Sekigahara 関ケ原

During Japan's fractious Warring States period, Sekigahara was the field on which the “Battle for the Sundered Realm” took place.

Sekigahara is on the JR Tokaido Line. Coming from either Tokyo or Kyoto, change at Maibara Station. Sekigahara Station is 20 minutes along the line toward Ogaki.

Sekigahara plays a pivotal role in Japanese history. An epic battle took place on October 21, 1600, between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari, a loyalist to Hideyoshi Toyotomi who died in 1598. Tokugawa's victory allowed him to establish the shogunate and family dynasty that would last until 1868, ending more than 130 years of civil war and uniting east and west Japan.

Today, Sekigahara is a quiet country town nestled in the narrow valley that lent itself so well to military tactics. It can be explored on foot, with plaques and exhibits at the encampments of each of the clan armies and an excellent museum with good English-language signage and a well-stocked samurai-themed gift shop.

Sekigahara War Land has model recreations of the battle, and for the more energetic, the Kuroda and Takenaka base camps atop the surrounding mountains offer a general's-eye view of the battlefield.

The beautiful Jinshin-no-ran Shrine commemorates a fractious imperial dispute, and the remnants of Sekigahara-juku and Imasu-juku post towns make for gorgeous photo opportunities.

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