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The Sengoku period

Q: The Sengoku period

The Sengoku (“Warring States”) period was an age of fighting between warlords across Japan. It began after the Onin War, which lasted 11 years, and ended as the country was unified and Tokugawa Ieyasu set up the Edo shogunate.

In short

The Sengoku (“Warring States”) period was an age of fighting between warlords across Japan. It began after the Onin War, which lasted 11 years, and ended as the country was unified and Tokugawa Ieyasu set up the Edo shogunate.

Warring StatesAfter the Onin War

戦国時代Sengoku period

Began with: the Onin War (11 years)
What happened: warlords fought for their own lands
Unified by: Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Followed by: the Edo shogunate (1603)

From the Japan Cultural Expo and the National Archives of Japan.

The Onin War

A struggle broke out over who would follow the eighth Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimasa. It pulled in rival groups of regional military governors, and the Onin War that followed lasted 11 long years.

The central government grew weak. An age of fighting began, as warlords battled to keep their own lands all over Japan.

Warlords and their people

Daimyo in many places hired shinobi (ninja) to break into enemy land and, above all, to bring back information.

The warlord Oda Nobunaga loved sumo. In the Genki and Tensho eras (1570–92), he gathered wrestlers from many places for matches at places such as Azuchi Castle.

Toward peace

Toyotomi Hideyoshi made Tokugawa Ieyasu serve him, defeated the Shimazu family of Kyushu, destroyed the Hojo family of Odawara, and unified the country.

As the age of fierce fighting ended, Tokugawa Ieyasu became the leading warlord and set up a shogun’s government in Edo.

Think about it

Q1The Onin War began as a fight over who would be the next shogun. How can one quarrel lead to a long war?
Q2Why would a warlord care about sumo wrestlers?
Q3What do you think people wanted most at the end of the Sengoku period?

There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.

Did you know? — Oda Nobunaga held sumo matches at places such as Azuchi Castle, gathering wrestlers from many places.

Next steps

About this page
Onin War: Japan Cultural Expo, “Timeline of Japanese History Part 3: Muromachi Period”
End of the fighting: Japan Cultural Expo, “Timeline of Japanese History Part 4: Edo Period”
Hideyoshi: National Archives of Japan, “Tokugawa Ieyasu”: serving Hideyoshi (Japanese)
Shinobi: Mie University, International Ninja Research Center, “What is ninja studies?” (Japanese)
Nobunaga and sumo: Japan Sumo Association, “History of sumo” (Japanese), “Tournament schedule” (Japanese)
Written by CCN CO., LTD.

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