Tag: Japan

The Betrayal at Honno-ji

By 1582, Oda Nobunaga’s efforts at unification were gaining momentum as he increasingly consolidated power for himself. Just when it appeared that he couldn’t be stopped, he was betrayed by a subordinate and assassinated.

The Pax Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga became the most politically powerful daimyo in all of Japan by the early 1580s. In this episode, we explore his governance, economic management, and personal style.

Triumph at Nagashino, Disaster at Tedorigawa

Season 10, Episode 2: Triumph at Nagashino, Disaster at Tedorigawa
A large six-screen painting of the Battle of Nagashino. The Oda Clan is on the left, note the prominent position of their arquebusiers. Public Domain
A close up of the same screen painting, focused on the gunners. Public domain
A modern re-enactment of an arquebus volley at the annual Nagashino Festival. Source: Bariston, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A close-up portrait of Uesugi Kenshin from Risenji Temple. The Battle of Tedorigawa was the last time he would lead troops on the field. Public Domain

Unfinished Business

Oda Nobunaga seized absolute power in the capital in 1573, but he still had many enemies to contend with in Kansai and beyond.

The Fall of the Ashikaga

Beleaguered and surrounded by enemies, Oda Nobunaga nearly fell into a deadly trap while seeking battle against the Asakura Clan of northern Omi Province. Then the Takeda Clan started stabbing westward, seeking to liberate the shogun from the grasp of Nobunaga. The drama would end, however, with Yoshiaki’s removal and subsequent exile from Kyoto, thus marking the end of the Ashikaga Shogunate.

The Road to Kyoto

After conquering Mino Province, Oda Nobunaga needed to not only carve a path to the capital itself, but extend his control over a broad section of the Kansai region.

Tenka Fubu

Season 9, Episode 16: Tenka Fubu
The crest (mon) of the Oda Clan. Source: No machine-readable author provided. Gilyellows assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A portrait of Oda Nobunaga, here depicted in the style of a court noble. Source: Public Domain
Nobunaga’s official seal, which reads, “Tenka Fubu,” meaning “To conquer the world by force of arms.” Source: 百楽兎, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mino Province (in red) was the domain of the Saito Clan. Nobunaga’s conquest and relocation put him much closer to the capital. Source: Ash_Crow, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mikawa Province (in red), the eastern neighbor of Owari Province, was the domain of the newly-independent Matsudaira Clan. Source: Ash_Crow, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Okazaki Castle was the traditional seat of power for daimyo of the Matsudaira Clan. Source: Bariston, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This portrait of Matsudaira Motoyasu (later known as Tokugawa Ieyasu) depicts him in full battle regalia, ready to fight. Source: Public Domain

The Fool of Owari

Oda Nobuhide, the famous “Tiger of Owari,” passed away unexpectedly in 1551, leaving his branch of the Oda Clan in the hands of his son, a rude young man with little sense of propriety or politics called “The Fool of Owari.” Throughout the 1550s, however, Nobunaga would consolidate his rule over the province and even defend it from a terrifying invasion.

The Dragon of Echigo and The Tiger of Kai

Rival daimyo holding long-term grudges and engaging in massive feuds was a common feature of Sengoku Jidai, but there were two daimyo in particular whose rivalry would become the stuff of legend.

A Shogunate, If You Can Keep It

The continuing adventures of the ambitious Miyoshi Clan leaders led to a series of destructive conflicts throughout Kansai that eventually left the remnant of the Bakufu wholly dependent upon powerful daimyo to prop up their withering government.