19 July 1555 (Tenbun 24)
Donated by Minami
This is a letter of commendation presented by Takeda Harunobu (later Takeda Shingen; 1521–73) to his retainer Kodaira Mokunosuke.
The letter commends Kodaira for having severed the head of an enemy soldier during the second of the Battles of Kawanakajima, which took place on 19 July 1555. As the letter shares the same date as the day of battle, it is believed to have been written immediately after the battle.
The Battles of Kawanakajima were a series of five battles fought during the Sengoku period (1467–1567) between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin on the border between Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture) and Shinano Province (present-day Nagano City). Although the battles were ultimately inconclusive, they are one of the most cherished tales in Japanese military history, and frequently appear in epic literature, woodblock printing, and movies.
The red seal letter at the base of the document is thought to have been addressed to Kodaira Gidayū by the Takeda family in 1578. The affixed seal is the Takeda family’s “red dragon seal,” which also gave rise to Takeda Shingen’s nickname, “the dragon of Kai Province.”