Battle of Sekigahara (AudioBook)

When it comes to the most crucial events in Japan's modern history, the Battle of Sekigahara is undoubtedly one of them. It not only determined whether the Toyotomi or Tokugawa family would hold supreme power over the land but also marked the potential end of over a century of continuous conflict since the mid-Muromachi period. Of course, we know that the outcome led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, which would last for 265 years. The subsequent policy of national isolation allowed Japan to develop a culture markedly different from that of contemporary Western Europe. This battle is often remembered solely for the main battleground of Sekigahara, but its origins are far more complex. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose to the position of Kanpaku and seized control of the country, his behavior changed drastically. He abandoned his previous openness to advice and began to follow the path of many autocrats—perhaps emulating his former lord, Oda Nobunaga. The two invasions of Korea that Hideyoshi launched have been cited as distant causes of the Toyotomi clan's decline. I believe there is some truth to this, as the civil faction and the military faction became irreconcilably divided at this time. Hideyoshi either failed to recognize this or chose to ignore it, which allowed Tokugawa Ieyasu to seize the opportunity, using it later as a bargaining chip for alliances. These subtle human dynamics were a key survival strategy during the Sengoku period. Those who, like Kikkawa Hiroie, could recognize and adapt to changing circumstances often managed to survive the currents of history. The majority of people during the Sengoku era were driven by self-interest, which aligned with the period's survival principles. Someone like Otani Yoshitsugu, who abandoned this principle in favor of past friendships, even at the cost of failure, was truly rare. Because of this, the battle that began to take shape after Hideyoshi's death laid bare the many facets of human nature. Sekigahara was actually a collective name for many battles. Even though the main battle ended within a day, fighting continued elsewhere. Through this novel, I aim to restore the situation of that time using a literary approach, trying to faithfully present the emotional changes experienced by the participants. After all, people are the biggest variable—especially the key figure of the battle, Kobayakawa Hideaki. If he hadn’t betrayed the Western Army, their forces wouldn’t have collapsed, leading to internal conflict and allowing the Eastern Army to break through. Furthermore, if Mori Terumoto, stationed in Osaka, had brought Toyotomi Hideyori to the front lines, commanders like Fukushima Masanori and Kato Kiyomasa, loyal to the Toyotomi clan, might have withdrawn from the battlefield. These are the fascinating "what-ifs" of history. This is my second historical restoration novel. I aim to weave together clues from historical records and biographies with my own imagination to create a more engaging narrative, hoping to dispel the dryness of studying history and offer readers pure reading enjoyment. If you gain something from it, that would be wonderful! In terms of troop mobilization, Sekigahara was likely the largest battle in Japan’s civil war history, encompassing numerous skirmishes across various regions. In effect, it not only ended the brief dominion established by Toyotomi Hideyoshi but also concluded over a century of strife, bringing the medieval era of endless conflict to a close. Fifteen years later, after the two Sieges of Osaka, Japan entered a 265-year period of peace, the longest in its recorded history. In the past, both Japanese film and literary works have focused on the main battlefield of Sekigahara in Mino Province. However, to fully understand this conflict, one must begin by examining its causes and unraveling the intricate web of relationships between its key figures. Only with this broader perspective can one truly grasp the scale of the