Battle of Okehazama
1560 CE · Okehazama, Owari, Japan
The Battle of Okehazama was fought in 1560 CE in Okehazama, Owari, Japan between Oda clan vs the Imagawa clan; decisive Oda victory; Yoshimoto was killed in a surprise attack and Nobunaga's rise began.
Battle of Okehazama: quick facts
- Date
- 1560 CE
- Location
- Okehazama, Owari, Japan
- Belligerents
- Oda clan vs the Imagawa clan
- Commanders
- Oda Nobunaga vs Imagawa Yoshimoto
- Result
- decisive Oda victory; Yoshimoto was killed in a surprise attack and Nobunaga's rise began.
- Era
- ⛩️ East Asia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Okehazama?
The Battle of Okehazama was one of the most dramatic upsets in Japanese military history. The young Oda Nobunaga, with roughly 2,500 men, launched a surprise attack during a thunderstorm against Imagawa Yoshimoto's army of 25,000 while they rested in a narrow gorge. Imagawa was killed in the attack, and his army collapsed. The victory transformed Nobunaga from a minor provincial lord into a major power and set him on the path to unifying Japan.
Did you know?
Oda Nobunaga had only about 2,500 soldiers at Okehazama against 25,000, making it roughly a 1-to-10 ratio. A sudden thunderstorm masked his approach and allowed him to attack while the enemy celebrated.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Okehazama on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.