Cold Open

It’s early morning on June 21st, 1582, inside the Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto, the capital of Japan.

Heavy rains fall on the city as Oda Nobunaga, a powerful feudal lord, sits cross-legged on the matted floor in his room.

Alongside the 47-year-old Nobunaga are a handful of his closest aides. The men eat breakfast, laughing and joking as they remember their recent exploits on the battlefield.

It’s a time of upheaval in Japan with traditional power structures, turned on their head. Once, the most powerful man in the country was the Shogun, a type of military dictator. But in recent years, the Shogun has become little more than a puppet. His influence has been usurped by the rise of feudal lords known as daimyo. And none of these is more powerful than Oda Nobunaga. He already controls over half the country and his armies are on the march against his remaining rivals.

Now, Nobunaga has come to Kyoto for a period of rest before he returns to the front line. But his relaxing stay is soon interrupted.

The men in the temple are instantly alert as the sound of battle shatters the quiet morning. Breakfast is forgotten as Nobunaga leaps up, instructing his men to find their weapons. They’re only wearing loose robes, but there’s no time to don their armor.

Taking a bow and arrow, Nobunaga hurries through the dark corridors of the temple toward the sound of fighting. He and his aides soon emerge onto a terrace overlooking the gardens. A swarm of heavily armed soldiers has pushed through the temple gates and is overwhelming the few guards on duty. Through the curtain of rain, it’s hard for Nobunaga to make out friend from foe as blades flash, arrows fly, and men die screaming.

But it's much easier for the attacking soldiers to spot Nobunaga, standing almost alone on the terrace - and with a roar, they charge toward him.

Nobunaga and his aides fight them off as best they can. Nobunaga fires arrows until his bowstring snaps. But they’re helplessly outnumbered and one by one Nobunaga's men are cut down. Nobunaga himself is wounded by the thrust of a spear, and he and his last remaining aide are forced back into the temple.

Pursued by enemy soldiers, Nobunaga retreats to a back room in the temple and seals the door. He knows there will be no escape. So, he orders his aide to start a fire and burn the temple down. Then Nobunaga pulls open his robe, and then presses the tip of his sword against his belly. He will not be taken alive.

Oda Nobunaga's death by ritual suicide shocks Japan. He seemed on the verge of uniting the divided country under his rule and ending an era of almost constant civil war. Instead, with his death, Japan is plunged into a new period of uncertainty. Those who double-crossed him and those who stayed loyal will compete to try to finish what Nobunaga started, before he was betrayed and took his own life at the Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto on June 21st, 1582.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is June 21st, 1582: The Honno-ji Incident.

Act One

It’s 1551, at a temple in central Japan, thirty-one years before the death of Oda Nobunaga.

A funeral is underway. The body of a mighty Japanese lord lies on the altar, surrounded by mourners. They watch as the lord’s oldest legitimate son and chosen heir, 17-year-old Nobunaga, silently approaches the altar. Many in the crowd are surprised to see that he has chosen not to don traditional ceremonial dress for the funeral of his father. But Nobunaga has already developed a reputation for being a young man who does things differently. He stands for a moment before his dead father, then takes a handful of incense powder and scatters it over the body.

As the head of the Oda clan, Nobunaga's father was one of the most powerful daimyo in Japan. He spent years battling rival clans, fighting to dominate Japan and unite it under his rule. But he never succeeded in that quest, and his unexpected death at the age of just 40 has sent shockwaves through the country. Now, it is up to his teenage son, Nobunaga to carry his legacy forward.

Nobunaga's early years in charge of the Oda clan are difficult, however. Opponents both within his family and on the outside try to take advantage of his youth and inexperience. Some of his closest allies defect to other houses. Nobunaga's own uncle rebels against his leadership. And rival clans try to snatch some of Nobunaga's land.

Through bravery, inspired leadership - and more than a little luck, Nobunaga sees off these threats to his rule as head of the Oda clan. But it's eight years before he has full control of his family and its land. Only then can he think about expansion.

But Nobunaga is not the only Japanese lord with dreams of conquering the entire country. The Shogun in the capital, Kyoto, is weak. He can do nothing to stop the ambitious and powerful daimyo Imagawa Yoshimoto from marching on the city.

From Kyoto, Yoshimoto gathers an army of 25,000 men and launches an attack on Oda territory. In response, Nobunaga rallies his own army - but his soldiers are outnumbered ten to one. Yoshimoto and his army soon seize two fortresses on the outskirts of Oda controlled land, and Nobunaga's advisers urge him to retreat to the clan’s castle stronghold to wait out the inevitable siege. But Nobunaga has never been one to take the conventional course of action. In his eyes, inviting a siege is simply inviting defeat. Only an unexpected counterattack stands a chance of overcoming such a large foe. He just needs the right opportunity to strike.

Then in June 1560, Nobunaga's scouts inform him that the enemy has camped near a narrow gorge. It's an area that Nobunaga knows well - he's been hunting there many times and it's the perfect spot for an ambush. So, Nobunaga orders his meager forces out and marches toward the gorge.

The day is humid and a thunderstorm threatens overhead, as Nobunaga and his men approach the enemy camp. They find that Yoshimoto’s army is celebrating their recent victories. Such are their numbers, Yoshimoto and his advisers clearly don’t even consider the possibility that Nobunaga might risk an open battle. So, when Nobunaga's men launch their direct assault on the camp, the much larger army is caught completely off-guard.

It’s a devastating surprise attack. In the sticky heat of the day, many of Yoshimoto’s soldiers have discarded their armor and they are easily cut down by Nobunaga's swift attackers. Panic spreads through the camp and during the battle, Yoshimoto himself is killed. This stunning victory doesn’t just remove a rival daimyo, it also breaks the strength of the entire Imagawa clan. Minor warlords across the region rush to pledge loyalty to Nobunaga, and word of his exploits spreads far.

Nobunaga is quick to take advantage of his new status. With both his popularity and his strength growing, he launches an attack on the large neighboring province of Mino. The campaign takes six years, but by 1567 Nobunaga finally has Mino under his control. His ambitions don’t end there, though. He still shares his father’s dream of unifying Japan under one powerful ruler, and soon he will be confident enough to be open about his plans. He will adopt a new mantra as his official seal: “Everywhere under heaven, united by force.” It’s a promise that will strike fear into his enemies. A promise not to stop until all of Japan is his.

Act Two

It’s 1568, at Gifu Castle in central Japan, a year after Oda Nobunaga conquered Mino Province.

The 34-year-old Nobunaga holds court in one of his many fortress strongholds. He sits cross-legged on a raised platform as, one by one, supplicants enter the room, bow, and make their reports and requests.

But one man today has not come bearing news or asking for favors. He's come to Nobunaga, seeking vengeance.

60 miles away in the capital city of Kyoto, the Shogun has been murdered by three chiefs from the powerful Miyoshi clan. They have installed a puppet leader in the dead Shogun's place and plunged Kyoto into political chaos. Distraught, the dead Shogun’s brother has traveled to Gifu Castle to request Nobunaga's help. He wants Nobunaga’s support in avenging his brother’s death and taking back the title of Shogun for his family.

Once the Shogun was the most powerful military figure in Japan. But those days are gone. Now, even the Shogun’s family must beg for help from men like Nobunaga.

And as the man pleaded his case, Nobunaga senses an opportunity. This request for help gives him an excuse to march his armies on Kyoto. Ostensibly, Nobunaga's purpose would be to restore the rightful Shogun, and re-establish order in the capital city. But in reality, it would take Nobunaga one step closer to fulfilling his vision of uniting the country under his rule.

So, Nobunaga assembles his army and begins his march on Kyoto. But his rivals quickly see his real intentions. And one clan, the Rokkaku, make it known that they will refuse to recognize Nobunaga's selection for the position of Shogun.

To Nobunaga, that is effectively a declaration of war. So, he orders another of his armies to launch a lightning attack on the Rokkaku stronghold. His swift action drives the rival clan out of their fortress, and wipes them out on the battlefield. After that, opposition to Nobunaga’s march on Kyoto fall silent.

On November 9th, 1568, Nobunaga and his army enter the capital city. He quickly drives out the Miyoshi clan and their puppet Shogun. And as promised, the brother of the old, murdered Shogun is installed. But everyone knows who the real power is. And Nobunaga quickly puts his influence to use.

He orders his new Shogun to summon all the daimyo to Kyoto for a banquet. It’s a trick of course and any of the lords who travel to Kyoto risk being taken hostage. But any who refuse will be declared a traitor, giving Nobunaga an excuse to attack.

Sure enough, one clan leader refuses to come. So, in early 1570, Nobunaga invades his lands and seizes a prized castle. It looks like another victory but this time, Nobunaga has over-reached. The new Shogun may appreciate Nobunaga's help in restoring him to his rightful place in Kyoto. But he does not like being treated as a mere figurehead. So, the Shogun begins to conspire with other daimyo to form an “anti-Nobunaga alliance.”

In 1573, that alliance makes its move. Nobunaga's forces suffer considerable casualties in the early skirmishes, but they are still too powerful for the rebellious Shogun. In August of that year, Nobunaga defeats the Shogun in battle and banishes him from Kyoto. But this time, Nobunaga does not install a new puppet Shogun. Instead, he effectively takes those powers for himself.

With an iron grip on the capital, Nobunaga turns his attention to the remaining clans standing between him and total victory. Through battlefield bravery, deft diplomacy, and strategic cunning, Nobunaga's power grows. By 1580, he controls 20 provinces in central Japan, uniting previously warring regions under strong central leadership.

He seems almost unstoppable. Few rivals still dare to stand against him and his vast armies. But the Mori clan is one. Their strongholds in the West of Japan have stubbornly resisted Nobunaga. So, in 1582, he dispatches one of his top generals along with a powerful army to finally bring the Mori clan to heel. The general lays siege to the important fortress of Takamatsu. But he soon sends word back that he needs reinforcements.

So, Nobunaga orders another of his generals to prepare his forces and head west to wage war on the Mori. But little does Nobunaga know, that his general has a plan of his own - one that will thwart Nobunaga's lifelong ambitions and bring a sudden end to his domination of Japan.

Act Three

It’s early on June 21st, 1582 just outside the Honno-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan.

General Akechi Mitsuhide watches as his soldiers move into position around the temple complex. Mitsuhide knows that his feudal lord, Oda Nobunaga, is inside with just a small group of his closest aides for protection.

A few days ago, Mitsuhide was ordered by Nobunaga to lead his army west. The plan was to overwhelm the forces of the Mori clan, one of the last holdouts against Nobunaga's rule.

But upon receiving the order, Mitsuhide did not head west. Instead, he traveled to his own castle, where he locked himself away to think about what he would do. In the end, he decided that this was a chance that would not come around again - an opportunity to kill Nobunaga and take his place. So, the general disobeyed his commander’s orders and did not march his soldiers to face the Mori. Instead, he marched them into Kyoto.

Now, with the Honno-ji Temple surrounded on all sides, Mitsuhide gives the order for his treacherous surprise attack. From the street outside, he listens to the battle as it rages in the temple complex. And as the sun rises over Kyoto, smoke billows into the air. The temple is aflame, and Nobunaga is dead.

The traitor Akechi Mitsuhide immediately declares that he is assuming control of Nobunaga's vast territory. But his coup attempt fails. A loyalist general takes control of Nobunaga's armies in the West and makes peace with the Mori clan long enough to return to Kyoto. Thirteen days after the Honno-ji Incident, this general avenges his fallen master. Mitsuhide is killed in battle.

So, it is this general Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who eventually takes over the powerful Oda clan and fulfills the dream of both Nobunaga and his father before him. After a series of further victories in battle, by the mid-1580s, Hideyoshi will be the de facto ruler of Japan, becoming known as the Great Unifier, the Imperial Regent and the Chancellor of the Realm, titles that perhaps would have belonged to another man were it not for the Honno-ji Incident that ended the ambitions of Oda Nobunaga on June 21st, 1582.

Outro

Next on History Daily. June 24th, 1535. A radical political uprising comes to an end when the city of Münster falls to an archbishop’s army.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Gabriel Gould.

Music by Thrumm.

This episode is written and researched by Scott Weiss.

Edited by William Simpson.

Managing producer Emily Burke.

Executive Producers are William Simpson for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.