Which 1560 battle made Oda Nobunaga famous after he defeated the much larger army of Imagawa Yoshimoto?

The Battle of Okehazama made Oda Nobunaga famous after he defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto’s much larger army in 1560. Nobunaga launched a surprise attack near Okehazama, in present-day Aichi Prefecture, and killed Yoshimoto during the fighting.

Imagawa’s army had advanced into Owari Province, where Nobunaga controlled several castles. Traditional accounts emphasize that Nobunaga used a sudden assault after a rainstorm, although historians debate parts of the detailed narrative. The victory destroyed Imagawa’s leadership and transformed Nobunaga from a regional lord into a major contender.

The battle did not immediately unify Japan, but it opened the way for Nobunaga’s alliance with Tokugawa Ieyasu, formerly known as Matsudaira Motoyasu. Nobunaga later conquered large parts of central Japan before his death at Honnō-ji in 1582. Okehazama is therefore remembered as a decisive turning point in the Sengoku period.