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[suspenseful music playing]
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[horse neighs]
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-[arquebus fires]
-[men shouting]
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[opening theme plays]
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[narrator] Fueled by a ruthless
and maniacal ambition
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to conquer Central Japan,
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Nobunaga has destroyed many enemies
who have underestimated him.
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His vicious military campaigns to weaken
the powerful Buddhist institutions
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have turned large swathes
of the population against him.
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Even some of his own generals
question their loyalty to Nobunaga.
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Undeterred,
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Nobunaga now targets a group
of mountain rebels
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from the province of Iga,
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who refuse to accept his feudal rule.
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[ominous music plays]
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[wind whistling]
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[Darren Ashmore] For 150 years,
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the so-called "rebels of Iga"
had governed themselves,
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keeping out any and all intruders
into their domain.
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These people were a mixture
of lumberers and farmers, fishermen
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and other rugged individuals
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who had chosen to eke out an existence
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on the mountainous coasts of Iga.
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They carved their lives
out of the very living rock
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and were built from the bones
of the land on which they lived.
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They knew the landscape
better than anyone there
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and could wage
what we now call guerrilla warfare
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against anyone who dared
step foot in their domain.
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[Stephen Turnbull] They were so good
at these techniques of irregular warfare,
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which, after all,
were the only things at their disposal,
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that this is what gave rise
to the legends of the ninja of Iga.
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The word "ninja,"
which is so familiar to us nowadays,
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is essentially a modern reading
of a Japanese expression
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that implies secrecy.
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And it's pronounced shinobi.
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A good shinobi
can turn their hand to most anything.
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Espionage…
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any form of intelligence gathering…
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[muffled grunt]
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…and assassins.
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Training would have begun
from a very early age.
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But in addition
to the normal martial arts,
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this would also have included
the techniques of preparing explosives
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and even, in some cases, poison.
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Many women also trained as shinobi.
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In other words,
they were trained to be spies,
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assassins, gatherers of information.
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They could infiltrate
the target's household.
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They could hide in plain sight.
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They were trained
to be able to fit into society,
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but to do so as shinobi operatives.
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[clattering]
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[Kitigawa] There was a female shinobi
named Mochizuki Chiyome,
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and she was trained in the mountainside.
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She approached men
and then gathered information…
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and, if necessary, they sleep with them.
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Sometimes, they even kill the people
after getting the information.
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So, they were trained
to be an assassin as well.
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Whatever you like to call them,
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shinobi or ninja or rebels,
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these people had developed their arts
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in their mountainous home of Iga
for centuries.
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Hard times and hard stones
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breed hard men and women.
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These assassins, spies and agents
were not to be trifled with,
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because they could, for a few coins,
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do more than an entire army could.
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[people talking indistinctly]
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[Turnbull] And to add insult to injury,
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the Iga warriors continued to carry out
their raids into Oda territory.
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They proved to be a thorn
in Oda Nobunaga's side,
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and one he was determined to eradicate.
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[Nobunaga in Japanese]
Kill each and every one of them!
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[yells in frustration]
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Those little maggots!
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How dare they.
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[yells in frustration]
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Bring me sake!
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Not only were they raiding
his lines of communication,
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their little province
was immediately adjacent
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to the territory of Nobunaga's son,
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Oda Nobukatsu.
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[in Japanese] Sake! Bring me sake!
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[in English] Oda Nobukatsu decided
to destroy them on his father's behalf.
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[David Eason] Nobukatsu, of course,
was in many ways overshadowed
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by his older brothers.
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Nobukatsu may have seen this
as an opportunity
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to prove his value to his father,
Nobunaga.
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[wind whistling, crow cawing]
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[horse neighs]
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[Turnbull] Oda Nobukatsu's plan
was quite simple.
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He was going to enter Iga
by three separate mountain passes,
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combine his forces
and destroy these peasants.
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[horse neighs]
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[Ashmore] The more conventional Nobukatsu
marched into Iga,
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thinking of these people
as nothing more than backwoodsmen.
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[caws]
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[armor clanking]
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[horse neighs]
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[Turnbull] The men of Iga knew exactly
where they would be
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and where the best places were
for them to be attacked.
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As masters of guerrilla warfare,
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they were determined
to turn the mountains of Iga
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into a weapon.
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[groans]
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[groans]
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[Ashmore] When the fighting started,
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Nobukatsu's forces tried to form
into their blocks to return fire…
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[in Japanese] Attack!
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…but they didn't know
who they were shooting.
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All the while, the Iga continually flowing
backwards and forwards like a tide.
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[horse whinnies]
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[yelling]
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[men yelling]
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The scene was one of utter confusion.
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This battle wasn't a battle.
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It was a rout.
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-[arquebus fires]
-Without order, without a goal.
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During the attack…
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[arquebus fires]
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…one of Nobukatsu's
senior generals was killed.
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[speaking Japanese]
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[men shouting, groaning]
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[Turnbull] It was utter humiliation
for Oda Nobukatsu,
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so he ordered an immediate retreat.
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And on their way back into Ise,
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they were harassed
for every inch of the way
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by the local people,
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who seized sticks and stones
if they had no weapons
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and inflicted them
upon the desperate retreating soldiers.
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[Ashmore] The survivors' army
retreating headlong
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with no idea as to who or what
was fighting them.
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[wind whistling]
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[in Japanese] How were you beaten
by peasants?
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You are a disgrace to the Oda name.
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[in English] The campaign
had been an unprecedented disaster.
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[in Japanese] That's enough. Get out.
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[Ashmore] If this defeat
had gone unpunished,
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it may very well have led
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to greater rebellions against him.
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And we know, certainly,
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that Nobunaga was angry enough
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to even considering executing Nobukatsu.
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[in Japanese] I want you to kill them all.
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[in English] Instead, however,
his plan was to simply wipe Iga
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off the face of the map.
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[Turnbull] In 1581, Nobunaga chose five
of his most experienced generals
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for a massive invasion of Iga
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from five different directions.
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[thunder rumbling]
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[horse neighs]
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[Turnbull] Inhabitants of Iga
were as defiant as they could be.
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[horse whinnies]
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However, the men of Iga were unable to do
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what they had done
when Nobukatsu attacked.
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They hadn't the resources
to ambush five separate armies.
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Nobunaga's army advanced,
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burning every village,
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every house that they came across.
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And killing anyone who took refuge.
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This was, indeed,
a David-and-Goliath situation,
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but this time, Goliath was going to win.
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Man, woman and child
was put to the sword or the torch.
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It is even said that,
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rather than allow loved ones
to fall into enemy hands,
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Iga soldiers would cull their own
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before killing themselves.
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Not just to protect the honor
of their family,
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but to keep their secrets.
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This was genocide,
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the deliberate and systematic destruction
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of all life in Iga.
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Nobunaga had been humiliated
beyond his ability to bear,
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and the entirety of the province
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would pay for it with their lives.
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Having successfully pacified Iga…
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Oda Nobunaga had reached, I think,
the zenith of his power and authority.
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[suspenseful music playing]
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[Ashmore] He was within an ace of unifying
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the entire country of Japan.
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[blade slashes]
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[laughs]
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Not only had he defeated some of
the greatest names in Japanese history,
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he had also asserted his power
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by building the greatest fortress
that Japan had ever seen.
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This was the castle of Azuchi.
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The seven-story keep of the castle was
decorated in a way that was radically new.
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Each floor of the keep
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had a different set of allusions
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to gods or animals or powerful men.
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So, as you went up in the keep,
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you had higher and higher level beings,
so to speak.
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But at the very top,
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which was Nobunaga's own private room,
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there was nothing…
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except a mirror,
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where he could look
at his own countenance.
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[dramatic music playing]
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Much like Alexander the Great
had himself deified
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in the deserts of Egypt,
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there was belief that because Nobunaga
had installed just this mirror,
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which was the traditional sign
of the gods in Japan,
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that he thought of himself as a god.
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[Ashmore] He had become a bloody judge,
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scything through all classes
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and regions in Japan,
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carving out his own power…
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and following all his bloody slaughters,
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a number of individuals in Kyoto
gave to him
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the name of the Demon King
of the Six Heavens.
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You reach a point
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where you have to either step away
from the power
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or keep on killing.
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Nobunaga chose the latter.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[narrator] The so-called Demon King
continues his ruthless plan of expansion
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and sets his sights on a new target,
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the powerful Mori family,
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who rule large territories in the west.
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He orders his long serving
and trusted general, Toyotomi Hideyoshi,
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to attack their main castle stronghold.
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It is a move
that will have a profound effect
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on the future of both men.
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[birds and insects chirping]
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[Auslin] Hideyoshi is one
of Nobunaga's top field generals,
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and he is entrusted with a campaign
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to fight the Mori family of Western Japan,
one of the most powerful daimyo families.
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Hideyoshi besieged
one of the Mori castles,
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Takamatsu Castle.
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The castle was garrisoned
by approximately 5,000 troops,
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which Hideyoshi surrounded
with his 30,000 soldiers.
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However, he received reports
that the Mori were coming
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with an army of over 40,000.
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This put Hideyoshi
in a dangerous position.
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If this Mori relief army arrived,
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he would be caught
between the castle's defenders
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and their walls,
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and the relieving Mori force.
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[horse neighs]
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Hideyoshi sent a message
back to Oda Nobunaga,
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detailing the situation and requesting
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that Nobunaga come
with the bulk of his forces
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to meet the oncoming Mori relief.
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[Nobunaga in Japanese] Mitsuhide…
send troops to Hideyoshi.
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I will follow soon.
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[soldier grunts in understanding]
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[Turnbull] Realizing the urgency
of the situation,
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Nobunaga gave orders to Mitsuhide
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to move west as soon as possible.
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Nobunaga made ready
to follow with his own army.
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Akechi Mitsuhide
had an unusual background.
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He'd entered Nobunaga's service
as a ronin.
253
00:20:07,331 --> 00:20:11,041
In other words, a samurai whose
previous master had been killed in battle.
254
00:20:11,877 --> 00:20:16,797
Most lords would pick from families
who had been close allies for centuries
255
00:20:16,882 --> 00:20:18,382
for their senior commanders.
256
00:20:18,467 --> 00:20:21,427
Nobunaga is willing to take this wanderer,
257
00:20:21,511 --> 00:20:23,561
who has no connection to the Oda family,
258
00:20:23,639 --> 00:20:25,639
and make him a senior leader.
259
00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:33,650
[Turnbull]
Mitsuhide was a fervent Buddhist
260
00:20:33,732 --> 00:20:38,202
and had been deeply disturbed
by the Buddhist massacre on Mount Hiei.
261
00:20:50,832 --> 00:20:52,792
[woman in Japanese] Please, stop!
262
00:20:53,502 --> 00:20:56,552
-[crying]
-[Nobunaga grunts]
263
00:20:57,256 --> 00:20:58,506
[sword slashes]
264
00:20:58,590 --> 00:21:00,930
[Turnbull] And we do know
that, on occasions,
265
00:21:01,009 --> 00:21:03,389
Nobunaga insulted him in public,
266
00:21:03,470 --> 00:21:05,470
and even humiliated him.
267
00:21:05,555 --> 00:21:08,135
[sobbing, speaks in Japanese]
Please, stop!
268
00:21:10,978 --> 00:21:14,858
[Michael Wert] Among Nobunaga's
many offenses against Mitsuhide,
269
00:21:15,816 --> 00:21:18,486
it is said that during
a military campaign,
270
00:21:18,568 --> 00:21:21,608
Nobunaga's viciousness
was even responsible
271
00:21:21,697 --> 00:21:24,197
for Mitsuhide's mother's death.
272
00:21:25,409 --> 00:21:26,619
[crow caws]
273
00:21:27,911 --> 00:21:30,121
[Meyer] These resentments… These, uh…
274
00:21:30,205 --> 00:21:32,205
These ill treatments, these ill usage,
275
00:21:32,291 --> 00:21:33,831
piles up in his heart.
276
00:21:33,917 --> 00:21:36,037
That seems to be what pushed him
over the edge.
277
00:21:45,804 --> 00:21:47,014
[in Japanese] It's time.
278
00:21:48,807 --> 00:21:50,057
We go to war.
279
00:21:51,018 --> 00:21:52,018
[soldier] Yes, sir!
280
00:21:59,609 --> 00:22:02,359
[Turnbull] Instead of marching
to assist Hideyoshi,
281
00:22:03,155 --> 00:22:06,485
Mitsuhide ordered his men
to march on Kyoto.
282
00:22:09,953 --> 00:22:12,793
And it was only at the very last minute
283
00:22:12,873 --> 00:22:15,793
that he shared with his generals his plan,
284
00:22:15,876 --> 00:22:18,206
which was to murder Nobunaga
285
00:22:18,295 --> 00:22:20,455
and take over Japan for himself.
286
00:22:20,547 --> 00:22:22,547
[crickets chirping]
287
00:22:31,058 --> 00:22:33,058
Nobunaga rested that night
288
00:22:33,143 --> 00:22:36,063
in a small temple in Kyoto
called Honnō-ji.
289
00:22:39,941 --> 00:22:44,071
[Meyer] Nobunaga will keep
a small group of pages and bodyguards
290
00:22:44,154 --> 00:22:46,114
to serve as his own private force.
291
00:22:47,074 --> 00:22:48,914
This is a moment where he is vulnerable.
292
00:22:53,705 --> 00:22:56,535
This is a chance
that might not ever come again,
293
00:22:56,625 --> 00:22:59,285
and it seems Mitsuhide saw it that way.
294
00:23:00,837 --> 00:23:02,837
[dramatic music playing]
295
00:23:02,923 --> 00:23:05,223
[soldiers marching]
296
00:23:05,300 --> 00:23:09,390
[Turnbull] Mitsuhide marched his army
right into the heart of Kyoto
297
00:23:09,471 --> 00:23:13,731
and launched a furious attack
on the temple of Honnō-ji.
298
00:23:13,809 --> 00:23:16,729
[soldiers battling]
299
00:23:23,402 --> 00:23:26,702
Nobunaga was taken
completely by surprise.
300
00:23:32,285 --> 00:23:34,495
When he realized what was happening…
301
00:23:35,288 --> 00:23:36,618
[both grunting]
302
00:23:37,749 --> 00:23:39,079
[groans]
303
00:23:39,876 --> 00:23:41,796
…he fought bravely to the last.
304
00:23:45,674 --> 00:23:49,764
Oda Nobunaga had soon appreciated
that all was lost.
305
00:23:53,140 --> 00:23:55,520
However, he was unable to escape…
306
00:23:58,728 --> 00:24:02,478
and he retired
into one of the back rooms of the temple.
307
00:24:02,566 --> 00:24:04,566
[dramatic music playing]
308
00:24:29,259 --> 00:24:31,259
[groaning]
309
00:24:44,733 --> 00:24:45,943
[grunts]
310
00:25:01,666 --> 00:25:03,956
[Meyer] It really looks,
for all the world,
311
00:25:04,044 --> 00:25:06,134
like Nobunaga's ascent is unstoppable.
312
00:25:09,549 --> 00:25:12,179
He has gone, in about 20 years,
313
00:25:12,260 --> 00:25:15,390
from ruling one part of a minor province
314
00:25:15,472 --> 00:25:17,562
to ruling a third of the country.
315
00:25:18,517 --> 00:25:20,557
And now, in the course of a single day,
316
00:25:20,644 --> 00:25:22,484
the world's been turned upside down.
317
00:25:26,650 --> 00:25:31,780
[Turnbull] This was an utterly shocking
episode for which nobody was prepared.
318
00:25:33,532 --> 00:25:37,122
Certainly not Nobunaga's heir,
his eldest son Nobutada,
319
00:25:37,202 --> 00:25:40,832
who was currently in the castle of Azuchi,
about 20 miles to the east.
320
00:25:43,917 --> 00:25:46,207
The next thing that Mitsuhide did
321
00:25:46,294 --> 00:25:49,674
was to march his army to Azuchi
and murder Nobutada.
322
00:25:49,756 --> 00:25:51,756
[dramatic music playing]
323
00:25:54,553 --> 00:25:57,683
By killing Nobunaga and his heir,
324
00:25:57,764 --> 00:26:02,444
Akechi Mitsuhide had created
a power vacuum in Japan,
325
00:26:03,436 --> 00:26:07,146
and it was a vacuum
that he himself was determined to fill.
326
00:26:12,529 --> 00:26:15,909
Nobunaga's death at the hands
of Akechi Mitsuhide is shocking.
327
00:26:19,077 --> 00:26:23,287
The great warlord has now been laid low,
and the political pattern
328
00:26:23,373 --> 00:26:25,633
that everyone thought
was going to be installed
329
00:26:25,709 --> 00:26:27,539
is now completely up for grabs.
330
00:26:27,627 --> 00:26:30,417
It's now a race to see who can
seize power in Kyoto the quickest.
331
00:26:30,505 --> 00:26:32,215
There are three contenders.
332
00:26:32,299 --> 00:26:33,799
There's Akechi Mitsuhide,
333
00:26:34,884 --> 00:26:38,474
there's Tokugawa Ieyasu,
who is out in the east,
334
00:26:38,555 --> 00:26:40,765
and then there's Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
335
00:26:44,853 --> 00:26:46,523
[Meyer] While this is happening,
336
00:26:46,605 --> 00:26:49,725
Hideyoshi is off in Western Japan
fighting the Mori.
337
00:26:49,816 --> 00:26:53,356
He's waiting for news of reinforcements
from the Oda heartlands
338
00:26:53,445 --> 00:26:55,025
with great anxiety.
339
00:26:56,364 --> 00:26:58,454
When a messenger finally does arrive,
340
00:26:58,533 --> 00:26:59,833
what he says to Hideyoshi
341
00:26:59,909 --> 00:27:02,369
is going to change the course
of Japanese history.
342
00:27:05,373 --> 00:27:06,883
Nobunaga is dead.
343
00:27:06,958 --> 00:27:08,498
[grunts in frustration]
344
00:27:08,585 --> 00:27:11,665
[yells]
345
00:27:11,755 --> 00:27:15,465
Hideyoshi is going to do
what a loyal warrior should do
346
00:27:15,550 --> 00:27:17,300
and seek out revenge,
347
00:27:17,385 --> 00:27:20,845
showing his loyalty to Nobunaga
from beyond the grave.
348
00:27:25,018 --> 00:27:28,228
[narrator] For 11 days,
Mitsuhide remains unchallenged.
349
00:27:29,689 --> 00:27:32,899
Hideyoshi must seek revenge
for his fallen master,
350
00:27:32,984 --> 00:27:36,864
for fear that other warlords
will rally to Mitsuhide's side.
351
00:27:37,947 --> 00:27:42,077
Hideyoshi rushes towards Kyoto
to confront Mitsuhide in battle
352
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,330
to decide who will seize power
over Central Japan.
353
00:27:51,586 --> 00:27:53,546
[inhales sharply]
354
00:27:53,630 --> 00:27:56,090
[Ledbetter] Mitsuhide, at this point,
was shocked
355
00:27:56,174 --> 00:27:59,344
that Hideyoshi was able to move
so quickly to confront him.
356
00:27:59,427 --> 00:28:04,307
He believed he had time to consolidate
his position in Central Japan
357
00:28:04,391 --> 00:28:07,191
before he had to confront
any possible threat.
358
00:28:08,853 --> 00:28:11,233
[in Japanese]
We'll move in this direction.
359
00:28:11,314 --> 00:28:14,574
[Ledbetter] He understands
that he has the inferior force,
360
00:28:14,651 --> 00:28:18,491
so he chooses a position
at a place called Yamazaki.
361
00:28:22,659 --> 00:28:25,369
[Turnbull] The reason the battle
took place at Yamazaki
362
00:28:25,453 --> 00:28:27,713
is because Akechi Mitsuhide's castle
363
00:28:27,789 --> 00:28:31,289
lay on this very narrow approach road
364
00:28:31,376 --> 00:28:33,836
covered by mountains on one side,
365
00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:35,260
and a river on the other.
366
00:28:35,338 --> 00:28:37,878
It was an excellent place to make a stand.
367
00:28:43,722 --> 00:28:48,852
[Meyer] If you don't control the terrain
and pick it so as to prevent forces
368
00:28:48,935 --> 00:28:51,345
from getting around you
when you're outnumbered,
369
00:28:51,438 --> 00:28:53,568
you're in an unwinnable position.
370
00:28:53,648 --> 00:28:55,318
The classic example of this
371
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,780
is the Battle of Thermopylae
in Western history,
372
00:28:57,861 --> 00:29:01,531
the 300 Spartans
who hold the pass against the Persians.
373
00:29:01,614 --> 00:29:03,164
That's Mitsuhide's theory,
374
00:29:03,241 --> 00:29:07,041
that he can use that
defensive advantage to his own benefit.
375
00:29:10,373 --> 00:29:12,213
[Ledbetter] However,
he's made a big mistake.
376
00:29:12,292 --> 00:29:15,302
He doesn't station troops on the mountain,
377
00:29:15,378 --> 00:29:16,798
which is called Tennōzan.
378
00:29:33,646 --> 00:29:37,106
Hideyoshi's forces get there first
and seize the high ground.
379
00:29:39,444 --> 00:29:40,494
[soldiers marching]
380
00:29:51,498 --> 00:29:52,788
[soldier shouts]
381
00:29:52,874 --> 00:29:54,504
[groaning]
382
00:29:54,584 --> 00:29:56,044
[soldiers shouting]
383
00:29:57,629 --> 00:29:58,759
[horse neighs]
384
00:29:59,923 --> 00:30:01,513
-[arquebus fires]
-[groans]
385
00:30:04,135 --> 00:30:07,425
Hideyoshi launches his right wing
at the Akechi lines.
386
00:30:11,476 --> 00:30:14,266
Once they're engaged,
he then launches his left wing.
387
00:30:14,354 --> 00:30:16,364
[soldiers shouting]
388
00:30:17,607 --> 00:30:21,527
And, so, he is crashing into
the Akechi forces from both sides.
389
00:30:26,533 --> 00:30:29,543
When the fighting then breaks out
between the two sides,
390
00:30:30,203 --> 00:30:33,163
early on it looks like
it might go Mitsuhide's way.
391
00:30:33,248 --> 00:30:34,418
[groans]
392
00:30:39,879 --> 00:30:42,469
Yamazaki was a particularly fierce battle.
393
00:30:43,258 --> 00:30:45,508
-[grunts]
-[groans]
394
00:30:45,593 --> 00:30:49,563
[Turnbull] The sounds of screaming men,
blood pouring from wounds.
395
00:30:50,390 --> 00:30:51,470
[soldier shouts]
396
00:30:52,016 --> 00:30:54,436
[groans]
397
00:30:55,103 --> 00:30:59,943
And particularly the concentrated fire
from the arquebuses,
398
00:31:00,024 --> 00:31:02,694
which had now become
the norm in samurai warfare.
399
00:31:06,239 --> 00:31:10,619
So that the battle would begin
to be obscured by clouds of smoke,
400
00:31:10,702 --> 00:31:14,962
and inside this dense fire you could see
flashes of light from the guns,
401
00:31:15,039 --> 00:31:18,709
the sound of horses screaming,
the sounds of swords cutting.
402
00:31:19,460 --> 00:31:20,420
[groans]
403
00:31:23,381 --> 00:31:24,971
-[grunts]
-[groans]
404
00:31:25,884 --> 00:31:27,684
[grunts loudly]
405
00:31:28,553 --> 00:31:30,143
[groans]
406
00:31:32,140 --> 00:31:33,430
[arquebuses firing]
407
00:31:34,309 --> 00:31:35,269
Akechi!
408
00:31:39,898 --> 00:31:42,068
[Ledbetter] The onslaught
is just too much.
409
00:31:43,192 --> 00:31:44,652
Mitsuhide is forced to run.
410
00:31:44,736 --> 00:31:46,396
[soldiers clamoring]
411
00:31:49,699 --> 00:31:51,159
[speaking Japanese]
412
00:31:51,951 --> 00:31:54,541
This, Mitsuhide managed to do.
413
00:31:55,163 --> 00:31:56,003
[horse neighs]
414
00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:59,330
He galloped away with
only a handful of loyal followers
415
00:31:59,417 --> 00:32:01,997
and tried to hide in a nearby village.
416
00:32:04,047 --> 00:32:05,467
[crow caws]
417
00:32:05,548 --> 00:32:07,798
He was spotted by some peasants.
418
00:32:11,262 --> 00:32:13,722
Mitsuhide was surrounded…
419
00:32:14,849 --> 00:32:15,729
[blade slicing]
420
00:32:15,808 --> 00:32:17,268
…and stabbed to death.
421
00:32:24,150 --> 00:32:26,530
[Ledbetter]
Akechi Mitsuhide now lies dead,
422
00:32:26,611 --> 00:32:30,741
thirteen days after assassinating
his master, Oda Nobunaga.
423
00:32:34,869 --> 00:32:37,959
As such, he was known
to later generations,
424
00:32:38,039 --> 00:32:41,829
somewhat mockingly,
as "the 13-Day Shogun."
425
00:32:45,380 --> 00:32:49,380
[Auslin] By taking revenge for his master
on the traitor, Akechi Mitsuhide,
426
00:32:49,467 --> 00:32:53,137
Hideyoshi is basically stepping
into this political void that was created.
427
00:32:53,221 --> 00:32:55,931
He had reacted the quickest
of all the daimyo,
428
00:32:56,015 --> 00:32:59,055
he had utterly defeated
Mitsuhide in battle
429
00:32:59,143 --> 00:33:01,733
just two weeks
after the death of Nobunaga,
430
00:33:01,813 --> 00:33:04,983
and now he was putting
Akechi Mitsuhide's head on a stake…
431
00:33:07,068 --> 00:33:08,858
which was essentially an announcement
432
00:33:08,945 --> 00:33:13,315
that Hideyoshi was planning to become
the most powerful daimyo in the land.
433
00:33:16,411 --> 00:33:19,121
[in Japanese]
It served as a warning to others,
434
00:33:19,205 --> 00:33:22,495
stating that, if you rebel,
you would end up like this.
435
00:33:22,583 --> 00:33:26,173
At the same time,
it also meant Hideyoshi
436
00:33:26,254 --> 00:33:29,304
was the one who killed the rebel.
437
00:33:29,382 --> 00:33:33,092
It was his press release.
438
00:33:35,930 --> 00:33:38,980
[Spafford] Hideyoshi was born
without a surname, a commoner.
439
00:33:39,058 --> 00:33:41,808
Some have even suggested
he was born an outcast.
440
00:33:41,894 --> 00:33:46,364
He rose by virtue of his extraordinary
skill, intelligence, cunning.
441
00:33:50,236 --> 00:33:51,236
[Meyer] Hideyoshi…
442
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,240
His rise, I think,
can best be described as meteoric.
443
00:33:55,867 --> 00:33:57,327
Many members of the peasantry
444
00:33:57,410 --> 00:34:00,410
get involved in war during this period
as foot soldiers,
445
00:34:00,496 --> 00:34:01,826
but making it beyond that,
446
00:34:01,914 --> 00:34:05,544
into what we could somewhat
anachronistically call the officer class?
447
00:34:05,626 --> 00:34:07,336
That's very rare.
448
00:34:07,420 --> 00:34:10,420
And as a result, Hideyoshi
is now in a position that I think,
449
00:34:10,506 --> 00:34:15,086
would really be unfathomable, usually,
for a man of his social status.
450
00:34:15,720 --> 00:34:17,430
He has tremendous power.
451
00:34:18,473 --> 00:34:20,483
[dramatic music playing]
452
00:34:29,650 --> 00:34:33,110
[Auslin] Though Hideyoshi has become
the most powerful daimyo in Japan
453
00:34:33,196 --> 00:34:37,076
and has gained legitimacy
from avenging the death of his lord,
454
00:34:37,158 --> 00:34:38,618
he is still in great danger.
455
00:34:39,535 --> 00:34:43,285
There are great daimyos in other parts
of Japan, in the west and the east,
456
00:34:43,372 --> 00:34:45,922
and other daimyo
that were vassals of Nobunaga,
457
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,590
who would want
to take power for themselves.
458
00:34:48,669 --> 00:34:50,629
So, he's by no means out of the woods,
459
00:34:50,713 --> 00:34:53,843
but he is in, by far,
the most advantageous position.
460
00:34:56,677 --> 00:34:58,677
[thunder rumbles]
461
00:35:01,599 --> 00:35:04,479
[Downer] Hideyoshi's wife
was called Lady Nene,
462
00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:09,190
and she was absolutely crucial
in his bid to take over from Nobunaga.
463
00:35:09,273 --> 00:35:12,073
She was the most important person
in Hideyoshi's life.
464
00:35:12,151 --> 00:35:14,861
She was an incredible support to him.
She was his rock.
465
00:35:36,884 --> 00:35:40,604
She was in charge, completely,
of affairs at Osaka Castle.
466
00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,180
So, she was in charge
of maintaining order.
467
00:35:43,850 --> 00:35:46,690
Basically, she was the daimyo
whenever he was away.
468
00:35:48,938 --> 00:35:52,018
[Kitigawa] When Hideyoshi was away
for a military campaign,
469
00:35:52,108 --> 00:35:53,278
they exchanged letters.
470
00:35:55,570 --> 00:36:00,910
Nene also has been advising Hideyoshi
on what to do with his hostages,
471
00:36:00,992 --> 00:36:02,412
his alliance making,
472
00:36:02,493 --> 00:36:06,543
and also what kind of conditions that
Hideyoshi has to give to other people.
473
00:36:09,041 --> 00:36:13,631
Nene and Hideyoshi together
started to see Japan as their own land.
474
00:36:13,713 --> 00:36:19,053
They started to see this land
as a divine realm that they could rule.
475
00:36:19,135 --> 00:36:21,135
[dramatic music playing]
476
00:36:34,609 --> 00:36:37,779
[Turnbull] For Hideyoshi,
this was his moment of destiny.
477
00:36:38,487 --> 00:36:42,737
He now had the chance to take over
Nobunaga's territories for himself,
478
00:36:44,076 --> 00:36:48,156
but, first, he had to neutralize
the remaining opposition
479
00:36:48,247 --> 00:36:50,627
from the rest of the Oda family.
480
00:36:54,045 --> 00:36:59,625
After Mitsuhide's coup,
two of Nobunaga's sons were left alive.
481
00:37:02,053 --> 00:37:06,723
The older was Nobutaka,
the younger, Nobukatsu.
482
00:37:07,808 --> 00:37:12,808
Oda Nobukatsu's claim was quite simply
that he was the true heir of Nobunaga,
483
00:37:12,897 --> 00:37:16,607
and Hideyoshi
had performed an illegal coup.
484
00:37:19,111 --> 00:37:21,821
Oda Nobutaka's immediate reaction
485
00:37:21,906 --> 00:37:26,076
was to seek allies
to prevent the upstart Hideyoshi
486
00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:27,910
from usurping his position.
487
00:37:27,995 --> 00:37:29,995
[inaudible]
488
00:37:32,166 --> 00:37:35,916
[Turnbull] Oda Nobutaka found
former generals of Oda Nobunaga.
489
00:37:36,963 --> 00:37:41,633
One was a very important general
called Shibata Katsuie.
490
00:37:43,844 --> 00:37:49,234
Katsuie had fought alongside Nobunaga
since the time of Okehazama
491
00:37:50,142 --> 00:37:52,902
and had also added to his battle honors
492
00:37:52,979 --> 00:37:55,729
the battles of Anegawa, Nagashino
493
00:37:55,815 --> 00:37:58,775
and the long campaign
against the Ikkō-ikki.
494
00:37:58,859 --> 00:38:00,989
[soldiers shouting]
495
00:38:01,070 --> 00:38:04,910
And he was still loyal
to Nobunaga's memory,
496
00:38:04,991 --> 00:38:07,081
and so he was the natural ally
497
00:38:07,159 --> 00:38:09,749
for Oda Nobutaka to take.
498
00:38:09,829 --> 00:38:11,789
He was a formidable foe.
499
00:38:15,501 --> 00:38:19,091
[Meyer] And Shibata Katsuie thinks,
"This is my moment.
500
00:38:19,171 --> 00:38:23,381
This is my chance to take out Hideyoshi
and really seal my own position
501
00:38:23,467 --> 00:38:25,427
as the first equal in the Oda clan."
502
00:38:26,220 --> 00:38:28,930
And that split sets up a conflict,
503
00:38:29,015 --> 00:38:31,675
a clash between Hideyoshi and Shibata.
504
00:38:35,146 --> 00:38:39,436
The great disadvantage
that Shibata Katsuie faced
505
00:38:39,525 --> 00:38:44,405
was that he could not take immediate
military action against Hideyoshi,
506
00:38:44,488 --> 00:38:46,908
and that was simply
because of the weather.
507
00:38:46,991 --> 00:38:48,201
[wind whistling]
508
00:38:48,284 --> 00:38:50,044
It was now winter,
509
00:38:50,119 --> 00:38:54,869
and the mountains between his province
and Kyoto were covered in snow.
510
00:38:55,458 --> 00:38:59,588
He would have to wait till the spring
in order to move,
511
00:38:59,670 --> 00:39:03,670
and that gave Hideyoshi
a tremendous advantage.
512
00:39:05,092 --> 00:39:06,932
[narrator] During the winter months,
513
00:39:07,011 --> 00:39:11,141
Hideyoshi reinforces his three forts
that guard the mountain pass
514
00:39:11,223 --> 00:39:14,393
in a bid to stall Katsuie's advance.
515
00:39:15,811 --> 00:39:19,481
Hideyoshi then besieges
nearby Gifu Castle,
516
00:39:19,565 --> 00:39:21,975
which is held by Katsuie's allies.
517
00:39:22,526 --> 00:39:24,606
As the spring thaw arrives,
518
00:39:24,695 --> 00:39:27,775
Katsuie moves to seize the mountain forts.
519
00:39:28,616 --> 00:39:30,196
If he succeeds,
520
00:39:30,284 --> 00:39:32,504
Hideyoshi's dream of ruling Japan
521
00:39:32,578 --> 00:39:34,908
will end as swiftly as it began.
522
00:39:34,997 --> 00:39:36,997
[dramatic music playing]
523
00:39:53,140 --> 00:39:55,020
[Turnbull] When the spring thaw came,
524
00:39:55,101 --> 00:39:58,561
Shibata Katsuie sent on
a considerable force
525
00:39:58,646 --> 00:40:02,146
to secure the three border fortresses
526
00:40:02,233 --> 00:40:05,323
that Hideyoshi had established
on the mountaintops.
527
00:40:13,327 --> 00:40:18,367
That was the only way that the passage
of his army could be safely guaranteed.
528
00:40:18,457 --> 00:40:20,457
[soldiers grunting, yelling]
529
00:40:22,586 --> 00:40:24,626
[Turnbull] At first, the plot succeeded.
530
00:40:24,713 --> 00:40:26,303
[soldiers groaning, yelling]
531
00:40:26,382 --> 00:40:30,512
Katsuie's men totally overwhelmed
the first two forts.
532
00:40:30,594 --> 00:40:32,264
[soldiers yelling]
533
00:40:39,437 --> 00:40:43,937
[Turnbull] The surviving defenders fled
to the security of the third.
534
00:40:44,024 --> 00:40:48,154
Its name was Shizugatake
and it was the biggest of the three.
535
00:40:51,198 --> 00:40:57,078
Shibata Katsuie regrouped his force
to capture this final prize
536
00:40:57,163 --> 00:41:00,043
that would guarantee
the advance against Hideyoshi.
537
00:41:01,459 --> 00:41:03,499
If Shizugatake fell,
538
00:41:03,586 --> 00:41:06,006
Hideyoshi's reign would be at an end.
539
00:41:06,088 --> 00:41:07,418
[dramatic music playing]
540
00:41:07,506 --> 00:41:09,126
[horse whinnies]
541
00:41:13,387 --> 00:41:16,767
[Turnbull] The stakes could not
have been higher for Hideyoshi.
542
00:41:23,105 --> 00:41:24,855
The wheels were now set in motion
543
00:41:24,940 --> 00:41:29,530
for the most decisive struggle for power
in the whole of Japanese history.
544
00:41:35,784 --> 00:41:37,794
[closing theme plays]