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Updated: 
December 
8th 
2013
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<H1>
The History
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Japan 1543 - 1640
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During the period 1543-1640 European adventurers, merchants and priests, from first Portugal, then Spain, followed by Holland and finally England, mingled, traded and fought with the people of this ancient culture. The ruling warlords or DAIMYO, meaning <I>Great Names</I> of this period, together with their SAMURAI followers, struggled for supremacy in the closing stages of the SENGOKU JIDAI, the <I>warring states era</I>, the centuries old civil wars that had ripped the nation apart. Culmanating in the battle of SEKIGAHARA in October 1600, which made TOKUGAWA IEYASU the de facto military ruler of the whole country. In 1603 he was appointed by the Emporer as <I>"SEII TAI SHO&#x304;GUN"</I>, a title that can be translated as <I>"great barbarian suppressing general"</I>, a position which, he "reluctently" accepted. This event formalised his family's hold on political power, which they retained until 1868, an era of great peace, known by the name of the then capital <B>EDO</B>, present day Tokyo.
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In early 1600, William Adams became the first Englishman in Japan, and the first foreign born SAMURAI ever, providing the model for James Clavell's fictional character <I>John Blackthorne</I> in his epic novel from which we take our group's name, <I>"SHOGUN"</I>. Adams who is far more famous in Japan than he is here in England, was known as <I>ANJIN-MIURA</I>, and became a senior advisor to the eventual military ruler of a united empire, TOKUGAWA IEYASU, married a local girl, and is considered the founder of the Japanese navy. When in 1613 <I>The Clove</I> an English ship arrived to set up a trading post in HIRADO, on behalf of the <I>British East India Company</I>, he acted as their representative until his death in 1620, shortly after which the rest of the English party "left" Japan in 1623. By 1639 most other foreigners had been thrown out of the country with the exception of a few Chinese traders, and one tiny European trading post set upon an artificial island in the harbour of NAGASAKI, manned by no more than a dozen Dutchmen.
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After 1640 when the country was sealled,  no foreigner upon pain of death was allowed to set foot on Japanese soil until the Americans forced the issue in 1853, when Commadore Perry led a fleet of his so-called <I>Black Ships</I> (iron-clads) in to the harbour of the capital EDO, and implicitly threatened to flatten it unless a favourable trade treaty could be arranged. The Japanese had no defence against such technology, and so by 1868 the SHO&#x304;GUN and the SAMURAI class were, as the ruling elite of old Japan gone forever. There was one last stand of these ancient warriors in 1877 when SAIGO TAKAMORI the <I>true</I> "Last Samurai", led a revolt to "expell the barbarians". He and his remaining 300 followers were eventually crushed by the new Imperial Army, after which he retired from the field and in time honoured fashion, committed SEPPUKU, ritual suicide. Oh yes, and no, there wasn't an American by his side, which as you can see that it is not quite the same as the Hollywood movie!
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Meanwhile back in our version of SHOUGUN circa 1600, warriors, peasants, artisans and merchants, Buddhist and SHINTOU; nuns, monks and priests, together with a rich mythology, mingle with our European ancestors, making a exciting, challenging and satisfying back drop against which we learn, fight, die, eat,  drink and make merry, not to mention along the way - educate. So, if Japanese history is your thing, why not join us. We don't clain to be experts, but we do claim to be good students. So, no prior experience of re-enactment, role playing, or knowledge of the period or cultures is really required, learn as you participate. So come along and enjoy the history and soak up the culture, and chill out with good company, you will be very welcome.
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