In 1994, I became apprenticed to traditional samurai armour craftsman Ogawa Nobuo, That same year, on October 21 – the date of the decisive Battle of Sekigahara, in which Tokugawa Ieyasu claimed victory and brought peace to a war-torn Japan, Ogawa Sensei and I went to the actual battlefields for the first time. In 2000, we took part in the on the 400th anniversary of the battle re-enactments in armour we had crafted ourselves.
Over the next 14 years I researched the battle, looked into its roots, the warriors who fought in it, the battle itself and the repercussions it had on Japan, as well as the modern day effects. My first book on the battle was published in 2014, another joint guide was written in conjunction with Professor Owada Tetsuo in 2019,
and later this month will see he release of my new book, available from UK publishers, Frontline Books on the Battle of Sekigahara.
This is without doubt the most detailed book in English on the subject. In a timely turn of events, the JAS, Japan Armour Society will be hosting an On Line Webinar September 26, on the Battle of Sekigahara.
I’ll be the guest speaker, covering the basics of the greatest field battle in samurai history, the Battle of Sekigahara, fought between a nation divided in two in 1600.
As well as looking at the battle itself, we’ll be looking at some of the surviving sets of armour known to have been used at Sekigahara.The lecture will be in English. Places are limited. Book now on the link provided.
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