NAGARAGAWA NO UKAI - CORMORANT FISHING IN GIFU

NAGARAGAWA NO UKAI- CORMORANT FISHING

Gifu Nagaragawa no ukai (ぎふ長良川の鵜飼,) or cormorant fishing on the Nagara River in Gifu is a 1,300 year-old tradition and has played a key role in the history of the city of Gifu in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Through the city’s history, ukai or seasonal cormorant fishing has existed as a means to live, then a profitable industry, to a major attraction for tourists to the region.

The masters of ukai, known as ushō (鵜匠) use cormorants[1] to catch fish, primarily the variety known as ayu[2] or (sweetfish). It takes incredibly great skill to master the art of fishing using cormorants rather than nets or rod and reel, and because of this, the masters at Gifu have received the official title of “Cormorant Fishermen of the Imperial Household Agency,” a title which is passed down from father to sun. Now days, only a few people are actually authorized to do ukai as it is a “protected” occupation under the Imperia Household.

We well know that throughout history man has teamed up with animals to aid in the hunting and gathering of food. On the Nagara River, the teaming of man and cormorant for fishing began over 1,300 years ago as a way for the people of the region to feed their families. As society in Japan grew more cohesive, the cormorant fishing activities came to be under the control of the Imperial Household Agency and the first fish caught each year were sent to the capitol at NARA and later to Kyoto. As noted before, the fishing activities still remain under the Imperial Household Agency and thus the Nagara River has become a protected river, ensuring its cleanliness and productivity for generations to come. The birds themselves have had an impact on the whole of Japanese lore and tradition. The term unomi (鵜呑み) or “swallow whole like cormorant” or in a more contemporary context “accept without question” is attributed to these special birds who swallow fish whole without choking or being injured by the fins or scales.

As Japanese society grew and evolved through time, techniques for ukai improved and what was a local activity grew into an industry. Processing plants grew up in the area and thus the fish could be sold over much greater distances than ever before.

Unfortunately, as the country grew, over-fishing, the arrival or development of new fishing methods and modern transportation saw a decline in ukai as it had once been. Cormorant fishing however continues in Gifu despite the decline in ukai as an industry and has found a new niche for itself, that of a major tourist attraction which brings thousands of people from Japan and around the world to the city. One of those tourists over time was the Japanese poet Matsu Bashō[3] who found himself so enamoured with what he saw that he was moved to write:

おもしろうてやがて悲しき鵜舟哉。

exciting to see
but soon after, comes sadness
the cormorant boats

又たぐひながらの川の鮎なます。

once more to describe
the Nagara River’s own
sweetfish namasu[4]

Since ukai is a daily activity for the nearly five months of the season, the fishing masters begin each day by selecting ten to twelve cormorants for the day’s work. When the birds have been selected and the boats have been prepared, the fishing masters draw lots to determine the order in which they will fish.

Ukai fishing is carried out as a “team effort”, not just between bird and human, but ukai fishing usually requires at least three crewmen on each boat. The leader of the team is known as an usho, who guides and handles the cormorants as they go about their work. The usho is joined by the nakanori (中乗り) or “middle rider” and the tomonori (共乗り) or “companion rider”, who pick up the fish that are caught, paddle the point and guide the rudder/oar.

Cormorant Boat Facts and Terms

Fishing is done from a small flat-bottomed boat called an ubune, specially designed to navigate the shallow water of the river where the fish are easier to catch. Each boat is about 13 meters (43 feet) in length. The boats are paddled out into the river after dark and upstream of the fishing area, although you may also see the boats towed upstream by a powerboat as well. As the boats begin their fishing run, the fishermen attract the fish by lighting bright burning fires of split pine (matsuwariki (松割木)) in metal baskets (kagari (篝)) suspended from the front of the boat on a pole (kagaribō (篝棒)). Actually, the fire is both to light the path of the boat, makes it easier for the cormorants to find the fish, and also to attract the fish to the boats. The light is supplemented by either the beating of a drum or of an oar on the side of the boat.

Cormorant boat: birds and human crew of three. Each of the three crew members has different role. As well as the full- fledged usho, or cormorant fishermen, there is a nakanori (assistant) and a tomonori (helmsman).
Ubune (cormorant boat)About 13 meters long, the boat carries a complement of three: the usho, nakanori, and tomonori.KagaribiThe fire that provides light for cormorant fishing.KagariThe iron basket fire that holds the fire.Kagari-boThe kagari is suspended from this pole.Matsu-wari-kiSplit-pine firewood for the fire basketTanawaThe leash rope that is used to control a cormorant. An usho controls ten to twelve birds at the same time.Tomonori the helmsman, who is responsible for maneuvering the boat.NakanoriThe nakanori assists the usho.

Fishing With Birds

The birds are then sent out into the water to do their job. Each cormorant is on a leash or rope (tenawa) and it takes special skill on the part of the usho to prevent the leashes from becoming entangled as the birds dive and then dive again for their fish. The leash is attached to a small metal ring that is attached around the base of the bird’s neck, but of course, it does not harm the birds at all. Each time a cormorant catches a fist and swallows it, the usho pulls them back into the boat using the ropes attached to their bodies and removes the fish – the ring around their neck is too small to allow the bird to swallow a fish the size the fishermen want, but it does not prevent them from eating smaller fish, which seems to work out quite well for both fisherman and bird. Worthy of note is the fact that although the ropes attached to the cormorants are strong, the fishing master is able to quickly break it if a bird’s rope gets caught beneath rocks or such, ensuring that the bird will not drown. Fishermen care very much for their birds.
Watching Cormorant Fishing

When you come to Gifu, there are several options available for viewing ukai. Visitors can contact the Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat Office to either rent a private boat, which holds between 15 and 50 people or to buy tickets for one of the general viewing boats. The boats are boarded at the viewing office and then they are steered upriver before landing on the shore of the river for ukai viewing.

Visitors usually board the boats at about 6:30 pm and many boats offer visitors a chance to eat before arriving at the viewing destination at about 7:45 pm. Boats return to the docks at about 8:30 pm or 9 pm.

Visitors are also able to watch cormorant fishing for free from the Cormorant Fishing Viewing Zone on the Nagaragawa Promenade. This area provides visitors with both a place to thee the traditional event as well as to take a rest while strolling along the river. A very romantic evening!

In addition to the ukai boats and viewing boats, there are other boats which play a role in the evening as well. The first boat of the evening is the dancing boat or odoribune which usually has five dancers on the boat while it goes up and down the river entertaining the visitors before the night’s fishing begins. There are also refreshment bots from which to buy snacks and drinks and fireworks to use before cormorant fishing begins.

How To Get There

Board a bus operated by the Gifu Bus Company at either JR Gifu Station (Bus Platform 11) or at Meitetsu Gifu Station (Bus Platform 4), heading towards the Nagara area and get off at Nagarabashi. The ride should normally take about 15 minutes. The Cormorant Viewing Boat Office is located near the western base of Nagara Bridge on the southern side of the river.



[1] The Japanese cormorant (phalacrocorax capittatus), also known as “Temminck’s Cormorant”, is a bird native to East Asia covering a range from Taiwan northward through Korea and Japan to the Russian Far East. It has a black body with a white throat and cheeks and a partially yellow bill.
[2] The ayu (香魚) or sweetfish (plecoglossus altivelis) is a relative of the smelt and dwells in rivers, lakes and coastal waters of western Hokkaido southward to Taiwan and China. The name “sweetfish” is due to the sweetness of its flesh. The ayu is Gunman Prefecture’s “prefectural fish”.

[3] Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉, Matsuo Bashō 1644 – November 28, 1694) was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku. His poetry is internationally renowned, and within Japan many of his poems are reproduced on monuments and traditional sites.
[4] Namasu is a pickled delicacy made from sweetfish

Cormorant Fishing

Copyright 2008 by Hayato Tokugawa

LET'S VISIT GIFU CASTLE!

LET'S VISIT GIFU CASTLE!

Europe boasts of its medieval castles and advertises them as great places to visit for tourists. Indeed, if we think about trips to Europe, especially the UK, France, and Germany, we are almost certain to include one or two castles in our plans. Castles are part of European history and culture. What many people don’t know, is that just as in Europe, castles are part of Japan’s history and culture as well, and Gifu Prefecture features one of the grandest!

Gifu Castle (岐阜城,) or Gifu-jō is a mountaintop castle (not at all unlike most European castles) located within the city of Gifu and it is one of the main symbols of the city as well as Gifu Prefecture. It was originally built by the Nikaidō clan[i] between 1201 and 1204 AD during the Kamakura Period[ii]. It was originally called Inabayama Castle (稲葉山城) and has undergone many repairs over the course of countless generations, and through those generations, the castle has accumulated a sizeable history as well.

As formidable as it appears and as famous as Gifu Castle is as a symbol of power and strength, it was once taken over by a group of only sixteen men. There is actually one incident in its history when it was in effect taken or captured by just one man! That man, Takenaka Hanbei went to the castle under the pretext of visiting his sick brother, Saitō Tatsuoki. In fact, he actually went there to kill his brother. When Hanbei attacked him, Tatsuoki was shocked, amazed and confused. He actually believed that an enemy army had come to attack him and fled into the night, leaving Hanbei able to lay claim to Gifu Castle with total ease!

Later on, Hanbei actually returned the castle to his brother, but by then Tatsuoki’s reputation had suffered immense damage. When Oda Nobunaga[iii] later attacked the same castle, many of Tatsuoki’s men remembered the previous incident and abandoned their posts, enabling Nobunaga to easily defeat Tatsuoki and claim Gifu Castle for his own. It was actually Nobunaga who renamed the castle “Gifu-jō” in keeping with the example found in Chinese culture, which was often adopted by Japanese culture. He then proceeded to renovate the castle, making it into something far more impressive than it had been. A Catholic Jesuit missionary from Portugal, Luis Frois, was invited to the castle by Nobunaga and in his writings of his time in Japan, had nothing but praise for the beauty of Gifu Castle.

It was in 1600, that the castle played what is perhaps its most important role. The Battle of Gifu Castle served as a prelude to the Battle of Sekigahara, the end of one era (Sengoku) and the beginning of another, the Tokugawa Period. That same year the castle was destroyed and a part of the structure was actually brought to Kanō Castle[iv] in the south to fortify that structure.

Regrettably, the current version of Gifu Castle is a cement structure that was built in the 1950s, the previous castle having been destroyed by fire bombings of Gifu during World War II. Some tourists complain that the interior is sterile and not in keeping with tradition, which may indeed be true, but consider its fate during the war and what resources (material and economic) were available in Japan at the time of its restoration. It is an imposing structure and within the current castle there are three floors with exhibits that represent the castle’s past, with maps, weapons, pictures and other artifacts for visitors to see and thus, recreate for themselves the story of Gifu-jō. On the top floor is an observation deck, which is open to the public and provides a fantastic view of the surrounding area including the Nagara River and Nagoya. At various times during the year the castle is also open to night viewing from the deck – something that should not be missed.

Near the castle, only a short walk (maybe 70 – 80 m) is a small museum and archive that contains even more artifacts from Gifu Castle and admittance to the museum is included in the admission fee to the castle itself. Also contained in the museum, which also contains pictures of castles throughout Japan, on the second floor, is a museum of musical instruments from Japan (historic and contemporary).

Hours of Operation are:

March 16 - May 11 9:30 am - 5:30 pmMay 12 to October 16 8:30 am - 5:30 pm October 17 - March 15 9:30 am - 4:30 pm[Panorama night view]July 14 to August 31 5:30 pm - 10:00 pmSaturdays and Sundays and public holiday on September 1 to October 14 5:30 pm - 9:30 pmOctober 15 to November 30 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Next time, we will visit Gifu Park and take a look around there!


[i] The Nikaidō clan (二階堂氏, ) were Japanese daimyo who ruled over Iwase in Mutsu Province during the Sengoku Period and were descendents of Fujiwara no Muchimaro, the founder of the southern courts of the Fujiwara clan.
[ii] The Kamakura Period (鎌倉時代), 1185 – 1333 AD, was a period of Japanese history marked by the domination of the country by the Kamakura Shogunate, which was official started in 1192 by the first Kamakura Shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo. The period ended in 1333 with the destruction of the Shogun’s government and re-establishment of imperial rule.
[iii] Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長, Oda Nobunaga), June 23, 1534 – June 21, 1582, was a major political and military leader during the Sengoku Period in Japan. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy military governor in Owari Province. Nobunaga lived a life of almost continuous military activity, eventually conquering over one-third of Japan’s daimyo and in effect unifying Japan, before his death in 1582.
[iv] Kanō Castle (加納城) was a castle built during the relative peace of the 15th and 16th centuries, but only its ruins remain today in the city of Gifu.

The View from Gifu Castle




How To Get there!

TAJIMI FALL FESTIVAL

TAJIMI FALL FESTIVAL

Right around the beginning of November (this year November 3) is the Tajimi Festival in Gifu Prefecture. This is a celebration of the town’s cultural and historic heritage as well as a celebration of the end of hot summer days. Quite literally, the entire town turns out for this celebration highlighted by a parade through the “downtown” area with marching bands, groups, samurai, bushi, beautiful Heian period ladies, and cute cute anime characters! It really is a lot of fun and sometimes it seems that there are more people taking part in the parade than are watching it! All ages from babies to seniors! It’s a lot of fun and if you are in or near Tajimi in November, please come by and see us and if you want, you can even take part in the fun!

Culture and history are very important to all of us in Gifu Prefecture and in Tajimi, and there are many cultural events all year. One thing that you might find a bit unusual is the high level of community participation in these events. The entire community comes together to take part in the cultural events of the area. November 14 – 16 is the 66th annual Tajimi Art Exhibition and February 17 –22 is the 42nd Literature Fair! Also in March, (29th and 29th) is the Flea Market Fair and anyone can come and sell their handmade arts and crafts! Everyone, as I said, takes part, from preparation, to exhibitions, to even teaching special classes and leading special events.

You might also want to visit these links!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IFxgh6mMc8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U86EFR_bSTg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxtQxzy5TyI

Lately the local Walking Fair has been in progress. Here are some of the events that we have and when you come to visit us, you can take part in!

October 4: Ikeda Museum and Shimo Kaido Street exploration

October 14: Visiting historic spots in Kasahara City

October 22: Watching autumn flowers and colorful autumn leaves around Mt. Kokei

October 25: A walking exploration of the local world of pottery and ceramics

November 5: A nature and history walk around Kasahara City

November 9: A nature walk to appreciate and celebrate autumn around Mt. Miyama

November 15: Enjoying the “slow life” by taking a relaxing, slow-paced nature walk around Mt. Kokie.

Everyone who participates in this Walking Festival is given a card at the beginning of the event and if you can walk even one kilometer, you get a stamp on your card. If you get a stamp for each event through October and November you win a prize and your name is listed in a booklet published by the City of Tajimi!

Also going on at the same time is the annual Japanese Paper Doll Festival!

Right now Tajimi is looking for pupils and teachers for upcoming events such as:

A class to make a personal seal (honko) from an eraser
A class about star gazing
A class to study about the planet Jupiter
A class on making a bamboo spear
A bird watching class
A class on the enjoyment of Yoga for the entire family
A class on cultivating and harvesting sweet potatoes


So as you can see, there are lots to see and do in Tajimi: Autumn, winter, and spring! Why don’t you come and join us in the fun!

SAKURA OR "FIRE TREES"?

Sakura or "Fire Trees"


Not so long ago I happened to mention the term “fire tree” in referring to some of the bright autumn tree colors that are appearing all over both the United States, Canada, and also Japan. One friend asked me which was more beautiful, sakura or “fire trees”. Such an interesting question! One that made me stop and think.

The short answer is “I have absolutely no idea!” For myself, I think I find autumn colors and “fire trees” the most dramatic; also, autumn is my favorite season of the year. I guess the real answer is subjective; that is, it depends on a person’s individual viewpoint.

In a real way, sakura blossoms (as well as ume or plumb) represent the rebirth of things, at the very beginning of spring, and the colors, a new beginning, and in bushido (the samurai philosophical code) it takes on the meaning of the perfection and imperfection of all things and the transience of all things, life especially, because once the blossoms appear, within a very short time, they whither and blow away.

Autumn leaves, especially maple trees, which come in such a wide variety of colors, from deep crimsons, flaming reds, regal golds, and yellows, come at the end of the year, when nature and things are in a sense, “passing away.” The end of a season, the end of life. So each has its own symbolism, and its own beauty. But each also has its own culture as well.

During the Heian Period (794 – 1191), the Japanese nobility sought to follow many traditional practices from China, including the social trend of flower viewing (hanami), where the imperial households, poets, singers, and other scholars, and aristocrats, would gather and celebrate under the blossoms. In Japan, the cherry trees (sakura) were planted and cultivated for their beauty, particularly as ornamentation for the imperial grounds, temples, and such of Kyoto, as early as 794 A.D. if not early. In China, the ume (plum) was held in very high regard along side of apricots and peaches, but in Japan, by the middle of the 9th century, the sakura had replaced all the other blossoms as the “favored species.”

Sakura blossom viewing is so important in Japan, and so looked forward to, that every year the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the public track the sakura zensen or “cherry blossom front” as it moves northward up the chain of the Japanese islands with the approach of warmer weather. Reports on television and radio of the progress of the sakura zensen are frequent and usually follow regular news broadcasts! The blossoming begins in Okinawa, typically in late January, and usually reaches Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April. I then proceeds into the areas of higher altitude and also northward, arriving in the far northern island of Hokkaido a few weeks later.

Japanese people pay close attention to these forecasts and turn out in huge numbers at parks, shrines and temples, in the company of both family and friends, to actually hold flower-viewing parties. Hanami festivals celebrating the beauty of the sakura offer many people a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful view. The actual custom of hanami can be traced back many centuries in Japan. Actually the classic Japanese historic writings known as Nihon Shoki, written in the 8th century, reports hanami festivals being held as early as the 3rd century A.D.


Also of interest is that most Japanese schools and public buildings have sakura trees outside of them. Since both the fiscal (business) year and the school year both begin in April, in many parts of the main island of Honshu, the first day of work or school coincides with the sakura season.

Even in the United States, there are many who are “devout” cherry blossom viewers, especially in and around the nations capitol, Washington, D.C., where ornamental cherry trees are in abundance and the short blossoming time is spectacular.

Momijigari (from the Japanese words momiji for “red leaves” or “maple tree” and kari which means “hunting”) is the Japanese tradition of going out to visit scenic areas and viewing the leaves changing color in autumn. Many Japanese take part in this with the cities of Nikko and Kyoto being perhaps the most popular destinations. The tradition is said to have again originated in the Heian era, as a cultural activity and is one of the reasons that so many deciduous trees (those whose leaves change color) can be found in the region of Kyoto.


In the United States, the custom is known as “leaf peeping” in areas where foliage changes color. “Leaf peepers” as they are often called, are those who participate in photographing and/or viewing the often-dramatic autumn leaves. “Leafing” as the custom is also known, is a bit tricky sometimes because in many areas, the leaves are only visible for a very limited number of weeks, with “prime time” often just lasting one to three weeks.


So which is more beautiful? I guess it depends on whom you talk to, when, and where. Go out in the fall, and back out at the end of winter, look around and see what you think!

LET'S VISIT SEKIGAHARA!

Sekigahara

Sekigahara is a rural town on the southwestern edge of Gifu Prefecture with a small population of about 9000 people. The town and surrounding area was the site of the epic Battle of Sekigahara or Sekigahara gassen (関ヶ原合戦) (see below) between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari, the representative of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s son and designated successor, Toyotomi Hideyori. Ieyasu’s victory on 21 October 1600 signified the end of the Sengoku Era and the beginning of the Edo Period in Japanese history, with the feudal Tokugawa shogunate unifying all of Japan and moving the nation’s capitol from Kyoto to Edo (Tokyo). As a consequence, the town is filled with ruins, memorials and shrines to the dead, even down to place names such as Kurochigawa (“Black Blood River”), where the Tokugawa forces washed the cut-off heads of those fallen in battle.

A battle monument at the Sekigahara Museum.

The battle as well as the circumstances and intrigue leading up to the battle are fictionalized in the novel (and television serial movie) Shogun by James Clavell, telling of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s rise to fame (under the character’s name of “Toronaga”), through the Battle of Sekigahara and the gruesome death of Ishida (“Ishido” in the novel), who was captured as he ran away from the battlefield and executed by having his head slowly cut off by a wooden saw.

Sekighara Shrine

You can get to Sekigahara on the JR Tokaido Main Line, which passes through Sekigahara on its way between Osaka and Nagoya. The closes Shinkansen (Bullet Train) station is in Maibara. One of two hourly Hikari services from Tokyo stop here and then you can transfer to the Tokaido Line local for the 3-hour trip to Sekigahara.

Battle Re-enactment.

While Sekigahara is of major importance historically to the Japanese (much like the American Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg), and there is a steady flow of Japanese history buffs and school groups, foreign visitors are not common. Among the things to see there are:

• Folk History Museum: Despite the misleading name, the museum concentrates mostly on the Battle of Sekigahara, charting the course of events with informative maps and interactive exhibits.



• Field Camp Ground: Just across the road from the museum is the spot where Tokugawa Ieyasu held a council meeting after the battle and was presented with the heads of the enemy’s leaders. A small shrine marks the spot.



• Memorial posts: These have been set up at most major battle sites but are only in Japanese.

Some of the people visiting the Sekigahara Festival.

A high school Taiko drum group performs .

Another of Sekigahara’s attractions (although non-martial) is the abundance of fireflies in the area. Lake Mishima is home to a particularly famous firefly view spot housing hundreds if not thousands on a good day. In fact, a firefly festival is held here in the early summer.

You can even have Tokugawa's lunch from the day of the battle!

Each year at this time, the town holds a festival and re-enactment of the Battle of Sekigahara, which draws thousands of people from all over Japan. Hundreds of people as well from as far north as Hokkaido and as far south as Kyushu come in costume to participate in the event. There is music, folk dancing and great food as well. If you are so inclined, you can even have the same lunch that Tokugawa Ieyasu or Ishida Mitsunari had on the day of the battle as well as sample the typical food of a samurai soldier. Samurai in full costume, including armor are everywhere and it is an exciting and fun time for everyone. Lots of things for the kids as well, in fact, many kids participate in the official activities!

The kids have a better solution to the battle, at the end, all the enemies become kitties!

One of the kids groups participating in the Sekigahara Festival.

Men and women alike participate in the festivities and re-enactment.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, Honda Tadakatsu and friends.

Ishida Mitsunari and friends go for ice cream!

The Battle of Sekigahara

The Battle of Sekigahara or “The Realm Divide) was a decisive battle fought on October 21, 1600, and the battle was the culmination of the Sekigahara Campaign and saw the defeat of the “Western Army” (geographically, the Southern Army). The battle was fought around a small village called Sekigahara that sat at a major crossroads, in the shadows of Mt. Sasao, Mt. Matsuo, and Mt. Nangu. In actuality, the choice of battlefields was inadvertent. Ishida Mitsunari had hoped to confront the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu somewhere farther east, because Tokugawa’s primary had been Sawayama Castle. Ieyasu’s quick march west forced Mitsunari to offer him a fight that Tokugawa was thus more willing to accept, although the ground ultimately chosen did favor Mitsunari to some degree.

The Western Army troops occupied the high ground around Mt. Nangu and Mt. Matsuo, with Ishida Mitsunari himself positioned somewhat northwest of Sekigahara with Mt. Saso to his side. Ieyasu’s men were deployed along the Nakasendo (a major highway), with the advance guard facing Mitsunari; thus, exposed to an attack on their flanks, particularly by the western troops on Mt. Matsuo. Fortunately for Ieyasu, those men were under the command of Kobayakawa Hideake, who had already decided to betray his western allies.

The actual fighting on a rainy dawn and the outcome at that time was very much in doubt. The advanced Tokugawa units attacked and became heavily engaged with contingents under the command of Ukita Hideie, Otani Yoshitsugo, and Konishi Yukinaga. No true advantage was gained until the defection of Kobayakawa at about noon. Hideaki commanded one of the strongest of the western army forces present, and turned the tide in Tokugawa Ieyasu’s favor. In the meanwhile, the 25,000-plus western forces arrayed on the slopes of Mt. Nangu under the Mori and Chosokabe clans were largely inactive. Kikkawa Tsunie, commanding the front line forces, had himself decide not to fight Ieyasu and it was his lack of mobility that forced those to his rear to do the same.

Ultimately, the western forces began to break and general collapse and disaray followed. By the end of the day’s killing, Ishida Mitsunari’s forces had scattered and as many as 60,000 heads had been taken. Tokugawa's victory was owed in a large part then to Kobayakawa’s defection and the Mori inactivity. Ishida and Konishi Yukinaga were later captured and executed.