Which disease cost Masamune his right eye as a child?
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Smallpox
The diseased eye was disfigured; Masamune later covered it with an eye patch or a cloth.
💡 Did you know? He is said to have ordered that portraits show him with both eyes.
All questions with answers
Which nickname did his lost eye earn him?
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One-Eyed Dragon
In Japanese the nickname is Dokuganryū; in China it had already belonged to the one-eyed Tang general Li Keyong.
💡 Did you know? The 1987 NHK drama “Dokuganryū Masamune” is one of the most successful historical series ever shown in Japan.
In which battle did Masamune defeat the Ashina in 1589?
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Suriagehara
The victory brought him Aizu and made the Date the strongest power in north-eastern Japan.
💡 Did you know? Hideyoshi took Aizu away from him again as early as 1590, because Masamune had waged war without permission.
Dressed in which colour did Masamune appear late before Hideyoshi in 1590?
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White
He reached the siege of Odawara so late that he had to expect execution, and showed himself ready to die.
💡 Did you know? Hideyoshi is said to have tapped him on the neck with his stick and told him he had nearly lost his head.
Which town did Masamune build up as his new seat after 1600?
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Sendai
High above the town he had Aoba Castle built; Sendai became the centre of his domain.
💡 Did you know? Today Sendai, with around a million inhabitants, is the largest city in the Tōhoku region.
Which emblem adorned Masamune’s helmet as a large golden crest?
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Crescent moon
The sweeping, slender crescent made him recognisable on the battlefield from far away.
💡 Did you know? The black armour with the crescent helmet is said to have been one model for Darth Vader’s helmet.
Which retainer did Masamune send to Europe as his envoy in 1613?
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Hasekura Tsunenaga
The journey went on the Japanese-built San Juan Bautista across the Pacific to Mexico, and from there to Spain and Rome.
💡 Did you know? Some members of the embassy stayed in Spain; in Coria del Río people still bear the surname Japón.
Which pope received Masamune’s embassy in Rome in 1615?
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Paul V
Hasekura delivered a letter from Masamune asking for trade with New Spain and for missionaries.
💡 Did you know? Hasekura was made an honorary citizen of Rome; the certificate survives in Sendai to this day.
Which retainer, known as Kojūrō, was Masamune’s closest confidant?
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Katakura Kagetsuna
He was first Masamune’s tutor and then his most important adviser and general.
💡 Did you know? The name Katakura Kojūrō was passed down in his family for generations.
In which year did Date Masamune die?
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1636
He died at his residence in the shogunate’s capital, where the lords had to stay at regular intervals.
💡 Did you know? His mausoleum, the Zuihōden in Sendai, was destroyed in the war in 1945 and later faithfully rebuilt.
Foto: Kanō Yasunobu · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
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Date Masamune
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