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10) V40N2 - Oda-PersProfile
10) V40N2 - Oda-PersProfile
at the request of their mother, scouts reported that Yoshimoto’s where the Zhou Dynasty started,
Tsuchida Gozen. However, in the troops were resting at Dengaku- indicating his ambition to conquer
following year, Noboyuki rebelled hazama, which was a narrow all of Japan. Nobunaga adopted
again and this time Nobunaga gorge geographically perfect for the personal slogan Tenka Fubu:
executed Noboyuki himself. In Nobunaga’s surprise assault. On “all the world by force of arms.”8
1559, Nobunaga unified the Owari a night when Yoshimoto’s army From 1564 onwards, Nobunaga
province and eliminated all threats was celebrating their upcoming made plans to march on Kyoto, the
to his power. victory, Nobunaga set up an ancient capital of Japan.9
array of flags and dummy troops
BATTLE OF OKEHAZAMA made of straw and spare helmets In 1568, Nobunaga received a
to give the impression of a large request from Ashikaga Yoshiaki,
The battle of Okehazama was
number of soldiers attacking, brother of the murdered 13th
Nobunaga’s first important military
while Nobunaga and his real troops Ashikaga Shogun, to assist him
victory and showed his strategic
took up position behind the camp. in regaining the Shogunate.
talents in war. The battle occurred
A sudden thunderstorm forced Seeing this as an opportunity to
in May 1560 in Dengaku Hazam,
Yoshimoto’s troops to seek shelter enter Kyoto, Nobunaga agreed to
Owari Province. A powerful warlord
and Nobunaga struck directly at the help. Nobunaga reached Kyoto
and old ally of the Oda clan,
in a short period of time, drove
Imagawa Yoshimoto decided to enemy leader’s tent. The ambush
out the opposing forces and
invade Nobunaga’s territory using was so sudden that Yoshimoto
their figurehead Shogun and
the excuse of marching on Kyoto to initially thought that quarrelling
replaced him with Yoshiaki.10
revive the Ashkikaga Shogunate’s had broken out among his own
Nobunaga refused the post of
power.6 Yoshimoto had an army of troops. Realising his mistake too
Kanrei (Deputy Commander) from
25,000 men with other allies such late, Yoshimoto was struck down
the new Shogun and continued to
as the Matsudaira clan of Mikawa as he emerged from his tent and
expand his influence.11 Dissatisfied
province whereas Nobunaga was the Oda were victorious.7
with being just another puppet,
only able to rally 3,000 troops
Ashikaga Yoshiaki secretly formed
to fight the battle. In order to TENKA FUBU
an alliance of opposing Daimyos
raise his men’s morale, Nobunaga
After the victory in Okehazama, against the Oda clan.
performed his favorite Atsumori
Nobunaga’s fame as a commander
dance for his troops and prayed for
spread. He became increasingly A major force in the anti-
victory. Despite the suggestion of
Nobunaga’s advisor and generals to influential through the conquest Nobunaga alliance were the
remain passive or even surrender, of different clans using various Buddhist sohei (warrior monks),
Nobunaga insisted on launching a methods. For example, Nobunaga from the nearby Enryaku-ji
frontal attack even though he had gained control of the Mino monastery, a significant holy site.
a smaller army because he believed province by taking advantage of In 1571, Nobunaga burnt down
that this was his only chance to the ineptitude of his father-in- the monastery and killed several
surprise Yoshimoto’s army and law’s grandson, Saito Tatsuoki, thousand monks, women and
maintain morale among his men. and convincing Tatsuoki’s advisors children, alienating many in Japan.
to abandon their master.
A capable and careful After conquering many
strategist, Nobunaga sent scouts After taking over Mino, provinces, Nobunaga was in control
to inspect different routes into Nobunaga renamed the original of almost half of Japan and people
Owari province in order to locate Inabayama Castle, “Gifu” after saw Takeda Shingen as the last
the perfect for an ambush. His the legendary Mount Qi of China hope for stopping his expansion.
Takeda Shingen was one of the would confiscate Mitsuhide’s fief Endnotes
strongest daimyo of 16th century and grant it to his own page, Mori 1. Daimyo were the powerful
Japan and famous for his fearsome Ranmaru.15 Other motives include territorial lords in pre-modern
cavalry.12 Nevertheless, Shingen revenge for Nobunaga’s numerous Japan (10th century-mid 19th
died unexpectedly and his less insults and derisive treatment of century) who ruled most of the
talented successor was defeated Mitsuhide, or Mitsuhide’s jealousy country from their vast, hereditary
by Nobunaga at Nagashino. as Nobunaga had shown greater land holdings.
Nobunaga had compensated for favor towards Hideyoshi. 2. Jansen, Marius (2000). The Making
the slow reloading time of the of Modern Japan, 11.
powerful Tangeshima by building Nonetheless, just eleven 3. Tanegashima was a type of
barricades and staggering volleys days after the coup at Honnõ-ji, matchlock firearm introduced to
of gunfire to create a continuous Mitsuhide was killed at the Battle of Japan through the Portuguese in
hail of bullets. Unable to overrun Yamazaki and his army was defeated 1543.
the gunners, the Takeda cavalry by Hideyoshi, who eventually
4. Okanoya, Shigezane (2007)
suffered heavy casualties and fled. became heir to Nobunaga’s legacy. [Translation based on 1943 edition
Eventually, Nobunaga conquered He is more widely known as published by Iwanami Shoten,
the Takeda clan in 1582. Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At the time Japan. First published in 1871.].
of Nobunaga’s death, he was in Dykstra, Andrew; Dykstra, Yoshiko,
INCIDENT AT HONNO-JI AND control of more than half of the eds. Meishõgenkõroku [Shogun
DEATH provinces in Japan, most of which and Samurai - Tales of Nobunaga,
Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu] (PDF).
were in the Kyoto region.
In 1582, Nobunaga ordered one translated by Andrew and Yoshiko
of his generals, Mitsuhide Akechi, to Dykstra from the original Japanese.
assist his favored general Hashiba CONCLUSION Retrieved 2010-07-21. Tale 3 - His
Hideyoshi in western Honshu while Nobunaga will always be Extraordinary Appearance
he himself prepared for an invasion remembered in Japan as one of the 5. Shugo was a title translated as
of Shikoku. Nobunaga stayed at most brutal figures of the Sengoku governor; it was given to certain
a temple in Kyoto called Honno- (Warring States) period but is officials in feudal Japanto oversee
Ji guarded by only a few dozen also recognized as one of Japan’s a province’s operation.
servants and bodyguards since greatest strategists. Nobunaga 6. A shogun is the head of a hereditary
it was in his territory and it was was the first of three great unifiers military governor (Shogunate)
considered safe. Mitsuhide Akechi of Japan at the end of the 16th of Japan during 1192 to 1867.
took the opportunity to surround century.16 Nevertheless, Nobunaga The Ashikaga Shogunate was the
the temple with his troops.13 was well on his way to the weakest shogunate compared to
the other ones established due
Nobunaga’s bodyguards were soon complete conquest and unification
to the fact that it had lack of
overwhelmed and the temple set of Japan when he committed
direct territories, thus shoguns
ablaze. Trapped, Nobunaga decided seppuku. He was the pioneer who
depended heavily on the loyalty of
to commit seppuku (ritual suicide built a solid foundation for his the daimyo that held the military
through disembowelment) in one successors, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, power locally.
of the inner rooms.14 who completed the unification of
7. Weston, Mark. “Oda Nobunaga: The
the country, and Tokugawa Ieyasu,
Warrior Who United Half of Japan.”
The cause of Mitsuhide’s who eventually founded the Giants of Japan: The Lives of
“betrayal” is controversial. It has Tokugawa Shogunate that provided Japan’s Greatest Men and Women.
been proposed that Mitsuhide stable rule over Japan for the next New York: Kodansha International,
heard a rumor that Nobunaga 250 years.17 2002. 140-45. Print.