 | |
| Battle of Honnō-ji | |
| Date | June 21, 1582 |
| Location | Kyoto |
| Result | Akechi victory, Oda Nobunaga and Oda Nobutada commit seppuku |
| Oda army | Akechi army |
| Oda Nobunaga Oda Nobutada |
Akechi Mitsuhide Akechi Hidemitsu |
| Oda Katsunaga Mori Ranmaru Murai Sadakatsu |
Atsuji Sadayuki |
The Battle of Honnō-ji, also known as the Incident at Honnō-ji, was Akechi Mitsuhide's betrayal and murder of his lord Oda Nobunaga.
Before the Battle[]
By 1582, Oda Nobunaga controlled most of central Japan, including Kyoto and the strategic Tokaido and Nakasendo roads to the east. Following the fall of the Ishiyama-Honganji, Nobunaga had begun to extend his influence westwards for the first time. Two of his most skilled and experienced retainers began separate but parallel campaigns in this direction. Toyotomi Hideyoshi started the pacification of the southern coast of western Honshu on the Inland Sea, while his comrade in arms Akechi Mitsuhide pursued similar goals on the northern edge of the Sea of Japan.
Much of Hideyoshi's campaigning was carried out against the Mouri family, and the Summer of 1582 was to find Hideyoshi sitting patiently in front of the Mōri's castle of Takamatsu, which a dammed river was slowly but very surely flooding. The defiance of the Mōri had forced Hideyoshi to request reinforcements from Oda Nobunaga, who had hurried to send them on ahead under Akechi Mitsuhide, intending to follow personally shortly afterwords.[1]
Battle[]
This left Oda Nobunaga perilously unguarded and that night Akechi's army wheeled round and marched back to Kyoto to attack Nobunaga at Honnō-ji temple where he was staying. The temple was set on fire and overwhelmed by superior numbers, Oda Nobunaga committed seppuku and his body was consumed with flames.[2]
During the same time, Having to fail to save his father Oda Nobutada retreated to Nijō Castle were he was besieged by Akechi troops and was also forced to commit Seppuku.[3]
Aftermath[]
Akechi Mitsuhide's night attack on the Honnō-ji temple in Kyoto was a decisive battle in Japanese history for it succeeded on bringing the death of Oda Nobunaga.[4]
Trivia[]
- Some accounts state that Nobunaga's wife Noh died in the temple with Nobunaga or tried to escape and was caught by Akechi retainers.