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Takeda Shingen (武田信玄) (December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573) of Shinano and Kai Provinces, was a preeminent daimyo who fought for control of Japan during that country's Sengoku or "warring states" period.
He fought a long series of famous battles with Uesugi Kenshin; particularly notable of these battles were those of Kawanakajima. Both military leaders were also of high religious rank.
Upon the death of Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin reportedly cried at the loss of one of his strongest and most deeply respected rivals.
At Mitaka, Takeda Shingen easily defeated the combined armies of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu; but he could not defeat old age. After Shingen died in 1573 (due to an illness that, according to one theory, resulted from a musket ball wound), Ieyasu seized the opportunity and defeated his son Takeda Katsuyori in Tenmokuzan. Katsuyori committed suicide after the battle, and the Takeda clan would never recover.
In addition to his battlefield prowess, Shingen was also a master of administration. He is credited with developing several improvements to agricultural practice and water control methods.
Retainers
During Edo period, 24 retainers who served under Shingen were chosen as a popular topic for Ukiyo-e and Bunraku. The names vary from a work to a work and the following list is the widely agreed version of retainers. They had not worked together as some had died before others served but they were noted for their exceptional contributions to Shigen and Takeda clan.
- Takeda Nobushige
- Takeda Nobukado
- Ichijo Nobutatsu
- Itagaki Nobukata
- Amari Torayasu
- Yokota Takatoshi
- Obu Toramasa
- Hara Toratane
- Obata Toramori
- Obata Masamori
- Yamamoto Haruyuki
- Tada Mitsuyori
- Yamagata Masakage
- Baba Nobuharu
- Naito Masatoyo
- Kosaka Masanobu
- Sanada Yukitaka
- Sanada Nobutsuna
- Anayama Nobukimi
- Oyamada Nobushige
- Akiyama Nobutomo
- Hara Masatane
- Saegusa Moritomo
- Tsuchiya Masatsugu
- Sanada Yukimura
Takeda Shingen in fiction and drama
A dramatization of Shingen's life was made into a television series by NHK. Akira Kurosawa's 1980 movie Kagemusha was also inspired by his life.
Takeda Shingen is the player's persona in the NES game Shingen the Ruler. Shingen's conquest is also portrayed in the PC game, Takeda. Shingen appears as a character in the Samurai Warriors game series for the PlayStation 2.
There is also a famous fictional legend about Kenshin Uesugi fighting with Shingen and the latter defending against Kenshin's sword blows. This has become famous.
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