Oda Nobunaga
1534–1582 · Japanese (Owari Province) · Sengoku Period, Japan
Known for: The first unifier of Japan—introduced firearms, destroyed the Buddhist warrior monks, and was betrayed at Honnō-ji
Nobunaga was the first of Japan's three great unifiers (before Hideyoshi and Ieyasu). He introduced firearms to Japanese warfare, destroyed the powerful Buddhist military monasteries at Mount Hiei, and conquered central Japan through tactical innovation and brutal efficiency.
He was betrayed by his general Akechi Mitsuhide at the Honnō-ji temple in 1582. Surrounded and unable to escape, he reportedly set the temple on fire and committed seppuku. His body was never found.
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