The Ōnin War and the Sengoku Period
The Ōnin War began in 1467 as a dispute over succession to the Ashikaga shogunate. For a decade armies camped in the streets of Kyoto, burning temples, palaces, and mansions. The resulting Sengoku ('Warring States') period lasted until 1615, transforming Japan's military, social, and political order. Cavalry gave way to ashigaru infantry armed with pikes and, after 1543, firearms. New stone castle designs replaced wooden hilltop strongholds. The era produced three celebrated military figures. Oda Nobunaga used firearms and ruthless innovation to dominate central Japan before his assassination in 1582. His successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi — born a peasant — unified the country and launched two invasions of Korea. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the most patient of the three, finally ended the wars at Sekigahara (1600) and Osaka (1615), establishing the Edo order.
- Year: 1467 CE
- Category: Military
