Oda Nobunaga

What if one person could change how an entire country fought and was governed? Meet Oda Nobunaga. He was a powerful Japanese daimyo in the Sengoku (Warring States) period of the 1500s. The single most important thing about him: he started the long work of unifying Japan. He used bold plans, surprising tactics, and new tools—like guns from Europe—to beat bigger enemies and bring order to many regions.

One of his greatest surprises was the Battle of Okehazama (1560) when Nobunaga defeated a much larger army by moving cleverly. He then marched into Kyoto in 1568 and became very powerful near the capital. He used lines of gunners at battles such as Nagashino (1575), built the famous Azuchi Castle as a shining new center of rule and culture, and changed how towns and armies were organized. He could also be ruthless—some rivals and warrior groups were crushed.

Nobunaga died in 1582 after a surprise attack at Honno-ji, but his ideas made it easier for Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu to finish unifying Japan. Today he is remembered as a brave, daring leader who pushed Japan toward a more peaceful, modern era—even if he was sometimes fierce. His mix of new tools, big plans, and strong will changed Japanese history.