Takeda Shingen's Portrayal

Takeda Shingen and His Portrayal through the Schemes of Media and Time

Historical truths can come in many different shapes, forms, and sizes but may not always be apparent; the truth doesn’t always have to come from the accuracy of a depiction but sometimes can be revealed through the essence of its meaning. And while every single portrayal of an occurrence or person may or may not be one hundred percent true to the reality, each perspective nonetheless reveals the accuracy of at least one definitive aspect. An example of this is Takeda Shingen, a very well known Daimyo from the Kai province during the 1500’s in fuedal Japan, and his multiple portrayals throughout the scheme of medium. Shingen was known as a leader by some, a fighter
by others, and sometimes he was regarded as synonymous with his reputation. But representations of him through varied works each focus on something different, but nonetheless, equally important about him and his samurai prowess. In Akira Kurosawa’s film Kagemusha the story of Takeda Shingen’s legacy as a warlord takes the main focus. In the beginning of the film, Shingen is shot by an enemy sniper. On the brink of death, he and his brother Nobukado decide that a “kagemusha” (shadow warrior) is necessary to uphold appearances and continue in his place during this critical time of warfare. Regardless of the thief being a fictional character, and the story taking a clear departure from actual events, the tale is a very accurate portrayal of Takeda Shingen’s reputation, its importance, and people’s reaction to it. In Haruki Kadakawa’s film Heaven and Earth Shingen’s the major altercations between him and Uesugi Kenshin are chronicled. What Shingen is most famous for on the military front of things are his Battles of Kawanakajima; the fourth battle in particular, which is featured as the climax of the film. This adaptation of Shingen stays more true to actual events and reflects the action behind the reputation and portrays him as more of a competent military leader, this depiction defines him by his craft. However Hiroaki Sato’s book Legends of the Samurai uses a more chronological approach to demonstrate Shingen’s exploits. From his childhood to his death, this representation of Shingen gives insight to the personality behind the warrior and what led to him being the revered samurai he was. Each of these three representations focus on a singular aspect of Shingen to feature to the audience, and none are the same due to the difference in medium used and time period in which they were created; however, what they all have in common is his revered role in military and the resilience of this appeal to audiences over time.
Shingen was known for what he did more than anything else because the reputation of a samurai is equally as important as his actions.
For many warriors “the essence of warfare was recognition” and they were “bewildered by the concept of the unknown soldier” (Conlan 1). Shingen built a reputation and once established, it continued to build upon itself. So it is no surprise that Kurosawa’s film Kagemusha put a definitive emphasis on Shingen’s reputation and the growth of his persona through other’s perception of him. Within the film, after Shingen’s death, the unknown thief has no problem falling into his lifestyle because of what he observed and is told about the warlord. He knows who he needs to be and what he needs to do to pull off the ultimate act. It is clear that the reputation of a samurai defines him, and Shingen is no exception. When the thief first begins to imitate Shingen, many are skeptical because they recognize the change of character within Shingen’s personality. His grandson in the film even calls the thief out on the modifications of his disposition “It’s true. He has changed.” However, no one doubted the thief’s existence as Shingen because of how he performed around others and how that held up to how people perceived Shingen to be. In meetings with his fellow colleagues the thief acted “unmovable,” in battles against his enemies he was brave, much like Shingen’s reputation had implied he was. The film focuses “on the process of signification” says writer Marsha
Kinder in her review of the film and goes on to state that: “Within the narrative, Kagemusha is the icon who, after the death of Shingen, emerges as the film 's protagonist, fulfilling the Lord 's goals, deceiving his enemies, and unifying the clan. The plot affirms that the hero is an icon and that this is the primary source of his power” (44).
Kinder is accurate in her declaration that the Samurai gets his power from the identity he has publicly composed. Shingen’s reputation as a leader and a fighter certainly precedes him in this film even after death, and this cinematic representation is comparable to reality. Similarly, fascination with Takeda Shingen and his efforts as a warlord have withstood the test of time within Japanese culture.
Kadakawa’s film Heaven and Earth is a tale about Shingen’s fierce rivalry with his equally formidable opponent and samurai, Uesugi Kenshin, as told from Kenshin’s point of view. The actual history of Shingen and Kenshin’s rivalry includes five battles at Kawanakajima in which Shingen seeks to expand his land while Kenshin simply wishes to protect his own. In the film Shingen is seen as the aggressor, and the movie is an intimate depiction of Shingen’s military aggression. Shingen was a daimyo in what is now known as the Sengoku Jidai era or “Period of the Warring States,” and Kadakawa’s film really focuses on Shingen’s actions in battle and decisions as a militant general in war. In the film Shingen and Kenshin clash a number of times, and even in his defeats Shingen remained resilient. In real life as well as the film, the “number of soldiers who died on both sides [of these battles]… was staggering” but Shingen never refused to back down (Shirane 919). His persistent pursuit of expansion and attempt to “conquer all of Japan” made him a fierce opponent with extreme motivation (Ryavec 144).
This film capitalizes not on Shingen’s personality as a leader but on his skill as a fighter however, at some points the film depicts Shingen’s decisions in a negative light. His pursuit to conquer lands is seen as brash, greedy and arrogant and definitely cast in a negative light. This could be due to the medium of film and its need to strictly define/assign a protagonist and antagonist (and since the film was from Kenshin’s point of view, Shingen is seen as the antagonist). Or it is very possible that it could be because the film was made in the 1990s, and that time in Japan’s history was a very dark one referred to as “The Lost Decade.” Unemployment rates were high and the economy was on the decline so it is possible that the culture of the time would view Shingen’s efforts to control Japan as less than favorable, considering their own situation, necessitating that he be portrayed as an antagonist.
In his book Legends of the Samurai Hiroaki Sato outlines the stages of Shingen’s life and the rise of his reputation as a powerful samurai warlord. It begins with the early years when Shingen is regarded as incompetent by his father but he is described as “composed and wily” because of his cunning ulterior motives to extract his father from rule (Sato 206). In one of his first noticeable acts of bravery, Shingen beheaded the lord Genshin and returned with the head as proof. It was then that he first began to gain respect “commanders privately admired Harunobu” (207). After the takeover of his father’s province and the winning of many fights, Shingen’s battle expertise became well respected, even among his enemies. Sato’s representation of Shingen “ introduces the reader to selections recounting their [samurais] historical background, their relationships, their personalities” claims writer Cameron Hurst in his book review of Legends of the Samurai. Because Sato’s book is the representation closest in time to the actual events and life of Shingen, naturally it is most similar to the actual history, “this work is far more informative and accurate than most works on the samurai” (Hurst 408). Nonetheless, the book also superior in creating the most well rounded depiction of Shingen; he is seen as a competent and proud samurai but Sato ties his military identity with his personality by analyzing Shingen’s mannerisms.
What all three of the representations have in common are that they all depict Shingen’s role in the military as the most important aspect in his life.
His legendary battling and revered fighting skills have appealed to audience throughout the threshold of time in many different ways. Kurosawa’s film Kagemusha was released in the 1980s, a positive time in Japan’s history and particularly prosperous for the entertainment industry. The economy in Japan and the standard of life people indulged were on the rise, as well as advances in technology. This decade was generally a feel good time for Japan, and the culture’s/people’s regard of Shingen reflects this positivity. Kagemusha shed light on the admirable reputation of Shingen, it showed him as a wise samurai and noble in his intentions to battle. However, this portrayal is a far cry from the Kadakawa film Heaven and Earth in which Shingen is defined by his aggressive military tactics and his hunger to take over all of Japan. Heaven and Earth was released in the 1990s, a decade full of despair in Japan; the 90s were considered the “Lost Decade.” Following the economic boom from the previous decade, Japan began to lose momentum on this front and the unemployment rates went up and the country was hit by a major recession. The negative situation in which the people of Japan found themselves in this time period contributes to the difference in interpretations of Shingen. Shingen’s exploits to take over Japan were depicted as greedy
instead of honorable, and his reputation as a noble man was contested by this illustration oh him as stubborn, unwilling to back down, and encouraging of war. Shingen’s military intentions are skewed between these representations due to these changes in culture during the time these films were reproduced which is why Shingen is seen in a different light in each film, and both films capitalize on one aspect of his life to aid in this depiction. And Sato’s literary representation of Shingen is different from both not only because of the time period in which it was produced, but because of its medium. Sato’s tale is a more traditional and critical look at Shingen; this history portrays him most accurately because there is no preferred audience for the text, this representation is not meant to show him in any particular light. Sato’s tale was written in a neutral time period of simplicity where the importance of the story was more than the importance of people’s perception of the story. All three of these representations of Shingen show him in different ways, for varied reasons but no singular depiction is wrong.

Works Cited

Conlan, Thomas. The Culture of Force and Farce: Fourteenth- Century Japanese Warfare. Cambridge: Harvard University, Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, 2000.

Hurst III, G. Cameron. "Legends of the Samurai. by Hiroaki Sato." Monumenta Nipponica. 3rd ed. Vol. 52. Tokyo: Sophia University, 1997. 407-08. Print.

Kagemusha. DVD. Directed by Akira Kurosawa. (Japan: Kurosawa Production Co. Toho Company. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. 1980.)

Kinder, Marsha. "Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior). Akira Kurosawa." Film Quarterly34.2 (1980): 44-48. Print.

Ryavec, Carole. "Daimyo in an Age of Strife: Takeda Shingen." Great Historical Figures of Japan. Ed. Hyoe Murakami and Thomas J. Harper. Tokyo: Japan Culture Institute, 1978. 141-53. Print.

Sato, Hiroaki. Legends of the Samurai. New York: The Overlook Press, 1995. Print.

Shirane, Haruo. Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900. New York: Columbia UP, 2002. Print.