A Living Sengoku Busho(Daimyo) List! – Introducing “Omotenashi Busho-tai (Hospitality Samurai Lords)” existing in various places of Japan
The “Omotenashi Busho-tai” is operated by local organizations, cities, prefectures, etc. as a tourism business to promote local tourist attractions and enhance regional economies, and expanded rapidly in various parts of Japan around 2010. Omotenashi Busho-tai offer a dancing, commemorative photographs and sing a song to tourists. They also participate in various local events, appear on local radio and television station programs, and use SNS such as YouTube and Facebook to distribute information and act as a local talent. Now, there are nearly 20 to 30 “Omotenashi Busho-tai” groups across Japan.
Although tours such as Ninja Village are very popular for foreign travelers, the number of foreign fans who visit this “Omotenashi Busho-tai” recently has increased due to Sengoku games and animation.
Omotenashi Busho-tai (Hospitality Samurai Lords)
Let’s check out their event schedule and enjoy a trip to the local in Japan! If you know the history of the characters in advance, you can enjoy more Omotenashi Busho-tai!
Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai
Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai is comprised of 6 bushos (army generals) and 4 jingasa soldiers.
The 6 bushos are; Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Ieyasu Tokugawa, Toshiie Maeda, Kiyomasa Kato, and Keiji Maeda. Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai members talk and act as the “real” historical figures.
They are featured in various TV shows. They also entertain visitors at the Nagoya Castle.
- Character: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Maeda Keiji (Maeda Toshimasu), Maeda Toshiie, Kato Kiyomasa
- Activity Base: Nagoya Castle in Aichi Prefecture
- Find Hotels or Ryokan (Inn) around Nagoya Castle Booking.com or Rakuten Travel
- Official Site
Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzo Ninja Corps
“Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzo Ninja Corps” is a ninja group centered on Hattori Hanzo with a history that depends on Aichi prefecture. It is a mission to promote the dissemination of charm and warlord tourism in Aichi prefecture to domestic and overseas.
- Character: Hattori Hanzo, Suiren, Sanpei, Rin, Nanashi, Kocho, Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Activity Base: Nagoya Castle in Aichi Prefecture
- Find Hotels or Ryokan (Inn) around Nagoya Castle Booking.com or Rakuten Travel
- Official Site
Great Ieyasu-Ko “Aoi” Busho-tai
Tokugawa Shitenno (Four Heavenly Kings) who supported Ieyasu Tokugawa (Tadayasu Sakai, Tadakatsu Honda, Naomasa Ii, Kozaki Sakakibara) and their vassals. In the world of turbulent Heisei, these six Sengoku Busho revived to the hometown of Tokugawa Ieyasu “Okazaki”.
- Character: Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sakai Tadatsugu, Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, Ii Naomasa, Hattori Masanari, Hiraiwa Chikayoshi, Watanabe Moritsuna, Komatsuhime
- Activity Base: Okazaki Park in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture
- Find Hotels or Ryokan (Inn) in Okazaki City Booking.com or Rakuten Travel
- Official Site
Princess Samurai of Japan (Aichi Sengoku Hime-tai)
Princess Samurai of Japan (Aichi Sengoku Hime-tai) is a hospitality Busho-Tai formed to PR “Busho’s hometown Aichi”. Princess Samurai of Japan is a “Princess Corps” because it consists of women only. Their message is “There is something we want to tell you beyond 400 years.”
- Character: Oichi, Kitsuno, Odai-no-kata, One (Kodain), Matsu, Oeyo
- Activity Base: Nagoya Castle in Aichi Prefecture
- Find Hotels or Ryokan (Inn) around Nagoya Castle Booking.com or Rakuten Travel
- Official Site
Kiyohara Gurentai
Kiyohara Gurentai is a hospitality Busho-tai of Kiyohara Uji (Kiyohara clan) who rapidly emerged during the Heian period. They are volunteer Hospitality Busho-tai to support Akita prefecture Yokote city and Misato town.
- Character: Fujiwara no Kiyohira, Kiyohara no Iehira, Kiyohira no Sanehira, Minamoto no Yoshiie, Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa, Kanurikichiji
- Activity Base: Akita Furusato Mura in Yokote-City, Akita Prefecture
- Find Hotels or Ryokan (Inn) in Yokote City Booking.com or Rakuten Travel
- Official Site
Yamagata Ai-no Busho-tai
Battle of Sekigahara said to be the biggest war in the Sengoku period (1600 years). And at the same time, another battle “Siege of Hasedo” was said to be another Sekigahara war in Yamagata.
Yamagata Ai-no Busho-tai is performing Busho such as Uesugi Kagekatsu, Naoe Kanetsugu, Maeda Toshimasu, Okuni Saneyori, Otora, Kamiizumi Yasutsuna, Date Masamune, Katakura Kojuro, Hasekura Tsunenaga, Mogami Yoshiaki, Tateoka Mitsunao, Sakenobe Hidetsuna, who were active in Siege of Hasedo (1600 years).
- Character: Uesugi Kagekatsu, Naoe Kanetsugu, Maeda Toshimasu, Okuni Saneyori, Otora, Kamiizumi Yasutsuna, Date Masamune, Katakura Kojuro, Hasekura Tsunenaga, Mogami Yoshiaki, Tateoka Mitsunao, Sakenobe Hidetsuna
- Activity Base: Yonezawa Castle in Yamagata Prefecture
- Find Hotels or Ryokan (Inn) in Yonezawa City Booking.com or Rakuten Travel
- Official Site
Oshu – Sendai Omotenashi Group “Date Busho-tai”
Sendai’s Busho, Date Masamune is very popular, there are many fans both in Japan and abroad. An outstanding tactician, he was made all the more iconic for his missing eye, as Masamune was often called dokuganryu, or the “One-Eyed Dragon of Ōshu”. Date Busho-tai is acting Date Masamune, his brothers and aides.
- Character: Date Masamune, Date Shigezane, Katakura Kagetsuna, Moniniwa Tsunamoto, Hasekura Tsunenaga, Katakura Shigenaga, Kunoichi Hata, Matsuo Basho
- Activity Base: Sendai Castle in Miyagi Prefecture
- Find Hotels or Ryokan (Inn) around Sendai Castle Booking.com or Rakuten Travel
- Official Site
We will post a new “Omotenashi Busho-tai” soon. Please bookmark this page and visit again.
