As most of us know, at one time the Chosokabe were slated for inclusion in STW. Somewhere along the line, perhaps for play balance reasons, they were cut (evidently late in the game, given that there are of course Chosokabe sound files contained on the CD). As the Chosokabe have not recieved much attention in western sources in general, I thought I'd share some interesting information about them here (drawn from a few sources, including Gakken's 'Sengoku Kassen Taizen' vol.2 and Owada, 'Kono Issatsu De [Sengoku Bushô] 101nin ga Wakaru'.)
In the time of Chosokabe Motochika's grandfather Kanetsugu, the Chosokabe were a small family competing for power on Tosa's Kochi Plain. Around 1504 they came under attack by the Miyoshi family (at that time one of the most powerful of the Shikoku families) and in 1508 Kanetsugu felt compelled to send his 4-year-old son Kunichika over to the safekeeping of Ichijo Fusaie of western Tosa. Soon after, Kanetsugu himself had to flee his Oko Castle but was captured and killed at the Koumyouji by troops from the Motoyama and Yamada clans. About four years later, according to the 'Chougen Monogatari', Fusaie and Kunichika happened to be sitting together on the second story roof of the Ichijo's Castle in Nakamura. After consuming a bit of sake, Fusaie proposed a deal with the young Kunichika - if the latter would jump off the side of the roof, Fusaie would promise to help him reclaim his homeland someday. Fusaie was most likely at least half-joking, but, to his surprise, Kunichika got up and without a moment's hesitation, jumped off the roof. The drop was not a long one, but everyone who saw it was deeply moved by the young Chosokabe's bravery. Whether this story actually occured notwithstanding, in 1518 Kunichika and Fusaie reclaimed Oko castle, where Kuncihika was established as a vassal of the Ichijo. In the aftermath, Kunichika would work tirelessly to increase his power on the Kochi plain, using timely alliances and timely aggression to increase the Chosokabe's influence.
His own son, Motochika, was at first a disappointing one. A quiet and unassuming youth, Motochika was nicknamed 'Himewakako' (or, roughly, the 'Young Princess'). His father must have despaired of him ever becoming a warrior of any worth, for he seems to have hardly bothered to have Motochika trained in the ways of war. In fact, Motochika would not see a battle until he was almost 22 - an unusally late start for the son of a rising daimyo. That battle was Nagahama in 1560, and involved the Chosokabe's long-time rivals the Motoyama. Motochika commanded some 50 mounted troops in the Chosokabe center. The fighting had swung back and forth, and the issue was very much in doubt when Motochika is reported to have turned to one of his father's older retainers and asked how to use the spear he was holding. The retainer, a certain Jinzenji Bungo no kami, is said to have replied, 'the fundamental use of a spear is to strike your opponent in the eyes" (or something to that effect). Motochika responded, 'Really... that's all there is to it?' and led a charge on the Motoyama center that carried the day. The above anecdote is probably apocryphal, though Motochika did distinguish himself at Nagahama and lay his father's doubts to rest. Sadly, Kunichika would die suddenly that same year, leaving Motochika to carry the Chosokabe to the extent of their power - brief control of all of Shikoku by 1585.
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