Date Masamune (1567 – 1636) was a powerful samurai lord from northern Japan, known as “The One-Eyed Dragon.”
He lost one eye to illness as a child but turned that weakness into his symbol of strength.
Masamune was a brilliant strategist and builder.
He founded the city of Sendai, which still carries his vision of balance between culture, trade, and defense.
While other warlords fought for power, Masamune focused on the future—he encouraged learning, crafts, and even sent a mission to Rome in 1613 (the Keichō Embassy) to open Japan to the world.
He wore black armor with a shining crescent moon on his helmet, a symbol of ambition and clarity in the darkness.
Masamune’s legacy is not only victory in battle, but also the courage to look beyond Japan—to see what others could not.
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