Oda Nobunaga
The first Great Unifier who overthrew the Ashikaga Shogunate before falling to betrayal in Kyoto.
Oda Nobunaga (23 June 1534 – 21 June 1582) was a Japanese samurai and daimyō who dominated the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. Known as the 'Tenka-bito' or 'person under heaven,' he is regarded as the first Great Unifier of Japan. Often called the 'Demon Daimyō' and 'Demon King of the Sixth Heaven,' Nobunaga consolidated power through a series of wars beginning in the 1560s. He overthrew the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1573, conquered most of Honshu by 1580, and defeated the Ikkō-ikki. His rule was defined by innovative military tactics, free trade reforms, and brutal suppression of dissent.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Kippōshi
- Born
- 23 June 1534
- Died
- 21 June 1582
- Birthplace
- Nagoya, Owari, Japan
- Place of death
- Honnō-ji, Kyoto, Japan
- Mother
- Tsuchida Gozen
- Children
- Oda Nobutada
- Oda Nobukatsu
- Oda Nobutaka
- Oda Hidekatsu
- Oda Katsunaga
- Tokuhime
- Allegiance
- Oda clan; Imperial Court
Lore & Background
Nobunaga emerged as the most powerful daimyō after a succession crisis following his father Oda Nobuhide's death in 1551. He unified Owari Province by 1559, defeating rivals like Imagawa Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama in June 1560 with only 2,000 to 3,000 men against an army of 25,000. He forged alliances through political marriages, such as his union with Nōhime, daughter of Saitō Dōsan. By 1573, he dissolved the Ashikaga Shogunate and ruled until his death in 1582. His legacy paved the way for Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu to complete Japan's unification shortly after.
Reader's Guide
Nobunaga's rise began with his inheritance of Nagoya Castle at age 8 and his education under four chief retainers. He led his first campaign against Kira and Ohama in Mikawa in 1547. His early years were filled with conflict, including the defense of Anjō Castle where he traded hostage Matsudaira Takechiyo (later Tokugawa Ieyasu) to save his brother Nobuhiro. After defeating his uncle Oda Nobutomo in 1554 and securing Mino following Saitō Dōsan's death in 1556, he turned his focus outward. His innovative tactics and reforms defined the Azuchi-Momoyama period, named after his castle in Azuchi and Hideyoshi's residence in Momoyama.
Did You Know?
- Nobunaga was born on 23 June 1534, and recent theories suggest he was born in Shobata Castle rather than Nagoya Castle.
- He earned the nickname 'The Fool of Owari' for wearing sleeveless bathrobes and dancing in female clothing in taverns.
- Nobunaga committed seppuku on 21 June 1582 after being ambushed by Akechi Mitsuhide at Honnō-ji temple in Kyoto.
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