Something bugs me - was Takeda Shingen the Napoleon of Japan?

[Arjos]

Administratively speaking I think they can be compared, but I believe Shingen relied a lot more on his generals than Napoleon...

[Marshall Louis-Nicolas Davout]

Administratively speaking I think they can be compared, but I believe Shingen relied a lot more on his generals than Napoleon...

No,Both generals would have relied on their generals.Otherwise how would they have won?

[Arjos]

I meant on a strategic/planning level Shingen would leave far more independence to his generals...

Also imo the Takeda guntai was outdated imo, if instead of facing the Oda-Tokugawa straightaway after gaining Suruga, they could have exploited the sea-routes and advance technologically...

[Koga No Goshi]

I would say Oda Nobunaga or Toyotomi Hideyoshi were much better comparisons to Napoleon than Takeda Shingen. They were the two that everyone had to go "hey wait... we really gotta all work together or this guy's going to take over everything" about. Takeda's neighbors to an extent had to do this but that was pretty true of every other regional power.

[NightwindKing]

+1. Shingen was a great warrior and leader of men but he wasn't, per se, a conquerer in the strictest sense. I mean, only as much as every Daimyo at the time was. Shingen himself seems (from what reading I've done) to have been more concerned with sort of a moment-by-moment state of his kingdom than a grand vision of uniting all Japan.

Nobunaga...eh, I think others feared him but I still don't see him having the same time of personal charisma as Napolean. For that I'd stick with Hideyoshi.

[Marshall Louis-Nicolas Davout]

Even still,Napoleon rose from the ranks.Takeda had that same coolness when commanding armies.Although he died,like many great Generals,hannibal,Napoleon,Takeda,they can be compared.Nobunaga was nothing compared to it.Uesgai is a good example for Napoleon as well.Or Marshall Davout.Takeda knew how to win battles,so did Napoleon,compare Napoleon to Hannibal.

[Arjos]

One must consider how heavy the Takeda name was, with a long history backing to the Heian period...
Hideyoshi could move lower classes and petty vassals due to his humble origins, coupled with the fact that the Oda (being simple shugodai) allowed people with merits to raise in ranks...