The Words of the Samurai - Episode 11

Yamamoto Kansuke and His Strategic Vision of Japan

This eleventh episode of the “Words of the Samurai” series focuses on a lesser-known yet revealing anecdote about Yamamoto Kansuke, the famed strategist of the Takeda clan. Before becoming Takeda Shingen’s top military advisor, Kansuke was a wandering rōnin. It was his unusual way of describing Japan that ultimately caught the attention of his future lord.

During the Sengoku period, many rōnin (masterless samurai) traveled from one province to another in search of employment under a feudal lord.

Yamamoto Kansuke, later known as the “military advisor of Takeda Shingen,” was originally one such rōnin. It is said that during his time without a master, he traveled throughout Japan—from the north in Tōhoku to the southern island of Kyūshū.

At the time, the most valuable “asset” that rōnin could present when seeking a position was the information they had gathered during their travels across various regions. In an age without modern media, news from distant provinces was highly prized by feudal lords.

There are those who can’t see the bigger picture

Kansuke was welcomed into the Takeda clan precisely because of his vast store of knowledge. However, what truly captured Shingen’s interest was the extremely vague nature of Kansuke’s reports, which differed from those of other rōnin.

It is said that at their first meeting, Kansuke told Shingen:

“From Mikawa Province eastward, everything is more or less the same and can be considered one whole. From Owari to Izumi as well. Even Shikoku, Chūgoku, and Kyūshū are essentially the same and can be treated as one.”

Shingen’s vassals laughed upon hearing this:

“Hey, hey… what a vague and strange thing to say!”

But Shingen did not laugh.

Rather, after listening carefully, he thought to himself:

“This man is viewing the whole of Japan as one. That’s why he does not dwell on details. If we let him go and he ends up serving another lord, it could spell serious trouble for us.”

At that time, Kansuke was fifty years old. Takeda Shingen was twenty-two.

Yamamoto Kansuke’s strength did not lie only in martial arts or swordsmanship, but in his ability to grasp Japan as a unified, strategic whole. This long-range vision was a crucial element of his later success as one of the most respected minds in the service of the Takeda clan.