His successors were Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a loyal Oda supporter who was the first to unify all of Japan and was thus the first ruler of the whole country since the Ōnin War, and later Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was to consolidate his rule under a shogunate, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
Nobunaga is remembered in Japan as one of the most brutal figures of the Warring States period and was recognized as one of Japan's greatest rulers. Nobunaga was the first of three unifiers during the Warring States period, followed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Oda Nobunaga was well on his way to the complete conquest and unification of Japan when Akechi Mitsuhide, one of his generals, forced Nobunaga to commit seppuku (suicide) in Honnō-ji in Kyoto (It is actually unknown if he was forced to commit suicide or if he died in the attack). Akechi Mitsuhide quickly declared himself master over Nobunaga's domains, but was quickly defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Description
- Legend : Oda Nobunaga
- Japanese : 織田 信長
- Born : June 23, 1534, Nagoya Castle, Owari Province, Japan
- Died : June 21, 1582 (aged 47), Honnō-ji, Kyoto, Japan
- Gender : Male
- Father : Oda Nobuhide
- Mother : Tsuchida Gozen
Oda Nobunaga was born on June 23, 1534, in the Owari domain, and was given the childhood name of Kippōshi. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy shugo (military governor) with land holdings in Owari Province. He is said to have been born in Nagoya Castle, although this is subject to debate. Through his childhood and early teenage years, he was well known for his bizarre behavior and received the name of Owari no Ōutsuke, The Big Fool of Owari. He was known to run around with other youths from the area, without any regard to his own rank in society. With the introduction of firearms into Japan, though, he became known for his fondness of tanegashima firearms.
Unification of Owari Province
In 1551, Oda Nobuhide died unexpectedly. Nobunaga was said to have acted outrageously during his funeral, throwing ceremonial incense at the altar. This convinced many Oda retainers of Nobunaga's mediocrity and lack of discipline. Alienated, they then began to side with his soft-spoken and well-mannered brother, Nobuyuki. Hirate Masahide, a valuable mentor and retainer to Nobunaga, was ashamed by Nobunaga's behavior and performed seppuku. This had a huge effect on Nobunaga, who later built a temple to honor Masahide.
Sucession dispute
Though Nobunaga was Nobuhide's legitimate successor, the Oda clan was divided into many factions, and the clan was technically under the control of Owari's shugo, Shiba Yoshimune. Oda Nobutomo, the deceased Nobuhide's brother and deputy to the shugo, used the weak Yoshimune as his puppet and challenged Nobunaga's place as Owari's new ruler. Nobutomo murdered Yoshimune when it was discovered that he supported and attempted to aid Nobunaga.
Nobunaga persuaded Oda Nobumitsu, a younger brother of Nobuhide, to join his side and, with Nobumitsu's help, slew Nobutomo in Kiyosu Castle, which later became Nobunaga's place of residence for over ten years. Taking advantage of the position of Shiba Yoshikane, Yoshimune's son, as the rightful shugo, Nobunaga forged an alliance with the Imagawa clan of Suruga Province and the Kira clan of Mikawa Province, as both clans had the same shugo and would have no excuse to decline. This also ensured that the Imagawa clan would have to stop attacking Owari's borders.
Though Nobuyuki and his supporters were still at large, Nobunaga brought an army to Mino Province to aid Saitō Dōsan after Dōsan's son, Saitō Yoshitatsu, turned against him. The campaign failed, as Dōsan was killed, and Yoshitatsu became the new master of Mino in 1556.
Eliminated Nobuyuki
A few months later Nobuyuki, with support from Shibata Katsuie and Hayashi Hidesada, rebelled against Nobunaga. The conspirators were defeated at the Battle of Inō, but were pardoned after the intervention of Tsuchida Gozen, the birth mother of Nobunaga and Nobuyuki. The next year, Nobuyuki again planned to rebel. Nobunaga was informed of this by Shibata Katsuie, then faked illness to get close to Nobuyuki and assassinated him in Kiyosu Castle.
By 1559, Nobunaga had eliminated all opposition within the clan and Owari Province. He continued to use Shiba Yoshikane as a pretext to make peace with other daimyo, though it was later discovered that Yoshikane had secretly corresponded with the Kira and Imagawa clans, attempting to oust Nobunaga and restore the Shiba clan's place. Nobunaga eventually cast him out, voiding alliances created in the Shiba clan's name.
Rise of Power
Battle of Okehazama
In 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto gathered an army of 40,000 men and started his march toward Kyoto, with the pretext of aiding the frail Ashikaga shogunate. The Matsudaira clan of Mikawa Province also joined Yoshimoto's forces. Against this, the Oda clan could rally an army of only 3,000, and the forces needed to be split up to defend various border forts. Under such circumstances, Nobunaga was said to have performed his favorite Atsumori dance at Kiyosu Castle, before riding off with only a few attendants to pray. Due to the sheer imbalance in the forces available to the two clans the night before, Shibata Katsuie had tried in vain to change Nobunaga's mind about a frontal attack; he kept reminding Nobunaga of the joint army's lack of manpower compared to Imagawa's numerous soldiers. Hayashi Hidesada, the remaining advisor from Nobuhide's days, even argued for surrender without fighting, using the same reasoning as Katsuie.
Nobunaga's scouts reported that Yoshimoto was resting at the narrow gorge of Dengaku-hazama, ideal for a surprise attack, and that the Imagawa army were celebrating their victories while Yoshimoto viewed the heads. Nobunaga moved towards Imagawa's camp, and set up a position some distance away. An array of flags and dummy troops made of straw and spare helmets gave the impression of a large host, while the real Oda army hurried round in a rapid march to get behind Yoshimoto's camp. The heat gave way to a terrific thunderstorm. As the Imagawa samurai sheltered from the rain Nobunaga deployed his troops, and when the storm ceased they charged down upon the enemy in the gorge, so suddenly that Yoshimoto thought a brawl had broken out among his men, only realizing it was an attack when two samurai charged up.
One aimed a spear at him, which Yoshimoto deflected with his sword, but the second swung his blade and cut off Imagawa's head. Rapidly weakening in the wake of this battle, the Imagawa clan no longer exerted control over the Matsudaira clan. In 1561, an alliance was forged between Oda Nobunaga and Matsudaira Motoyasu (who would become Tokugawa Ieyasu), despite the decades-old hostility between the two clans. Tradition dates this battle as the first time that Nobunaga noticed the talents of the sandal-bearer who would eventually become Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Siege of Inabayama Castle
Eliminated Nobuyuki
A few months later Nobuyuki, with support from Shibata Katsuie and Hayashi Hidesada, rebelled against Nobunaga. The conspirators were defeated at the Battle of Inō, but were pardoned after the intervention of Tsuchida Gozen, the birth mother of Nobunaga and Nobuyuki. The next year, Nobuyuki again planned to rebel. Nobunaga was informed of this by Shibata Katsuie, then faked illness to get close to Nobuyuki and assassinated him in Kiyosu Castle.
By 1559, Nobunaga had eliminated all opposition within the clan and Owari Province. He continued to use Shiba Yoshikane as a pretext to make peace with other daimyo, though it was later discovered that Yoshikane had secretly corresponded with the Kira and Imagawa clans, attempting to oust Nobunaga and restore the Shiba clan's place. Nobunaga eventually cast him out, voiding alliances created in the Shiba clan's name.
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