Life of Oba Nobunaga

Early life

Jun 23, 1534

Oda Nobunaga was born into a clan of magistrates in Japan's Owari province. His father Oda Nobuhide was a deputy Shogu for the Owari province, and his mother Dota Gozen was a noblewomen. When Oda was 17, his father died, and Oda then took control over the land and retainers.

Oda Nobunaga's early expansion

1560

In 1560, Nobunaga had expanded his reach all across the Owari and made the Oda clan to power. He was very strategic and in the same year he took over the Owari clan he defeated a very powerful man, Imagawa Yoshimoto who was one of the main Daimyo at the time. This became his first step to unify Japan.

Oda's expansion to the west

Jul 18, 1560

Oda Nobunaga was very quick when it came to promising new inventions. He was the first Daimyo to use Muskets. He also went into agriculture with the rising merchant class of Nagoya. He then planned to go to the Kinki district, an area to the west of Kyoto, Japan's capital, and the port city of Osaka to the southwest of the capital

alliance with Tokugawa

1562

In 1562, Oda Nobunaga made an alliance with Tokugawa, a powerful Daimyo neighbouring the province of Mikawa. The alliance would last till Oba's death. With the two armies working together in countless wars and battles, showing their powerful alliance.

Attack on Kyoto

1567

Oba Nobunaga, seeming that he had secured the flank, moved his base north to the city of Gifu. Next year he supported Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who hoped to become a shogun after the assassination of his elder brother Ashikaga Yoshiteru. Nobunaga marched on Kyōto and made Yoshiaki shogun. Soon, however, they fell out with Yoshiaki, and at last in 1573 he left him.

Castle at Azuchi

1576

In 1576, Nobunaga built a castle at the Azuchi at Lake Biwa. The Castle lasted for around 100 years before being destroyed. The Azuchi castle was also near the capital Kyoto.

invading the Hongan temple of Osaka

1580

In 1580, Oba Nobunaga finally achieved and took control of the Hongan temple of Osaka. This marked the first of many temple invasions on temples and manors. From this, Oba's politicial and military standpoint strengthened and began work of Buddhism temples.

Death of Oda Nobunaga

1582

In 1582, Oba conquered central Japan. In June of 1582, however, while Nobunaga was at Honnō Temple in Kyōto, Akechi Mitsuhide, one of his vassals, had rebelled against him. Nobunaga was wounded severely during the attack, and, with no means of escape, Oba committed seppuku (ritual self-disembowelment).