Voices of the Samurai – 52 Lessons from Japan’s Warrior Past

Each quote we present is more than a historical curiosity—it is a window into the mindset of Japan’s warrior elite. These words, forged in battle and tempered by experience, carry timeless lessons in leadership, discipline, and human nature. Whether you are a martial artist, a history enthusiast, or simply a seeker of wisdom, this series is for you.

Tokugawa Ieyasu: “I did not forget.”

Between 1614 and 1615 (Keichō years 19 and 20), the Osaka Campaign was fought—a series of clashes between the eastern army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu and the western forces loyal to the Toyotomi family. With the fall of Osaka Castle and the destruction of the Toyotomi clan, an era of over two centuries of Tokugawa rule began.

One anecdote from this war was told by Ieyasu himself.
One day, speaking before the daimyō, he said:

“Osaka Castle is one of the best fortresses in the country. It’s not a place that can be taken easily.
That’s why, in the first phase of the campaign, we filled in its moats, and in the second, we attacked it.
But do you know who taught me this method of attack? The Taikō himself (Toyotomi Hideyoshi).
When the castle was completed, he said in front of everyone: ‘This fortress cannot be taken unless attacked in two phases.’
Everyone forgot it right away… but I remembered it well.”

In other words, Ieyasu conquered the castle by following a hint that Hideyoshi had naively let slip.
Hideyoshi spoke too much. Ieyasu listened and remembered.

True strength lies not only in the sword, but in memory. Tokugawa Ieyasu triumphed not only through might, but through listening and patience. In a noisy world, remembering can be an act of power.