Takeda Shingen (武田 信玄; December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573) was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the Sengoku period. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyō of the late Sengoku period and was credited with exceptional military prestige. Despite being based in Kai Province, a poor area with little arable land and no access to the sea, he became one of Japan's leading daimyō. His skills are highly esteemed and on par with Mōri Motonari.
Shingen's childhood names were Tarō (太郎), indicating that he was the eldest son, and Katsuchiyo (勝千代). After his genpuku (coming-of-age ceremony), he was given the formal name Harunobu (晴信), which included a character from the name of Ashikaga Yoshiharu, the twelfth shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. It was a common practice in feudal Japan for a higher-ranking samurai to bestow a character from his own name to his inferiors as a symbol of recognition. From a jizamurai's perspective, it was an honor to receive a character from the shogunate, although the authority of the latter had greatly degenerated by the mid-16th century.
Both the Ashikaga and the Takeda descended from the Minamoto clan. Technically, Harunobu, as well as his forefathers, had borne the surname of Minamoto. Therefore, Harunobu is referred to as Minamoto no Harunobu (源 晴信) in official records kept by the Imperial Court when he was conferred the official title of Master of the Palace Table (大膳大夫, Daizen Daibu). The Imperial Court had maintained a ritsuryō system parallel to the shogunate apparatus.
In February 1559, Harunobu chose to live a pravrajyā (semi-monastic) life as a Buddhist novitiate monk and received a dharma name, Shingen (信玄)), from his Buddhist teacher. This pronunciation follows the on'yomi system of Chinese loanwords. However, the same kanji can also be read as "Nobuharu" using the kun'yomi system, which is the inversion of his official name, Harunobu. In ancient times, such religious names of recognised kuge (aristocracy) were pronounced according to the on'yomi system rather than the kun'yomi one. Although widely known by his dharma name, Shingen's formal name remained Harunobu throughout his life.
Shingen is sometimes referred to as the "Tiger of Kai" (甲斐の虎) for his martial prowess on the battlefield. His primary rival, Uesugi Kenshin (上杉謙信), was often called the "Dragon of Echigo (越後の龍) or the "Tiger of Echigo" (越後の虎). They fought several times in the Battles of Kawanakajima.
Shingen was the first-born son of Takeda Nobutora (武田信虎), leader of the Takeda clan, and daimyō of Kai province. He had been an accomplished poet in his youth. He assisted his father with the older relatives and vassals of the Takeda clan, and became a valuable addition to the clan at a fairly young age. In 1536, at the age of 15, he was instrumental in helping his father win the Battle of Un no Kuchi.
At some point in his life after his coming-of-age ceremony, Shingen decided to rebel against his father, Takeda Nobutora. He succeeded in 1540, taking control of the clan. Events regarding this change of leadership are not entirely clear, but it is thought that Nobutora had planned to name his second son, Takeda Nobushige, as his heir instead of Shingen. The result was a miserable retirement that was forced upon him by Shingen and his supporters: he was sent to Suruga Province, on the southern border of Kai, to be kept in custody under the scrutiny of the Imagawa clan, led by his son-in-law Imagawa Yoshimoto (今川義元), the daimyō of Suruga. For their help in this bloodless coup, an alliance was formed between the Imagawa and Takeda clans.
Shingen's first act was to gain a hold of the area around him. His goal was to conquer Shinano Province. A number of the major warlords in the Shinano region marched on the border of Kai Province, hoping to neutralise the power of the still young Shingen before he had a chance to expand into their lands. However, planning to beat him down at Fuchu (where word had it Shingen was gathering his forces for a stand), they were unprepared when Takeda forces suddenly came down upon them at the Battle of Sezawa. Taking advantage of their confusion, Shingen was able to win a quick victory, which set the stage for his drive into Shinano lands that same year and his successful Siege of Uehara. The young warlord made considerable advances into the region, conquering the Suwa clan's headquarters in the Siege of Kuwabara, before moving into central Shinano with the defeat of both Tozawa Yorichika and Takato Yoritsugu in the Siege of Fukuyo and the Battle of Ankokuji. In 1543, he captured Nagakubo Castle, Kojinyama Castle in 1544, and then Takatō Castle and Ryūgasaki Castle in 1545. In 1546, he took Uchiyama Castle and won the Battle of Odaihara, and in 1547, he took Shika Castle.
In 1548, Shingen defeated Ogasawara Nagatoki in the Battle of Shiojiritoge and then took Fukashi Castle in 1550. However, the warlord was checked at Uedahara by Murakami Yoshikiyo, losing two of his generals in a heated battle that Murakami won. Shingen managed to avenge this loss and the Murakami clan was eventually defeated in the sieges of Toishi. Murakami fled the region, eventually coming to plead for help from Echigo Province.
In 1553, he captured the castles of Katsurao, Wada, Takashima and Fukuda, and in 1554, he took the castles of Fukushima, Kannomine and Matsuo.
After conquering Shinano Province, Shingen faced another rival, Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo Province. The feud between them became legendary, and they faced each other on the battlefield five times in the Battles of Kawanakajima.
These battles were generally confined to controlled skirmishes, with neither daimyō willing to devote himself entirely to a single all-out attempt. The battle between the two that had the fiercest fighting, and might have decided victory or defeat for one side or the other, was the fourth battle, during which the famous tale arose of Kenshin's forces clearing a path through the Takeda troops and Kenshin engaging Shingen in single combat. The tale has Kenshin attacking Shingen with his sword while Shingen defends with his iron war fan. Both lords lost many men in this fight, and Shingen in particular lost two of his leading generals, Yamamoto Kansuke and his younger brother Takeda Nobushige.
After the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima, the Takeda clan suffered two internal setbacks. Shingen uncovered two plots on his life, the first from his cousin Suwa Shigemasa (whom he ordered to commit seppuku), and the second, a few years later, from his own son Takeda Yoshinobu (武田義信). His son was confined to Tōkō Temple, where he died two years later. It is unknown whether his death was natural or ordered by his father.
After this incident, Shingen designated his fourth son, Takeda Katsuyori (武田勝頼), as the acting assistant clan leader until Katsuyori's son came of age.
In 1563, Shingen allied with Hōjō Ujiyasu, and helped Ujiyasu capture Matsuyama Castle in Musashi Province. In 1565, Shingen then took Kuragano Castle and Minowa Castle in Kōzuke Province.
In 1571, Uesugi Kenshin had advanced to Kōzuke and attacked the Shingen's satellite castle, Ishikura Castle. Both forces met each other in the Battle of Tonegawa, but eventually disengaged after a well-fought battle.
The death of Takeda Yoshinobu is believed to have much to do with the change in Shingen's policy towards the Imagawa clan. After Imagawa Yoshimoto's death in the Battle of Okehazama against Oda Nobunaga in 1560, Shingen made alliances with the Oda and Tokugawa clans, and started to plan an invasion of Suruga Province, a territory now controlled by Yoshimoto's son, Ujizane. Yoshinobu, however, had strongly opposed such a plan because his wife was the daughter of Yoshimoto. By 1567, nonetheless, after Shingen had successfully kept the forces led by Uesugi Kenshin out of the northern boundaries of Shinano Province, taken over a strategically important castle in western Kōzuke, and suppressed internal objection to his plans to take advantage of the weakened Imagawa clan, he was ready to carry out his planned Suruga invasion. Shingen and Tokugawa Ieyasu came to terms and occupied the former Imagawa territory. They both fought against Yoshimoto's heir, Imagawa Ujizane.