The Roving Ronin Report

Kachiya Matsuri - Lucky Arrow Festival. Held on May 5th. Kachiya Matsuri celebrates an event that happened in the Kameido area of Tokyo a long time ago.  In 940 the samurai Fujiwara no Hidesato offered a bow and arrow to Kameido Katori Shrine in appreciation for his victory in battle.  In 939 a local samurai rebelled against the Imperial Court and eventually titled himself the New Emperor. His name was Taira no Masakado. The Imperial Court in Kyoto ordered his rebellion crushed and charged Fujiwara no Hidesato and Masakado's cousin Taira no Sadamori to do so.   Before setting out to battle, Hidesato prayed at Kameido Katori Shrine for victory.  On March 25th, the armies faced off at the Battle of Kojima (in modern day Ibaraki Prefecture). Masakado though outnumbered chose his ground well and actually forced the Imperial army back. This success proved to be his undoing as Masakado pushed too far alone and a lucky arrow shot by an unknown hand struck him down and his a...

Japan in the mid-19th century was in turmoil. The two centuries of seclusion from the outside world had been shattered by the arrival of the black ships of the American Commodore Perry in 1853. The once strong and secure Tokugawa Shogunate government began to totter and reel. Anti-Shogun activists chanted " Sonno Joi !" (" Revere the Emperor! Expel the Foreigners! ") wanting a return of power to the ancient Imperial Court. Assassinations became the order of the day. A top Shogunate official was assassinated in front of the very gates of the Shogun's castle in 1860. In early 1863 a historical meeting between the Shogun and the Emperor was to take place in Kyoto. Such a meeting between the Shogun and the Emperor had not taken place since the mid-17th century. To protect the Shogun, the Shogunate raised a force of ronin (masterless samurai) known as the Roshigumi. Upon arriving in Kyoto, the leader of the Roshigumi promptly revealed he was really wo...

Battle of Hastings: Winner Takes All  1066 And All That Redux Part Three  “This was a fatal day to England, and melancholy havoc was wrought in our dear country during the change of its lords.” - William of Malmesbury , The Battle of Hastings , 12th Century Normans knights crash into the English Shieldwall at the Battle of Hastings At the beginning of October 1066, King Harold Godwinson of England was sitting pretty. Through dedicated vigilance, he had successfully defended his kingdom from would-be invaders. He had kept the national militia, the fyrd, in service much longer than any king before him. He had turned the military world on its ear with his epic dash from London to York in just four days with an army in tow. He had completely destroyed a large Viking army led by one of the most fearsome warlords of the day.  A Saxon Spearman Awaits the Norman Conquest It would seem that nothing was beyond this resourceful man’s capabilities. Then news ...