To learn about people in history

  Thank you very much for reading my blog. So far I have introduced you to eight great persons in Japanese history (Prince Shotoku, Emperor Kammu, Minamoto no Yoritomo, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ito Hirobumi). Are you interested in Japanese historical persons or Japanese history? I would appreciate it if you would have an interest in them. Finally, I will explain you a way to learn about historical persons. The way depends on how much you want to learn about the person. So, I will introduce three patterns of the way to learn about it.

1) To know the history of the nation or the world

  If you don't want to learn about a particular person in history or you don't know who to learn, you should study the history of the nation which you feel like knowing or the world. To study the history of the nation or the world enabled you to know about many people in history. If you can find a person who you feel like studying in those people, you will do better to study about the person. But it will take much of your time to study the whole history. So you will do better to choose the period.

2) To look for a historical biographical dictionary.

  If you want to study a historical person and the related persons or you want to know broad history of persons, you will do better to read biographical dictionaries about history. Most of them carried many broad people's history every period. So you can find an object of your study and you can study the related persons at the same time. Biographical dictionaries can be found in the Internet or in the libraries or bookstores. look for them if you want to read them!

3) To look for a biography of the historical person

  If you want to study a person you like thoroughly, please look for the biography of the person. Biographies carry you a lot of information about the person that includes not only things everyone know but also secrets of the person. To read biographies enabled you to get much information about the person you want to study unless you don't like to read thick books.



an example of Japanese biographical dictionary



an example of American biographical dictionary

Ito Hirobumi ~ Leader in new Japan ~

When Perry who was an American soldier come Japan in 1854, it was the turning point in Japanese history. Japan has been an isolated country since Tokugawa Iemitsu who was the 3rd shogun of the Edo shogunate stopped trading with other countries. When Perry urged Japan to open trade with the U.S, Japan could decide whether Japan should open trade with other countries or not. Japan was divided into two big groups. One insisted that Japan should open trade with other countries, while the other insisted the opposite. So both groups fought each other. As a result, Japan opened trade with other countries. Japan changed. The leader of new Japan was Ito Hirobumi.



an image of Ito Hirobumi

 Contribution

  Ito Hirobumi (A.D. 1841 - 1909) was a one of Japanese statesmen and the first prime minister of Japan. He flourished in the Meiji Period (1868 - 1912). When he was young, he took part in overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate. After that, he took some important posts of new government as a politician. In 1885, he assumed the first prime minister of Japan. He has assumed it four times (1885 - 1888, 1892 - 1896, 1898 and 1900 - 1901).
  Ito Hirobumi contributed to two big things. One was that he established the Japanese constitutional monarchy and made a constitution called Meiji Constitution. This constitution promulgated by Emperor Meiji in 1889. Other was that he formed a new political party called Rikken Seiyukai and this became one of the main political parties in Japan. Ito Hirobumi was regarded as a good statesman by many people.

Secrets


Meiji Constitution promulgation in 1889

 ・Ito Hirobumi spoke English fluently
  Ito Hirobumi assumed the prime minister in spite of lower rank, for he could speak English fluently. So he often negotiated with other countries as the representative.



1,000 yen bill of Japan



・Ito Hirobumi liked women

   That Ito Hirobumi liked women very much was known to many people at that time.  

It was said that when he suffered from the high fever, there were two women (geisha girl) on both sides of him.

Tokugawa Ieyasu ~ made a peaceful world ~

In 1598, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's died leaving his son, Toyotomi Hideyori. Although Hideyori was a man who succeeds Hidetoshi, he was very young (6 years old) and so he couldn't govern Japan. Among the lieges of Hideyoshi, Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu were against. In 1600, japan was divided into two parties. One was Mitsunari's group and other was Ieyasu's group. Both groups fought each other at Sekigahara where was in the present Gifu prefecture and in the center of the mainland of Japan. The battle lasted only one day and the winner was Ieyasu's party. He became the top of Japan.




an image of Tokugawa Ieyasu

 Contribution

  Tokugawa Ieyasu （A.D.1543-1616）was a one of generals and politicians of Sengoku period. He also was founder and the first shogun of the Edo (Tokugawa) shogunate. When he founded shogunate (bakufu), he was 60 years old. He had a difficult and longtime becoming the leader of all samurais and all people.
  Tokugawa Ieyasu contributed to two big things. One was that he founded the stable political power.  Other was that he made the world peaceful. Tokugawa clan who were descendant of Ieyasu could have had the power for about 250 years according to the former. Also, people could lived without being caught up in strife.
  If Perry who was a American soldier hadn't come Japan, Tokugawa clan might have ruled over the country for more 250 years.

Secrets

  Tokugawa Ieyasu was a man who had changed his name many times. When he was born in 1543, his name was "Takechiyo". When he was his coming of age, he changed his name to "Matsudaira Motonobu". "Matsudaira" was his family name. After that, he changed his name to "Matsudaira Nobuyasu". At this point, he still was in hostage of Imagawa Yoshimoto who also was a one of generals and politicians of Sengoku period. After Yoshimoto was laid Oda Nobunaga low, Ieyasu stood on his own feet and changed his name to "Matsudaira Ieyasu". In 1566, he changed his name to "Tokugawa Ieyasu".

Toyotomi Hideyoshi ~ the man who achieved national unification ~

In 1582, Oda Nobunaga was assassinated by his liege Akechi Mitsuhide at Honno-ji temple. As soon as Toyotomi Hideyoshi heard that news, he went hurriedly back and revenged his load's death on Mitsuhide.
In behalf of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi aimed for national unification.



a image of Toyotomi Hideyoshi

 Contribution

  Toyotomi HIdeyoshi (A.D.1536 - 1598) was a one of generals and politicians of the Sengoku period. He had climbed from farmer class to the top of Japan. In 1590, he conquered the whole countries. There are a lot of anecdotes (stories) about him.
  Toyotomi Hideyoshi contributed to two big things. One was that he brought the end of world which took for granted fighting with weapon and person's death. Other was that he attempted to make a new feudal system. To achieve the former, he conquered the countries which were against him. To achieve the latter, he surveyed the land that people owned on a whole nation scale, which was called "Taikou Kenchi" in Japanese. This survey made the individual land clear. So the result of this survey led to the political system of the Edo period.

Secrets & Anecdotes

  There are many secrets and anecdotes about Toyotomi Hideyoshi. So I introduced you 2 stories.
  When he wasn't a liege of Oda Nobunaga and it was snowy and cold, the geta (a pair of Japanese wooden shoes) Nobunaga put on was warming. Nobunaga asked Hideyoshi the reason. Hideyoshi replied that he put the geta his back and warmed up it. Nobunaga was impressed by his behavior. After that Hideyoshi became a liege of Nobunaga.
  HIdeyoshi was known as a loyal liege of Nobunaga. But he estimated that Nobunaga was a brave general, was not a good general.