 Most viewed - Battle of Sekigahara Festival 2008 関ヶ原合戦祭り |
On Oct. 18-19, 2008, the town of Sekigahara held a special festival to commemorate the Battle of Sekigahara. The last time they did this was in 2000 for the 400th anniversary of the battle. The main venue was near the town hall.566 views
|
|
Plastic samurai armor299 views
|
|
|
A woman samurai279 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara Festival, 2008266 views
|
|
Water tower painted in Sekigahara motif.255 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu retainer at the Battle of Sekigahara Festival, 2008250 views
|
|
Fierce samurai231 views
|
|
I caught one. Pure mochi (no adzuki bean paste inside). It was a very impressive and enjoyable festival.225 views
|
|
The finale was the throwing of mochi.183 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari179 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu at Sasaoyama.171 views
|
|
A few matchlock gun battalions gathered on the Sasaoyama stage.165 views
|
|
Load, get ready, and...154 views
|
|
This man wore authentic samurai armor, over a century old, made of metal. A family heirloom.144 views
|
|
Ieyasu retainer143 views
|
|
A sword demonstration. He's cutting up a straw pole. That's one sharp knife. These people have licenses to carry these guns and swords.141 views
|
|
The Sekigahara samurai warriors arrived Sasaoyama at noon.140 views
|
|
And Tokugawa Ieyasu.138 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari loses the battle, and is executed.138 views
|
|
At 11 am, the gun battalions arrived.135 views
|
|
Mock combat with a spectator.135 views
|
|
There are a number of matchlock gun battalions in Japan, and they often demonstrate the guns at festivals like this.134 views
|
|
This man wore newer samurai armor made of plastic.134 views
|
|
They are all dressed in colorful samurai armor.132 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari130 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsu-nyan, another cat, was the most popular.129 views
|
|
129 views
|
|
Shimasako-nyan, a cat based on one of Ishida Mitsunari's retainers. しまさこにゃん128 views
|
|
A few lifesize mascots walked around the foot of Sasaoyama. This is Chacha Hime, the oldest Azai sister who became Yodogimi.127 views
|
|
Mini banners for all the clans who battled at Sekigahara.124 views
|
|
All these samurai were gathering at Sasaoyama for a procession to the Fureai Hiroba Square where a mock battle would be staged. This is Lord Shimazu Yoshihiro.123 views
|
|
Apparently they had women warriors too. Or maybe they did not have enough male actors to fit into the samurai costumes.122 views
|
|
Smoke signal on Mt. Sasaoyama. Also notice the bell on the left.121 views
|
|
They get ready to fire their matchlock guns. (No bullets)121 views
|
|
FIRE!! Those guns make a huge noise.121 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsu-nyan and his calligraphy brush121 views
|
|
121 views
|
|
Spear-wielding women warriors (with foxy makeup on).121 views
|
|
Matchlock gun warrior120 views
|
|
117 views
|
|
Matchlock gun warrior posing for pictures.117 views
|
|
117 views
|
|
117 views
|
|
|
|
Sword demo116 views
|
|
116 views
|
|
They fired the gun a few times.115 views
|
|
115 views
|
|
The Sekigahara Ondo dance was then held. 関ヶ原音頭115 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu leaving Sasaoyama.114 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari113 views
|
|
113 views
|
|
Another lord dies in battle.113 views
|
|
112 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsu-nyan goods111 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari111 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu gives commands during the Battle of Sekigahara.111 views
|
|
Banners with the crest of Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu flank the Monument for the decisive battle, near Mt. Sasaoyama, where the fighting was the fiercest. 決戦地110 views
|
|
It was actually kind of humorous.109 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari is beheaded and dies.109 views
|
|
An angelic dancer then came to cover Ishida's body with a white cloth.109 views
|
|
BOOM!!!108 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari posing for me. He said, "You got an unusual-looking camera." (Because I was shooting both stills and video.)108 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari108 views
|
|
The battle ensues.108 views
|
|
108 views
|
|
Monument for the decisive battle107 views
|
|
Great photo opp.107 views
|
|
At around 12:30 pm, some of the samurai staged a mock battle at Sasaoyama.107 views
|
|
Most of the forces who took part in the Battle of Sekigahara are represented. Banners with the lord's crest indicate who's who.107 views
|
|
107 views
|
|
106 views
|
|
After the demo, they posed for pictures.106 views
|
|
106 views
|
|
106 views
|
|
106 views
|
|
Mt. Sasaoyama, the small hill that was Lord Ishida Mitsunari's base camp. Behind it is Mt. Ibuki.105 views
|
|
105 views
|
|
Bento box lunches named after Ieyasu and Hideyoshi. 1000 yen.105 views
|
|
Straw pole pieces cut by a sword.105 views
|
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu at Mt. Momokubari, his base camp near the Sekigahara battlefield.105 views
|
|
Samurai lay dead.105 views
|
|
Battle continues.105 views
|
|
Execution of 105 views
|
|
Ieyasu (left) and Mitsunari then walked toward each other and bowed to everyone together.105 views
|
|
Sekigahara samurai warriors gather at Sasaoyama.104 views
|
|
104 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari 全軍武者行列104 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari spotted me and my camera and posed for me. He's a friendly guy. 104 views
|
|
104 views
|
|
View of the Sekigahara battlefield from the top of Mt. Sasaoyama.103 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu103 views
|
|
Ishida's western forces ready for battle.103 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu103 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu was on one side of the field (Mt. Momokubari). The play mainly took the viewpoint of Ishida Mitsunari. 「義の人・三成〜運命の関ヶ原決戦〜」102 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari kneeling.102 views
|
|
101 views
|
|
My lord!!101 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu101 views
|
|
On Oct. 19 during 10 to 11 am in the Sekigahara Fureai Center Hall, a free lecture about Ishida Mitsunari was given by a Shizuoka Univ. professor. The hall was packed.100 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari100 views
|
|
The matchlock gun battalion arrives as well.100 views
|
|
Food stalls99 views
|
|
The Sekigahara Town Hall parking lots were used for flea markets, food stalls, and souvenir stands. These photos were taken on the second day of the festival when a samurai procession and mock battle were staged. 99 views
|
|
At the Monument for the decisive battle, one lord's troops give out a battle cry.99 views
|
|
99 views
|
|
Mock battle staged during the Battle of Sekigahara Festival.99 views
|
|
99 views
|
|
After the hour-long play ended, a photo opp for all. Mitsunari and his gang here.98 views
|
|
Ieyasu and his gang.98 views
|
|
Stone monument on the top of Sasaoyama marking Ishida Mitsunari's base camp.97 views
|
|
After a brief ceremony, the samurai procession started to leave Sasaoyama at 1:30 pm. They headed for Jinbano (Fureai Hiroba Square).97 views
|
|
The foot of Sasaoyama is full of samurai and spectators.97 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu97 views
|
|
The troops enter town on a perfectly sunny day for a festival.97 views
|
|
97 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu kneeling.97 views
|
|
96 views
|
|
96 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu96 views
|
|
Ieyasu (left) and Mitsunari bowing to everyone.96 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu 96 views
|
|
Top of Mt. Sasaoyama.95 views
|
|
While Ishida Mitsunari was on the stage on the other side of the field.95 views
|
|
A total of about 130 actors/actresses took part, and 80 of them were recruited from all over Japan. A few were professional actors. The scale was much smaller than the 800 people recruited for the 400th anniversary in 2000.95 views
|
|
95 views
|
|
|
|
95 views
|
|
There were two festival venues. One was at the Fureai Hiroba Square (Jinbano) and the other was at Mt. Sasaoyama. A free shuttle bus plied between the two venues, but it was short enough to walk.94 views
|
|
The procession leaving Sasaoyama.94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
94 views
|
|
Then Ieyasu's guns fired.94 views
|
|
Lookout deck on Mt. Sasaoyama93 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu93 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
Ishida's guns fire first.93 views
|
|
Tokugawa Ieyasu never engaged in actual combat.93 views
|
|
93 views
|
|
A final salute, Ishida's forces.93 views
|
|
People also climbed up Mt. Sasaoyama.92 views
|
|
The smoke from the guns.92 views
|
|
Soon after the samurai procession arrived at Fureai Hiroba Square at 2 pm, a mock battle was staged in the form of a narrated outdoor play. It opened with a lady walking across the field. 関ヶ原合戦絵巻200892 views
|
|
Ishida's western forces on the left, and Ieyasu's eastern forces on the right.92 views
|
|
Later, Ishida came back to life as he stood up and walked. People giggled.91 views
|
|
Mt. Sasaoyama had a smoke signal rising.90 views
|
|
Food and souvenir stalls at the Sasaoyama parking lot.90 views
|
|
Head of the procession. Mt. Ibuki can be seen in the background.90 views
|
|
90 views
|
|
Ishida's forces were on one side (seen here).90 views
|
|
90 views
|
|
90 views
|
|
With Mt. Sasaoyama and the larger Mt. Ibuki (to which Ishida escaped after the battle) in the background, the Sekigahara samurai procession makes its way to Fureai Hiroba at the town center.89 views
|
|
The entire play was scripted and the speaking parts were prerecorded. The actors/actresses only had to move and didn't speak. They were all prompted by script prompters (seen on lower left).89 views
|
|
89 views
|
|
Photo opp89 views
|
|
Smoke signal on Mt. Sasaoyama.88 views
|
|
Ieyasu's eastern forces.88 views
|
|
Climbing to the top of Mt. Sasaoyama.87 views
|
|
A few spectators were on the route.87 views
|
|
The matchlock gun battalions then appeared.87 views
|
|
Foot of Mt. Sasaoyama86 views
|
|
86 views
|
|
Festival banner85 views
|
|
85 views
|
|
Foot of Mt. Sasaoyama was the other festival venue. The parking lot had food and souvenir stalls.84 views
|
|
Near the foot of Sasaoyama is this clearing used as a stage.84 views
|
|
Ishida Mitsunari acting during the Battle of Sekigahara Festival84 views
|
|
84 views
|
|
|
|
