Words of the Samurai – 52 Sayings for 52 Weeks

Welcome to our new weekly series dedicated to the sayings of Japan’s greatest samurai. For the next 52 weeks, we’ll explore powerful quotes spoken or attributed to warriors, strategists, and feudal lords of Japan’s past. Each post will offer a faithful translation, historical context, and reflections that still resonate today. We begin with Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man who never forgot.

Tokugawa Ieyasu: “I never forgot.”

The Osaka Campaign (1614–1615) marked the final showdown between Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Toyotomi clan. As Osaka Castle fell, the Tokugawa shogunate rose, ushering in more than two centuries of rule.

"Osaka Summer Campaign Screen" Right Panel - photo: Wikimedia Commons - public domain

But there’s a story Ieyasu himself liked to tell.

Before the daimyō, he once said:

“Osaka Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in all Japan. It couldn’t be taken lightly.
That’s why we first filled in the moats, then launched a second-phase assault.
And do you know who taught me that? The Taikō himself.
When the castle was finished, he declared: ‘This fortress can only be taken in two phases.’
Everyone forgot those words… everyone but me.”

Hideyoshi revealed the key. Ieyasu kept it.

True strength lies not only in the sword, but in memory. Tokugawa Ieyasu triumphed not through might, but through listening and remembering. In a chaotic world, remembering can be an act of power.