* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Beloved Blades and Gift-Sword Diplomacy of Sengoku Warlords
戦国武将の愛刀と贈刀外交
During the Sengoku period (late 15th–late 16th century), warlords actively employed famous swords not merely as weapons but as symbols of authority, alliance, and loyalty. Figures such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu wielded political influence through the collection and bestowal of celebrated blades, and gift-sword diplomacy became a significant dimension of Sengoku politics. The tales of contention and loss surrounding famous swords are themselves a microcosm of Sengoku history.
Description
Swords and Sengoku Politics
For the military commanders of the Sengoku period, swords were political and symbolic tools that went beyond mere weapons. Owning celebrated swords called meibutsu became proof of a commander's standing and ability. The bestowal of famous swords was the highest honor, and confiscation was the greatest humiliation.
Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu each pursued their own sword policies. Nobunaga used the collection of meibutsu and their bestowal as rewards to enhance his own authority. Hideyoshi, as tenkabito, accumulated and bestowed vast numbers of meibutsu swords, which made his master-retainer relations with the daimyō visible. Ieyasu positioned the famous swords he had gathered after Sekigahara as symbols of bakufu authority.
Nobunaga and Swords
Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) is said to have had a strong interest in collecting meibutsu swords, gathering and managing many of the celebrated swords known at the time. Furthermore, after his entry into the capital (jōraku), from Eiroku 12 (1569) onward, Nobunaga carried out a "meibutsu-gari" ("hunt for famous objects") to gather celebrated tea utensils associated with the Ashikaga shogunal house, such as the Higashiyama Gomotsu, and used this to enhance his own authority.
What stands out in Nobunaga's sword policy is that the bestowal of famous swords was directly used to strengthen relations with retainers and allies. The bestowal of famous swords on retainers who had distinguished themselves was, alongside increases in kokudaka, the highest form of reward. For the recipients, it became a point of family honor as "Nobunaga-kō's own ontō."
At the Honnōji Incident (1582), it is said that famous swords held by Nobunaga, including Yagen Tōshirō, were also lost to fire.
Hideyoshi and the Collection of Famous Swords
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) carried out large-scale collection of famous swords in the course of unifying the realm. He had famous swords "presented" to him by surrendered daimyō, temples, and shrines, forming a vast meibutsu collection that materially embodied his authority as tenkabito.
The swords Hideyoshi particularly valued included Honebami Tōshirō (a wakizashi of naginata-naoshi origin, attributed to Awataguchi Yoshimitsu). Honebami Tōshirō is said to have come into the possession of the Tokugawa shogunal house after the Summer Campaign of Osaka, and is now held by Toyokuni Shrine in Kyoto.
Swords also played an important role in Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea, the Bunroku and Keichō campaigns (Imjin War). The bestowal of swords on commanders departing for the campaign was a ceremonial act to encourage them and confirm their loyalty.
The Reality of Sword-Gifting Diplomacy
In the Sengoku period, sword-gifting diplomacy (zōtō gaikō) was an indispensable ceremonial practice in marriage, the conclusion of alliances, and the establishment of vassal relationships. The main occasions were as follows.
Exchange of swords at the conclusion of alliances: When an agreement was concluded between two parties, there was a custom in which both sides exchanged famous swords, entrusting the weight of the pact to the blades.
Presentation of swords as a sign of vassalage: When a surrendered or vassalized commander presented a famous sword to a superior, it functioned as a declaration of submission. This presentation of swords symbolized a substantive "transfer of authority," and the side receiving the offering established its position as the new ruler.
Bestowal as recognition of merit: To reward distinguished service and loyal devotion in battle, a lord bestowed famous swords on his retainers. Alongside the kanjō, it was regarded as the highest form of reward.
The Wandering of Famous Swords and Sengoku History
Many Sengoku meibutsu passed through the hands of several commanders. The "wandering of meibutsu" reflects the shifts of power in the Sengoku period, and by tracing lists of sword owners, one can read the course of Sengoku history.
Many of the famous swords that passed through the hands of powerful figures in the Sengoku period came to rest in the storehouses of the Tokugawa shogunal house, the go-sanke, and the daimyō in the Edo period. They were documented by being registered in the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō (compiled 1719).
Characteristics of This Era
- The possession, bestowal, and presentation of meibutsu swords were important ceremonial acts in Sengoku politics, and the transmission of swords can be read as a microcosm of shifts in power.
- Oda Nobunaga used meibutsu-gari ("hunt for famous objects") to collect meibutsu tea utensils tied to the Ashikaga shogunal house, including the Higashiyama Gomotsu, and used them to bolster his authority. He also used the bestowal of famous swords as a means of controlling his vassals and strengthening alliances.
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi systematically collected famous swords from surrendered daimyō, temples, and shrines, and some of his collection was later registered in the Kyōhō Meibutsuchō.
- Sword-gifting diplomacy was used in three situations: concluding alliances, establishing vassalage, and rewarding merit. Swords served a political function equivalent to modern diplomatic documents and medals.
- Tokugawa Ieyasu incorporated the meibutsu swords he had collected after Sekigahara into the authority of the bakufu, and the shogunal house's sword collection became a device that materially guaranteed the legitimacy of the Edo bakufu.