📖 Azuchi-Momoyama Period

The Azuchi-Momoyama period lasted from 1573 to 1603. Japan, which had been in a state of national turmoil since the Muromachi period, achieved initial unification during the era of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and entered a period of peace and prosperity under Tokugawa Ieyasu. This article will focus on the three warlords, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, tracing the historical developments of the Azuchi-Momoyama period as well as the social, economic, and cultural aspects of the time.

Oda Nobunaga expelled Ashikaga Yoshiaki from Kyoto, leading to the fall of the Muromachi Shogunate. During the "Honnō-ji Incident" initiated by Akechi Mitsuhide, Oda Nobunaga committed suicide. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who succeeded Oda Nobunaga, unified Japan. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, a conflict among his retainers erupted, resulting in the decisive "Battle of Sekigahara" for control of the realm. Tokugawa Ieyasu achieved a great victory in the "Battle of Sekigahara" and established the Edo Shogunate.