The Edo period in Japan was characterized by a strict feudal system in which daimyo, or regional lords, were given control over vast areas of land. Daimyo were expected to oversee their territory and keep the peace, but they had to abide by edicts issued by the shogunate. They were given the authority to create …
Samurai women played a variety of roles throughout the Edo period. They were carefully educated, expected to uphold the honor of the warrior class, and many were trained in weaponry. However, even in the Warring States period, they were usually expected to defend their homes rather than venture out onto the battlefield. And as in …
The Siege of Osaka is one of the key historical events that Tale of Ronin takes inspiration from and Toyotomi Hideyori is one of the most important people involved. In the game and in real life, Hideyori was the son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Japan’s ‘Three Great Unifiers.’ Hideyoshi was not born a samurai, …
While the Battle of Sekigahara was the greatest battle in Japanese history, the Siege of Osaka plays a greater role in Tale of Ronin. The label ‘Siege of Osaka’ actually refers to two separate battles, the Winter Siege of Osaka and the Summer Siege of Osaka, during which the Edo bakufu destroyed the Toyotomi clan. …
The Siege of Osaka: Tale of Ronin’s Inciting Incident Read More »
Tale of Ronin will immerse gamers in the world of a ronin in 1637 Japan. The Edo period has just begun and the great battles of the Warring States period are still in living memory. The Tokugawa regime is propping up specific sects of Buddhism as a political power play. Christianity is persecuted as harshly …
The Battle of Sekigahara was the greatest battle in Japanese history. It took place in the village of Sekigahara, which was located in a mountain valley. There, two coalition forces led by two great daimyo, Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu, clashed violently over who would have the right to rule a unified Japan. Ieyasu and …
The Battle of Sekigahara: How Japan’s Greatest Battle Added to the Ronin Problem Read More »
The birth of the Edo period marked a turning point for samurai. After over a century of near-constant warfare in the Warring States period, Japan was united under Tokugawa Ieyasu. His campaign culminated in his triumph at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, a moment that has been called the greatest battle in Japanese history. …
Samurai in the Edo Period: The Beginning of the End Read More »
The samurai is one of the most iconic figures in Japanese history, but the ronin is one of his only rivals. Ronin, meaning “wave man,” refers to masterless samurai who were no longer retainers serving a daimyo. Although warriors had served daimyo — and lost them — during most of Japanese history, ronin were especially …
When honor is all that you live for, when it is ingrained in your soul throughout your life, when it is what defines your identity as a samurai, the question is will it ever leave you? Honor is constructed on the foundation of a code of honor, a reference to evaluate your every action. For …
The samurai were more than men. Bound by honor, fueled by discipline, and conditioned by their code, Bushido, they were fighting machines. Used by warlords and shogun in unending political games, they were not men, but pawns to be maneuvered and sacrificed. Their lives not their own, their honor not in living, their joy completely …