Sakon’s Alive! New findings from the Sengoku period

 

A reconstruction of Sakon's armour – it should be brown, not black, if we are to believe the closest historical records

This might be a bit heavy on the history, but it’s good context on The Demon of Sekigahara. 

Recent findings shed light on Sakon's possible survival after the Battle of Sekigahara, and into his role as a diplomat.

Also, if you're interested in his close relationship with the Yagyu family, read down to the bottom.

Sakon Survives

Shima Sakon may have survived the Battle of Sekigahara after all! Predictably, since his body could not be found, there were various stories of him having survived, and there are several grave sites or grave memorials. Only one of these, in Kyoto, specifically states that was where his body was interred (one in Nara, for instance, is a memorial but it does not claim that he was buried there). 

A detail from a folding screen showing a wounded Sakon being helped by his retainers. (The armour depicted here is from an earlier period). 

This a rough (and edited) translation of a report from the Sankei Shinbun newspaper  (2024/6/5):

An excavation of the grave of Shima Sakon was carried out on 5^th June at Kyoboin, a subtemple of Ritsuhonji Temple (Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City). Shima is said to have been killed in battle at Sekigahara, but his body was never found, and there were several theories about his whereabouts after the battle, including that he survived.

According to Miki Tendou, head priest, there are about five gravesites for Shima across the country, but the gravestone at Kyohoin is the only one with the word "burial" engraved on it. Kyohoin has Shima's grave plaque and death register, which show that Shima died in 1632, 32 years after the Battle of Sekigahara. Miki also emphasized that there are testimonies that Shima survived in Kyoto after the Battle of Sekigahara.

The excavation was carried out in conjunction with the restoration of Shima's gravestone and the construction of a building. Prior to the investigation, Miki recited sutras in front of the grave while those involved put their hands together in prayer. Professor Ishigami Hiroyuki (Early Modern Archaeology) of Kyoto University of Arts led the digging. A jar was discovered about 20cm below the surface, and inside it were found a skull and pelvis. Based on the condition of the bones, they appear to belong to an adult aged 18 or over. Professor Ishigami said, "(The bones) remain in very good condition."

It’s not conclusive, but interesting, to say the least. If you made it through the film Sekigahara, you’ll probably be happy to know this.

Further support for this theory may be found in the following story:

An article in the July 16, 2013, evening edition of the *Yomiuri Shimbun*—titled "Did Shima Sakon Survive the Battle of Sekigahara?"reported that the lid of a box containing a (much later) image of Shima Sakon—acquired by the Osaka Castle Museum—bears an inscription claiming that Sakon escaped the Battle of Sekigahara and lived in hiding in the Kitayama district of Kyoto. According to this account, he was later approached by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who invited him to enter his service; Sakon firmly declined, choosing instead to live as a recluse on Mount Ibuki, where he eventually passed away in the ninth year of the Kan'ei era (1632).

It may be worth noting that Ieyasu was not vindictive in his victory at Sekigahara, and although Mitsunari was executed, his family survived.

This is a detail of the painting - by Kano Eigaku (mid C19th)

Even more up-to date news - September 2026: Sakon’s diplomacy

Shima Sakon’s popular reputation after his death might have rested principally on his actions at the Battle of Sekigahara, but the recent discovery of a letter he wrote has shed more light on his role as a negotiator. In fact, it seems that this experience was also something that very much recommended him to Ishida Mitsunari – an able bureaucrat himself.

Sakon swears loyalty to Ishida Mitsunari. This is a modern sumi-e version of an ukiyo-e print.

Background

The letter was dated the autumn of 1583 (Tensho 11), when he was serving Tsutsui Junkei, an ally of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This was only a year after the death of Oda Nobunaga, and Hideyoshi was yet to assume control of the country.

 

The Kii Province, south of Osaka, was a vital backdoor area for Hideyoshi. It had no one overall ruler but was controlled by a mixture of independent armed forces: the Shingon Buddhist warrior-monks of Negoro-ji Temple; the saika-shu—a regional collective of samurai, farmers, and others, noted for their proficiency with firearms, based at the port of Saika; and the great monastic complex of Kongobu-ji on Mount Koya, which held extensive manorial land rights and enjoyed the status of a sacred, inviolable sanctuary. The short distance to Osaka, where Hideyoshi was building his new castle (work began in 1583), designed to be the centre of his domain, meant he would have been vulnerable if these forces had united with either Oda Nobukatsu or Tokugawa Ieyasu, neither of whom was on particularly friendly terms with Hideyoshi.

 

Kongobu-ji was distrustful of Hideyoshi - he was the successor of Oda Nobunaga, who had instituted a blockade of the mountain/temple complex in 1581, which was only called off with Nobunaga’s death the following year. Feeling that they had successfully resisted his forces, they met Hideyoshi’s request for alliance with a demand for complete control over Kii Province.

 

Sakon’s role

Sakon, acted as negotiator on behalf of Hideyoshi, and it is a transcription of his letter to Kongobu-ji Temple that was recently discovered. He diplomatically declined their demand, stating that he would relay it to Hideyoshi, but that “it was difficult”, while urging them to side with Hideyoshi to prevent becoming completely isolated.

 

Sakon was, as noted above, serving Tsutsui Junkei, the Lord of Yamato Province (including present day Nara), which bordered Kii. Junkei’s forces had been involved in the blockade of Koya-san and thus were familiar with the situation, so it was natural that they would be involved as intermediaries for Hideyoshi’s dealings with the temple.

 

Ultimately, the negotiations failed. In 1584, the forces of Negoro-ji and the Saika factions attacked Izumi Province, (between Kii and Osaka) laying siege to Kishiwada castle, with Kongobu-ji staying neutral. The following year, Hideyoshi mounted a massive invasion of Kii, completely destroying the Negoro-ji complex. Kongobu-ji, facing a similar fate, capitulated.

 

This letter gives us a greater understanding of Sakon’s role in affairs of that time and shows he was a man of diplomacy as well as military skill.

Here we see Sakon on the
poster of this year's Battle of Sekigahara Festival. His helmet is right, but his jinbaori should, surely be a much lighter blue.

This is a model of Sakon produced by Hokusa 3D Designs, who make a wonderful range of 25mm war-games figures for 3D printing. 

The Yagyu connection

Something of this is also evident in his relations with the Yagyu family. Although the Yagyu were sometime enemies of the Tsutsui (they were forced into a position under them when they submitted to Nobunaga in1577), Sakon and Yagyu Munetoshi clearly developed close ties as Sakon arranged for his daughter to be married to Yagyu Toshitoshi (Hyogonosuke) – Munetoshi’s nephew – (Sakon’s grandson was Yagyu Renya). It was this side of the Yagyu family which was regarded as having received the full transmission of Yagyu Munetoshi’s art, rather than the more famous Yagyu Munenori, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. The film, Sekigahara, has these two old friends and allies (Sakon and Munetoshi) decide to work on different sides of the great political divide that was to see the setting up of a new order under the Tokugawas. Sakon would work for the Western alliance, the Yagyu would work for the East, and that way, one of them would survive. 

An Edo period story has Yagyu Munenori visit Sakon to try and recruit him to the Tokugawa side, although there is no historical support for this. However, there is a story, backed up by records from Hotoku-ji Temple (the Yagyu ancestral temple), that the Yagyu secretly took Ishida Mitsunari’s illegitimate son, Ishida Munenobu, under their protection after the Battle of Sekigahara, sheltering him in Hotoku-ji Temple. 

As an aside, Munetoshi’s 4^th son, Muneaki, served Kobayakawa Hideaki (the major turncoat in the Battle of Sekigahara). Although historical sources give no direct support to the theory, it has been speculated that Muneaki was instrumental in persuading Kobayakawa to throw in his lot with the eastern forces. Yagyu Munenori, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu directly, was involved in setting up and managing networks of pro-Tokugawa forces in the Yamato region (under his father, Munetoshi), as well as keeping an eye on Mitsunari’s military build-up. it does not require a great stretch of the imagination to wonder whether Yagyu Muneaki may have been involved, too.

Sakon may have been on the losing side, but being the strategist he was, he may well have made careful provisions for this eventuality. It seems they may have proved successful!

An image from the Yagyu Kenpo Kyojyo, by Yagyu Munetoshi

The Demon of Sekigahara

A very evocative depiction of Shima Sakon
(from an 'X' account named after Sakon himself).

This time of year, for those interested in the Sengoku period (the Age of War), is strongly associated with the Battle of Sekigahara (1600) which saw Tokugawa Ieyasu defeat the forces of Ishida Mitsunari to emerge as the principal warlord of Japan. It was not a foregone conclusion, however; much depended on betrayal – the leader of one of the largest contingents of Mitsunari’s army turned on his own side, while other units were deliberately blocked from engaging by their own side.

Ieyasu, as the victor, (and the protagonist of Shogun), is often lionised, but he was fighting some very capable men on Mitsunari’s side. 

Oni Sakon

One such was “Oni Sakon” (Demon Sakon).

Shima Kiyooki Sakon was a hard man to pin down. Skilled strategist and commander, as well as experienced negotiator, he became Ishida Mitsunari’s principle advisor, and was remembered with fear by his opponents in battle, even many years after the Battle of Sekigahara. 

With Sakon, we begin his story at the end – the Battle of Sekigahara. Positioning his forces directly in front of Mitsunari’s, to form a protective bulwark, his much smaller force drove back the fierce assaults of forces commanded by Kuroda Nagamasa and Tanaka Yoshimasa. So ferocious and aggressive was Sakon that the Kuroda soldiers recounted that

 "the mere mention of his name made their hair stand on end and broke them out into a cold sweat.” (Furusato Monogatari - (Tales of our Hometown - Kuroda clan retrospective records late 17th to early 18th century).

Hira Takehiro as Sakon from the film Sekigahara

A slightly later account which drew on, amongst other things, the above Furusato Monogatari, stated,

“The sight of Ishida's general, Shima Sakon, who was said to be cunning enough to deceive the spirits and gods, performing on that day is still before my eyes even now.” (Jozan Kidan, published 1739).

These and other accounts from the Kuroda records present a picture of battle-hardened veterans who were deeply affected by the terrifying aura of Sakon. 

Another example, from the Kuroda Kafu (Chronicles of the Kuroda Family, 1688), which was an official compilation of the clan’s military exploits, describes how, for decades after the war, soldiers who had stood in the path of Sakon’s attacks would wake up screaming in the night having heard his battle cries in their dreams.

 

The Confusion over Sakon’s Armour

The almost supernatural awe and fear he inspired led to some confusion as to his appearance on the day of the battle, with anecdotes of soldiers completely disagreeing on what he wore that day. The Kuroda Koko Monogatari (Tales of the Great Lord Kuroda) which was an unofficial compilation of anecdotes and stories collected from around the 1630’s to 1660’s, before the last survivors of Sekigahara passed away, tells of a disagreement between veteran warriors who had faced Sakon’s forces as to his appearance on the battlefield:

One veteran said,

"He was wearing pitch-black armour. His helmet had no flashy crest or ornamentation, he carried no battle flag on his back, and he wore a persimmon-orange jinbaori (war-coat)!"

Another interrupted:,"No, no! His jinbaori was grey (mouse-colored)!"

The third man disagreed, "No, he wasn't wearing a jinbaori at all!" 

The third veteran's version

In a later account in the Jozan Kidan (Jozan's Tales), this story is amplified, with the search for retainers amongst the Kuroda who had previously served Ishida Mitsunari and fought alongside Sakon on the battlefield of Sekigahara. After their enquiries, it was established that Sakon wore a helmet with bright vermilion-red horns, dark-lacquered barrel armor (tamenuri okegawa-do), and a turquoise blue-green cotton jinbaori.

This confusion in appearance has extended right down to the present day – if you check online, you will find quite some variety in supposedly accurate depictions and descriptions of how Sakon was dressed at Sekigahara.

Part of this confusion is Japanese colour terminology, especially in the case of his jinbaori. The colour given in the account is asagi, similar to turquoise, that falls just on the blue side of the blue-green divide. Like any colour, there are variations, but basically, if you think turquoise blue-green, you won’t be too far off. 

You can see the range of blues available for modern kimono - I'm sure warriors weren't quite as precise.

However, there is another colour called asagi (though usually written with a different second character). This is a pale buff or mustard colour, hence the ‘light yellow’ description you find in some English sources online. Generally, it seems to be accepted that the bluish asagi is correct in this case. The same confusion exists in the jinbaori of the Shinsengumi, which are also adjudged to have used the blue asagi (although they are usually depicted in a kind of bright light blue).

This re-enactment has a suitable colour for the jinbaori.
Note the tentsuki ('horns') on the helmet, too. 

The colour of his armour can also be slightly confusing as it is described as tamanuri, which more strictly refers to a lacquer style rather than colour, (tamanuri is found in several different colours) though in this case, I think a dark reddish brown seems most likely – perhaps the key point is that it has an air of practicality and lack of ostentation. The style of armour itself, okegawa-do, reinforces this impression, as it was more common among lower ranking samurai rather than leaders. This attitude is underlined by his use of a rope around his waist to tie up his jinbaori.

I don't know why the jinbaori is this green, but the armour is correct,
the helmet, too (although the tentsuki are a little long.

Contemporary depictions and replicas of his armour seem to favour black, reflecting a choice on the part of museum curators and illustrators that seems to match his character – your worst nightmare on the battlefield. It could also be argued that this reflects the story in the Kuroda Koko Monogatari, where the old warriors were arguing about the colour of the jinbaori, but not disputing the armour. The armour on display at Sekigahara, as well as some of the re-enactments and parades follow this dark aesthetic, and thus it has become de-facto for many of his depictions. The dark green jinbaori seems to have been chosen just because it looks good with the black armour. You can see this in the poster for the upcoming 2026 Sekigahara Festival, as well as in some of the illustrations on this page – some have opted for an even more restricted colour scheme, and though it looks good to my eyes, I don’t think it would be so much to the taste of Sengoku leaders.

Poster for the upcoming Sekigahara Festival
featuring Tsuyoshi Nagano's Sakon

Sakon’s Helmet

His helmet is described as having a tall helmet bowl and long, vermillion “horns” – not actual horns, but a decoration known as tentsuki (天衝) (you will see this with different readings and explanations/translations online, but tentsuki is correct for armour) mounted on the front of his helmet. (Tentsuki, by the way, is perhaps best translated as “piercing heaven”). These are depicted in the Battle of Sekigahara screen below.

Tentsuki were not uncommon, but this is the only version I have seen that were red. The description reads ‘ shu’, which is vermillion, but although this tends to mean quite an orange-ish red these days, vermillion coloured lacquer is generally a straight-forward red. 

One of the more monotone colour choices
for Sakon's armour – but it looks good.

Visibility was the point: they served as a vital means of identification for rallying and directing troops (and avoiding friendly fire). In Sakon’s case, it also allowed him to be targeted by Kuroda musket fire. He was wounded, and withdrew temporarily. Later, he charged back into battle where, it was presumed, he lost his life. 

This is from the right hand panel (top left corner) of one of the 
Sekigahara Kassen Byobu (possibly in the Sekigahara Museum,
although there is another version in Hikone Castle, home of the Ii
family. Both versions are mid 19th century copies of the original painted by
Kano Baishun around 100 years earlier.

However, his body was not found, nor was his head presented for Tokugawa Ieyasu to view, as would have been customary. Although the Togawa family claimed to have taken his head (together with his helmet, which is in the Kunozan Toshogu Shrine), this begs the question of why they did not present it. Furthermore, the Kuroda Kafu specifically states his body was not identified (although the Kuroda forces were looking for it), which suggests the head and helmet belonged to someone else, possibly one of Sakon’s command group who may have worn similar armour. It is also worth noting that the helmet doesn’t match the description given above.

The helmet in Kunozan Toshogu Shrine.
said to be Sakon's. It is often on display around
the anniversary of Sekigahara

So, how much do we know?

A lot of the information online is only partially accurate or presents later accounts (or even fiction) as contemporary fact, which is why I took care to give the historical sources of the various anecdotes. None of them are strictly contemporary, and there is bound to have been some embellishment, but the various Kuroda records were based on what stories, recollections and hearsay the writers could gather. I think the image of Sakon as striking terror into his opponents comes through very strongly.

Is the account of his armour accurate? It’s not terribly important and I suppose we will never know, but I like to have an image of what people look like, so apologies to those who don’t find it quite as interesting as I do. The battle gear (for want of a better term) was important in those days - the point of the story was not what Sakon wore, but the fact that even veteran warriors were so affected by the sight of Sakon that they could not remember accurately. 

The Latest News...!

There is still much we don’t know about this extremely experienced and capable commander, but new information continues to be found. Just last month, September 2026, it was announced that new documents had been found broadening our understanding of his character and role in affairs of the time. 

I will be writing more about that in my next post (as well as his possible escape from death). 

In the meantime, if you want to know a bit more about Shima Sakon, I recommend the 2017 movie, Sekigahara. It is based on Shiba Ryotaro’s novel and tells the story from the point of view of Mitsunari. Sakon has a large role and is portrayed very sympathetically. The battle itself is perhaps the worst part of the film - depressing and a bit thin on extras, but the rest is good.

A poster for the film 'Sekigahara'

Finally, Oni Sakon, again

This term was not applied to Sakon in any contemporary documents. It seems to have appeared in the mid to late Edo period. The connection first appears in the Jozan Kidan (1739), which describes him (as I quoted above) as  “cunning enough to deceive the spirits and gods”. The character for spirits and gods is 鬼神 (kijin or kishin), denoting fierce supernatural beings. The first character is also read as ‘oni’, and from this it was a small step to transferring the epithet to Sakon himself.