building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Archery_1_Archery_Dojo_Description \n\nThe ability to shoot accurately should be prized in all archers, but it requires training and dedication to achieve. An archery range allows basic archery to be taught, and bow-armed units to be recruited. It does not, however, teach the advanced skills of archery: it is sufficient here to hit the target and do so in the proper manner. Combat will teach men how to keep firing when under threat!\n\nThe bow was not solely used for war. Recreational archery and hunting played an important part in the art. The bow itself was a beautiful and complicated piece of equipment, with an unusual asymmetric shape: the grip was well below the mid-point. This unusual design came about because horse archery was the first skill of all samurai: a bow with the grip in the middle would have been completely unmanageable on horseback and become entangled in the saddle furniture. The short lower section meant it could be swung over the horse’s neck and back quickly. The bow itself was a composite, made of bamboo, wood and leather and was often much taller than the user. The design was extremely strong, and it was not uncommon for bow strings to snap under the strain of being fired. Archers would carry at least one spare string at all times for such emergencies. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Archery_2_Foot_Archery_Description \n\nThis range allows the training and recruitment of more advanced and skilful bow-armed units. In times of warfare the single archer must use his strength in company. Knowing how to use a bow requires refinement if it is to be used as an effective weapon of war. There are the extra skills of releasing volleys and reloading at speed as part of a group to learn and, hopefully, master.\n\nAs warfare grew in scale and ferocity, it was no longer enough for individual samurai to fight singly and in search of personal glory and honour. Larger, and cheaper, forces were needed too. Although the bow had been a traditional samurai weapon, and jealously guarded as such, it became sensible to train common ashigaru to use it effectively. They would fire massive volleys at the enemy, rather than try to pick off targets. Arrow bearers would accompany them into battle to carry the huge numbers of arrows required by these tactics. It was also their job, as explained in the “Zohyo Monogatari” written in 1649, to pick up enemy arrows and make sure they were used again! Even after the introduction and use of the arquebus by ashigaru, archers remained an important component of Japanese armies because they could unleash more destruction in a given time than the same number of gunners. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Archery_3_Bow_Master_Dojo_Description \n\nAll archers trained at a master dojo have a high level of expertise thanks to their superb teachers. A true master is always willing to share his understanding with his pupils, as their skills add to his honour and reputation. When men learn from the best, they cannot help but reach levels of skill that they might have thought impossible. \n\nThe bow, or yumi, required a great deal of care if it was to work properly and reliably on the battlefield. Indeed, a yumi was considered to have part of its maker within it, and was therefore worthy of respect. Ideally, according to the masters, a bowman should treat his bow with the same kind of care as he would treat himself: it should not be left in the cold, or wet, or excessive heat. A lack of care weakened and warped the weapon, thanks mostly to its composite construction from many different materials. The different elements needed to work in harmony, not against each other. A bow was also under tremendous tension when in use; unstrung, it would actually curve the other way! It was not considered a bad thing to leave a bow relaxed in such a fashion, but it was extremely bad form to use or even touch another man’s bow without his permission. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Archery_4_Legendary_Dojo_Description \n\nA master will always train the finest students to a pitch little short of perfection. Here, kyudo, the art of the bow, has been brought to a point where the seemingly impossible is attainable. This famous school allows the training and recruitment of elite archer units, including monks and hero units. \n\nJapanese history often shades into legend where feats of arms are concerned. The famous archer Minamoto Tametomo is credited with sinking a ship using a single arrow, and it was reputed that his bow arm was significantly longer than the other as a result of his constant practice. Unfortunately, he came to a tragic end: he was trapped and captured by the Taira clan, who cut the tendons in his arm so that he could no longer hold a bow. Unable to fight on, or ever use his beloved bow again, Tametomo committed suicide. Some think that his death may be the first recorded example of suicide by seppuku. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buddhist_1_Temple_Description \n\nConstruction of a temple enables the training of monks. These Buddhist agents can spread the faith, or comfort and inspire believers; they can also spread revolt and despair among enemies. The temple itself is a place of solitude and contemplation, the perfect place to consider the world and a man’s place in it. \n\nEveryone turns to the gods in their hour of need. In the sixth century, when Prince Shotoku of the Soga needed help to banish anti-Buddhist elements from Japan, he called on the fearsome Bishamon to aid him in his efforts. Originally the protector of the north, Bishamon became the protector of the law who guarded people from illness and demons. He was also worshipped as a war god, and was one of the Shichi Fukujin, the seven deities of happiness and good luck. He normally appeared as a blue-faced warrior with a spear and a pagoda. These items represented his dual personality, half warrior, half monk, but always a protector of the faithful. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buddhist_2_Monastery_Description \n\nThe construction of a monastery is a tangible commitment to Buddhism, and it increases the happiness of all Buddhists in a province, although Christians will feel some resentment. The monastery also helps to convert non-Buddhists to the faith. As might be expected, a monastery is a place of quiet contemplation, removed from the worries of daily life. The monks are free to reach a better understanding of Buddha and his teachings. \n\nIn the 8th century, Buddhist monasteries were subject to significant interference from the Japanese government. Regulations controlled all aspects of monastic life, and religious leaders found themselves acting as bureaucrats rather than contemplating their own spiritual development. Driven from the monasteries to escape such interference, the monks went out in the country and took the teachings of Buddha to the population as a whole. It was not long before new monasteries, free from government control, were founded. The introduction of Zen in the 12th century saw an upsurge in those seeking to retire from the world and become monks but, as Pure Land Buddhism was promulgated, monasteries went into decline. Pure Land Buddhism reduced the importance of meditation, making it less vital to withdraw from the world. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buddhist_3_Temple_Complex_Description \n\nThe beautiful gardens and tranquil surroundings of a temple complex bring peace and harmony to all who dwell there. No one in the province can fail to be moved by the spirituality of the place. Each building in the complex is carefully constructed to meet the religious needs of its occupants. In turn, this helps to increase the happiness of all Buddhists in the province and allows the recruitment of new units.\n\nTemples played an important role in Japan, as many great advances happened within their walls and many great people sheltered in them, away from the dangers and troubles of daily life. Some great men chose temples as their final resting places: the remains of Oda Nobunaga, the unifier of Japan, rest at Daitokuji, in the Murasakino section of Kyoto. A little earlier, this temple had been home to Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), the man who is credited with the development of the tea ceremony. He built tearooms and gardens within Daitokuji to continue the cultural development of the temple, and encouraged his brothers to devote themselves to mastery of the tea ceremony. It came to embody the key principles of Zen, and became popular with the mighty shoguns of Japan. A man who could perform the tea ceremony was a formidable individual indeed. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buddhist_4_Legendary_Temple_Description \n\nThis awesome temple increases the happiness of all Buddhists in a province. It also increases the rate at which converts flock to the faith. The monks of this complex are especially blessed and worthy, and demonstrate considerable expertise. The whole is a magnificent act of faith, given solid form.\n\nMount Koya, in Kii province, is home to a monastic complex that even the most vicious of daimyo feared to desecrate. Toyotomi Hideyoshi came close to destroying the temples when the monks chose to support Tokugawa Ieyasu, his great rival, but even he feared the power of the place. When he visited, he was cautious enough to cross the third bridge leading to Kobo Daishi’s tomb during the night before his official visit. Legend has it that no man with morals that Kobo Daishi would find unacceptable could cross the bridge and live. Hideyoshi’s caution paid off, and he was not struck dead. On the following day, Toyotomi Hideyoshi repeated his crossing, now certain that he would survive in public as well. Perhaps he had reason to worry: the tomb of Akechi Mitsuhide, the usurper who rebelled against Oda Nobunaga, on Mount Koya was struck by lightning, perhaps as a warning to others to live and die in a moral and honourable way! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buff_1_Encampment_Description \n\nAll warriors need somewhere to be gathered during recruitment, and somewhere to live whilst they are being trained. An encampment can have the air of a permanent military town, with bustle and apparent confusion all around. It does, however, make it easier and cheaper to recruit new units and organise regular drafts of replacements for existing units.\n\nEncampments had to be well organised, otherwise so many people in close proximity to each other would not stay healthy for long. The discipline of camp life had a secondary benefit - it was always wise for rulers to keep their fighting men separate from troublesome civilians. Apart from anything else, civilians have at least one awkward idea: they like to make a profit from bored soldiers through drink, women and gambling. Most soldiers are entirely happy to go along with these schemes, but discipline can suffer as a result. During the Sengoku Jidai, the number of ashigaru in all armies grew (no clan dared be left behind with a numerically small army) but recruiting commoners meant an inevitable departure from the high disciplinary standards of the samurai, with their code of bushido. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buff_2_Armoury_Description \n\nThis store of arms and armour is an important investment by a clan. By purchasing arms and armour in large quantities, the clan’s warmasters have leverage with their suppliers. Because they are spending a lot of money they can insist on good quality items, and not just take anything and everything that is produced. An armoury, therefore, improves the armour rating of any unit recruited in the province. \n\nIt was not unusual for ashigaru to take weapons from the dead after a battle. All kinds of weaponry would end up in use by commoners, including some rather excellent blades that had once belonged to samurai families. However, during the Sengoku Jidai it became obvious that such informal arrangements were not enough when thousands of ashigaru troops had to be equipped. The various clans took pains to issue standardised arms and armour to their troops, for both protection and recognition purposes. Armour was usually painted or stained in clan colours, and prominently displayed the clan mon, or heraldic symbol, on the breastplate. Standardised equipment was only standard to the issuing clan: each clan had its own preferences over such matters as spear length, and even helmet shape! The enormously tall Date clan gold dress helmets were, perhaps, the most extreme items issued. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buff_2_Barracks_Description \n\nA permanent barracks can give soldiers a home throughout the year, including living space, training areas and all the stores required for their equipment and movables. By keeping warriors in barracks, it is easier to instil discipline and solidarity with the group. They can be kept away from the distractions of the civilian world. A barracks, therefore, makes it much easier to organise recruiting efforts, keep the recruits in order, and either assign them to new units or send them to an army as replacements for the dead. \n\nAll armies across the world have always needed to keep their soldiers physically separate from the general population: it stops them running away before battle! Life in barracks is also totally organised around the business of turning men into warriors, something which is not easy for the raw material to endure. However, quite often, the attractions of not labouring in a field, regular meals, a bed and a roof were enough to keep peasants in the ranks. Life in the ranks might be dangerous, but it was a good deal less arduous than working on a farm and, on balance, the dangers were relative. A peasant faced death by accident and starvation; a soldier at least had a chance to make his own fate. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buff_2_Hunting_Lodge_Description \n\nHunting teaches men to fire accurately and quickly against swift-moving targets. To miss is to go hungry! Therefore, a hunting lodge improves the firing accuracy of missile-armed troops recruited in this province. \n\nArchery in Japan was not only about warfare but also about hunting, both for pleasure and for food. The stalking and shooting skills needed to bring down prey with the minimum amount of fuss were directly transferable to warfare, as a man who could put an arrow cleanly into a deer could do the same to another man.\n\nHunting and war also used exactly the same equipment. Despite their poetic names, the narrow willow-leaf, willow-leaf and dragon’s tongue were all lethally sharp arrow heads designed to kill the target by lacerating flesh and causing massive bleeding. Any animal, or man, for that matter, would soon bleed to death after being hit. On the other hand, archers used the blunt, turnip-shaped signal arrows against their targets when dog hunting. These made an eerie whistling sound as they flew. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buff_2_Jiujutsu_Dojo_Description \n\nJujutsu is a collection of martial arts, involving both armed and unarmed techniques. Because there is little point in striking an armoured opponent with bare hands, jujutsu techniques often involve grappling and throwing an enemy. In particular, there is an emphasis on using an enemy’s weight and energy against him. A jujutsu expert almost appears to help his opponent miss an attack, and then fall over painfully, and often fatally. The jujutsu dojo therefore improves the close combat abilities of any units recruited in the province, as the troops receive training from the masters here.\n\nMartial arts have a long history in Japan, but during the Sengoku Jidai the ability to fight with whatever was to hand could be the difference between life and death. Jujutsu at this time was not a purely unarmed form of combat. Indeed, if a short weapon was available, there was almost certainly a school of jujutsu that took advantage of it. The tanto, or knife, was often used, along with the manrikigusari, a weighted chain and a whole class of nasty objects called kakushi buki, or hidden weapons. This old-school jujutsu was not a sport, but a serious method of self-defence. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Buff_2_Proving_Grounds_Description \n\nIt is not enough for a warrior to know how to fight. The individual hunting personal glory is useless unless he contributes to the overall victory. He must learn to fight alongside his comrades as part of a unit, adding his strength to theirs. This involves drill, practice and faith in your brothers-in-arms. When all in a unit fight as one, their strength is magnified. These proving grounds will improve the charge bonus of any units recruited in the province. \n\nDrill has always been part of the soldiers’ lot. While it may seem pointless to a new recruit, the habit of instant obedience and being able to move to the right place within the unit without thinking are vital. Quick and co-ordinated action saves lives on the battlefield, at least among those who master the concept. Disciplined men stop being a rabble and become a single creature with many weapons. This becomes obvious on the charge: a single mass makes the shock of impact so much greater than a rag-tag gaggle of men arriving a few at a time. The disciplined mass will do more damage to the enemy, and individuals within the unit have a better chance of survival. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Castle_1_Fort_Description \n\nA fort is a basic defence against attackers, and can be garrisoned with troops to slow down and hinder any enemy incursions. Even the smallest castle can be difficult to take, and leaving the garrison unmolested and behind an advancing army is not always an option. A fort is also a symbol to the locals to remind them of their overlord’s power, and it can be used as a recruiting centre for some basic types of warrior.\n\nHistorically, the castles of the early Sengoku Jidai were a good deal less majestic than what is now considered to be the classical Japanese castle. The first castles were practical structures, made of wood and without multi-storeyed towers and stone walls. They were used for the defence and surveillance of the surrounding region, where the grand later buildings were also lordly mansions and seats of government, often with entire towns built around them. Early castles were located on rivers, at ports and other strategic points, and cunningly took full advantage of the natural landscape: mountainous positions were favoured, and nearby streams were diverted and dammed as moats. It was common for the defenders to not lurk behind their walls when attacked: the defenders would, more often than not, sally forth to meet the enemy rather than rely on the walls. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Castle_2_Stronghold_Description \n\nA stronghold looms above the people in their villages, a reminder from dawn to dusk of where their loyalties should lie, and to whom they must pay their taxes. It is a strong base for the local garrison troops, enabling them to control the area, and act as a barrier to any invader. The stronghold also acts as a centre for recruiting new troops to serve in the daimyo’s armies, and helps increase the clan’s fame.\n\nStone was introduced as a construction material for Japanese castles to provide protection against the elements and create sturdy foundations, always a problem in a nation so beset by earthquakes. Stone foundations also allowed the building to have more storeys. A large, sloped foundation platform was first carved out of the earth, which was then clad in stone to make a very strong bastion. These foundations could support impressive multi-storeyed towers, a sign of wealth and power. The bastions were also obstacles for any enemy attack, and were perfect for the defenders to rain arrows down on besiegers. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Castle_3_Fortress_Description \n\nTo properly defend and govern a province, a daimyo requires a strong base. That a fortress also inspires respect, even fear, among his people is no bad thing either. A fortress represses a province by its presence, helps the tax yield, and increases the fame of a clan, as rivals and enemies are awed by its construction. Any garrison can hold out against enemy attacks, and the castle acts as a centre for recruiting troops. \n\nThe development of castle design coincided with the rise in importance of the warrior classes in Japan. Warfare grew in scale, and the castle also grew so it could withstand prolonged sieges; the traditional wooden fortifications could no longer be expected to hold out against large armies with siege engines. The Hojo clan was responsible for the defences of Odawara, built in 1416. The castle survived two sieges before it finally fell in 1590 to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Odawara was actually the central defensive position of a network of castles, as it was surrounded by smaller, satellite fortresses. Some of them, in turn, had their own ring of satellite forts. The entire system provided a layered defence that was extremely difficult and time-consuming for an enemy to reduce. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Castle_4_Castle_Description \n\nBuilding a castle is a sign of absolute ownership, as it provides a strong defence against enemy assaults and a centralized administration for the province. It is a clear sign of the builder’s prestige and wealth. With such a massive structure to defend them, the people will feel secure, but they will also understand that they must keep to their allotted stations in life. Tax income is also improved for the owning clan.\n\nThe Sengoku Jidai saw castles develop far beyond mere military strongholds and into being the central hubs for entire towns. The castle was where the daimyo lived, had his government, and encouraged the arts and culture. For the daimyo’s reputation, it was important to impress and intimidate guests in equal measure. The inner layout was designed to force the enemy along complex, exposed routes to the central citadel, so that they could be under fire every step of the way.\n\nThe cost of building and maintaining even one castle was almost crippling, so it became a measurable and public example of wealth, power and good taste. A great deal of prestige was gained by a daimyo’s patronage of the arts, and special pieces were commissioned often portraying beautiful landscapes or the clan’s victories, all designed to subtly display the clan’s virtues! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Castle_5_Citadel_Description \n\nThis awe-inspiring building is intended to make all who see it marvel, or tremble, at its scale and the power it represents. It is a monument to the untrammelled wealth and military might of a daimyo and his clan. Cunningly built to confuse and confound attackers, it also serves to intimidate the local people who live, work, pay taxes and die in its shadow. It is of such magnificence that it also increases the prestige of its builders.\n\nTowards the end of the Sengoku Jidai, castles became even larger and more elaborate, as they evolved from military fortresses to cultural and economic centres for the surrounding provinces. The castle at Himeji was one such structure, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1581 on top of Himeyama as a three-storey tower and then completely reworked by Ikeda Terumasa, his son-in-law. The hill position made it a formidable defensive site, and the inner citadel compound was a maze of courtyards and compounds to frustrate any enemy who gained entry. The rebuilt castle was all of that, but remains even today a spectacular and refined palace. It is still a popular tourist attraction. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Cavalry_1_Stables_Description \n\nAn army of peasants will fight as peasants. An army of foot soldiers will be ponderous. An army with horses will be fleet and deadly! Stables allow the training of light cavalry, who can quickly move across a battlefield to exploit a weakness or hold a line.\n\nMythology has it that the monkey protects horses and stables. This belief has its roots in the Chinese story “Journey to the West” about a monk and his companions, a monkey, a pig and a water spirit travelling to India. The monkey is making the trip as penance for disobedience to the Jade Emperor, who appointed him protector of horses to calm his desire for power. The monkey image is often found on stables, and a particular fine “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” set of images can be seen at the Toshuga Shrine, built to honour Tokugawa Ieyasu. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Cavalry_2_Warhorse_Stables_Description \n\nWhere horses are available these stables allow the recruitment of a wide range of cavalry units. Battle tests the spirit of horses as surely as it tests their strength. Some are better suited to the clamour and din than others, and accept the training required of them. Warhorses must be able to ride headlong into an angry crowd, ignore flames, and keep going even when every natural instinct tells them to run.\n\nAs might be expected, cavalry furniture for horses in Japan developed in a somewhat different fashion compared to the rest of the world. Japanese saddles were traditionally made of wood, and carefully designed to give the rider a stable platform for archery. Such considerations made them unsuitable for use over long distances, or at speed, as they were heavy and uncomfortable. The reins and bridle, however, were light and made of silk. The strangest pieces of equipment, to outside eyes, were the umagutsu. These straw sandals were shoes for the horses, and very similar to human footwear. The umagutsu provided extra traction in wet conditions, and this alone was no small matter when battles were often fought across paddy fields and farmland. They also helped quieten the sound of the horses’ hooves. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Cavalry_3_Bajutsu_Master_Description \n\nCavalry units trained in this dojo will always be better and cheaper than units trained elsewhere. Bajutsu, or the skill of horse riding, is as much about training the man as the horse. A master is not just a horseman, he is also a warrior, scholar and teacher. He can read a battle, understand a horse and teach even the most unpromising student.\n\nThere were many schools of horsemanship in medieval Japan. Each had its own style and specialities, but all agreed that it was the bond between rider and horse that made a cavalry warrior. Students were expected to know everything about their mounts. They were also expected to stay in the saddle no matter what happened, be able to guide the animal with their knees, and fight with spear, bow and sword. Most schools favoured tractable animals for easy training, but on the Kanto plain high-spirited horses were preferred. These mounts took more breaking in, but were thought to make better battle steeds. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Cavalry_4_Legendary_Bajutsu_Dojo_Description \n\nRiders and horses trained at a legendary school have skills and expertise that far surpass those of any other cavalry. But to become a legend is not easy, to say the least. The masters here have moved beyond understanding their skill to a state where they embody their skill. They are at one with their horses, weapons and comrades-in-arms, and can perform acts of martial skill that are almost unrivalled.\n\nHorses, according to myth, are much hunted as prey by kappa, or water spirits, who try to pull them down to a watery death. Stories tell of kappas being caught and forced to promise never to attack horses again, usually with positive results in that the promises are kept. A horse-headed warrior, rather than a spirit, also serves the ruler of Hell, Emma-O. This guard, along with an ox-headed warrior, bring the dead before Emma-O and his magic mirror that reflects all the sins of a deceased man so that Emma-O may judge them fairly. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Christian_1_Chapel_Description \n\nThe humility of this structure belies its spiritual power. The missionaries that go forth from here are capable of converting the people to Christianity, and of spreading sedition among enemies. The building itself is more than a meeting place: like all churches, the design formally codifies the details of the faith. \n\nThe Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier brought Christianity to Japan in 1549. Despite language difficulties, he was modestly successful in communicating Christian ideas to his new flock. The Jesuits were a relatively new, vigorous order within the Catholic Church, formed to fight the Protestant ideas of Martin Luther. As “shock troops” of the Reformation, they had both a martial and scholarly air to them that was undoubtedly appealing to samurai sensibilities. However, Christianity faced much hostility because it did not honour ancestors. Indeed, missionaries told their Japanese audience that their ancestors were damned or, at best, virtuous pagans. Despite these problems, the Christian community probably numbered around 100,000 people by 1579. Francis Xavier would eventually be canonized as a saint for his efforts in the far-flung foreign lands. He is still a Catholic patron saint of missionaries. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Christian_2_Mission_Description \n\nA mission will aid the conversion of the Japanese to Christianity, but it will also add to the unease of Buddhists. It is a home and spiritual fortress for the missionaries who spread out across the land, bringing the Word to new flocks. \n\nThe Tokugawa shoguns considered Christianity to be a great threat to the good order of Japan. Centuries-old traditions, including in matters of faith, were considered to be a unifying force. In 1636 Dutch traders, the last Europeans in Japan, were confined to Dejima Island in Nagasaki harbour, effectively barring foreign influences, including foreign religions. The Jesuits had already gone home with the Portuguese, and the Dutch were more interested in profit than proselytising. Dejima was forbidden territory to the Japanese, save for the few allowed to live there and service Dutch needs. Japan remained largely closed to outsiders and their alien ideas for over 200 years. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Christian_3_Church_Description \n\nThis fine structure allows the recruitment of missionaries, and aids the conversion of the province and its neighbours. It also, however, significantly increases the unease and unhappiness of the Buddhist population in the area. The building itself is a mark of how seriously a province’s rulers take their Christian faith. \n\nHistorically, there was little agreement between daimyos as to the best way to deal with Christians and Christianity. Some saw it as a way of increasing trade with the outside world and, of course, getting more European guns; others saw it as a different path to God; still others viewed the faith with hostility as being un-Japanese. In 1597 Toyotomi Hideyoshi made his position perfectly clear when he had 26 Japanese and European Catholics rounded up, tortured and publically crucified. This horrible fate had its intended effect: warning his people against the risks inherent in the new, foreign faith. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Christian_4_Cathedral_Description \n\nA cathedral is a mighty structure, demonstrating the profound faith of their builders to the world. It is a major investment of time, money and craftsmanship, a hymn to God given physical, almost intimidating reality. The sheer size and magnificence of this building impresses people and converts them to Christianity across a wide area. The cathedral brings in a large number of worshippers, increasing the province’s income, and adds to the happiness of the local Christian population.\n\nOoura Cathedral in Nagasaki is Japan’s oldest wooden cathedral, but it is a building from the Meiji Restoration, almost 300 years after the Sengoku Jidai. Constructed in 1865 under the oversight of Frenchman Bernard Petitjean, it is now recognised as a national treasure. Earlier structures on the main islands did not survive under the Tokugawa shogunate: in 1614 an edict banned the practice of Christianity and forced the faith underground. Ooura Cathedral was constructed in part to honour the hidden Christians of Japan, the “kakure kirishitan”, who did not renounce their faith when ordered to do so by the shoguns. Life became easier for them once the Tokugawa shogunate ended, and Japan opened up once again to the outside world. In the space of a few decades, Japan went from a quiet backwater to an industrialised society, capable of taking on, and beating, the mighty Russian Empire in 1905. Foreign ideas were still foreign, but they were no longer forbidden. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Crafts_1_Market_Description \n\nA market adds to a province’s wealth and growth, and also allows a clan to recruit metsuke as agents. When two peasants barter, there is a market. When many come to do the same, there is wealth to be made and probably taxed. A permanent market can offer many services and goods for everyone in the province, and allow people to sell their surplus goods. Once people can trade, they can specialise, even a little, produce more and then trade for what they lack. A wise ruler encourages this.\n\nIt was, of course, beneath any samurai to engage in anything as common as trade. Wealth came from rents, land ownership and in rewards for loyal service. Often, wealth was accumulated in the form of rice koku, as taxes in kind. It was left to others to do business, and live as merchants in towns. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the merchants did gain a certain practical influence, because they were the only people that the rice-rich daimyos and samurai could sell their koku to. The rice bartering system was never able to compete with a proper cash economy, if only because of the difficulty of moving mountains of rice sacks around! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Crafts_2_Rice_Exchange_Description \n\nA rice exchange significantly improves a province’s wealth and growth. Rather than each village relying on its own crops and living from harvest to harvest, an exchange allows merchants to buy up rice crops, and ship them to market as needed. Overall, the effect is to even out the good and bad harvests at some cost to the peasants, who may not always be able to afford the food they have grown.\n\nMerchants were part of the social class of chonin, or townsmen. This gave them few privileges compared to the samurai warrior class. However, they were able to amass considerable wealth. This helped them survive the transition from an age of warfare to an age of enforced peace under the Tokugawa shogunate. Business went on as usual and, if anything, improved. In the long run, the samurai were not so fortunate: their social caste meant that they could not work and retain their honour as samurai. The strict social edicts of the Tokugawas didn’t help either, and many samurai were reduced to penury when there was no longer constant warfare. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Crafts_3_Merchant_Guild_Description \n\nA merchants’ guild greatly improves a province’s wealth and growth. Rather than competing with each other, a town’s merchant class work together, pool their resources and information, and look forward to enlarged profits. They can at last start to plan beyond the next harvest, or for the arrival of the next shipment of trade goods. \n\nAssociations of merchants were useful for collective risk-taking and collective bargaining. One merchant alone had little chance of getting any concession from his samurai overlords, but an entire town’s worth of merchants could present a united, if still respectful, front. Guilds were granted trading rights within a lord’s territory, in return for certain considerations. From a lord’s point of view, he could influence trade, tax it effectively, take a share of the wealth and still not actually sully his hands in the dirty business of trade. By acting together, the merchants could help finance major trade enterprises when one man alone would have difficulty raising the required working capital. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Crafts_4_Kanabukama_Description \n\nThis is a merchants’ association or mutual trading company, where the powerful manage trade both for themselves and others. The kabunakama even controls the trade activities of smaller merchants’ guilds, can set prices on goods, and can even bar dishonest or immoral merchants from trade altogether. The kabunakama does not exist to promote competition among merchants, but cooperation and, as a result, it boosts a province’s wealth and growth enormously and also improves the quality of metsuke who are recruited as agents.\n\nHistorically, kabunakama had much in common with the merchant adventurers and great trading companies of Europe. Often, they were granted trade rights in a town or over a particular commodity, but were then expected to pay substantial taxes to the shogun or daimyo for the privilege. Selling monopoly rights was something that all ruling classes did, as it was profitable and did not involve nobles in any of the sordid money-grubbing of common trade. Merchants did not, however, trade overseas with foreigners, except in very carefully controlled ways. Despite their enormous wealth, the merchants of the kabunakama did not improve their social status: as trading townsmen they were still far lower in the social pecking order than honest, hardworking peasant folk. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Farming_1_Rice_Paddies_Description \n\nPaddies are the artificially flooded fields where rice is grown. Rice is the staple foodstuff of all Japanese people, from the lowly peasant growing the crop to the mightiest daimyo enjoying his rice from an exquisitely elegant bowl. Taxes are measured in koku, or sacks of rice. Each province’s basic wealth and therefore potential tax yield is measured by its rice output. \n\nWorking in rice paddies has always been long, exhausting work. The preparation of small dikes and channels to manage the water supply is a huge task for any farmer. Once the fields are properly laid out and flooded, the individual rice plants have to be hand-planted one at a time, a backbreaking task for anyone. The work was often communal, as most villages were self-governing and self-sustaining. A successful crop was not guaranteed, and a poor harvest would be doubly devastating as the peasants starved and their taxes to the local daimyo, often in taken rice, went unpaid. The violent repercussions of such disrespect and failure were rightly feared. Where the ruling clan was too weak or ineffective to impose taxes things were often no easier, as bandits would quite happily impose their own “taxes” on villagers. From the villagers’ perspective, there was little to choose between taxmen and bandits. In this, at least, the Japanese peasants were identical to others all across the world. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Farming_2_Irrigation_Description \n\nFarmers must use every scrap of land as efficiently as possible to grow enough food to survive and pay their taxes. By using water intelligently, more land can be cultivated and to better effect. The result is that the wealth of a province is improved, along with its potential to be taxed.\n\nThe landscape of Japan was, and is, dominated by mountains, volcanoes and densely wooded areas, leaving very little good, level farmland. To overcome this, farmers had to exploit the numerous small rivers by diverting and damming them to irrigate their lands. In addition, wet farming overcomes the acidic soils produced by volcanic activity and keeps the growth of weeds to a controllable minimum.\n\nOrganised irrigation in Asia can be traced back to ancient China where, in 256 BC, a system was constructed at Dujiangyan to divert water from the Min River. This not only prevented flooding and watered crops but also allowed the river to be used for military transports. As with many other ideas, the Japanese copied the idea from the Chinese and cleverly refined it over the centuries. Dujiangyan is still impressive today. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Farming_3_Terraces_Description \n\nTerrace farming increases the amount of land that can be cultivated, and so adds to the wealth and potential tax income of a province. Eventually farmers will use every square inch of level land available, at which point they must make more. By carefully shaping the hills into a series of giant steps, new land can be created that is suitable for farming. Each step becomes a new, ribbon-shaped paddy field that hugs the contours of a hill. If this is done cunningly – and there is little point doing otherwise – water is used and re-used as it flows downhill over the terraces.\n\nTerrace farming is used in many parts of the world with mountainous landscapes. The landscape is carefully formed into a system of contour-following platforms, with water cascading down from the highest level to the lowest. The result is an extremely efficient use of available space, even where paddy fields are not used; in the Andes of South America terraces were used for virtually all crops, for example. The result is also extremely picturesque, and an impressive piece of human, manual landscaping. The technique still finds favour today because it can stop heavy erosion and help prevent landslides as well as being an effective agricultural method. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Farming_4_Consolidation_Description \n\nLand is the source of all wealth, and the ownership and control of land is vital to the success of any lord. By consolidating land holdings, more and more land is put into the ownership of fewer and fewer people. While this does deprive the peasantry of lands, it does enable proper investment in agriculture, making the land more profitable, just not equally profitable for everyone!\n\nWhen the Tokugawa shogunate was established in 1603, a powerful centralized government once again existed in Japan. Most of the other, lesser daimyo were allowed to retain their lands, but were answerable for their good behaviour to the new shogun. A new era of peace allowed the daimyo to reorganise their own lands; villages that had become a little too independent were brought back under control. In this, Japan was not much different from other parts of the world, such as Europe, where peasants were having their commons confiscated by the gentry and nobility. The Tokugawa ruled until 1868, when the Meiji Restoration restored power to the Emperor and his court. The daimyos of 1868 were ordered to turn all their lands over to Emperor Komei, and Japan was formally reorganised into a series of prefectures. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Ikko_Temple_1_Jodo_Shinshu_Temple The temple is the centre of the community. From within its walls, monks spread the teachings of Buddha to the people, converting many and inciting others to revolt. The temple monks bring a message of hope too, spreading happiness and, in war, their presence is an inspiration. Unlike other Buddhist sects, Jodo Shinshu Buddhism placed great importance on the lives of those who followed its teachings. Followers were not expected to devote their entire lives to study. Instead, their faith was to be part of their ordinary, everyday lives. It was these principles that brought about the Ikko Ikki. As well as strong religious beliefs, the Ikko Ikki had equally strong political beliefs, desiring an end to feudal government, the shoguns and the whole state. Instead, the people would rule themselves, and the Ikko Ikki were willing to die to bring about their aims. Naturally, this pitted them against the great lords of the time, including Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga. It would be Nobunaga who eventually brought destruction to the sect at the brutal battle of Nagashima.\n\nThis building can only be constructed by the Ikko Ikki and cannot be used by any other clan. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Ikko_Temple_2_Jodo_Shinshu_Monastery A monastery allows the masses somewhere to gather so they may honour the teachings of Buddha. This is a solid symbol of local commitment to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism; it increases the happiness of all the faithful and spreads the word too. Christians, however, may feel threatened by, and unhappy because of, the presence of this vigorous and forceful sect. In a determined rejection of the old style of Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu buildings differ greatly from other Buddhist structures. They are not built with the main hall, the hondo, facing southwards; rather, the hall faces east to honour Buddha who looks eastwards from his western Paradise. Unlike other sects, a Jodo Shinshu hondo is always dedicated to Shinran Shonin, as a goeido, or “founder’s hall”. Other Buddhist temples dedicate the main hall to one of the many Buddhist gods. A second hall for mass worship is also dedicated to Buddha, and there are few training areas and dormitory blocks for the monks. There are even quarters set aside for married monks in the style of private homes and gardens, quite separate from the temple’s public spaces.\n\nThis building can only be constructed by the Ikko Ikki and cannot be used by any other clan. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Ikko_Temple_3_Jodo_Shinshu_Fortified_Monastery This is a safe haven for religious reflection, worship and, most importantly, training. The people can also be protected from surrounding clans as they vie for power and land. The monks here can concentrate on spreading the faith, converting the uneducated, and acting as a focus for the already faithful. The construction of a fortified monastery will inspire peasants in neighbouring provinces too: there is another way, rather than submitting to the cruelty of the daimyo and their samurai armies! Jodo Shinshu, or Pure Land Buddhism, was an inclusive set of teachings which proposed that anyone could be guaranteed salvation and rebirth. There was no need to become a monk, or spend hours in meditation. Such activities simply weren’t an option for the ever-toiling peasantry, so a faith that gave them hope and the promise of freedom had a definite appeal. The common people were often trapped between warring clans, and Jodo Shinshu offered them the chance of something better, the chance to be without warlords. The Ikko Ikki were the direct result of Jodo Shinshu and the violence of the times, the chance for non-samurai to have a better life for themselves.\n\nThis building can only be constructed by the Ikko Ikki and cannot be used by any other clan. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Ikko_Temple_4_Jodo_Shinshu_Honganji This massive complex of temples and halls is dedicated to the Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, and is open to every monk, peasant or samurai who wishes to worship and learn. The old doctrines are set aside, as the teachings of Jodo Shinshu hold that anyone can attain enlightenment, and that solitary meditation is not the only path. Construction of this magnificent shrine brings happiness to the Ikko Ikki, and improves unit replenishment as followers volunteer their services. The Ishiyama Honganji was built in 1496, a huge temple complex that housed the headquarters for the Ikko Ikki. It was constructed in Settsu after Rennyo (1415-99), the priest responsible for rejuvenating the faith, retired. His followers settled around him, building homes and eventually a mighty, self-contained fortress protected by its own moat and guarded by hundreds of Ikko monks. In 1570 and 1576 Oda Nobunaga laid siege to the fortress, only to be seen off by the Ikko Ikki and their allies. A second attempt in 1576 was successful, as Nobunaga gradually strangled the fortress, cutting off its outlying areas and isolating it from any help. After four years of the siege, the Honganji capitulated in 1580.\n\nThis building can only be constructed by the Ikko Ikki and cannot be used by any other clan. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Infrastructure_0_Trails_Description \n\nTrails aid movement in a province. They are little more than the tracks to and from the fields, linked by the rough paths blazed by particularly adventurous peasants.\n\nHistorically, most people rarely left their home village. Most folk lived and died within a few miles of their birthplace. There was simply no point in travel for most people: moving somewhere else would merely bring them under the control of a different warlord. Day-to-day life would be exactly the same, and largely spent labouring in a soggy field. Also, wrinkly feet are not conducive to travel! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Infrastructure_1_Roads_Description \n\nRoads improve the movement extent of armies and agents in a province. Everything moves faster thanks to the improved surface. This also improves the replenishment rate of casualties. The comings and goings along the road are also carefully watched, meaning that line of sight is improved also.\n\nWhile roads improve movement, this was not necessarily what the rulers of Japan wanted. Although they may not have realised it, the daimyo relied on their people to maintain their power and wealth. While trade might be welcome, the population could not be allowed to move freely, otherwise they might simply leave in search of a better lord. Such a turn of events was unthinkable. Travel, therefore, was made more difficult than might be expected, to keep the people in their proper place. The free movement of armies was one thing, the free movement of farmers quite another! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Infrastructure_2_Post_Stations_Description \n\nPost roads and stations significantly improve the movement of armies and agents, economic growth in a province and the rate at which replacement troops reach their units. All travellers are carefully monitored at each station, so that line of sight is increased and there is also a better chance of detecting enemy agents. Along each of these roads are a series of post stations, where officials can rest on their journeys but, more importantly, where all other travellers must present the correct documentation before they can travel onwards. The roads are rather good and allow swift passage, but only to those with the right paperwork. \n\nPost stations were places where travellers could rest during their journeys. Lodgings were constructed for officials and government agents, but all kinds of taverns could be found there too. Of course, anyone who stopped at a post town or station would be seen and recorded, so as well as helping travel, the post stations also served as a warning system if unwelcome or shady characters came through. These were first established under the Tokugawa shogunate, a regime which had every interest in maintaining peace and social control after the chaos and wars of the Sengoku Jidai. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Infrastructure_3_Imperial_Roads_Description \n\nImperial roads and watchtowers significantly improve the movement extent of armies and agents, economic growth in a province and the replenishment of losses in distant units. The post stations monitor all travellers, so that line of sight and the chance of detecting enemy agents are greatly increased. As long as the right paperwork is presented whenever requested, a traveller can make excellent progress along one of these fine roads. The wrong documentation, however, can spell disaster!\n\nTokugawa Ieyasu, the eventual victor of the Sengoku Jidai and shogun of Japan, created five great land routes through the country, all leading from Edo. These roads were intended primarily to secure his control over the country, as they allowed his armies to move swiftly to confront any troublemakers. Immensely useful as this was to the Tokugawa shogunate, the roads were also too useful for internal trade and travel not to be used for civilian purposes. Ieyasu’s successors built a network of post stations along these roads so that travellers could rest. The roads remained in use until after the Meiji Restoration when, along with many other foreign ideas, railways arrived in Japan. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Port_0_Coastal_Village_Description \n\nA regular haul of fish can help sustain and grow a community, supplying a source of both fresh food and income. It is also the foundation for a larger construct, which can be expanded to specialise as either a trading or military port. A good coastal village can become the heart of a community, providing jobs for the populace and the money needed to start families, growing as the fishing business grows.\n\nHistorically, the divisions between social classes in Japan were very clear and seen as vital for the maintenance of good order in the country. Social status and employment were often tightly intertwined, and most jobs had a hereditary element to them: sons followed fathers into the same trade. As well as restrictions on weaponry, the clothes and housing of classes were also laid down in law and custom. Fishermen and farmers had to work hard for little money, but their status was certainly higher than townsmen and merchants. When, under the Tokugawas, some commoners attempted to improve their homes with features copied from the warrior classes, the shogunate discouraged the practice almost immediately. Everyone had to know, and keep to, their place. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Port_1_Harbour_Description \n\nBuilding a harbour provides a province with basic ship building capabilities, useful in keeping up with rival clans and their maritime ambitions. The harbour also creates new work opportunities for local people, encouraging economic growth.\n\nAll Japanese lords were acutely aware of the danger of invasion from the sea. The Mongols had tried to do this in both 1274 and 1281, and it was only divine intervention that had saved Japan. Though an island people, the Japanese did not really develop into a naval power when compared to other nations with long coastlines. Sea battles never really evolved beyond a series of boarding actions. The idea of attacking and sinking a ship was never really pursued with vigour.\n\nJapan did, however, have a pirate tradition and a pirate problem. The Japanese government seemed either unwilling or unable to bring their pirates to heel, and this created tensions with nearby nations. Eventually, the pirates became rich and powerful enough to become respectable “sea lords” and carved out territories for themselves, or worked for the richest clans! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Port_2_Trading_Port_Description \n\nTrade and warfare are vital to the success of a clan, and each supports the other. Warships built here can protect the port’s trading vessels, which in turn earn money to buy more warships. A busy port encourages growth in the province too.\n\nHistorically, Japan was organised along strict social divisions, with fishermen and farmers classed as commoners, while samurai warriors and daimyos were the superior class. Because they did no honourable work, merchants had a lower status than the peasants. The merchants, however, were wealthy, as the samurai considered trade to be a necessary evil, but one that could be left to others. This snobbishness was all very well, but the samurai eventually found themselves unsuited to a peaceful Japan or a modernising Japan after 1868. The merchant classes had, in effect, eclipsed them, leaving the samurai with few honourable ways of making a living. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Port_3_Military_Port_Description \n\nA military port specialises in the construction and maintenance of warships. These vessels are built for battle, and are not just floating platforms for warriors. This makes them expensive, and means that special yards are needed ashore, but also means that vessels can be properly repaired here too.\n\nHistorically, the Japanese had no warships to speak of until the Sengoku Jidai. Though they had fought at sea, the ships were floating platforms for archers and warriors who would board enemy vessels to fight a land battle at sea. Ships were simply armoured with the same kind of wooden screens foot soldiers carried into battle, and so were vulnerable to fire arrows and bombs hurled from the decks. The intention, however, was to always close with the enemy and fight honourably in close combat. Sinking an enemy vessel might have been more effective, but it was not a proper way to conduct warfare. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Port_3_Nanban_Trade_Port_Description \n\nForeign visitors bring strange and unsettling ideas with them, and rarely wash, but they also have interesting cargoes and a hunger for Japanese goods. A nanban trade port opens up a province for trade with these foreign fellows, and allows the recruitment of matchlock-armed troops. The trade growth is, of course, a welcome extra benefit. \n\nNanban means “southern barbarian” and was the term used for European traders who came to Japan in the 1540s: they approached from the south, after all, and were barbarous by local standards. They certainly had few manners, precious little understanding of the proper way of doing things, and brought a strange religion with them. They were, however, welcomed because of the new matchlock firearms that they brought with them from Europe. The Japanese soon realised that ashigaru could be trained cheaply and quickly to use these new weapons, and it was not long before local makers were producing guns every bit as good as, and in some cases superior to, the European arquebuses. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Port_4_Drydock_Description \n\nA drydock is a basin that can be drained for shipbuilding work, and then flooded when a vessel is completed. This allows very large ships to be built and then gently floated away. With such a yard shipwrights can construct the largest and most powerful ships to add to a clan’s navy.\n\nHistorically, it was not until the Sengoku Jidai that the Japanese started building warships, but not for any national fleet. Once shipbuilding did get underway, the vessels produced were huge and resembled nothing quite so much as floating castles. Only six of the largest ships, the almost-legendary O-adake bunes complete with iron armour, were ever built, probably because they were cripplingly expensive to build, man and maintain. Oda Nobunaga commissioned them and they were used at the Battle of Kizugawaguchi in 1578, where a fatal weakness was revealed. If they were boarded and the fighting meant that one side of the ship was too heavy, they had a nasty tendency to roll and capsize, taking everyone to the briny depths! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Port_4_Nanban_Quarter_Description \n\nA nanban quarter allows foreigners greater trade rights in a province, and a new trade route is there to be exploited. This relatively free exchange of goods and ideas can be profitable, and allows the construction of European ship designs in the local yards.\n\nThe nanban trade between the “southern barbarians” and the Japanese existed from 1543 until the Tokugawa shoguns closed the country to foreign disturbances in 1641. The Portuguese, who had first opened trade with Japan, were also the first to be excluded. They had, after all, brought a fairly aggressive form of Catholicism, in the form of the Jesuits, to Japan. The Dutch managed to hang on, but their presence was circumscribed and barely tolerated. Eventually they were confined to Dejima, an artificial island in Nagasaki Bay, although their guns were still welcome. Japan remained isolated from the outside world until the Convention of Kanegawa in 1854, a piece of not-quite-gunboat diplomacy by Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the US Navy. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_1_Description \n\nBy investing in the artisans of this province it is possible to help the economy grow through paper production and other craft industries or, by specialising in fletchers, you can improve the accuracy of the clan’s bow-armed units. Craftsmen of all kinds are vital to a province, and add to the quality of life for all the people. Even the simplest peasant can appreciate good workmanship when he sees and uses something.\n\nCraftsmanship has always been admired in Japan, and no matter how it is expressed: from the calligrapher who produces the perfect brush stroke, to the potter who makes a perfect bowl. What is required from all of these men and women is absolute dedication to their craft and, eventually, the ability to make the remarkably difficult seem easy.\n\nToday the Japanese government recognises great craftsmen as ningen kokuho “living national treasures” or, more properly, juyo mukei bunkazai hojisha which translates as “preservers of important intangible cultural properties”. Behind the formalised bureaucratic language is a simple and worthy idea: to preserve what is best among these highly skilled men and women. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_2a_Description \n\nBy investing in the artisans of this province it is possible to help the economy grow through paper production and other craft industries or, by specialising in fletchers, you can improve the accuracy of the clan’s bow-armed units. Craftsmen of all kinds are vital to a province, and add to the quality of life for all the people. Even the simplest peasant can appreciate good workmanship when he sees and uses something.\n\nCraftsmanship has always been admired in Japan, and no matter how it is expressed: from the calligrapher who produces the perfect brush stroke, to the potter who makes a perfect bowl. What is required from all of these men and women is absolute dedication to their craft and, eventually, the ability to make the remarkably difficult seem easy.\n\nToday the Japanese government recognises great craftsmen as ningen kokuho “living national treasures” or, more properly, juyo mukei bunkazai hojisha which translates as “preservers of important intangible cultural properties”. Behind the formalised bureaucratic language is a simple and worthy idea: to preserve what is best among these highly skilled men and women. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_2b_Description \n\nBy investing in the artisans of this province it is possible to help the economy grow through paper production and other craft industries or, by specialising in fletchers, you can improve the accuracy of the clan’s bow-armed units. Craftsmen of all kinds are vital to a province, and add to the quality of life for all the people. Even the simplest peasant can appreciate good workmanship when he sees and uses something.\n\nCraftsmanship has always been admired in Japan, and no matter how it is expressed: from the calligrapher who produces the perfect brush stroke, to the potter who makes a perfect bowl. What is required from all of these men and women is absolute dedication to their craft and, eventually, the ability to make the remarkably difficult seem easy.\n\nToday the Japanese government recognises great craftsmen as ningen kokuho “living national treasures” or, more properly, juyo mukei bunkazai hojisha which translates as “preservers of important intangible cultural properties”. Behind the formalised bureaucratic language is a simple and worthy idea: to preserve what is best among these highly skilled men and women. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_3a_Description \n\nBy investing in the artisans of this province it is possible to help the economy grow through paper production and other craft industries or, by specialising in fletchers, you can improve the accuracy of the clan’s bow-armed units. Craftsmen of all kinds are vital to a province, and add to the quality of life for all the people. Even the simplest peasant can appreciate good workmanship when he sees and uses something.\n\nCraftsmanship has always been admired in Japan, and no matter how it is expressed: from the calligrapher who produces the perfect brush stroke, to the potter who makes a perfect bowl. What is required from all of these men and women is absolute dedication to their craft and, eventually, the ability to make the remarkably difficult seem easy.\n\nToday the Japanese government recognises great craftsmen as ningen kokuho “living national treasures” or, more properly, juyo mukei bunkazai hojisha which translates as “preservers of important intangible cultural properties”. Behind the formalised bureaucratic language is a simple and worthy idea: to preserve what is best among these highly skilled men and women. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_3b_Description \n\nBy investing in the artisans of this province it is possible to help the economy grow through paper production and other craft industries or, by specialising in fletchers, you can improve the accuracy of the clan’s bow-armed units. Craftsmen of all kinds are vital to a province, and add to the quality of life for all the people. Even the simplest peasant can appreciate good workmanship when he sees and uses something.\n\nCraftsmanship has always been admired in Japan, and no matter how it is expressed: from the calligrapher who produces the perfect brush stroke, to the potter who makes a perfect bowl. What is required from all of these men and women is absolute dedication to their craft and, eventually, the ability to make the remarkably difficult seem easy.\n\nToday the Japanese government recognises great craftsmen as ningen kokuho “living national treasures” or, more properly, juyo mukei bunkazai hojisha which translates as “preservers of important intangible cultural properties”. Behind the formalised bureaucratic language is a simple and worthy idea: to preserve what is best among these highly skilled men and women. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Gold_Mining_1_Description \n\nThere is gold in this province. By investing in bigger and deeper mines, and the associated smelters above the mine tunnels, it is possible to greatly increase the wealth generated here. Gold is, of course, always welcome to any daimyo because all wise commanders know that wars cannot be fought, let alone won, without wealth.\n\nGold mining, however, is a dirty and dangerous business for the miners and surface workers. Their lives are likely to be short and brutal, and woe betide anyone who even thinks about stealing any of the produce! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Gold_Mining_2_Description \n\nThere is gold in this province. By investing in bigger and deeper mines, and the associated smelters above the mine tunnels, it is possible to greatly increase the wealth generated here. Gold is, of course, always welcome to any daimyo because all wise commanders know that wars cannot be fought, let alone won, without wealth.\n\nGold mining, however, is a dirty and dangerous business for the miners and surface workers. Their lives are likely to be short and brutal, and woe betide anyone who even thinks about stealing any of the produce! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Gold_Mining_3_Description \n\nThere is gold in this province. By investing in bigger and deeper mines, and the associated smelters above the mine tunnels, it is possible to greatly increase the wealth generated here. Gold is, of course, always welcome to any daimyo because all wise commanders know that wars cannot be fought, let alone won, without wealth.\n\nGold mining, however, is a dirty and dangerous business for the miners and surface workers. Their lives are likely to be short and brutal, and woe betide anyone who even thinks about stealing any of the produce! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_1_Description \n\nThis province has a site of religious significance. By developing this site, better monks can be produced for use on the battlefield as fanatical warriors. Alternatively, the site can be developed along less martial lines, and be inspirational to all the clan’s warriors, increasing their morale on the battlefield. This more contemplative approach also allows monk agents to be trained to a high standard.\n\nA shrine is important not because of the building or marker, but because of the spirit it houses. People may need and appreciate the buildings around a shrine, but they do not alter the fundamental sanctity of the place. As long as the kami are respected and honoured, the shrine remains a source of spiritual strength.\n\nToday many shrines are revered historical monuments as well as shrines, and some have been listed as World Heritage Sites. Some 103 shrines and buildings in Nikko, in the modern Tochigi prefecture have been given this status; the structures belong to a Buddhist temple and two Shinto shrines. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_2a_Description \n\nThis province has a site of religious significance. By developing this site, better monks can be produced for use on the battlefield as fanatical warriors. Alternatively, the site can be developed along less martial lines, and be inspirational to all the clan’s warriors, increasing their morale on the battlefield. This more contemplative approach also allows monk agents to be trained to a high standard.\n\nA shrine is important not because of the building or marker, but because of the spirit it houses. People may need and appreciate the buildings around a shrine, but they do not alter the fundamental sanctity of the place. As long as the kami are respected and honoured, the shrine remains a source of spiritual strength.\n\nToday many shrines are revered historical monuments as well as shrines, and some have been listed as World Heritage Sites. Some 103 shrines and buildings in Nikko, in the modern Tochigi prefecture have been given this status; the structures belong to a Buddhist temple and two Shinto shrines. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_2b_Description \n\nThis province has a site of religious significance. By developing this site, better monks can be produced for use on the battlefield as fanatical warriors. Alternatively, the site can be developed along less martial lines, and be inspirational to all the clan’s warriors, increasing their morale on the battlefield. This more contemplative approach also allows monk agents to be trained to a high standard.\n\nA shrine is important not because of the building or marker, but because of the spirit it houses. People may need and appreciate the buildings around a shrine, but they do not alter the fundamental sanctity of the place. As long as the kami are respected and honoured, the shrine remains a source of spiritual strength.\n\nToday many shrines are revered historical monuments as well as shrines, and some have been listed as World Heritage Sites. Some 103 shrines and buildings in Nikko, in the modern Tochigi prefecture have been given this status; the structures belong to a Buddhist temple and two Shinto shrines. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_3a_Description \n\nThis province has a site of religious significance. By developing this site, better monks can be produced for use on the battlefield as fanatical warriors. Alternatively, the site can be developed along less martial lines, and be inspirational to all the clan’s warriors, increasing their morale on the battlefield. This more contemplative approach also allows monk agents to be trained to a high standard.\n\nA shrine is important not because of the building or marker, but because of the spirit it houses. People may need and appreciate the buildings around a shrine, but they do not alter the fundamental sanctity of the place. As long as the kami are respected and honoured, the shrine remains a source of spiritual strength.\n\nToday many shrines are revered historical monuments as well as shrines, and some have been listed as World Heritage Sites. Some 103 shrines and buildings in Nikko, in the modern Tochigi prefecture have been given this status; the structures belong to a Buddhist temple and two Shinto shrines. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_3b_Description \n\nThis province has a site of religious significance. By developing this site, better monks can be produced for use on the battlefield as fanatical warriors. Alternatively, the site can be developed along less martial lines, and be inspirational to all the clan’s warriors, increasing their morale on the battlefield. This more contemplative approach also allows monk agents to be trained to a high standard.\n\nA shrine is important not because of the building or marker, but because of the spirit it houses. People may need and appreciate the buildings around a shrine, but they do not alter the fundamental sanctity of the place. As long as the kami are respected and honoured, the shrine remains a source of spiritual strength.\n\nToday many shrines are revered historical monuments as well as shrines, and some have been listed as World Heritage Sites. Some 103 shrines and buildings in Nikko, in the modern Tochigi prefecture have been given this status; the structures belong to a Buddhist temple and two Shinto shrines. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Horses_1_Description \n\nThis province is ideally suited to horses and animal husbandry. By investing here, the quality of the horse stock improves, leading to better mounts for all cavalry in the clan’s armies. This improves the charge bonus of all cavalry too.\n\nHorses were always vital to samurai warfare, as nearly all of them fought as cavalry before the Sengoku Jidai. The animals were highly valued, judging by the elaborate harnesses and trappings that their riders bought. Warhorses also had to be hardy to withstand the rigours of campaigning. Horses used by mounted archers were so well trained that the rider could control them while standing in the stirrups and firing his bow with both hands.\n\nMost samurai were good horsemen, and some were recognised by their fellows as exceptionally good: Tokugawa Ieyasu was widely regarded as a superb horseman. He obviously knew the value of a good horse, because a grave marker at Nikko in Tochigi prefecture shows the burial place of the horse he rode at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Horses_2_Description \n\nThis province is ideally suited to horses and animal husbandry. By investing here, the quality of the horse stock improves, leading to better mounts for all cavalry in the clan’s armies. This improves the charge bonus of all cavalry too.\n\nHorses were always vital to samurai warfare, as nearly all of them fought as cavalry before the Sengoku Jidai. The animals were highly valued, judging by the elaborate harnesses and trappings that their riders bought. Warhorses also had to be hardy to withstand the rigours of campaigning. Horses used by mounted archers were so well trained that the rider could control them while standing in the stirrups and firing his bow with both hands.\n\nMost samurai were good horsemen, and some were recognised by their fellows as exceptionally good: Tokugawa Ieyasu was widely regarded as a superb horseman. He obviously knew the value of a good horse, because a grave marker at Nikko in Tochigi prefecture shows the burial place of the horse he rode at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Horses_3_Description \n\nThis province is ideally suited to horses and animal husbandry. By investing here, the quality of the horse stock improves, leading to better mounts for all cavalry in the clan’s armies. This improves the charge bonus of all cavalry too.\n\nHorses were always vital to samurai warfare, as nearly all of them fought as cavalry before the Sengoku Jidai. The animals were highly valued, judging by the elaborate harnesses and trappings that their riders bought. Warhorses also had to be hardy to withstand the rigours of campaigning. Horses used by mounted archers were so well trained that the rider could control them while standing in the stirrups and firing his bow with both hands.\n\nMost samurai were good horsemen, and some were recognised by their fellows as exceptionally good: Tokugawa Ieyasu was widely regarded as a superb horseman. He obviously knew the value of a good horse, because a grave marker at Nikko in Tochigi prefecture shows the burial place of the horse he rode at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_1_Description \n\nThe people of this province are noted for their cultural and intellectual attainments. Their skills may be developed along one of two paths: firstly, they can be encouraged to contemplate and develop the many arts and techniques a clan needs to stay ahead of their rivals. Secondly, their skills can be used for the more prosaic business of espionage and counter-espionage. In this case, the quality of metsuke training will be markedly improved.\n\nThe Chinese philosophy of Confucianism sees education as a good thing, and this idea percolated across to Japan. A samurai was expected to embody the idea of “pen and sword in accord” and be equally able with his katana or a calligraphy brush. Clear and clever thinking was a good thing, whether in peace or war. Learning was worthy in itself, and improved a man. There was also a sense that cultured men made better, more civilized rulers and administrators, and could deal with the lower social orders in a more just and equitable fashion. Of course, the practical day-to-day administration of a daimyo’s territory required a large number of literate, intelligent agents and ministers. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_2a_Description \n\nThe people of this province are noted for their cultural and intellectual attainments. Their skills may be developed along one of two paths: firstly, they can be encouraged to contemplate and develop the many arts and techniques a clan needs to stay ahead of their rivals. Secondly, their skills can be used for the more prosaic business of espionage and counter-espionage. In this case, the quality of metsuke training will be markedly improved.\n\nThe Chinese philosophy of Confucianism sees education as a good thing, and this idea percolated across to Japan. A samurai was expected to embody the idea of “pen and sword in accord” and be equally able with his katana or a calligraphy brush. Clear and clever thinking was a good thing, whether in peace or war. Learning was worthy in itself, and improved a man. There was also a sense that cultured men made better, more civilized rulers and administrators, and could deal with the lower social orders in a more just and equitable fashion. Of course, the practical day-to-day administration of a daimyo’s territory required a large number of literate, intelligent agents and ministers. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_2b_Description \n\nThe people of this province are noted for their cultural and intellectual attainments. Their skills may be developed along one of two paths: firstly, they can be encouraged to contemplate and develop the many arts and techniques a clan needs to stay ahead of their rivals. Secondly, their skills can be used for the more prosaic business of espionage and counter-espionage. In this case, the quality of metsuke training will be markedly improved.\n\nThe Chinese philosophy of Confucianism sees education as a good thing, and this idea percolated across to Japan. A samurai was expected to embody the idea of “pen and sword in accord” and be equally able with his katana or a calligraphy brush. Clear and clever thinking was a good thing, whether in peace or war. Learning was worthy in itself, and improved a man. There was also a sense that cultured men made better, more civilized rulers and administrators, and could deal with the lower social orders in a more just and equitable fashion. Of course, the practical day-to-day administration of a daimyo’s territory required a large number of literate, intelligent agents and ministers. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_3a_Description \n\nThe people of this province are noted for their cultural and intellectual attainments. Their skills may be developed along one of two paths: firstly, they can be encouraged to contemplate and develop the many arts and techniques a clan needs to stay ahead of their rivals. Secondly, their skills can be used for the more prosaic business of espionage and counter-espionage. In this case, the quality of metsuke training will be markedly improved.\n\nThe Chinese philosophy of Confucianism sees education as a good thing, and this idea percolated across to Japan. A samurai was expected to embody the idea of “pen and sword in accord” and be equally able with his katana or a calligraphy brush. Clear and clever thinking was a good thing, whether in peace or war. Learning was worthy in itself, and improved a man. There was also a sense that cultured men made better, more civilized rulers and administrators, and could deal with the lower social orders in a more just and equitable fashion. Of course, the practical day-to-day administration of a daimyo’s territory required a large number of literate, intelligent agents and ministers. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_3b_Description \n\nThe people of this province are noted for their cultural and intellectual attainments. Their skills may be developed along one of two paths: firstly, they can be encouraged to contemplate and develop the many arts and techniques a clan needs to stay ahead of their rivals. Secondly, their skills can be used for the more prosaic business of espionage and counter-espionage. In this case, the quality of metsuke training will be markedly improved.\n\nThe Chinese philosophy of Confucianism sees education as a good thing, and this idea percolated across to Japan. A samurai was expected to embody the idea of “pen and sword in accord” and be equally able with his katana or a calligraphy brush. Clear and clever thinking was a good thing, whether in peace or war. Learning was worthy in itself, and improved a man. There was also a sense that cultured men made better, more civilized rulers and administrators, and could deal with the lower social orders in a more just and equitable fashion. Of course, the practical day-to-day administration of a daimyo’s territory required a large number of literate, intelligent agents and ministers. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Iron_Mining_1_Description \n\nOnce a mine has been constructed, this province will produce iron, a vital resource for weapons. As the mine is developed and expanded, the training cost of units will be greatly reduced.\n\nIron is, perhaps, the most important war-making commodity needed by the daimyo. Without iron, there are no swords, spears, or dreams of glory. Gold is all very well, but wealth can always be squeezed from the peasants through taxes. The same is not true of iron. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Iron_Mining_2_Description \n\nOnce a mine has been constructed, this province will produce iron, a vital resource for weapons. As the mine is developed and expanded, the training cost of units will be greatly reduced.\n\nIron is, perhaps, the most important war-making commodity needed by the daimyo. Without iron, there are no swords, spears, or dreams of glory. Gold is all very well, but wealth can always be squeezed from the peasants through taxes. The same is not true of iron. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Iron_Mining_3_Description \n\nOnce a mine has been constructed, this province will produce iron, a vital resource for weapons. As the mine is developed and expanded, the training cost of units will be greatly reduced.\n\nIron is, perhaps, the most important war-making commodity needed by the daimyo. Without iron, there are no swords, spears, or dreams of glory. Gold is all very well, but wealth can always be squeezed from the peasants through taxes. The same is not true of iron. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_1_Description \n\nThis small mercantile port adds to the trade income of the province, and also provides experienced crews for any vessels constructed here. Trade and piracy are two sides of the same coin: the legitimate and illicit transfer of goods. The colony can be further developed into a wealthy mercantile enterprise, or piracy can be encouraged. The second course of action does not benefit trade, but does provide hardy and extremely experienced crews for newly constructed ships.\n\nPiracy was a terrible problem in Japan during the Sengoku Jidai, often crippling trade. There was, of course, a lack of central authority, and the local lords often used pirates to further their own ends, if only by encouraging attacks upon neighbours. On more than one occasion at least one neighbour grew extremely angry: from time to time the Chinese descended on particular pirate havens and dispensed summary justice, tinged with a little outright vengeance! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_2a_Description \n\nThis small mercantile port adds to the trade income of the province, and also provides experienced crews for any vessels constructed here. Trade and piracy are two sides of the same coin: the legitimate and illicit transfer of goods. The colony can be further developed into a wealthy mercantile enterprise, or piracy can be encouraged. The second course of action does not benefit trade, but does provide hardy and extremely experienced crews for newly constructed ships.\n\nPiracy was a terrible problem in Japan during the Sengoku Jidai, often crippling trade. There was, of course, a lack of central authority, and the local lords often used pirates to further their own ends, if only by encouraging attacks upon neighbours. On more than one occasion at least one neighbour grew extremely angry: from time to time the Chinese descended on particular pirate havens and dispensed summary justice, tinged with a little outright vengeance! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_2b_Description \n\nThis small mercantile port adds to the trade income of the province, and also provides experienced crews for any vessels constructed here. Trade and piracy are two sides of the same coin: the legitimate and illicit transfer of goods. The colony can be further developed into a wealthy mercantile enterprise, or piracy can be encouraged. The second course of action does not benefit trade, but does provide hardy and extremely experienced crews for newly constructed ships.\n\nPiracy was a terrible problem in Japan during the Sengoku Jidai, often crippling trade. There was, of course, a lack of central authority, and the local lords often used pirates to further their own ends, if only by encouraging attacks upon neighbours. On more than one occasion at least one neighbour grew extremely angry: from time to time the Chinese descended on particular pirate havens and dispensed summary justice, tinged with a little outright vengeance! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_3a_Description \n\nThis small mercantile port adds to the trade income of the province, and also provides experienced crews for any vessels constructed here. Trade and piracy are two sides of the same coin: the legitimate and illicit transfer of goods. The colony can be further developed into a wealthy mercantile enterprise, or piracy can be encouraged. The second course of action does not benefit trade, but does provide hardy and extremely experienced crews for newly constructed ships.\n\nPiracy was a terrible problem in Japan during the Sengoku Jidai, often crippling trade. There was, of course, a lack of central authority, and the local lords often used pirates to further their own ends, if only by encouraging attacks upon neighbours. On more than one occasion at least one neighbour grew extremely angry: from time to time the Chinese descended on particular pirate havens and dispensed summary justice, tinged with a little outright vengeance! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_3b_Description \n\nThis small mercantile port adds to the trade income of the province, and also provides experienced crews for any vessels constructed here. Trade and piracy are two sides of the same coin: the legitimate and illicit transfer of goods. The colony can be further developed into a wealthy mercantile enterprise, or piracy can be encouraged. The second course of action does not benefit trade, but does provide hardy and extremely experienced crews for newly constructed ships.\n\nPiracy was a terrible problem in Japan during the Sengoku Jidai, often crippling trade. There was, of course, a lack of central authority, and the local lords often used pirates to further their own ends, if only by encouraging attacks upon neighbours. On more than one occasion at least one neighbour grew extremely angry: from time to time the Chinese descended on particular pirate havens and dispensed summary justice, tinged with a little outright vengeance! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_1_Description \n\nAlthough ninja may be regarded as dangerous, troublesome and underhand, there is no denying their usefulness to a daimyo. An enemy who meets a knife in the dark will be just as dead as one killed in battle. The ninja here can be encouraged along two paths: to become better killers, or to act as smugglers, and improve the income of the province.\n\nNinja “clans” were not uncommon in Japan, as families tended to pass the secrets of ninjutsu between father and son. The matter was never openly talked about. Much of what is commonly believed about ninja is largely movie invention: even the ninjato, the ninja sword, has no proven historical basis. A ninja almost certainly carried a katana, the finest sword he could, if he carried a sword at all. Shuriken (darts, stars and other projectiles) were also carried and used.\n\nOne, possibly apocryphal tale, illustrates the dedication and danger of the ninja. Having been hired to assassinate a lord, the ninja allegedly waited down a toilet, surrounded by faeces, for the bottom of his target to appear in the appropriate place, then thrust home his blade. The victim’s death must have been surprising, agonizing and swift! The ninja must surely have been blessed with a strong stomach, or no sense of smell, to spend days in such hideous conditions. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_2a_Description \n\nAlthough ninja may be regarded as dangerous, troublesome and underhand, there is no denying their usefulness to a daimyo. An enemy who meets a knife in the dark will be just as dead as one killed in battle. The ninja here can be encouraged along two paths: to become better killers, or to act as smugglers, and improve the income of the province.\n\nNinja “clans” were not uncommon in Japan, as families tended to pass the secrets of ninjutsu between father and son. The matter was never openly talked about. Much of what is commonly believed about ninja is largely movie invention: even the ninjato, the ninja sword, has no proven historical basis. A ninja almost certainly carried a katana, the finest sword he could, if he carried a sword at all. Shuriken (darts, stars and other projectiles) were also carried and used.\n\nOne, possibly apocryphal tale, illustrates the dedication and danger of the ninja. Having been hired to assassinate a lord, the ninja allegedly waited down a toilet, surrounded by faeces, for the bottom of his target to appear in the appropriate place, then thrust home his blade. The victim’s death must have been surprising, agonizing and swift! The ninja must surely have been blessed with a strong stomach, or no sense of smell, to spend days in such hideous conditions. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_2b_Description \n\nAlthough ninja may be regarded as dangerous, troublesome and underhand, there is no denying their usefulness to a daimyo. An enemy who meets a knife in the dark will be just as dead as one killed in battle. The ninja here can be encouraged along two paths: to become better killers, or to act as smugglers, and improve the income of the province.\n\nNinja “clans” were not uncommon in Japan, as families tended to pass the secrets of ninjutsu between father and son. The matter was never openly talked about. Much of what is commonly believed about ninja is largely movie invention: even the ninjato, the ninja sword, has no proven historical basis. A ninja almost certainly carried a katana, the finest sword he could, if he carried a sword at all. Shuriken (darts, stars and other projectiles) were also carried and used.\n\nOne, possibly apocryphal tale, illustrates the dedication and danger of the ninja. Having been hired to assassinate a lord, the ninja allegedly waited down a toilet, surrounded by faeces, for the bottom of his target to appear in the appropriate place, then thrust home his blade. The victim’s death must have been surprising, agonizing and swift! The ninja must surely have been blessed with a strong stomach, or no sense of smell, to spend days in such hideous conditions. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_3a_Description \n\nAlthough ninja may be regarded as dangerous, troublesome and underhand, there is no denying their usefulness to a daimyo. An enemy who meets a knife in the dark will be just as dead as one killed in battle. The ninja here can be encouraged along two paths: to become better killers, or to act as smugglers, and improve the income of the province.\n\nNinja “clans” were not uncommon in Japan, as families tended to pass the secrets of ninjutsu between father and son. The matter was never openly talked about. Much of what is commonly believed about ninja is largely movie invention: even the ninjato, the ninja sword, has no proven historical basis. A ninja almost certainly carried a katana, the finest sword he could, if he carried a sword at all. Shuriken (darts, stars and other projectiles) were also carried and used.\n\nOne, possibly apocryphal tale, illustrates the dedication and danger of the ninja. Having been hired to assassinate a lord, the ninja allegedly waited down a toilet, surrounded by faeces, for the bottom of his target to appear in the appropriate place, then thrust home his blade. The victim’s death must have been surprising, agonizing and swift! The ninja must surely have been blessed with a strong stomach, or no sense of smell, to spend days in such hideous conditions. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_3b_Description \n\nAlthough ninja may be regarded as dangerous, troublesome and underhand, there is no denying their usefulness to a daimyo. An enemy who meets a knife in the dark will be just as dead as one killed in battle. The ninja here can be encouraged along two paths: to become better killers, or to act as smugglers, and improve the income of the province.\n\nNinja “clans” were not uncommon in Japan, as families tended to pass the secrets of ninjutsu between father and son. The matter was never openly talked about. Much of what is commonly believed about ninja is largely movie invention: even the ninjato, the ninja sword, has no proven historical basis. A ninja almost certainly carried a katana, the finest sword he could, if he carried a sword at all. Shuriken (darts, stars and other projectiles) were also carried and used.\n\nOne, possibly apocryphal tale, illustrates the dedication and danger of the ninja. Having been hired to assassinate a lord, the ninja allegedly waited down a toilet, surrounded by faeces, for the bottom of his target to appear in the appropriate place, then thrust home his blade. The victim’s death must have been surprising, agonizing and swift! The ninja must surely have been blessed with a strong stomach, or no sense of smell, to spend days in such hideous conditions. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_1_Description \n\nThere are specialist blacksmiths in this province. They may be ordered to follow one of two paths: that of the sword, or the way of the armourer. These specialists will greatly improve the melee attacks of the clan’s units, or their armour in battle.\n\nIron working has always been a much-appreciated skill in Japan. The art of forging swords is a delicate and time-consuming business, and skilled swordsmiths were both honoured and sought after as retainers. Armourers, on the other hand, sometimes fared less well in terms of social status because their craft used leather, and tanning was a job for social outcasts as it involved handling dead animals. Some armourers would sign their work, and produce complex family histories to elevate their status. Nevertheless, the products of their labour, such as the elaborate and beautiful o-yoroi, are still valued today. King James I of England was sent gifts of samurai armour by the Tokugawa shogunate; the armour is still in the Royal Armouries collection. \n\nFinally, armour was expensive, and this often meant that suits of armour re-used pieces from older sets. This makes dating particular pieces of armour tricky, because it was not uncommon for older maker’s marks to be erased and the refurbisher’s mark to be put on instead. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_2a_Description \n\nThere are specialist blacksmiths in this province. They may be ordered to follow one of two paths: that of the sword, or the way of the armourer. These specialists will greatly improve the melee attacks of the clan’s units, or their armour in battle.\n\nIron working has always been a much-appreciated skill in Japan. The art of forging swords is a delicate and time-consuming business, and skilled swordsmiths were both honoured and sought after as retainers. Armourers, on the other hand, sometimes fared less well in terms of social status because their craft used leather, and tanning was a job for social outcasts as it involved handling dead animals. Some armourers would sign their work, and produce complex family histories to elevate their status. Nevertheless, the products of their labour, such as the elaborate and beautiful o-yoroi, are still valued today. King James I of England was sent gifts of samurai armour by the Tokugawa shogunate; the armour is still in the Royal Armouries collection. \n\nFinally, armour was expensive, and this often meant that suits of armour re-used pieces from older sets. This makes dating particular pieces of armour tricky, because it was not uncommon for older maker’s marks to be erased and the refurbisher’s mark to be put on instead. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_2b_Description \n\nThere are specialist blacksmiths in this province. They may be ordered to follow one of two paths: that of the sword, or the way of the armourer. These specialists will greatly improve the melee attacks of the clan’s units, or their armour in battle.\n\nIron working has always been a much-appreciated skill in Japan. The art of forging swords is a delicate and time-consuming business, and skilled swordsmiths were both honoured and sought after as retainers. Armourers, on the other hand, sometimes fared less well in terms of social status because their craft used leather, and tanning was a job for social outcasts as it involved handling dead animals. Some armourers would sign their work, and produce complex family histories to elevate their status. Nevertheless, the products of their labour, such as the elaborate and beautiful o-yoroi, are still valued today. King James I of England was sent gifts of samurai armour by the Tokugawa shogunate; the armour is still in the Royal Armouries collection. \n\nFinally, armour was expensive, and this often meant that suits of armour re-used pieces from older sets. This makes dating particular pieces of armour tricky, because it was not uncommon for older maker’s marks to be erased and the refurbisher’s mark to be put on instead. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_3a_Description \n\nThere are specialist blacksmiths in this province. They may be ordered to follow one of two paths: that of the sword, or the way of the armourer. These specialists will greatly improve the melee attacks of the clan’s units, or their armour in battle.\n\nIron working has always been a much-appreciated skill in Japan. The art of forging swords is a delicate and time-consuming business, and skilled swordsmiths were both honoured and sought after as retainers. Armourers, on the other hand, sometimes fared less well in terms of social status because their craft used leather, and tanning was a job for social outcasts as it involved handling dead animals. Some armourers would sign their work, and produce complex family histories to elevate their status. Nevertheless, the products of their labour, such as the elaborate and beautiful o-yoroi, are still valued today. King James I of England was sent gifts of samurai armour by the Tokugawa shogunate; the armour is still in the Royal Armouries collection. \n\nFinally, armour was expensive, and this often meant that suits of armour re-used pieces from older sets. This makes dating particular pieces of armour tricky, because it was not uncommon for older maker’s marks to be erased and the refurbisher’s mark to be put on instead. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_3b_Description \n\nThere are specialist blacksmiths in this province. They may be ordered to follow one of two paths: that of the sword, or the way of the armourer. These specialists will greatly improve the melee attacks of the clan’s units, or their armour in battle.\n\nIron working has always been a much-appreciated skill in Japan. The art of forging swords is a delicate and time-consuming business, and skilled swordsmiths were both honoured and sought after as retainers. Armourers, on the other hand, sometimes fared less well in terms of social status because their craft used leather, and tanning was a job for social outcasts as it involved handling dead animals. Some armourers would sign their work, and produce complex family histories to elevate their status. Nevertheless, the products of their labour, such as the elaborate and beautiful o-yoroi, are still valued today. King James I of England was sent gifts of samurai armour by the Tokugawa shogunate; the armour is still in the Royal Armouries collection. \n\nFinally, armour was expensive, and this often meant that suits of armour re-used pieces from older sets. This makes dating particular pieces of armour tricky, because it was not uncommon for older maker’s marks to be erased and the refurbisher’s mark to be put on instead. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Stone_1_Description \n\nGood quality stone can be found in convenient places in this province, and the local stoneworkers are reasonably expert in getting it out of the ground. As the stonemasons are given more equipment, they can improve the amount of usable stone they extract, and so improve the defensive value of any castle that is constructed.\n\nThis kind of development also includes the transport system needed to ship stone to where it is required. Before the advent of powered transport, moving masonry and stone was often more work than actually extracting the stuff, and it is no coincidence that many quarries were near either the coast or a navigable river: boats were often the only way to transport heavy items over any distance. Final shaping and any detail work is, and was, nearly always done on the building site. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Stone_2_Description \n\nGood quality stone can be found in convenient places in this province, and the local stoneworkers are reasonably expert in getting it out of the ground. As the stonemasons are given more equipment, they can improve the amount of usable stone they extract, and so improve the defensive value of any castle that is constructed.\n\nThis kind of development also includes the transport system needed to ship stone to where it is required. Before the advent of powered transport, moving masonry and stone was often more work than actually extracting the stuff, and it is no coincidence that many quarries were near either the coast or a navigable river: boats were often the only way to transport heavy items over any distance. Final shaping and any detail work is, and was, nearly always done on the building site. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Stone_3_Description \n\nGood quality stone can be found in convenient places in this province, and the local stoneworkers are reasonably expert in getting it out of the ground. As the stonemasons are given more equipment, they can improve the amount of usable stone they extract, and so improve the defensive value of any castle that is constructed.\n\nThis kind of development also includes the transport system needed to ship stone to where it is required. Before the advent of powered transport, moving masonry and stone was often more work than actually extracting the stuff, and it is no coincidence that many quarries were near either the coast or a navigable river: boats were often the only way to transport heavy items over any distance. Final shaping and any detail work is, and was, nearly always done on the building site. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Timber_1_Description \n\nIf the kodama are properly respected, the forests in this province will flourish. With the right investment, the lumbermen will be able to harvest enough good trees to reduce the cost of any vessels constructed. As the lumberyard and sawmill are developed, the costs of ships will be greatly lessened. Not all timber taken from a forest will be suitable for shipbuilding: for some European designs, for example, quite specific trunk-and-bough shapes are required for certain parts of the vessel, but wastage can be minimised. \n\nIt also takes time for cut timber to dry out and season properly for use in shipbuilding. While green timber can be used, it tends to warp and distort as it dries, making it difficult for shipwrights, or any other builders, to work straight. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Timber_2_Description \n\nIf the kodama are properly respected, the forests in this province will flourish. With the right investment, the lumbermen will be able to harvest enough good trees to reduce the cost of any vessels constructed. As the lumberyard and sawmill are developed, the costs of ships will be greatly lessened. Not all timber taken from a forest will be suitable for shipbuilding: for some European designs, for example, quite specific trunk-and-bough shapes are required for certain parts of the vessel, but wastage can be minimised. \n\nIt also takes time for cut timber to dry out and season properly for use in shipbuilding. While green timber can be used, it tends to warp and distort as it dries, making it difficult for shipwrights, or any other builders, to work straight. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Timber_3_Description \n\nIf the kodama are properly respected, the forests in this province will flourish. With the right investment, the lumbermen will be able to harvest enough good trees to reduce the cost of any vessels constructed. As the lumberyard and sawmill are developed, the costs of ships will be greatly lessened. Not all timber taken from a forest will be suitable for shipbuilding: for some European designs, for example, quite specific trunk-and-bough shapes are required for certain parts of the vessel, but wastage can be minimised. \n\nIt also takes time for cut timber to dry out and season properly for use in shipbuilding. While green timber can be used, it tends to warp and distort as it dries, making it difficult for shipwrights, or any other builders, to work straight. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Siege_1_Workshop_Description \n\nThis building allows the construction of basic siege engines. Sooner or later a castle will need to be reduced or breached, and then taken from the enemy. The defending commander may even decide that his best course is to sit out the siege. It is at this point that an attack needs a really big weapon to break down the enemy walls.\n\nSieges often required quite advanced military engineering on the part of the attackers. At Noda Castle in 1573, when a corps of miners with the attacking Takeda army drained the moat, the defenders lost their water supply too. It was only the shooting of Lord Takeda Shingen by a sniper that halted the attack. However, there was also a notable tendency for Japanese garrisons to leave their castles and attack their besiegers. It was not always considered honourable to cower behind the walls when there was a clean fight to be had with your tormentors outside! It was quite possible for the besieging army to capture a castle almost intact, because the defenders had been terribly obliging and come out into the field to be killed in an honourable way. On the other hand, some garrisons were remarkably tenacious: at Odawara in 1561, the castle held out for two months, despite the town around it being burned to the ground. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Siege_2_Powder_Maker_Description \n\nThis building allows the training of horoku units. Gunpowder is notoriously tricky stuff to make safely, and there is more art to it than many would suspect. The ingredients used, their individual preparation, and the proportions needed for the final mix are all jealously guarded secrets. The final stages, when the powder is mixed with water, dried out, and then carefully ground to the correct size are particularly dangerous. One spark will spell disaster, particularly in Japan where so many buildings are made of wood!\n\nAlthough the Japanese had been on the receiving end of gunpowder weapons in the 13th century, courtesy of the Mongols, they chose not to use them in warfare. This was unusual, as the Japanese had not been particularly reticent about taking Chinese ideas of all kinds, refining them, and producing a distinctly excellent local version of all kinds of things. Striking down enemies at a distance with little chance of reply did not, however, easily sit within the samurai concept of bushido. It was one thing to shoot someone with an arrow, quite another to blow an enemy to small pieces. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Siege_3_Gunsmith_Description \n\nThis building allows the recruitment of matchlock-armed samurai units. By breaking the reliance on European guns, a lord can add considerably to his war-making potential. Given a suitable place to work, a Japanese gunsmith can be every bit as clever, cunning and productive as a gaijin on the other side of the world! \n\nOnce Japanese weapon smiths had seen European firearms and understood what they were about, it did not take long for local examples to be manufactured. Indeed, Japanese craftsmanship quickly improved on the imported examples of matchlocks, making them more practical battlefield weapons: Japanese gunsmiths added a foresight to guns years before Europeans thought of doing the same thing. Later they also invented a way of shielding the burning match from the rain. Needless to say, the locally made guns often displayed high quality workmanship and materials, and those guns intended for samurai users were well made and beautifully finished. The brown colour of many gun barrels was not the metal going rusty but a finish that would resist corrosion. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Siege_4_Arsenal_Description \n\nA large store of weapons, armour and other necessaries is vital to warfare. A general worth his sword knows that his men cannot march without shoes, fight without weapons or live without food. To command warriors is meaningless unless they have what they need to carry the fight to the enemy. The arsenal allows the recruitment of rocket units. In addition, an experienced force of matchlock samurai will always be present in the province for defensive purposes. The first clan to construct an arsenal will also benefit from improved reloading times for all matchlock-carrying troops.\n\nAs the wars of the Sengoku Jidai increased in ferocity and armies increased in size, weapons and armour became less a matter of choice for individual samurai, and more of a logistical nightmare. A samurai might well provide all his own war gear, but the thousands of ashigaru being recruited into the clan armies needed everything from helmets to socks and sandals. This lead to standardisation of equipment by all clans, and a literally uniform appearance in their respective warriors. In this, the Japanese warlords were well ahead of their European contemporaries. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Stealth_1_Sake_Den_Description \n\nA sake den makes people happy, after a fashion. There is much to be said in favour of a flask of sake at the end of a long, hard day, and many troubles look much smaller after a convivial evening. In the shadows, however, and hidden behind smiles, darker business can be transacted: secrets exchanged and arrangements made. Among other dangerous types, ninjas are to be found here.\n\nOne of the most popular beverages in Japan, sake was originally only produced in small quantities for personal consumption. In the 1300s, however, mass production began in larger distilleries, often near temples and shrines. In later years, the main producers kept to the same places thanks to the availability of good sake rice and good, clean water. Sake was often used in Shinto rituals, and today barrels of sake are still left at shrines as rather splendid offerings to the spirits. Sake is also central to the Shinto ceremony of “kagami biraki”, performed at weddings and festivals. Wooden casks of sake are smashed open with a mallet, and the drinks are then served to all the guests to bring them good fortune. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Stealth_2_Gambling_Hall_Description \n\nThe chance to gamble, with some small chance of winning, is a good way to keep people occupied and happy. The gambling hall helps to improve a province’s wealth and, additionally, attracts ninjas looking to sell their skills to the highest bidder. There is always a darker side to something that is, after all, less than entirely respectable.\n\nSocial standing was of utmost importance in feudal Japan. The gentry and warriors were at the top of the system, peasants below them, followed by artisans and merchants. There were, however, groups even lower than merchants, outcastes who did not even belong to society. These people included burakumin, the hinin, and the bakuto. The burakumin had jobs that were held to be taboo, such as undertakers and tanners: people who worked with the dead, human and animal (although, to be fair, tanning was a disgusting process and no one who had any sense of smell could stand being anywhere near). Hinin were almost non-human, defined as such by their actions: criminals and those such as actors and entertainers. The bakuto were gamblers, who did not earn an honest living. This did not stop them becoming rich and relatively powerful, although without status. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Stealth_3_Criminal_Syndicate_Description \n\nA town with no crime is too poor to have anything worth stealing! Crime syndicates, however, are not about theft: they provide all kinds of illicit and enjoyable services to the local people, even as they intimidate troublesome individuals into keeping quiet. The syndicate has a positive effect on wealth, give or take, and it aids in procuring the services of a dangerous class of men: battlefield ninjas. \n\nJapanese crime syndicates, the yakuza, have a long tradition and can trace their origins back to the era of the Tokugawa shogunate and earlier. The name is deliberately ironic: a portmanteau of the Japanese for eight, nine and three, a losing hand at cards. From their start as gamblers, the yakuza became a mirror of samurai society, with their own codes of honour. Yakuza are famed for their tattoos, the elaborate designs showing that the wearer has the strength to take the pain of his decorative work. Other than yakuza, the only Japanese group to regularly carry tattoos are firemen. Tattoos are a reason for ordinary Japanese to be suspicious of strangers. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Stealth_4_Mizu_Shobai_Description \n\nThis whole city quarter given over to every kind of entertainment does much to increase the wealth of the province, as many are drawn to sample its pleasures. Even though much is relatively harmless fun, there is also a darker side where other business can be transacted away from watchful eyes. The district allows the recruitment of geishas.\n\nThe concept of ukiyo or the “floating world” became formalised during the Edo period. Red light districts were not uncommon in great cities, but the one in Yoshiwara in Edo became the most elaborate and famous. Within its boundaries almost any form of entertainment was available for those with money. Visitors to the quarter were expected to leave their weapons behind, one of the few occasions when a samurai would willingly be disarmed!\n\nThe “water trade” or mizu shobai had its own rules, strictly defined hierarchy and did not necessarily involve sex at all. Entertainers, comedians, dancers and others were all part of the trade, but not sexually available. There was also a very clear distinction between a prostitute or courtesan and a geisha. A geisha was unlikely to become sexually involved with any of her customers, and especially not for pay. She was a highly skilled entertainer and escort, not a bed companion. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Sword_1_Sword_School_Description \n\nThe sword school allows the recruitment of katana samurai units. Use of the sword is a serious business, and the teaching and practice of sword fighting is equally serious. Students are expected to approach the subject with the deepest reverence. This is not unsurprising, given that a katana, or long sword, can easily sever a limb if handled carelessly!\n\nSamurai were the only people allowed to wear a pair of swords, the daisho (literally “long and short”) of a katana and a wakizashi. Constant practice was required to use a sword properly, and many schools taught the art of kenjutsu. Iaijutsu was also taught, but this was the specialised skill of drawing and striking with a sword away from the battlefield, a useful thing for self-defence in dangerous times. The emphasis in all teaching, however, was on combat, not on sport or fun. Style mattered, but only as long as it aided the serious business of beating an opponent. Teaching also concentrated on the katana, although a few practitioners, such as the famous sword-saint, Miyamoto Musashi, favoured a two-sword style. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Sword_2_Nodachi_Description \n\nThis dojo allows the recruitment of no-dachi samurai units, armed with fearsome greatswords. The use of these swords is a specialised art, and not all samurai are suited or able to use no-dachi. The weapon is also one that requires considerable space, even for practice. However, the men who can use the swords command considerable respect among their peers.\n\nThe term “dojo” means “the place of the way”, or a formal training setting for a particular martial art. Often these would be large halls built in temple grounds, but courtyards could also be used. In the case of a no-dachi, training would have to be in the open air.\n\nA no-dachi was instantly recognisable when carried because it was worn slung over the shoulder, but its great length meant that it could not be drawn from that position. It was a weapon for the open battlefield, and rarely used indoors or in confined spaces because it needed a lot of space to use effectively. Of most use against cavalry, the no-dachi was not a common blade, as it was harder to make than a shorter sword and required a strong man to swing it! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Sword_3_Master_Dojo_Description \n\nThe sword master school both improves the quality of sword-armed units recruited here and reduces the amount of time needed to train them. A sword takes many weeks of patient labour to forge, but the swordsman takes even longer. The sword is the soul of the samurai, and long hours of practice are necessary to master this apparently simple weapon.\n\nA kenjutsu school was more than a building: it was also the philosophy and ideas of its teachers and leaders, and each had its own style of combat and teaching. Although all schools shared the idea of kata, or forms, for practice, how these were used could vary greatly. Rivalry between schools was, at times, quite fierce, almost bordering on feuds, and duels to settle which school had the best style were not uncommon. The sword saint, Miyamoto Musashi, was, at one point in his career, particularly given to duelling with adepts from different schools. In his most famous duel he used a bokken, or wooden practice sword, against a man armed with a no-dachi. Accounts differ as to how his opponent, Sasaki Kojiro, died (and even as to why they fought) but all agree that Musashi beat him with a wooden blade! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Sword_4_Legendary_Dojo_Description \n\nThe legendary kenjutsu school allows the recruitment of hero units. It also greatly improves the quality of all sword-armed units recruited here. An experienced unit of katana samurai will always be present to defend their school. Finally, the first clan to construct this legendary school will gain a useful close combat bonus for their units. The correct use of the sword is one of the traditional marks of the samurai warrior class; the other is skill with the bow. A kenjutsu school of this quality is therefore a mark of great honour for a clan, as well as a practical benefit.\n\nMany martial arts, including kenjutsu, the art of swordplay, are based on a set of kata, or codified forms, meaning both moves and stances. These actions help the martial artist learn and perfect his skills in combat, to the point where he no longer has to think about his next move or response to an opponent. A particular school of martial arts can often be distinguished by the kata that it expounds, as well as by its underlying spiritual philosophy. \n\nIaijutsu, the “art of immediate reaction”, relies almost entirely on kata because its fast-draw sword techniques are usually practiced alone. Apart from anything else, it would be supremely dangerous to practice iaijutsu with a partner unless both participants were supremely skilled. Even then, death or dismemberment would come all too easily. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Yari_1_Drill_Yard_Description \n\nThe drill yard allows the recruitment and training of yari-armed samurai units. Using a spear effectively in battle requires training, discipline and trust.\n\nThe art of using a spear, sojutsu, is one of many Japanese martial arts, and probably among the oldest. The spear was, with the bow, one of the traditional weapons of the samurai. The spear also has its place in Japanese mythology, because drops falling from the tip of ame-no-nuboko, the “Heavenly Jewelled Spear” formed the islands of Japan. This spear, however, is also referred to as a naginata, a slightly shorter slashing pole arm.\n\nThe spear came to be seen as a very cost-effective weapon for troops during the feudal wars of the Sengoku Jidai. Combined with bow and matchlock armed troops, spearmen formed the core of most clan armies. Spear fighting in Japan was a good deal more aggressive than the “push of pikes” that went on in European battles of roughly the same period. This probably reflected the more honour-bound and glory-hungry nature of Japanese warfare, as many European armies were full of mercenaries who could only be paid if they were still alive! True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Yari_2_Naginata_Dojo_Description \n\nThis dojo allows the recruitment of naginata-armed samurai units; if there is a large enough temple in the province, naginata-armed monks can also be trained. The naginata itself is a fearsome weapon, and requires considerable training to use effectively in battle. It is also a weapon favoured by samurai women for “home defence” when their men are on campaign. It should not, however, be considered in any way effeminate because of that!\n\nTo the untrained eye, the naginata looks like a spear with a wickedly sharp sword instead of a point. It can be used as a spear, of course, to thrust into an enemy or braced to receive a charge, but it is at its most effective when an adept uses it to cut and parry. Anyone facing a naginata has to deal with something that can cut and slash at a greater range than any sword, and be used to block any counterattack: the shaft is as much a part of the weapon’s strength as the blade itself! Traditionally, it was considered an extremely useful weapon against mounted enemies. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Yari_3_Master_Dojo_Description \n\nThis dojo speeds up the training of spear-armed troops. It also improves the expertise and experience of spear units trained in this province. Spears are traditional weapons and have been for centuries, but skilled men are needed to get the best from the weapons. Samurai spearmen bring their single-minded dedication to the weapon, but still need training.\n\nSojutsu, the art of the spear, is no longer a popular martial art in Japan, possibly because of the large amount of space needed for practice: kenjutsu, the art of the sword, needs far less room. Considered one of koryu, the traditional martial arts, the origins of sojutsu are lost in time, but it ceased to be taught on even a modest scale during the Meiji Restoration in 1866-9. Many schools were forced to close at that time, often after hundreds of years of continuous existence. The masters had relied on a rice stipend from the provinces to stay in business, and once that was gone the schools could no longer continue. True
building_description_texts_long_description_SHO_Yari_4_Legendary_School_Description \n\nThis legendary school greatly increases the expertise and experience of spear-armed samurai units trained in this province. It also allows the recruitment of yari-armed hero units. An experienced unit of yari-armed samurai will always be present in the province to defend their famous school. Finally, if a clan constructs the first legendary sojutsu school in Japan all its yari-armed units receive a defensive bonus in battle.\n\nArming troops with spears reached the height of its popularity during and after the Mongol invasions of Japan. The Mongols themselves made extensive use of spearmen, and the Japanese were not slow to adapt and copy this style of warfare. During the Sengoku Jidai, spears were issued to the thousands of ashigaru troops in clan armies, as it was relatively easy to drill ashigaru in simple spear tactics: they need only hold together, brace their spears, and then push the enemy back! The samurai, however, continued to use sojutsu, and the best samurai spearmen were indeed a force to be reckoned with: brave, skilled, and committed to victory or death under the code of bushido. The same could not always be said of the ashigaru. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Archery_1_Archery_Dojo_Description The target is nothing without the arrow. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Archery_2_Foot_Archery_Description A bow holds the spirit of its maker. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Archery_3_Bow_Master_Dojo_Description Strength is not enough: there must be form as well. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Archery_4_Legendary_Dojo_Description The shot should honour the target with its sincerity. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buddhist_1_Temple_Description Quiet should not be mistaken for "peace". True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buddhist_2_Monastery_Description A man may contemplate much, including the sword's edge. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buddhist_3_Temple_Complex_Description The whole world lies within the garden for one who cares to see it. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buddhist_4_Legendary_Temple_Description Legends feed the soul of a people. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buff_1_Encampment_Description There must be a first step in every march. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buff_2_Armoury_Description The empty scabbard is useless; beautiful lacquer mocks the owner. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buff_2_Barracks_Description Fighting is not enough. There must be obedience. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buff_2_Hunting_Lodge_Description The tiger hunts where he will. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buff_2_Jiujutsu_Dojo_Description The open hand does not need a weapon. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Buff_2_Proving_Grounds_Description One man can become an army. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Castle_1_Fort_Description A reminder of lordly might is more than mere walls and towers. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Castle_2_Stronghold_Description High walls and higher towers impress the lowly. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Castle_3_Fortress_Description Without sure footing, the sword stroke will go amiss. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Castle_4_Castle_Description Absolute mastery, expressed in stone, is also a message. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Castle_5_Citadel_Description Lesser men should quail in the shadows of the great. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Cavalry_1_Stables_Description When the horse and man are as one, all else follows. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Cavalry_2_Warhorse_Stables_Description Who is braver: the cavalryman, or his horse? True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Cavalry_3_Bajutsu_Master_Description A wise man listens to his horse. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Cavalry_4_Legendary_Bajutsu_Dojo_Description A horse has a great heart, and need only be reminded of it. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Christian_1_Chapel_Description Hear the Word of the Lord. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Christian_2_Mission_Description Sheep require shepherds. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Christian_3_Church_Description A church is not built with stones, but in men's hearts. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Christian_4_Cathedral_Description "A mighty fortress is our God..." True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Crafts_1_Market_Description When two men meet in honesty, both may profit from the day. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Crafts_2_Rice_Exchange_Description There is much to be learned from the prattle of merchants. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Crafts_3_Merchant_Guild_Description Wealth may buy comfort, but will it buy peace? True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Crafts_4_Kanabukama_Description To price everything is to value nothing. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Farming_1_Rice_Paddies_Description Order and chaos are only a chopstick's length apart. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Farming_2_Irrigation_Description Empty bellies are never found in loyal men. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Farming_3_Terraces_Description The foundation of wealth is a full rice bowl. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Farming_4_Consolidation_Description When the bowl is bigger it holds more rice. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Ikko_Temple_1_Jodo_Shinshu_Temple One word, one people, one way. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Ikko_Temple_2_Jodo_Shinshu_Monastery Faith does not always bring inner peace. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Ikko_Temple_3_Jodo_Shinshu_Fortified_Monastery Training sharpens the wits and hardens the spirit. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Ikko_Temple_4_Jodo_Shinshu_Honganji Faith can build mountains. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Infrastructure_0_Trails_Description The well-worn way leads the traveller home. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Infrastructure_1_Roads_Description Where one foot has trodden, another may follow with certainty. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Infrastructure_2_Post_Stations_Description Bad news flies on falcon's wings; the good dawdles at every inn. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Infrastructure_3_Imperial_Roads_Description Only the last step completes a journey. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Port_0_Coastal_Village_Description The waves give riches to the fisherman, and take them away. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Port_1_Harbour_Description The sailor takes ship eager to be away from the wife in this port. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Port_2_Trading_Port_Description The sea-road is wide, and leads everywhere. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Port_3_Military_Port_Description Beyond the gulls' cries, the waves test men's courage. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Port_3_Nanban_Trade_Port_Description Foreign gold is still gold. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Port_4_Drydock_Description A good shipwright travels in his own ship. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Port_4_Nanban_Quarter_Description Even the unwashed, unmannered and unwelcome can be useful. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_1_Description The simplest thing is worthy of respect. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_2a_Description An arrow does not hate its target. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_2b_Description Ink and blood are both easily spilled. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_3a_Description The man who adds beauty to the world is blessed. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Craftwork_3b_Description The master's spirit guides every arrow. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Gold_Mining_1_Description Wealth is never dishonourable. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Gold_Mining_2_Description Gold is more powerful than steel, for steel obeys gold. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Gold_Mining_3_Description A mountain has deep roots, and hides its riches well. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_1_Description When the spirits move, men should be still. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_2a_Description Mountains and gods are unforgiving. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_2b_Description As long as a man travels, he may arrive. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_3a_Description To withdraw from the world is not to forget the world. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Holy_Site_3b_Description At journey's end, understanding awaits. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Horses_1_Description No horse goes to war willingly. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Horses_2_Description Like a cherry blossom, perfection is fleeting. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Horses_3_Description The warrior should strive to be worthy of his noble steed. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_1_Description Before the word is written, the brush must be held correctly. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_2a_Description Learning sharpens the wits, sometimes to killing effect. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_2b_Description The fool looks; the educated man sees; the wise man understands. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_3a_Description There is harmony in perfect order. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Intellectual_3b_Description Law is heavier than any sword. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Iron_Mining_1_Description The earth has riches, for those who respect her. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Iron_Mining_2_Description Iron-hearted men are needed to win iron from the earth. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Iron_Mining_3_Description The earth does not yield its treasures easily. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_1_Description Where men gather, purses grow fat. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_2a_Description In another life, any man might be a pirate. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_2b_Description Trade is a question of timing. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_3a_Description One day, the pirate may call himself "Sea Lord". True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Naval_3b_Description Trade is a river, and it waters all the land. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_1_Description Death and profit are also found in darkness. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_2a_Description The best place to hide is out in the open. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_2b_Description Thought is the sharpest blade of all. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_3a_Description Shadows are the best defence. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Ninja_3b_Description What an excise man misses, others may value. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_1_Description As the iron is forged so too is bravery, but in a hotter fire. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_2a_Description Armour is prudence, forged in iron, bound in leather and silk. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_2b_Description When even one spear is blunted, the army is weakened. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_3a_Description A coward in beautiful armour is still a coward. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Smithing_3b_Description The sword gives form to the master's wit. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Stone_1_Description The mason asks the stone what it wants to be. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Stone_2_Description The quarryman who ignores the kami does not live long. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Stone_3_Description No stone wants to be unfinished. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Timber_1_Description The careful woodsman always respects the kodama. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Timber_2_Description There is a season to all things. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Region_Specialty_Timber_3_Description Beauty and strength await the saw blade. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Siege_1_Workshop_Description The smith bends iron to his will; the gunner, the enemy. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Siege_2_Powder_Maker_Description Hellfire confined is not hellfire tamed. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Siege_3_Gunsmith_Description "...Power comes from the barrel of the gun." True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Siege_4_Arsenal_Description A loaded cannon often discourages dissent. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Stealth_1_Sake_Den_Description "Oi! Are you looking at my geisha, you bastard?" True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Stealth_2_Gambling_Hall_Description "An eight. A nine. And… a three!" True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Stealth_3_Criminal_Syndicate_Description Respect, honour and profit drink at the same inn. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Stealth_4_Mizu_Shobai_Description Both happiness and sorrow burden the soul. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Sword_1_Sword_School_Description A sword is never safe, but the swordsman is dangerous. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Sword_2_Nodachi_Description Swords do not permit insolence. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Sword_3_Master_Dojo_Description The edge is the dividing line between life and death. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Sword_4_Legendary_Dojo_Description The true master does not draw his sword to show mastery. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Yari_1_Drill_Yard_Description An action does not require thought. The body will learn. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Yari_2_Naginata_Dojo_Description Fear stabs at the enemy before the spear. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Yari_3_Master_Dojo_Description He who has the longest spear wins on points. True
building_description_texts_short_description_SHO_Yari_4_Legendary_School_Description When the soul is quiet, the spearpoint is steady. True
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