1/72 Flags, Banners, Gunner´s Shields Decoration

Japanese Samurai 16th - 17th century

Towards the end of the 15th century begins a period of more than 100 years steady fighting within the Japanese territory.
Less mighty noble families turned against the traditional regional rulers as well as against other clans of their own level. These often originally poor warriors, who sometimes reached high ranks, aimed at the office of the highest military commander: The Shogun.

1603 the Tenno named Tokugawa Ieyasu as the Shogun of Japan, but the Rebel Toyotomi Hideyori claimed this office for his own family. During a period of about 20 years, the two men and their followers campaigned against another. Toyotomi at last fortifyed himself with an army in the castle of Osaka, where he was besieged and overwhelmed by the Tokugawa-forces during the Osaka-campaign of 1614/15.

The ZVEZDA Sets 8017, 8025 and 8029 contain Samurai and Ashigaru Infantry of the period reaching from the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century. This is the time of the various more or less wellknown samurai-stories. The endless fightings between the Japanese noble families had been an opportunity for many a simple warrior or samurai to distinguish himself on the battlefield and gain a command as a general.

The Shimabara-Rebellion. Uprising by Christian Rebels 1637/38.
Since the midth of the 16 century, due to mainly portuguese missionaries, the Christian religion spread within Japan. At the beginning of the 17th century already some districts had predominantly been inhabitated by settlers of christian confession. Whereas under the rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu the Christians had been tolerated for more tactical reasons, his successor suppressed them brutally.

In December 1637 the 16 year old Amakusa Shiro managed to organize the uprising of nearly half of the christian peasant people - about 23000 - of the Shimabara peninsula district. The Rebellion swept over to the neighbourous Amakusa Islands.
As the Rebels did not succeed in taking the strategically important fortifications of Shimabara and Tomioka, most of them fled and retreated to the half rotten castle Hara located on Shimabara peninsula.
Several times the Shogun lead his armies in vain against Hara fortification, at last the castle was besieged by forces of 120 000 men.
In April 1638 the nearly starved christian defenders desperately tried an unsuccesful assault. The castle then was stormed and all occupants but one man were slain. After this massacre all resistance against the Tokugawa regime had ceised and the office of Shogun was dominated by the Tokugawa family for about 200 further years.
1/72-145 - 1/72-151 Flags and shield decorations are especially designed and fitting for figures of ZVEZDA Samurai set 8017 . The set contains 1 flag-bearer with company-flag (nobori), 6 gunners protection shields and 24 back flags (sashimono) for samurai and ashigaru.

Please note: With Japanese names, the family name ist the first one, followed by the personal name. So "Tokugawa Ieyasu" means Ieyasu of the Tokugawa family!
1/72-145: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (1). Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shogun of Japan 1603-1616

2 personal standards, 2 company flags (nobori), 6 gunners shield decorations, 25 Samurai back flags.

Suitable to ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai Infantry. 1 sheet contains flags & shield decors for 1 box ZVEZDA 8017
1/72-146: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (2). Tokugawa army

Honda Tadakatsu, true follower of Tokugawa Ieyasu: personal standard, 2 company flags (nobori), 7 gunners shield decorations, 28 Samurai back flags.

Suitable to ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai Infantry. 1 sheet contains flags & shield decors for 1 box ZVEZDA 8017
1/72-147: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (3). The red sundisk

"Hi no maru" is called the traditional red sundisc, used by several of the older nobility families. Especially to be used for troops associated with the Toyotomi-coalition: 1 nobel standard, 2 company flags (nobori), gunners shield decorations, 24 Samurai back flags.

Suitable to ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai Infantry. 1 sheet contains flags & shield decors for 1 box ZVEZDA 8017
1/72-148: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (4). Widely used lettering motto

Japan characters, used by various samurai: 1 nobel standard, 2 company flags (nobori), 7 gunners shield decorations, 28 Samurai back flags.

Suitable to ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai Infantry. 1 sheet contains flags & shield decors for 1 box ZVEZDA 8017
1/72-149: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (5). Toyotomi army: Defence of Osaka castle 1614/15

Sanada Yukimura, Commander of Osaka castle: personal standard, 2 company flags (Nobori), 3 Samurai back flags.

Ono Harunaga: personal standard, 1 company flag (nobori), 6 gunners shield decorations, 19 Samurai back flags.

Suitable to ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai Infantry. 1 sheet contains flags & shield decors for 1 box ZVEZDA 8017
1/72-150: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (6). "The Red Devils".

Li Naomasa, battle of Sekigahara 1600, und Li Naotaka, Osaka campaign 1614/15. The regiments raised by the Li family were furnished with red laquered armour. 1 noble standard, 3 company flags, 8 gunners shield decorations, 28 Samurai back flags.

Suitable to ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai Infantry. 1 sheet contains flags & shield decors for 1 box ZVEZDA 8017
1/72-151: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (7). Osaka 1615, Tokugawa army

Hoshina Matsamitsu: personal standard, 1 company flag , 6 gunners shield decorations, 14 Samurai back flags..

Satake Yoshinobu (at battle of Sekigahara 1600 fighting in the Toyotomi army, during Osaka campaign 1614/15 fighting alongside Tokugawa): personal standard, company flag, 4 gunners shield decorations, 13 Samurai back flags.

Suitable to ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai Infantry. 1 sheet contains flags & shield decors for 1 box ZVEZDA 8017

Samurai Cavalry Back Flags

ZVEZDA 8025

Samurai-Cavalry. Figures painted by Thomas Willers
1/72-155: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (8).
Cavalry back flags, Seizes suiting ZVEZDA 8025

Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shogun of Japan 1603-1616. 7 flags / Honda Tadakatsu, Tokugawa army. 7 flags / Red sundisc "Hi no maru", used by several older nobility families. A good choice for troops of Toyotomi coalition. 7 flags / written motto used by several samurai. 7 flags / Sanada Yukimura, commander of Osaka castle 1616, Toyotomi army, 7 flags.

1 Sheet contains flags for 2 sets 8025.
1/72-156: Samurai flags 1600-1638 (9). Cavalry back flags, Seizes suiting ZVEZDA 8025

Hoshina Matsamitsu: 7 flags / Satake Yoshinobu (at battle of Sekigahara 1600 with Toyotomi army, during Osaka winter campaign 1614/15 with Tokugawa army), 7 flags / Li Naomasa, battle of Sekigahara 1600, and Li Naotaka, Osaka campaign 1614/15. 7 flags (Li troops wore red painted armour) / Defence of Osaka castle 1614/15: Oru Harunaga, Toyotomi army. 6 flags / sundisc symbol, 4 flags / written religious motto, 3 flags.

1 Sheet contains flags for 2 sets 8025.
1/72-165: Samurai Army Headquarters 16th - 17th century
(Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shogun of Japan 1603-1616)

Sheet Nr. 1 of two sheets. Combining sheet is 1/72-166.

General´s standard, stickers for front and back parts of Headquarters fencing.

Suiting to ZVEZDA 8029 samurai headquarters place. Decoration for great banner, front and back part of headquarters place fencing.

1/72-166: Samurai Army Headquarters 16th - 17th century
(Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shogun of Japan 1603-1616)


Seizes suiting ZVEZDA 8029. Sheet Nr. 2 of two sheets. Combining sheet is 1/72-165.

Stickers for right and left part of Headquarters fencing.

1/72-167: Samurai Army Headquarters 16th - 17th century (Sundisc Symbol)


Seizes suiting ZVEZDA 8029. Sheet Nr. 1 of two sheets. Combining sheet is 1/72-168.

General´s standard, stickers for front and back parts of Headquarters fencing.
1/72-168: Samurai Army Headqaurters 16th - 17th century (Sundisc symbol)


Seizes suiting ZVEZDA 8029. Sheet Nr. 2 of two sheets. Combining sheet is1/72-167.

Stickers for right and left part of Headquarters fencing.

1/72-169: Samurai infantry flags 16th -17th cent., mixed (1).

Seizes suiting ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai infantry:

10 back flags (3 different motifs), 10 gunner´s shield decors (3 different), 2 company flags, 1 Toyotomi Hideyori personal banner and one further ruler´s standard. 1 flag of christian rebels, Shimabara rebellion 1637/38.
1/72-170: Samurai infantry flags and gunner´s shield decorations 16th - 17th cent., mixed (2).

Seizes suiting ZVEZDA 8017 Samurai infantry:

18 back flags (5 different motifs), 14 gunner´s shield decors (4 different), 2 company flags, 1 ruler´s flag.
1/72-171: Samurai cavalry back flags (sashimono) 16th -17th cent., mixed.

35 back flags Seizes suiting ZVEZDA 8025 Samurai cavalry.
Japanese military terms:

Shogun. Heriditary title of highest military commander of the Japan Empire. The Shogun was appointed his title by the Tenno (Emperor), instead of the Tenno the Shogun was the actual dictator.

Samurai were the members of a special warrior caste who followed the "bushido" (way of the warrior). From the 12th century on warriors in general were named "samurai". A samurai who lost his master and who was looking for another nobelman who would hire his service as a warrior was called a "ronin".


Daimyo originally means a nobleman who got the permission from the Tenno or from the Shogun to take advantage of a certain areal of land. In turn for this hire, the nobleman had to rise a certain number of warriors to follow the Tenno or Shogun in case of a war. The ordinary peasant, who lived as a tenant on the nobleman´s land, usually filled the ranls of the Ashigaru. These fought as simple infantry. In contrary to the samurai, who were specialists mainly armed with swords and bows and furnished with effective and often expensive armour, the ashigaru were just armed with a spear. To the end of the 16th century, ashigaru often were trained as Arquebusiers, because the handling of a gun was relatively easy to learn, other than fighting with sword or bow.

Bearer of the company-Flag and the ruler´s standard were ashigaru, not samurai.
Literature and websites recommended:


M. Kure/G. Kruit: THE SAMURAI. Europa Militaria Special Nr. 14, The Crowood Press Ltd. 2000.

S.Turnbull/A.McBride: SAMURAI HERALDRY. Osprey Elite Nr. 82. Osprey Publishing 2002.

S.R.Turnbull/R.Hook: SAMURAI ARMIES 1550-1615. Osprey Men at Arms Nr. 86. (1987).

A.J.Bryant/A.McBride: THE SAMURAI. Osprey Elite Series Nr. 23.


SAMURAI:
http://www.samurai-archives.com
English language. History of Samurai, Battles, Weapons, Personalitys.

Christian Rebellion from 1614 on:
http://www.geocities.com/konru/uprise.html


Japanese dictionary and Search engine for historic / military terms (Englisch language):
http://www.hikyaku.com/dico/histxtg35.html