Takeda Shingen

Hi Everyone,

Here is my review of De Tara Takeda Shingen 1521-1573. A 120mm figure kit cast in resin and white metal.

Details of the releases:

 

Title: Takeda Shingen 1521-1573

Manufacturer: De Tara Collection

Scale: 120mm (1:16)

Sculptor: Traditional hand sculpted by F. Garrido

Material & no. of pieces: 6 white grey resin, 1 beige resin ,  5 white metal parts and 1 piece of lead foil

Cast by: ?

Order from: I bought this kit from evilbay

The De Tara Takeda Shingen 120 mm kit comes in a De Tara green rectangular box with parts housed in 3 zip-lock bags and protected by 2 pieces of foam. A finely sculpted figure kit of Takeda Shingen in 120 mm.  He is wearing the tosei-gusoku (modern armour), carrying his tachi sword and tanto. He is grasping a war flag in his left hand, and a gunbai uchiwa war fan in his right hand directing his troops on the battlefield. 

Here are the parts.

Parts View

Head, Upper and Lower Body View

Head, Kabuto, Body Armour, Arms and Legs View

Hata-jirushi (War Flag), Tanto,Tachi and Gunbai Uchiwa (War Fan) View

Base and Painting Guide View

Final Thoughts:

The De Tara Takeda Shingen is a finely sculpted figure kit with lots of detail. The metal casting is excellent but not for the resin parts. The face is nicely sculpted with good eyes. I do not like the sculpt for the white hair on the kabuto. There are numerous tiny resin balls to clean up. The maedate’s oni (demon face) looks wrong and awfully sculpted. The gunbai uchiwa war fan looks small to me. The figure I received had a piece of bamboo post broken off from the war flag. It would be a nice figure for your collection if you could spend some time fixing all the issues.

My Rating Summary:

Takeda Shingen (武田 信玄; December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573)

Statue of Takeda Shingen in front of Kofu station, Japan

Takeda Shingen 武田 信玄 (born December 1, 1521, Kai province [now Yamanashi prefecture], Japan—died May 13, 1573, Komaba, Shinano province [now Nagano prefecture]). Takeda a daimyo (feudal lord) and one of the most-famous military leaders of Japan, who struggled for mastery of the strategic Kantō Plain in east-central Honshu during the chaotic Sengoku (“Warring States”) period of civil unrest in the 16th century. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period and was credited with exceptional military prestige. 

His original name was Takeda Harunobu. Takeda Harunobu was born into the powerful Takeda clan of shugo daimyo (military governors) who at the time controlled Kai province (present-day Yamanashi prefecture), a mountainous region west of the Kantō Plain. In 1541 he forced his father, Takeda Nobutora, to retire as head of the clan, and Harunobu assumed that position. He soon began expanding his family’s domains northward into Shinano province (present-day Nagano prefecture) and into other lands adjacent to Kai

Takeda is especially well known for his series of battles (1553–64) with the noted warrior Uesugi Kenshin, which not only are famous in the annals of Japanese history but are also much celebrated in Japanese drama and folklore.

Painting by Ebine Shundo on the Ceiling of the Yasaki Inari Shrine Tokyo, Japan 1965

Although their battles over more than a decade were relatively indecisive, Takeda became recognized as one of the most-powerful military leaders in east-central Japan. As such, he posed a threat to the powerful warrior Oda Nobunaga, who was attempting to unify Japan under his control, and to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Oda’s ally and founder of the Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship). Takeda defeated an army led by Tokugawa near Hamamatsu (in present-day Shizuoka prefecture) in January 1573, and he made further inroads into Tokugawa-controlled territory before he died of a terminal illness later that year. His son and successor, Takeda Katsuyori, was defeated by Oda and Tokugawa in the early 1580s, thus ending the Takeda family’s power. Among the various dramatizations of Takeda Shingen’s life is the film Kagemusha (“The Shadow Warrior”) by Japanese director Kurosawa Akira, which was released in 1980.

Takeda’s home life was remarkably troubled and mired in politics. Over the years, Shingen exiled, imprisoned, or executed several close family members, including his father, his guardian, his cousin and his son.

He entered the priesthood in 1551, at which time he assumed the Buddhist name Shingen. Taking religious vows, however, in no way hampered his participation in worldly affairs.

Takeda Shingen's Kabuto

Collection of the Shimosuwa Town Lake Suwa Museum, Japan

Takeda Shingen's Suwa hossho no Kabuto (諏訪法性の兜), but there is a theory that the latter was never actually used. The white hair on the helmet is called haguma (白熊).

The maedate (the frontal crest) on Takeda Shingen's legendary helmet famously features the face of a fierce Oni (demon or Buddhist deity) with glaring eyes and large, protruding tusks. Some indicated it is a Shikami (snarling lion-face) ornament. This intimidating crest was worn to strike fear into his enemies while invoking divine protection.

His famous kabuto (the Suwa hossho style) is easily recognizable not just for the demon maedate, but for its other iconic features :

• White Yak Hair: Long white Himalayan yak hair flows down the sides and back of the helmet, symbolizing wisdom, authority, and the wrath of a Buddhist deity.
• Gold Antlers: Two large, golden wakidate (side crests or "horns") flank the helmet, representing strength.

Shingen, known as the "Tiger of Kai," was one of the most powerful and revered daimyos (feudal lords) during Japan's Sengoku period. His helmet and menacing crests were not just decorative; they served as a psychological weapon and a visual rallying point for his cavalry, the strongest in Japan at the time.

Hata-jirushi (旗印) Simple War Flag

Hata-jirushi: These were older, long simpler vertical flags, streaming banners one of the earliest types of flags used on Japanese battlefields that was erected at the main camp as a flag for the troops, and was also called "Jinbata" 陣旗(a flag in the camp). It was used from the Warring States Period to the Edo Period. Generally, the flag bearer of a feudal lord was an ashigaru (foot soldier) who did not engage in combat.

Unlike the later nobori, which were stiffened, these banners were simple streamers. They consist of a long narrow banner attached to a crossbar at the top and held on a rod. The lower end of the cloth, as a rule, was not fixed, allowing the banner to hang freely and flutter in the wind.

Hata-jirushi remained a tool of identification for centuries, evolving into more advanced flags like nobori. The simple designs on hata-jirushi, such as vertical stripes or single symbols, inspired the more complex patterns that followed.

Gunbai Uchiwa (軍配団扇'war fan')

 

Gunbai Uchiwa was a fixed fan it was the standard command equipment that was used by generals and daimyō and hence became a symbol of power. Military commander also worn to show rank and were used to direct troops in battle as well as offer the commander protection from arrows, rocks, wind, and the sun.

Other command equipment commonly used by samurai commanders included a folding military fan (gunsen), a command baton (saihai), and a battlefield drum (jindaiko), where were all used extensively throughout the Sengoku (ca. 1467-1573) and Edo Periods (1603-1868). The non-folding gunbai fans were usually made of solid wood and/bronze or iron A tasseled carrying cord is attached at one end. Metal fans could also be used in combat, in parrying attacks or as a blunt weapon. The gunbai were typically family heirlooms, passed from father to son in succession.

References

Takeda Clan Mon

Thank you for looking!