The was a ten-year

military campaign A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from th ...

that took place from 1570 to 1580 in

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, carried out by lord

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

against a network of fortifications, temples, and communities belonging to the

Ikkō-ikki were armed military leagues that formed in several regions of Japan in the 15th-16th centuries, composed entirely of members of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism. In the early phases, these ''ikki'' leagues opposed the rule of local Shugo, go ...

, a powerful faction of

Jōdo Shinshū , also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. History Shinran (founder) S ...

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

monks and

peasants A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising f ...

opposed to the rule of the

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

class. It centered on attempts to take down the Ikki's central base, the cathedral fortress of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, in what is today the city of

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

. While Nobunaga and his allies led attacks on Ikki communities and fortifications in the nearby provinces, weakening the Hongan-ji's support structure, elements of his army remained camped outside the Hongan-ji, blocking supplies to the fortress and serving as scouts.

Background

The Ikkō-ikki leagues of warrior monks and commoners were among the last to stand in the way of

's bid to conquer all of Japan. Oda and Tokugawa had fought the Ikki before, crushing their armies of

Mikawa Province was an Provinces of Japan, old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Mikawa''" in . Its abbreviated form name was . Mikawa bordered on Owari Province, O ...

and other areas, and by 1570, their twin fortresses of Ishiyama Hongan-ji and Nagashima were their last bastions of strength. He besieged both fortresses simultaneously, attacking Ishiyama in August 1570 and Nagashima in 1571.

Siege

In August 1570, Oda Nobunaga left Gifu Castle in

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

with 30,000 troops, and ordered his generals to build fortresses around Ishiyama, while Nobunaga himself focused on the Sieges of Nagashima fortress and other campaigns. On September 12, the

launched a midnight stealth attack against Nobunaga's forces at Kawaguchi and Takadono. The Ikko were reinforced by warrior monks from Negoro-ji in

Kii Province , or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kii''" in . Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Pro ...

and 3,000

musketeer A musketeer ( ) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare, particularly in Europe, as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a precursor to the rifl ...

s, pushing Oda's army back. Nobunaga's armies remained camped out, assigned to monitor the Ikki's fortress, and take it if they could. In 1574, after destroying the Nagashima complex and reducing the threat from the Ikki's supporters, Oda attempted to starve out the fortress. This was no easy task, however, because the Ishiyama fortress sat on the coast, which was guarded by the fleet of the

Mōri clan The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan descended from Ōe no Hiromoto. Ōe no Hiromoto was descended from the Fujiwara clan. The family's most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan's power in Aki Province. Durin ...

, masters of naval combat and Oda's enemies. By early 1575, however, the fortress was already in urgent need of supplies, and the Abbot

Kōsa , also known as Kōsa (光佐), was the 11th patriarch of the Hongan-ji lineage of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki (Buddhist warrior priests and peasants who opposed samurai rule ...

was ready to begin peaceful overtures with Nobunaga to end the siege. But the ousted ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

Ashikaga Yoshiaki "Ashikaga Yoshiaki" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the 15th and final ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573 when he ...

sent a letter to

Mōri Terumoto Mōri Terumoto (毛利輝元, January 22, 1553 – June 2, 1625) was a Japanese ''daimyō''. The son of Mōri Takamoto, and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, he fought against Oda Nobunaga but was eventually overc ...

asking for his aid in supplying the cathedral fortress. Yoshiaki eventually raised some troops himself to aid the besieged.

Battle of Tennoji

In April 1576, Oda's army attacked the Hongan-ji fortress, led by Harada Naomasa,

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...

, Hosokawa Fujitaka,

Tsutsui Junkei son of Tsutsui Junshō, and a ''daimyō'' of the province of Yamato. On 1571, Junkei, through the offices of Akechi Mitsuhide, pledged to service of Oda Nobunaga. Military life Early in his career, in 1565, Matsunaga Hisahide, one of the most ...

, Nakagawa Kiyohide,

Takayama Ukon , born and also known as Dom Justo Takayama (c. 1552/1553 - 5 February 1615) was a Kirishitan, Japanese Catholic daimyō and samurai during the Sengoku period that saw rampant Anti-Catholicism, anti-Catholic sentiment. Takayama was baptize ...

Araki Murashige was a retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, head of the powerful "Setssu-Ikeda clan" of Settsu Province. Under Katsumasa, Murashige sided with Oda Nobunaga following Nobunaga's successful campaign to establish power in Kyoto. Military life Murashige b ...

, and Sakuma Nobuhide, but Oda forces were quickly repelled by 15,000 Ikkō-ikki defenders. Mitsuhide and Nobuhide made a request for reinforcements to Nobunaga who was staying in Kyōto.

Attack on Mitsuji fortress

Later in May 1576, Nobunaga himself personally came. Nobunaga took part in an attack on the fortress. He led a number of ashigaru (peasants) army of only 3,000 men to attack as many as 15,000 enemy forces, along with Niwa Nagahide, Hashiba Hideyoshi, Takigawa Kazumasu, Hachiya Yoritaka and

Inaba Yoshimichi , also known as Inaba Ittetsu (稲葉一鉄), was a Japanese samurai warrior during the Sengoku period. He served the Saitō clan of Mino province. Later, he became a retainer of Oda Nobunaga. His childhood name was Hikoshiro () later Hikoroku ...

. Nobunaga attacked Mitsuji fortress, pushing back the Ikki garrison to their inner gates and Nobunaga suffered a bullet wound to his leg. However, Harada Naomasa lost his life during the battle.

The fall of Ishiyama Hongan-ji

Later in 1577,

Sakuma Nobumori was a Samurai retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He was treated as Oda Nobunaga's most important retainer and would come to fight in every important battle under Nobunaga's command such as the 1567 Siege of Inabayama Castle, the 1571 and 1573 Siege o ...

was chosen as Harada's replacement as commander of the Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji and given troops from seven provinces placing him in command of the largest Oda-clan army among the Oda retainers. By then, 51 outposts had been built around the central fortress, many equipped with

arquebus An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. The term ''arquebus'' was applied to many different forms of firearms ...

squads. But Nobumori made no progress against the Hongan-ji forces and in the meantime

Kuki Yoshitaka (1542 – November 17, 1600) was a naval commander during Japan's Sengoku Period, under Oda Nobunaga, and later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was also the ninth headmaster of the Kuki family's school of martial arts, Kukishin-ryū and thus a very ski ...

failed to blockade Mōri supply lines in the first Battle of Kizugawaguchi.

was forced to revise his tactics and began to attack the outposts, and the supporters of the Ikko-ikki. Nobunaga ordered

Shibata Katsuie or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He was retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought ...

to conquer the

Hokuriku region The is located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan and is part of the larger Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to the former Koshi Province (Japan), Koshi Province and Hokurikudō are ...

, sent Takigawa Kazumasu to suppress ikko-ikki rebels at

Kii province , or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kii''" in . Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Pro ...

, Hashiba Hideyoshi to conquer the

Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339 ...

from the Mori clan, and

to pacify

Tanba Province was a province of Japan in the area of central Kyoto and east-central Hyōgo Prefectures. Tanba bordered on Harima, Ōmi, Settsu, Tajima. Tango, Wakasa, and Yamashiro provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichid ...

in 1577, and Nobunaga eventually blocked the Mōri's supply lines. In 1578, Nobunaga accused

of sympathies to the Mōri clan, and enlisted

to set up a blockade and disrupt the fortress' supply lines from the Mōri navy with massive new battleships. Later, in the Second Battle of Kizugawaguchi, Kuki Yoshitaka broke the Mōri supply lines for good. Nobunaga also gave orders to Hideyoshi to besiege Mōri's Miki castle at

Harima province or Banshū (播州) was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture. Harima bordered on Tajima, Tanba, Settsu, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji. During th ...

. However in 1579, the Mori clan lost their strategic castle at Miki and Itami Castle. By then in 1580, the siege was beginning to swing in Nobunaga's favor. The majority of the Ikko-ikki's allies were already inside the fortress with them, so they had no one to call on for aid. The Ikko-ikki under the leadership of Shimozuma Nakayuki continued to fight, eventually the defenders almost ran out of ammunition and food. The ''

monshu The Monshu (門主 or 門首), or ''keeper of the gate'' is a term used to Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism that refers to the spiritual leader of either the Nishi Hongan-ji branch, or the Higashi Hongan-ji branch, both direct descendants of its founder Sh ...

'' at the time, Kennyo, held a conference with his comrades, after receiving a letter of advice from the imperial court via imperial envoys in April 1580. Kennyo and his son surrendered a few weeks later. The fighting finally ended in August 1580.

Aftermath

With respect to Imperial order, Nobunaga spared the lives of many of the defenders, including Shimozuma Nakayuki, but burned the fortress to the ground. In the same year, following the fall of the Honganji, Nobunaga accused

and dismissed Ando Morinari from Nobunaga's service. Three years later in 1583, Toyotomi Hideyoshi would begin construction on the same site, building

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. Layout Th ...

, a replica of which was constructed in the 20th century.

References

{{Authority control Campaigns of the Sengoku period Sieges of the Sengoku period 1570s in Japan 1580s in Japan 1570s conflicts 1580s conflicts Military history of Osaka Ikkō-ikki Attacks on military installations in Japan