1. SCRIPT
In 1548, the leader of the Oda Clan invaded Mikawa.
(Hirotada finds Yoshimoto for a discussion, where Hirotada is pretty nervous )
Hirotada: General Yoshimoto. My clan is being attacked by the Oda Clan. I hereby seek for
your help to prevent the Oda Clan from invading my territory.
After serious consideration, Yoshimoto decided to accept his request.
Yoshimoto: I accept your request, General Hirotada under one condition. You must send your
son, Ieyasu to Sunpu, as a hostage.
Hirotada: ( Sacrifices has to be made for my clan. I’m sorry son, dad loves you but he needs to send
you away. ) he speaks in heart.
Oda Nobuhide, the leader of the Oda Clan overheard of this arrangement between
General Hirotada and General Yoshimoto.
Messenger: General Oda, we heard that General Hirotada is surrending his son as a hostage to
Sunpu. We must capture his son before he is delivered to Sunpu.
(General Oda nodded his head as agreement )
( The Oda Clan had captured Ieyasu from his entourage who was heading towards to Sunpu )
(Hirotada then arrives to meet Oda Nobuhide. With a fierce look, they were having a debate
on retrieving the captured Ieyasu back )
The leaders of Oda Clan and Imagawa Clan then arrives to Sunpu. General Oda
Nobuhide threatened to execute Ieyasu.
Oda Nobuhide: Your son Ieyasu is with me now. Unless you cut all ties with the Imagawa
Clan. Or else today will be the last time your son sees dawn.
Hirotada: For my clan, for my empire, I will willingly sacrifice anything, even if he is my
beloved son.
Hirotada sacrifices his son to show his seriousness towards the Imagawa Clan.
( Both general stares fiercely at each other, General Oda then turns back and leaves the
scene )
2. General Oda Nobuhide didn’t kill the poor 6 years old Ieyasu. Instead he had him held
as hostage for the next 3 years at Mansho Temple.
When Ieyasu turned 8 years old, his dad Hirotada was murdered by his own
treacherous vassals, who was bribed by the Oda Clan.
In the same year, the Oda Clan’s leader Oda Nobuhide died in an epidemic.
In 1568, when Ieyasu was 27 years old, he decided to make allies with Takeda Clan
whose leader is Takeda Shingen to conquer all of Imagawa’s territory.
( General Ieyasu and General Takeda are having tea together )
Ieyasu: General Takeda Shingen, I hereby request to form an ally with you to take down the
Imagawa territory. We will split the conquered territory into equally half. Will you accept my
request?
Takeda: NO! Do you think that my clan needs to depend on you? I, myself am capable
enough to conquer all of Imagawa’s territory on my own together with my troops!
They ended their negotiations because Takeda is selfish and wants to conquer
Imagawa’s territory on his own to secure his personal status.
( General Ieyasu then stands up and leaves with anger. )
After the failed negotiation, General Ieyasu forms allies with General Oda Nobunaga to
counter attack the Takeda Clan. General Ieyasu and Nobunaga planned a siege upon
the Takeda Clan
During the seige, General Takeda Shingen died due to serious illness.
In 1579, General Ieyasu’s wife was forced to be executed, and his son, Matsudaira
Nobuyasu, was forced to do the sepukku.
( Ieyasu’s wife is dragged by 2 general soldiers, out to nowhere. His son performs the
sepukku ceremony )
General Ieyasu’s then named his third son Tokugawa Hidetada as his heir. On the other
hand, Ieyasu’s second son was adopted by another rising power, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
3. ( Flashback to the introduction and relation of Hideyoshi & Nobunaga )
One day in 1582, a messenger came for General Ieyasu who was in Osaka.
( The messenger entered the room where General Ieyasu was having a discussion with other
generals )
The messenger: General Ieyasu, it is reported that Oda Nobunaga was assassinated by Akechi
Mitsuhide! ( Speaks in a fast breath )
( Ieyasu stands up immediately, and rushes out of the room )
General Ieyasu immediately rushes back but he was too late. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had
made his appearance and defeated Akechi Mitsuhide.
In 1583, General Hideyoshi and General Shibata was at war to rule over Japan. But
Ieyasu did not participate in this war.
Shibata was defeated and Hideyoshi became the most powerful Daimyo in Japan.
However, Ieyasu supports Oda Nobukatsu, Oda Nobunaga’s son, who is against
Hideyoshi.
A war then started on 1584, but Hideyoshi managed to settle the war through a
negotiation of peace with Oda Nobukatsu and had an agreement with Ieyasu.
General Hideyoshi: What is the meaning of war? Why do we need to sacrifice all the innocent
people out there, and lose millions of assets? Why can’t we discuss in a peaceful way, rather
than fighting each other. How do you feel, when you see blood flood roads and rivers?
( speaks in a broken hearted way )
( General Oda Nobukatsu agrees with Hideyoshi words )
Ieyasu and Hideyoshi made a deal.
General Hideyoshi: I’ll let you take control of 8 provinces, but in return, you must let me
control 5 of your provinces.
General Ieyasu: That’s a deal. ( Stares at him with a serious face )
That year, the 107th Emperor of Japan Emperor Go-Yozei gave Hideyoshi the rank of
Taiko, which was essential to increase his status and effectively stabilise his power.
Emperor Go-Yozei: I, on behalf of the people of Japan, will now announce you as the Taiko
of Japan Empire.
4. In 1590, General Ieyasu reformed the provinces, control and pacify. He subsequently
improved the economy infrastructure of the land. After a few years, Ieyasu became the
second most powerful Daimyo in Japan.
( General Ieyasu discusses with other generals on a big table, with specific plans and
documents )
( Ieyasu stands on the top of a mountain, showing that he had become a powerful person )
In 1593, Hideyoshi fathered a son, his heir Hideyori.
In 1598, Hideyoshi’s health was falling in an alarming rate. So he held a meeting to
choose the 5 councils, who will be responsible of the ruling on behalf of his son. One of
the councils was Ieyasu, who was the most powerful among the 5 councils.
General Hideyoshi passed away in the same year. And his son, Hideyori became the
successor. And so the power was with the 5 regents.
Later on, Ieyasu became alliance with various Daimyo, with no heart for Hideyori
because he was envious of his high position.
General Ieyasu: I am not happy with his current status. What’s with all of his policies that are
being declare these days? That makes no sense! I’m going to take down his position, his
place. Whose with me?!
( The Generals all agree with his statement during the meeting )
General Ieyasu then led an army to Fushimi with his alliance and took over the
Hideyori’s residence.
Ishida Mitsunari helped Hideyori, but he was not one of the regents. He plotted General
Ieyasu’s death but his plan was discovered by Ieyasu’s general. They tried to kill Ishida.
Ishida fled and gained protection from Ieyasu despite his previous intentions to kill him.
General Ieyasu decided to protect him, rather than having him lead Hideyori’s army.
In 1600, when it was the Edo period darkest era, the Battle of Sekigahara had started. It
ended with Tokugawa’s victory.
Ishida Mitsunari and the western nobes were captured and killed. Ieyasu was in fact the
ruler of Japan, and he redistributed the land.
On the other hand, Toyotomi Hideyori lost most of his territory which most of it was
under the management of the western Daimyo.
5. Hideyori then degraded to an ordinary daimyo and was no longer the ruler of Japan.
In 1603, Ieyasu received the title of “ Seii Taishogun “ by Emperor Go-Yozei.
General Ieyasu: I can see that you created and solidified the Tokugawa Shogunate. You have
done a great job, and contributed greatly to the Empire of Japan. I now present you the title -
Seii Taishogun.
In order to unify the country, General Ieyasu gathered his men and had one last battle
to eliminate the remaining Toyotomi Clan in the Osaka Castle.
General Ieyasu: For our empire, for the people! One last war that will end everything and creates a
remarkable moment for the empire of Japan!!
( Cheers for the General )
Ieyasu succeeded and removed all the possible threats to his power. He then step down
from his position as a Shogun.
The Tokugawa Shogunate was dismayed by the bitter rivalry among the few Europeans
in Japan and the jealous work of the Catholic Missionaries.
Europeans then reduced the foreign influence by expelling foreigners and forbidding all
Japan’s contact with the outside world, except for the China and Korean because they
are strictly controlled.
Dutch East India Company was also permitted to operate at the Port Nagasaki. During
that period of time, Japanese were forbidden to travel and build ships.
Despite all these limitations, large quantities of ceramics and lacquer were exported to
Holland and sold to Europe. It was really popular in European countries during the
17th and 18th Century.
Japan was fascinated by the exotic things of the Western country. Japan has had a
growing interest towards the western science and art.
