Yaita Kinbei: Game Changer Swordsmith Of Japan’s Sengoku Period

Fig. Tanegashima Hinawajyu

Arquebus.(Tanegashima Hinawajyu・Japanese:種子島火縄銃)

this The Arquebus is in the Portugal Pavilion in Expo 2005 Aichi Japan.

Photo by GnsinCourtesy

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arquebus.jpg

The history of samurai is fascinating. I've described aspects of samurai history in my blog [1-9]. However, the history of Japan is not solely the history of samurai. Samurai made up only a small portion of the population. I've always wanted to explore the history of people other than samurai. In [10], I discussed Kasuke, the leader of the 1686 peasant uprising who sacrificed himself and his family.

This blog post describes Yaita Kinbei (1502 CE - 1570 CE), a swordsmith. One of the main reasons I describe this swordsmith is that he changed the course of Japan’s Sengoku period (Warring States period, 15th century-16th century CE). There are several theories about how muskets arrived in Japan. The following is one of them:

On August 25, 1543 CE, a Portuguese ship was stranded on Tanegashima, a southern island of Japan, while heading to China from Malacca.

Fig. Tanegashima

Source: google earth modified by the author

A Chinese man on board was able to communicate with the Japanese people through written communication since kanji was shared by the Chinese and the Japanese. The Japanese man reported to Lord Tokitaka of the Tanegashima domain about the musket. Surprised by the power of the musket demonstrated by the Portuguese, Tokitaka purchased two muskets. He asked Yaita Kinbei, a swordsmith, to reproduce such a weapon. Kinbei had a hard time deciphering the mechanism of the screw, as such a thing was not known in Japan. However, he solved the problem and completed a musket within two years. This endeavor revolutionized the way samurai fought wars.

Fig. Kinbei

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yaita_kinbee.JPG

Description

日本語: 鹿児島県西之表市にある八板金兵衛清定の像

Date 25 September 2009

Source Own work

Author みっち

One of the most significant events involving muskets was the Battle of Nagashino in 1575 CE.

Fig. Nagashino

Source: google earth modified by the author

Fig. Battle of Nagashino

In the public domain:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle-of-Nagashino-Map-Folding-Screen-1575.png

Description: Battle of Nagashino map folding screen (byōbu).

It happened on 28 June 1575 in Nagashino, Mikawa Province, Japan.

Made in the Edo period (late) (around 1750 to 1850), 195.5 cm long x 363.0 cm wide.

Date: circa 18th century.

Source: Nagahama Castle Historical Museum in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

Author: Unknown author (Edo period, circa 18th century)

The battle was between Oda Nobunaga and Takeda Katsuyori. The Takeda clan was known for its strong cavalry corps and was one of the most powerful clans of the time. A theory asserts that the decisive victory of Nobunaga over Katsuyori was because the Takeda clan didn’t have muskets. Observe that in Fig. Battle of Nagashino, the Oda soldiers on the left carry muskets, whereas the Takeda soldiers on the right ride horses without firearms. The Takeda clan fell.

Twenty-five years later, at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 CE, the number of muskets had grown to 25,000. By 1600 CE, Japan had around 500,000 muskets, which was more than the number of muskets in all of Europe at the time.

It is worth noting that during the late Tokugawa period, the number of firearms drastically decreased. The exact number is difficult to pinpoint, but it is widely acknowledged that the number of guns significantly declined due to the peaceful nature of the Tokugawa period and the strict regulations imposed by the shogunate on the manufacture and possession of weapons.

This eventually led to Japan's weakness when Western powers arrived in the 19th century CE, forcing Japan to accept various unfair treaties. Japan desperately needed to develop its own military strength, which in turn led to its militaristic aggressiveness, culminating in major wars and ultimately the devastation of WWII.

It is my belief that