxes. Later, these practices were widely adopted throughout Edo Japan.

Furthermore, Shingen passed 57 laws for governing his domain in 1547, consisting of 55 articles to which two were later added, and these laws are known as the “Kōshū Hatto no Shidai” (The Laws of Kōshū).

The content of the laws was wide-ranging, but most of them related to land ownership and taxes, while others stipulated matters related to the master-servant relationship of warriors, the settlement of violent disputes, restrictions on exchanging documents with other provinces, and even the prohibition of religious disputes. It was very unusual at the time for a violation of the law to be litigated without regard to a person’s status, yet, even Shingen was subject to these laws.

Takeda Shingen was educated by highly respected Zen Buddhist monks from an early age. As a result, he studied classical Chinese literature and became well-versed in Chinese poetry. Shingen respected the military tactics of Sun Tzu (circa 5th century BCE), the renowned ancient Chinese military strategist who is credited as the author of The Art of War. As a code of conduct for his army, Shingen used a passage from The Art of War on a banner and displayed it on the battlefield. It is said that he started using this banner from the time of the Battle of Kawanakajima against Uesugi Kenshin.

The banner quoted four phrases from The Art of War: “As swift as wind, As gentle as a forest, As fierce as fire, As unshakable as a mountain.”

In addition to being a military commander who excelled in the martial arts, Shingen had a deep knowledge of culture and the fine arts, and was highly respected by court nobles and the emperor’s envoys in Kyōto.

As part of the refined persona he projected, Shingen built a mansion modelled after those of the Ashikaga shoguns in Kyōto, to which he invited court nobles and their retainers to lavish poetry festivals.

Shingen was known as an outstanding cultural figure, composing waka (Japanese poetry) as well as painting. In the samurai society of the time, the appreciation of waka poetry was not just a matter of acquiring it as an intellectual pursuit. The poetry readings and subsequent banquets had a strong political significance as they served as occasions for diplomacy, the exchange of information, and the reinforcement of the sovereign-servant relationship.

Moreover, the extensive gardens of the Takeda residence were used to further demonstrate his social status and power when welcoming distinguished guests. Such gardens were an essential part of daimyō diplomacy.

Unsurprisingly, excavations at the site of Lord Shingen’s former residence have revealed high-quality ceramics and porcelain dating from Song-Dynasty China (960-1279 CE). These items would have been given pride of place in the slightly raised alcove of the room where emissaries and guests from throughout Japan were received. Displaying such fine ceramics would have further attested to Shingen’s power.

Lady Ōi (1497-1552) was the wife of Takeda Nobutora, and Shingen’s mother. She was born a daughter of the Ōi clan who lived in the western part of the Kōfu Basin and were a local rival of Nobutora. Following the peace between Nobutora and her father, she married into the Takeda family as Nobutora’s wife. She was blessed with four sons and a daughter, and was very dedicated to the education of her children, including inviting outstanding monks to Kai Province, modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture, as teachers. There is also an anecdote that she advised Shingen on the battlefield. Lady Ōi continued to stay at the Takeda residence after her husband, Nobutora, was banished by Shingen. A portrait painted by Nobukado, one of her sons, is held at her family temple, Chōzen-ji.

Shingen took a noblewoman, Lady Sanjyō (1521-1570), as his wife. She married into the Takeda family through an intermediary of Imagawa Yoshimoto, a feudal lord of Suruga Province, modern-day Shizuoka Prefecture. She gave birth to three boys and two girls. Lady Sanjyō also had a sister who married a Buddhist priest who was hostile to Oda Nobunaga, a powerful feudal lord and rival of Takeda Shingen. Lady Sanjyō allegedly introduced this brother-in-law to her husband, Shingen. Death records of Enkoin, her family temple, describe Lady Sanjyō as one of the most beautiful women in western Japan.

Shingen’s eldest son, Takeda Yoshinobu (1538-1567), was blessed with military prowess, and was expected to be the heir to the Takeda clan. In 1550, he took the daughter of Imagawa Yoshimoto as his wife, and the western quarter of the Takeda residence was built upon their marriage. However, he later rebelled against his father’s rule and was forced to commit ritual suicide in 1567.

Shingen’s second son was Takeda Ryūho (1541-1582), also known as Unno Nobuchika. In 1556, Nobuchika became ill and a copy of a letter showing that Takeda Shingen requested prayers for the recovery of Nobuchika’s sight has survived. Despite Nobuchika’s blindness, Shingen named Nobuchika heir to the Unno clan of Shinano Province, modern-day Nagano Prefecture, to further expand his influence. However, he was ordained as a semi-clerical half-monk and never appeared on the political stage. During the invasion of Kai by Oda Nobunaga, he learned of his brother Katsuyori’s death and committed suicide.

Shingen’s fourth son, Katsuyori, took Lady Hōjyō (1564-1582) as his wife. She was born the daughter of Hōjyō Ujiyasu of Sagami Province, modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture. She married 31-year-old Katsuyori at the age of 13 to secure an alliance between the Takeda clan of Kai Province and the Hōjyō clan of Sagami Province in 1577. Due to the swift advance of the Oda-Tokugawa forces into Kai and Shinano Provinces, and the defection of influential vassals from the Takeda army, her husband, Katsuyori, was plunged into a struggle for survival. To support him, she sent prayers for the safety of the Takeda clan to Takeda Hachiman Shrine. Ultimately, she committed ritual suicide with her husband and Katsuyori’s son from a previous marriage, Nobukatsu, in 1582.

Takeda Nobukatsu (1567-1582) was born the eldest son of Takeda Katsuyori and Lady Tōyama, the adopted daughter of Oda Nobunaga. In the Kōyō Gunkan (The Military History of the Takeda Clan) it is said that while being cornered by the Oda forces invading Kai, Nobukatsu insisted to his father, who was about to set fire to his unfinished castle, that they should commit ritual suicide gracefully there. They ultimately retreated into the mountains and relied on the Oyamada clan based in the eastern part of Kai Province. Due to Oyamada’s treachery, the 16-year-old Nobukatsu committed suicide along with his father, his father’s young wife, and about 60 members of their retinue.

Do you know that Takeda Shingen, a feudal lord of the Sengoku period (Japan’s Warring States period), had his roots in Japan’s Imperial family? The Takeda clan is the head family of the Genji of Kai Province, modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture, a branch of the Seiwa Genji, whose ancestor was Emperor Seiwa in the 9th century. The surname Minamoto, or the Genji, was given to a grandson of Emperor Seiwa, Tsunemoto, who gained fame as a military commander in the mid-10th century. In the history of the Genji, it was the three generations of Takeda Nobutora, Shingen and Katsuyori, who were ascendant as warring feudal lords in the 16th century.

Shingen’s father, Takeda Nobutora (1498-1574), became the 18th head of the Takeda clan at the age of only 9, and later went on to unite both the Takeda family and the competing lords of Kai Province. In 1519, he established a new base in Kōfu, and increased his presence as a daimyō, or feudal lord, during the Warring States period. In 1541, while returning from a visit to his son-in-law, the ruler of Suruga Province (modern-day Shizuoka Prefecture), his son, Shingen, sealed the border between Kai and Suruga, banishing Nobutora. He was forced to retire to Suruga where he became a monk. However, after the death of his son-in-law, he served the Ashikaga shogunate in Kyōto. Ultimately, he would never set foot in Kōfu again, and died in 1574 at his third son, Nobukado’s, castle in Shinano Province (modern-day Nagano Prefecture). His remains were interred at Daisenji Temple in Kōfu, where his portrait, painted by his third son, is held until today. Nobutora lived in harsh times and has often been criticized for his cruelty and inhumanity. However, he has been reevaluated in recent years as a warlord who laid the foundation for territorial control, including a conscription system and taxation system, in order to make his domain wealthy and militarily powerful.

At the age of 21, Takeda Shingen (1521-1573) replaced his father as head of the clan. By the time of Shingen’s takeover, the foundation for the rule of the territory had been laid by Nobutora, and Shingen quickly emerged as a leader by launching an invasion into neighboring Shinano Province. Shingen was feared as the “Strongest” daimyō during Japan’s Warring States period due to his skillful leadership in battle and the expansion of his territory. In 1572, at the request of the Ashikaga shogun, Shingen left Kōfu with a large army bound for Kyōto. The following year, however, Shingen suffered from an illness during a military campaign in the west, and died on his way back to Kōfu. In life, he protected Kai Province from invasion. He also devoted himself to domestic issues including building large levees to protect people and land from flooding, and establishing laws to control vassals and protect public order. Shingen is revered as a local hero to this day.

At the time of his death, Shingen willed that his passing be kept a secret for three years. The leadership of the Takeda clan was then entrusted to Shingen’s fourth son, Katsuyori (1546-1582), as Shingen’s eldest son, Yoshinobu, was forced to commit suicide due to suspicion of treason some years prior. The power of the Takeda clan reached its height during Katsuyori’s tenure as lord of Kai Province. However, a defeat at the Battle of Nagashino by the combined forces of Oda and Tokugawa, caused turmoil within the clan. In 1581, to reestablish control over Kai, he built Shinpu Castle in Nirasaki, northwest of Kōfu, and subsequently relocated his headquarters there. The following year, outnumbered and outmatched by Oda and allied forces, 37-year-old Katsuyori committed ritual suicide with his 19-year-old wife, his 16-year-old son from a previous marriage, and about 60 officers, soldiers and attendants. This act marked the end of three generations of Takeda domination of the central part of the Japanese archipelago.