1 00:00:08,029 --> 00:00:09,989 [dramatic music plays] 2 00:00:30,968 --> 00:00:32,887 -[in Japanese] Attack! -[all yelling] 3 00:00:38,225 --> 00:00:40,227 [opening theme plays] 4 00:00:53,115 --> 00:00:58,245 [narrator in English] 1598, after ending 120 years of civil war, 5 00:00:58,329 --> 00:01:01,332 and reunifying Japan under his banner, 6 00:01:01,415 --> 00:01:05,586 Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the supreme ruler of Japan, lays dead. 7 00:01:07,379 --> 00:01:10,299 In a desperate attempt to protect his dynasty, 8 00:01:10,382 --> 00:01:11,801 just before his death, 9 00:01:11,884 --> 00:01:15,554 Hideyoshi created a council of five powerful warlords. 10 00:01:16,222 --> 00:01:19,934 They are to govern Japan until his young son comes of age. 11 00:01:21,602 --> 00:01:24,647 The fate of Japan now rests on a knife edge. 12 00:01:25,147 --> 00:01:26,774 If the council collapses, 13 00:01:26,857 --> 00:01:29,652 Japan will be plunged back into anarchy 14 00:01:29,735 --> 00:01:34,198 and everything Hideyoshi worked to achieve will be destroyed. 15 00:01:35,908 --> 00:01:37,201 [suspenseful music plays] 16 00:01:51,215 --> 00:01:54,760 [David Spafford] The five elders were of great powerful families. 17 00:01:55,719 --> 00:01:57,346 And putting them together 18 00:01:57,429 --> 00:01:59,849 is meant to create a perfect balance among them 19 00:01:59,932 --> 00:02:02,601 so that none of them will have the upper hand. 20 00:02:04,895 --> 00:02:08,357 [Isaac Meyer] Maeda Toshiie will be stationed in Osaka Castle… 21 00:02:22,371 --> 00:02:26,000 and will be the one responsible for raising young Hideyori, 22 00:02:26,083 --> 00:02:31,130 for managing his education, preparing him for the rigors of leading the country. 23 00:02:34,008 --> 00:02:35,467 [Auslin] Everyone understands 24 00:02:35,551 --> 00:02:39,513 that because Hideyori will not attain his majority for years, 25 00:02:40,347 --> 00:02:44,476 that there is a chance for one of them to become the supreme power. 26 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,855 This is the fatal flaw of Hideyoshi's life, 27 00:02:47,938 --> 00:02:51,400 that everything he worked for is now thrown into doubt 28 00:02:51,483 --> 00:02:53,068 because of the age of his heir. 29 00:03:02,119 --> 00:03:04,121 [imperceptible] 30 00:03:04,914 --> 00:03:07,041 [Spafford] Daimyos started preparing 31 00:03:07,124 --> 00:03:09,919 either to be the one daimyo who's going to take over… 32 00:03:12,379 --> 00:03:16,759 or to organize to prevent a rival from doing so. 33 00:03:21,805 --> 00:03:24,433 [Auslin] Tokugawa Ieyasu is, by this point, 34 00:03:24,516 --> 00:03:26,352 the most powerful daimyo in Japan. 35 00:03:26,435 --> 00:03:28,604 So, he's really given ultimate authority. 36 00:03:28,687 --> 00:03:31,815 He's basically put in charge of the entire government. 37 00:03:33,442 --> 00:03:38,822 [Spafford] Tokugawa Ieyasu was undeniably the most powerful warlord in the country. 38 00:03:38,906 --> 00:03:42,743 His wealth and his military might vastly exceeded anybody else's. 39 00:03:44,286 --> 00:03:47,706 [Auslin] With the death of Hideyoshi, as soon as there was a chance, 40 00:03:47,790 --> 00:03:52,002 Ieyasu was in the perfect position to become supreme ruler of Japan. 41 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,137 He has patiently built up his power, he's patiently eliminated rivals, 42 00:04:02,221 --> 00:04:04,848 he's patiently created alliances, 43 00:04:04,932 --> 00:04:09,853 and now this is the time to make the bid for final and supreme power in Japan. 44 00:04:14,233 --> 00:04:15,818 However, in the shadows, 45 00:04:15,901 --> 00:04:20,072 there was an inveterate schemer preparing to move against Ieyasu. 46 00:04:20,739 --> 00:04:22,324 [dramatic music plays] 47 00:04:22,992 --> 00:04:25,286 [Auslin] And that was Ishida Mitsunari. 48 00:04:25,369 --> 00:04:27,329 Ishida Mitsunari was a minor daimyo. 49 00:04:27,413 --> 00:04:30,499 He didn't have anything like the strength of Ieyasu, 50 00:04:30,582 --> 00:04:33,544 but he was totally loyal to the Toyotomi house. 51 00:04:35,254 --> 00:04:36,672 [Mitsunari in Japanese] Sir. 52 00:04:41,343 --> 00:04:42,761 It's time to strike. 53 00:04:43,846 --> 00:04:45,681 It's now or never. 54 00:04:50,936 --> 00:04:54,356 [Auslin] He did everything he could to undermine Ieyasu's position 55 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:55,858 and to create suspicion 56 00:04:55,941 --> 00:05:00,112 between Ieyasu and the other great councilors named by Hideyoshi. 57 00:05:00,195 --> 00:05:04,658 And Mitsunari seems to feel that as long as Ieyasu is not challenged, 58 00:05:04,742 --> 00:05:09,246 then he will ultimately dominate the rest of the elders and the councilors. 59 00:05:09,330 --> 00:05:13,751 And he's not willing to live with that. He wants to either assassinate Ieyasu, 60 00:05:13,834 --> 00:05:16,045 pen him in or destroy him. 61 00:05:16,128 --> 00:05:17,963 [water flowing] 62 00:05:18,047 --> 00:05:21,216 Ishida Mitsunari needed allies and support. 63 00:05:27,598 --> 00:05:33,187 So, he approached the veteran member of the council, Maeda Toshiie, 64 00:05:33,270 --> 00:05:38,108 a very rich daimyo and a strong army leader in his own right. 65 00:05:39,443 --> 00:05:45,324 [in Japanese] Maeda Toshiie was the only one capable of going up against Ieyasu. 66 00:05:45,908 --> 00:05:49,661 The Tokugawa family's recent deeds… 67 00:05:54,083 --> 00:05:57,961 Would you please help Hideyori? 68 00:05:59,463 --> 00:06:01,465 [dramatic music plays] 69 00:06:07,805 --> 00:06:09,848 I didn't mean to be presumptuous. 70 00:06:11,725 --> 00:06:13,310 I meant no disrespect. 71 00:06:14,728 --> 00:06:16,563 [Auslin] Toshiie doesn't want to do it. 72 00:06:16,647 --> 00:06:18,273 He's near the end of his life, 73 00:06:18,357 --> 00:06:20,984 he's uncertain that the campaign would succeed, 74 00:06:21,068 --> 00:06:24,488 and he doesn't want to commit to something, knowing he's about to die, 75 00:06:24,571 --> 00:06:26,365 that's going to saddle his son 76 00:06:26,448 --> 00:06:30,077 with a position that could mean the destruction of their house. 77 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:35,249 So, Maeda Toshiie backs off from confronting Tokugawa Ieyasu, 78 00:06:35,332 --> 00:06:38,794 though he knows that Ieyasu wants to depose Hideyori, 79 00:06:38,877 --> 00:06:41,964 to get rid of him and to rule in the Tokugawa family name. 80 00:06:46,343 --> 00:06:48,554 [Turnbull] Toshiie died shortly afterwards. 81 00:06:49,513 --> 00:06:53,100 Now, he had been the guardian of Toyotomi Hideyori. 82 00:06:54,059 --> 00:06:55,727 So, who should take his place… 83 00:06:55,811 --> 00:06:57,813 [dramatic music plays] 84 00:07:00,190 --> 00:07:02,109 …but Tokugawa Ieyasu, 85 00:07:02,192 --> 00:07:04,695 who moved into Osaka Castle… 86 00:07:07,364 --> 00:07:09,616 so that he had immediate control 87 00:07:10,576 --> 00:07:12,119 over young Hideyori. 88 00:07:14,204 --> 00:07:16,665 [Horikoshi in Japanese] This was a very big deal. 89 00:07:17,166 --> 00:07:19,168 It's like a minister 90 00:07:19,251 --> 00:07:24,756 suddenly coming to Buckingham Palace in England 91 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:31,555 and telling you that they will start living there. 92 00:07:31,638 --> 00:07:33,140 [dramatic music plays] 93 00:07:40,898 --> 00:07:44,943 It was an act that enraged the other members of the regency, 94 00:07:45,027 --> 00:07:49,490 because Tokugawa Ieyasu now had the young heir under his thumb. 95 00:07:58,749 --> 00:08:02,127 The council of regents ordered Ieyasu to back off 96 00:08:02,211 --> 00:08:06,215 and recognize that Toyotomi Hideyori was the true heir 97 00:08:06,298 --> 00:08:10,886 and that Ieyasu had no place in interfering in that process. 98 00:08:15,432 --> 00:08:19,728 Ieyasu saw that statement simply as a declaration of war. 99 00:08:23,190 --> 00:08:25,734 It was the chance he had been waiting for. 100 00:08:27,819 --> 00:08:30,739 The daimyo of Japan were splitting into two camps, 101 00:08:31,490 --> 00:08:33,951 one that supported Tokugawa Ieyasu… 102 00:08:35,285 --> 00:08:38,288 and one that supported Toyotomi Hideyori, 103 00:08:38,372 --> 00:08:41,416 underneath the leadership of Ishida Mitsunari. 104 00:08:43,752 --> 00:08:47,673 The wheels were now set in motion for the most decisive struggle for power 105 00:08:47,756 --> 00:08:50,050 in the whole of Japanese history. 106 00:08:51,677 --> 00:08:53,845 [suspenseful music plays] 107 00:08:56,181 --> 00:08:59,977 [Segal] As the buildup to the military confrontation starts to shape up, 108 00:09:00,060 --> 00:09:04,940 Ishida Mitsunari is mobilizing men against a potential Ieyasu coalition. 109 00:09:05,023 --> 00:09:08,652 One of those are the Uesugi, who are located north of Ieyasu. 110 00:09:10,195 --> 00:09:14,116 [Ledbetter] Mitsunari's plan is that the Uesugi would move against Ieyasu 111 00:09:14,199 --> 00:09:17,452 and he would be able to crush Ieyasu 112 00:09:17,536 --> 00:09:19,746 between his forces and those of the Uesugi. 113 00:09:24,167 --> 00:09:26,628 [Meyer] So, Ieyasu makes a snap decision. 114 00:09:26,712 --> 00:09:31,008 He's going to call in some favors, particularly with Date Masamune, 115 00:09:31,091 --> 00:09:34,761 and assemble a force in the north to hold off with Uesugi Kagekatsu. 116 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:40,434 [narrator] As Masamune moves to stop the attack from the north, 117 00:09:40,517 --> 00:09:45,105 Ieyasu plans to race east to Edo to gather his forces. 118 00:09:45,188 --> 00:09:46,565 But he needs time, 119 00:09:46,648 --> 00:09:49,776 as Mitsunari's troops are already on the move, 120 00:09:49,860 --> 00:09:53,864 all Ieyasu's hopes now rest on his castle at Fushimi, 121 00:09:53,947 --> 00:09:57,159 a fortress that controls the road that leads east. 122 00:09:58,619 --> 00:10:00,621 [sinister music plays] 123 00:10:08,670 --> 00:10:14,051 [Turnbull] For this reason, Fushimi Castle had to be held at all costs, 124 00:10:14,134 --> 00:10:18,138 to prevent Ishida Mitsunari from moving against Ieyasu 125 00:10:18,221 --> 00:10:19,848 before he was ready. 126 00:10:20,766 --> 00:10:23,310 [in Japanese] The enemy will surround this castle. 127 00:10:26,355 --> 00:10:27,981 I want you to remain… 128 00:10:31,568 --> 00:10:33,070 at the castle. 129 00:10:34,488 --> 00:10:37,699 [Turnbull] It was defended by his friend Torii Mototada. 130 00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:43,205 Ieyasu and Torii Mototada had been friends for many years. 131 00:10:46,875 --> 00:10:50,003 [Meyer] Both men know that holding this castle is essential 132 00:10:50,087 --> 00:10:52,214 to the future of the Tokugawa family, 133 00:10:52,297 --> 00:10:56,301 and also that doing so will be a nearly impossible task. 134 00:10:59,888 --> 00:11:01,014 Mototada. 135 00:11:11,149 --> 00:11:14,152 [Turnbull] Both knew that this was a suicide mission. 136 00:11:14,236 --> 00:11:18,740 Torii Mototada was likely to be outnumbered by odds of 20 to 1. 137 00:11:18,824 --> 00:11:22,786 Torii Mototada was essentially being assigned a mission 138 00:11:22,869 --> 00:11:28,375 that required him to fight as long as possible with no chance of retreat, 139 00:11:28,458 --> 00:11:30,335 and with no chance of reinforcements. 140 00:11:32,254 --> 00:11:34,256 [wind whistling] 141 00:11:37,592 --> 00:11:40,929 [Turnbull] As Ieyasu hurried to escape Mitsunari's army, 142 00:11:41,012 --> 00:11:43,682 Torii Mototada wrote his final message. 143 00:11:45,517 --> 00:11:47,269 "It would not take too much trouble 144 00:11:47,352 --> 00:11:50,105 to break through a part of their numbers and escape, 145 00:11:50,188 --> 00:11:53,525 but that is not the true meaning of being a warrior. 146 00:11:54,109 --> 00:11:57,696 I will stand off the forces of the entire country here 147 00:11:57,779 --> 00:12:00,323 and die a resplendent death." 148 00:12:08,290 --> 00:12:13,044 [Meyer] Ishida Mitsunari and his 40,000-odd men attack the castle. 149 00:12:13,587 --> 00:12:16,131 -[dramatic music plays] -[men yelling] 150 00:12:16,214 --> 00:12:19,259 Torii Mototada and his 2,000 fight ferociously. 151 00:12:19,342 --> 00:12:20,927 -[yells] -[groans] 152 00:12:22,095 --> 00:12:25,932 Torii Mototada sent his men into battle again and again 153 00:12:26,016 --> 00:12:28,310 -against the Ishida forces. -[yells] 154 00:12:29,144 --> 00:12:31,354 [Turnbull] In an epic act of bravery, 155 00:12:31,438 --> 00:12:36,318 Torii Mototada and his army held out at Fushimi for 12 days. 156 00:12:36,401 --> 00:12:37,319 [panting] 157 00:12:40,113 --> 00:12:43,617 Legend states that the garrison of Fushimi carried on fighting 158 00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:45,994 until there were only ten of them left. 159 00:12:52,042 --> 00:12:53,210 [inhales deeply] 160 00:13:01,259 --> 00:13:02,636 [groaning] 161 00:13:13,438 --> 00:13:16,817 [Turnbull] Finally, as the castle blazed around him, 162 00:13:16,900 --> 00:13:20,111 Torii Mototada committed honorable suicide 163 00:13:20,195 --> 00:13:24,574 after one of the most noble defenses of a castle in Japanese history. 164 00:13:25,742 --> 00:13:29,579 The bravery of Torii Mototada has been absolutely crucial. 165 00:13:29,663 --> 00:13:32,791 It has allowed Ieyasu to gather his forces in Edo 166 00:13:32,874 --> 00:13:35,544 to take on Ishida Mitsunari in battle. 167 00:13:36,503 --> 00:13:38,505 [thunder rumbles] 168 00:13:43,301 --> 00:13:47,264 [narrator] Tokugawa Ieyasu is now ready to make his move. 169 00:13:47,347 --> 00:13:50,100 He splits his force of 75,000 men 170 00:13:50,183 --> 00:13:52,477 and prepares to strike at Mitsunari. 171 00:13:53,478 --> 00:13:56,273 As his son leads a large force to the north, 172 00:13:56,356 --> 00:13:59,776 Ieyasu leads his main army straight towards his enemy. 173 00:14:00,819 --> 00:14:04,322 Mitsunari is now in a highly precarious situation 174 00:14:04,406 --> 00:14:05,866 and risks being outflanked 175 00:14:05,949 --> 00:14:08,326 and surrounded by the two approaching armies. 176 00:14:10,495 --> 00:14:12,497 -[wind whistling] -[birds chirping] 177 00:14:30,599 --> 00:14:33,685 [in Japanese] They're going to hold down the road… 178 00:14:35,145 --> 00:14:37,105 and surround us. 179 00:14:38,023 --> 00:14:42,444 Ishida Mitsunari realizes what a highly precarious situation he's now in. 180 00:14:44,779 --> 00:14:49,284 Ieyasu could potentially get around him and cut Mitsunari's line of retreat. 181 00:14:50,785 --> 00:14:52,704 [in Japanese] I won't let that happen. 182 00:14:55,081 --> 00:14:58,835 We will meet them on the road and attack. 183 00:14:59,586 --> 00:15:02,422 [Turnbull] Ishida Mitsunari made a dramatic decision. 184 00:15:04,090 --> 00:15:08,887 He would not risk being caught by Ieyasu's approaching forces. 185 00:15:10,805 --> 00:15:13,767 He therefore decided to march out 186 00:15:13,850 --> 00:15:15,769 and make a stand on the road 187 00:15:15,852 --> 00:15:19,481 and destroy Ieyasu's army when it arrived. 188 00:15:20,941 --> 00:15:22,776 The place he chose 189 00:15:22,859 --> 00:15:25,946 was a narrow valley called Sekigahara. 190 00:15:28,406 --> 00:15:31,785 [Kazuhiko in Japanese] This was a very good strategy for Mitsunari. 191 00:15:32,577 --> 00:15:36,331 He thought it would be more advantageous to fight at Sekigahara 192 00:15:36,414 --> 00:15:38,667 than in Ogaki Castle. 193 00:15:39,584 --> 00:15:42,587 [Turnbull] If you choose to fight a battle in a narrow valley 194 00:15:42,671 --> 00:15:45,882 and you control the mountains around, which Ishida did, 195 00:15:45,966 --> 00:15:48,385 you can draw your opponent towards you 196 00:15:48,468 --> 00:15:50,845 and then attack him from three sides. 197 00:15:50,929 --> 00:15:52,806 It was an excellent choice. 198 00:15:54,516 --> 00:15:56,142 [in Japanese] Tell the soldiers. 199 00:15:57,394 --> 00:16:01,439 Tighten the defenses before the enemy arrives. 200 00:16:02,357 --> 00:16:03,400 Go! 201 00:16:04,192 --> 00:16:07,988 [Turnbull] Ishida Mitsunari had the time to arrange his forces 202 00:16:08,071 --> 00:16:10,657 in the best possible defensive position. 203 00:16:11,157 --> 00:16:16,413 He himself straddled the road awaiting Ieyasu's attack head-on. 204 00:16:16,496 --> 00:16:18,832 -[dramatic music plays] -[in Japanese] Hideaki… 205 00:16:21,001 --> 00:16:24,629 Put your troops on the mountain. 206 00:16:25,797 --> 00:16:27,757 When I give the signal, 207 00:16:27,841 --> 00:16:31,803 come down the mountain and attack Ieyasu from the side. 208 00:16:33,722 --> 00:16:38,643 [Turnbull] To guard his left flank and to avoid encirclement by Ieyasu, 209 00:16:38,727 --> 00:16:42,188 he sent Kobayakawa Hideaki 210 00:16:42,272 --> 00:16:45,817 to take up position overlooking the road. 211 00:16:47,986 --> 00:16:50,488 When battle was joined the following morning, 212 00:16:50,572 --> 00:16:54,743 he would light a signal fire and then Kobayakawa Hideaki 213 00:16:54,826 --> 00:16:57,328 would descend from his strategic position 214 00:16:57,412 --> 00:17:00,498 and attack the Tokugawa on their right flank, 215 00:17:00,582 --> 00:17:03,585 bringing about total victory. 216 00:17:07,922 --> 00:17:11,926 However, Mitsunari is somewhat disliked 217 00:17:12,010 --> 00:17:16,973 by many of the daimyo who are supporting Toyotomi Hideyori's cause. 218 00:17:23,605 --> 00:17:26,483 This dislike and distrust of Ishida Mitsunari 219 00:17:26,566 --> 00:17:30,320 as overall commander came back to bite him in several ways. 220 00:17:31,112 --> 00:17:35,992 One of the most important is with the case of Kobayakawa Hideaki. 221 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,290 [Turnbull] The main basis for the resentment 222 00:17:42,373 --> 00:17:44,626 that Hideaki felt against Ishida Mitsunari 223 00:17:45,502 --> 00:17:48,213 was from Ishida's role during the Korean invasion. 224 00:17:48,838 --> 00:17:50,840 [dramatic music plays] 225 00:17:52,592 --> 00:17:54,719 [soldiers groan] 226 00:17:54,803 --> 00:17:55,762 [all yelling] 227 00:17:56,471 --> 00:17:57,555 [groans] 228 00:17:59,891 --> 00:18:02,602 Ishida Mitsunari was appointed by Hideyoshi 229 00:18:02,685 --> 00:18:05,605 as the Inspector General of the Japanese forces 230 00:18:05,688 --> 00:18:09,692 and had been highly critical of young Hideaki's performance. 231 00:18:15,323 --> 00:18:17,325 News had gone back to Hideyoshi, 232 00:18:17,408 --> 00:18:20,495 who had stripped Hideaki of many of his rights, 233 00:18:20,578 --> 00:18:21,955 privileges and lands. 234 00:18:24,624 --> 00:18:26,626 [horse neighs] 235 00:18:32,924 --> 00:18:35,760 [Turnbull] In the crucial hours leading up to the battle, 236 00:18:37,595 --> 00:18:41,683 Tokugawa Ieyasu received an unexpected communication. 237 00:18:43,518 --> 00:18:47,147 Hideaki had decided to turn traitor. 238 00:18:49,023 --> 00:18:53,695 Once battle was joined, Hideaki would join Ieyasu instead 239 00:18:53,778 --> 00:18:57,448 and launch a devastating attack on Mitsunari's army. 240 00:18:58,992 --> 00:19:03,413 If this were to happen, it would greatly tip the balance in favor of Ieyasu. 241 00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:11,421 For all we know, Hideaki could well have been playing both sides 242 00:19:11,504 --> 00:19:13,506 to see who was likely to win, 243 00:19:13,590 --> 00:19:16,926 and then he would make his decision whom to support. 244 00:19:17,010 --> 00:19:19,220 Of course, until the battle began, 245 00:19:19,888 --> 00:19:24,934 Ieyasu could not be 100% sure that Hideaki would change sides. 246 00:19:26,394 --> 00:19:29,022 Tokugawa Ieyasu was facing the most difficult 247 00:19:29,105 --> 00:19:31,608 and dangerous decision of his life. 248 00:19:33,902 --> 00:19:37,697 In the end, it was a huge gamble, but one he had to take. 249 00:19:38,198 --> 00:19:40,200 [dramatic music plays] 250 00:19:43,703 --> 00:19:46,080 [Meyer] Tokugawa Ieyasu moves to Sekigahara. 251 00:19:47,207 --> 00:19:50,501 If, as some of his generals believe, this letter is a trick, 252 00:19:50,585 --> 00:19:53,087 then Ieyasu may have just thrown it all away. 253 00:19:53,171 --> 00:19:55,173 [soldiers marching] 254 00:19:56,466 --> 00:19:59,302 [Turnbull] Ieyasu arrived and all he could see roundabout 255 00:19:59,385 --> 00:20:01,679 were fires burning up on the mountains, 256 00:20:01,763 --> 00:20:04,515 which indicated the fortified positions 257 00:20:04,599 --> 00:20:07,602 that Ishida's army had had the leisure to erect. 258 00:20:09,103 --> 00:20:11,773 It was a huge challenge to face. 259 00:20:15,526 --> 00:20:18,738 Ieyasu seemed to be at a disadvantage 260 00:20:18,821 --> 00:20:20,949 because Ieyasu's son, Hidetada, 261 00:20:21,032 --> 00:20:25,536 had not arrived with an additional 30,000-plus troops he was counting on. 262 00:20:25,620 --> 00:20:28,790 This threatens the very survival of Ieyasu's forces. 263 00:20:30,291 --> 00:20:34,462 [Turnbull] All they could do was prepare as best they could for the coming battle. 264 00:20:35,713 --> 00:20:39,217 In a couple of hours' time, the fog would lift 265 00:20:39,759 --> 00:20:43,137 and the most decisive battle in Japan would begin. 266 00:20:44,013 --> 00:20:46,015 [dramatic music plays] 267 00:20:49,477 --> 00:20:52,480 [narrator] As the sides line up at Sekigahara, 268 00:20:52,563 --> 00:20:54,274 Mitsunari has the upper hand. 269 00:20:54,816 --> 00:20:58,111 His 120,000 men control the high ground. 270 00:20:59,153 --> 00:21:00,655 When battle commences, 271 00:21:00,738 --> 00:21:04,158 Mitsunari aims to bring down the wings of his formation, 272 00:21:04,242 --> 00:21:06,536 crushing Ieyasu from three sides. 273 00:21:07,537 --> 00:21:09,122 At the base of the valley, 274 00:21:09,205 --> 00:21:13,584 Ieyasu is in the weaker position and outnumbered almost three-to-two. 275 00:21:14,585 --> 00:21:17,130 With his son and his forces still absent, 276 00:21:17,213 --> 00:21:21,175 all his hopes now depend on Hideaki's promise of betrayal. 277 00:21:24,762 --> 00:21:26,764 [thunder rumbling in distance] 278 00:21:27,432 --> 00:21:29,434 [dramatic music plays] 279 00:21:31,144 --> 00:21:33,521 [Meyer] On the day of the battle of Sekigahara, 280 00:21:33,604 --> 00:21:35,273 there's fog early in the morning, 281 00:21:35,356 --> 00:21:38,151 so the two sides cannot see each other very clearly. 282 00:21:40,862 --> 00:21:43,781 When that fog starts to lift early in the morning, 283 00:21:43,865 --> 00:21:46,492 Ieyasu sees precisely what's in front of him. 284 00:21:48,494 --> 00:21:51,497 This entrenched position held by Mitsunari. 285 00:21:53,666 --> 00:21:55,376 He is outnumbered, it's true. 286 00:21:55,460 --> 00:22:00,381 But on the flip side, Mitsunari does not have very much battlefield experience. 287 00:22:00,465 --> 00:22:04,302 He's never directed a battle himself. He's only ever been a subcommander. 288 00:22:04,385 --> 00:22:06,387 [suspenseful music plays] 289 00:22:13,144 --> 00:22:14,645 [dramatic music plays] 290 00:22:33,915 --> 00:22:35,124 [in Japanese] Attack! 291 00:22:35,208 --> 00:22:36,125 [all yelling] 292 00:22:42,924 --> 00:22:44,592 -[arquebuses fire] -[blades clang] 293 00:22:46,344 --> 00:22:48,721 Mitsunari has had time to prepare defenses. 294 00:22:48,805 --> 00:22:53,059 As a result, Ieyasu's forces are forced to push forward at great cost. 295 00:22:53,142 --> 00:22:54,769 It's a tremendous slog. 296 00:22:54,852 --> 00:22:56,729 [all yelling] 297 00:22:57,605 --> 00:22:59,774 [Ledbetter] We have hand-to-hand fighting, 298 00:23:00,316 --> 00:23:03,236 spearmen and pikemen fighting with each other. 299 00:23:03,319 --> 00:23:08,116 On the flanks, you have contingents of arquebusiers firing at the enemy. 300 00:23:09,575 --> 00:23:12,495 The fighting devolves into an intense slog. 301 00:23:12,578 --> 00:23:15,456 It is chaotic, it is confusing and it is extremely brutal. 302 00:23:15,957 --> 00:23:18,000 [soldiers groan] 303 00:23:18,876 --> 00:23:20,711 [Ledbetter] It's controlled chaos. 304 00:23:20,795 --> 00:23:25,091 As the battle progresses, neither side is really able to gain much of an advantage. 305 00:23:26,592 --> 00:23:32,098 This is simply going to be a contest to see which side can outmuscle the other. 306 00:23:32,181 --> 00:23:33,641 [fighting continues] 307 00:23:34,434 --> 00:23:36,018 [in Japanese] Raise the signal. 308 00:23:37,228 --> 00:23:41,691 [Ledbetter] Ishida realizes that he needs to force some of his troops 309 00:23:41,774 --> 00:23:43,401 to enter the battle. 310 00:23:44,902 --> 00:23:46,988 He gives the prearranged signal 311 00:23:47,071 --> 00:23:50,950 to Kobayakawa Hideaki to attack the Tokugawa forces in the flank. 312 00:23:51,868 --> 00:23:52,869 However… 313 00:23:53,828 --> 00:23:55,329 [dramatic music plays] 314 00:23:56,456 --> 00:23:58,040 …Hideaki's troops don't move. 315 00:24:03,838 --> 00:24:07,967 Ieyasu also sees that the Kobayakawa are not moving. 316 00:24:10,428 --> 00:24:13,222 The Kobayakawa forces continue to hold position. 317 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:15,850 And after a while, 318 00:24:15,933 --> 00:24:20,354 Ieyasu also becomes a bit nervous about what they're going to do. 319 00:24:24,108 --> 00:24:26,944 Ieyasu then makes a carefully calculated move 320 00:24:27,028 --> 00:24:29,697 that will go down in the history of Japanese folklore. 321 00:24:30,865 --> 00:24:31,824 [in Japanese] Fire! 322 00:24:35,786 --> 00:24:39,707 He is supposed to have ordered his arquebuses to fire at Hideaki's position, 323 00:24:39,790 --> 00:24:42,668 forcing Hideaki to choose one way or the other. 324 00:24:42,752 --> 00:24:44,003 It's time to pick a side. 325 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:49,425 [in Japanese] Attack! 326 00:24:49,509 --> 00:24:53,179 [Ledbetter] This has the effect of shaking Hideaki out of his inaction, 327 00:24:53,888 --> 00:24:56,349 and the Kobayakawa troops stream down the hill. 328 00:24:56,432 --> 00:24:57,558 [soldiers yelling] 329 00:24:58,142 --> 00:25:00,561 [Meyer] Imagine the reaction of Ishida Mitsunari: 330 00:25:00,645 --> 00:25:03,189 "First, my order got through. They're on their way." 331 00:25:03,272 --> 00:25:04,815 And then this mounting horror: 332 00:25:04,899 --> 00:25:08,194 "Wait, they're not going towards Ieyasu's lines, 333 00:25:08,277 --> 00:25:11,280 they're coming towards my lines. They're attacking me." 334 00:25:11,822 --> 00:25:15,701 [Ledbetter] They slam into the flank of the western army. 335 00:25:18,412 --> 00:25:20,748 The commander of the flank unit that's attacked 336 00:25:20,831 --> 00:25:24,460 turned his forces to meet Kobayakawa's attack, but was soon overwhelmed. 337 00:25:26,879 --> 00:25:30,675 This double-punch to Ishida Mitsunari's army 338 00:25:30,758 --> 00:25:33,219 had the effect of rolling up the sides… 339 00:25:34,637 --> 00:25:36,722 and forcing his resistance to crumble. 340 00:25:37,598 --> 00:25:39,016 Mitsunari now realizes… 341 00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:40,768 [in Japanese] Hideaki… 342 00:25:41,269 --> 00:25:43,104 …the battle is as good as lost. 343 00:25:45,648 --> 00:25:49,485 The western army's contingents remaining did everything they could to escape. 344 00:25:50,653 --> 00:25:53,906 Many, of course, would be ridden down 345 00:25:53,990 --> 00:25:56,701 by the victorious opponents… 346 00:25:57,660 --> 00:25:58,744 -and killed. -[groans] 347 00:26:00,538 --> 00:26:04,625 Immediately after the battle would be a scene of chaos. 348 00:26:07,587 --> 00:26:11,757 [Segal] Many of the leading generals of the losing side fled the scene, 349 00:26:11,841 --> 00:26:13,092 including Mitsunari, 350 00:26:13,175 --> 00:26:15,928 but Ieyasu's forces were able to capture a number of them. 351 00:26:28,190 --> 00:26:31,694 [Michael Wert] Sekigahara was a watershed moment for Ieyasu. 352 00:26:33,821 --> 00:26:36,907 Because now it's clear that, militarily speaking, 353 00:26:36,991 --> 00:26:39,160 he's certainly the greatest power in Japan. 354 00:26:40,286 --> 00:26:43,080 [Meyer] For Ieyasu, the victory at Sekigahara 355 00:26:43,164 --> 00:26:46,375 puts him in what you'd call one of the most dominant positions 356 00:26:46,459 --> 00:26:48,794 of any age of Japanese history. 357 00:26:49,462 --> 00:26:51,756 Most of the opposition to his rule is gone. 358 00:26:51,839 --> 00:26:53,341 [triumphant music plays] 359 00:26:54,925 --> 00:26:57,511 [Auslin] Ieyasu's victory in Sekigahara is complete, 360 00:26:57,595 --> 00:26:59,805 but he has to send a signal of his victory 361 00:26:59,889 --> 00:27:03,684 and Ieyasu orders the execution of loyalists to Hideyoshi… 362 00:27:06,228 --> 00:27:08,189 including Ishida Mitsunari. 363 00:27:09,357 --> 00:27:12,443 Their heads are placed on stakes to announce for all intents and purposes 364 00:27:12,526 --> 00:27:14,987 that the Toyotomi coalition is done 365 00:27:15,071 --> 00:27:18,491 and that the supreme power in the land is now Tokugawa Ieyasu. 366 00:27:18,574 --> 00:27:20,576 [dramatic music plays] 367 00:27:27,958 --> 00:27:29,543 In the wake of Sekigahara, 368 00:27:29,627 --> 00:27:31,837 Ieyasu makes a controversial decision 369 00:27:31,921 --> 00:27:35,257 against the advice of his generals and loyal retainers. 370 00:27:35,341 --> 00:27:37,510 Even though he's destroyed the coalition that fought 371 00:27:37,593 --> 00:27:40,012 to protect Hideyoshi's young heir, Hideyori, 372 00:27:40,096 --> 00:27:42,807 Ieyasu decides not to kill the young man. 373 00:27:42,890 --> 00:27:46,936 Instead, he lets him live in Osaka Castle under the stewardship of his mother, 374 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:48,646 Lady Chacha. 375 00:27:53,609 --> 00:27:56,696 [Meyer] Date Masamune will send a letter to Tokugawa Ieyasu. 376 00:27:57,321 --> 00:27:58,280 He will say, 377 00:27:58,364 --> 00:28:03,160 "Ieyasu, if you do not keep this boy at your side and raise him yourself… 378 00:28:04,078 --> 00:28:08,082 all of your enemies will gather around him and pour poison in his ear, 379 00:28:08,165 --> 00:28:10,334 and that will turn him against you." 380 00:28:12,503 --> 00:28:15,381 Ieyasu, however, seems to have felt differently. 381 00:28:15,464 --> 00:28:19,009 Keeping some distance and allowing Hideyori to be his own man 382 00:28:19,093 --> 00:28:22,430 would allow Hideyori to accept the idea of Tokugawa rule. 383 00:28:24,181 --> 00:28:27,351 That decision, sentimental you might even call it, 384 00:28:27,435 --> 00:28:28,853 turns out to be a mistake. 385 00:28:31,397 --> 00:28:34,942 [narrator] Ieyasu now moves to tighten his stranglehold on Japan. 386 00:28:36,068 --> 00:28:38,988 All daimyo who opposed him at Sekigahara 387 00:28:39,071 --> 00:28:41,991 are killed or stripped of their lands and titles. 388 00:28:42,074 --> 00:28:44,660 They are then moved to the fringes of the country, 389 00:28:44,744 --> 00:28:46,746 far from influence and power. 390 00:28:47,621 --> 00:28:52,251 All those who supported him are moved closer to the center and richly rewarded. 391 00:28:53,294 --> 00:28:57,923 By doing so, Ieyasu has created a buffer zone of loyal supporters 392 00:28:58,007 --> 00:29:00,009 to prevent any threat of attack. 393 00:29:01,802 --> 00:29:04,221 This far-reaching relocation system 394 00:29:04,305 --> 00:29:08,517 will protect Ieyasu and forever change the political makeup of Japan. 395 00:29:11,604 --> 00:29:12,772 It was a genius scheme. 396 00:29:12,855 --> 00:29:16,609 We have to remember that neither Nobunaga nor Hideyoshi 397 00:29:16,692 --> 00:29:21,363 had come up with a viable political equilibrium. 398 00:29:21,447 --> 00:29:22,907 Uh, one that could last. 399 00:29:22,990 --> 00:29:24,074 And Ieyasu did. 400 00:29:25,993 --> 00:29:30,331 [Benesch] So, while many people benefited greatly from the Battle of Sekigahara, 401 00:29:30,414 --> 00:29:33,709 the same cannot necessarily be said for Kobayakawa Hideaki. 402 00:29:35,169 --> 00:29:38,798 [Meyer] Despite the fact that Kobayakawa's defection sealed the deal… 403 00:29:38,881 --> 00:29:40,883 It's the reason Ieyasu won. 404 00:29:40,966 --> 00:29:42,718 …Ieyasu did not trust him. 405 00:29:42,802 --> 00:29:46,263 He betrayed one master. What's to say he wouldn't betray another? 406 00:29:48,724 --> 00:29:51,435 [Kitagawa] Hideaki was tormented 407 00:29:51,519 --> 00:29:55,356 and also felt so guilty of betraying his original house, 408 00:29:55,439 --> 00:29:59,693 which was the Toyotomi, that he literally became insane. 409 00:30:04,990 --> 00:30:06,909 [Benesch] And within two years… 410 00:30:12,039 --> 00:30:13,707 he drank himself to death. 411 00:30:22,132 --> 00:30:25,928 [Meyer] Ieyasu has, really, in many ways, secured his position. 412 00:30:26,011 --> 00:30:30,015 He's redistributed these lords in a way that is beneficial to him, 413 00:30:30,099 --> 00:30:33,352 he's established his dominance over the country, 414 00:30:33,435 --> 00:30:36,272 but Ieyasu, very importantly, I think, 415 00:30:36,355 --> 00:30:39,775 wants to establish himself as a warrior leader first and foremost, 416 00:30:39,859 --> 00:30:43,988 not someone who is bound too tightly to the old imperial court. 417 00:30:48,534 --> 00:30:52,705 In 1603, he takes the final step to cement his legitimacy. 418 00:30:54,832 --> 00:30:57,418 He'll be invested with this title of Shogun. 419 00:31:00,796 --> 00:31:03,465 [Wert] One thing to remember about the Shogun title 420 00:31:03,549 --> 00:31:05,801 is that throughout much of Japanese history, 421 00:31:05,885 --> 00:31:10,806 it was not a very influential, powerful or even desirable title. 422 00:31:10,890 --> 00:31:13,601 Many of the Shogun were simply puppets. 423 00:31:15,769 --> 00:31:19,356 Ieyasu recreates the Shogun title 424 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,151 as a position of power, 425 00:31:22,234 --> 00:31:26,071 invigorating it and allowing him to control all of Japan. 426 00:31:26,155 --> 00:31:28,157 [dramatic music plays] 427 00:31:32,786 --> 00:31:35,497 Once Ieyasu is given the title of Shogun, 428 00:31:35,581 --> 00:31:40,044 he is, for the first time since the collapse of central power 429 00:31:40,127 --> 00:31:42,546 in the mid-15th century, 430 00:31:42,630 --> 00:31:44,590 standing at the apex of power in Japan. 431 00:31:51,805 --> 00:31:54,934 [Auslin] It seems to everyone that 130 years of civil war 432 00:31:55,017 --> 00:31:56,644 have finally come to an end. 433 00:31:56,727 --> 00:31:58,604 But just over a decade later, 434 00:31:58,687 --> 00:32:01,023 talk of full rebellion is brewing. 435 00:32:01,106 --> 00:32:04,693 Those who had never reconciled themselves to the victory of the Tokugawa 436 00:32:04,777 --> 00:32:07,029 begin to coalesce around the one man 437 00:32:07,112 --> 00:32:09,907 who could legitimately challenge Ieyasu for power… 438 00:32:12,368 --> 00:32:15,788 Toyotomi Hideyori, Hideyoshi's trueborn heir. 439 00:32:17,373 --> 00:32:19,750 [Segal] After the victory at Sekigahara, 440 00:32:19,833 --> 00:32:23,337 Ieyasu did not take any direct action against Hideyori, 441 00:32:23,420 --> 00:32:25,255 the heir to Hideyoshi's title. 442 00:32:25,839 --> 00:32:28,717 And the boy was able to grow up retaining his position. 443 00:32:37,768 --> 00:32:40,813 Over the years, many people came to see Hideyori 444 00:32:40,896 --> 00:32:43,732 as an alternative to Ieyasu's rise to power. 445 00:32:45,609 --> 00:32:48,320 In particular, some of the masterless samurai, 446 00:32:48,404 --> 00:32:50,864 the ronin, who've been left without position 447 00:32:50,948 --> 00:32:53,450 following the Battle of Sekigahara. 448 00:32:58,205 --> 00:33:02,084 He also has, for lack of a better word, "supporters" all over the country. 449 00:33:05,129 --> 00:33:08,507 [Benesch] Although Hideyori himself becomes a rallying point 450 00:33:08,590 --> 00:33:11,593 for many dissatisfied with the Tokugawa order… 451 00:33:12,302 --> 00:33:14,263 it is questionable to what extent 452 00:33:14,346 --> 00:33:17,224 he himself would have wanted to challenge Ieyasu. 453 00:33:17,307 --> 00:33:21,729 Ieyasu was, obviously, militarily, much more powerful, 454 00:33:21,812 --> 00:33:25,983 and it seems that Hideyori would have wanted to avoid a conflict. 455 00:33:26,483 --> 00:33:27,609 [in Japanese] Silence! 456 00:33:27,693 --> 00:33:28,819 [dramatic music plays] 457 00:33:30,404 --> 00:33:33,115 Your Highness, you must not listen to them. 458 00:33:35,951 --> 00:33:37,619 If you beg for your life, 459 00:33:38,287 --> 00:33:40,622 you'll be playing right into Tokugawa's hands. 460 00:33:40,706 --> 00:33:43,542 Even his own mother, one of his closest advisers, 461 00:33:43,625 --> 00:33:45,753 Lady Yodo, sometimes called Chacha, 462 00:33:45,836 --> 00:33:50,257 will begin to push her son to more actively defy Tokugawa Ieyasu. 463 00:33:50,340 --> 00:33:53,969 Often, actually, in defiance of advice from his own retainers, 464 00:33:54,053 --> 00:33:57,931 many of whom suggest it's better to wait for Ieyasu to die 465 00:33:58,015 --> 00:34:01,769 and to challenge his younger son, who may be less effective as a ruler. 466 00:34:03,270 --> 00:34:06,857 [in Japanese] If you are a samurai, think about regaining Toyotomi rule! 467 00:34:07,441 --> 00:34:08,567 Mother… 468 00:34:09,860 --> 00:34:13,489 Chacha does not want to wait. She wants the challenge to happen now. 469 00:34:14,281 --> 00:34:15,407 Please stop. 470 00:34:18,535 --> 00:34:19,912 I want all of you to leave. 471 00:34:21,371 --> 00:34:22,498 Get out! 472 00:34:33,967 --> 00:34:36,303 [Benesch] Regardless of Hideyori's intentions, 473 00:34:36,386 --> 00:34:40,224 from the fact that tens of thousands and perhaps up to 60,000 people 474 00:34:40,307 --> 00:34:44,144 were gathering around Hideyori at Osaka Castle, 475 00:34:44,228 --> 00:34:48,023 seemed to Tokugawa Ieyasu to show that a rebellion was brewing. 476 00:34:48,107 --> 00:34:50,150 -[birds chirping] -[dramatic music plays] 477 00:34:52,027 --> 00:34:53,487 [suspenseful music plays] 478 00:34:57,699 --> 00:35:00,702 [Auslin] Ieyasu was blessed with having a lot of sons. 479 00:35:00,786 --> 00:35:04,331 He knew that his family was going to survive… 480 00:35:05,499 --> 00:35:08,210 if there were no credible power alternatives, 481 00:35:08,293 --> 00:35:10,921 and Hideyori is a credible power alternative. 482 00:35:11,004 --> 00:35:14,842 He has become a magnet for those disaffected with Tokugawa rule. 483 00:35:18,011 --> 00:35:20,222 -[in Japanese] Kill Hideyori. -Yes, sir. 484 00:35:20,931 --> 00:35:24,351 If Ieyasu wants to leave this Earth assured 485 00:35:25,185 --> 00:35:28,564 that his family will survive and his work will continue, 486 00:35:28,647 --> 00:35:30,482 he must destroy Hideyori. 487 00:35:30,566 --> 00:35:31,900 [birds chirping] 488 00:35:35,571 --> 00:35:37,656 [Meyer] He determines now to do something 489 00:35:37,739 --> 00:35:40,159 he begins to think he should have done years ago. 490 00:35:41,869 --> 00:35:45,372 Wipe out the last traces of the Toyotomi bloodline. 491 00:35:45,455 --> 00:35:47,082 [dramatic music plays] 492 00:35:52,504 --> 00:35:58,010 [narrator] Ieyasu marches 194,000 troops to besiege Osaka Castle. 493 00:35:58,969 --> 00:36:02,931 Joined by loyal allies, including Date Masamune, 494 00:36:03,015 --> 00:36:07,144 thousands die as Ieyasu's forces lay siege to the fortress. 495 00:36:08,187 --> 00:36:11,648 The fighting is ferocious, but the defenders hold fast. 496 00:36:12,191 --> 00:36:17,821 But, finally, in June 1615, Osaka Castle's formidable defenses fall. 497 00:36:18,447 --> 00:36:19,531 [crackling] 498 00:36:22,743 --> 00:36:26,163 [Benesch] After many months of fighting and siege, 499 00:36:26,246 --> 00:36:30,959 the Tokugawa cannons are raining down on Osaka Castle. 500 00:36:31,043 --> 00:36:33,045 Parts of the castle are burning. 501 00:36:34,421 --> 00:36:35,631 [chokes] 502 00:36:35,714 --> 00:36:37,716 [cannons firing in distance] 503 00:36:44,139 --> 00:36:46,642 [Auslin] Hideyori must have known that it was over. 504 00:36:51,688 --> 00:36:55,484 He'd become a pawn for those dissatisfied with Tokugawa rule, 505 00:36:55,567 --> 00:36:58,695 and he'd been manipulated into starting a war he could not win. 506 00:36:58,779 --> 00:37:00,280 [crackling] 507 00:37:01,949 --> 00:37:04,451 The flames are rising through Osaka Castle. 508 00:37:04,534 --> 00:37:07,246 It's clear that any more resistance is futile. 509 00:37:09,206 --> 00:37:10,874 [cannons firing in distance] 510 00:37:39,361 --> 00:37:41,154 [dramatic music plays] 511 00:37:42,781 --> 00:37:43,949 [groans] 512 00:37:55,168 --> 00:37:56,545 [groans softly] 513 00:38:02,092 --> 00:38:03,635 [choking cough] 514 00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:04,761 [gasps] 515 00:38:04,845 --> 00:38:06,054 [coughs] 516 00:38:09,558 --> 00:38:10,684 [thuds] 517 00:38:17,607 --> 00:38:19,067 [flames crackling] 518 00:38:24,281 --> 00:38:26,575 [Auslin] The destruction of Osaka Castle 519 00:38:26,658 --> 00:38:29,453 was as if all of the final energies 520 00:38:29,536 --> 00:38:32,914 of the civil war period were being played out, 521 00:38:32,998 --> 00:38:34,708 that there would be nothing left. 522 00:38:34,791 --> 00:38:38,420 It all had to be destroyed in order that a new era could be born. 523 00:38:44,676 --> 00:38:48,722 There's no more fighting to be done. It's finally over. 524 00:38:48,805 --> 00:38:50,390 Everyone understands that. 525 00:38:50,474 --> 00:38:53,268 And Ieyasu has outlasted everyone. 526 00:38:55,812 --> 00:38:59,024 [Meyer] The Tokugawa now have a complete stranglehold on power. 527 00:39:06,823 --> 00:39:08,825 [somber music plays] 528 00:39:15,916 --> 00:39:19,419 [Auslin] Ieyasu didn't have long to see the fruits of his last victory. 529 00:39:20,003 --> 00:39:22,422 A year after the fall of Osaka Castle, 530 00:39:22,506 --> 00:39:25,342 he lays dying from probably stomach cancer. 531 00:39:28,428 --> 00:39:30,639 [Spafford] When Ieyasu is on his deathbed, 532 00:39:30,722 --> 00:39:34,434 many of the great figures of the land come and visit to pay their respects. 533 00:39:34,518 --> 00:39:35,977 [somber music plays] 534 00:39:41,191 --> 00:39:43,443 And among these is Date Masamune, 535 00:39:43,527 --> 00:39:47,364 who is said to have visited Ieyasu and read him poetry. 536 00:39:50,367 --> 00:39:53,703 [Auslin] It appears they had a great mutual respect for each other. 537 00:39:53,787 --> 00:39:57,874 And clearly Date had acted as a loyal ally in the years after Sekigahara. 538 00:39:57,958 --> 00:39:59,292 [somber music continues] 539 00:40:17,686 --> 00:40:20,814 Tokugawa Ieyasu, an old badger, 540 00:40:20,897 --> 00:40:27,195 a wily old creature who had survived the storms and battles… 541 00:40:33,660 --> 00:40:34,828 passed away… 542 00:40:36,246 --> 00:40:39,374 having simply outlived all of his enemies. 543 00:40:45,130 --> 00:40:47,132 [wind whistling] 544 00:40:50,886 --> 00:40:52,971 [Auslin] The great warlords, 545 00:40:53,054 --> 00:40:54,681 through this entire period, 546 00:40:54,764 --> 00:40:58,768 were the ones who understood that there was something beyond war. 547 00:40:58,852 --> 00:41:02,439 That's what Tokugawa Ieyasu gives them, is that chance. 548 00:41:03,732 --> 00:41:08,778 He's created an incredibly durable system for governing Japan 549 00:41:08,862 --> 00:41:10,989 in an era after war. 550 00:41:11,072 --> 00:41:13,116 He was lucky in that he had many sons. 551 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,202 He had a line that could continue on. 552 00:41:15,285 --> 00:41:18,788 So, he had luck, but he had wisdom. 553 00:41:18,872 --> 00:41:20,040 And because of that, 554 00:41:20,123 --> 00:41:23,752 the system that he created lasted for two and a half centuries. 555 00:41:26,796 --> 00:41:28,423 It's an incredible achievement. 556 00:41:33,887 --> 00:41:35,305 [dramatic music plays] 557 00:41:35,388 --> 00:41:38,767 [Meyer] Tokugawa Ieyasu's death marks the passing of this era, 558 00:41:38,850 --> 00:41:42,646 where, all of a sudden, this military order is falling away 559 00:41:42,729 --> 00:41:46,816 and the samurai now are warriors who rule over a country at peace. 560 00:41:47,192 --> 00:41:49,194 -[groans] -[soldiers yelling] 561 00:41:49,277 --> 00:41:51,530 [Auslin] They have known nothing but battle 562 00:41:51,613 --> 00:41:53,114 -for a century. -[screams] 563 00:41:53,198 --> 00:41:55,909 [Auslin] They are born into it, raised into it. 564 00:41:55,992 --> 00:41:57,327 They are educated into it. 565 00:41:57,410 --> 00:42:00,914 These are probably the greatest warriors history has ever known. 566 00:42:01,831 --> 00:42:03,625 All of a sudden, there's no war. 567 00:42:03,708 --> 00:42:05,377 [dramatic music plays] 568 00:42:08,380 --> 00:42:09,339 [thunder cracks] 569 00:42:09,422 --> 00:42:13,510 [Meyer] Very quickly, you see this incredible transformation of the samurai. 570 00:42:15,011 --> 00:42:19,349 Instead of focusing purely on war and conflict and strategy… 571 00:42:20,809 --> 00:42:24,688 there's an increasing focus on philosophy, duty, honor. 572 00:42:24,771 --> 00:42:26,189 What does it mean to serve? 573 00:42:26,273 --> 00:42:29,859 What does it mean to be a warrior in an age of peace? 574 00:42:30,402 --> 00:42:32,946 And so, within just a couple of decades, 575 00:42:33,029 --> 00:42:36,616 the samurai are in many ways unrecognizable from what they had been. 576 00:42:38,994 --> 00:42:40,662 [Auslin] But the samurais' legacy 577 00:42:40,745 --> 00:42:44,416 in the transformation of a country from one of bloody civil war to peace 578 00:42:44,499 --> 00:42:46,751 stands like a colossus over Japan. 579 00:42:52,007 --> 00:42:54,634 The century of warfare, 580 00:42:54,718 --> 00:42:59,014 as tragic as it was, and as destructive and brutal as it was, 581 00:42:59,097 --> 00:43:02,601 provided 250 years of peace, 582 00:43:02,684 --> 00:43:06,563 and that's an achievement that is actually quite rare in human history. 583 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:15,322 [closing theme plays]