Overview
The Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573–1603) was the three-decade reunification of Japan, named for Nobunaga’s Azuchi castle and Hideyoshi’s Fushimi (Momoyama) castle. Nobunaga broke his rivals by deploying matchlock guns on a massive scale at Nagashino (1575) but died in the Honno-ji incident (1582), betrayed by Akechi Mitsuhide.
Key developments
Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed the unification with the fall of Odawara (1590). He froze the social order with the sword hunt (1588) and nationwide land surveys, and twice invaded Korea (1592–1598) — campaigns that caused great suffering in Korea and ended with his death. The era’s culture was opulent, known for grand castles and gold-screen painting; the tea master Sen no Rikyu (d. 1591) was active in this period.
End and transition
Tokugawa Ieyasu won the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and became shogun in 1603, opening the Edo period.