武田信玄(たけだしんげん)

たけだしんげん
noun (proper)
Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), warlord of Kai province
proper-nounperson-namehistory
1. Takeda Shingen, Warring States warlord
A powerful daimyo of the 戦国(せんごく) (Warring States) period who ruled Kai province (today's Yamanashi). Famous for his cavalry, his long rivalry with 上杉謙信(うえすぎけんしん), and his banner bearing the motto 風林火山(ふうりんかざん).
武田信玄(たけだしんげん)は甲斐(かい)の大名(だいみょう)だった。
Takeda Shingen was the daimyo of Kai.
山梨県(やまなしけん)では今(いま)も信玄(しんげん)が人気(にんき)だ。
Shingen is still popular in Yamanashi Prefecture.
信玄(しんげん)と謙信(けんしん)は川中島(かわなかじま)で何度(なんど)も戦(たたか)ったが、決着(けっちゃく)はつかなかった。
Shingen and Kenshin fought many times at Kawanakajima, but neither won decisively.

He is a local hero in Yamanashi, where the city of Kōfu holds a Shingen festival and local foods carry his name, such as 信玄餅(しんげんもち).

Common expressions

  • 風林火山(ふうりんかざん): "swift as wind, quiet as forest, fierce as fire, immovable as a mountain" — the Sun Tzu motto on his banner
  • 人(ひと)は城(しろ)、人(ひと)は石垣(いしがき): "people are the castle, people are the stone walls" — a saying attributed to him about the value of loyal followers
  • 川中島(かわなかじま)の戦(たたか)い: the battles of Kawanakajima against Uesugi Kenshin

Cultural note

His rivalry with Kenshin is the model of a great, respectful rivalry; the saying 敵(てき)に塩(しお)を送(おく)る (to help one's enemy) comes from a story about the two.

general
Added 2026.9.26 10:22 · Revised 2026.9.26 10:24
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