Let’s learn history! A collection of Sengoku quiz questions from the nation-conquest battles

Grace of God

The name “Garasha” of Hosokawa Garasha is her baptismal name and derives from the Latin “Gratia,” meaning “the grace of God.” Hosokawa Garasha was the daughter of the Sengoku warlord Akechi Mitsuhide, and she received this name when she converted to Christianity and was baptized. Her way of life and her faith influenced many people.

Ōnin War

The Ōnin War was a civil conflict that lasted for about eleven years from 1467 during the Muromachi period. It began due to a succession dispute over the shogunate and a rivalry between two powerful daimyō families, the Hosokawa and the Yamana. Kyoto, the main battlefield, was reduced to ashes by fierce fighting, the power of the Muromachi shogunate waned, and society shifted toward gekokujō—where the capable overthrew their social superiors—serving as a crucial turning point that led into the Sengoku period.

Monkey

The story that Oda Nobunaga called Toyotomi Hideyoshi “monkey” is very famous. It’s also known that in a letter Nobunaga sent to Hideyoshi’s wife, he referred to Hideyoshi as a “bald rat.” It’s said he gave him these nicknames because his appearance and movements resembled those animals, but it may also suggest that to Nobunaga, Hideyoshi was a familiar and dependable retainer.

Sword Hunt

While pursuing the unification of the realm, Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued an order to confiscate weapons such as swords and bows from peasants. A major objective of this policy was to prevent peasant uprisings and to promote the separation of soldiers and farmers by having peasants devote themselves to agriculture. It was explained that the confiscated weapons would be repurposed as nails and clamps for constructing the Great Buddha Hall in Kyoto, and people were told that this was to create a more peaceful society from then on.

Oda Nobunaga

The area where Nagahama Castle was built was originally called “Imahama.” It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi—then known as Hashiba Hideyoshi—who had been granted this land by Oda Nobunaga, renamed it “Nagahama,” taking the character for “naga” (long) from Nobunaga’s name. This episode illustrates Nobunaga’s authority and far-reaching influence, while also conveying the trust between lord and vassal.

outsider (specifically: a feudal lord not originally allied with the Tokugawa; Tozama)

Tōzama is read “tozama” and, from the Sengoku period through the Edo period, refers to those daimyo houses that became vassals of the Tokugawa after, or around the time of, the Battle of Sekigahara, as opposed to the fudai daimyo who had long served the Tokugawa. Although the tozama daimyo tended to be kept at some distance from the central government, they often held vast domains and thus were also regarded by the Tokugawa shogunate as forces to be wary of.

Katsuie Shibata

The Fuchu Trio refers to three samurai who served under Shibata Katsuie, a retainer of Oda Nobunaga, and distinguished themselves in his service. Operating out of Echizen as their base, they played key roles in consolidating Shibata’s control over the province. It’s also important to note that they contributed not only in battle but also to regional stability.