Oda Nobunaga's Letters and Other Artefax

ODA NOBUNAGA'S THINGS 3

Incense

Oda's letter

This seemingly insignificant piece (and what the heck it is supposed to be?) is still preserved in 2005, while it had something to do with Oda Nobunaga in 1582. We really got to push Congresspersons to mind the Museum guys' retirement programs!

Anyway, this is called 'ranjatai'. It's some sort of an incense. You know, incense? The thing that got burnt for something religious, that made Hong Kong movies so hazy before the evil dead or something equally sinister shows up? This is a very rare artefact, because in 1582 it was already a rare item in Japan.

Only three people in the entire history of Japan cut a little from this sacred object (I forgot to say it is revered so): Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436-1490 -- he's the one who built the most magnificent temple in Kyoto, Kinkakuji, and famous for his relationship with an actor -- click here) , Lord Oda Nobunaga, and Emperor Mutsuhito (Meiji, whose Retoration of 1868 is vivisected elsewhere at this site -- click here). So it meant powerholders of the day.

Those white tapes mark the places where the three rulers of their own separate eras cut the thing.

Oda Nobunaga was not interested in correspondence, I said elsewhere. Sure he wasn't. But those days there were no cellphones yet for unintelligible short messaging, so Oda, too, had to send some letters when necessary.

This is Oda Nobunaga's letter addressed to Lord Hosokawa Fujitaka (click here for story and pictures). He sent it in 1577. Hosokawa was a sort of 'neutral' party in all the 'Warring States' period; they became attached to the Oda clan because Hosokawa Fujitaka brokered the messy Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki's S.O.S addressed to Oda Nobunaga -- he needed Oda's help to get installed as the next Shogun after his brother Ashikaga Yoshiteru was murdered. Oda did help him, but they broke up afterwards and Ashikaga routinely conspired with anyone who wanted to kill Oda Nobunaga -- until his shogunate was terminated entirely by the angry Oda.

The Hosokawa clan still kept this artefact until 2002. That year, they sold it in an auction.

Click here for Oda Nobunaga's letters in English.

Oda Nobunaga's gun on display at Kiyosu Museum.

Another killing device that belonged to the Odas.

Another specimen of Oda Nobunaga's writing of 1570's. Click here for Oda Nobunaga's letters in English.

A pair of Oda spectacles at Gifu museum

Oda Nobunaga's collexion of trinkets had political significance, that's why Toyotomi Hideyoshi imitated it during his reign between 1582-1599. Click here for complete story about the collexion's sociopolitical value.

Oda Nobunaga's musical instruments at Inuyama castle today.

Click here for history of Japanese music and dance.

One of the sun dials that Oda Nobunaga collected. He has more than 10 sun dials, even according to 16th century records his collection of this kind of objects alone was more than 25.