Prologue

Nobunaga’s overview

Oda Nobunaga was a feudal lord who lived from the Sengoku period to the Azuchi-Momoyama period. He is known as one of the three great unifiers of Japan. He is probably the most famous historical figure in Japan. He was such a prominent person that he paved the way for ending the Sengoku period. He was born as the third son of Oda Danjō no Chūke Nobuhide and Oda Nobuhide, who ruled Owari Province. He was raised as the heir because he was the eldest son among his legal wife’s children. After settling the succession dispute, Nobunaga expanded his power by defeating Imagawa Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama. He brought Ashikaga Yoshiaki, a candidate for shogun, to Kyoto and established his own central government (Oda regime) centered on Kinai, becoming the ruler of Japan. However, on June 2, 1582 (June 21, 1582), he was betrayed by his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide and committed suicide at Honnō-ji Temple.

The Oda family before Nobunaga

What kind of clan was the Oda Danjō no Chūke family?

The ancestor of the Oda clan was Taira no Chikazane. According to a well-known theory, he was a descendant of the Taira clan. However, recent research has suggested that the claim of being a descendant of the Taira clan was a lie made during Nobunaga’s era. According to a new theory, he was from the Imibe clan, an ancient clan that performed rituals at the imperial court. During the Muromachi shogunate, they became retainers of the Shiba clan, a powerful feudal lord. The Danjō no Chūke family (a branch of the Oda clan) first appeared in records in the mid-15th century. They became the deputy of the Shiba clan and ruled Owari Province as their base.

The area painted in green in the image below is Owari. Owari was located in the center of Japan, and had a fertile land suitable for rice cultivation with the Nōbi Plain.

Excellent father and grandfather

Nobunaga’s father Nobuhide and grandfather Nobusada were also excellent people, and Nobunaga’s leap forward was possible thanks to their achievements. Before talking about Nobunaga’s birth, I will briefly introduce the achievements of Nobunaga’s father Nobuhide and grandfather Nobusada.

Nobusada controlled Tsushima, a water transportation city

Nobunaga’s grandfather Nobusada controlled Tsushima, a water transportation city in Owari. Tsushima was a key point of river transportation that connected Owari with Ise and other regions on the Pacific side, and trade was flourishing there. Tsushima had the head shrine of Tsushima Shrine, which existed all over Japan, and Nobusada enshrined it as his patron god (the god of the land, or the guardian god). He also helped with temple and shrine construction to increase his influence in Tsushima.

The red dot in the image below is Tsushima. Tsushima faced the Kiso River and traded by sea from the Kiso River to Ise Bay.

Nobuhide returned Tsushima’s economic power to the Oda family and laid the foundation for Nobunaga’s development

Nobuhide further developed Tsushima’s economy. He also strengthened his influence and created a system that could return Tsushima’s economic power to the Oda family. The territory of the Oda Danjō no Chūke family was not very large at that time, but they responded to donations requests from the imperial court with large donations. The main source of income for feudal lords at that time was rice produced by peasants in their territories, but the Oda Danjō no Chūke family had an abundant financial power that could not be imagined from their territory size, backed by Tsushima’s economic power. This abundant financial power became the cornerstone of Nobunaga’s leap forward. On the other hand, Nobuhide’s leap forward also caused friction with his main family and conflicts with neighboring countries. This negative legacy would stand in his way as a trial when Nobunaga inherited his family.

Next time

Nobunaga’s life finally begins. Next time, I will explain about Nobunaga’s childhood.

Epilogue