Joetsu's Battle of Kawanakajima Festival with Gackt
In 1561 two great samurai armies clashed at a place known as Kawanakajima. Although nothing was decided in a historical sense (hence why stuffy academics tend to overlook the battle in lieu of those which were more decisive), this battle has become the stuff of legends over the centuries. It was a battle between two great rivals who were alike and yet unlike like yin and yang. They were destined to fight but not destined to destroy one another. One was Takeda Shingen, lord of the Kai province. Takeda rose to power by usurping his father and following an aggressive policy of expansion. Kai was a landlocked domain and Takeda desired to have access to the sea. The Pacific was originally out of the question as it was controlled by the powerful warlord Imagawa so Takeda looked northward to the Sea of Japan. He subsequently increased his territory in the Shinano region driving toward that goal. The lords of Shinano who did not submit to Takeda fled into Echigo and took service with...