441 Years Since Honnō-ji: The Downfall of Oda Nobunaga
What happened on the fateful night of June 21st, 1582, that caused one of Oda Nobunaga’s faithful retainers to turn on him?
By Nyri Bakkalian
Oda Nobunaga, the first of Japan’s so-called Three Great Unifiers, had an eventful and complicated career. It ended suddenly 441 years ago on June 21st.
In a stunning, unexpected attack, Nobunaga’s retainer Akechi Mitsuhide turned his own army around from its campaign and surrounded Nobunaga’s lodgings at Honnō-ji Temple in Kyoto, where the overlord fought to his death. Read on to learn more about the real history behind the legends, and some of the different ways it’s been depicted in popular culture over the past few decades!
From Fool to Conqueror
When he was born, Oda Nobunaga was not someone that anybody in a position of power in late Muromachi era Japan would’ve expected to conquer a significant portion of the realm. Indeed, even some in his own clan called him a fool.
