Yoshihiro Shimazu is a warlord of Satsuma.
Satsuma now Kagoshima Prefectures.
His position in "Nobunaga's Ambition" (strategy game)
Shimazu Yoshihiro often began as a vassal of his father or brother, but in
in the latter half of the Warring States period(Japan in 1467-1590), he became the head of the family.
As is true of the Shimazu family itself.
It is often an advantageous option for beginners in strategy games.
(Though not as good as the Oda, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa families in their heyday.)
- They have many excellent relatives, vassals, and colleagues.
- They are in economically advantageous locations with harbors.
- Because it borders the sea, there are few enemies adjacent to it.
In this situation, Yoshihiro can demonstrate excellent leadership and military prowess, and can work lion-heartedly.
If you start the game in the early period, you can advance the game with an advantage and a margin of safety.
However, the later the period is, the more people are dead and gone.
Moreover, a huge organization has been born.
Therefore, it is necessary to make many invasions before he dies in his lifetime.
(It would require a progression that he cannot afford.)
Still, it is easier than the weaker organizations and therefore suitable for intermediate level players.
(It is also a challenging organization)
Another name
Lion‐hearted Shimazu.
Shimazu, the devil.
Family Crest
Representative Episodes.
Shimazu Yoshihiro was a military commander of great leadership and valor.
He left behind many saga in his life of battle.
Moreover, he survived until the Edo period (Japan in 1603-1867) after the end of the Warring States period(Japan in 1467-1590), and lived to the end of his days.
He is one of the most frequently mentioned figures in the debate over "who was the strongest in the Warring States period(Japan in 1467-1590)?"
Episodes of battles
Tactic "Tsuri-Nobuse"
Shimazu Yoshihiro won many victories even in battles where he was outnumbered.
In defeating large armies, he often used a tactic called "Tsuri-Nobuse.
In a nutshell, it was a tactic of using decoys and ambush troops.
The decoys would fight hard enough to make the enemy take them seriously, and then run away to make them think they had completely lost the battle.
It is also necessary to degrade the opponent's judgment to the extent that the enemy forces are forced to chase after them.
The fact that he was able to do this with a small army and achieve so many victories is due to the skill of his soldiers and the high leadership ability of Yoshihiro.
The highest recorded number led 7,000 people and withdrew 200,000.
As a result of this battle, Yoshihiro and the army he led came to be known as "Oni.
The word "Oni" translates as "devil," but it has multiple meanings.
They were feared by the enemy forces, who called them "Oni Shimazu"(Shimazu, the devil.).
They were called "Oni Shimazu"(Lion‐hearted Shimazu.) and praised by their friends.
Legend "Shimazu no nokiguchi"(Shimazu's Assault and escape)
In September 1600, a great battle called the Battle of Sekigahara took place.
Shimazu Yoshihiro entered the battle as an allied soldier on the losing side.
At the end of the battle, Shimazu Yoshihiro and his 300 men were left behind in the midst of 8,000 enemy troops.
Normally, we would have been wiped out.
Shimazu Yoshihiro grasped the situation and asked his vassals,
"What is the strongest enemy force?"
The vassal replied, "The east side is the strongest."
Upon hearing this, Shimazu Yoshihiro ordered, "All the forces will attack there.
Instead of breaking through the center, he changed direction right in front of the main body of the enemy (Tokugawa Ieyasu's army).
The enemy forces on the way were afraid to fight "Oni" and allowed him to break through.
(Many allied forces on the Tokugawa side had no reason to risk their lives, except those directly under Tokugawa Ieyasu's command, since victory was assured and they were taking credit for the victory.)
Tokugawa Ieyasu's direct forces pursued Shimazu Yoshihiro and his army.
The subsequent retreat of Shimazu Yoshihiro's army was also spectacular, with small numbers of soldiers remaining as pawns to buy time for a desperate attempt.
As a result, Yoshihiro's army, which had numbered 300 at the start of the retreat, was reduced to 80 by the end.
Shimazu Yoshihiro, the general, returned to his hometown.
This retreat is narrated in creation as a central breakthrough by 300 men to an army of 80,000.
As a result of his retreat, Tokugawa Ieyasu felt threatened by Shimazu's forces.
His elder brother, Shimazu Yoshihisa, skilled in diplomacy and domestic politics, used this to his advantage in negotiations and
Despite being a defeated nation, he was able to get by without compensation.
Family Episodes
Four Shimazu Brothers
The brothers, including Shimazu Yoshihiro, later became known as the "Four Shimazu Brothers".
While each of them possessed outstanding abilities, they did not engage in the succession wars that frequently occurred during the Warring States period, and they maintained a good relationship throughout their lives.
They continued to maintain good relations throughout their lives. (Although there were some outside efforts to divide them).
With the division of the Shimazu family by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Yoshihiro was replaced by his elder brother Yoshihisa.
Yoshihiro was treated as the head of the Shimazu family.
However, Yoshihiro himself always respected Yoshihisa as his elder brother and the head of the family.
Yoshihiro excelled in military leadership and valor.
Yoshihisa excelled in domestic politics, diplomacy, and a sense of the big picture.
These two brothers were very compatible with each other.
Devoted husband
He left many letters with his wife.
During the Battle of Sekigahara, his wife and children were taken hostage.
During the retreat, he succeeded in recapturing his wife and children with a small army of 80 men.
Other Episodes
A general who loves his subordinates
On the battlefield, they shared drinks and meals with even a single soldier to inspire morale.
When a child was born to a vassal, he held the child in his arms and celebrated, and when the vassal's child came of age, he sent a congratulatory message.It was a great honor for the vassals.
When fighting in cold places, many armies had their commanders monopolize hearths, but
Shimazu Yoshihiro prepared many hearths and shared them with his soldiers and talked with them.
Cultural Person
Yoshihiro was also an outstanding cultural figure.
- Tea master. He was taught by a prominent teacher of the tea ceremony.
- He excelled in medicine on the battlefield, writing medical books and teaching them to his subjects.
Be merciful to your enemies.
The mistreatment of prisoners of war was strictly forbidden, and the dead of the enemy were given a generous burial.
Last days and after death
Tokugawa Ieyasu died in 1616, but he was alarmed by Yoshihiro and the Shimazu family and
He ordered his body to be buried standing, facing the direction of Satsuma.
In his later years, Yoshihiro devoted himself to the survival of the Shimazu family and the training of the younger generation.
He declined in his later years, but when a vassal said to him, "We are preparing for war, sir.
Yoshihiro regained his vigor as if he had been rejuvenated.
Shimazu Yoshihiro passed away in 1619, three years after Tokugawa Ieyasu's death, at the age of 85.
About 250 years later, the Tokugawa regime came to an end with the Meiji Restoration.
At that time, the Shimazu family played a central role on the revolutionary side.
Satsuma produced many talents who inherited the legend and spirit of Yoshihiro.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was right to be wary.
Shimazu Yoshihiro was adored by his vassals and soldiers, cherished the bond between brothers throughout his life, and left behind many legends on the battlefield.
His fame in Japan is low and limited to those who know about the Warring States period.
However, his image remains passionately in the hearts of those who knew him.
Yoshihiro, his army, and the Satsuma people
Yoshihiro and the army he led, and the Satsuma people are called "Combat race Satsuma" on the modern Japanese Internet.(As a joke.)
Famous relatives and subjects.
Father
Shimazu Takahisa.
Brothers
Shimazu Yoshihisa.(Older brother)
Shimazu Toshihisa.(Younger brother)
Shimazu Iehisa.Shimazu Toshihisa.(Younger brother)