Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長 {{Audio|ja-oda_nobunaga.ogg|Oda Nobunaga}}, June 23, 1534 - June 21, 1582) was a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. Son of Oda Nobuhide, a minor warlord with meager land holdings in Owari Province, Oda lived a life of continuous military conquest to eventually conquer most of Japan before his untimely death in 1582.

Oda in fiction

Oda has been used extensively as a reference in fiction, appearing in video games (such as Onimusha, Kessen, Sengoku Basara, and the Super Nintendo series Nobunaga's Ambition), manga, and anime (such as Flame of Recca, Samurai Deeper Kyo, and Inu-Yasha). Often portrayed as a villain with monstrous help as the source of his power. In other video games series such as Kessen, Nobunaga's Ambition, and Nobunaga no yabou, Oda Nobunaga is portrayed as a hero. Oda Nobunaga is also a central character in Eiji Yoshikawa's historical novel Taiko ki.

Related Topics:
Onimusha - Kessen - Sengoku Basara - Nobunaga's Ambition - Manga - Anime - Flame of Recca - Samurai Deeper Kyo - Inu-Yasha - Nobunaga no yabou - Eiji Yoshikawa's - Historical novel

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Oda is also one of 20 historical figures in the History Channel's game, Anachronism, where people from different times and places are pitted against each other in an arena. Oda features the yumi, or the bow of the samurai, kyudo, the way of the bow, a Japanese equivalent of plate mail, and Izanagi, the god of life in the Shinto religion. Nobunaga Oda also appears as a character in the game Samurai Warriors for Playstation 2.

Related Topics:
History Channel - Anachronism - Izanagi - Shinto

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Another possible reference is in James Clavell's famous novel Shogun. Oda Nobunaga does not appear in name, but the character of "Goroda the Dictator" (who is mentioned in passing, not an active figure) bears striking resemblence to the real-life warlord.

Related Topics:
James Clavell - Shogun

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It is arguable if Oda ever recited his a stanza from his favourite play Atsumori before his demise in Honnoji.

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:"A man's life of fifty years,

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:When compared to the vastness of that under Heaven,

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:Is as an illusion or dream."

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This stanza appears in the fictional version of Nobunaga.

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