Was Oda Nobusumi Involved in the Honno-ji Incident? Reasons for Suspicion and His Tragic End

Was Oda Nobusumi Involved in the Honno-ji Incident? Reasons for Suspicion and His Tragic End
In the Honno-ji Incident, perhaps what was truly terrifying was not the "betrayal" itself, but the suspicion that spread immediately afterward.
When watching a Taiga drama, have you ever thought this?
"Who is Oda Nobusumi?"
"If he is related to Akechi Mitsuhide, was he involved in the Honno-ji Incident?"
"Why was he killed so quickly even though he was Nobunaga's relative?"
In this article, I will organize the relationship between Oda Nobusumi and the Honno-ji Incident as clearly as possible.
Let me start with the conclusion.
There are no historical documents that can be confirmed to conclude that Oda Nobusumi was actively involved in the Honno-ji Incident.
However, Nobusumi was the son-in-law of Akechi Mitsuhide.
Because of this, he was suspected of being "on Mitsuhide's side" immediately after the incident and lost his life.
In other words, rather than being a mastermind, it is more natural to view Nobusumi as:A tragic warlord caught up in the chaos of the Honno-ji IncidentWhat readers want to know first is, "Was Nobusumi an accomplice?"
When looking at Oda Nobusumi, the most important thing is to separate "relationships" from "actions."
Nobusumi was the son of Oda Nobunaga's younger brother, Oda Nobuyuki (also known as Nobukatsu).
In other words, he was Nobunaga's nephew.
On the other hand, his wife was the daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide. Even in Kotobank, Nobusumi is described as "the eldest son of Oda Nobuyuki," "the son-in-law of Akechi Mitsuhide," and "the lord of Omi Omi-hachiman Castle."
Kotobank) Looking only at this, he certainly seems suspicious.Nobunaga's nephew.
Mitsuhide's son-in-law.
And he was killed immediately after the Honno-ji Incident.
If this were a drama, it would be a setup that seems to have something behind it.
However, looking at historical facts, the story is a little different.
At the time of the Honno-ji Incident, Nobusumi was not acting with Mitsuhide at Honno-ji in Kyoto.
Nobusumi was under Oda Nobutaka, the commander-in-chief of the Shikoku campaign, and was in Osaka. Kotobank also states that at the time of the Honno-ji Incident, he was under Nobutaka and was at Osaka Castle.

Kotobank) This is important."Being Mitsuhide's son-in-law" and "participating in the Honno-ji Incident" are not the same thing.
The biggest reason Oda Nobusumi was suspected was that he was "Akechi Mitsuhide's son-in-law."

The reason Nobusumi was suspected is very simple.
It is because he was a relative of Akechi Mitsuhide.
The Honno-ji Incident occurred on June 2, 1582 (Tensho 10).
It was an incident where Nobunaga was killed by his vassal, Akechi Mitsuhide.Immediately after this, information became chaotic.Who is an ally?
Who is an enemy?
Who is communicating with Mitsuhide?
Unlike today, there were no breaking news reports or telephones.
Rumors spread by word of mouth and letters.
Moreover, rumors in the Sengoku period were a matter of life and death.
In fact, the diary of Tokugawa Ieyasu's vassal, Matsudaira Ietada, "Ietada Nikki," records that information reached them initially that not only Akechi Mitsuhide but also "Oda Shichibei" had betrayed them.
This "Oda Shichibei" refers to Oda Nobusumi. In the commentary by the National Archives of Japan, it is explained that because Nobusumi was Mitsuhide's son-in-law, he seemed to be suspected of involvement in the Honno-ji Incident.

National Archives of Japan

) However, it does not end there.The entry for June 4 in the same "Ietada Nikki" records that Nobusumi's "different heart," or betrayal, was a false report.The commentary by the National Archives of Japan also states that it was conveyed to Ieyasu's side that Nobusumi was not involved in the Honno-ji Incident.National Archives of Japan

) In other words, suspicion arose.
However, it was soon conveyed that "that seems to be wrong."Even so, Oda Nobusumi was killed.Then why couldn't Nobusumi be saved?
The reason is that judgments in the Sengoku period were very fast and cruel.
Three days after the Honno-ji Incident, June 5, 1582 (Tensho 10).
Nobusumi was attacked and killed by Oda Nobutaka and Niwa Nagahide. The National Archives of Japan also explains that perhaps because of his position as Mitsuhide's son-in-law, he was killed by Nobutaka and Niwa Nagahide on the following day, June 5.National Archives of Japan

) Imagine the atmosphere at that time.
Nobunaga is dead.
His heir, Nobutada, is also dead.Mitsuhide is still moving.The army for the Shikoku campaign is also in chaos.Moreover, Nobusumi, who is nearby, is Mitsuhide's son-in-law.From the perspective of Nobutaka and Niwa Nagahide, they wanted to nip any potential danger in the bud as quickly as possible.
It is possible they thought that way.
Of course, that is not proof that Nobusumi actually betrayed them.
Rather, it looks like he lost his life based on suspicion alone.
This is the tragedy of Nobusumi.

A point that is easy to misunderstand is that "family relationship = accomplice" is not true.

When looking at history, one tends to want to judge only by the character relationship chart.
For example, one tends to think as follows:
He was Mitsuhide's son-in-law.
Therefore, he must have been in contact with Mitsuhide.
Therefore, he must have been involved in the Honno-ji Incident.But this is a bit dangerous.Marriages in the Sengoku period were also political ties.
To increase allies.
To stabilize relationships.
To shorten the distance between families.
Just because they were married does not mean they shared all military actions.
I will give three specific examples.
The first is that Nobusumi was in Osaka, not Honno-ji.
This is not material that can easily be called an "accomplice at the scene."
The second is that Nobusumi's betrayal was considered a false report in "Ietada Nikki."
Although he was suspected at first, correction information arrived afterward.

National Archives of Japan

) The third is that there is no clear evidence that Nobusumi joined Mitsuhide after the Honno-ji Incident.
If he were truly an accomplice, it would be natural for him to move to Mitsuhide's side after the incident.
However, as far as can be confirmed, such movements are not visible.
As a counterargument, "If he is Mitsuhide's son-in-law, he is suspicious" certainly exists.Of course, there are also counterarguments."Since he is Mitsuhide's son-in-law, it is hard to think he didn't know at all."
"If he is Nobunaga's nephew, wasn't there utility value?"
"Is there no possibility that Mitsuhide tried to make allies within the Oda family?"
Some people might think this way.
This question is natural.Even I, when looking only at the personal relationships, felt at first that "Nobusumi is quite suspicious."However, in history, "suspicious" and "involved" must be separated.
There are reasons to be suspicious.
But the decisive evidence indicating involvement is weak.
This sense of distance is important.
Nobusumi had the conditions to be suspected.
However, there is not enough material to conclude that he actually betrayed them.

The terror of the Honno-ji Incident seen from the tragedy of Oda Nobusumi

Looking at the end of Oda Nobusumi, we can see that the Honno-ji Incident was not just an incident between Nobunaga and Mitsuhide.
After the incident, paranoia spread within the Oda family.
Who is an ally?
Who is an enemy?
Who will move next?
In that atmosphere, Nobusumi was suspected on the single point of being "Mitsuhide's son-in-law."If there had been just a few days more, the result might have been different.If the false report had spread faster, he might have been saved.
If Nobutaka and Niwa Nagahide had investigated carefully, he might have survived.
However, the reality of the Sengoku period did not wait.

Summary: Oda Nobusumi should be viewed as a "suspected victim" rather than an "accomplice in the Honno-ji Incident."

Oda Nobusumi was Nobunaga's nephew.
At the same time, he was also Akechi Mitsuhide's son-in-law.
This position determined his fate.
Involvement in the Honno-ji Incident cannot be concluded as far as can be confirmed.
Rather, it is more natural to view him as a person who was suspected due to false reports and killed in the chaos immediately after the incident.
When watching a Taiga drama, if you keep this in mind, the way you see the characters will change.What is important in history is not to decide the culprit only by the character relationship chart.Not only "who they were connected to," but also
Look at "where they were and what they did at that time."
Oda Nobusumi's short life quietly teaches us that.
If you are going to watch the Honno-ji Incident, please pay attention not only to Nobunaga and Mitsuhide, but also to Nobusumi, who was swallowed by suspicion.