The Kaga Domain ( 加賀藩 , Kaga-han ) , also known as the Kanazawa Domain ( 金沢藩 , Kanazawa-han ) , was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1583 to 1871.
76-645: The Kaga Domain was based at Kanazawa Castle in Kaga Province , in the modern city of Kanazawa , located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshu . The Kaga Domain was ruled for its existence by the tozama daimyō of the Maeda , and covered most of Kaga Province and Etchū Province and all of Noto Province in the Hokuriku region . The Kaga Domain had an assessed kokudaka of over one million koku , making it by far
152-716: 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
228-685: 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
304-521: 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
380-427: 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
456-540: 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
532-556: 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
608-417: 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
684-663: 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
760-575: 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
836-508: Is a large, partially restored Japanese castle in Kanazawa, Ishikawa , Japan. It is located adjacent to the celebrated Kenroku-en Garden, which once formed the castle's private outer garden. It was the headquarters of Kaga Domain , ruled by the Maeda clan for 14 generations from the Sengoku period until the coming of the Meiji Restoration in 1871. During the late Muromachi period ,
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#1733084644702912-485: 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
988-502: 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
1064-570: 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
1140-637: The Ikkō-ikki , followers of the teachings of priest Rennyo , of the Jōdo Shinshū sect, displaced the official governors of Kaga Province , the Togashi clan, and established a kind of theocratic republic later known as " The Peasants' Kingdom ". Their principal stronghold was the Kanazawa Gobō, a fortified temple complex on the tip of the Kodatsuno Ridge. Backed by high hills and flanked on two sides by rivers, it
1216-642: The Kirishitan daimyō known for his expertise in castle design to assist with the construction. The new castle originally had a six-story tenshu , which burned down in 1602 and was never rebuilt. Instead, the Inner bailey was used for the Hon-maru palace, or residence of the Maeda clan, with a three-story yagura turret. The castle burned down in 1631, and was modified extensively at that time. The Ni-no-maru Second Bailey
1292-503: 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
1368-670: 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
1444-503: 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
1520-429: 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
1596-624: 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
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#17330846447021672-557: 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
1748-446: 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
1824-548: 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
1900-520: 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
1976-457: The Sai and Asano rivers. A system of moats and canals surround the castle for extra protection. Maeda Toshinaga , the second daimyō of Kaga Domain, built a system of inner moats that total over 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in length, and another system of outer moats was added between 1600 and 1614. To supply drinking water, a series of canals, built from 1583-1630, connected to the moat system. In total,
2052-543: 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,
2128-674: The Siege of Osaka . This branch held the Nanokaichi Domain , rated at the minimum of 10,000 koku . The Maeda clan ruled the Kaga Domain for the entirety of its existence until the abolition of the domains in 1871 after the Meiji Restoration and the overthrow of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The location of the main Edo residence of the Kaga Domain's daimyō is now the site of the Hongō campus of
2204-544: 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
2280-535: The University of Tokyo . As with most domains in the han system, the Kaga Domain consisted of discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka , based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields. At the end of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, the Kaga Domain consisted of the following holdings: The clan records were preserved over the course of centuries. Kanazawa Castle Kanazawa Castle ( 金沢城 , Kanazawa-jō )
2356-466: 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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2432-544: 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
2508-413: 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
2584-441: 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
2660-483: The Nezumitamon Gate and Nezumitamon Bridge in 2020. Although the Maeda clan were the most powerful daimyō in Japan after the ruling Tokugawa clan in terms of kokudaka , their position was not unassailable. Kanazawa Castle is located at the center of a castle town , which in itself consisted of numerous features which added to the overall defensive situation. The castle is built on the highest ground between
2736-570: 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
2812-938: 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
2888-596: The Sanjukken Nagaya and the Tsurumaru Storehouse all of which are designed Important Cultural Properties . The Hishi Yagura turret, Gojikken Nagaya warehouse, and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura turret were restored in 2001 using traditional construction methods. Several gates of the castle have also been reconstructed, the main entrance to the castle Kahoku-mon Gate in 2010, the Hashizume-mon Gate in 2015, and
2964-467: The Sengoku period, he was granted the Kaga Domain in 1583. His eldest son, Maeda Toshinaga , supported Tokugawa Ieyasu in his rise to power and was rewarded by an increase in his lands to 1.25 million koku . Toshinaga was succeeded by his brother Maeda Toshitsune , who created two cadet branches of the clan: A third cadet line was founded by Toshitsune's brother Maeda Toshitaka for his services during
3040-466: 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
3116-408: 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
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3192-532: 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
3268-619: 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
3344-419: 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
3420-422: 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
3496-511: 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
3572-445: 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
3648-525: 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
3724-642: 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
3800-617: 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
3876-434: 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,
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#17330846447023952-558: 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
4028-520: The largest domain of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Kaga Domain was dissolved in the abolition of the han system in 1871 by the Meiji government and its territory was absorbed into Ishikawa Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture . Maeda Toshiie was a distinguished military commander, a retainer of Oda Nobunaga and a close friend of Toyotomi Hideyoshi . A member of the Council of Five Elders who ruled Japan during
4104-410: 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
4180-471: 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
4256-760: 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
4332-609: 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
4408-530: 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
4484-433: 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
4560-401: The surviving structures in the Ni-no-maru enclosure were destroyed in a fire of 1881. From 1949 to 1989, a portion of the castle site was turned over to Kanazawa University . The castle was designated a National Historic Site in 2008. Most of the current buildings are reconstructions based how the castle looked in the 1850s. Surviving structures include the Ishikawa Gate (built in 1788),
4636-518: The system was nearly 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long. For further protection, the castle grounds were split into nine enclosures divided with earthen ramparts , stone walls and fortified gates, surrounding the main bailey where the Maeda clan had their residence. Buildings relating to the government of Kaga Domain were mostly in the Second Bailey (Ni-no-maru) In many Japanese castle towns, Buddhist temples were deliberately placed in locations selected to reinforce weak points in castle defenses. Kanazawa
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#17330846447024712-469: The three great unifiers of Japan, along with his retainers , Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu . Nobunaga paved 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,
4788-443: 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
4864-700: 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
4940-405: Was a Japanese daimyō and one of the leading figures of 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
5016-429: Was a natural fortress, around which a castle town developed. This was the start of what would become the city of Kanazawa. In 1580, Oda Nobunaga sent his general Sakuma Morimasa to conquer Kaga Province. He was subsequently awarded with the province as his fief and started work on the moats and the layout of the surrounding castle town ; however, he sided with Shibata Katsuie after the assassination of Nobunaga and
5092-408: 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,
5168-447: Was defeated by the forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi , led by Maeda Toshiie in the Battle of Shizugatake of 1583. Maeda Toshiie made Kanazawa the base of his holdings, which expanded to cover all of Kaga Province, Noto Province and Etchū Province as Kaga Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate . He ordered the castle completely reconstructed in 1592 after lessons learned during Japanese invasions of Korea , and invited Takayama Ukon ,
5244-420: Was expanded, the Tatsumi Canal was built through the castle grounds, and the residences of various senior retainers were removed to outside the castle moats. The castle burned down again in the Great Kanazawa Fire 1759. Following the Meiji restoration , the castle site was turned over to the Imperial Japanese Army in 1871 and served as headquarters of the 9th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army .. Most of
5320-424: 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
5396-415: Was located in Momoyama. Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan and launched 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
5472-760: Was no exception: temples were strategically grouped in areas some distance from the castle, most likely as retreat havens. The castle's distinctive, whitish roof tiles are made of lead. The reason for that is not only that they are fireproof, but legend says that also that in times of siege, the tiles could be melted down and cast into bullets. The castle's main features are as follows: The castle sits within extensive grounds, currently organized as large, well-kept lawns and informal wooded areas, with various large walls, gates, and outbuildings. [REDACTED] Media related to Kanazawa Castle at Wikimedia Commons Oda Nobunaga Oda Nobunaga ( 織田 信長 , [oda nobɯ(ꜜ)naɡa] ; 23 June 1534 – 21 June 1582)
5548-578: Was noted for innovative military tactics, fostering of free trade, reforms of Japan's civil government, and 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
5624-561: 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 was given Nagoya Castle by his father at the age of 8 and lived there for thirteen years until he took Kiyosu Castle at
5700-518: 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
5776-459: 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 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
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