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103-419: The area that makes up Gifu Park has a long and important role in the history of Gifu City. Though Mount Kinka was strategically important for military purposes, living in the castle atop the mountain would have made daily life very difficult. As such, many important rulers built their main residences at the base of the mountain in modern-day Gifu Park. One of those residences used to belong to Oda Nobunaga . It

206-716: A Buddhist monk, shaving his head and taking the name Sho-san , which he later changed to Rei-o In , bringing the Ashikaga Shogunate to an end. After the Ashikaga Shogunate came to end, the authority of the Imperial Court of Emperor Ōgimachi also began to fall. This trend reversed after Oda Nobunaga entered Kyoto in a show of allegiance that indicated that the Emperor had the Oda clan 's support. In 1574, Nobunaga appointed

309-419: A few possible options. He would have the body burned so that it could not be identified as Nobunaga's, or he would have it buried so that Mitsuhide could not find it inside Honnō-ji, or he would have someone he trusted carry it out of Honnō-ji, even at the risk of being stolen by Mitsuhide on the way. There are several theories regarding the fact that no bodies were found in the burnt ruins of Honnō-ji. One theory

412-687: A large-scale counteroffensive in the Chūgoku region, and Nobunaga received a request for reinforcements from Hashiba Hideyoshi, whose forces were stuck besieging the Mōri-controlled Takamatsu Castle . Nobunaga immediately ordered Akechi Mitsuhide to go to the Chugoku region to support Hideyoshi, and he himself was to follow soon after. Nobunaga began his preparations and headed for Honnō-ji temple in Kyoto, his usual resting place when he stopped by in

515-877: A last attack by the Ochimusha-gari outlaws at Kada pass where they reached the territory of Kōka ikki clans of Jizamurai which are friendly to the Tokugawa clan. The Koka ikki Jizamurai assisted Ieyasu in eliminating the threats of Ochimusha-gari outlaws and escorting them until they reached Iga Province , where they further protected by other friendly group of Iga ikki which accompany the Ieyasu group until they safely reach Mikawa. There are 34 recorded Tokugawa vassals who survived this journey, such as Sakai Tadatsugu, Ii Naomasa, and Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa and many others. Other than those four Shitennō generals Matsudaira Ietada recorded in his journal, Ietada nikki (家忠日記),

618-451: A letter to Nobunaga's vassals that falsely claimed that Nobunaga was still alive to request their cooperation in defeating Mitsuhide. If Mitsuhide had obtained Nobunaga's head, he could have made his death known to the public, and some forces might have followed him. If that had happened, he might have been able to defeat Hideyoshi. Meanwhile, Mitsuhide also tried to persuade Oda vassals in the vicinity of Kyoto to recognize his authority after

721-634: A melee fought in the middle of the shallow Anegawa River . For a time, Nobunaga's forces fought the Azai upstream, while the Tokugawa warriors fought the Asakura downstream. After the Tokugawa forces finished off the Asakura, they turned and hit the Azai's right flank. The troops of the Mino Triumvirate , who had been held in reserve, then came forward and hit the Azai left flank. Soon both the Oda and Tokugawa forces defeated

824-521: A naval blockade and bombardment of Nagashima, allowing him to capture the outer forts of Nakae and Yanagashima as well as part of the Nagashima complex. The sieges of Nagashima finally ended when Nobunaga's men completely surrounded the complex and set fire to it, killing the remaining tens of thousands of defenders and inflicting tremendous losses to the Ikkō-ikki. Simultaneously, Nobunaga had been besieging

927-427: A new challenge when his uncle, Oda Nobutomo , attacked Nobunaga domain with the support of Shiba Yoshimune , governor of Owari province . Nobunaga repelled the attack and burned the outskirts of his uncle's castle at Kiyosu to discourage further attempts. However, Nobutomo was spared any serious punishment. In 1553, Hirate Masahide, who had been one of Nobunaga's closest advisors and mentors, committed seppuku . It

1030-540: A rank of Lower Third Rank ( Ju Sanmi ) of the Imperial Court and made a Court Advisor ( Sangi ). Court appointments would continue to be lavished on a nearly annual basis, possibly in hope of placating him. Nobunaga acquired many official titles, including Major Counselor ( Gondainagon ), General of the Right of the Imperial Army ( Ukon'etaishō ), and Minister of the Right ( Udaijin ) in 1576. Azuchi Castle

1133-623: A researcher of Iga Ninja history, has stated there is research which revealed that Hattori Yasuji, one of the ninjas who accompanied Ieyasu on his journey in Iga province, also served as a bodyguard and espionage officer under Muromachi Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki . However, modern scholar such as Tatsuo Fujita doubted the credibility of Hattori Hattori Hanzō's ninja army theory, since it was first appeared in Iga-sha yuishogaki record which circulated in Edo period during

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1236-556: A ruler and military strategist than his father and grandfather. Taking advantage of this situation, Nobunaga moved his base to Komaki Castle and started his campaign in Mino Province , defeating Tatsuoki in both the Battle of Moribe and the Battle of Jushijo in June that same year. By convincing Saitō retainers to abandon their incompetent and foolish master, Nobunaga significantly weakened

1339-417: A second time, personally leading a sizable force with many arquebusiers . However, a rainstorm rendered his arquebuses inoperable while the Ikkō-ikki's own arquebusiers could fire from covered positions. Nobunaga himself was almost killed and forced to retreat, with the second siege being considered his greatest defeat. In 1574, Nobunaga launched a third siege of Nagashima as his general Kuki Yoshitaka began

1442-663: A significant threat from the Ikkō-ikki , a resistance movement centered around the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism . The Ikkō-ikki began as a cult association for self-defense, but popular antipathy against the samurai from the constant violence of the Sengoku period caused their numbers to swell. By the time of Nobunaga's rise to power, the Ikkō-ikki was a major organized armed force opposed to samurai rule in Japan. In August 1570, Nobunaga launched

1545-575: A situation very different from that from which he had come. Nobunaga reportedly set fire to Kyoto which forced Yoshiaki to retreat. He focused on Ashikaga Yoshiaki , who had openly declared hostility more than once, despite the Imperial Court 's intervention. Nobunaga was able to defeat Yoshiaki's forces, and the power of the Ashikaga was effectively destroyed on 27 August 1573, when Nobunaga drove Yoshiaki out of Kyoto and sent him into exile. Yoshiaki became

1648-520: A statement by Akechi himself. According to Luís Fróis 's "History of Japan" and testimonies from surviving soldiers, Mitsuhide was only the commander of the Oda Army's area forces, and since it was the Oda clan to whom the soldiers owed allegiance, Mitsuhide did not reveal his purpose to anyone except his officers, fearing that informants might appear. Even when the attack actually began, the soldiers did not know whom they were attacking, and some thought it

1751-483: A war against other daimyō to unify Japan in the 1560s. Nobunaga emerged as the most powerful daimyō , overthrowing the nominally ruling shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and dissolving the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1573. He conquered most of Honshu by 1580, and defeated the Ikkō-ikki rebels in the 1580s. Nobunaga's rule was noted for innovative military tactics, fostering of free trade, reforms of Japan's civil government, and

1854-485: Is generally believed that he did so to admonish Nobunaga, but the actual motive is unclear. Yoshimune tipped off Nobunaga that Nobutomo planned to assassinate him; he was subsequently captured and put to death on the latter's orders. Nobunaga mobilized his forces to blockade Kiyosu castle and set up a lengthy siege. In 1554, Nobunaga finally achieved victory over the Imagawa clan at the Battle of Muraki Castle , reclaiming

1957-817: Is no evidence that his body or ashes are buried in any of them. Tokugawa Ieyasu heard the news in Hirakata , Osaka , but at the time, he had only few companions with him. The Iga province track were also in danger of the Ochimusha-gari , or "Samurai hunters" gang. During the Sengoku period , particularly dangerous groups called "Ochimusha-gari" or "fallen warrior hunter" groups has emerged. These groups consisted of peasant or Rōnin Who dispossessed by war and now formed self-defense forces. However, reality they often resorted to hunt and robbing defeated Samurais or soldiers during conflicts. These outlaw groups were particularly rampant on

2060-420: Is no need to discuss the pros and cons./There is no choice." ( 是非に及ばず , Zehi ni oyobazu ) , and began to fight back with bows and arrows at the edge of the palace. When the bowstring broke, he kept shooting arrows while changing bows, and when he ran out of spare bows, he fought with his spear . When Nobunaga was eventually unable to fight after being hit in the elbow by an enemy spear, he retreated and told

2163-502: Is now believed that it was mainly the logistics in Nobunaga's hands that determined the winner. The end of the Takeda clan came in 1582 when Oda Nobutada and Tokugawa Ieyasu forces conquered Shinano and Kai Province . Takeda Katsuyori was defeated at the Battle of Tenmokuzan and then committed suicide. In early 1573, Yoshiaki initiated a siege against Nobunaga under the directive of

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2266-570: Is said that either Kawajiri Hidetaka or Ikeda Tsuneoki carried out Nobuyuki's murder. In 1558, Nobunaga sent an army to successfully protect Suzuki Shigeteru, lord of Terabe Castle, during the Siege of Terabe . Shigeteru had defected to Nobunaga's side from Imagawa Yoshimoto, a daimyō from Suruga Province and one of the most powerful men in the Tōkaidō region. By 1559, Nobunaga had captured and destroyed Iwakura Castle, eliminated all opposition within

2369-416: Is that Nobunaga could not be identified because the bodies were too badly damaged, another that there were too many burned bodies to identify, and a third that the fire was so intense that his body was completely consumed. There are also several stories that Nobunaga's body and head were carried out from Honnō-ji. There are a number of tombs in various parts of Japan that are said to be Nobunaga's, but there

2472-503: The Azai clan because of their strategic position between the Oda clan's land and the capital, Kyoto . In 1568, Ashikaga Yoshiaki and Akechi Mitsuhide , as Yoshiaki's bodyguard, went to Gifu to ask Nobunaga to start a campaign toward Kyoto. Yoshiaki was the brother of the murdered 13th shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate , Yoshiteru , who had been killed by the Miyoshi tannins (three chiefs of

2575-413: The Battle of Yamazaki , paving the way for Hideyoshi to complete the unification of Japan. Mitsuhide's motive for assassinating Nobunaga is unknown, though there are multiple theories for his betrayal. By 1582, Oda Nobunaga was the most powerful daimyo in Japan and was continuing a sustained campaign of unification in the face of the ongoing political upheaval that characterized Japanese history during

2678-670: The Chūgoku region from the Mori clan, before advancing upon the Mori clan in Nagato Province , Akechi Mitsuhide to pacify Tanba Province , Kuki Yoshitaka to support attack from the sea, and Nobunaga eventually blocked the Mōri's supply lines. In 1580, ten years after the siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji began, the son of Chief Abbot Kōsa surrendered the fortress to Nobunaga after their supplies were exhausted, and they received an official request from

2781-503: The Emperor Ōgimachi . After installing Yoshiaki as shogun, Nobunaga forcing Yoshiaki to call all daimyō to come to Kyoto and attend court banquet. Asakura Yoshikage , head of the Asakura clan and regent of Ashikaga Yoshiaki , refused, which prompted Nobunaga to declare Yoshikage as rebel, Nobunaga raised an army and marched on Echizen . In early 1570, Nobunaga launched a campaign into

2884-429: The Ikkō-ikki 's main stronghold at Ishiyama Hongan-ji in present-day Osaka . Nobunaga's Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji began to slowly make some progress, but the Mōri clan of the Chūgoku region broke his naval blockade and started sending supplies into the strongly fortified complex by sea. As a result, in 1577, Nobunaga ordered Takigawa Kazumasu to suppress Ikko-ikki at Kii Province , Hashiba Hideyoshi to conquer

2987-624: The Ishiyama Hongan-ji War against the Ikkō-ikki, while simultaneously fighting against his samurai rivals. In May 1571, Nobunaga besieged Nagashima , a series of Ikkō-ikki fortifications in Owari Province , beginning the Sieges of Nagashima . However, Nobunaga's first siege of Nagashima ended in failure, as his trusted general Shibata Katsuie was severely wounded and many of his samurai were lost before retreating. Despite this defeat, Nobunaga

3090-613: The Kinai region with an ultra-fast, forced march known as Chūgoku Ōgaeshi (the Great Return from the Chugoku Region). After returning in about a week with an army of nearly 30,000 troops for a total distance of 200 km, Hideyoshi joined forces with Niwa Nagahide and Oda Nobutaka in Osaka and headed for Kyoto. With this momentum, Hideyoshi defeated Mitsuhide in the Battle of Yamazaki . While on

3193-557: The Matsunaga clan to submit to the future shogun. The daimyō Matsunaga Hisahide kept his title by making this decision to ally his clan with the shogun. On 9 November 1568, Nobunaga entered Kyoto, drove out the Miyoshi clan, who had supported the 14th shogun and who fled to Settsu , and installed Yoshiaki as the 15th shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate. However, Nobunaga refused the title of shogun's deputy ( Kanrei ), or any appointment from Yoshiaki, even though Nobunaga had great respect for

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3296-446: The Mino Triumvirate (西美濃三人衆, Nishi-Mino Sanninshū) was commanded by three samurai generals serving the Saitō clan: Inaba Ittetsu , Andō Michitari , and Ujiie Bokuzen . The triumvirate agreed to change sides and join the forces of Oda Nobunaga. Their combined forces mounted a victorious final attack at the Siege of Inabayama Castle . After taking possession of the castle, Nobunaga changed

3399-548: The Miyoshi clan , Miyoshi Nagayuki , Miyoshi Masayasu and Iwanari Tomomichi ). Yoshiaki wanted revenge against the killers who had already set up a puppet shogun, Ashikaga Yoshihide . Nobunaga agreed to install Yoshiaki as the new shogun, and grasping the opportunity to enter Kyoto, started his campaign. An obstacle in southern Ōmi Province was the Rokkaku clan , led by Rokkaku Yoshikata , who refused to recognize Yoshiaki as shogun and

3502-520: The Oda clan . At the apex of the anti-Nobunaga coalition, in 1572, Takeda Shingen ordered Akiyama Nobutomo , one of the " Twenty-Four Generals " of Shingen, to attack Iwamura castle . Nobunaga's aunt, Lady Otsuya , conspired against the Oda clan, surrendered the castle to the Takeda, and married Nobutomo. From there, the Takeda-Oda relationship declined and Nobunaga started a war against the Takeda clan . In

3605-543: The Saitō clan . In 1564, Oda Nobunaga dispatched his retainer, Kinoshita Tōkichirō , to bribe many of the warlords in the Mino area to support the Oda clan. In 1566, Nobunaga charged Kinoshita with building Sunomata Castle on the bank of the Sai River opposite Saitō territory, to serve as a staging point for the Oda forces, and to intimidate, surprise, and demoralize the enemy. In 1567,

3708-625: The Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods . He was the Tenka-bito ( 天下人 , lit.   ' person under heaven ' ) and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven". Nobunaga was an influential figure in Japanese history and is regarded as one of the three great unifiers of Japan, along with his retainers , Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu . Nobunaga paved

3811-603: The Takeda in the east, and the Mōri to the west. The castle and its nearby town were depicted on the so-called Azuchi Screens , which Oda Nobunaga gifted to Pope Gregory XIII , who displayed them in the Vatican collections . Honn%C5%8D-ji Incident Akechi victory The Honnō-ji Incident ( 本能寺の変 , Honnō-ji no Hen ) was the assassination of Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga at Honnō-ji temple in Kyoto on 21 June 1582 (2nd day of

3914-544: The Tokugawa , had originally conspired with Oga Yashiro to take the Tokugawa-controlled Okazaki Castle , the capital of Mikawa Province . This plot failed. Tokugawa Ieyasu appealed to Nobunaga for help and Nobunaga personally led an army of about 30,000 men to the relief of Nagashino Castle. The combined force of 38,000 men under Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated and devastated the Takeda clan at

4017-407: The escorts of Ieyasu during the journey in Iga consisted: Ietada Nikki also recorded that the escorts of Ieyasu has suffered around 200 casualties during their journey. However, not all of the escaping party manage to escape alive. Anayama Nobutada , a former Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen member who now an ally to Tokugawa and Nobunaga clan, were ambushed by the Ochimusha-gari during

4120-423: The 1990s. It all started when the well-known medieval historian Akira Imatani published a book advocating a conflict between the Imperial Court and Nobunaga. The theory is that the existence of an emperor with high authority was becoming a hindrance to Nobunaga, who wanted to be an absolute monarch. At the time, when the new emperor was about to ascend to the throne, the emperor system was the subject of much debate in

4223-466: The Asakura clan's domain and besieged Kanagasaki Castle . This action made a conflict between Nobunaga and shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki, as their relationship grew difficult, Yoshiaki secretly started an "anti-Nobunaga alliance", conspiring with other daimyō to get rid of Nobunaga. Azai Nagamasa , to whom Nobunaga's sister Oichi was married, broke the alliance with the Oda clan to honor the Azai - Asakura alliance, which had lasted for 3 generations. With

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4326-544: The Battle of Nagashino. This battle was the greatest defeat of the Takeda clan. Conventionally, the "Battle of Nagashino" was regarded as a historic defeat in which Takeda Katsuyori ordered his cavalry to charge recklessly into a horse guard fence where arquebusiers were waiting for them, losing many Takeda officers and soldiers. Moreover, it has been said that Nobunaga developed a new battle strategy called "three-stage shooting", in which arquebusiers were arranged in several rows with

4429-468: The Emperor to do so. Nobunaga spared the lives of Ishiyama Hongan-ji's defenders but expelled them from Osaka and burnt the fortress to the ground. Although the Ikkō-ikki continued to make a last stand in Kaga Province , Nobunaga's capture of Ishiyama Hongan-ji crippled them as a major military force. One of the strongest rulers in the anti-Nobunaga alliance was Takeda Shingen , who used to be an ally of

4532-562: The Hōjō clan from Kōzuke Province and Shinano Province ; and Shibata Katsuie to invade Echigo Province , the home domain of the Uesugi clan. Nobunaga, confident of unifying the country after destroying the Takeda clan, returned to Azuchi in high spirits. Tokugawa Ieyasu also came to Azuchi Castle to thank Nobunaga for giving him the Suruga province . However, around this time, the Mōri clan launched

4635-441: The Imagawa camp. Later, Nobunaga moved to Zensho-ji fort , set up a decoy army there, marched rapidly behind Yoshimoto's camp, and attacked after a terrific thunderstorm. Yoshimoto was killed by two Oda samurai. With his victory in this battle, Oda Nobunaga gained greatly in prestige, and many samurai and warlords pledged fealty to him. Kinoshita Tōkichirō , who would eventually become Toyotomi Hideyoshi, probably participated in

4738-570: The Oda clan, and established his uncontested rule in Owari Province. Imagawa Yoshimoto was a long-time opponent of Nobunaga's father, and had sought to expand his domain into Oda territory in Owari . In 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto gathered an army of 25,000 men, and marched toward the capital city of Kyoto , with the pretext of aiding the frail Ashikaga Shogunate . The Matsudaira clan also joined Yoshimoto's forces. The Imagawa forces quickly overran

4841-938: The Saitō clan's support further undermined faith in Nobunaga's leadership; key retainers such as Hayashi Hidesada, Hayashi Michitomo, and Shibata Katsuie soon turned on him. They raised an army to support his brother Nobuyuki (Nobukatsu), who was highly regarded within the Oda clan. Nobunaga defeated the rebels at the Battle of Ino , but at the plea of his birth mother, Dota Gozen, pardoned them. Despite his brother Michitomo's death in battle, Hidesada pledged his loyalty to Nobunaga and resumed serving him, while Katsuie chose to remain in Nobuyuki's service. In 1557, however, Nobuyuki conspired with Oda Nobuyasu, lord of Iwakura Castle, to plot another rebellion. Shibata, disgusted by Nobuyuki's treachery and disloyalty, secretly warned Nobunaga. Nobunaga falsely claimed to have fallen ill and had Nobuyuki and his entourage assassinated when they came to visit him. It

4944-567: The Sengoku period. Nobunaga had destroyed the Takeda clan earlier that year at the Battle of Tenmokuzan and had central Japan firmly under his control, with his only rivals, the Mōri clan and the Uesugi clan , both weakened by internal affairs. The death of Uesugi Kenshin left the Uesugi clan devastated also by an internal conflict between his two adopted sons, weaker than before. The nearly decade-long Ishiyama Hongan-ji War also had already ended with

5047-408: The altar. Although Nobunaga was Nobuhide's legitimate heir, a succession crisis occurred when some of the Oda clan opposed him. Nobunaga assembled a force of 1,000 men and used them to intimidate and dissuade his enemies, thus preventing a serious disruption in the transfer of power. Sensing weakness, the daimyō Imagawa Yoshimoto sent an army under the command of Imagawa Sessai to lay siege to

5150-532: The assistance of another rival, Saitō Yoshitatsu ; Nobunaga learned of the plot but chose to forgive his brother's problem. In early 1552, barely several months after his father's death, one of Oda's senior retainers, Yamaguchi Noritsugu and his son Yamaguchi Noriyoshi defected to the Imagawa clan. In response, Nobunaga attacked Noritsugu, but was defeated by Noriyoshi's forces at the Battle of Akatsuka ; he retreated and left contested lands in eastern Owari under Imagawa control. In spring 1552, Nobunaga faced

5253-619: The battle, but nothing is recorded from that time. His exploits were first recorded in the Mino Campaign. 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. Nobunaga also formed an alliance with Takeda Shingen through

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5356-419: The border fortresses of Washizu, and Matsudaira forces led by Matsudaira Motoyasu took Marune Fortress from the Oda clan. Against this, the Oda clan could rally an army of only 2,000 to 3,000 men. Some of his advisors suggested that he take refuge at Kiyosu Castle and wait out a siege by the Imagawa, but Nobunaga refused, stating that "only a strong offensive policy could make up for the superior numbers of

5459-406: The bus at "Gifu Koen, Rekishi Hakubutsukan-mae," approximately 15 minutes from the train stations. 35°26′0.1″N 136°46′30.8″E  /  35.433361°N 136.775222°E  / 35.433361; 136.775222 Oda Nobunaga Oda Nobunaga ( 織田 信長 , [oda nobɯ(ꜜ)naɡa] ; 23 June 1534 – 21 June 1582) was a Japanese daimyō and one of the leading figures of

5562-515: The capital. Nobunaga was unprotected at Honnō-ji, deep within his territory, with the only people he had around him being court officials, merchants, upper-class artists, and dozens of servants. Having dispatched most of his soldiers to take part in various campaigns, only a small force was left to protect his person and there was little fear that anyone would dare strike Nobunaga; security measures were weak. Taking advantage of this opening, Mitsuhide suddenly turned against his master. Upon receiving

5665-422: The castle at Anjō , where Oda Nobuhiro , Nobunaga's older brother, was living. To save his life, Nobunaga was compelled to turn over a hostage held by his clan at Honshōji temple , nine-year-old Matsudaira Takechiyo – later known as Tokugawa Ieyasu – an exchange that helped solidify an alliance between other rival clans. Nobuhiro, frustrated by his low standing in the Oda clan, later plotted against Nobunaga with

5768-511: The combined Azai - Asakura force marched out to confront Nobunaga. Nobunaga advanced to the southern bank of the Anegawa River . The following morning, on 30 July 1570, the battle between the Oda and the Azai-Asakura forces began. Tokugawa Ieyasu joined his forces with Nobunaga, with the Oda and Azai clashing on the right while Tokugawa and Asakura grappled on the left. The battle turned into

5871-445: The combined forces of the Asakura and Azai clans. In 1573, is the end of Azai and Asakura clans, Nobunaga marched leading 30,000 troops which mainly consisted of the troops of Owari, Mino, and Ise Provinces. He launched the Siege of Ichijōdani Castle and Siege of Odani Castle . Nobunaga successfully destroyed the Azai and Asakura clans by driving them both to the point that the clan leaders committed suicide. Nobunaga faced

5974-499: The conclusion of peace. The Mori clan was also in a situation where defeat was almost inevitable and had presented a peace proposal to Hashiba Hideyoshi, offering the cession of five provinces. It was at this point that Nobunaga began sending his generals aggressively in all directions to continue his military expansion. Nobunaga ordered Hashiba Hideyoshi to attack the Mōri clan in the Chūgoku region ; Niwa Nagahide to prepare for an invasion of Shikoku ; Takigawa Kazumasu to watch

6077-431: The country. Mitsuhide led his army toward Kyoto under the pretense of following the order of Nobunaga. It was not the first time that Nobunaga had demonstrated his modernized and well-equipped troops in Kyoto, so the march toward Kyoto did not raise any suspicion from Mitsuhide's men. Before dawn, Mitsuhide, leading 13,000 soldiers, suddenly changed course in the middle of his march and attacked Honnō-ji Temple, where Nobunaga

6180-440: The death of Nobunaga. Then, Mitsuhide entered Nobunaga's Azuchi Castle east of Kyoto and began sending messages to the Imperial Court to boost his position and force the court to recognize his authority as well. However, no one responded to Mitsuhide's call. Hashiba Hideyoshi received the first news the day after the incident. Hideyoshi immediately made peace with the Mōri clan, kept Nobunaga's death under wraps, and returned to

6283-462: The end of August, and the Chrysanthemum Doll and Flower Festival, which runs from the end of October to the end of November. The park is also known for its smaller events throughout the year, too, including firefly viewing in the summer. From JR Gifu Station (Bus Platform 11) or Meitetsu Gifu Station (Bus Platform 4), board a bus operated by Gifu Bus that is heading towards Nagara. Get off

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6386-525: The enemy", and calmly ordered a counterattack against Yoshimoto. In June 1560, Nobunaga's scouts reported that Yoshimoto was resting at the narrow gorge of Dengaku-Kazama, ideal for a surprise attack and that the Imagawa army was celebrating their victories over the Washizu and Marune fortresses. While Yoshimoto viewed victory ahead, Nobunaga's forces marched to the Atsuta Shrine , a fortified temple overlooking

6489-594: The foundations for the successful reigns of Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. The period when Nobunaga and Hideyoshi were in power is called the Azuchi–Momoyama period . The name "Azuchi–Momoyama" comes from the fact that Nobunaga's castle, Azuchi Castle , was located in Azuchi, Shiga ; while Fushimi Castle , where Hideyoshi lived after his retirement, was located in Momoyama. Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan and launched

6592-642: The front row firing a volley, and then making way for the second row to fire. Once the second row had fired and made way for the third row, the first row had reloaded and were ready to fire again. This way the Oda could keep a relatively steady rate of musket fire. However, this was a theory developed by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff based on Oze Hoan's Shinchō Ki and Tōyama Nobuharu's Sōken Ki, which are war chronicles. Later, as research based on documents, letters, and Ota Gyūichi's Shinchō Kōki progressed, many errors were pointed out. It

6695-617: The help of the Matsunaga clan and allied with them. Yoshiaki and the Matsunaga clan gathered an army in Makishima castle in April and again in July which is when the revolt started. This angered Nobunaga who took his armies and invaded Kyoto. However, when Matsunaga Hisahide saw the hope for success was not achieved he returned to Nobunaga to fight the Miyoshi. Nobunaga's entry into Kyoto presented him with

6798-434: The help of the Rokkaku clan , Miyoshi clan , and the Ikkō-ikki , the anti-Nobunaga alliance sprang into full force, taking a heavy toll on the Oda clan. After Nobunaga found himself facing both the Asakura and Azai forces and when defeat looked certain, Nobunaga decided to retreat from Kanagasaki , which he did successfully. In July 1570, the Oda - Tokugawa allies laid siege to Yokoyama Castle and Odani Castle . later,

6901-512: The historical academia. Although Imatani himself did not claim that the Imperial Court was involved in the Honnō-ji Incident, various conspiracy theories were developed, mainly by influential historical researchers who were inspired by Imatani's theory. There are several theories about the collaborator of Mitsuhide's act in Honnō-ji: In the 2010s, a Shikoku theory was proposed that Mitsuhide, who valued his relationship with Chōsokabe Motochika, rose up to avoid Nobunaga's attack on Shikoku. Mitsuhide

7004-413: The journey, and killed along with some of his retainers. It was reported by Edo period traditional records that Hattori Hanzō , a Tokugawa vassal from Iga, negotiated with Iga ninjas to hire them as guards along the way to avoid the ochimusha-gari. The local Koka-Ikki ninjas and Iga-Ikki ninjas under Hanzo who helped Ieyasu to travel into safety were consisted 300 Ninjas. Furthermore, Uejima Hidetomo,

7107-558: The lands he had lost to them. After securing eastern Owari, Nobunaga then turned his attention back to the siege at Kiyosu , where he eventually defeated Nobutomo and forced him to die by seppuku . In 1556, Saitō Yoshitatsu raised an army against his father, Saitō Dōsan, who was slain in combat at the Battle of Nagara-gawa . Nobunaga set out to Oura in Mino with troops to rescue his father-in-law, but immediately withdrew upon hearing of Dōsan's death. Thereafter, Yoshitatsu usurped his father's title and became lord of Mino. The loss of

7210-410: The marriage of his daughter to Shingen's son. In 1561, Saitō Yoshitatsu , Nobunaga's brother-in-law, died suddenly of illness and was succeeded by his son, Nobunaga's nephew, Saitō Tatsuoki . Yoshitatsu murdered his father and brothers to become daimyō, and Nobunaga had attempted to avenge the murder of his father-in-law numerous times. Nobunaga's nephew Tatsuoki was young and much less effective as

7313-423: The monk Kennyo . Takeda Shingen and Asakura Yoshikage tried to subdue Yoshiaki. Azai Nagamasa , Matsunaga Hisahide , Sanninshu Miyoshi , Miyoshi Yoshitsugu , and others also participated in the siege against Nobunaga. Although the siege initially cornered Nobunaga's forces, but the siege was failed, it was interrupted by the death of Takeda Shingen. In mid 1573, Yoshiaki began a revolt in Kyoto, he requested

7416-490: The morning. Mitsuhide's forces finished encircling Honnō-ji around 6:00 a.m. and began to invade the temple from all sides. According to Shinchō Kōki, Nobunaga and the pages at first thought that someone had started a fight in the street. But when the enemy raised a battle cry and started shooting, they realized it was a rebellion. Nobunaga asked, "Whose scheme is this?", Mori Ranmaru replied, "It appears to be Akechi's". Nobunaga did not ask back, but simply said, "There

7519-439: The motivation: Thus, these stories were largely deemed by historians as unreliable, including the story of Mitsuhide betrayal from "Akechi-gunki" and " Kōyō Gunkan ". Other new theories from 20th century historians which involve the Ashikaga Shogunate also emerged: The mastermind theory that someone behind the incident manipulated Mitsuhide Akechi to carry out Nobunaga's assassination is surprisingly new and has emerged since

7622-760: The name Oda Saburō Nobunaga in 1546. He then led the forces of the Oda clan against rival Kira and Ohama in Mikawa for his first campaign in 1547. In 1548 or 1549, Nobuhide made peace with Saitō Dōsan , lord of Mino Province (which had previously been hostile to Owari) through a political marriage between his son Nobunaga and Dōsan's daughter, Nōhime . Nobunaga took Nōhime as his lawful wife, and Dōsan became Nobunaga's father-in-law. Nobunaga also became involved in government affairs at this time, gaining valuable political experience and insight. In 1551, Oda Nobuhide died unexpectedly. It has been said that Nobunaga acted outrageously during his funeral, throwing ceremonial incense at

7725-609: The name of both Inabayama Castle and the surrounding town to Gifu . Nobunaga derived the term Gifu from the legendary Mount Qi (岐山 Qi in Standard Chinese ) in China , on which the Zhou dynasty is fabled to have started. Nobunaga revealed his ambition to conquer the whole of Japan, and also started using a new personal seal that read Tenka Fubu (天下布武), literally " All under heaven , spreading military force", or more idiomatically, "All

7828-470: The nyōbō-shū there, "I don't care, you ladies hurry up and get out of here". It was said that Nobunaga then entered the back room of the palace, closed the door of the storage room, and committed seppuku in the burning temple. The Akechi forces lifted the siege around 8:00 a.m. Meanwhile, Oda Nobutada, who was at Myōkaku-ji Temple, received news of Mitsuhide's rebellion and attempted to go to Honnō-ji Temple to rescue his father. However, just as he

7931-557: The order, Mitsuhide returned to Sakamoto Castle and moved to his base in Tanba Province . He engaged in a session of renga with several prominent poets, using the opportunity to make clear his intentions of rising against Nobunaga. Mitsuhide saw an opportunity to act, when Nobunaga was not only resting in Honnō-ji and unprepared for an attack, but all the other major daimyō and the bulk of Nobunaga's army were occupied in other parts of

8034-485: The other hand, Chaya Shirōjirō, a wealthy merchant in Kyoto, wrote that he went ahead and gave silver coins to local people and asked them to guide and escort the group, which is highly likely to be true since it also appears in Jesuit historical documents of the same period. However, the existence of Chaya Shirōjirō during this period itself also doubted by historians, since it was recorded that Shirōjirō were born in 1600, so it

8137-417: The other hand, was leading 13,000 fully armed soldiers. This was a perfect opportunity for Mitsuhide. Honnō-ji was a fortified temple with stone walls and a moat, and it had a reasonable defense capability, but it was helpless when surrounded by a large army. On that day, Kyoto seemed to be in the midst of bad weather due to the combination of abnormal weather and the rainy season. The attack began early in

8240-619: The people escape, including the kugyō and the nyōbō-shū, and then he began his war council. Some advised Nobutada to escape and head for Azuchi, but he said, "An enemy who has committed such a rebellion will not let us escape so easily. It would be a disgrace for me to be killed by common soldiers while fleeing", and decided to stay in Kyoto and fight. In the meantime, Akechi completed the siege of Nijō Gosho, making it impossible to escape. Later, Nobutada also committed seppuku. Kamata Shinsuke, who assisted Nobutada in his suicide, hid his head and body according to his instructions. Akechi Mitsuhide

8343-530: The process of making their way to the Enryaku-ji temple, Nobunaga's forces destroyed and burnt all buildings, killing monks, laymen , women, and children and eliminating anyone who had previously escaped their attack. It is said that "The whole mountainside was a great slaughterhouse and the sight was one of unbearable horror." After the success of the Siege of Mount Hiei. In July 1573, Nobunaga besieged Nagashima for

8446-564: The route which Ieyasu taken to return to Mikawa. Ieyasu and his party, therefore, chose the shortest route back to the Mikawa Province by crossing the Iga Province , which was differed in many versions according to primary sources such as the records of Tokugawa Nikki or Mikawa Todai-Hon : Regardless which theory was true, historians agreed that the track ended Kada(a mountain pass between Kameyama town and Iga), Tokugawa group suffered

8549-533: The rule of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune . During his rule, Yoshimune were known for establishing the Oniwaban secret police institution which members hailed from the confederation clans of Koka and Iga. It has been argued that the circulation of the myth about Hattori Hanzō ninja army helping Ieyasu were created as propaganda to increase the prestige of Iga and Koka clan confederations in Tokugawa Shogunate. On

8652-463: The run, Mitsuhide was killed as a victim of an ochimushagari . The Kiyosu Conference was then held to determine the successor to the Oda clan, and four vassals of the Oda clan, Shibata Katsuie, Niwa Nagahide, Ikeda Tsuneoki , and Hashiba Hideyoshi, attended the conference. Three names were mentioned as possible successors: Nobukatsu , the second son; Nobutaka, the third son; and Hidenobu (Sanhōshi), Nobutada's eldest son, or Nobunaga's grandson, who

8755-433: The same year, Shingen decided to make a drive for Kyoto at the urgings of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki , starting with invading Tokugawa territory. Nobunaga, tied down on the western front, sent lackluster aid to Tokugawa Ieyasu who suffered defeat at the Battle of Mikatagahara in early 1573. However, after the battle, Tokugawa's forces launched night raids and convinced Takeda of an imminent counter-attack, thus saving

8858-410: The sixth month, Tenshō 10). Nobunaga was on the verge of unifying the country, but died in the unexpected rebellion of his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide . Nobunaga only had a few guards and retainers with him when he was attacked, ending his Sengoku period campaign to unify Japan under his power. Nobunaga's death was avenged two weeks later when his retainer Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeated Mitsuhide in

8961-615: The start of the Momoyama historical art period , but also for the brutal suppression of those who refused to cooperate or yield to his demands. Nobunaga killed himself during the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582, when his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide ambushed and trapped him in a temple in Kyoto ; upon realizing he was surrounded, he committed seppuku . Nobunaga was succeeded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi , who along with Tokugawa Ieyasu completed his war of unification shortly afterward. Oda Nobunaga

9064-443: The vulnerable Tokugawa with the bluff. This would play a pivotal role in Tokugawa's philosophy of strategic patience in his campaigns with Nobunaga. Shortly thereafter, the Takeda forces were neutralized after Shingen died in April 1573. In 1575, Takeda Katsuyori , son of Takeda Shingen , moved to Tokugawa territory, attacked Yoshida castle and later besieged Nagashino Castle . Katsuyori, angered when Okudaira Sadamasa rejoined

9167-850: The world by force of arms". Remains of Nobunaga's residence in Gifu can be found today in Gifu Park . Following Nobunaga's conquest of Mino Province in 1567, Nobunaga sent Takigawa Kazumasu on a campaign comprising two invasions of Ise Province in 1567 and 1568 that defeated numerous families of Ise (Ise was ruled nominally by the Kitabatake clan ). Later in 1569, head of Kitabatake clan, Kitabatake Tomonori , adopted Nobunaga's second son Oda Nobukatsu . Nobunaga also in an effort to cement an alliance between Nobunaga and rival warlord Azai Nagamasa from Omi Province , Nobunaga arranged for Oichi , his sister, to marry Nagamasa. Nobunaga desired peaceful relations with

9270-547: Was Ieyasu. The situation at the time was recorded by Gyū-ichi Ota, the author of " Shinchō Kōki ", who interviewed the ladies-in-waiting who were at the scene soon after the incident. Nobunaga had come to Kyoto to support Hashiba Hideyoshi and stayed at Honnō-ji on this day. This was because Nobunaga had not dared to build a castle in Kyoto in order to maintain a distance from the Imperial Court. Moreover, Nobunaga had ordered his generals to go into battle, so only about 150 men were escorting him at Honnō-ji. Akechi Mitsuhide, on

9373-704: Was born on 23 June 1534 in Nagoya , Owari Province , and was the heir of Oda Nobuhide , the head of the powerful Oda clan and a deputy shugo (military governor), and his lawful wife Dota Gozen . Nobunaga was previously considered to have been born in Nagoya Castle , but in recent years the theory that he was born in Shobata Castle has become more promising. Nobunaga was given the childhood name of Kippōshi ( 吉法師 ) , and through his childhood and early teenage years became well known for his bizarre behavior. Nobunaga

9476-408: Was built from 1576 to 1579 on Mount Azuchi on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Ōmi Province . Nobunaga intentionally built Azuchi Castle close enough to Kyoto that he could watch over and guard the approaches to the capital. Azuchi Castle's location was also strategically advantageous in managing the communications and transportation routes between Nobunaga's greatest foes - Uesugi to the north,

9579-541: Was called Senjō-jiki (千畳敷), which literally means "one-thousand tatami mats." The residence was so large that it covered approximately two-thirds of the present day park. Much was known about the residence because the Portuguese Jesuit Missionary Luis Frois wrote about it extensively in his journals during his time visiting with Nobunaga, even going so far as to say that Gifu was "as bustling as Babylon." However, until excavation began in 1984, it

9682-487: Was eager to find Nobunaga's body in the burnt ruins of Honnō-ji, but he was unable to locate it. Nobunaga's body not being found meant that no one knew if he was alive or dead and created a problem for Mitsuhide. If, by any chance, Nobunaga was alive, the probability of Mitsuhide's defeat increased, and even if it remained unclear whether he is alive or dead, Mitsuhide would find it very difficult to gain support from those who feared Nobunaga's retaliation. In fact, Hideyoshi sent

9785-590: Was given Nagoya Castle by his father at the age of 8 and lived there for thirteen years until he took Kiyosu Castle at the age of 21. He had one or two older brothers, but they were illegitimate sons. As the first legitimate son, Nobunaga was intended to succeed Nobuhide as leader of the Oda clan, and so he was separated from his mother and given special education. Four karō (chief retainers), Hayashi Hidesada , Hirate Masahide , Aoyama Nobumasa, and Naitō Shōsuke (or Katsusuke), were assigned to train and educate him for his future role. Nobunaga came to manhood and took

9888-472: Was inspired to launch another siege, the Siege of Mount Hiei . The Enryaku-ji temple on Mount Hiei was an issue for Nobunaga. The monastery's sōhei ( warrior monks ) of the Tendai school were aiding his opponents in the Azai - Asakura alliance and the temple was close to his base of power. In September 1571, Nobunaga preemptively attacked the Enryaku-ji temple, then besieged Mount Hiei and razed it. In

9991-526: Was leaving the temple, Murai Sadakatsu and his sons rushed in and stopped him. Murai said that Honnō-ji had already burned down and the enemy would soon attack us, and advised Nobutada to hunker down in the fortified Nijō Gosho. Upon entering the Nijō Gosho, Nobutada orders Maeda Geni to flee with his infant son, Sanpōshi ( Oda Hidenobu ), going from Gifu Castle in Mino to Kiyosu Castle in Owari. Nobutada had all

10094-400: Was not dying but what would happen after death: in other words, how his body would be treated. Nobunaga must have understood that if his body had fallen into Mitsuhide's hands, his severed head would surely have been gibbeted, and he would have been disgraced as a criminal and that Mitsuhide would use Nobunaga's death to justify his rebellion by making it public. In such a situation, Nobunaga had

10197-428: Was only three years old. After defeating Mitsuhide, Hideyoshi also searched for Nobunaga's body, but it still could not be found. In October 1582, Hideyoshi held Nobunaga's funeral at Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto. In place of his missing body, Hideyoshi had a life-size wooden statue of Nobunaga cremated and put it in an urn in place of his ashes. There is no doubt that what Nobunaga feared most when he prepared to die

10300-518: Was ready to go to war to defend Yoshihide. In response, Nobunaga launched a rapid attack on Chōkō-ji Castle, driving the Rokkaku clan out of their castles. Other forces led by Niwa Nagahide defeated the Rokkaku on the battlefield and entered Kannonji Castle , before resuming Nobunaga's march to Kyoto. Later in 1570, the Rokkaku tried to retake the castle , but they were driven back by Oda forces led by Shibata Katsuie . The approaching Oda army influenced

10403-574: Was staying. There's a legend that when crossing the Katsura River , Mitsuhide announced to his troops that "The enemy awaits at Honnō-ji!" ( 敵は本能寺にあり , Teki wa Honnō-ji ni ari ) . However, this story appeared first in Oda Nobunaga-fu ( 織田信長譜 ) by Hayashi Razan (1583 – 1657) then in Nihon Gaishi by Rai San'yō , a kangakusha of the late Edo period, and is most likely a creation, not

10506-605: Was unknown whether or not this was actually Nobunaga's Senjō-jiki . Additionally, the park has also been home to a zoo, an aquarium, the Gifu Prefectural Library, and the Gifu City Science Museum . However, all those facilities have been closed or moved. Gifu Park plays host to numerous events throughout the year. Two popular events are the Gifu Park Illumination, which runs from the end of July to

10609-447: Was unlikely he existed during Ieyasu travel in Iga province in 1582. The Honnō-ji Incident is a major historical event, but no definitive conclusion has been reached regarding Akechi Mitsuhide's motives, and the truth remains unknown. More than 50 theories have been proposed over the years, and new theories emerge with each discovery of a new historical document or announcement of the results of an excavation. Several theories regarding

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