Oda Nobunaga's capture of Inabayama Castle completed his conquest of Mino Province and established a strategic base for his march toward Kyoto.
Key Facts
- Duration of siege
- Two weeks (13–27 September 1567)
- Japanese calendar period
- 10th year of the Eiroku era, 8th month
- Castle renamed
- Inabayama Castle renamed Gifu Castle
- Nobunaga's Mino campaign length
- Approximately six years
- Rivalry duration (Oda vs Saitō)
- Over twenty years
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Oda-Saitō rivalry, begun over twenty years earlier between Oda Nobuhide and Saitō Dōsan, culminated in Nobunaga's sustained Mino campaign. Weak Saitō leadership caused many samurai to defect to Nobunaga before the siege, and Kinoshita Tōkichirō's diplomacy secured local warlord support, giving Nobunaga a substantial allied force.
From 13 to 27 September 1567, Nobunaga's combined forces besieged Inabayama Castle, the Saitō clan's mountaintop stronghold. Kinoshita Tōkichirō led a commando raid to breach the castle gates, enabling the attacking army to enter. The siege ended in a decisive Oda victory after just two weeks, subjugating the Saitō clan and their vassals.
With Mino Province secured, Nobunaga renamed the fortress Gifu Castle and used it as his primary residence and military headquarters. The victory gave him fertile lands, new resources, and a launching point for expansion northward and toward Kyoto. It also marked a significant rise in Kinoshita Tōkichirō's standing, accelerating what would become Toyotomi Hideyoshi's ascent to power.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Oda Nobunaga, Kinoshita Tōkichirō (Toyotomi Hideyoshi).
Side B
1 belligerent