Oda Nobunaga Through a New Lens: Historians Are Overturning the Old Narrative

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For generations, many have cast Oda Nobunaga as the iconoclast of the Sengoku period (1467-1615). A warlord who smashed the old social order, dismissed the imperial court, and chased national unification with blazing ambition.

But new research is rewriting that story. As historians dig deeper into surviving documents, Nobunaga's image as a revolutionary is giving way to something more grounded: a leader who respected long-standing customs, carefully followed precedent, and chose practicality over bold ideology.

At a Shiga Prefecture symposium, eight scholars took aim at the conventional narrative. Their findings raise a provocative question: Who was the real Nobunaga?

Nobunaga the Unifier

The symposium, titled "Oda Nobunaga, Master of the Realm, and Azuchi Castle," took place in Otsu in October. It marked 450 years since Nobunaga began constructing Azuchi Castle in early 1576.

One of the central topics was the well-known seal Tenka Fubu ("Rule the Realm by Force"), which many scholars have long regarded as Nobunaga's declaration of a military drive to unify Japan.

But Professor Hiraku Kaneko of the University of Tokyo Historiographical Institute argued in his book that tenka did not refer to the entire country. Instead, he said, it meant the five core provinces, gokinai, and the political order centered on the Muromachi shogun. Nobunaga's goal, Kaneko explained, was tenka seiitsu, restoring peace and stability under the shogunate, not conquering the nation.

Nobuko Takagi, chief curator at the Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum, echoed this view. "The documents show a Nobunaga who supported the emperor and shogun for the sake of tenka seiitsu," she said. "It's entirely contrary to the image we've long had."

The Myth of a Puppet Government

In 1568, a year after Nobunaga adopted the Tenka Fubu seal, he accompanied Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki to Kyoto and revived the fading Muromachi shogunate.

According to the Shincho Koki, a chronicle of Nobunaga's life written by his close retainer Ota Gyuichi, Yoshiaki pressed him to accept the post of deputy shogun or kanrei, a role overseeing shogunal affairs. Nobunaga refused. Lecturer Hiroyuki Shiba of Toyo University explains in his book:

"The conventional interpretation is that Nobunaga declined because he sought real power and did not want to be confined within Yoshiaki's government. In reality, he respected Yoshiaki's authority and did not wish to interfere."

This directly challenges the long-held belief that Yoshiaki's administration served as a mere puppet for Nobunaga's supposed drive toward national unification.

*The eight researchers who participated in the symposium (Otsu City)*

Rethinking the Nobunaga–Yoshiaki Split

Professor Tadayuki Amano of Tenri University expanded on this point, saying, "Under Yoshiaki's leadership, Nobunaga earnestly tried to rebuild the shogunate. He was, in fact, a principled supporter of the Muromachi system."

In 1573, Yoshiaki turned against Nobunaga and raised troops in opposition. Nobunaga expelled him from Kyoto, bringing the Muromachi shogunate to an effective close.

For decades, this episode has been portrayed as the moment a power-hungry Nobunaga discarded a shogun who no longer served his ambitions. But Professor Tsuguharu Inaba of Kumamoto University challenges that view, arguing it was "closer to Yoshiaki fleeing despite Nobunaga's wishes."

Katsuhiko Fukushima, director of the Oyamazaki Town Historical Museum, offered a similar perspective. "Unlike Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Nobunaga showed no inclination to establish a permanent base in Kyoto," he said. "He continued to respect Yoshiaki and may well have hoped the shogun would return."

Why Nobunaga Built Azuchi Castle

In November 1575, Nobunaga was appointed Gon-Dainagon (a senior court counselor) and Ukon'e no Taisho (commander of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards), titles that formally recognized him as tenka-bito, "master of the realm."

*Tenshu (main tower) remains of Azuchi Castle. Oda Nobunaga built the first multi-story castle tower in Japanese history here. (Shiga Prefecture)*

But coordinator Hiroshi Matsushita, deputy chief of Shiga Prefecture's Cultural Properties Protection Division, refuted this view in his book. He described Azuchi as a symbolic "castle meant to be seen," representing the tenka-bito who protected the emperor. The grand straight staircase otemichi at the castle entrance, he emphasized, "was designed to accommodate imperial visits."

Professor Tatsuo Fujita, emeritus at Mie University, noted that Nobunaga's governance in the regions "increasingly appears to have respected local customs and incorporated local opinions. He was by no means a revolutionary politician."

Professor Inaba concluded, "We are witnessing a Copernican shift in our understanding of Nobunaga."

New Azuchi Castle App Launched

This autumn, Shiga Prefecture launched a new smartphone app, Azuchi Castle, giving visitors an on-site view of the latest archaeological reconstructions. It's also available in English.

Across 16 designated points, including the otemichi and the castle keep foundation, the app displays computer-graphic renderings. Audio commentary, excavation photos, and historical drawings accompany them.

At the honmaru (main enclosure), users can compare six different scholarly reconstructions of the keep's architecture. An enhanced-reality feature at the main gate lets visitors take photos alongside Oda Nobunaga and seven other Sengoku-era warlords.

*In the Azuchi Castle app, users can explore six different reconstruction proposals for the tenshu (main tower). (Courtesy of Shiga Prefecture)*

"We designed the app so visitors can grasp the full scope of Azuchi Castle," the prefecture's cultural property office said. "We hope people can get a sense of Nobunaga's vision directly at the site."

(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: Kenshiro Kawanishi, The Sankei Shimbun

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