Database: Fukushima Fortress

In 1570, Oda Nobunaga was planning to besiege the fortresses of Noda and Fukushima, then located at the mouth of the Yodo River (not far from modern day Noda and Fukushima railway stations, west of Ōsaka Station) and guarded by Miyoshi's men. This was when the Hongan-ji war broke out with the sudden attack of the temple's troops on those of Nobunaga. Kennyo, the head priest of the Hongan-ji, claimed that Nobunaga had ordered the destruction of the temple, but there is no doubt that Kennyo was secretly allied with Nobunaga's enemies. Hongan-ji hated Oda Nobunaga's authority and always sought alliances with local lords or powerful daimyō to defeat him, such as the Miyoshi clan, Azai Nagamasa of Ōmi Province, and Asakura Yoshikage of Echizen Province. When these allies made peace with Nobunaga, Kennyo had no choice but to follow them, until he found new anti-Nobunaga allies such as Takeda Shingen or Mōri Terumoto. For the enemies of the Hongan-ji, it was essential to intercept communication around Osaka, since it was difficult to attack due to the water surrounding on all three sides (the rivers to the north and east, and the sea to the west). Hongan-ji's power was sustained by volunteers and donations from believers across the country. For this reason, Nobunaga had it surrounded with several fortresses and warships.