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Tag Archives: daimyo

The Three Major Daimyō Posted by on Mar 13, 2010

There is a famous poem that Japanese children are taught to recite: (1) 鳴かぬなら、殺してしまえほととぎす, (なかぬなら、ころしてしまえほととぎす) (2) 鳴かぬなら、鳴かして見せようほととぎす (なかぬなら、なかしてみせようほととぎす) (3) 鳴かぬなら、鳴くまで待とうほととぎす (なかぬなら、なくまでまとうほととぎす) The first line means, “If the cuckoo does not sing, kill it”. This line refers to the だいみょう (大名) Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長). Nobunaga is considered one of the three great daimyōs. He was known…

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