Battle reenactment › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Wednesday 16th April, 07:54 AM JST

A rifleman fires at the opposing side during a reenactment of the 16th-century Battle of Kawanakajima in Yamanashi.
PHOTO BY ERIN SANCHEZ

Latest 15 of 18 Total Comments Show All

WhatJapanThinks at 08:43 AM JST - 16th April

9 out of 10 for capturing the scene. 1 out of 10 for picture quality.
Sarge at 09:37 AM JST - 16th April

"1 out of 10 for picture quality"

What's wrong with the picture quality?
Princeska at 10:20 AM JST - 16th April

this picture made my day! The best picture forthe year. Completely hilarious! Congratulations to Erin Sanchez for the fun pic. If something has improved in Japantday, this is the photosection, it is more diverse and interesting.
Hughgarse at 10:27 AM JST - 16th April

the old gun sure does give off a decent flash.
roughneck at 10:43 AM JST - 16th April

What happened to his head?
greenteaonsens at 10:49 AM JST - 16th April

As recreations go, this looks lame. America has the best battle recreations in the world. Especially the Civil War and Revolutionary War (against the perfidious Brits).
Wottock_Hunt at 12:31 PM JST - 16th April

America has the best battle recreations in the world.

No it doesn't.
Xeno23 at 12:37 PM JST - 16th April

Yeah, uh. Seen the European WW2 re-enactments where they bring, like Panzers? I think that pretty much trumps US Civil War...
notimpressed at 01:09 PM JST - 16th April

ah well Americans think they have the best everything, go figure. If its a re-enactment, its not competing with other battles, but trying to acurately depict one particular battle. I like the photo, the gun flash is cool, and yeh, that dude totally has no head!!
Xeno23 at 01:35 PM JST - 16th April

Any realistic replay of Kawanakajima should have a lot of headless guys...
nandakandamanda at 01:30 PM JST - 17th April

When the matchcord touches the priming powder in the pan, most of the force of the blackpowder explosion pushes the main charge out of the barrel. At the same time, depending on the size of the touch hole, quite a pillar of flame and smoke blows back up from the pan. In this case it looks as though the wind has blown it back to cover him.

If you were to criticize the gunners there, you'd have to say that the near one is holding the gun dangerously low. The far one is trying to fix the matchcord to the serpentine, but he doesn't seem to know what he is doing.

To give them their due, it takes quite a bit of courage to fire one of these Tanegashima matchlocks.
Kyokochan at 04:17 PM JST - 17th April

The human version of the M-119 Palladin self propelled artillery gun. Let 'er rip, buddy boy. But steel down range. PAHFOOOOOM. Gung ho. For emperor & country. Burn som powder & make some noise. Boy, I bet these jobs really lit up the area at night. I bet his ears're a-ringin'! General George (Patton) would be proud.
nandakandamanda at 10:31 AM JST - 18th April

Strictly speaking not a rifleman as rifling had not yet been invented. A musketeer, an arquebusier, an artilleryman or just a plain gunner might be closer. They should really wear earplugs, but then they wouldn't hear the captain's orders. 射手"shashu" (shooter) or uchite in Japanese.
0solrac at 12:01 PM JST - 18th April

puff puff... I sort of think the picture looks cool. Poor artilleryman didn't get his close-up.
motown at 12:18 PM JST - 5th May

Reminds me of the scene in Kagemusha when the musketeer described how he triangulated his gun on the spot where the enemy leader would sit and then shot him in the dark using a plumb bob and some pebbles to align his gun. Nice photo.