Image search results - "sekigahara" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "sekigahara"

Sekigahara saw one of Japan's most pivotal battles on Oct. 21, 1600 (Sept. 15 of Keicho 5) between Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Forces and Toyotomi Hideyoshi loyalist Ishida Mitsunari's Western Forces. Ieyasu's victory in the Battle of Sekigahara sealed Japan's historical fate for the next 250 years. The former battlefield is dotted with monuments indicating the positions of various warlords during the battle.
This photo shows Mt. Momokubari where Tokugawa Ieyasu first set up his base camp for the Battle of Sekigahara. It is next to busy Route 21. A short distance east of Sekigahara Station. The former Sekigahara battlefield has numerous monuments.

Banners and a monument mark the spot on Mt. Momokubari where Tokugawa Ieyasu's first base camp was established during the Battle of Sekigahara on Sept. 15, 1600.

Ieyasu and his troops were here from about 6 am to 10 am on the day of the Sekigahara battle. He later moved closer to the front line as the battle was going his way. This is a National Historic Place. 桃配山　徳川家康最初陣跡

Steps going up to Tokugawa Ieyasu's first base camp at Momokubari during the Battle of Sekigahara on Oct. 21, 1600 (Sept. 15 of Keicho 5). Today it's just a small hill. The highway seemed to have cut through most of it.

Steps going up to Tokugawa Ieyasu's first base camp during the Battle of Sekigahara.

At the top, see the two large rocks which served as a table and bench for Ieyasu. 家康の腰掛岩と机石

Monuments marking Tokugawa Ieyasu's first base camp during the Battle of Sekigahara. The banners have the Tokugawa family crest.

View of the Sekigahara battlefield from Tokugawa Ieyasu's first base camp at Momokubari.

Monument marking Tokugawa Ieyasu's first base camp during the Battle of Sekigahara.

Another smaller monument marking Tokugawa Ieyasu's first base camp during the Battle of Sekigahara.

Sign explaining that the two rocks below were said to be used as a bench and table for Ieyasu.

Behind the monuments is a trail probably used by Ieyasu's troops on Mt. Momokubari-yama.

Panoramic view of where the Battle of Sekigahara started. Most battle monuments are within walking distance from the train station, but they are numerous and spread over a wide area.The battle started at the foot of the hill on the left of the road. The small hill on the right was where Shimazu Yoshihiro was stationed. Mt. Ibuki is in the background in the middle.

The battle started at the foot of the hill on the left of the road. The small hill on the right was where Shimazu Yoshihiro was stationed. Mt. Ibuki is in the background in the middle.

Path to the Kaisenchi or site where the battle started, at the foot of the hill straight ahead. 開戦地

Banners mark the site where the battle started.

Monument marking the site where the Sekigahara battle started. 開戦地

Monument marking the site where the Sekigahara battle started at 8 am on Sept. 15, 1600 (Oct. 21 Western calendar) with Ii Naomasa firing upon Ukita Hideie.

Sekigahara Stalactite Cavern parking lot. The blue-roof building is a souvenir shop and restaurant.

Entrance to Sekigahara Warland

Banner with Ukita Hideie's crest.

Entrance to cavern.

Battle Museum 合戦資料館

Path to Konishi Yukinaga's station, near where the battle started.

Inside cavern.

Inside museum with a map of the battle

Monument for Konishi Yukinaga's station. 小西行長陣跡

Height of the cavern is barely enough for an adult to walk througgh.

Warland path

Monument for Konishi Yukinaga's station. 小西行長陣跡

Paleozoic fossil

Yamauchi Kazutoyo

Monument for Konishi Yukinaga's station. 小西行長陣跡

The cavern is 518 meters long, taking 20 min. to walk it.

Area around Konishi Yukinaga's position.

There are no stairs so you can even take a baby stroller.

Site where the battle started and Mt. Matsuo in the background.

Matchlock guns

Giant's Leg 巨人の足

Kobayakawa Hideaki on Mt. Matsuo who turned against Ishida Mitsunari and helped Ieyasu win the battle.

JR Sekigahara Station on the Tokaido Line 東海道線　関ヶ原駅

Old Sekigahara Station in the 1980s.

Mt. Sasaoyama, Ishida Mitsunari's base camp, as seen from the final battlefield. 笹尾山

JR Sekigahara Station platform

Foot of Mt. Sasaoyama, Ishida Mitsunari's base camp. 笹尾山石田三成陣跡

JR Sekigahara Station platform

Rainbow trout in the clear (and cold) spring waters.

Foot of Mt. Sasao, Ishida Mitsunari's base camp. 笹尾山石田三成陣跡

Battle of Sekigahara signboard at Sekigahara Station

Cavern exit

Defensive barriers on Mt. Sasaoyama, Ishida Mitsunari's base camp. 笹尾山石田三成陣跡

Battle of Sekigahara signboard at Sekigahara Station, Eastern Forces

Tamakurabe Clear Spring 日本武尊ゆかりの泉「玉倉部の清水」

Ishida Mitsunari on Mt. Sasaoyama

Battle of Sekigahara signboard at Sekigahara Station

Tamakurabe Clear Spring was where Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto got cured by drinking the water after encountering poison mist on Mt. Ibuki.

Ishida Mitsunari on Mt. Sasaoyama

Battle of Sekigahara signboard at Sekigahara Station, Western Forces

Tamakurabe Clear Spring

Hand-to-hand combat

Ishida Mitsunari's banner with his family crest.

Heads of the enemy

Evidence of victory

Barriers and steps looking down the slope.

Tokugawa Ieyasu at his base camp

Steps up to the top of Mt. Sasaoyama.

Tokugawa Ieyasu inspecting the head of his enemies at his base camp

Lookout deck on Mt. Sasao. 笹尾山

Central Sekigahara town

Tokugawa allies at his base camp

Mt. Sasaoyama and stone marker. 笹尾山

Site of Fuwa-no-seki Gate (no entry) 不破関

Mt. Sasaoyama and stone monument marking Ishida Mitsunari's base camp.

Site of Fuwa-no-seki Gate 不破関

Sekigahara Warland

Mt. Sasaoyama and stone monument marking Ishida Mitsunari's base camp.

Site of Fuwa-no-seki Gate 不破関

Memorial for the fallen warriors at the Battle of Sekigahara

Fuwa-no-seki Museum 不破関資料館

Memorial for the fallen warriors at the Battle of Sekigahara, built in 2000, the 400th anniversary.

Top of Mt. Sasaoyama

Inside Fuwa-no-seki Museum 不破関資料館

Top of Mt. Sasaoyama and stone monument

Fuwa-no-seki Museum's model of an ancient warrior

Hiroshige's woodblock print of Sekigahara from his Kisokaido series.

Lookout deck with a bird's eye view of the battlefield.

Map on lookout deck.

Sekigahara Battlefield, now occupied mainly by rice paddies, a school, and homes. 関ヶ原古戦場

Sekigahara Battlefield and Mt. Matsuo 関ヶ原古戦場

Map of battlefield for Western Forces. Also see Ishida Mitsunari Birthplace in Nagahama, Shiga.

Hachiman Shrine

Monument for the final battle, about 1 km in front of Mt. Sasaoyama, where the fighting was the fiercest. 決戦地The left banner has the Ishida Mitsunari's crest and the right banner has the Tokugawa crest.

Monumental tree next to Hachiman Shrine

Monument for the final battle. By 1 pm, Ishida's Western Forces fell apart, and Ishida fled the scene at 2 pm. 決戦地

Monumental tree

Battlefield as seen from the final battle site. Thousands died here. The battlefield is a small plain surrounded by hills and mountains.

Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp at Jinbano 陣場野　徳川家康最後陣跡

Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp at Jinbano. At 10 am, he moved here from Mt. Momokubari to be closer to the front line. 陣場野　徳川家康最後陣跡

Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp at Jinbano 陣場野　徳川家康最後陣跡

Illustration of Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp where he inspected the heads of his defeated enemies.

Inside Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp

Marker for Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp

Ibukiyama Driveway is a toll road that leads to the summit of Mt. Ibuki. Also see my Mt. Ibuki summit pictures.

Marker for Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp

View from Ibukiyama Driveway

Marker for Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp

The driveway is open only during non-winter months.

1000-meter elevation mark and Mt. Ibuki haiku poem by Basho, on Ibukiyama Driveway.

Ii Naomasa and Matsudaira Tadayoshi's position, near Sekigahara Station. And also next to Higashi Kubizuka.

Monument marking Ii Naomasa and Matsudaira Tadayoshi's position.

Monument marking Ii Naomasa and Matsudaira Tadayoshi's position. 井伊直政・松平忠吉陣跡

East Burial Site, where the decapitated heads of the Western force leaders were buried. 東首塚

Memorial tree

Well where the decapitated heads of Western Force leaders were washed.

East Burial Site, where the decapitated heads of the Western force leaders were buried. 東首塚

Memorial shrine

West Burial Site for the corposes of West Forces leaders. Nishi Kubizuka 西首塚

West Burial Site, Nishi Kubizuka 西首塚

Monument at West Burial Site, Nishi Kubizuka 西首塚

West Burial Site, Nishi Kubizuka 西首塚

Monument at West Burial Site, Nishi Kubizuka

Site of Todo Takatora and Kyogoku Takatomo's position now within the grounds of junior high school. 藤堂高虎・京極高知陣跡

Site of Todo Takatora and Kyogoku Takatomo's position.

Banners mark the site of Todo Takatora and Kyogoku Takatomo's position.

Monument marking the site of Todo Takatora and Kyogoku Takatomo's position.

Banners with Kyogoku Takatomo's crest.

Rear view of monument marking the site of Todo Takatora and Kyogoku Takatomo's position.

Site of Todo Takatora and Kyogoku Takatomo's position.

Site of Fukushima Masanori's position. 福島正則陣跡

Fukushima Masanori's position and shrine.

Monument marking Fukushima Masanori's position.

Signs show the way and distance to the various monuments.

Path to Shimazu Yoshihiro's position.

Hill where Shimazu was.

Shimazu Yoshihiro's position.

Monument for Shimazu Yoshihiro from Satsuma (Kagoshima). Ishida asked for his assistance at 10 am, but was refused.

Monument for Shimazu Yoshihiro's position.

Shimazu Yoshihiro

Site where the battle started as seen from Shimazu Yoshihiro's position.

Path to/from Shimazu Yoshihiro's monument.

Art park to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the battle in the year 2000. Near the Shimazu position.

Sekigahara Town History and Folklore Museum 関ヶ原町歴史民俗資料館Near Tokugawa Ieyasu's Final Base Camp.

Sekigahara Town History and Folklore Museum 関ヶ原町歴史民俗資料館

Explanatory map of the Battle of Sekigahara

Statue of Lord Takenaka Hanbei 竹中半兵衛重治

Inside Sekigahara Town History and Folklore Museum 関ヶ原町歴史民俗資料館

Unique helmets worn by warlords on the battlefield.

Conch shell for battle.

Cannon

Ishida Mitsunari, age 41 at the time of the battle

Illustration of Mt. Matsuo where Lord Kobayakawa Hideaki was based.

Warlord banners

Warlord banners, left to right: Kuroda, Fukushima, Honda, and Tokugawa.

Profiles of neutral armies

Profiles of Western Forces

2nd floor

Weapons used in battle

Samurai armor with matchlock gun bullet holes.Created by an experiment with matchlock gun fired at the body armor at over 50 meters aways, piercing both the front and back body armor.

Imasu-juku was the fifty-ninth of the sixty-nine stations or shukuba post towns of the Nakasendo Road. It follows Sekigahara-juku and comes before Kashiwabara-juku in Shiga Pref. Hiroshige woodblock print of Imasu.

The tall tree on a hill indicates the site of Imasu-juku's Ichirizuka or milestone. 今須宿の一里塚

Imasu-juku's Ichirizuka or milestone. Today, Imasu is a small, sleepy cluster of houses. It has no train station, but you could walk it from Kashiwabara Station. 今須宿の一里塚

Imasu-juku's Ichirizuka or milestone on the west end of Imasu. 今須宿の一里塚

Site of Imasu-juku's Honjin lodge.

Site of Imasu-juku's Honjin lodge. 今須宿本陣跡

Entrance to Imasu Elementary and Junior High School. This was the site of the two Waki-Honjin lodges. 今須小中学校

Imasu-juku's most notable shukuba-era building called the Toiyaba. It is the only Toiyaba still existing among the 16 post towns in Mino (Gifu). 今須宿問屋場

The Toiyaba was like the town's logistics management office where they arranged lodging, horses, document deliveries, etc., for officials and travelers. Today, this building is a private residence. 今須宿問屋場

Imasu-juku's Toiyaba. 今須宿問屋場

Path to Myooji temple. 妙応寺

Imasu Post Office

Shinshuji temple 真宗寺

Imasu-juku on the Nakasendo

Hydrangea along the river in Imasu.

Imasu-juku on the Nakasendo

Hachiman Jinja Shrine in Imasu.

Imasu-juku has many stone lanterns.

Imasu-juku's most famous stone lantern is this Eitai Joyato or Eternal Lantern which lit the road at night for travelers. 永代常夜灯

Marker indicating the west entrance of Imasu-juku.

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.

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.

Food stalls

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.

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.

Mt. Sasaoyama, the small hill that was Lord Ishida Mitsunari's base camp. Behind it is Mt. Ibuki.

Mt. Sasaoyama had a smoke signal rising.

Festival banner

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