Quote:
Originally Posted by SeijiSensei
Edit: I did some research into the historical period because I was surprised by the use of firearms and wondered about the historical accuracy of the atakebune. Both of these turn out to be true portrayals of the "warring states" period.
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Indeed, the Japanese took to firearms like ducks to water back in the Sengoku era. It was one of a number of crucial factors that led to swelling numbers of
ashigaru (peasant footsoldiers) in the armies of the time. Oda Nobunaga was the first warlord who created a whole new set of drills to enable continuous firing of firearms during battle, a tactic that other generals would soon adopt (they had no choice, it was do or die).
There were, of course, daimyo who were reluctant to follow the technological trend, particularly those from the Kanto region, such as the Takeda of Kai-Shinano. There was the problem of greater isolation — given that firearms spread from Kyushu to Kansai before coming to Kanto, the eastern samurai would naturally be among the last to see, and use, such new technology.
Furthermore, the Kanto samurai were country bumpkins of a sort and considered themselves rougher and tougher than their more urbanised brethen in the western regions of Japan. Since the time of the
Kamakura shogunate (the first
bakufu), the Kanto region was regarded as the font of "true" samurai values, in contrast to the more "cultured" traditions of the Kansai region (the warriors there were considered softies by the Kanto samurai). Using firearms, to the doughty samurai of the east, felt like "cheating", a necessary evil of the times.
The battle that decisively changed the balance of power between firearms and a good ol' cavalry charge was the one in
Nagashino, resulting in the massacre of the cream of the Takeda army by a hail of Tokugawa lead. Thereafter, no serious warlord would dare challenge the power of firearms.
(This rivalry between east and west Japan, warrior values versus aesthetic traditions, thus has deep roots in the country's history. The Kansai region has always been the heart of Japan's higher culture, while Kyushu has always been the country's gateway to modern technology, be it from Korea, China or Portugal. It wasn't until the time of the Tokugawa shogunate that the centre of both political and cultural power shifted decisively east, thanks to the burgeoning growth of Edo, which became Japan's first million-person city.)
I credit Koei's
Nobunaga's Ambition wargame simulations for spurring me towards such (otherwise useless) trivia back in my teens during the late 80s.
Like you, I was also surprised at the time to learn that the Japanese had adopted then-modern firearms. In the end, though, it was all about political and military expediency, and not because of any particular love for firearms. Shortly after Tokugawa Ieyasu united Japan, he strictly limited the production of guns, ostensibly to curb foreign (read, Christian) influence. In reality, he was just being practical — he wanted to prevent further rebellions armed with such weapons.