Honnō-ji Incident 1582, Episode 187: 16 Mitsuhide's Period of Dormancy, 4 Shichibei Hattori. On June 2, 1582, Akechi Mitsuhide struck down Oda Nobunaga. At that time, Hideyoshi was confronting the Mōri at Bitchū Takamatsu, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was heading from Sakai to Kyoto. The Takeda of Kai had been extinguished. Japan was in the Sengoku period, and the world was in the Age of Discovery. The time is now. A mystery of history. Investigating its causes and motives. "Mitsuhide-ki"

Episode 187: 16 Mitsuhide's Period of Dormancy, 4 Shichibei Hattori

←Introduction ←Table of Contents ←Previous Episode 186

There, a world of madness existed.

At this time, those running at the forefront were Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi.

The 22nd.
Nobunaga is in Fuchu.

Following the previous time (the 17th), this is the second time.
He notified Murai Sadakatsu of the situation in Echizen (1-10).

1. Sadakatsu is the Kyoto Shoshidai and concurrently the Public Relations Officer.
Frequently, they were in contact.
Two days later, these matters were conveyed to the court nobles.

The letter of the 20th, arrived today the 22nd in Fuchu, I have read it,

1. Regarding the situation in this area, the letter sent on the 17th has arrived,
I have understood its meaning,

Nobunaga was an absolute autocratic monarch.
Immediate decisions, immediate actions.
For that reason, he valued "reports."
Whether one was "good" or "bad" at them became a primary criterion for judging the abilities of his vassals.
Among them, the one he favored was Mitsuhide.
"It is as if you are seeing it yourself," he praised (Hosokawa Family Documents, dated July 29, Tenshō 2).
And then, Hideyoshi.
Hideyoshi was clever.
And then, this Murai Sadakatsu, perhaps.
In contrast, the one who did the exact opposite was Sakuma Nobumori.
Nobumori, partly due to this, would eventually fall from power (Shinchō Kōki, Tenshō 8).

2. Nobunaga spoke of the events from the 17th to the 21st.
There, a world of madness existed.
The slaughter by the Oda army was carried out in various places.
It was as if they were competing.
"Beheaded," "cut off heads," "cut heads," "cut off heads,"
"cut down," "beheaded," "cut," "cut off heads," it continues.

1. Breaking through Kinome and Hachibuse,
Seikō-ji, Shimotsuma Izumi (Yorifusa) Hōkyō, Wakabayashi,
Besides that, Toyohara Saiin, Asakura Saburō and others were beheaded,
Divided the troops into four groups, searched every mountain and valley without leaving anything behind,
and cut off heads,

Over 2,000 arrived on the 17th, there were 70 or 80 captured alive,
then, cut off their heads,

On the 18th, 500 or 600 were brought from various places,
I do not even know the total number,

On the 19th, Harada Bitchū (Naomasa) no Kami and Takigawa Sakon (Kazumasu) were sent,
accompanied by Chasen (Nobuo), Sanjūrō (Nobutaka), and Ueno (Nobukane) no Suke,
Over 600 from that group,

By the hands of Ujiie (Naomichi) and Mutō (Shunhide), over 300 prominent people of Ichijō,

Shibata Shuri no Suke (Katsuie) and Koremizu Gorōzaemon no Jō (Niwa Nagahide),
Asakura Yozō, who had built a fortress and holed up, was attacked and broken,
over 600 of his men were captured or killed, over 100 captured alive,
then, cut off their heads,

On the 20th, to the mountain called Hinakatake,
Kuemon (Sugaya Nagayori) no Jō and Maeda Mataza (Toshiie) emon no Jō,
and besides them, the horse guards were sent,
cut down over 1,000, over 100 captured alive,
these too were then beheaded,

By the hands of Chasen and Takigawa, at Ōtaki and Hakusan, the hideouts were broken,
over 600,

Besides that, Hirano Tosa (Sadahisa), Asami,
the gunners, 50 or 60 were cut down,
10 or 20 captured alive arrived, I do not know the number,

On the 21st, over 500 by the hands of Sakuma Jinkurō (Nobuhide), over 10 captured alive,
then, cut off their heads,

What a terrifying scene it is.
"Hair-raising" is exactly what this is.
It was a frightening era.

The various generals also followed suit.

At this time, those running at the forefront were Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi.
Nobunaga is watching.
The various generals also followed suit.
Shibata Katsuie, indeed.
Niwa Nagahide also, indeed.

For Nobunaga, Mitsuhide was an easy person to use.

Nobunaga was satisfied.
Everything was as he had intended.
He must have been an easy person to use.
The two of them understood that.

Nobunaga gave strict orders.
"Search every mountain and valley without leaving anything behind"
"Break the hideouts"
The soldiers thoroughly carried this out.

3. Nobunaga had Asakura Kagekake commit suicide.

1. Asakura Magosaburō, holed up in the fortress of Kazuo,
although he pleaded in various ways, he was not pardoned,
yesterday the 21st, he was made to commit suicide,
his retainers, Kaneko brothers and others, were beheaded,

4. Shibata Katsuie and Niwa Nagahide slaughtered over 1,000.

1. On the 21st, a report arrived that over 1,000 were cut down by Shibata and Koremizu,

On the same day, from the side of Ujiie and Mutō, two valleys were wiped out,
they reported that they did not know the number,
there were 36 captured alive,
among them, Kōno Daibōzu Ryōgen, this one too was immediately beheaded,
(Documents brought by Mr. Genichiro Takahashi, Research on Oda Nobunaga Documents 1/2)

⇒ Continuing to the next Episode 188: 16 Mitsuhide's Period of Dormancy, 4 Shichibei Hattori