by Shouya Ajiki
Nobunaga Oda is a Japanese samurai who is well-known for his unifying Japanese lords during the period called Sengoku Era, which means “the era of battles.” He was born in 1534 and died in1582. He was a man who introduced new ways of battles and politics.
It is considered that he changed how warriors fought at wars in Japan. In 1575 a battle called “Battle of Nagashino” took place. At that time samurai soldiers on horsebacks used swords. However, in this battle, Nobunaga used guns and achieved an overwhelming victory against his enemy.
He also invented new ways to evaluate his men. He considered the talent of a man, not the birth of a man. For example, he appointed men of a lower social status to his close aids when he spotted talented people.
One of such examples is Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a son of a farmer, who rose up to the ruler of Japan after the death of his lord, Nobunaga. It was revolutionary to favor men of a low status family in the time influenced by the family background.
Nobunaga’s adventurous attitude of trying new things may be something the modern people should learn in this time of great social change.
