Sekigahara Novel Chapter 2 English

Chapter 2

Person to Person

            Mitsunari’s Sawayama Castle was located in the Biwa Lake territory. I know this from reading about it but I haven’t really been there before. For some years now, each time I pass by Hikone I usually think “Sawayama should be around here somewhere,” and I look for it through the train’s window. That being said, there is a great view out to the east of Biwa lake behind Hikone Castle and a lot of the time I forget to even look for Sawayama. Sawayama is surrounded by pines and other types of small trees. Also, the train skims along the mountain meaning that Sawayama is in the opposite direction to the Hikone castle. Whenever I remember this, I usually turn to look and the train has already passed it. But once I began to write this manuscript I decided I really should actually see Sawayama castle.

            I set out from Gifu prefecture, passed through Ōgaki city, and got off at Sekigahara station. I stopped for a breather at the ancient battlefield and then via the Meishin Expressway which now skirts around its perimeter, made my way into the gorge near the Shiga prefecture border. From there I made it to the planes in Ōmie.

            Keep making your way right, and eventually you will pass through Hikone. And then finally, to Sawayama.

            Including the areas where the Tōkaidō line currently runs, Biwa lake formed a sort of gulf all the way up to the hem of the mountain. This mountain stood peacefully towering up into the heavens.

            “So, this is Sawayama,” I thought as I tilted my head skyward. It had a sleek, spindle-shaped peak. Also, the surrounding peaks were rather short.

            “This will bring us to the rear gate,” explained the person who was showing me around as they pointed with their parasol. Basically, if you are approaching on the Tōkaidō line, this mountain lies behind the castle. Ōte-mon gate is on old Nakasendo road in Toriimoto.

            The castle stood on the mountain’s peak at around 150 meters above sea level. In Mitsunari’s day, it stood with a tall central tower 5 floors high. You can see how large it was by looking at old illustrations of it. The height of the stone walls which supported it stood 15 feet tall.

            There is an old text which talks about the height of the castle, saying, “The Shachihoko¹ is at a height such that one might not see it on a cloudy day.”

            The castle walls were arranged with the Honmaru² in the center followed by the Ninomaru², Taikonomaru², Kanenomaru², Hokkemaru², Minodonomaru², Koshiguruwa², etc. per a European style of fortification. Near Ōte-mon gate and Karate-mon gate used to be many estates for samurai, but now there is nothing more than countryside.

            Near Karate-mon gate is and inlet which trickles with water, and on the other side of that, a large river. In the space between is a 100-ken³ long bridge. Thus, since “one hundred” in Japanese is “hyaku,” and “bridge” is “hashi,” the name of the bridge became “Hyakuken-bashi”. Actually, the bridge is a little longer than 100 ken. It is roughly 200 meters.

            In Toyotomi’s day, this castle was very famous. A haiku from that time reads:

For Mitsunari

It seems there are two things which

Are too good for him

One of them being Sakon

Also, his castle

           

            There is also a surviving nursery rhyme from the Ōmie region. Children might have sung it while bouncing a ball. The image comes to mind of a young girl of the village drawing the eyes of those around her while she hums the song with the castle floating high above her in the background. 　

            (Translation not as lyrical)

            I am merely a villager, but to Sawayama I can see.

            The golden family crest, and moats upon moats. Quite an impressive site.

            One feels the magnitude of the castle as one enters its gate. The curve of its sloping roofs bend at such an angle. Quite an impressive site.

            Quiet a castle, and impressive castle, surrounded by its flower-adorned moats. Oh the flowers of these moats.

            Such was the castle Mitsunari built. His rank was not very high. He held a mere 194 thousand koku. His castle was slightly above his means. Why did he need such a castle, and why did he need to employ Sakon?

            The answer to that question can be seen through the fact that the walls of the castle were rough and unpainted. He was not trying to show off by building a glamorous castle. It is easy to see that he simply already had combat on his mind, and therefore was thinking practically.

            Mitsunari had much ambition. The construction of Sawayama castle was in 1596, a few years before the death of Hideyoshi. Both Mitsunari and Sakon had a hand in designing the castle. You could say it was a collaborative effort, but while they were working on the castle, they had a discussion about the possible death of the Taiko, Hideyoshi. “If he were to die, his son, Mr. Hideyori is still very young. It could cause disruption in the lands. There would likely be a battle to decide a new heir. And our flag would have to be flying right in the middle of it.” Such was the overflowing ambition of Ishida Mitsunari from Sawayama castle.

            When Sakon first saw Mitsunari when he showed up at his hermitage in Takamiya county to request his service, his impression was that Mitsunari was very young. He was pale, wide eyed with long dark eyelashes. He was short. A small man.

At first, he thought that Hideyoshi might be using Mitsunari in a “romantic” way, but the more he thought about it, he realized that probably wasn’t the case. “He does have a commanding air about him,” Sakon thought. Sakon was oddly intrigued by Mitsunari’s personality.

And so, Mitsunari’s charm had persuaded him, “I will do for you what I can.”

As the years rolled by, Mitsunari was now 39 years old. His face had not changed very much however. He was an adult sized version of his younger self. His arrogance had slightly grown as well. An arrogant man with the face of a child. He was not very charming and people did not take to him well. Sakon had thought it interesting that he had at one time been charming, but was now making many enemies.

On some occasions, Sakon would try to advise Mitsunari on his behavior. One winter day, Mitsunari was at Osaka castle while it was under repair. He was with his colleague, administrator and Danjō-shōhitsu⁴, Asano Nagamasa. They had built up a bonfire. Mitsunari stood by, his head draped in a hood.

“Jibu-Shōyū,” Nagamasa called Mitsunari by his rank.

“Yes?”

“You might want to remove your hood, as we are expecting a visitor from Edo (Ieyasu)”

Mitsunari simply kept his gaze upon the fire, pretending he did not hear Nagamasa. Nagamasa himself was on good terms with Ieyasu, but as for Mitsunari, there was no one who disliked Ieyasu more than he.

However, Ieyasu controlled over 2 million 550 thousand koku, he was the head of the council of 5 elders, and he ranked higher than the lords of the Toyotomi clan. His rank compared to Mitsunari’s put him above the clouds. Thus, removing his hood would have been the mature thing to do, but Mitsunari acted as more of a blunt child in that all he could think about was how much he hated Ieyasu.

“Can you not hear me?” Nagamasa was asking nicely at first, but having been completely ignored, was now irritated.　

At that moment, Ieyasu arrived at the castle with a large number of comrades. With anger, Nagamasa snatched the hood from Mitsunari’s head. “I’m talking about this,” he said as he threw it into the fire. But, Mitsunari, pretending not to notice, continued to stare into the flames.

What with the such rumors of Mitsunari being childish, from that point on, Sakon no longer cared to try and advise him.

There was another incident when something like this occurred, however. It was at the construction site of Hōkōji-temple in Kyō (Kyōto). On Hideyoshi’s orders, Ieyasu, Mitsunari and others had been sent there to do an inspection. Mitsunari held a bamboo rod, which he used for giving orders on the construction site. Suddenly the rod clanked as he dropped it.  

Ieyasu picked it up and handed it to him, but without saying anything Mitsunari swiftly turned and walked in the other direction. The other people who were there held their breath in anticipation of what might happen. Ieyasu deliberately kept his face expressionless, and slowly made his way off in another direction. So, the situation ended without incident.

Sakon scolded Mitsunari when he heard about this. “You are like a child. Such an attitude is unacceptable.”

“Sakon, you say I am like a child, but that is unreasonable. It has merely been my nature since I was a child not to put up with detestable people. I am incapable of forcing a fake smile.”

“Do you know what people say about you throughout the land? The say that you are arrogant.”

“I did not know that.”

Mitsunari tilted his head in doubt. This gesture, from Sakon’s perspective only made Mitsunari look less mature. Mitsunari only behaved as a kind of spoiled child when in front of Sakon, with whom he felt comfortable and got along with well.  

“You did say that it has been your nature ‘since you were a child,’ correct? Well, you are no longer a child, are you? On the contrary, you are in favor with the Taiko (Hideyoshi) as a member of the Go-Bugyō, and you are even able to order around lords.”

“And so?”

“Because of your innocent nature, it merely comes off as though you are pouting. It comes off as though you are spoiled by the power you have gained from the Toyotomi clan.”

“Hmpf” Mitsunari huffed through his nose. This was a habit of Mitsunari’s. And, depending on the time and place, such a habit could obviously anger some people.

“That is a poor attitude to have,” said Sakon through a bitter smile, while looking at Mitsunari’s well shaped nose. It is rare for a man to affect so many grudges through such simple means.

“Wait a minute Sakon, I shall have my say as well,” Mitsunari said defiantly. Mitsunari was prone to a sharp logic. Of course, being overly logical can also earn one the grudges of others. “What do you think this mysterious Ieyasu has been up to lately? Because I have heard that he has been secretly donating money to the Imperial court.”

This was true. Even though Hideyoshi was still alive, Ieyasu anticipated his death, and gifted the Imperial court two sets of Hakucho⁵ and ten plates of gold via an ordinary man, named Shirojiro Chaya. He was preparing for when he took control of the country. Even if you were able to take control by force, without the Imperial court under your thumb as well, that power would soon slip from your grasp. This was well known. This is why Nobunaga and even Hideyoshi also made donations to the court.

“Hideyoshi’s body has become weak. And that bastard knows it.” Mitsunari said about Ieyasu. “He is looking to use his death as an opportunity to kill Hideyoshi’s son, Hideyori, and take control for himself. It is not necessary for me to remove my hood for, or say ‘thank you’ to such a conniving man.”

“I see.” A faint smile shown on Sakon’s face. “But, you are not that way only with Ieyasu, but the lords who are close to him as well. For instance, Katō Kiyomasa, Fukushima Masanori, or Kuroda Nagamasa. You are on bad terms with them as well.

“Are you saying I should be friends with everyone, Sakon?”

“And that would bother you?” Sakon said with a wry smile. “In ancient times, it was said that a great hero was equipped with three virtues: wisdom, eloquence and courage. With that definition, you and Ieyasu could both be great Taikō. However,” Sakon continued, “You will not change the world with only those three virtues. Sometimes, things might not go in the direction you want them to. Not only that, but sometimes, you may be under severe attack. Therefore, it is also important to value the truth and reality of a situation.”

“Your point being?”

“That is a virtue that even an infant should value; understanding the reality of things.”

“Sakon,” Mitsunari bore a closed expression. “That is no good for me. People’s inherent weaknesses cannot be fixed. Rather than suffering to try and change such weaknesses, one should look for the advantages they might have.”

            “That’s correct,” Sakon said, merely to appease Mitsunari. “However, I am not speaking about something so deep and complicated. I am merely saying that if someone picks up something for you, you should just smile and nod. Especially if that someone is Ieyasu.”

            Mitsunari’s back and forth with Sakon ended there, but this “Bamboo rod incident” had a surprisingly large ripple effect. When Ieyasu’s vassals heard of it, they made a huge fuss and said that they would cut down Mitsunari. However, Ieyasu’s chief strategist, Honda Masanobu, quelled this outrage. He admonished them saying, “You must not kill, for killings sake. And, if you were to cut him down, it should be in the name of your clan. The day for that will come. It would be short sighted to kill him now. If you act thoughtlessly it would be unfavorable for this house.”

            Masanobu said this however, not knowing about the bamboo rod incident.  

            That night, Masanobu made his way to Ieyasu’s sleeping quarters to find out how true the story was. Masanobu was permitted in such areas. It was the place from which Ieyasu and Masanobu always made their plans.

            “So, what do you think, Masanobu?” Which was something Ieyasu could not answer simply. Ieyasu and Masanobu’s conversations usually went like this.

            “We should probably kill Mitsunari.”

“When?” Ieyasu replied with a light-hearted demeanor.

“After Taikō Hideyoshi’s death.”

“How long after his death.” Their conversation continued to volley like this.

“His son will likely raise up an army in an effort to protect his mother. Before then would be a good time to strike.”

            “We would need to act fast before too many conspirators rise up.”

            “Yes, that would not play into our hand very well,” he said with a grotesque laugh. They shook hands and brought an end to their mock meeting. Masanobu was always thinking far ahead, but always made sure to give Ieyasu the final word.　

            Rather than servant and master, they were more like a couple of rebellious friends. In fact, Honda Masanobu was 4 years older than Ieyasu. The two of them were like friends. Masanobu was originally a falconer. When he was younger, he was part of the Ikko sect⁶, and was even a part of an uprising against Ieyasu once. But, that was now water under the bridge.

In Mikawa there were many warriors at Ieyasu’s disposal, but he was lucky enough to have a strategist amongst his servants who was roughly the same age as him, and who he could consider a friend. Masanobu himself was a Jūgoi-Shimo⁷, and controlled 22 thousand koku in Sagami Amanawa, Sadokami region (near present day Ōfuna).

Ōkubo Tadachika the head of Odawara castle, had been ensnared and removed from power by Masanobu. And so in the essays of Ōkubo Hikozaemon (a member of Terakihi’s clan, whose real name Ōkubo Tadakata) which were called “The Mikawa Stories”, he wrote about Masanobu stating, “Masanobu of Sadokami, after only three years since the fall of the Ōkubo clan, contracted syphilis. His face became deformed, he lost all his teeth and died. His son, Masazumi, was then stripped of all power. He got what he deserved for what he did to Tadachika.”

Anyhow, whatever kind of person he was, it can be said at least that he was a good strategist.

　

Notes

1: Shachihoko: An animal from Japanese myth with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp. It was said to bring about rainfall, and so for prosperity, castles and temples often had Shachihoko figures on their roofs.

2: Honmaru etc.: These are the names for different walls of a Japanese castle. For instance, the Honmaru is the innermost/core section of the caste. There are a few different standard arrangements for these walls, and Sawayama basically had the Honmaru at the center surrounded concentrically by the other walls.

3: Ken: An old Japanese unit for measuring length. 1 ken is about 6ft 7in.

4: Danjō-shōhitsu: A rank in the military at that time.

5: Hakucho: An old type of Japanese “uniform”. A set of white clothes.

6: Ikko sect: Or a literal translation of “Ikkō-shū” being “Single-minded school”, was a militant off-shoot of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism.

7: Jūgoi-Shimo: A rank in the military of the time.