Ishiyama Honganji
The Ishiyama Honganji (石山本願寺) was the primary fortress of the Ikko-ikki, mobs of warrior monks and peasants who opposed samurai rule. It was established in 1496, at the mouth of the Kiso River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. At the time, this was just outside of the city of Osaka, in Settsu Province. The city has since grown around the castle, incorporating the Ishiyama (stone mountain).
The Honganji acted as the primary cathedral for the Ikko sect of Buddhism, from which the Ikko-ikki had sprouted. Contributions from devotees were collected through a system of brokers, primarily those based out of Sakai in nearby Izumi Province.
The cathedral-fortress was considered impenetrable, due largely to its location and orientation. In addition, roughly a hundred monks were on patrol at any given time, and upwards of ten thousand could be summoned to battle simply by ringing a bell. The monks of the fortress came not only from Osaka and the surrounding areas, but also from the Ikko sect's home provinces of Kaga and Echizen. The monks also had many allies, including the Mori clan, who supplied the fortress when it was under siege, and, ironically, both Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, both of whom were rivals of Oda Nobunaga; simply by keeping Nobunaga and each other occupied, they did the Ikki a great service.
The Honganji came under siege from the forces of Oda Nobunaga in August of 1570, but, due in part to its position on the coast, managed to hold out for eleven years, making this the longest siege in Japanese history. In August 1580, the Abbot Kosa was persuaded to surrender, ending the 11-year-long siege. Three years later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi began the construction of Osaka Castle on the same site.
References
- Sansom, George (1961). "A History of Japan: 1334–1615." Stanford: Stanford University Press.
- Turnbull, Stephen (2003). 'Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949–1603'. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.