ベイカー寮221B／Baker House 221B

HARA Minonokami Toratane was a vassal of TAKEDA Harunobu. He was born in Shimofusa (current an area in Kanto region includes Chiba, Saitama, Ibaragi and Tokyo) but later moved to Kai and served Harunobu with his father Tomotane.

He distinguished himself and was taken into Harunobu's confidence. But he left kai and went to Sagami in 1553 because Harunobu ordered him to convert his family religious sect to the Jōdoshu. On the following year, Harunobu asked him to return to Kai. When Harunobu became a priest and called himself Shingen in 1559, he also got his head shaved and called himself Seigan. In 1561, he was wounded at the Battle of Warigatake Castle and it prevented him from participating in the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima. In 1654 he died of illness and his title Minonokami was succeeded to BABA Nobuharu. The gunbai (military leader's fan)  of Harunobu is said to have been handed down to his prosperity.

In this series, he has a duel with Kansuke who becomes to serve the Takeda clan and fell into the trap set by him. He keeps a good relationship with Kansuke and is ordered to make his daughter Ritsu marry him by Harunobu but Kansuke refuses it. Toratane gets angry with him but later he understands it and allows that he adopts her as his daughter.

The images shows Kai Shishido (*) as Hara Toratane
(From the DVD series of "Fūrin Kazan")


(*) His father Jō Shishido played the same role in "Takeda Shingen" broadcast in 1988.

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TAKEDA Nobukado was a son of Takeda Nobutora and Ōi Fujin, and one of the younger brothers of Harunobu. As he and Harunobu were alike, he is said to have acted his double.

He acted as liaison between Harunobu and other daimyos as IMAGAWA Yoshimoto. And he also participated in some battles as the Foutrh Battle of Kawanakajima and the Battle of Nagashino. After the death of Harunobu, he took his father Nobutora who was exiled to Sugruga by Harunobu in Takato-o Castle. In 1582, when the Allied Forces of ODA Nobunaga and TOKUGAWA Ieyasu invaded Kai, he retreated but killed by the vassals of MORI Nagayoshi.

He was good at painting and painted the portraits of his parents.

In this series, he is described as a man who likes drawing. And he acts as secretary of Harunobu and negotiates with Imagawa Yoshimoto together with KOMAI Masatake.

The image shows Toshinobu Matsuo as Takeda Nobukado
(From the DVD series of "Furin Kazan")

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She was a concubine of TAKEDA Harunobu and generally called Aburakawa Fujin. She is said to have been from the Aburakawa Family, collateral family of the Takeda clan.

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Though being a fictional figure, she is based on a real person.


In this series, TAKEDA Nobutora attacks Unnokuchi Castle defended by her father HIRAGA Genshin (*). He wins a victory thanks to some advice from Kansuke who has not served the Takeda clan yet. But after that, Harunobu, son of Nobutora who once retreated returns to the castle and her parents, Genshin and his wife are killed in the surprise attack.

Later she marries KASAHARA Kiyoshige, lord of Shiga Castle in Shinano but the Takeda Army besieges it and Kiyoshige surrenders at last. She becomes a concubine of OYAMADA Nobuari, vassal of Harunobu. Then she gives birth to a son called Fujiōmaru but in reality his father is Kiyoshige, not Nobuari.


Nobuari has an inkling of the fact but he tries to love her and Fujiōmaru. Soon after he dies of illness and it relieves Nobuari of a burden. But she feels unpleasant because she thinks he is happy about the death of her son.

She intends to avenge not only Fujiomaru but Kiyoshige and Genshin, both killed by the Takeda Army also and kills Nobuari while he is asleep. And then she kills herself.

（*）HIRAGA Gennai, one of the characters of "Fū-unjitachi Rangaku Reboryūshi Hen" is said to have called himself as a descendant of Genshin.

The images are from the video of "Furin Kazan".

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TOKIDA Takanaga was a younger brother of SANADA Yukitaka. He was adopted by the Tokida clan.

Though much of his history is unclear, he is said to have served TAKEDA Harunobu. He became to manage Naganohara Castle in 1562 and died just after it or was killed in the battle in 1572. His descendants served the Sanada clan.

In this series, he is a younger brother of Yukitaka but serves MYRAKAMI Yoshikiyo. And he uses a man called Fukai, vassal of Yukitaka as spy. After the Siege of Toishi, he is requested to help his brother by Shinome and Gentazaemon. Though he is reluctant to accept it, he realises that she tries to betray Yoshikiyo at the risk of her life. Then Yukitaka and KAWAHARA Takamasa visit him and persuades him to take the side of TAKEDA Harunobu and he assents to it.

The images shows Jun Hashimoto as Tokida Takanaga
(From the video of "Furin Kazan")

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KAWAHARA Takamasa was an brother-in-law of SANADA Masayuki becaunse his younger sister Kyo-un in married him. He was also father of Kawahara Takaie who serves Sanada Masayuki and Nobuyuki.

He served the Unno clan at first. After the clan was defeated by the army of MURAKAMI Yoshikiyo, he escaped to Kozuke. Then he served UESUGI Norimasa who was Kanto Kanrei, deputy steward of Furukawa Kubo who ruled Easter Japan instead of shogun in Kyoto. But he finally became to serve TAKEDA Harunobu. He lost his two sons in the Battle of Nagashino but his right of owning his territory was recognised.

In this series, both he and Yukitaka escape to Kozuke after the Unno clan was destroyed. But Yukitaka is persuaded to serve Harunobu by YAMAMOYO Kansuke. It makes Takamasa angry but later he accepts the idea of restoring the Unno clan and surrenders to the Takeda clan.

The image shows Kenji Kasai as Kawahara Takamasa
(From the DVD series of "Furin Kazan")

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She is a fictional figure. She is a daughter of NAOE Sanetsuna and serves NAGAO Kagetora, later UESUGI Kenshin as maid.

Her father Sanetsuna attempts to be influential in the Nagao clan by making her Kagetora's concubine. But Kagotora has no interest in women and she has no physical relations with him. Sanetsuna sighs over it. On the other hand, she is faithful to Kagetora and stern with Kansuke who tries to carry out espionage at Kasugayama Castle. But at last she quits her job and becomes a nun in the absence of Kagetora.

The image shows Fusako Urabe as Nami.
(from the video of "Furin Kazan")

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NAOE Sanetsuna (later Kagetsuna) was a vassal of NAGAO Kagetora. He was a father-in-law of Naoe Kanetsugu, superior vassal of UESUGI Kagekatsu.

At first he served the Iinuma Family, vassal of the Uesugi clan who held shugo of Echigo successively. But the family was beaten by Nagao Tamekage, deputy shugo of Echigo and then he served the Nagao clan and became the lord of Motoyoita Castle, later Yoita Castle. Though he opposed the Nagao clan in some ways, he supported Kagetora when he strove with his brother Harukage. Then he was appointed as a magistrate and managed the affairs in the Nagao (Uesugi) clan. In the fourth battle of Kawanakajima, he distinguished himself and beat the troop of TAKEDA Yoshinobu.

As he had no heir, his daughter Sen married Nagao Nobutsuna to maintain the family. But Nobutsuna was killed by another vassal Mori Hidehiro because of a territorial dispute. Then she married HIGUCHI kanetsugu and had some children.

In this series, he supports Kagetora when he opposes Harukage and becomes one of his assistants together with USAMI Sadamitsu. He sometimes admonishes Kagetora who becomes too idealistic. And he attempts to make his daughter Nami serve Kagetora as maid to make her his concubine but in vain. In the fourth battle of Kawanakajima, he makes Kansuke fall off his horse.

The image shows Tokuma Nishioka as Naoe Sanetsuna
(From the video of "Furin Kazan")

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USAMI Sadamitsu or Sadayuki was a vassal of some shugos or deputy shugos of Echigo,  including UESUGI Sadazane and NAGAO Kagetora. There are various theories on his life.

He was a son of USAMI Fusatada and served Uesugi Sadazane and his brother Sadanori. But in 1536, he surrendered NAGAO Tamekage and then served him and his sons Harukage and Kagetora. He exerted himself to make Nagao Masakage bow to Kagetora. In 1564, he is said to have been drowned with Masakage whom he attempted to kill. But some say that died in a battle against the Hojo clan in 1562.

He is said to be a model of Usami Sadayuki, who established Echigo-school military science that became to be known in the middle of the 17th century.

In this series, he is described as a sharp but gentle samurai who hesitates to serve Nagao Kagetora at first. But at lase he decides to serve him and insists on his own strategy despite being opposed by some vassals of Kagetora (*). He penetrates Kansuke's disguise when he spies out Echigo but allows him stay at his castle for a while. In 1561, he participates in the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima and fights one-to-one battle with Kansuke himself.

(*) Ken Ogata, who plays the role of Sadamitsu acts AMAGO Tsunahisa, deputy shugo of Izumo (current eastern part of Shimane) in another Taiga Drama series "Mori Motonari". These two roles have something in common and he plays both roles well.

The image shows Ken Ogata as Usami Sadamitsu
(From the DVD series of "Furin Kazan")

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UESUGI Sadazane was a shugo of Echigo and an uncle-in-law of NAGAO Kagetora, later Uesugi Kenshin.

As he wasn't from the family that succeeds the shugo of Echigo, he married a daughter of Uesugi Fusayoshi who was a shugo of the provicnce. Then he made Fusayoshi fall from power with depury shugo Nagao Tamekage, father of Kagetora and remarried his sister. Later Echigo was invaded by Kanto Kanrei Uesugi Akidsada, he and Tamekage recover military strength and beat Akisada at the Battle of Nagamorihara in 1510.

But in 1513, he was dissatisfied with Tamekage who held real power to rule Echigo. He set off  some riots against him with his brother JOJO Sadanori and his vassals. Finally he was forced to retire but after that his comrades in arms made Tamekage lose his position. As Harukage, who succeeded his father was a mediocre man, he dealt with him though he couldn't hold the power again.

Around 1538, he was recommended to receive Tokimunemaru, son of DATE Tanemune (*) as his adopted child because he didn't have any son. However a battle between the ruler who opposes it and the Date clan broke out and it involved the rulers in norther Echigo and Dewa, current Yamagata and Akita. Besides a conflict occurred in the Date clan so the adoption was cancelled.

Then he made Kagetora, who suppressed the insurrection of KURODA Hidetada, one of his vassals succeed Harukage. After his death in 1550, Kagetora was ordered to succeed him by ASHIKAGA Yoshiteru, the 13th shogun of Muromachi Bakufu (**) and became the lord of Echigo.

(*) He was a great-grandfather of Date Masamune.
(**) Shogun had certain amount of authority even in the Sengoku Period.

The image shows Mizuho Suzuki as Uesugi Sadazane
(From the video of "Furin Kazan")

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