History LessonsThe One-Night Castle: Hideyoshi’s Secret of Leadership
Long before he became Japan’s ruler,Toyotomi Hideyoshiwas a servant namedKinoshita Tōkichirō.When his lord,Oda Nobu...
History Lessons
Self-DisciplineSide Hustle of the Samurai: How Edo Warriors Survived Peace
1. When Peace Became a Burden For centuries, the samurai lived by the sword.But during the Edo period (1603–1868...
Samurai LeadershipThe Cost of Reform: Oda Nobunaga and the Challenge to Power
1. The Age of Sacred Power In 16th-century Japan, religion and politics were deeply connected.Powerful temples h...
History LessonsYasuke and Nobunaga — The Samurai Who Saw Beyond Skin
In the late 1500s, Japan was a land of war and ambition.One day, a tall man with dark skin arrived in Kyoto. His na...
Samurai LeadershipThe Samurai Chain of Command: Lessons from the Battlefield
In the age of the samurai, discipline and order decided victory.Behind every famous general stood a clearChain of C...
History LessonsSamurai Education: Who Could Learn in the Warrior Class?
Samurai Education: For Whom Was It? In the age of the samurai,educationwas not open to everyone.Only the sons of...
History LessonsOda Nobunaga and the Power of Open Trade: Lessons for the Modern World
In Japan’s Sengoku period — the Age of Warring States — power was measured not only by swords and soldiers, but byt...
Samurai LeadershipOda Nobunaga and the Removal of Toll Barriers
IntroductionIn Japan’s Sengoku era, travel and trade were slowed by countless toll barriers. Merchants had to pay f...
Financial StrategyOda Nobunaga and the Money Strategy
IntroductionIn Japan’s Sengoku era, battles were fought with swords and spears, but Oda Nobunaga knew another truth...
Samurai LeadershipTokugawa Ieyasu, Sun Tzu, and the Disney “Shogun”
IntroductionWhen Disney created the character of the “Shogun,” the model behind it was none other than Tokugawa Iey...