Shimazu Yoshihiro and the Pivotal Battle of Sekigahara
Shimazu Yoshihiro was one of the most skilled generals of the Sengoku period (1467-1615) and the 17th head of the Shimazu clan. Yoshihiro and his three brothers managed to subjugate nearly the whole of Kyushu before being pushed back to Satsuma by regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587. Following this, Yoshihiro fought in Hideyoshi’s Korean Invasions […]
Physical Culture of the Samurai
Samurai Warrior Clan For the samurai, physical culture and the perfection of both body and mind were highly important activities. We can see how important these activities were by looking at some historical records from the archives of one of the oldest warrior clans in Japan – the Shimazu. As a Kamakura period (1185-1333) warrior […]
History of the Powerful Shimazu Clan
The Shimazu Clan: 800 Years of Samurai History and Culture The Shimazu family were one of Japan’s most powerful clans and ruled over southern Kyushu for a period of over 700 years. Learn about how this influential warrior clan survived through the age of the samurai and played a key role in the modernisation of […]
Code Of The Samurai of Satsuma: Shimazu Iroha-no-uta
The Code of the Samurai Bushido – the code of the samurai, is often cited as being the set of ethical principles that governed the behaviour and way of life of the samurai in feudal Japan. Emphasizing loyalty, honour, and self-discipline, bushido has become known around the world as part of the legacy of the […]