* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Nobunaga Concerto
信長協奏曲
A manga by Ayumi Ishii in which a modern-day high schooler time-slips into the Sengoku era and takes the place of Oda Nobunaga; adapted into anime, TV drama and film, and linked to real sword history through Nobunaga's own blade, Heshikiri Hasebe.
Description
Overview
Nobunaga Concerto is a manga by Ayumi Ishii, serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Shonen Sunday from 2009. The story follows Saburo, an ordinary high school student who time-slips back to 1549 during Japan's Sengoku (Warring States) period. Because he is the spitting image of the sickly young Oda Nobunaga, who has no desire to inherit his family's headship, Saburo ends up taking Nobunaga's place and living through the era's history. The series was adapted into a TV anime on Fuji TV in 2014 (featuring Mamoru Miyano, Yuki Kaji and Nana Mizuki), a live-action TV drama the same year starring Shun Oguri, and a live-action film in 2016.
The Historical Oda Nobunaga and His Sword
The Nobunaga that Saburo embodies is remembered as one of the most formidable warlords of the Sengoku period, and the historical Nobunaga is known to have carried a real sword called Heshikiri Hasebe. Forged by the swordsmith Hasebe Kunishige of Yamashiro Province, the blade's name derives from an episode in which Nobunaga cut down a disrespectful attendant hiding beneath a shelf by "pressing" (heshi) the blade through. The sword later passed to the Kuroda clan, who preserved it as a family treasure; it is now designated a National Treasure and held by the Fukuoka City Museum. Nobunaga was also known for owning many famous swords, and blades such as Soza Samonji, said to have been taken from Imagawa Yoshimoto after the Battle of Okehazama, and Yagen Tōshirō are likewise recorded as swords associated with him.
Media Mix and Cultural Impact
While boldly reimagining real historical figures and events, the series anchors its story on pivotal Sengoku-era moments such as the Battle of Okehazama and the Honno-ji Incident, serving as an entry point for younger audiences into the Sengoku period and sword culture. By pairing careful historical grounding with fiction, the work has helped popularize the enduring link between Sengoku warlords and their swords.
Real Swords Featured
Heshikiri Hasebe (National Treasure)
A sword said to have been Oda Nobunaga's own favored blade, forged by the swordsmith Hasebe Kunishige of Yamashiro Province. Its name derives from an episode in which Nobunaga cut down a disrespectful attendant by pressing the blade through from beneath a shelf. It later passed to the Kuroda clan, who preserved it as a family treasure; it is now a designated National Treasure held by the Fukuoka City Museum.
See authentic Japanese swords
See authentic Japanese swordsRelated Content
Seven Samurai
Film七人の侍
Akira Kurosawa's 1954 enduring masterpiece, one of the most influential works in the history of world cinema. Set in the late Sengoku period, its story of seven masterless samurai gathered to protect a village from bandits vividly depicts the social role of the samurai and the practical side of the sword. It is a monumental work that made Japanese swordcraft known to the world, and it influenced countless films, including The Magnificent Seven, Star Wars, and Mad Max.
Nioh 2
Video Game仁王2
A Sengoku-period action RPG released in 2020, developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo Games. As a prequel to the earlier "Nioh," it stars a half-yokai protagonist with yokai blood, who crosses swords with demons while encountering real Sengoku-period warlords.
Lupin III (Goemon Ishikawa & Zantetsuken)
Anime & Mangaルパン三世（石川五ェ門・斬鉄剣）
A franchise created by Monkey Punch in 1967 that has spread worldwide as a long-running anime series. The Zantetsuken sword carried by Goemon Ishikawa XIII—capable of cutting through anything—became an iconic symbol of Japanese swords in pop culture. Ranked 3rd in a 2025 anime sword popularity poll.
Nobunaga's Ambition
Game信長の野望
A historical simulation game series developed and sold by Koei Tecmo Games since 1983. It is a national-favorite series in which players control Sengoku daimyo, including Oda Nobunaga, in pursuit of unifying the country. Depending on the title, famous swords also appear as items, making it a historical game series that touches on the bond between Japanese swords and warlords.
This page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.