Favorite Historical Samurai

[DragonAtma]

Tea culture was huge in japan back then -- even more than it was in modern UK (which, in 1942, had enough worries about a shortage that they bought ALL THE TEA IN THE WORLD [minus the japanese-controlled parts, of course]. There was no shortage.). An individual Japanese tea ceremony could take up to four hours!

As for sengoku generals, I don't think any can compare to Honda Tadakatsu. He fought in over a hundred battles without any serious injuries or losses to other samurais; even the novel version of Lu Bu can't match that.

[rsetiawan]

but oda nobunaga said to be compulsively obsessed about teaset and such utensils (the mug, the cup, the plate, not the tea itself) that a few warlord got conquered by oda destroy all his best teaset so oda nobunaga wont occupy it

[ky9ersfan]

My two favorite is Mori Motonari. I prefer Motonari, wise warlord of Aki. I also greatly respect Tokugawa Ieayasu, especially after watching the build up to Sekigahara, in the BBC show Heroes & Villains:Shogun. Very interesting show.

[dymlos timbre]

For any one Interested I would pick up a copy of Japonius Tyrannus By Jeroen Lamers it is VERY in depth about Nobunaga's life and is a big reason for my fascination.

[musashika]

My namesake - the wild ronin and master swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi - for whom I have undying respect and whose book, Go rin ni sho, is still studied for its strategy and philosophy by modern businessmen.
A master painter, sculptor, poet and writer, he is accounted the greatest duellist in all Japan and some of his students went on to become almost as famous. he is also one of the very few who established his own successful sword fighting styles. He had no verifiable teachers and seems to have taught himself. He was fortunate to survive the battle of Seki go Hara where sixty thousand heads were taken and learned many lessons from the experience which would serve him well throughout his long life. In spite of the great dangers, he was only 18 at the time, he refused to abandon a wounded comrade and carried him and nursed him through the long hunt for Western Army survivors of the battle

Minamoto no Yoshitune. A great samurai, a heroic and tragic figure who defeated the famous warrior monk, Benkei, in a duel, who then served him faithfully until his "standing death" with him at the siege of Koromogawa. Yoshitune was betrayed at the last by a trusted ally and murdered and this, with his other admirable qualities, gave him a place in the hearts of Japanese people. His strategies and skill in warfare were unmatched at the time and he won a number of key battles against superior forces of the Taira clan.
Musashika.

[Tiger of Kai]

My namesake - the wild ronin and master swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi - for whom I have undying respect and whose book, Go rin ni sho, is still studied for its strategy and philosophy by modern businessmen.
A master painter, sculptor, poet and writer, he is accounted the greatest duellist in all Japan and some of his students went on to become almost as famous. he is also one of the very few who established his own successful sword fighting styles. He had no verifiable teachers and seems to have taught himself. He was fortunate to survive the battle of Seki go Hara where sixty thousand heads were taken and learned many lessons from the experience which would serve him well throughout his long life. In spite of the great dangers, he was only 18 at the time, he refused to abandon a wounded comrade and carried him and nursed him through the long hunt for Western Army survivors of the battle

Minamoto no Yoshitune. A great samurai, a heroic and tragic figure who defeated the famous warrior monk, Benkei, in a duel, who then served him faithfully until his "standing death" with him at the siege of Koromogawa. Yoshitune was betrayed at the last by a trusted ally and murdered and this, with his other admirable qualities, gave him a place in the hearts of Japanese people. His strategies and skill in warfare were unmatched at the time and he won a number of key battles against superior forces of the Taira clan.
Musashika.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but both of these men are perhaps 2 of the most overrated historical figures from any culture. However, I will give some credit to Yoshitsune, he probably was factually more accomplished than Musashi.