Recently I came across a very detailed timeline of events surrounding the last six months of Oda Nobunaga. I thought I'd post a brief synposis here, as some of the details are obscure and interesting.
Unfortunatly, the dates are in the old Japanese lunar reckoning. A very ROUGH rule of thumb is to tack on about 3 weeks to account for the solar calander. For example, while western books normally record nobunaga's death as occuring on 21 June 1582, to the Japanese of the time, the Honnoji Incident occured on the Second Day of the Sixth Month of Tensho 10.
On the 23rd day of the first month, Tensho 10 (1582), Nobunaga met with Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi and Ukita Hideie. At this time Hideyoshi reported on the situation in the western provinces and Nobunaga confirmed the young Hideie as the lord of the Ukita clan.
On the 3rd day of the second month, Nobunaga and his allies begin preparations for an invasion of the Takeda domain. On the 12 day, Oda Nobutada departs Gifu at the head of an army bound for Shinano. Six days later Tokugawa Ieyasu departs Hamamatsu to play his own role in the invasion, marching for Suruga. Two days later Takeda general Yoda (that's right - Yoda Nobushige abandons Tanaka Castle in Suruga before the Tokugawa advance. Takeda Katsuyori, having by now established himself at Shimpu Castle in Kai, learns on the 2nd day of the third month that Takato Castle in Shinano has fallen to Oda Nobutada. Just the day before, Anayama Nobukimi betrays the Takeda and opens Eriji Castle in Suruga to the Tokugawa. The day after the fall of Takato, Katsuyori abandons Shimpu and orders the castle burned (3/3). On the 5th day, Nobunaga himself departs to join the invasion. On the 11th day of the third month, Takeda Katsuyori is cornered near the Temmokuzan after being betrayed by Oyamada Nobushige. He commits suicide while a handful of retainers hold off the Oda. Takeda Nobuchika, Shingen's second son, commits suicide that same day, and both Takeda Nobukado and Ichijo Nobutatsu (two of Shingen's brothers) will be captured and executed within the week.
On the 14th day, Nobunaga examines Katsuyori's head. On the 23rd day of that month, Nobunaga awards Takigawa Kazumasu with the province of Kozuke and the latter takes up in Umabayashi Castle (which he will lose to the Hojo soon after Nobunaga's death). Six days later Nobunaga officially rewards Tokugawa Ieyasu with Suruga Province. On the 3rd day of the 4th month, Nobunaga orders that Shingen's favorite temple, the Erinji, be burned for harboring Rokkaku Yoshiharu (an old enemy of the Oda).
Meanwhile and on the next day, in the west, Hashiba Hideyoshi surrounds Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu and calls for the commander, Shimizu Muneharu, to surrender. Muneharu refuses and the Siege of Takamatsu begins.
On the 7th day of the fifth month, Nobunaga, having returned to the Kyoto area, orders his son Nobutaka and Niwa Nagahide to prepare for an invasion of Shikoku. the next day Hideyoshi orders the damming of a nearby river in the hopes of flooding out Takamatsu.
On the 15th day, Nobunaga entertains Tokugawa Ieyasu and Anayama Nobukimi at Azuchi Castle. Elsehwhere on that day, uesugi Kagekatsu is defeated by Oda forces at the Battle of Tenjinyama in Etchu. Two days later, Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Tokugawa Ieyasu meet to discuss the campaign in the western provinces. At this time Nobunaga orders Mitsuhide to prepare to march west to support Hideyoshi. On the 21st, Nobukata and Niwa Nagahide arrive in the Osaka area with their troops and begin preparing the invasion of Shikoku. That same day in the western provinces, Mori Terumoto and his uncles arrive with a relief army in the Takamatsu area - to find that Takamatsu is gradually being drowned out by Hideyoshi's strategm.
On the 26th day, Akechi Mitsuhide arrives at Kaneyama in Tamba, ostensibly in preparation for a march westward.
On the 27th day, Oda general Mori Nagayoshi takes advantage of Uesugi Kagekatsu’s involvement in Etchu to make an excursion into Echigo from Shinano. Kagekatsu hastily returns to Echigo as a result. The next day, Oda general Hosokawa Tadaoki brings down Isshiki Yoshikiyo’s Yumigi Castle in Tango.
On the 1st day of the sixth month, Oda Nobunaga is entertained by wealthy merchants and others at the Honnoji in Kyoto. That same day Akechi Mitsuhide leads his army from Kaneyama in the direction of Kyoto. On the 2nd day, Nobunaga is attacked at the Honnoji by Akechi troops and is killed. Oda Nobutada dies soon afterwards at Nijo.
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