Oda Nobunaga by Neil Horton

A portrait of Oda Nobunaga, by Jesuit painter Giovanni Niccolò, 1583–1590.
Oda Clan MonIn 1549 a teenage Oda Nobunaga outfitted 500 soldiers with matchlock muskets. Although the Portuguese had introduced firearms to Japan in 1543, Nobunaga revolutionized Japanese warfare by being the first to use them during war. He proved his genius in 1575 at Nagashino Castle, where he rotated lines of musketeers to produce continuous volleys.ODA NOBUNAGA

Nobunaga was head of the powerful Oda clan of Owari Province and launched a war against other samurai to unify Japan in the 1560s. Nobunaga emerged as the most powerful daimyō in Japan, overthrowing the nominally ruling shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and dissolved the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1573, conquering most of Honshu and defeating the Ikkō-ikki rebels by the 1580s. 

Nobunaga's rule was noted for innovative military tactics, fostering free trade, reform of Japan's civil government, and encouraging the start of the Momoyama historical art period, but also the brutal suppression of opponents, eliminating those who refused to cooperate or yield to his demands. Nobunaga was killed in the Honno-ji Incident in 1582 when his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide ambushed him in Kyoto and compelled him to commit forced suicide. Nobunaga was succeeded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi who completed his war of unification shortly afterwards.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

History and Rationale of Judo

Image
 Photo of Jigoro Kano the founder of Judo HISTORY AND RATIONALE OF JUDO Turning from hybrid and imported forms of exercise I shall now try to describe those which have a truer national flavour and which are therefore of superior interest. Many earlier fallacies concerning the Japanese are being gradually dispelled by the limelight of publicity, but even today there are some who doubtless associate the idea of Japanese wrestling almost exclusively with those mountains of fat and muscle who, under the style of sumotori, form a class apart and hold periodical contests in various parts of the Empire. But this brand of wrestling would not in itself entitle Japan to peculiar distinction. It possesses forty-eight different throws, many of which are the common property of wrestlers throughout the world but whose repertoire includes a proportion of methods designed not only to throw the opponent but also to push him outside the ring in which event the successful pusher is adjudged the victor. W
Read more

Baba Nobuhara

Image
  Baba Nobuharu, also known as Baba Nobufusa (born 1514/15 A.D and died 1575 A.D) was one of the much trusted 24 Generals of the great Takeda Shingen and is often mentioned in the Takeda clan’s Koyo Gunkan, diaries of war matters as a major personal advisor to Shingen. He loyally served three generations of the Takeda clan in his 40 years service. Baba played a major role in the five battles fought between the Takeda and their rivals the Uesugi clan between 1553~1564, known as the Kawanakajima Campaign. Baba led the attack on the Uesugi’s strategically important Katsurayama Castle in March of 1557, when baba and his men stormed the castle, killing most of the garrison inside and burning the castle while their families committed mass suicide. He was awarded the position of castellan of Matsumoto Castle from 1550, while it was still known as Fukashi Castle, and was responsible for enlarging it considerably. Following the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573, in which Tokugawa Ieyasu suffered h
Read more

Journal of Chinese, Japanese and Korean Military History

Image
  Journal of Chinese, Japanese and Korean Military History. I intend starting a journal alongside the World Budo Development Society Newsletter with effect from February 2021. In order that it can be successful, I will need reliable and highly respected individuals that can assist in the venture. I must point out all contributors will be voluntary and will be able to submit articles on a regular basis.  I will be gathering a 'knowledge base' comprised of martial arts exponents and other noted academics from educational institutions around the world.  The journal shall be produced on a monthly basis.  More information from: Neil Horton World Budo Development Society and Sekai Goshin Jutsu Renmei. neil.horton64@hotmail.com 
Read more