Oda Nobunaga's Honno-ji Helmet

The Fire Damaged Helmet Worn by Warlord Oda Nobunaga

By 1582, Oda Nobunaga had near total control over central Japan, and had sent his generals in all directions across the nation in an aggressive expansionist campaign. The rival Takeda clan had just been destroyed in the Battle of Temmokuzan that March, leaving the Mori clan as his main rival. As such, he had sent Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi to battle with the Mori in the Chugoku region. Shibata Katsuie was dispatched to Echizen to oust the Uesugi clan, Niwa Nagahide was to invade the Chosokabe clan’s island of Shikoku, while Takigawa Kazumasu was to keep the Kanto based Hojo at bay. The timing was right for Nobunaga, as his remaining four main enemies were weakened by internal problems or the recent deaths of clan leaders.