Furin Kazan Takeda Shingen Samurai Black Noren Curtain

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Furin Kazan� Takeda Shingen� Samurai Black� Noren Curtain This fantastic Noren is emblazoned with 風林火山 or 'Furin Kazan', the battle cry of the famous samurai, Takeda Shingen. The famous motto: 'Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain', was taken from Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War.' This phrase refers to the idea of Swift as the Wind, Silent as a Forest, Fierce as Fire and Immovable as a Mountain, (which is what is says on this Noren). The motto applied to Shingen's policies and his military strategy.It measures: 86 cm wide by 100 cm long (34" X 40") and is split at the center into 2 separate panels - the perfect size to fit in a doorway. Built to last, it is made heavy 100% cotton fabric. It is jet-black with a red crest at the centre and over-printed in white characters. It has loops at the top for stringing it on a stick or bamboo above the doorway. Excellent quality -it would add a dramatic touch to your any modern-day samurai's room...Note: the last photo is not part of this listing - just a picture of Takeda Shingen.-MADE IN JAPAN-About the life of Takeda Shingen:Takeda Shingen ( 武田信玄 ?, December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573), of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.NameShingen was called "Tarō" (a commonly used pet name for the eldest son of a Japanese family) or "Katsuchiyo" ( 勝千代 ) during his childhood. When he celebrated his coming of age, he was given a formal name of "Harunobu" ( 晴信 ), which included a character from the name of Ashikaga Yoshiharu ( 足利義晴 ), the 12th Ashikaga Shogun. It was a common practice in feudal Japan for a higher-ranked warrior to bestow a character from his own name to his inferiors as a symbol of recognition. From the local warlord's perspective, it was glorious to receive a character from the shogunate, although the authority of the latter had greatly degenerated in the mid-16th century.Both the Ashikaga and the Takeda clans descended from the noble Minamoto ( 源 ) clan. Technically, Harunobu, as well as his forefathers, had borne the surname of Minamoto. Therefore, Harunobu would be referred to as "Minamoto-no Harunobu" ( 源晴信 ) in official records kept by the Imperial Court when he was conferred the official title of "Daizen Dayu" ( 大膳大夫 ). The Imperial Court had maintained a system of ritsuryō ( 律令 ) that was parallel to the shogunate apparatus.In 1559 Harunobu chose to live a pabbajja life and received a dharma name, Shingen ( 信玄 ), from his Buddhist master. The kanji of "Shingen" can also be pronounced as "Nobuharu," which is the inversion of his official name, Harunobu. In ancient times, such stylish/religious names of recognized Japanese aristocrats/warriors/officials would be read in "onyomi" ( 音読み ), the Chinese-styled pronunciation, instead of "kunyomi" ( 訓読み ), the indigenous Japanese pronunciation. Although widely known by the dharma name, Takeda Shingen's formal name remained "Harunobu" throughout the rest of his life.Shingen is sometimes referred to as "The Tiger of Kai" ( 甲斐の虎 ) for his martial prowess on the battlefield. His primary rival, Uesugi Kenshin ( 上杉謙信 ), was often called "The Dragon of Echigo" ( 越後の龍 ) or also "The Tiger of Echigo" ( 越後の虎 ).Early life:Takeda Shingen was the first born son of Takeda Nobutora ( 武田信虎 ), leader of the Takeda clan, and daimyo of the province of Kai. He had been an accomplished poet in his youth. He assisted his father with the older relatives and vassals of the Takeda family, and became quite a valuable addition to the clan at a fairly young age. But at some point in his life after his "coming of age" ceremony, the young man decided to rebel against his father.He finally succeeded at the age of 21, successfully taking control of the clan. Events regarding this change of leadership are not entirely clear, but it is thought that his father had planned to name the second son, Takeda Nobushige, as his heir instead of Shingen. The end result for the father was ... read more

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