📖 Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga was the first daimyo during Japan's Sengoku period to set the unification of the country as his life goal. With his rational wisdom, unconventional strategies, and exceptional foresight, he often achieved unexpected victories and ruthlessly defeated his enemies. His charismatic leadership and legendary life story have made him a popular subject in modern anime, video games, films, and television dramas. As a beloved military commander in Japan, he is often mentioned alongside Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi as one of the "Three Great Unifiers of the Sengoku period."

The legitimate eldest son of the lord of Owari Province. During his youth, he was jokingly referred to as a "fool." He succeeded the family leadership, eliminated opposing forces within the clan, and unified Owari Province. In a situation with a significant disparity in military strength, he defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto with a smaller force. He supported Ashikaga Yoshiaki's ascent to the capital and endorsed him as the 15th shogun of the Muromachi shogunate. Later, he expelled Yoshiaki from Kyoto and destroyed the Muromachi shogunate. He was the first person in Japanese history to extensively use firearms. He defeated the Takeda army using the three-stage attack strategy in the Battle of Nagashino. He was betrayed by his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide and committed suicide at Honnō-ji.