Nobunaga’s Ambition Realized: Dawn of a New Rising Sun

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Things to note before going into this timeline:

1. As this is a Japan-centric timeline, all Japanese names will be written in the traditional "last name, first name" format.
2. Kanji iterations of terms and names will be inserted alongside the English writing the first time it's introduced.

Enjoy!!
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Intro:​

In 1582, Japan was on the cusp of unification and a new era of unprecedented prosperity and for the first time ever, prestige, power, and even expansion beyond its immediate borders. All of this would be initiated by one man: Oda Nobunaga (織田信長).

Born as a son of a small daimyo from a minor branch of the Oda clan (織田氏) in Owari province (尾張国), Nobunaga would embark upon years of rapid expansion under the banner of “Tenka Fubu” (天下布武), overthrowing the shogunate and establishing a new capital in Azuchi (安土) in Oumi province (近江国). Fueling this often brutal conquest was the beginning of a long era of trade expansionism, aided by cordial contact with the Portuguese who introduced many goods and technology, particularly guns and gunpowder, into the realm. Nobunaga’s measures towards opening the realm to the wider world and patronizing trade also facilitated the growth of the Christian faith in his territories.

This story will see how Nobunaga successfully united the entirety of Japan under the hegemony of the Oda clan and how he and his successors would transform their realm into a maritime military and economic power in the East.​

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[Ambassador Huntsman]

Nobunaga’s Ambition Realized: Dawn of a New Rising Sun


Chapter 1: How the Mōri Submitted to Nobunaga
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On March 15th, 1582, under orders from Oda Nobunaga, the future unifier of Japan, Hashiba Hideyoshi left Himeji Castle (姫路城) with an army of 20,000 towards the province of Bitchu (備中国), which was under the control of Mōri Terumoto (毛利輝元), who dominated the Chugoku region (中国地方). Along the way, his forces were joined by the Ukita clan’s 10,000 troops. The now 30,000 strong army headed straight towards Takamatsu Castle (高松城), defended by a force of 5,000 led by Shimizu Muneharu (清水宗治), and commenced a siege on April 15th.

Early attempts to storm the castle and end the siege with force failed due to the castle being a hirajo (plains castle/平城) and not a yamashiro (mountain castle/山城) and therefore arquebus and cavalry-heavy tactics being of little use. That would be so until Kuroda Yoshitaka (黒田孝高), better known as Kuroda Kanbei (黒田官兵衛), Hideyoshi’s chief strategist, stepped in and came up with an “inundation” plan to end the siege and capture Takamatsu Castle.

This plan involved constructing dikes to divert the waters of the Ashimori River (足守川) and flood the entire surroundings of the castle. Involving both the labor of local peasants as well as the troops, Kuroda’s plan commenced on May 8th, finishing up in 12 days and coinciding with a downpour that quickly flooded the castle and its surroundings. The floods seeped into the castle itself and damaged the rice provisions the troops depended on in Takamatsu Castle as well as overall morale.​

19th century ukiyo-e art (浮世絵 ) depiction of the siege
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In response to this and reports that Hideyoshi had requested direct intervention by Nobunaga himself, Terumoto started heading towards Takamatsu Castle with an army numbering between 50,000 and 80,000, varying with the sources.

Despite leading an army that easily outnumbered Hideyoshi’s forces, however, Terumoto was uneasy. Nobunaga getting involved would mean more men against the Mōri and the entire Oda domain investing in wiping out the Mōri clan. Additionally, Nobunaga had recently not only established friendly relations with the Shimazu and Otomo clans (島津氏,大友氏) in Kyushu but also committed their forces against the Mōri as well. Realizing the precarity of the situation and the lack of allies in this fight, Terumoto decided to dispatch his notorious “diplomat-priest” Ankokuji Ekei (安国寺恵瓊) to negotiate peace with Hideyoshi.

Through talks, Ekei settled on a peace offer to cede the provinces of Bitchu, Bingo, Izumo, Mimasaka, and Houki (備中国,備後国,出雲国,美作国,伯耆国) in return for sparing the lives of the troops inside Takamatsu Castle. Hideyoshi, however, demanded the seppuku of Muneharu with the terms offered by Ekei. This, then relayed to Terumoto, nearly froze peace negotiations. The Mōri, meanwhile, had sent a messenger to Muneharu asking him to surrender and become an Oda vassal, to which he replied that his life would go down with the castle. Mōri Terumoto, taking in all this, realized the only alternative to the Hideyoshi’s demands was a long, bloody war with a good chance of the Mōri clan being destroyed in the process. His uncle Kikawa Motoharu (吉川元春) objected to what he perceived as cowardly surrender and pushed strongly for continued conflict; however, even he was eventually persuaded to begrudgingly accept peace with the intervention of Terumoto’s younger uncle Kobayakawa Takakage (小早川隆景). [1]

On May 28th, Terumoto sent Ekei to Hideyoshi to relay the acceptance of terms. This would herald the end of Nobunaga’s invasion of the Chugoku region. Hideyoshi quickly sent messengers to both Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide (明智光秀), another key Oda general who had been ordered to aid Hideyoshi with his forces. Nobunaga would arrange for his heir Nobutada (織田信忠) to meet up with Mitsuhide and march towards Takamatsu Castle to oversee the submission of the Mōri, Otomo, and Shimazu clans and the redistribution of former Mōri lands. Nobunaga, meanwhile, would cancel his trip to Honnouji Temple (本能寺) as he was no longer preparing for himself to march on the Mōri and would decide on future matters from Azuchi Castle (安土城). [2]

Upon hearing the news, Mitsuhide would delay the assembling of his army and quietly rest any secret plans he had.

[1]: 1st POD-IOTL negotiations froze up until the irl Honnouji Incident
[2]: 2nd POD-Nobunaga only left Azuchi Castle to prepare for his participation in the invasion of the Chugoku region.​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 2: The Fall of Kasugayama​

While the Mōri had saved itself from imminent destruction, the Uesugi clan (上杉氏) would not be so lucky and 1582 would witness the downfall of the once mighty Echigo (越後) clan. Once projecting power from from Kasugayama Castle (春日山城) over not just the province but many other surrounding ones, the clan had rivaled or towered over every one of its contemporaries within its reach under its legendary head Kenshin (上杉謙信), even successfully invading the Oda lands of Kaga (加賀国) and Noto (能登国) provinces in 1577 and 1578.

However , after Kenshin’s death in 1578 a civil war broke out between his co-heirs Kagekatsu (景勝) and Kagetora (景虎). The former would triumph but the damage was done: Oda forces under Shibata Katsuie (柴田勝家) reconquered Kaga and Nodo and began invading Etchu Province (越中国) while encouraged by the neighboring Ashina and Date clans (蘆名氏, 伊達氏), Uesugi vassal Shibata Shigeie (新発田重家) rebelled against Kagekatsu alongside former pro-Kagetora retainers. Additionally, after the fall of the Takeda clan, Oda generals Takigawa Kazumasu (滝川一益) and Mori Nagayoshi (森長可) positioned themselves in the provinces of Kozuke (上野国) and Shinano (信濃国) respectively, ready to invade Echigo from the south. Thus, the Uesugi became surrounded from three sides.​

Statue of Shibata Shigeie at Fukoshouji Temple (福勝寺) (image above)
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Eventually, after a bloody 3-month siege, the last Uesugi stronghold outside of Echigo province, Uozu Castle (魚津城) fell on June 3rd to Shibata Katsuie after the main Uesugi army were forced to retreat and abandon the castle to confront Nagayoshi’s 5,000 strong army pouring in from the south. This main army advanced towards Nagayoshi’s position under Kagekatsu and defeated him at the Battle of Nihongi (二本木の戦い). Meanwhile, the lord of Arato Castle (荒砥城), Kuribayashi Masayori (栗林政頼), routed forces led by Kazumasu’s nephew Masushige (滝川益重) at the Battle of Mikuni Pass (三国峠の戦い), halting all Oda advances from the south. However, Kagekatsu had little time to solidify the defenses in the south before Katsuie’s army entered Echigo from the west and began sieging Katsuyama Castle (勝山城), the last major defense between the Oda and Kasugayama Castle.

Gathering an army of 12,000, Kagekatsu quickly marched towards Katsuyama Castle, which was close to submission by the Oda. His army arrived in the area in late July and positioned itself in the mountains overlooking Katsuie’s sieging army, sandwiching it between itself and the sea against Katsuyama Castle. Despite being outnumbered 3 to 1, he was confident that high morale from the victory at Nihongi as well as his strategic advantage would overcome Katsuie’s numerical advantage.​

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This was not to be. In what would be remembered as the Battle of Katsuyama Castle (勝山城の戦い), the Uesugi rushed down from their position in the early morning, using the morning fog to their advantage to take the Oda by surprise; simultaneously, the garrison inside Katsuyama Castle sent out a small force to skirmish and distract from the main attack. Despite initial success, Katsuie’s numbers quickly halted the Uesugi rush advance. 2 hours into the battle, a force of 7,000 under Maeda Toshiie (前田利家), who had been positioned further back in anticipation of the Uesugi attack, snuck up the mountains and launched a surprise attack on Kagekatsu’s main camp, slaying Kagekatsu’s young chief Councillor Naoe Kanetsugu (直江兼続) amidst the ensuing confusion. Hearing of the surprise attack, the main Uesugi force was thrown into chaos, their cohesion quickly crumbling and being forced into a hasty retreat. Meanwhile, Katsuie had crushed the Katsuyama Castle’s garrison’s onslaught from the east and was able to storm the castle, taking it by the evening.

The defeated Uesugi army retreated back towards Kasugayama Castle. Kagekatsu, realizing he had scant numbers to resist the Oda and no outside allies to rely on, decided to surrender to Katsuie. After Katsuie accepted, Kagekatsu would commit seppuku along with his chief vassals in return for the Oda sparing the lives of his battered forces. Within 4 years of Kenshin’s death, the Uesugi were no more.

Despite Kagekatsu’s death, resistance would continue as the lords of Honjo and Hirabayashi Castles, (本庄城, 平林城), Honjo Shigenaga (本庄繁長) and Irobe Nagazane (色部長実) continued fighting Shibata Shigeie, whom they felt directly contributed to the fall of the Uesugi. Additionally, Kuribayashi Masayori and other remaining retainers from Kagekatsu’s birthplace, Ueda-no-sho (上田庄), refused to submit to the Oda. However, they would all surrender by the end of 1582.

Shibata Shigeie would be the biggest beneficiary of the partition to follow, rewarded with all of northern and central Echigo. Southern Echigo up to Ueda-no-sho would be divided between Nagayoshi and Kazumasu while the rest would be given to Nagao Norikage (長尾憲景), a distant relative of Kagekatsu, to keep former Kagekatsu retainers under the governance of a pro-Oda member of the Nagao clan (長尾氏) (Kenshin and Kagekatsu were blood members of the Nagao clan). [1]​

Partition of Echigo (Shibata Shigeie=dark green, Nagao Norikage=brown, Mori Nagayoshi=pink, Takigawa Kazumasu=light orange)​

Focus would shift to the Kanto and Oshu regions (関東, 奥州), where Kazumasu had already been busy with diplomatic overtures and negotiations.

[1] Uesugi Kenshin was adopted by Uesugi Norimasa (上杉憲政) in 1561 after being born as the son of Nagao Tamekage (長尾為景), the Uesugi clan’s deputy in Echigo province in the early 16th century.​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 3: Homage, Adoptions, and Partitions at Takamatsu​

Nobutada, accompanied by his and Mitsuhide’s armies, arrived at Hideyoshi’s position on June 14th and would oversee the ratification of the agreement between Hideyoshi and Terumoto, Shimizu Muneharu’s seppuku, and the distribution of the ceded Mōri lands. Additionally, Shimazu Yoshihisa (島津義久) and Otomo Sourin (大友宗麟), the heads of their respective clans, as well as a representative of the Kawano clan (河野氏), a Mōri ally in Shikoku busy fighting the Chosokabe clan, would also come to pay their respects to Nobutada.

Regarding the distribution of the five ceded provinces, Ukita Nobuie (宇喜多信家) [1] would be granted Mimasaka province while Kuroda Kanbei and Hachisuka Masakatsu (蜂須賀正勝), leading planners of the Takamatsu Castle siege, were rewarded generously with the western half of Bingo province and the southern half of Bitchu province respectively. Izumo was meanwhile split between Nobunaga’s younger brother Nagamasu (織田長益) and the resurrected Amago clan (尼子氏), a historical rival of the Mōri based out of Izumo before the latter annexed the former’s lands, under clan head Yoshihisa (尼子義久). Additionally, to compensate the Otomo clan for its commitment to the Oda under previous promises to give it lands among the Mōri’s western provinces, Otomo Sourin’s second son Tahara Chikaie (田原親家) was made an independent daimyo based from Fukuyama Castle (福山城) in Bingo province. The rest of the lands were distributed among lesser Oda retainers, particularly those that had served under Hideyoshi, and some former Mōri retainers.​

New division of the Chugoku region (grey=Ukita Nobuie, lavender=Hachisuka Masakatsu, pink=Amago Yoshihisa, salmon=Kuroda Kanbei, lime green=Tahara Chikaie, green=Oda Nagamasu, yellow=Mōri Terumoto, tangerine=misc. holdings)​

Additionally, in a last minute order from Nobunaga himself, Nobutada’s younger brother Katsunaga (織田勝長) would become the Shimazu clan’s adopted heir, as clan head Shimazu Yoshihisa (島津義久) was 49 and childless. Katsunaga’s adoption solidified Azuchi’s newfound power and influence in Kyushu, and he would subsequently change his name to Nagahisa (島津長久).

Finally, the Mōri, Shimazu, Kawano, and Otomo clans formally submitted to Nobutada and promised to aid in the subjugation of any remaining daimyo in Kyushu and Shikoku not under the thumb of Nobunaga, namely the Chosokabe and Ryuzōji clans (長宗我部氏, 龍造寺氏); the latter three clans were also guaranteed their current lands. All 4 clans would eventually travel to Azuchi to pay their respects to Nobunaga himself. Oda suzerainty now extended all the way to the edges of Kyushu.

With the concessions and negotiations generally wrapping up by September, Nobutada and Mitsuhide would return to Kyoto and Tanba province (丹波国) respectively while Hideyoshi would oversee the resolution of the land distributions.​

[1]: Ukita Nobuie is IOTL’s Ukita Hideie (宇喜多秀家). Since Nobunaga or Nobutada don’t perish at Honnouji, instead of Hideyoshi becoming his godfather, Nobutada oversees his manhood ceremony at Takamatsu Castle, thus giving him his “信” character in front of the hereditary “家”character.

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 4: Nobutaka vs Motochika Round 1​

Initially, in Shikoku (四国), Nobunaga had established cordial relations with the daimyo of Tosa province (土佐国), Chosokabe Motochika (長宗我部元親). Such relations, however, soon deteriorated with Motochika’s refusal to become a vassal of Nobunaga while acting upon his own expansionary ambitions, and by 1582 the two were enemies. Nobunaga would turn to the Miyoshi clan, formerly enemies but now a regional power reduced in strength willing to submit in order to survive, as his primary allies in Shikoku. He also formed friendly relations with lords in eastern Sanugi and Iyo provinces (讃岐国,伊予国) to politically isolate Motochika, in particular the Saionji and Kawano clans (西園寺氏,河野氏).

In May of that year, Nobunaga appointed his third son, Kanbe Nobutaka (神戸信孝), to lead the Shikoku invasion campaign with Niwa Nagahide (丹羽長秀) and Hachiya Yoritaka (蜂谷頼隆) as well as Nobutaka’s cousin Tsuda Nobuzumi (津田信澄) serving as his deputies. By May 29th, 14,000 troops had amassed under these 4 men in Sakai and left for Shikoku on June 2nd. The pelagic supply lines across the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海) between Sakai and Shikoku were maintained and protected by Kuki Yoshitaka (九鬼義隆) and his navy.
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Sketched depiction of Kando Nobutaka
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They would first land on the eastern coast of Awa province and aid Miyoshi Yasunaga (三好康長) and Sogo Masayasu (十河存保) in capturing Ichinomiya and Ebisuyama Castles (一宮城,恵山城), which would both fall by early August. The Oda coalition army would garrison the two castles before proceeding west along the Yoshino River towards Tosa province (土佐国), the Chosokabe’s stronghold, with a force now numbering 24,000 with the inclusion of the Miyoshi and Sogo forces. The landing of Nobutaka’s army prompted Motochika to proceed into Awa province with his force of 25,000 and link up with his second son, Kagawa Chikakazu (香川親和) and his army of 10,000 in the hopes of forcing Nobutaka’s hand into a pitched battle before the Oda could advance further into Shikoku.

Motochika’s wish was granted as his army caught Nobutaka’s sieging force on August 11th while the latter was besieging Kawashima Castle (川島城), which overlooked the river as well as a large islet. In what would later be known as the Battle of Kawashima Castle (川島城の戦い), the Oda army quickly formed up and initially was able to hold back the numerically superior Chosokabe force. With the armies’ north flanks facing the river, they both sent their northernmost contingents up to secure the islet and then attack the opposing army southward, with the Oda force being led by Nobuzumi. These contingents consisted of 5,000 men each for both sides.​

Salmon=Oda, Blue=Chosokabe​

However, while the battle on the islet proved to be a slogging match between two equally matched forces, the main Oda army started to break due to its significant numerical disadvantage and was forced to retreat and abandon their siege on Kawashima Castle. Amidst the retreat, Nobuzumi’s force on the islet became cut off from the main army and was killed after getting knocked off his horse. The rest of Nobuzumi’s force was crushed, with only a few men evading death or capture. In total, the Oda would suffer 8,000 casualties while only inflicting 1,000 on the Chosokabe. Nobutaka’s demoralized army retreated east, with Motochika slowly following them with 24,000 and Kansas Chikakazu’s contingent of 10,000 heading north to Sanugi province.

Upon hearing the news of the defeat and the death of his nephew, Nobunaga would summon Akechi Mitsuhide and Ikeda Tsuneoki (池田恒興) and order them to join Nobutaka’s battered forces in Awa province while also sending instructions to Kuki Yoshitaka to utilize his naval forces aggressively. It was said that Nobunaga was in a vengeful mood, for Nobuzumi’s death was a personal blow to him despite Nobunaga having murdered Nobuzumi’s father, Oda Nobuyuki (織田信行), over the succession of the Oda clan 26 years earlier.​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

For all readers unfamiliar with the pre-1871 provincial map, just wanted to post it as a reference. Hope you're all enjoying the timeline so far, for now I'll be posting updates daily.

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[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 5: Kamakura-Fu 3.0​

While the Shikoku, Echigo, and the Chugoku campaigns were marked by bloodshed, the subjugation of the Kanto region was a far more diplomatic affair. Takigawa Kazumasu, a major commander in the Kai-Shinano campaign, was designated by Nobunaga as his representative in the Kanto region as well as the provinces of Kai and Shinano (甲斐国, 信濃国). Early on, he oversaw the submission and homage of former Takeda clan vassals in Shinano province as well as many minor lords in the northern Kanto area, especially in Kozuke and Shimotsuke provinces (上野国, 下野国). Kazumasu was also involved in the conquest of Echigo province and diplomatic contacts with Ashina Moritaka and Date Terumune (蘆名盛隆, 伊達輝宗), heads of their respective clans.​

Sketch of Takigawa Kazumasu​

Kazumasu’s biggest challenge, however, came with the Go-Hojo clan (後北条氏). Clan head Hojo Ujimasa (北条氏政) was the most powerful daimyo in the Kantō region and like his forefathers, dreamed of subjugating the entire region. However, throughout 1582 he had been sending gifts to Nobunaga and even proposed a marriage between one of Nobunaga’s daughters and his heir Hojo Ujinao (北条氏直). Such an arrangement would make Ujimasa an equivalent of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康), the lord of Mikawa , Suruga, and Tootoumi provinces (三河国, 駿河国, 遠江国) Nobunaga’s longtime ally of 20 years who had participated in many campaigns, particularly against the former Takeda clan (武田氏) in Kai as a partner rather than a vassal.​

Portrait of Hojo Ujimasa​

The possibility of a Oda-Hojo marital alliance ruling the Kanto region, however, alarmed many clans who felt threatened by Ujimasa’s expansionary ambitions, including the Utsunomiya clan (宇都宮氏) in Shimotsuke province and the Satake clan (佐竹氏) in Hitachi province (常陸国), and had come to Kazumasu for protection. Stuck between two rocks, Kazumasu decided to revive an old institution and proposed the creation of a new regional government in the Kanto region based from Kamakura (鎌倉) headed by a member of the Oda clan taking orders directly from Nobunaga: a Kamakura-fu (鎌倉府). In the past, both Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇) and shogun Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏) had established Kamakura-fus in 1333 and 1336 led by one of their younger sons to maintain a military and political presence in the historically unruly and anti-Kyoto region. Nobunaga, upon receiving the suggestion, would approve and would send his youngest brother, Oda Nagatoshi (織田長利), to Kamakura at the end of 1582, and Kazumasu would act as his right-hand man. Nagatoshi and his descendants would be referred to as Kamakura Tandais (鎌倉探題) throughout the existence of the Kamakura-fu within Oda Japan. Nobunaga would also arrange the marriage of his oldest daughter, Tokuhime (徳姫), and Ujinao, to further bolster Oda ties and influence in the region. Thus, Ujimasa would be Nobunaga’s brother-in-law but also a direct vassal of Nagatoshi.

This arrangement would prove palatable to most daimyos, with the glaring exception of the regional Ashikaga Kubos, or mini-shoguns (公方), in Koga and Oyumi (古河, 小弓) who had been vying for the vacant position of Kamakura Kubo (鎌倉公方), the old deputy of the Ashikaga shoguns in the Kanto region. The creation of the new Kamakura-fu completely canceled any previous authority or claims they nominally possessed as heirs of the original Kanto Kubos. This astonishingly caused the two to reconcile and unite their houses, with the heir of the Oyumi Kubo, Ashikaga Yorizumi (足利頼純) designated as heir of a reunited Ashikaga Kanto cadet branch. The reunified Ashikaga sought to rally support for their cause but were unsuccessful in peeling off any minor lords or daimyo from the Oda.

Early in 1583, Nagatoshi himself would lead an army of the various Kanto clans including the Hojo and crush the rebellious forces, eliminating the Kanto cadet branch of the Ashikaga clan for good. Most of the rebels’ lands would become direct fiefs of the Oda clan. Thus, Nobunaga secured yet another region of Japan on his path towards complete reunification.
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[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 6: Nobutaka vs. Motochika Round 2​

Chosokabe Motochika’s success would prove to be short-lived. After splitting with his second son Kagawa Chikakazu, he attempted to chase and corner the retreating Oda army but was harassed by Kuki Yoshitaka who led a small naval-based contingent along the river to maraud any Chosokabe forces along the Yoshino River and conduct hit-and-run raids on any encampments and supply lines.

Additionally, he received reports that the Kawano and Saionji clans in Iyo province were preparing their armies to directly invade Tosa province itself, and with the Treaty of Takamatsu, they could expect assistance from the Mori, Otomo, and Shimazu clans. Moreover Motochika’s own diplomatic overtures, especially to any remaining independent Western daimyo, went nowhere as Ryuzōji Takanobu (龍造寺隆信), facing invasions on all sides, opted to submit to Nobunaga by the end of 1582 while Hatakeyama Masahisa (畠山政尚) in Kii province (紀伊国) was unable to mobilize an army in time to intercept Oda reinforcements led by Mitsuhide and Tsuneoki.

Both Mitsuhide and Tsuneoki would arrive in Awa province in October, where they split, with Mitsuhide marching with an army of 13,000 towards Chikakazu’s force of 10,000 while Tsuneoki led the remaining 5,000 to directly join the main Oda army. Mitsuhide would quickly track down Chikakazu’s sieging army and defeat it in open battle, driving out all Chosokabe forces out of Awa province in the process.

Upon hearing this, Motochika would retreat back to Kawashima Castle and meet up with Chikakazu’s beleaguered army once more. The Chosokabe lord would also request reinforcements in the hopes of building up enough strength against the Oda once more. Fortunately for him, Nobutaka and Mitsuhide would rest their respective armies for the winter, allowing 3,000 reinforcements to come from Tosa province for Motochika. The decisive clash would take on March 28th, 1583 in what would go down as the Battle of Takagawara (高川原の戦い).​

Oda=salmon, Chosokabe=blue
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The Chosokabe army of 34,000 marched out of Kawashima Castle towards Nobutaka’s reinforced army of 22,000 to avoid a pincer attack from across the islet and the two forces met at Takagawara, south of the river. The Oda had formed up in a defensive position just across a small river, positioning yari ashigaru and arquebusiers on the frontlines and cavalry and other samurai further to the back. Due to this, Nobutaka's men were able to resist Chosokabe charge after charge and maintain steady morale despite being outnumbered. The stiff Oda resistance gave Mitsuhide enough time to move all of his forces across the Yoshino River and rush the Chosokabe in a coordinated pincer move, delivering a blow to Motochika’s momentum. The daimyo himself retreated with a part of his force but while attempting to cross the river was struck in the shoulder with an arrow from a group of patrolling Kuki boats and knocked off his horse into the water, where he was captured and executed.

The battle ended with the majority of Motochika’s army dead, wounded, or captured, with only 10,000 under the command of Chikakazu successfully retreating all the way back to Tosa province. With this victory, the Oda subjugation of Shikoku neared completion.​

Statue of Chosokabe Motochika at the site of the battlefield later constructed in the 17th century​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 7: Yoshiaki’s Last Gamble​

One of the people Motochika had reached out to in a bid to gain allies against the Oda was former shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki (足利義昭). Ever since Nobunaga had driven him out of Kyoto and ended the Muromachi shogunate (室町幕府) in 1573, he had been exiled in Bingo province (備後国) where he waited for a chance to coalesce anti-Oda forces around him and revive the shogunate. Despite his numerous efforts over the years, Yoshiaki had been completely unsuccessful.​

Portrait sketch of Ashikaga Yoshiaki
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However, when Motochika sent a letter asking for support in late 1582 in return for the Chosokabe supporting Yoshiaki’s reinstatement as shogun, he saw an opportunity. While in reality Motochika was offering an empty promise to Yoshiaki under opportunistic pretenses, the latter took it seriously and embarked upon his own letter-writing effort. In addition to the pro-Motochika Hatakeyama Masahisa in Kii province that was already considering an attack on Oda lands in Izumi and Kawachi provinces (和泉国, 河内国), Yoshiaki also contacted displaced Mōri vassals in the ceded provinces and even Kikkawa Motoharu, Mōri Terumoto’s uncle who still secretly wished for conflict with the Oda, and planned an uprising of him and other dissatisfied Mōri retainers against Hideyoshi’s forces to coincide with Yoshiaki also taking a stand and Masahisa’s army marching into Oda lands absent of major generals like Akechi Mitsuhide and Ikeda Tsuneoki in March 1583.

Unfortunately for Yoshiaki, Hideyoshi and Terumoto figured out what was going on and swiftly suppressed any rebellious sentiments in the West. Hideyoshi immediately sent a messenger to Azuchi Castle while also sending a few thousand troops towards Yoshiaki. The former shogun, realizing what was happening, fled in disguise to the Hatakeyama, who immediately raised arms against Nobunaga. His army, incorporating Yoshiaki’s supporters as well as the Negoro Temple warrior monks and Saika mercenary regiments (根来衆, 雑賀衆), numbered 20,000, and immediately entered Izumi province.

With no major armies in the areas, Nobunaga charged Oda Nobutada with gathering an initial army of 8,500, with the majority of forces being Yamato province’s (大和国) Tsutsui Junkei’s (筒井順慶) troops, and also requested assistance from Hideyoshi and Katsuie.

Yoshiaki and Masahisa’s first target was the city of Sakai, the Oda clan’s most important trading hub. They started sieging the city in March; however, they faced stiff resistance from Matsui Yuukan (松井友閑), the city’s magistrate, and from the few thousand samurai and townsfolk armed with arquebuses, who prevented Yoshiaki’s forces from crossing the city’s moat. At night, raids were conducted on the camp by both Yuukan and Nobutada, whose army was positioned nearby. The raids wore down Yoshiaki’s army’s morale, especially as the former shogun failed once again to be an inspiring figure.

After two weeks, Masahisa intervened and changed course, choosing instead to chase down the Oda army they still heavily outnumbered. By then, however, Katsuie’s army of 15,000 and Hideyoshi’s army of 10,000 were nearby and Nobutada was able to link up with both, now possessing a grand total of 33,500 troops. Yoshiaki’s, meanwhile, had suffered some casualties and desertions but still numbered 17,000. The two armies would meet at Yamazaki, an area bordering both Settsu and Yamashiro provinces (摂津国, 山城国).

The Ashikaga-Hatakeyama army, which camped on the small Enmyouji River (円明寺川) utilized the warrior monk’s experience with firearms and organized a front line of 5,000 arquebusiers while positioning the cavalry in the wings and the rest of the largely spear-wielding ashigaru infantry behind the arquebusiers. Meanwhile, the Oda army positioned its center and wings across from the Ashikaga’s, with Katsuie manning the left wing, Hideyoshi the right wing, and Nobutada the center. Nobutada also placed a hidden cavalry contingent led by Nagaoka Fujitaka (長岡藤孝) and his son Tadaoki (長岡忠興) on Mt. Tennouzan (天王山), and this would be key in the outcome of the battle.​

The battle started with the Oda wings charging first, crashing into the Ashikaga wings despite some gunfire from their arquebusiers. As the Ashikaga cavalry got pushed back, the ashigaru spear infantry assaulted from the sides of the center and for a moment, the battle was a stalemate left and right. Seeing a chance, Nobutada ordered the center to charge, but it was immediately set aback by the arquebusiers in the front row.

At this moment, the Nagaoka contingent rode down from Mt. Tennouzan and flanked the Ashikaga right, scything through the army. The Oda numbers finally turned the tide, the Ashikaga men completely collapsing in the face of the advancing Oda and quickly disintegrating into a completely routed mob. However, the warrior monks refused to surrender, gathering together while surrounded on all sides after the rest of the forces had retreated. They resisted viciously with their matchlocks and naginata polearms, and it is said that every last warrior monk was slain.​

Salmon=Oda, Blue= Ashikaga-Hatakeyama​

The battle, later known as the Battle of Yamazaki (山崎の戦い), was a complete disaster, and eventually Yoshiaki was captured while retreating. On the orders of Nobunaga, he was beheaded and his head displayed at Rokujougawara (六条河原), a longtime execution ground in Kyoto, as a grisly, mocking way of allowing Yoshiaki to “return” to Kyoto. Thus, the main line of the Ashikaga clan became extinct.
​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 8: Daijo-daijin​

After the Battle of Yamazaki, Hatakeyama Masahisa retreated back into Kii province where he hoped to rebuild his forces and defend against an impending Oda invasion. Nobunaga would put Shibata Katsuie in charge of that invasion in April 1583, with Nagaoka Fujitaka and Tsutsui Junkei acting as his deputies. His initial army of 20,000 would be supported by additional forces under the command of Nobunaga’s second son, Kitabatake Nobuoki (北畠信意) [1], who had just accepted the surrender of the sieged Koya-San (高野山).

Meanwhile, Chosokabe Nobuchika (長宗我部信親) succeeded his father as the head of the Chosokabe clan after the Battle of Takagahara and upon the return of the battered army to Tosa province would decide to surrender to Nobunaga after realizing they had no chance of victory. While the Chosokabe would be allowed to remain the lords of Tosa province, Kagawa Chikakazu was ordered to commit seppuku, his head being delivered to Azuchi as proof of final victory in Shikoku. As promised, Nobutaka would receive the province of Sanugi and become Miyoshi Yasunaga’s adopted son and heir, while Yasunaga and Sogo Nagayasu would split Awa province.

With these developments, outside of Oshu, Kii province remained the sole area outside of Nobunaga’s orbit, and unification was within his grasp. Even in Oshu, Kazumasu had been engaged in diplomatic contacts with the various northern clans to persuade them to pledge loyalty to Nobunaga and pay their respects and homage at Azuchi. Meanwhile, every daimyo from Kyushu as well as Mōri Terumoto all made the trip and paid homage and respect to Nobunaga in late 1582 and early 1583, with some including Kirishitan daimyo Omura Sumitada (大村純忠) and Arima Harunobu (有馬晴信) urged by Jesuit missionaries, with whom Nobunaga had developed an altruistic relationship with.​

Red=lands controlled by the Oda/direct Oda vassals, pink=lands controlled by autonomous allies and indirect vassals, salmon=lands controlled by autonomous allies and indirect vassals with Oda bloodline heirs, blue=non-Oda lands, green line=area under the authority of Kamakura-fu (credit to @BBadolato for updated map)​

Around this time was when Nobunaga decided to take up a matter indirectly from the imperial court. The designated liaison between the samurai and the court, the noble Kajuuji Harutoyo (勧修寺晴豊), had privately conversed with Nobunaga’s Kyoto Shoshidai (京都所司代), or magistrate Murai Sadakatsu (村井貞勝) in spring 1582. Their conversation was over the fact that Nobunaga kept refusing any imperial titles after relinquishing them all in 1578. What was agreed upon was that Nobunaga would take one of three titles: shogun (征夷大将軍), imperial regent or kanpaku (関白), or chancellor of the realm/daijo-daijin (太政大臣).

Sadakatsu presented the matter to Nobunaga a few months later but the latter dismissed the issue. However, by 1583, unification was close to reality and the transition to nation-building was already beginning. Encouraged by conversations with his closest retainers and allies like Hideyoshi, Sadakatsu, and his chief attendant Mori Naritoshi (森成利), better known as Ranmaru (蘭丸), Nobunaga decided to make a decision and adopt a title to attain total legitimacy as the supreme overlord of Japan, officially only below the emperor. Drawing upon his claimed lineage as a Oda clan member from the Heishi clan (平氏), Taira no Kiyomori (平清盛) [2], and chose to become daijo-daijin. [3] [4]

On May 5th, 1583, before Emperor Oogimachi (正親町天皇), he was bestowed the title of daijo-daijin along with the Junior 1st rank (従一位). This ceremony and its consequences are often marked as the beginning of the Azuchi period in Japanese history (安土時代) and the start of the Oda Chancellorate (織田太政府).​

Portrait of Nobunaga as daijo-daijin​

[1] Previous name of Oda Nobukatsu (織田信雄)

[2] Taira no Kiyomori became daijo-daiji in 1167 and grew his power as a samurai leader through both military power and internal court intrigue and politics.

[3] The title of shogun is heavily associated even back then with the Genji lineage, as demonstrated by Hideyoshi attempting to become Ashikaga Yoshiaki’s adopted son and become shogun and Ieyasu claiming lineage from the Genji himself when trying to become shogun. Similarly, the imperial regency was exclusive to the Sekke (摂家), or the 5 most noble branches of the Fujiwara clan, and Hideyoshi actually became the adopted son of Konoe Sakihisa (近衛前久). Therefore, to some extent, Daijo-daijin is seen as the highest position a member of the Heishi could attain.

[4] It’s entirely possible that Nobunaga could’ve picked whatever title he wanted but 1. since this wasn’t an official offer, that’s not a guarantee 2. Individuals like Ieyasu or even Mitsuhide who were descended from the Genji could challenge Nobunaga’s or a future Oda member’s legitimacy.​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 9: Tenka Tōitsu At Last!!​

Nobunaga’s accession to the chancellorship was followed by Nobutada being bestowed the Junior 2nd rank and the position of Gon-Dainagon, or major councilor (従二位権大納言), strengthening his power and legitimacy as Nobunaga’s heir and the head of the Oda clan.​

Ceremonial portrait of Oda Nobutada
​

Using his newfound title, Nobunaga decided to command all remaining independent daimyo to submit to him. This action being especially directed towards the Oshu clans, the daijo-daijin would make a trip to Kamakura and strengthen his hold in the East. Accompanying him would be the forces of Ikeda Tsuneoki, Akechi Mitsuhide, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Maeda Toshiie along with his personal retinue. Among his retinue was his steadfast African bodyguard, Yasuke (弥助), who led his lord’s advance guard and grabbed much attention with his huge stature.

Nobunaga arrived in Kamakura in late July after spending some time viewing Mt. Fuji (富士山), being immediately greeted by the Kanto daimyo as well as Takigawa Kazumasu and Oda Nagatoshi. Then came a stream of Oshu daimyo. In addition to Date Terumune and Ashina Moritaka, who had already paid homage to Nagatoshi and Kazumasu and had also supported Shibata Shigeie against the Uesugi, notable lords included Mogami Yoshimori (最上義守) and Onodera Yoshimichi (小野寺義道) of Dewa province (出羽国), Nanbu Nobunao (南部信直) and Ooura Tamenobu (大浦為信) of Mutsu province (陸奥国), Honma Yasutaka (本間泰高) from Sado province (佐渡国), and Kakizaki Suehiro (蠣崎季広) from the far north on the Oshima Peninsula (渡島半島) on the northern island of Ezo (蝦夷). Suehiro, in particular, caught the attention of Nobunaga who told him of the unexplored, untapped lands further north inhabited by the Ainu people and presented to him furs and other goods from his own territory and commercial profits. Interested similarly to how he was with stories and gifts from Portuguese merchants and Jesuit missionaries, the daijo-daijin would send a party led by his close vassal Mōri Yoshikatsu (毛利良勝) [1] to visit Suehiro’s lands and compile a detailed report on Ezo.

Only a few lords in the Oshu region, notably Hienuki Hirotada (稗貫広忠) and Waga Yoshitada (和賀義忠), would refuse to pay any respects or homage to Nobunaga. In response, Kazumasu and Toshiie would be charged with marching north and subjugating their lands. The duo and any other holdouts would either surrender or be defeated by mid-1584.

On the battlefield, meanwhile Nobunaga’s newfound legitimacy demoralized the Hatakeyama clan, with many of their vassals switching sides. This would bring a surprisingly quick end to the Kishu (紀州) campaign [2], with Masahisa committing seppuku and the remaining clan dispossessed of all of their lands. With this, only the Hosokawa clan (as the Nagaoka clan) survived with any power among the three “Kanrei clans” who had monopolized the Kanrei position under the Ashikaga Shogunate.

Nobunaga would return to Azuchi by the end of 1583, with one final daimyo, Sou Yoshishige (宗義調) of Tsushima (津島). Within a couple months, all of Japan was Nobunaga’s. He had done it: Japan was united once again, under the hegemony of the Oda clan.

[1] This is the Mōri Shinsuke that 23 years ago took out Imagawa Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama.

[2] Kishu is an alternate name for Kii province.​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 10: A New Government​

Nobunaga had taken the first steps towards building a new political structure not only through his governance of his own lands but more recently with his acceptance of the daijo-daijin title and a formal establishment of a Daijo-fu. After the Kamakura visit, however, he would take significant strides in establishing a new central authority based out of Azuchi.

He would first disband the regional army divisions utilized during the unification process to prevent a vassal from maintaining a high degree of military power. In return, he would bestow the junior 3rd rank and associate counselor (従三位参議) positions to the 5 major generals of the previous regional armies: Akechi Mitsuhide, Hashiba Hideyoshi, Niwa Nagahide, Shibata Katsuie, and Takigawa Kazumasu. This began a tradition of the titles being given to the 5 most important Oda retainers who would directly participate in government as councilors. Furthermore, Nobunaga would make it clear that these titles were not hereditary and rather based on both merit and seniority, particularly the former. Mitsuhide’s and Hideyoshi’s presence especially emphasized the fact, as the former was a former retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiaki while the latter, originally a peasant, started his service to Nobunaga as his sandal-bearer.​

From left to right: top (Akechi Mitsuhide, Hashiba Hideyoshi, Niwa Nagahide), bottom (Takigawa Kazumasu, Shibata Katsuie)​

Another way Nobunaga sought to control the realm's daimyo, especially the newly incorporated tozama (外様大名) or non-hereditary daimyo, and reduce the possibility of rebellion from the regions would be by standardize the practice of holding hostages in Azuchi into a mandatory residence upkeep system called sankin-kotai (参勤交代制度) [1] that required all daimyo except for those in the Kanto region to maintain a residence in Azuchi and spend alternating periods of time in the city. Daimyo under the authority of the Kamakura-fu would be imposed similar conditions in Kamakura, although they would still be required to annually pay homage in Azuchi. Nobunaga would, however, also appoint lords outside direct Oda suzerainty as councilors to better incorporate all regions of Japan and keep the non-hereditary daimyo invested in Nobunaga's new Japan. 5 would be designated: Tokugawa Ieyasu, Otomo Sourin, Date Terumune, Miyoshi Yasunaga, and Mōri Terumoto. Nobutada along with his younger brother Nobuoki and Kajuuji Harutoyo would round out the 10 previously mentioned names, establishing a total of 13 inaugural members of Nobunaga’s Sangi-shu.​

From left to right: top (Date Terumune, Otomo Sourin), bottom (Tokugawa Ieyasu, Miyoshi Yasunaga, Mōri Terumoto)​

Nobunaga would also appoint magistrates in major ports and cities beyond those already administered directly by the Oda clan like Sakai, Gifu, and Kyoto in order to better monitor and regulate economic activities and direct regional and national commercial interests. In cities like Yamaguchi that were previously under the complete control of the local daimyo, the lords were able to retain some level of authority as well as their revenue and profits. The increased nationalization of trade and commerce would be but the first step towards Nobunaga’s greater goal of increasing the realm’s mercantile and maritime power abroad.

Finally, Nobunaga would decree a national katanakari (刀狩) or sword hunt, in order to confiscate swords, arquebuses, and other weapons from commoners and would subsequently ban the possession of said weapons among non-samurai, although short swords, or wakizashi (脇差) were only lightly regulated under these new changes. In tandem with the katanakari, Nobunaga would announce a land survey decree (検地令) for the purposes of recording estimated crop yields and standardize measurements across the entire realm. The process would take around 9 years to compile and record. [2]​

Later depiction of Nobunaga's decreed land survey
​

Nagatoshi, who had been granted the junior 3rd rank and the middle palace commander of the left (従三位左兵衛督) [3], would enact similar decrees and political reforms in the Kanto region with the administrative support and backing of Takigawa Kazumasu, and those efforts would play a significant role in revitalizing Kamakura as the center of economic and political power in the Kanto region.

[1]: Same as OTL

[2]: Happened under Hideyoshi IOTL

[3]: Previous imperial titles held by Kamkura kubo during the Muromachi period​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 11: Red Seals and Iron Plates​

In 1584, Nobunaga introduced a “red seal” system where the central government in Azuchi would issue red-sealed permits to merchants and certain daimyo as licenses for foreign trade. Under this system, Nobunaga could not only control who was trading with whom overseas but also implement measures better targeted at protecting said trade from competing commercial interests. Red seals also served to regulate the presence of non-Japanese merchants in the country, particularly Europeans. In practice, the Oda regime under Nobunaga’s direction issued red seal permits pretty liberally, especially in major ports and harbors under the jurisdiction of an Oda-appointed magistrate, allowing trade between Japan and markets in Southeast Asia, Korea, and beyond to explode in volume and profit even more than where it already was headed.​

17th century red seal permit
​

In the long term, it would have significant effects both within the realm and overseas. Many feudal lords who either lacked a red seal or were inland and therefore had no access to the sea would overtime put resources and energy into developing goods, natural exports, and even local industry as well as interior trading networks to tap into the expanding trade over the next few decades. Meanwhile, the rapid commercial expansion saw an influx of not only many foreigners on Japanese soil but even more Japanese on foreign soil, especially unemployed samurai, many of whom had been displaced by the Oda themselves. Seeing opportunity, they would leave and within 10-15 years, Japanese enclaves slowly emerged in major ports across Southeast Asia from Ayutthaya to Manila while Japanese samurai mercenaries abounded in foreign armies. Soon, they would even establish colonial outposts on modern day Bireitou (美麗島) [1], initially independent of Azuchi but not for long.

At the same time, Nobunaga would also create the foundation of the Japanese navy through the transition of the Oda feudal navy to a specialized and professional institution under Azuchi with nominal jurisdiction throughout the realm in order to safeguard Japan’s growing commercial and maritime interests. In addition to the centuries-old wakou (倭寇) pirates that abounded throughout the seas albeit in declining numbers, independent navies like the Murakami navy had emerged as their own political entities, patrolling inland seas while receiving revenue from trade and tolls that historically even powerful clans like the Ouchi clan (大内氏) had paid.

These autonomous maritime powers were a barrier to an Oda-regulated trade system, so Nobunaga would institute both the Naval Authority Decree (水軍権限令) and the Piracy Stoppage Decree (海賊停止令). The former officially appointed Kuki Yoshitaka as the chief admiral of the new Azuchi navy and gave it the authority to enforce regulations and decrees overseas, patrol shores and coastal waters, and guard ships and ports while the latter not only officially banned piracy but also legally disbanded all independent navies. Chiefly, however, the latter did provide the ability for pirates and independent navies to join and merge into the newly bolstered Azuchi navy. With Yoshitaka, himself formerly a leader of an independent navy and later nicknamed the “Pirate Daimyo”, providing much credibility to the new navy, almost all existing navies opted to merge into the Azuchi navy. Therefore, at the outset, Nobunaga’s new maritime military force was filled with experienced sailors, samurai, and ex-pirates.​

Ceremonial portrait of Kuki Yoshitaka​

Yoshitaka, under the direction of Nobunaga, would expand the construction of “iron ships”, or Tekkou-sen (鉄甲船), iron-plated ships armed with cannons and built with holes to incorporate masses of arquebusiers and rapidly replace older ships with little use beyond being wooden fortresses that mainly saw boarding action and hand-to-hand combat. Tekkou-sen were successfully used, however, at the 2nd Battle of the Mouth of Kizugawa River (第二次木津川口の戦い) in 1578 against the Mōri navy, and afterwards Nobunaga desired their greater usage. Additionally, Yoshitaka would also assign some of his deputies to the study of Portuguese ships and in the long run would even have non-Japanese advisors on naval strategy, training, and composition.

These developments, helped by Nobunaga’s interest in commercial and maritime expansion and Azuchi’s jurisdiction over most major ports, would significantly increase Japanese power overseas and even contribute to domestic economic growth and prosperity in the long term.​

[1] ITTL’s modern day name of Taiwan, similar meaning as Formosa in Portuguese

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 12: The 1585 Northern Expedition ​

Towards the end of 1584, Mōri Yoshikatsu would return from the Kakizaki clan’s lands in Ezo and present Nobunaga with a report on his findings, from the Ainu people the Kakizaki clan interacted with politically and economically to the harsh winter climate of the region. In particular, Yoshikatsu had extensively written about the topography and natural resources of the island, as Yoshikatsu had made a few exploratory ventures into Ezo’s forests and valleys with no Japanese presence.

Fascinated by the findings, the following year Nobunaga would send an expedition to Ezo led by Yoshikatsu once again, this time to explore the northern interior of the island. He would be accompanied by a bigger entourage with the notable inclusion of Mori “Boumaru” (坊丸) Nagataka (森長隆), Ranmaru’s younger brother, and Date Terumune’s son Masamune (伊達政宗). This group would also deliver a letter to Kakizaki Yoshihiro (蠣崎慶広) that requested additional men and supplies for the expedition.

The expedition arrived in May 1585 at Oshima Peninsula and would be subsequently reinforced and resupplied before departing into the unknown. Notably, Yoshihiro assigned Ainu-speaking interpreters to the entourage to allow communication with the various Ainu tribes. The expedition initially pushed through the entire southern peninsula before arriving at Mt. Youtei (羊蹄山), with several members remarking at the mountain’s similarity with Mt. Fuji. The expedition then pushed through west until they arrived at the Kushiro Marsh (釧路湿原), where they witnessed the beautiful red-crowned crane for the first time. Throughout the journey, they also took note of the lifestyle of the Ainu tribes and villages they came across as well as the vast natural resources, flora, and fauna of the region. The entourage also notably would bring back a brown bear skin and a preserved bear skull as well as a collection of red-crowned crane feathers and gifts from the Ainu villages including clothes, tools, and crafts. On the way back, they hugged the southern coast as it became colder, although they would avoid the worst as they would return to Kakizaki lands by winter, losing only a few men.​

Kushiro Marsh​

The expedition would return to Azuchi in 1586 and Yoshikatsu would subsequently submit his findings. Nobunaga, enthralled by the results of the expedition, would once more Yoshikatsu back to Ezo, this time with instructions to revitalize the abandoned port of Hakodate (箱館) as its new magistrate and utilize it as the Oda’s primary gateway to the far north. He would also encourage the Kakizaki clan to increase its contact with the Ainu people further north and make greater headways in terms of trade and development.​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 13: Missionaries and Slavers​

Nagasaki (長崎) was one of the ports that came under the control of an Azuchi-appointed magistrate. In a peculiar situation, however, he negotiated the transfer of power from Portuguese missionaries rather than a local daimyo, as the port had been ceded to the Jesuits in 1581 by Oumura Sumitada. The process took a bit longer compared to other ports but with the mediation of Takayama Ukon (高山右近), a “Kirishitan” daimyo from Settsu province (摂津国) with close relations with the Jesuits in the Kinki region (近畿地方) Nagasaki came under the direct control of Azuchi with special privileges and exemptions for the Jesuits and the Portuguese in general by the middle of 1585 and Christianity becoming legalized throughout the entire realm.

This arrangement would not last long due to an unsettling discovery made by Nagasaki’s new magistrate, Hori Hidemasa (堀秀政). Largely undiscovered outside of Kyushu behind the enormous influence and wealth the Jesuits had grown due to the support of the various Kirishitan daimyo in Kyushu was the Portuguese slave trade of Japanese commoners to China, Southeast Japan, and even all the way to Portugal’s capital of Lisbon. Early reports among the Portuguese merchants and missionaries of the trade emerged in the form of complaints among the missionaries as early as 1555, with even King Sebastian of Portugal outlawing the slave trade in case it disrupted the missionaries’ efforts. However, his order fell on deaf ears and the trade continued, with even the missionaries coming to tolerate the slave trade without complaint.​

Portuguese ship, a commonplace sight in Nagasaki in the late 16th century
​

Upon the first witnessed instances of the slavers’ activities, Hidemasa ordered an immediate crackdown on the activity and the incriminated merchants were arrested and detained, with Hidemasa sending a messenger back to Azuchi. Although there was universal disgust and condemnation of the slave trade among the councilors in Azuchi, there were disagreements on how to respond, ranging from a simple ban on the slave trade to a wholesale crackdown on Christianity, the latter more traditional-minded vassals like Akechi Mitsuhide generally supported. Even the imperial court weighed in, siding with Mitsuhide as in their eyes a barbaric, invasive faith was the cause and therefore needed to be purged. They already had serious objections to Nobunaga’s religious indifference and his close relations with the Jesuits for commercial purposes.

Nobunaga’s divided feelings between preserving good relations with the Portuguese and maintaining absolute sovereignty and authority ultimately led to the Southern Barbarian Control Decree (南蛮規制令) in 1586, which abolished the Kyushu slave trade, rescinded the special privileges and exemptions in Nagasaki, confiscated much of the Jesuits’ landholdings in Kyushu, and barred Kirishitan daimyo from engaging in the forced conversion of non-Christians. Additionally, the Azuchi navy would be granted the absolute right to stop any ships under suspicion of illegally participating in the slave trade. As for the detained slavers, they were publicly burned alive on the harbor for all to see, with their charred corpses displayed for several days as a warning.

While effective in the short term, the decree would chill relations between Nobunaga and not only the Jesuits and Portuguese but also the imperial court permanently. The legality of the missionaries’ activities had remained intact for the most part, but their influence curbed significantly to the point where Gaspar Coelho, the Superior of the Jesuit mission in Japan, felt threatened and unsuccessfully laid plans to arm Kirishitan daimyo against Nobunaga; he was later removed by other Jesuits and would leave Japan for good, dying in 1590 [1]. Nevertheless, his disapproving feelings were certainly shared by his missionary peers. Meanwhile, the more court-aligned voices felt ever more that Azuchi was too soft and forgiving towards Europeans at the expense of Japan’s sovereignty and traditional culture and values. This dissatisfaction on both sides would sow the seeds for future distrust and conflict after Nobunaga’s time.​

Portrait of Gaspar Coelho
​

These events would also shift the balance of power in Kyushu towards the Shimazu clan, the most powerful non-Kirishitan daimyo on the island. Sourin, who himself was heavily interrogated over the discovery of the slave trade, would pass away in 1587, and Shimazu Yoshihisa (島津義久) would become a councilor in the Azuchi government, sharply decreasing the influence of Kirishitan daimyo in the central government for the time being.​

[1]: Happened IOTL in response to Hideyoshi's 1587 expulsion of Jesuits

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Daimyo in Kyushu, Chugoku, and Shikoku in 1587​

Per request, I'll be covering which daimyos control what and where. Here are the Kyushu, Chugoku, and Shikoku regions:


Kyushu:

Green: Shimazu Yoshihisa (島津義久): 1533-
Purple: Otomo Yoshimune (大友義統): 1558-
Brown: Aso Koremitsu (阿蘇惟光): 1582-
Orange: Arima Harunobu (有馬晴信): 1567-
Lavender: Omura Yoshiaki (大村喜前): 1569-
Grey: Ryuzōji Takanobu (龍造寺隆信): 1529-
Maroon: Matsura Takanobu (松浦隆信): 1529-

Chugoku:

Light Orange: Mōri Terumoto (毛利輝元) 1553-
Salmon: Oda Nagamasu (織田長益) 1548-
Forest Green: Amago Yoshihisa (尼子義久) 1540-
Emerald Green: Horio Yoshiharu (堀尾吉晴) 1542-
Lime: Nanjou Mototsugu (南条元続) 1549-
Purple: Mashita Nagamori (増田長盛) 1545-
Brown: Miyabe Keijun (宮部継潤) 1528-
Grey: Ukita Nobuie (宇喜多信家) 1573-
Pink: Hachisuka Iemasa (蜂須賀家政) 1558-
Cobalt: Tahara Chikaie (田原親家) 1561-
Orange: Kuroda Yoshitaka (黒田孝高) 1546-
Beige: Minor daimyo, castle lords

Shikoku:

Brown: Chosokabe Nobuchika (長宗我部信親) 1565-
Orange: Kawano Michinori (河野通軌) 1576-
Grey: Saionji Kinhiro (西園寺公広) 1537-
Dark purple: Miyoshi Nobutaka (三好信孝) 1558- [1]
Lavender: Sogo Masayasu (十河存保) 1554- [2]​

[1]: Salmon stripes indicating Miyoshi Nobutaka being an Oda clan member by blood as Nobunaga's son
[2]: After Miyoshi Yasunaga's death in 1585, Awa province was split between Nobutaka and Masayasu.

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Daimyo in Kinki, Chubu, Kanto, and Oshu regions in 1587

Kinki region:

Salmon: Oda clan lands
Beige: Misc. castle lords [1]
Lavender with salmon lines: Kitabatake Nobuoki (Oda clan descent) (北畠信意) 1558-
Orange: Kuki Yoshitaka (九鬼嘉隆) 1542-
Maroon: Tsutsui Sadatsugu (筒井定次) 1562-
Emerald green: Nagaoka Fujitaka (長岡藤孝) 1546-
Pink: Hachiya Yoritaka (蜂谷頼隆) 1534-
Brown: Nagakawa Hidemasa (中川秀政) 1568-
Blue: Takayama Ukon (高山右近) 1553-
Cobalt: Ikeda Tsuneoki (池田恒興) 1536-
Purple: Sogo Masayasu (十河存保) 1554-
Gray: Hashiba Hideyoshi (羽柴秀吉) 1537-
Forest green: Akechi Mitsuyoshi (明智光慶) 1569-

Chubu region:

Salmon/lavender with salmon stripes/beige/light orange: Same as Kinki
Green: Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) 1542-
Blue: Niwa Nagashige (丹羽長重) 1571-
Cobalt: Hojo Ujimasa (北条氏政) 1536-
Red: Anayama Baisetsu (穴山梅雪) 1541-
Pink: Kawajiri Hidenaga (河尻秀長) 1555-
Maroon: Mōri Hideyori (毛利秀頼) 1541-
Yellow: Takigawa Kazutada (滝川一忠) 1553-
Orange: Mori Nagayoshi (森長可) 1558-
Purple: Kiso Yoshimasa (木曽義昌) 1540-
Lime green: Anekouji Nobutsuna (姉小路信綱) 1560-
Light grey: Shibata Katsuie (柴田勝家) 1522-
Dark brown: Maeda Toshiie (前田利家) 1539-
Dark grey: Sassa Narimasa (佐々成政) 1536-
Light brown: Nagao Terukage (長尾輝景) 1537-
Bronze: Honma Yasukage (本間泰景) 1562-
Dark blue: Shibata Shigeie (新発田重家) 1547-

Kanto region:

Salmon: Oda Nagatoshi (織田長利) 1551-
Lavender: Hojo Ujimasa (北条氏政) 1538-
Pink: Satomi Yoshitoshi (里見義利) 1573- [2]
Yellow: Takigawa Kazutada (滝川一忠) 1553-
Forest green: Utsunomiya Kunitsuna (宇都宮国綱) 1568-
Emerald green: Oyama Hidetsuna (小山秀綱) 1529-
Lime green: Sano Ujitada (佐野氏忠) 1556-
Grey: Yuuki Harutomo (結城晴朝) 1534-
Cobalt: Nasu Sukeharu (那須資晴) 1557-
Light Orange: Oda Ujiharu (小田氏治) 1534-
Bold Orange: Satake Yoshishige (佐竹義重) 1547-

Oshu region:

Light orange: Satake Yoshishige (佐竹義重) 1547-
Bronze with dark grey lines: Ashina Morimune (蘆名盛宗) 1568- [2]
Dark grey: Date Terumune (伊達輝宗) 1544-
Light grey: Mogami Yoshimori (最上義守) 1521-
Blue: Nihonmatsu Yoshitsuna (二本松義綱) 1574-
Red: Souma Yoshitane (相馬義胤) 1548-
Orange: Ouzaki Yoshitaka (大崎義隆) 1548-
Dark blue: Kasai Harunobu (葛西晴信) 1534-
Forest green: Sakuma Morimasa (佐久間盛政) 1554- [3]
Pink: Onodera Kagemichi (小野寺景道) 1534-
Yellow: Asari Yorihiro (浅利頼平) 1557-
Maroon: Shiba Akinao (斯波詮直) 1548-
Emerald green: Tozawa Moriyasu (戸沢盛安) 1566-
Light pink: Akita Sanesue (秋田実季) 1576-
Lime green: Tsugaru Tamenobu (津軽為信) 1550-
Purple: Nanbu Nobunao (南部信直) 1546-
Beige: Misc. castle lords​

[1]: Akechi Mitsuhide, Niwa Nagahide, and Hashiba Hideyoshi held castles in northern Oumi province but would ultimately be mandated to give them up in favor of lesser vassals.

[2] ITTL's Satomi Yoshiyasu (里見義康)

[3]: Date Terumune was successful in installing his second son Date Masamichi (伊達政道) as the next head of the Ashina clan ITTL as opposed to Satake Yoshishige’s second son Yoshihiro (蘆名義広), who became clan head IOTL.

[4]: The Daihouji clan was declared extinct as its last head, Daihouji Yoshioki (大宝寺義興), died without an heir. Nobunaga would transfer Sakuma Morimasa to their previous lands from Kaga province (加賀国).​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 14: Passing the Torch to the Next Generation​

The latter half of the 1580s witnessed the death of many of Nobunaga’s senior core vassals, some of them having served him for over 25 years. Among the appointed councilors, Niwa Nagahide passed in 1585, Takigawa Kazumasu in 1586, Akechi Mitsuhide in 1587, and Shibata Katsuie in 1588. Katsuie notably had served Nobuyuki, Nobunaga’s younger brother, as his chief councilor during the succession crisis within the Oda clan triggered by Nobunaga’s father Nobuhide’s (織田信秀) in 1551 and was Nobunaga’s most senior retainer. Kyoto magistrate Murai Sadakatsu also passed away in 1587, with Ikeda Tsuneoki, who had succeeded Nagahide as councilor, passing in 1589.

-Niwa Nagahide (丹羽長秀): 1531-1585
-Takigawa Kazumasu (滝川一益): 1525-1586
-Akechi Mitsuhide (明智光秀): 1528-1587
-Murai Sadakatsu (村井貞勝): 1520-1587
-Shibata Katsuie (柴田勝家): 1522-1588
-Ikeda Tsuneoki (池田恒興): 1536-1589

A new cohort of retainers would take over from the old guard. Replacing the old Oda councilors were Mori Nagayoshi, Kuki Yoshitaka, Sassa Narimasa, and Maeda Toshiie, with Hideyoshi becoming the Oda clan’s most senior retainer and Kazumasu’s son Kazutada (滝川一忠) taking over his father’s duties serving Nagatoshi in Kamakura.. Meanwhile, senior bureaucrat Sugaya Nagayori (菅屋長頼) would succeed Sadakatsu as Kyoto magistrate.​

Sassa Narimasa on the left, Maeda Toshiie in the middle, Mori Nagayoshi on the right​

Changes also occurred within the imperial court, with Emperor Oogimachi (正親町天皇) retiring in 1586 and his grandson Prince Kazuhito (和仁親王) stepping onto the Chrysanthemum Throne as Emperor Go-Yozei (後陽成天皇), with Nobunaga’s niece Chacha (茶々) ascending as his consort. 3 years later, Prince Tsuruhito (鶴仁親王) would be born between the two, thus ensuring that the next emperor would be Nobunaga’s great nephew.

Finally, in 1592, Nobutada’s eldest son Sanboushi (三法師) would come of age and would, his name being changed to Oda Nobunori (織田信則) [1] as Nobutada presided over his genpuku ceremony (元服式). With this, Nobunaga felt confident enough to step down as daijo-daijin the following year, and Oda Nobutada would succeed his father as the next daijo-daijin and head of the Daijo-fu apparatus in Azuchi Castle. In turn, Nobunori would officially take over as the lord of Gifu Castle (岐阜城) as part of his training as Oda clan heir in one day succeeding Nobutada, although his young age warranted his great uncle Oda Nobukane (織田信包) to act as his de facto regent in the main Oda estates and lands.​

Portrait of a young Oda Nobunori​

Even after his retirement, however, Nobunaga would continue to hold considerable sway in government from his new home in Nijou Castle (二条城) and remained extensively invested in Japan’s increasing interactions and exchanges with the outside world. His mark on history had not yet passed.

[1]: ITTL's Oda Hidenobu​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 15: Nobuhide’s Island​

The reign of Oda Nobunaga as daijo-daijin, or chancellor of the realm, established new norms and shook up many of the old, especially Japan’s uninterest in territorial expansion beyond its immediate vicinity and a non-Sinocentric maritime and trade policy. No one embodied the new era more than Oda Nobuhide the Younger (織田信秀), Nobunaga's sixth son. [1]​

Portrait of Oda Nobuhide the Younger​

Born as Sankichi (三吉) in 1571, Nobuhide was doted upon by Nobunaga from a very young age, particularly as all of his older siblings were heirs to either the Oda clan (Nobutada) or other clans and therefore no longer resided with the great unifier. Sankichi grew up in Azuchi Castle often in the presence of visiting Portuguese merchants and missionaries and all the goods and stories they brought, as the latter had become frequent guests of Nobunaga by the late 1570s. The young boy was even present when Nobunaga first met Yasuke and brought him under his service; Yasuke and Nobuhide would overtime develop a strong friendship.

In 1583, Sankichi undertook his genpuku ceremony and formally became Oda Sankichiro Nobuhide (織田三吉郎信秀). After the establishment of the Azuchi navy, he would join it early on along with many younger sons of Oda vassals, including Ikeda Terumasa (池田輝政), Tsuneoki’s second son, and Mori Tadamasa (森忠政), Nagayoshi's and Naritoshi’s youngest brother. Through his naval training, literary studies, and continued exposure to his father’s engagements with Jesuits and merchants, Nobuhide would become a talented young officer and samurai well-versed in the fields of seafaring and commerce and could even speak basic Portuguese.

His opportunity to shine would soon emerge as new barriers to expanding trade emerged. Around this time, the Portuguese still held a near monopoly on the trade of Chinese and Southeast Asian goods, albeit a declining share with Japanese red seal ships starting to compete with the Europeans. However, this monopoly was heavily reinforced by Ming China’s ban on Japanese ship at their harbors due to a long history of wokou pirates (倭寇) raiding Ming coasts. Portugal, from their leased port in Macau, along with Chinese smugglers hence controlled the flow of Chinese goods into Japan. Finally, despite the recent crackdown on the slave trade and restrictions on Jesuit influence and wealth, Nagasaki was still seen as too “Portuguese” especially as the most significant trading hub between Japan and the rest of the world.

It was in this context that in 1589, Nobuhide presented to his father a proposal to establish an outpost on what was at the time called Formosa by the Portuguese, a large island south of the Ryukyu Kingdom just off the coast of Ming China. The island was inhabited by various mAustronesian tribes, with frequent wokou visitors and a small presence of fishermen from the mainland. A major trading post on the island, Nobuhide argued, would not only be in close proximity with Ming goods but also effectively compete with the Portuguese and act as a regulatable midpoint between Southeast Asia and Japan.​

16th century woodcut of Macau​

Attracted by the promise of expanded commercial opportunities and convinced by his son’s arguments, Nobunaga would officially sponsor an expedition to establish a new trading outpost on Formosa, utilizing the Azuchi navy for the task. 4 ships would be sent down, carrying both Nobuhide and Horiuchi Ujiyoshi (堀内氏善), a deputy commander of the Azuchi navy and the last commander of the Kumano navy (熊野水軍). Also participating in the expedition as Nobuhide’s direct aides were Mori Tadamasa, Ikeda Terumasa, and Nobunaga’s African retainer Yasuke. They departed from Sakai in 1590 with a crew of 150, composed of samurai, former pirates, merchants, and even a few Portuguese and Han Chinese.

On their way down, they would briefly stay with the Shimazu clan where Nobuhide’s older brother Shimazu Nagahisa would enthusiastically give the fleet more provisions and attach a fifth ship representing Shimazu clan maritime interests to the fleet.

The fleet would land on the northern coast of Formosa and set up a makeshift outpost on a deep harbor with the ocean and scattered volcanic islands to the north and mountains to the east and west. While establishing the new settlement, Nobuhide would also send a group to further explore the interior of the island. The subtropical climate of the landmass set in the deeper they went in, so to a large extent Yasuke acted as the leading figure of the exploratory group as he was more physically comfortable with such weather conditions. They ended up coming across numerous tribes with mostly welcoming reactions, although there was a recorded incident of an accidental dispute resulting in the injury of a few Japanese. The group would return after a few weeks of trekking and receiving the hospitality of the tribes accompanied by tribal representatives interested in trading and bartering opportunities with the Japanese.​

Map of the island with location of outpost
​

However, not everything was going well at the outpost. The unfamiliar climate and the heavy fall rains had led to a bout of illness among the Japanese, with Mori Tadamasa among those succumbing to illness in winter 1590 [2]. Realizing the situation, Nobuhide would send two ships carrying Terumasa to Azuchi requesting further assistance and supplies.

Back in Azuchi, Terumasa would present the daijo-daijin with Nobuhide’s message along with his suggestions for the names of the island and the outpost and Tadamasa’s cremated remains. Nobunaga eagerly acceded to everything, and would quickly send Terumasa back in summer 1591 with not only more provisions, sailors, and ships, but also a few representatives of merchants from Sakai, Azuchi, and Gifu who were interested in establishing themselves in the newly named outpost of Iriebashi (入江橋) [3] on the island of Bireitou (美麗島) [4]. These activities would represent the beginning of the history of Bireitou as a crucial bridge between Japan and a large part of the world it would interact with, especially in the 17th century.

[1]: This guy’s name was actually Nobuhide IOTL, the exact same as Nobunaga’s father. So far this is the only example in Japanese samurai history of this situation occurring.

[2]: Just wanted to point this out, but compared to OTL, Tadamasa who lives a long life and dies of natural causes passes away earlier ITTL, while his four older brothers who met violent deaths (Nagayoshi, Ranmaru, Boumaru, Rikimaru) live longer.

[3]: Means the bay bridge, metaphorically signifies how the port will act as and build a bridge between Japan and China, Southeast Asia, and beyond.

[4]: Kanji translation of Formosa, which means beautiful island in Portuguese. Also apparently a Taiwanese song.​

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 16: Oda Governance and Administration in the 1580s and 1590s​

The initial decrees and administrative initiatives enacted by Nobunaga were followed by more minor but nevertheless impactful reforms to the scope and organization of the Daijo-fu. For instance, the councilors who collectively became known as the Sangi-shu (参議衆), were invested with powers to mediate disputes among daimyo and other significant figures in the realm and monitor relations between clans under the supervision and direction of the daijo-daijin or his proxy (under Nobunaga before 1593, Nobutada would act in the absence of his father). Marriages between clans became a highly regulated affair in particular.

The distribution of imperial titles was also a tightly regulated matter. With precedent, it was established that for the most part no samurai outside the Oda clan or members of the Sangi-shu could receive ranks higher than the 4th rank or councilor titles. Even among the Sangi-shu, non-Oda samurai were not given anything higher than Sangi or the 3rd rank, with the exception of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was granted the junior 2nd rank and the title of middle councilor, or Gon-Chunagon, (従二位権中納言) in 1592 on the 30th anniversary of the Kiyosu Pact (清洲同盟) between Nobunaga and Ieyasu.

Under Nobunaga, Mori Naritoshi would gradually become a central bureaucratic figure in the administration as his most direct aide who not only ensured his orders were carried out but also helped manage the household and other internal workings of Azuchi Castle. Being a big favorite of Nobunaga on top of his key position lead to the rapid political ascension of the Mori clan (森氏) across the board. While his older brother Nagayoshi became a councilor in 1586, his younger brothers served key administrative roles to various magistrates: Nagataka in Hakodate with Mōri Yoshikatsu, Nagauji (森長氏) in Azuchi with Naritoshi, and Tadamasa in Iriebashi with Nobuhide the Younger and Ikeda Terumasa.​

Portrait of Mori Naritoshi
​

After Nobutada became the new daijo-daijin, Naritoshi’s political influence faded in favor of Hashiba Hideyoshi, the most senior Oda vassal in the Sangi-shu, and Maeda Geni (前田玄以), Nobutada’s longtime advisor. Nevertheless, he would remain an important figure in the central government as the new magistrate of Azuchi.

While Nobutada did not share his father’s intense curiosity towards European technology and the outside world in general, he would continue much of his father’s agenda in facilitating greater commercial activity, building up the Azuchi navy, and strengthening central authority. One difference was his greater patronage of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines and closer relations with the imperial court, no doubt under Maeda Geni’s advice. Nobutada would even arrange Nobunori’s marriage with former imperial regent Konoe Sakihisa’s daughter Konoe Sakiko (近衛前子) in 1595.​

Portrait of Maeda Geni
​

Meanwhile, in Kamakura, Oda Nagatoshi would mirror his older brother in his own administrative reforms centralizing authority in the Kanto region. He faced some difficulty in maintaining unity across the region as the daimyo were generally divided between pro-Hojo and pro-Takigawa factions. Nevertheless, as the Kamakura Tandai, he centralized the authority of the Kamakura-fu. Kamakura itself, under the stewardship of its magistrate Hasegawa Hidekazu (長谷川秀一), would undergo a burst of economic expansion that see it become the definitive commercial core of the realm east of Gifu.​

Portrait of Hasegawa Hidekazu​

As the administrative center of the core Oda lands in Owari and Mino provinces (尾張国, 美濃国), Gifu continued to flourish being in the middle of the eastern and western inland trade routes of the realm. It would also become the training grounds for Oda clan heirs and future daijo-daijin.​