Akechi's name in Hiragana.

This festival takes place on the first weekend in October in memory of Japan's hero, Nobunaga Oda. This festival praises the ancestors for building Gifu is one of the autumn's most popular festivals - tens of thousands of people gather to celebrate in the streets.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi came from a poor framer family, was a brilliant and talented man who was indespensible to Oda Nobunaga. His way in trying to conquer Japan was much more respecteable than Nobunaga's way. He tried to gain control without neglecting the people's needs. He was the first person who succeeded in unifying Japan, but his ambition made him dream of expanding his power to surrounding empires - China and India. He tried to invade Korea first, but due to his poor strategical position and hazardous weather, he failed badly. Hideyoshi died of old age.

When Nobunaga was slain, Ieyasu decided not to struggle with Hideyoshi nor dispute about his claim for regency. When Hideyoshi passed away, the latter did not have any potential or worthy successors. A struggle for supremacy soon occurred between warlords, especially those who had been badly defeated by Nobunaga. Ieyasu then went to battled and proved himself to be the number one warlord in Japan. Ultimately, he was the one who collected all the fruits of success and hard work from all his predecessors. HIs patience in waiting and his shrewdness in using good opportunity was the main factors that made him the supreme ruler of Japan at that time.

The above is Oda Nobunaga. He had the necessary skills of a perfect leader - charm, prowess and intelligence. Yet, he lacked compassion, so his war tactics were ruthless and rather cruel as compared to Hideyoshi. Nobunaga was the first to find the potency of tanegashima (musket) and he used it for his own benefit. He encouraged trade with Europeans and also converted to Christianity. Whenever he went onto the battlefield, he would wear European style armour instead of Japanese traditional armour. Oda never - or seldom took surrenders. He killed everyone who stood in his way. That was why people saw him as acruel ruler in spite of his ability to manage and govern the land. After he was assassinated by his own subordinate Mitsuhide at the Honnonji Monastery, Hideyoshi rose to power in Kyoto and killed Akechi to avenge his master, whom in his eyes was his 'God'. Hideyoshi then tried to complete Nobunaga's unfinished task in unifying war-torn Japan.