Takeda Shingen, the Lord of Kai

We were rambling along in our Mira (the Japanese version of the Mini-Cooper) and entering the city of Kofu. I dragged two Shizuoka University students along with me on my quest to find the remains of Takeda Shingen's empire. My friends were amused that this Potagee/Hawaiian was so interested in Japanese history. They felt an obligation to accompany me on this odyssey because they feared I would get lost in the mountains of Kofu. I was a mixture of crazed historian and Christian missionary in their eyes. A good combination if you ask me.

We finally got to the heart of Kofu and the remains of Shingen's castle. All that was left was the stone foundations of the former fortification. The wooden structure was burned to the ground by Tokugawa Ieyasu after the battle of Temmokuzan. The Takeda clan ceased to exist after this engagement.

I was saddened that such an illustrious house experienced complete annihilation. As I remembered the stone foundations I realized the only kingdom that will last is the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His kingdom will become the highest mountain or empire in the universe (Isaiah 2). All will go the way of the Takeda and other earthly kingdoms. They will be swept away by the power of heaven. Hallelujah!!!

During the 16th century Kofu was called Kai. It was known as the domain of Takeda Shingen, the most feared war lord in all of Japan. His fierce warriors and soldiering skills crushed his adversaries and gave him the reputation, the tiger of Kai. Like Napoleon, Takeda Shingen relied heavily on mass cavalry charges. He would literally run through his enemy lines. His war banner captured the dominating spirit of his army, Fu-Rin-Ka Zan (wind, forest, fire, mountain). He trained his army to be swift as the wind, silent as a forest, fierce as a fire, and immovable like a mountain. They were unstopppable.

They finally met defeat under the command of his hot headed son, Takeda Katsuyori. He ordered a frontal assault against Oda Nobunaga's (another famous war lord) line of defense. What he didn't know was that the Oda line bristled with matchlock guns. They decimated the once proud cavalry with volley after volley of gunfire. This marked the beginning of the end for the Takeda clan.

Proverbs states, "Pride goes before destruction." Takeda Katsuyori and many other arrogant leaders followed this same foolish path.

Pridefulness destroys many before their prime. 1 Peter 5:5-6 states, "Young men be submissive to those who are older. clothe yourself with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may lift you up in due time." Good words for those who want longevity in their service for God.

My time in Kofu was both interesting and sobering. We made it a point to buy some peaches before we came home. The Kofu peach is world famous. Did you ever eat a peach that exploded in your mouth with juicy sweetness? The liquid from the fruit literally dripped down the side of mouth as I bit into it. It was the best. God is good. He wants the best for us. He wants us to produce good fruit.

Bushido and Christianity

Are they complimentary? The simple answer is no. One is steeped in pride and the other in love. Many have written books trying to amalgamate the two, but you can only take the similarities so far.

Yet, the emphasis on honor, loyalty, frugality, and courage strengthened generations of young men in the land of the rising sun. It made the Samurai the ultimate fighting machine because of their willingness to commit unto death. That is why Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He knew the Japanese would fight unto the death and inflict a tremendous toll on the allies. Millions would have died. The Bushido Code would have caused the complete annihilation of a nation too. Thank God cooler and saner heads prevailed when the Japanese finally surrendered in the face of inevitable destruction. Today, they set the standard on how a nation can rise from the ashes and become an economic juggernaut. They transferred their martialistic energies toward business. The modern day samurai is now dressed in a business suit and carries a brief case. They show their honor by working long hours at their company, sacrificing all for its success.

The ultimate act of honor for the medieval warrior was to commit seppuku or self immolation. The samurai would take a short sword and slit open his stomach. The pain was so unbearable that he asked a friend or fellow samurai to chop off his head. This was a way for a samurai to retain his honor and even increase his stock despite the shame of defeat.

Thank goodness Jesus died on the cross so that we don't have to kill ourselves to hold on to this imaginary honor. Jesus' death bestowed on us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor 1:30). He poured the honor of forgiveness and holy perfection on our lives through his death.

Seppuku is the ultimate form of self effort or pride to gain right standing in the eyes of the warrior class. Bushido actually breeds a culture of death. Today, the Japanese are at the top of the list, or near the top, when it comes to suicide. It's tragic.

I honor the Japanese culture and history. I value loyalty, courage, frugality, honesty, and other qualities inculcated by Bushido, but the same can be had and more through Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the ultimate Daimyo (Lord). All praise, glory, and honor belong to Him.

The Escape

“Kill the dog if you find him!” The red armored ashigaru went scurrying back and forth through the thrush trying to find Tsutomu. “I swear I struck him with my arrow!” shouted one of the mounted samurai. “He must be somewhere near. He could not have gotten very far.”

Tsutomu whispered, “ Trot my way and I will strike your pompous head off.” He gripped his katana with a grimace that revealed the pain exploding throughout his body. The arrow struck him in the right shoulder between the armor plating. The shock threw him to the ground.

He slowly climbed higher and higher away from the blood thirsty voices of his enemy. The cypress trees canopying the mountain became his big brother shielding him from the wolf pack. “I just want to lie down and sleep. The cool moss feels so good. No, I must continue to climb higher and higher. I must live.”

“Tsutomu, you cowardly dog come out and fight! Die like a real samurai!”
“And you are?” thought Tsutomu. “You will all die by the edge of my blade for your treachery.” The predatory growls grew fainter as he slowly ascended the misty Yamagata mountains. “Thank you Buddha for having mercy on me.”

He pulled himself up over slippery rock and muddy path. He stumbled higher and higher into the mist. “Is that the sound of a stream?” The song of water caused him to forget all caution. He ran and threw himself into the foamy torrent. The smooth pebbles of the streambed felt cool and clean as he lapped water into his dry mouth. He tore a patch of watercress from the crevice of a rock and crunched on its peppery leaves for nourishment. “I need real food. They will search here. I need to keep moving.”

He reached over his back and with one quick pull, ripped the arrow from his shoulder. He muffled his groan. “Why didn’t my armor stop this damn arrow? Why wear this stupid, heavy thing anyway? It doesn’t work!” Staggering to his feet, he moved slowly up the stream. The finches flitted over his head as he went deeper and deeper into the mountain forest. Bamboo groves, here and there, provided a natural palisade against the harsh mountain wind that swept over this region. They rustled and whistled in the blustery weather.

Pushing aside brush and branches, he refrained from chopping anything with his katana. His stealth training as a ninja proved useful in evading search parties. “The less I touch, the less they’ll find.” He discovered some healing herbs under a red pine tree, chewed it, and placed the regurgitated mixture right on his open wound. It stung.

The sun had set a long time ago and fatigue began to get the best of him. “Is that a temple up ahead? Yes, it is!” With his katana dragging in the weeds, he made for the dim light coming from one of the windows. He heard chanting and smelled the incense. He crawled up the cold, stone steps and banged on the weather beaten door.