Drawing inspiration from an NHK history program, this essay examines the true reason Akechi Mitsuhide launched the Honnoji Incident. Why was Mitsuhide shaken when Nobunaga spoke of entering China and becoming its ruler? The essay discusses Nobunaga’s vast vision, Mitsuhide’s limitations, and a turning point in Japanese and world history.

April 21, 2020
That is why Mitsuhide was shaken to the depths of his soul.
Just when the age of war had finally ended, his lord, Nobunaga, said that he would advance into China and become the king of China.
The program Rekishi Historia, broadcast by NHK several years ago, brought me tremendous inspiration.
It concerned Oda Nobunaga.
This is a republication of a chapter I sent out on January 22 under that title.
The program Rekishi Historia, broadcast by NHK several years ago, brought me tremendous inspiration.
It concerned Oda Nobunaga.
Why did Akechi Mitsuhide, who had been one of Nobunaga’s chief retainers, suddenly launch the Honnoji Incident and kill Nobunaga?
As my readers know, I have mentioned several times on this blog that “I am Kukai living in the present age” and “I am Nobunaga living in the present age.”
It is an undeniable fact that, from the distant past, Japan has produced countless great men.
I had these two men represent them.
I have felt that Nobunaga’s greatness lay, for example, in the fact that he tried to burn down Mount Hiei.
His shock was so great that it still remains among monks even today.
When I was the person who visited Kyoto more than anyone else in the world, I once went to Sennyuji, a temple in Higashiyama connected with the Imperial Family.
To the left of the entrance to Sennyuji stands a hall donated by Nobunaga.
At the time of a special viewing or something similar, I spoke with a monk who was sitting in front of it as a receptionist.
“For us, Nobunaga is an enemy…”
I was dumbfounded.
Because Nobunaga was still alive even now.
Now, let me return to the NHK program mentioned at the beginning.
Mitsuhide was, so to speak, Nobunaga’s right arm.
To that Mitsuhide, Nobunaga spoke of what he had revealed to no one else.
“I intend to invade China and become the king of China. Because if I remain in Japan like this, there will be no more land to give my retainers as rewards for their achievements. In China, there will be no such worry…”
Hearing this, Mitsuhide was shaken to the depths of his soul.
Because the reason he had served Nobunaga was that he was convinced that Nobunaga was the warrior who would unify the realm and bring peace.
If Nobunaga unified the realm and achieved peace throughout the land, the security of Mitsuhide’s own clan would also be achieved.
The age of civil war would be completely brought to an end, and an age of peace would arrive.
That would mean the prosperity and security of the Akechi clan as well.
Mitsuhide knew better than anyone that Nobunaga was a great man.
In other words, he knew that Nobunaga was a man who did what he said he would do.
That is why Mitsuhide was shaken to the depths of his soul.
Just when the age of war had finally ended, his lord, Nobunaga, said that he would advance into China and become the king of China.
Mitsuhide was a warrior who had no such vision whatsoever.
He had merely worked for Nobunaga’s unification of the realm while thinking of the security of his clan and peace in his territory.
Nobunaga’s philosophy and vision were also a negation of Mitsuhide’s life.
Advancing into China was something he could not possibly understand.
It was also a negation of his philosophy and his way of living.
To negate oneself is one’s own death.
Nobunaga was, in effect, trying to kill him.
If that was so, he had no choice but to kill Nobunaga.
This explanation by NHK is surely the truth.
In an instant, the scales fell from my eyes.
In other words, Akechi Mitsuhide was the greatest fool in history, who destroyed the first and last opportunity to correct the Chinese people.
At the same time, Oda Nobunaga was one of the greatest men and greatest geniuses in Japanese history, a true genius equal to Alexander and others, no, even greater than them.
Last autumn, when the season of autumn leaves was about to end, I headed from Ishiyamadera to Hiyoshi Taisha.
It was the first time I had ridden the Keihan train on that route.
I arrived halfway up the town of Sakamoto, one of my favorite places.
The temple that stands at the birthplace of Saicho is also very close.
I went inside and confirmed it with the monk.
He was a very pleasant person, truly the head priest of a temple connected with Saicho.
Although we were only standing and talking, the conversation became lively and lasted about one hour.
I no longer had time to go and see the autumn leaves at Hiyoshi Taisha.
But it was a truly fulfilling time.
At the end, the head priest began speaking about the fact that Mitsuhide would become the subject of NHK’s taiga drama, and the conversation turned to Mitsuhide.
Naturally, my argument was something he had never heard before.
When I said that Mitsuhide was truly a fool, he was surprised.
Because if Mitsuhide had not killed Nobunaga at that time, China would not have become the China it is today.
Nobunaga would have conquered China one hundred percent.
What would have happened then?
The conduct of the Chinese people as it exists today would not exist.
In other words, there would not be the conduct of a country of bottomless evil and plausible lies.
They would value trust, live for honor, and not steal what belongs to others.
The Chinese people have no concept of the public.
But if Nobunaga had conquered China, the Chinese people too would surely have acquired a concept of the public.
Near the end, the conversation came to the point that this is why Mitsuhide was a fool.
Then the head priest said, “So it comes back to that after all?”
The two of us laughed, and our standing conversation of about one hour came to an end.