Akechi Mitsuhide (March 10, 1528 – July 2, 1582), initially known as Jubei within his clan and later as Koreto Hyuga no Kami by title, was a notable Japanese samurai general during the Sengoku period. He is most famously remembered as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga. Mitsuhide first served as a bodyguard to Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later became a distinguished general under the daimyo Nobunaga during his campaign for political unification in Japan.
Mitsuhide's rebellion against Nobunaga in the Honno-ji Incident of 1582, for reasons unknown, led to Nobunaga's tragic seppuku in Kyoto, as he was left unprotected. Mitsuhide then sought to establish himself as shogun, but was pursued by Nobunaga's successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Yamazaki.
Mitsuhide was believed to be born on March 10, 1528, at Tara Castle in Mino Province, which corresponds to modern-day Kani, Gifu Prefecture. He hailed from the Toki-Akechi family, a branch of the shugo Toki clan, and was rumored to be a childhood friend or cousin of Nohime. Raised to be a general under the governance of Saito Dosan and the Toki clan in Mino Province, Mitsuhide sided with Dosan when his son, Saito Yoshitatsu, rebelled in 1556.
Mitsuhide's service extended to being one of the guardians of the "wandering shogun" Ashikaga Yoshiaki under Hosokawa Fujitaka. At one point, he suggested Oda Nobunaga as the official protector for Yoshiaki, who had initially sought Asakura Yoshikage for the role.
By 1567, after Nobunaga's conquest of Mino Province and the subsequent passage through Omi Province to Kyoto, Nobunaga, Yoshiaki, and Mitsuhide arrived in the capital, where Nobunaga facilitated Yoshiaki's ascension as the next shogun. Mitsuhide played a crucial role in the defense of Yoshiaki during the "Honkokuji Incident" in 1569, ultimately solidifying his loyalty to Nobunaga.
Mitsuhide continued to distinguish himself in various campaigns under Nobunaga's banner, including the Siege of Kanegasaki in Echizen Province and the Siege of Shigisan against Matsunaga Hisahide. He also played a key role in the Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji against Ikko-ikki rebellion in 1576.
However, tensions between Mitsuhide and Nobunaga escalated over time, exacerbated by public insults directed at Mitsuhide. The breaking point came with the Siege of Shigisan, which is often linked to the Honnoji Incident.
The Honnoji Incident in 1582 marked a pivotal moment in Mitsuhide's history. Ignoring Nobunaga's orders to march west, Mitsuhide led an army against Nobunaga's position at Honno-ji. The temple was surrounded and set ablaze, leading to Nobunaga's demise. Mitsuhide claimed responsibility for the act, shocking the capital.
In a bid to secure his position, Mitsuhide looted Azuchi Castle to reward his men. However, his attempts at garnering support from the Imperial Court and other clans were in vain. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, alerted to Nobunaga's assassination, swiftly marshaled his forces and confronted Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki on July 2, 1582. Outnumbered and unprepared, Mitsuhide was defeated in the ensuing battle.
See also
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Watanabe (Hanzo) Moritsuna
Moritsuna was the son of Watanabe Takatsuna, a vassal of the Matsudaira clan. He was the same age as Tokugawa Ieyasu and was held hostage with him by the Imagawa clan. In 1557, Moritsuna joined Ieyasu.
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Ban Naoyuki
He was also known as Ban Danemon. In the early stages of his military career, he served under Kato Yoshiaki, one of the so-called “Seven Spears of Shizugatake,” who later became the ruler of the Aizu region in Mutsu Province. Naoyuki held the position of commander of the arquebusiers (teppo taishō).
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Asakura Toshikage
The Asakura family, who claimed kinship with several emperors, lived in the province of Echizen. Its representatives were considered hereditary vassals of the Shiba clan. From the mid-15th century until their defeat by Oda Nobunaga's army in 1573, which resulted in the final destruction of the Asakura clan, they were a significant military and economic force.
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Asakura Yoshikage
Yoshikage was the eldest son of Asakura Takakage. He began ruling in 1548 at the age of fifteen, and during his reign he twice defeated the Ikko-ikki forces, in 1555 and 1564. Yoshikage supported the Saito family in their struggle against Oda Nobunaga in 1561–1567. When Ashikaga Yoshiaki fled Kyoto in 1565 after the assassination of his older brother, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Yoshikage gave him refuge. However, he was unable to provide sufficient support for Yoshiaki's claim to the title of shogun, and Yoshiaki had to seek help from Oda Nobunaga.
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Asakura Norikage
Norikage came from the ancient samurai clan of Asakura, whose members considered themselves descendants of Prince Kusakabe, son of Emperor Tenmu (631–686). He was the eighth son of daimyo Asakura Takakage and was named Kotaro in childhood. Over time, Asakura Norikage became the pillar of the Asakura clan and was undoubtedly its most talented commander during that difficult period when the clan was experiencing internal difficulties, uprisings by the Ikko-ikki sect, and instability in the lands surrounding the capital. Although Norikage himself was never a daimyo, he served as an advisor to three generations of Asakura clan leaders. He spent his entire life on military campaigns. After his father's death in 1481, Norikage entered the service of his brother, Asakura Ujikage.
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Asai (Azai) Nagamasa
Asai Nagamasa inherited power from his father, Asai Hisamasa, when he was only fifteen years old. Both brave and impulsive, he proved himself a capable commander, managing to regain lands from the Rokkaku clan that had previously been lost by his father. After a territorial dispute with Oda Nobunaga over the province of Mino, Nagamasa formed an alliance with Nobunaga and married his sister Oichi, who was famous for her beauty. In 1570, when Oda Nobunaga declared war on the Asakura family, Nagamasa sided with the Asakura because he had long-standing ties with them. This unexpected move threatened Nobunaga's invasion of the Asakura lands by threatening him from the rear. Oda managed to save his army, not without the help of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but relations between Nobunaga and Asai were permanently damaged.
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Amano Yasukage
Yasukage was born into the family of the samurai Amano Kagetaka and was given the name Matagoro at birth. He later changed his name to Kageyoshi, and then to Yasukage. From an early age, Yasukage served Tokugawa Ieyasu and accompanied him when he was held hostage by Imagawa Yoshimoto. His loyalty and devotion to Ieyasu from a young age laid the foundation for Yasukage's future military and administrative career.
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Amago Tsunekisa
The Amago clan (also spelled Amako) was founded in 1392, when Sasaki Takahisa, who was orphaned at the age of three, took the new surname Amago, meaning “son of a nun,” in honor of the nun who raised him. Since the Sasaki family descended from Emperor Uda (866–931), the Amago clan traced its lineage back to this emperor. From around 1396, the Amago clan's headquarters was the mountain castle of Gassan-Toda in Izumo Province. Until the start of the Onin War, the Amago clan remained a minor clan in the service of the Kyogoku clan, which was also a descendant of the Sasaki clan. The Amago clan historically held the position of vice-governor of Izumo Province.
