People of the Sengoku period in popular culture


Many significant Japanese historical people of the Sengoku period appear in works of popular culture such as anime, manga, and video games. This article presents information on references to several historical people in such works.

Akechi Mitsuhide

is featured in various fictional works, mostly as a hero.
His voice actor, Kakihara Tetsuya also sang the opening song 「リターン乱世独眼竜」 "Ritān Ransei Dokuganryuu", which is related to his nickname 'Dokuganryuu'.
As a samurai wife or other invented roles, Hosokawa Gracia frequently appears as a character in Japanese historical fiction, both novels and drama. One website lists her as a character in over 40 stage dramas, movies, TV dramas from 1887 to 2006. She is also frequently referred to in popular writing or talks on the history of the period.
Unlike her role in history, Izumo no Okuni's appearances in fiction often portray her as a fictional besshikime, a capable fighter skilled with weapons and magic.
Toshimasu is often portrayed as somewhat of a prankster and is often dubbed crazy, or kabukimono, by others for his wild ways. Sampling this where it was shown/mentioned in a few video games that he filled his uncle's 's bath with cold water, a feat the historical man was well known for.
Additionally, Keiji's famed horse, Matsukaze, appears in a number of games and movies as well.
Ranmaru has appeared as a character in fiction and has appeared in several video games in which he is usually portrayed as having a feminine to an androgynous appearance, in which leads to usual confusion of his gender by some of the other characters. He is also depicted as truly loyal to Oda Nobunaga, who in return praises Ranmaru for his skills in battle.
Unlike her role in history, Nōhime is usually portrayed as a femme fatale, in line with the traditional villainous portrayal of her husband, Nobunaga Oda.
has appeared in a number of works across various media.
In most of his fictional portrayals, Suzuki Magoichi is often referred to his more common name, Saiga Magoichi.
The 1988 NHK Taiga drama television series Takeda Shingen is a fictionalized account of Takeda Shingen's life with Kiichi Nakai in the title role. His life is also dramatized in NHK's 46th Taiga drama Fūrin Kazan. Akira Kurosawa's 1980 film Kagemusha was also inspired by his life; it brought the musket-wound theory to public attention outside Japan.
Takeda Shingen appears in Toshirō Mifune's historical film Samurai Banners.