The Wisdom of Lord Ieyasu, Who Survived the Sengoku Era

Utilizing Enemy Soldiers

Among all the piece games in the world, Shogi, in which defeated enemy piece becomes a piece of one’s own army, is unique to Japan. This is symbolized by the strategy of Lord Ieyasu.

After the fall of the Takeda clan, he absorbed the remnants of its army and reconstituted the famous Takeda’s Red Armor as Ii’s Red Armor. He also protected the fleeing Iga warriors during Nobunaga’s attack on Iga, and later used them as a major force to cross the Iga in the Honnoji Incident. Even if they were enemies, once the war was over, he treated them with a forgiving heart and used them as his own fighting force.