Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga led a surprise attack against the much larger army of Imagawa Yoshimoto at Okehazama. Nobunaga's victory, achieved through a daring raid during a thunderstorm, eliminated a major rival and established him as a rising power in Japan.

Oda Nobunaga marched into Kyoto and installed Ashikaga Yoshiaki as the 15th shogun, effectively controlling the shogunate. This move gave Nobunaga political legitimacy and control over the imperial capital, a key step toward unifying Japan.

Oda Nobunaga expelled Ashikaga Yoshiaki from Kyoto, effectively ending the Ashikaga shogunate. This act removed the last obstacle to Nobunaga's supreme authority and marked the beginning of the Azuchi-Momoyama period of unification.

Oda Nobunaga and his ally Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated the Takeda clan at Nagashino. Nobunaga's innovative use of volley fire from arquebusiers behind wooden palisades marked a turning point in Japanese warfare, demonstrating the effectiveness of firearms.

Oda Nobunaga was betrayed and attacked by his general Akechi Mitsuhide at Honn