The Kwanto Bakufu

A nation in Lords of the Earth Campaign Nineteen

Welcome to the home page of the Kwanto Bakufu, a nation in the fictional world of Lords of the Earth.

Having defeated the treacherous Yamato Bakufu, Kwanto is now consolidating its hold on the islands of Nippon and becoming a truly national power.

"The proud ones do not last forever, but are like the dream of a spring night. Even the mighty will perish, just like dust before the wind."
                                    - Heike monogataria

Bakufu - Literally, "tent government", from the fact that the soldiers slept in tents.  The military dictatorships that dominated the early Japanese medieval period.

The Kwanto Bakufu is the survivor of a long civil war in Japan.  With its Yamoto enemies defeated, the Kwanto government is consolidating its power in the Japanese islands, and just beginning new contacts with the great governments on the mainland.

A land of warring clans and an emerging code of personal loyalty, Japan is dominated not by the emperor, but by the Shogun, the great general, who strives to bring the power of the local daimyos to heel under his banner. 

Kwanto History-

1076-1080 A.D. - The Taira clan rises up and declares its Daimyo true Shogun of Japan under the name The Taira Bakufu.  Taira Ishida shatters the local defenses in Nigata and brings that province under Kwanto command. 

1081-1085 A.D. - The Aichi clans, calling themselves The Empire of Japan, invade Kwanto, but are driven back with significant losses.

1086-1090 A.D. - Taira Ishida is assassinated by Aichi ninjas. Taira Matsuoka becomes daimyo.

1091-1095 A.D. - The Aichi invaded again, with 36,000 troops, but were severely defeated by Kwanto's 28,000 defenders.  The Taira then launched a large-scale raid on Aichi lands and landed an occupying force on Shikoku.

1096-1100 A.D.  - The Taira under Taira Matsuoka secure the lands of Aichi and the city of Kyoto.  The Taira garrison of Shikoku is driven off by the Aichi under Torohito, but the Taira manage to secure the lands of Kagoshima.

1101-1110 A.D. - The Kwanto-Yamato War drags on.  There are many clashes, raids and assassination attempts, but no lands exchange hands. Taira Matsuoka dies of natural causes in 1110.  Taira Shun becomes Daimyo of the Kwanto.

1111-1115 A.D.  -Admiral Ichi  landed over 3,000 troops on Shikoku and cleared out the Aichi garrison under Nobunaga.

1116-1120 A.D. - Taira shun leads 25,000 troops into Yamato, but is delayed there by the many local forts and defenses.  He returns north when he hears word that Torohito was moving around him to cut him off.

1121-1125 A.D. - Despite the fact that the Taira did not invade the south, the Aichi "Japanese Empire" imploded after the untimely death of the emperor Torohito in 1122.  Warring, incompetent generals tore the Aichi regime apart with civil war.

1126-1130 A.D. - With the Empire gone, Taira Shun declared himself to be Shogun and sent many ambassadors south to court the southern daimyos to his cause, with only limited success.

1131-1135 A.D. - Taira Shun increased the size of Edo and continued his diplomacy.

1136-1140 A.D. - Trying a little "samurai diplomacy", Shun toured the south with 25,000 troops, forcing most of the former Empire to join the Bakufu.

1141-1145 - Shun continued his diplomacy in the south.

1146-1150 - The cities of Kumamoto and Hagi were brought under the authority of the Shogun.  Kagoshima was beaten into compliance by Shun's forces.  Meanwhile, Admiral Kenichi charted the route to Okinawa.

1151 -1155 - Shun laid siege to the city of Heian.  Kenichi returned to Okinawa with many colonists.

1156-1160 - The last independent city of Nippon was seized after the long siege of Tottori. The colony on Okinawa was expanded and the route to Kazan Retto was explored.

1161-1165 - Shun completes the conquest of Honshu by crushing all resistance in Akita.  The city of Naha on Okinawa is founded.

1166-1170 - After more than 50 years as Shogun, Taira Shun dies of old age.  His heir, Tanko Mitsuoke, assumes power peacefully.  The region of Toyama declares independence after the death of its leader.

1171-1175 - Two new ports, Sakurajima and Takamatsu were built in Kagoshima and Shikoku, respectively, as well as a royal road link between Kwanto and Aichi. Admiral Kenichi's death at sea ends an attempt to explore the route to the Marianas.

1176-1180 - Fate played a terrible hand to the leaders of the Bakufu, nearly all of whom died from various illnesses during this period.  The Shogun Tanko was killed by an arrow through his eye while reconquering Toyama.  His son, Tankokazu, is the new new Shogun. Still, this scourge led to a partial collapse of the Bakufu bureaucracy.  Two new seaports were built, Nagoka in Nigata and Hakkura-jima on Cheju-Do.

1181-1185 - A postal road between Kwanto and Nigata was completed and Toyama was put under cultivation. Attempts to continue to find a route to the Marianas Islands continue to fail miserably. Finally, people were mystified by the great algal blooms that occurred along the coast throughout 1181-2, killing thousands of fish and dying the waters the color of blood…

1186-1190 - The Royal Road network extends from Yamaguchi to Nigata.  The city of Takaoka in Toyama is founded.  Attempts to find a route to the Marianas Islands continues to fail.

Contact the Shogun-

Thomas Harlan played the Taira Bakufu from Turn 37 to turn 48.

I'm Scott Nolan and I took over on turn 50 (1145 A.D.).  Colin Dunnigan is the GM.