Written by Kōda Rohan, from his shogi essay collection Shōgi Zatsuwa (“Shogi Chatter”). The topic is the use of the name of Shogi lance in historical settings.
Many people know that a brave man named Amano Hachirō, from the Shōgitai in Edo, used the lance (kyōsha) as the symbol on his battle banner.
The lance is a shogi piece that can move forward, but it can’t move backward. So it makes sense that a bold fighter would pick it as a banner to show his spirit.
And even in the old days, someone else also used it as his own sign. That was Hajikano Den’emon, a warrior from Kai Province.
In Book 35 of the Kōyō Gunkan, in the part about Shingen’s attack on Odawara, it says: Shingen set up camp with the Sagami River in front of him at Okada, Atsugi, Kaneda, Mita, and Tsumata. The next day he camped at Tamura, Okami, Hachiman, and Hiratsuka. From there he pushed on to Kōzu, Maekawa, and the Sakawa area. The next day he pressed in toward Odawara.
At that time, Den’emon—youngest son of Katō Suruga, now using another family name—had the characters “香車” (“lance”) written on his sashimono (a small banner worn on the back). Lord Shingen, they say, was not pleased.
When they reached the Sakawa River, Den’emon was ordered to wade out and check the river crossing. Den’emon was 25 years old, quick on his feet, and sharp. The book says that because Den’emon and Koyamada Hachizaemon were young men in Shingen’s personal guard, they did this job well.
Later, when Takeda Katsuyori suffered a big defeat at Nagashino, Den’emon was so brave that he and only Tsuchiya Sōzō stayed with Katsuyori and protected him to the very end. So a “lance” banner fit Den’emon just fine.
Still, the story that Shingen disliked it is interesting. It shows what kind of commander Shingen was. Shingen moved forward when he should—and he pulled back when he should. He was not the kind of warrior who only knows how to charge ahead and never retreat.