(せんごく)

せんごく
noun
warring states; period of civil war and rival feudal lords (especially the Sengoku period, c. 1467–1615)
1. warring states; period of civil war and rival feudal lords (especially the Sengoku period, c. 1467–1615)
Most commonly refers to the Sengoku period of Japanese history, an era of near-constant military conflict among feudal lords.
戦国(せんごく)時代(じだい)興味(きょうみ)がある。
I'm interested in the Sengoku period.
戦国(せんごく)武将(ぶしょう)(なか)(だれ)()きですか。
Which of the Sengoku warlords do you like?
この(しろ)戦国(せんごく)時代(じだい)(きず)かれたものだ。
This castle was built during the Sengoku period.
戦国(せんごく)舞台(ぶたい)にした大河(たいが)ドラマが人気(にんき)だ。
The historical drama set in the Sengoku era is popular.

Combines (せん) (war) and (ごく/こく) (country/state). Primarily refers to the Japanese Sengoku period (roughly 1467–1615), a tumultuous era when powerful feudal lords (大名(だいみょう)) fought for control of Japan. Key figures include 織田信長(おだのぶなが), 豊臣秀吉(とよとみひでよし), and 徳川家康(とくがわいえやす). The term also applies to the Chinese Warring States period (475–221 BC).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 戦国(せんごく)時代(じだい): the Sengoku period
  • 戦国(せんごく)武将(ぶしょう): Sengoku-era warlord
  • 戦国(せんごく)大名(だいみょう): Sengoku-era feudal lord
  • 戦国(せんごく)乱世(らんせ): the chaos of the warring states era

CULTURAL NOTE:
The Sengoku period is extremely popular in Japanese pop culture. It is the setting of numerous TV dramas, anime, manga, and video games. Many Japanese people have a favorite 戦国武将(せんごくぶしょう).