Making a Complicated Story Simple, Understanding Sekigahara.

One of PPF’s recent projects was the creation of a video package for Gifu Prefecture designed to explain the Battle of Sekigahara to the English speaking world. The Battle of Sekigahara was the largest samurai field battle, fought on October 21, 1600, and saw the deaths of an estimated 30, 000 samurai in a six-hour close-combat skirmish.

Video titles, Understanding The Battle of Sekigahara.

There wasn’t a huge budget, certainly not for the grand scale movie like re-enactments I initially envisioned, and so the challenge came to be how to show and explain the complicated political history leading to the battle, how the nation came to be split into two warring factions, who took part, how and why they came together at Sekigahara, the actions and results of such a large battle, as well as introduce the key players involved.  This had to be achieved in the simplest, yet informative and entertaining way.  

On location at Mt. Sasao, site of the Western forces’ headquarters

It had to be informative, it had to meet certain standards, importantly, it had to tell the story of Sekigahara, simply, distinctly, and for an audience unfamiliar with the battle and characters involved.

I do a number of TV shows for NHK World, including Ninja Truth and Castle Quest. The production team I work with are not only very professional, but have become close friends. As such, my first thought was to secure their services in order to achieve the best possible result.

Filming the opening scenes at the new Sekigahara Museum.

Being a history fanatic, deeply entrenched in the subject, as is often the case, I was too close to the subject matter. Thankfully, being friends, the producer and director were able to take my ideas, scripts and vision plans and help forge them into an easy to follow three-episode video package, Understanding the Battle of Sekigahara.

On the killing fields of Sekigahara, at the site of the most violent of fighting.

It meant three full days of video shoot in the hot, sultry Japanese summer, doing segment by segment but not necessarily in the order seen, but once edited, blend together seamlessly. Further recording sessions and mixing was done in Nagoya and the end result is pretty good considering the restraints.  Have a look at the clips, and enjoy.

Discover the Secret Strengths of Samurai Strongholds!

I’ll be doing a RESOBOX virtual talk show for a New York based group on samurai castles on Monday, June 16th. It can be seen world wide, all the details below! Hope to see you then.

Overview
Discover the Secret Strengths of Samurai Strongholds!

During this online discussion, you’ll learn about the many samurai castles of Japan: their defensive and offensive capabilities, innovations and features, including the usage and roles of their unique keeps, turrets, gates, moats, earthen embankments and stone walls. We’ll look at the various types of castles and find out how and why they were built, along with the changes and developments between medieval and early modern styles. And finally, discover the fates of these forts at the end of the feudal period.

Each Japanese castle is unique, and we’ll discover many of these differences, as well as seeing a range of photographs defining the features and functions of these fascinating fortresses. You may even be surprised to find out which castle is the best in all Japan! If you’ve ever wanted to visit Japan, this discussion will help you enjoy and appreciate the rich history and artistry behind these notable landmarks.

Information
DATE

Monday June 16th, 2021 8:00PM – 9:30PM EST

LOCATION

Virtual Event :
Attend from your home!

Admission

Price: $20

About the Presenter
Chris Glenn

Chris Glenn is an Australian-born bilingual radio DJ, TV presenter, narrator, lecturer, media copywriter, author and samurai history and culture researcher and historian. He was an apprentice samurai armor craftsman and is a member of the Japan Armor and Weapons Research and Preservation Society. Chris has visited and researched over 450 castles across Japan and is a member of the Japan Castle Association. He is the Sekigahara Tourism Ambassador, Nagoya City Cultural Exchange Special Ambassador, and Omi Tourism Ambassador, holds Shodan rank in Kendo, and studied Owari Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and Enmei Ryu sword fighting disciplines. Having lived in Sapporo and Tokyo for a year each, he has been a resident of Nagoya since 1993.

Enku: The Enigma of a Wandering Sculptor Monk – NHK WORLD PRIME

The NHK documentary on the life of the wandering sculptor monk, Enku, narrated by yours’ truly is now availablke On Demand, On Line….Enjoy. Incidentally, the largest collection of Enku sculptures is in Nagoya’s Arako Kanon Temple, discovered only relatively recently in 1972 inside Nagoya’s oldest remaining structure, the Tahoto pagoda.
 
Enku: The Enigma of a Wandering Sculptor Monk – NHK WORLD PRIME | NHK WORLD-JAPAN On Demand