It’s not often I buy books on Japanese castles anymore. I mean, the ones that I have on the shelves do a pretty good job, and it’s not like new discoveries are being made about centuries-old castles. Well, not too regularly at least.

Despite my stance on book purchases, the shelves still manage to fill up. It’s those damn magazines or Mooks (magazine books) that get me spending my yen when I really should be hanging on to it.

The “Mook” represents great value and are, without fail, choc-o-block full of fantastic photos, CG re-imaginings, maps and diagrams. Anyway, Sengoku Bushō no Jō is no different and is the latest to see me part with my cash.

Cover to cover

If you can’t be bothered reading any further, BUY IT! It’s awesome, it’s cheap. Get it here: 戦国武将の城 (Amazon Japan).

Chapter 1

In the first section of the book, sorry, Mook, the creators have had their CGI minions slaving away to re-animate the corpses of three of Japan’s greatest Tenshu (main towers). The three are Oda Nobunaga’s Azuchi castle, Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Ōsaka castle & Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Edo castle. A worthy undertaking, as no photographic records exist. They were long-gone by the time cameras arrived in Japan.

Putting aside any “Pixar” expectations, the CG work does a fine job of conveying the likely appearance of all three castles (and any subsequent incarnations. Yes, I’m looking at you Edo castle.) Supporting these representations are any and seemingly all images, art works and extant artifacts of the towers.

Chapter 2

This small section on Japanese castles from top to bottom, inside & out, is GOLD; absolute gold, pure & simple. The photographic & illustrative examples are as clear as they could possibly be. There’s really nothing more to say.

Chapters 3 ~ 5

These sections represent the generously-proportioned Wagyu patty in the hamburger that is Sengoku-Bushō-no-Jō. And boy, is there plenty to feast on.

Many of the greatest castles of the Sengoku period’s greatest commanders are lusciously described, both in text and pictorially. The full array of available images are put to excellent use making it easy to visualise the strength that these castles possessed. The real eye-opener is Sendai castle though. Date Masamune built it purposely weak, and its weaknesses are readily apparent.

Further sections cover some of the more famous castle-centric battles of the Warring states period. Of course, Odawara & Bitchū Takamatsu castles get great coverage.

The rest of the Mook

• Chapter 6 would have to be the best guide of Japan’s truly-ruined castles. Again, visual as all get out, and the maps that depict their original layouts are great.
• Chapter 7, a guide to the nationally treasured castles. Yep, Himeji, Matsumoto, Inuyama and Hikone.
• Chapter 8 attempts to rank the Best 5 or Best 10 across many different categories (best stonework, best turrets, etc…) and across two eras, the Sengoku period and the castles of the Golden age.
• Chapter 9 closes out the book. It does a pretty fair job covering the remaining, extant Tenshu, i.e. not the national Treasures.

If I could have just one…

… Japanese language book on Japanese castles, this would be it. Book, Mook, whatever, it’s the best ￥680 I’ve ever spent. So, like I said, buy it: 戦国武将の城 (Amazon Japan).