The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan

I have to say I truly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. If you enjoy Japanese History, or stories of Samurai, I highly recommend this book! While little is truly known about Legendary Ronin Yamamoto Kansuke, to the point many use to ask if he even existed, this book almost makes you feel as if you know him, and you feel for him. This book offers an exciting look via fictional accounts of the real life battes at Kawanakajima between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, through the eyes of Yamamoto Kansuke. I give this book an A+!

The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan has, more or less, the effect that The Da Vinci Code had on me. It absorbs you into the Sengoku era and creates a simulation of how life was back then, except that you feel what certain characters felt up-close and personal. This is a must-read especially for those interested in Takeda's golden era. Don't miss it!

Although a work of historical fiction, this novel provides an insightful look into one of the most interesting characters during the Sengoku Jidai,Takeda Shingen. It is sad that very little is offered in English regarding the life of one of the most talented generals and administrators of the Warring States Era in the form of a historical text. However, this book allows us to understand the uniqueness of this famous daimyo and one of the key figures that was instrumental in his rise to power:Yamamoto Kansuke. Even less information is available in English regarding this obscure individual, save for his involvement in the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima. However, amongst Japanese history enthusiasts, Kansuke was the intelligence behind the Takeda and their rise to power during this turbulent era. Kansuke's loyalty to his young lord is similar to that of an overbearing father offering unwanted guidance to a son as he ventures out to battle, whether it is on the field, his own seat of government, or his love affairs. The character of Kansuke is truly an intriguing one, and especially Inoue's depiction of him makes this novel well worth the read. To supplement your enjoyment of this book, I would also recommend reading Kawanakajima 1553-1564 by Stephen Turnbull.

Yasushi Inoue's SAMURAI BANNER OF FURIN KAZAN is written from the point of view of a short, old, and ugly samurai named Yamamoto Kansuke who serves as the chief military strategist for Takeda Haronobu, War Lord of Kai. He has an unerring gift of foreseeing how military strategies will turn out, and of fine-tuning the tactics required to position Takeda to win in any given situation. Well, almost any given situation. Kansuke also advises Takeda on matters of the heart, and here he is on shakier ground. While he has the best interests of the Takeda clan at heart, women have other goals in mind that he perceives only dimly, being a bachelor. As Takeda tires of his marriage. he takes on two concubines in Princes Yuu and Princess Ogoto; and the problems posed by these two beautiful young women almost prove to be his undoing. The most powerful enemy of the Takeda clan is Uesugi Kenshin of the nearby state of Echigo. His constant feints remind me of a superb defensive chess player who is familiar with the concept of "reculer pour mieux sauter" -- to retreat to gain running room for leaping forward. In the end, there is a final showdown at Kawakajima in the contested province of Shinano. Inoue ends with an ironic epilogue in which he sees all the efforts of the 16th century war lords come to naught as Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu finally succeed in unifying Japan in the next generation, leading to the 300-year Tokugawa Shogunate that lasted well into the 19th century. The title of the book comes from Takeda's battle flag, whose Chinese characters say, in effect: Be as swift as the wind Be as silent as the wood Attack as fiercely as fire Be as composed as the mountain This is a wonderful historical novel for anyone who, like me, loves the classic samurai films of Japan. It helps to provide the right historical context for the films. Inoue has done better, especially in LOU LAN AND OTHER STORIES, but this one is well worth reading as well.