Oda Nobuhide

Oda Nobuhide (1508-1551) was a Sengoku-period warlord of Owari Province (present-day western Aichi Prefecture) who is remembered in history as the father of Oda Nobunaga, who achieved the unification of the realm. Rising from a position as a local samurai serving under the Oda Yamato-no-kami clan—deputies (shugo-dai) under the Owari guardian Shiba clan—he was a remarkable figure known as the "Tiger of Owari" who rapidly expanded his power within Owari through his outstanding martial prowess and economic acumen.

Nobuhide was active from Shōhata Castle, successively moving his base of operations to Kanō Castle, Furuwatari Castle, and Suemori Castle. He seized control of the commercial city of Tsushima (a port town within Owari Province) and used its economic power as a foundation to strengthen his military forces. He also established close relations with the chief priest family of Atsuta Shrine and secured the port of Atsuta—a vital point of maritime traffic—thereby solidifying his economic advantage. Nobuhide's economic strategy can be said to have been a forerunner of the commerce-focused policies such as the free markets (rakuichi rakuza) that Nobunaga later implemented.

On the military front, Nobuhide engaged in fierce conflicts with the powerful neighboring daimyō—the Imagawa of Suruga, the Matsudaira of Mikawa, the Saitō of Mino, and the Takeda of Kai. At the Battle of Azukizaka in Tenbun 17 (1548), he was defeated by the Imagawa forces (under the command of Taigen Sessai), but he did not abandon his advances toward Mikawa and continued his military campaigns. He also made peace with Saitō Dōsan's Mino through a marriage alliance (the betrothal of Nobunaga and Dōsan's daughter, Kicho), demonstrating skillful diplomatic acumen. In Tenbun 20 (1551), he died suddenly of illness at the age of 44, and his eldest son Nobunaga succeeded him.

In the realm of Japanese swords, Nobuhide is known as a daimyō who actively supported Owari's swordsmith culture. Owari Province, with the influx of swordsmiths from Seki (Mino) and Kyoto, was a region where many excellent swordsmiths were active during the Sengoku period. Through the commercial networks of Tsushima and Atsuta, Nobuhide collected renowned blades from throughout the country and actively utilized them as diplomatic gifts. Swords associated with Nobuhide, including blades dedicated to Atsuta Shrine, are still transmitted in temples and shrines throughout Owari today. It is also said that the origin of Nobunaga's appreciation for swords lay in his father Nobuhide's sword collection.