Oda Nobunga

Oda Nobunaga 織田信長
Oda Nobunaga in a 16th-century portrait by Kanō Motohide
Born	(1534-06-23)June 23, 1534 Nagoya Castle, Owari Province
Died	June 21, 1582(1582-06-21) (aged 47) Honnō-ji, Kyoto
Issue Oda Nobutada Oda Nobukatsu Oda Nobutaka Hashiba Hidekatsu Oda Katsunaga
Father	Oda Nobuhide
Mother	Tsuchida Gozen

Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長,  Oda Nobunaga , June 23, 1534 – June 21, 1582) was a powerful daimyō (feudal lord) of Japan in the late 16th century who attempted to unify Japan during the late Sengoku period, and successfully gained control over most of Honshu. Nobunaga is regarded as one of three unifiers of Japan along with his retainers Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. During his later life, Nobunaga was widely known for most brutal suppression of determined opponents, eliminating those who by principle refused to cooperate or yield to his demands. His reign was noted for innovative military tactics, fostering free trade, and encouraging the start of the Momoyama historical art period. He was killed when his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled against him at Honnō-ji.

The goal of national unification and a return to the comparative political stability of the earlier Muromachi period was widely shared by the multitude of autonomous daimyōs during the Sengoku period. Oda Nobunaga was the first for whom this goal seemed attainable. Nobunaga had gained control over most of Honshu (see map below) before his death during the 1582 Honnō-ji incident, a coup attempt executed by Nobunaga's vassal, Akechi Mitsuhide. It is not certain whether Nobunaga was killed in the attack or committed seppuku. The motivation behind Mitsuhide's betrayal was never revealed to anyone who survived the incident, and has been a subject of debate and conjecture ever since the incident.