Treachery
| War Geniuses die eventually |
| Japan regards him as one of their most intelligent war strategists of all time. Oda Nobunaga's greatest dream was to reunite Japan, which was torn apart in the 16th century. With this dream and alliances with two other military strategists, this great ambition of his was about to come true. However, on the 21st of June 1582 he was assasinated by Akechi Mitsuhide, who turned against him while the latter was unprepared. |
| The Japanese warrior Oda Nobunaga overthrew the Ashikaga Shogunate and ended a long period of interal strife by uniting half of Japan's provinces under his rule. In doing so, he paved the way for the reunification of the country under the Tokugawa Shogunate in the following century. The latter was born in Owari province in 1534, a member of the Fujiwara family. The son of a government official, his father had amassed a large force of military retaires. When Nobunaga inherited his father's estate 15 years later, he soon overpowered his relatives and quickly gained control of the province.
In 1560 the man allied with Ieyasu Tokugawa, a neighbouring warlord. This doubled his power. Then in 1568, Oda marched into Kyoto and made Yoshiaki Ashikaga shogun. Unfortunately, he soon fell out with Ashikaga, and in 1573 Oda desposed the shogun. By 1582, Nobunaga had Central Japan under his hand and he was attempting to gain monopoly of Western Japan. Oda had the support of the Samurai warriors and wealthy farmers by granting them estates taken from those who opposed him. |
The above is a decree by Oda Nobunaga. One of the Thirty thousands letters from Toji Temple archives - Hanging scroll,ink on paper (dated 7.Sep.1566)
28,000 Yen for the above picture
Ebine Shundo
Gifu Nobunaga Festival
http://nobunaga.city.gifu.gifu.jp/docs/guide/nobunaga-e.html
July 1998 (August 1998)
http://www.nezu-museum.minato.tokyo.jp/97-11-9/kinzei_e.html
Japanese Woodcut Prints
Samurai Gallery
http://www.kiku.com/electric_samurai/samurai_gallery/index.html
June 1998 (August 1998)
November 1997 (August 1998)
"Series of Special Heroes" - Oda Nobunaga by Toyonobu, Meiji 16 (1883)
http://www.netmarketweb.com/sakura/jpwoodcut/m0010.html
