09/05/2026
Fine Advice
Nonoguchi Tanba, a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide, once asked Yamanaka Shikanosuke, “I have engaged in single combat and taken an enemy’s head three times, yet I have no clear memory of the events—everything was a blur. Yet, there are those who can recall every detail of a single battle with perfect clarity. Is it that such people possess innate courage?” Shikanosuke was deeply impressed with Nonoguchi and replied, “You are an honest man—a rarity in a world where so many seek fame through flowery words and lies. When I had taken four or five enemy heads, I was just like you. By the time I had taken seven or eight, it was as if dawn had broken; and when I reached ten, I could clearly see the very spot on the enemy’s helmet where I would strike, felling them with my staff as easily as a child at play. As you gain experience, you will come to understand what I mean”
- Samurai History & Culture
Aug 24
