The 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki

Jan and I walked up a steep hill and came to the spot where 26 Christians were martyred for their faith. I was sobered by their testimonies and challenged deeply in my spirit. It happened almost 420 years ago, but their faith and perseverance still shouts from the past. It's true. The blood of the martyrs is seed for revival. They did not shed their blood in vain. The land of the rising sun will truly become the land of the Rising Son.

The Battle of Nagashino

Oda Nobunaga, the first of Japan's great unifiers, was considered your typical country samurai, rough and provincial. This was a fatal mistake made by his enemies. Behind the simpleton facade, stood a very innovative and cunning leader.

The battle of Nagashino showed his tactical genius for combat. The Takeda army was laying siege to Nagashino castle when Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu sent reinforcements to support the embattled defenders. The Oda/Tokugawa forces now numbered 38,000 troops, while the Takeda only had 12,000. Still, Takeda Katsuyori decided to send a cavalry charge against the Oda defensive line because he felt they would break under a massive charge. The Takeda were known for their horsemanship and cavalry. Every army in Japan feared the Takeda mounted samurai. They never lost.

Oda Nobunaga constructed a massive defensive line of wooden stockades and stationed 1500 arquebusiers with matchlock guns to man this position. He also had pike men and samurai stationed behind the gunners to cut down any cavalry that made it through the defensive works.

It had been raining earlier, so Katsuyori decided the matchlock guns would be useless. The distance between the two opposing forces totaled only 200-400 meters. The Takeda always won. There was no way the enemy could reload that quickly. He ordered the charge.

The bold offensive strike was doomed from the start. Not only did they have to cross a stream, but they had to climb a steep embankment before they could charge. As the cavalry made it over the rise, the gunners fired into their ranks (the rain had no effect). Nobunaga also set up a system of rotating volleys that continually poured rounds of fire into the attacking force without a break. He also strenghthened his flanks so the cavalry couldn't roll up his defensive position from the sides.

At the end of the day, the famed horsemen from Kai were repulsed and soundly defeated. Over one thousand cavalry men were shot down and two thousand more killed during the ensuing retreat. The Takeda never rose again from this massacre. The Battle of Nagashino was a turning point in samurai battlefield strategy as well as in the whole course of a nation. The old guard was giving way to the new.

War always sets the stage for the proud to fall. The Bible states, "Pride goes before the fall." Even with the numbers and terrain stacked against him, Katsuyori stilled ordered the attack. Most military strategists counsel that you need three times the size of the defending force to even think of mounting an assault.

The ranks of many Christians are falling in droves to the sin of pride. They launch out impetuously without taking stock of their strengths or if God is leading them in their pursuit of misguided goals. Boldness is good, but disciplined obedience is better.

The Takeda clan was finally exterminated at the battle of Temmokuzan. You could say pride destroyed them.

The Battle of Sekigahara

The fateful day arrived. The forces of Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu stared each other down with only one mile of muddy ground separating their sharpened spears. Mitsunari represented the loyalist western army (81,000) supporting the late regent, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Tokugawa Ieyasu represented the eastern army (88,000) of daimyo loyal to the Tokugawa and hateful of Mitsunari's underhanded ways. This was going to be the last great battle of the bloody Sengoku period that saw clan after clan vying for power.

From the start of the battle, Tokugawa Ieyasu placed himself and his armies in a very weak position. He did not have the high ground and his retreat route was covered by enemy forces. He was trapped. Military strategists, to this day, shake their heads at the mistake made by this astute leader.

Mitsunari, on the otherhand, had the high ground and a clear route of retreat. Maybe this was why he lost? With all their bridges burned, the desperate Tokugawa warriors fought with all their reserves. They held nothing back. Maybe this was Ieyasu's strategy? Who knows? People still question why General Lee ordered his men into a meat grinder at Gettysburg. Tokugawa's reasons are also still debated today.

The night fog burned away with the morning sun and Mitsunari realized the battle belonged to him. He would be supreme commander of Japan by day's end.

The fighting commenced with Ii Naomasa's red armored troops leading a vanguard attack against the western army's front line. These shock troops were renowned throughout Japan as Tokugawa's best fighting force. They cut a swath deep into the enemy lines with their initial cavalry charge and paved the way for advancing infantry.

The first hours of the battle saw both armies taking and retaking ground. Blood, mud, fierce hand-to-hand combat characterized the struggle. No one seemed to gain the upper hand, until an unforeseen predicament occurred on the western side, mass defections. About a third of the western army defected to the Tokugawa. This turned the tide.

Mitsunari had only one option, retreat. The remains of his massive army turned on their heels and retreated in confusion. Tokugawa Ieyasu and his army carried the day. Even with victory in his grasp, he shouted the command, "Victory is ours, but tighten your helmet straps." These words of caution in the midst of victory became a famous quote passed down to all Japanese school children.

Mitsunari was eventually captured and marched through Kyoto and beheaded. Toyotomi Hideyori, the remainig heir of Hideyoshi, mounted a final rebellion and eventually committed seppuku within the flames of Osaka castle. This sealed the fate of the Toyotomi and consolidated Tokugawa rule for the next two hundred and fifty years.

In hindsight, the battle was already won by Tokugagwa Ieyasu even before the first sword was drawn. The eastern forces were supremely loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu and orders were unquestioningly obeyed. Mitsunari was a politician trying to lead a loosely held confederation of disgruntled daimyo. His orders on the battlefield were continually rebuffed by more seasoned warriors who considered Mitsunari unfit as a military commander. They actually disliked him, but hated Ieyasu more.

This love-hate relationship between politicians and warriors was and is still very common. Mitsunari had no chance against the superior leadership abilities of Ieyasu. He exuded confidence and commanded the respect of all his troops. Unity, character, and good battle field strategy eventually led to victory on that day. Even the western turn coats, who sided with Ieyasu, realized Mitsunari lacked the character and strength to rule Japan. They saw the writing on the wall. Maybe Ieyasu saw this happening before the battle. Whatever the case, he took a gamble with his initial battle tactics and won.

Sun Tzu had a favorite quote, "Victorious warriors win the battle before they fight. Defeated warriors fight and then try to win battle." It's like discipleship. We also need to count the cost before we choose to follow Jesus. The cost is high, but the fruit of victory filled with the eternal weight of glory. Many fall away, but for the few that stay the course, we will the hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Gokurosama deshita!