Oda–Tokugawa forces · Oda
Oda Nobunaga
“Demon King of the Sixth Heaven”
The young lord of Owari, mocked as a fool, made his name throughout the land by killing Imagawa Yoshimoto at Okehazama. Massed arquebuses, free markets, promotion on merit: he overturned convention after convention and conquered the Kinai under the banner of "rule the realm by force." He did not shrink from ferocious measures such as the burning of Mount Hiei, and on the brink of unification was killed by his retainer Mitsuhide at Honnō-ji.
- Epithet
- “Demon King of the Sixth Heaven”
- Rank / office
- Minister of the Right / Danjō-no-jō
- Domain / base
- Owari → the Kinai
- Banner / crest
- Oda quince
- Side
- Oda–Tokugawa forces
- Lived
- 1534–1582 (aged 49)
Fifty years of a human life: set against the heavens, they are but a dream, an illusion.
The kōwaka dance "Atsumori" (his favourite)
Life
- Eiroku 3 Okehazama Surprised and killed Imagawa Yoshimoto with a small force.
- Tenshō 1 End of the Muromachi Shogunate Drove the shogun Yoshiaki out of Kyoto, ending the Ashikaga shogunate in all but name.
- Tenshō 3 Battle of Nagashino Broke Takeda Katsuyori's cavalry with palisades and massed arquebuses.
- Tenshō 10 The Honnō-ji Incident On the brink of unification, he fell to Akechi Mitsuhide's treason at Honnō-ji in Kyoto.
Battles in this archive4 battles
- Battle of Okehazama 19th day of the 5th month, Eiroku 3 Okehazama, Owari Province Left Kiyosu with a mere 2,000, skirted the hills under cover of the downpour and carried off the surprise attack on Yoshimoto's headquarters, making his name throughout the land. Watch ▸
- Battle of Anegawa 28th day of the 6th month, Genki 1 Anegawa River, Ōmi Province Led the main force from the siege of Yokoyama Castle to the Anegawa. Eleven of his ranks were broken by the Azai assault, but he stood firm and pushed them back. Watch ▸
- Battle of Nagashino 21st day of the 5th month, Tenshō 3 Nagashino–Shitaragahara, Mikawa Province Commander of the allied army, who prepared three thousand arquebuses (by the traditional count) and a triple palisade and lured the Takeda onto Shitaragahara. Watch ▸
- Honnō-ji Incident 2nd day of the 6th month, Tenshō 10 Honnō-ji, Kyoto, Yamashiro Province The innovator on the brink of unifying Japan. Caught at Honnō-ji with a small escort, he fought with bow and spear himself and took his own life in the flames. Watch ▸
Related sites
- Kiyosu Castle
- Gifu Castle
- Azuchi Castle ruins (Ōmi)
- Honnō-ji (Kyoto)