Fifteen battles and incidents that decided the age of war, in chronological order.
The Sengoku period contained thousands of engagements. The fifteen covered here are the ones that changed who held power — a war that started the era, the great rivalries, the battles that made and unmade the unifiers, and the siege that ended it.
Two are not battles at all: the Honnoji Incident was an assassination, and the Japanese Invasions of Korea (1592–1598) were foreign wars. Both belong here because of what they changed.
1467–1477
Kyoto
The ten-year war in Kyoto that started the Sengoku period.
1553–1564
Nagano Prefecture
Five campaigns, eleven years, and no decision: the era's most famous rivalry.
1560
Aichi Prefecture
The upset that made Nobunaga and freed Ieyasu.
1570
Shiga Prefecture
Nobunaga's revenge on the brother-in-law who betrayed him.
1573
Shizuoka Prefecture
Ieyasu's worst defeat, and the closest he came to dying young.
1575
Aichi Prefecture
Firearms, palisades and the end of the Takeda army.
1582
Kyoto
The betrayal that killed Nobunaga and reset the unification of Japan.
1582
Kyoto Prefecture
Hideyoshi's revenge march, eleven days after Nobunaga's death.
1583
Shiga Prefecture
The fight for Nobunaga's inheritance, settled by another forced march.
1584
Aichi Prefecture
The only war between two of the three unifiers, decided by diplomacy.
1590
Kanagawa Prefecture
A three-month siege that ended the wars — with a tea house on the hill.
1592–1598
Korea
Hideyoshi's war of conquest abroad, and the disaster that broke his own regime.
1600
Nagano Prefecture
A few thousand men held up 38,000 — and cost the Tokugawa heir his reputation.
1600
Gifu Prefecture
One day of fighting that decided the next 265 years.
1614–1615
Osaka
The last battle of the samurai wars, and Sanada Nobushige's final charge.