本能寺(ほんのうじ)の変(へん)

ほんのうじのへん
noun (proper)
the Honnōji Incident (1582)
historyproper-nounevent-name
1. the Honnōji Incident (1582)
The 1582 coup in which the general Akechi Mitsuhide attacked his lord Oda Nobunaga at the Honnōji temple in Kyoto. Nobunaga died there, just as he was close to unifying Japan.
本能寺(ほんのうじ)の変(へん)は1582年(ねん)に起(お)きた。
The Honnōji Incident took place in 1582.
本能寺(ほんのうじ)の変(へん)で信長(のぶなが)は死(し)んだ。
Nobunaga died in the Honnōji Incident.
光秀(みつひで)がなぜ本能寺(ほんのうじ)の変(へん)を起(お)こしたのかは、今(いま)もはっきりわかっていない。
Why Mitsuhide carried out the Honnōji Incident is still not clearly known.

After the incident, Toyotomi Hideyoshi quickly defeated Mitsuhide and went on to complete the unification of Japan. Mitsuhide held power for only about two weeks, which gave rise to the phrase 三日天下(みっかてんか) (a very short-lived reign).

Common expressions

  • 敵(てき)は本能寺(ほんのうじ)にあり: 'the enemy is at Honnōji' — Mitsuhide's legendary words; used for a hidden true aim behind a stated one

Related words

Related Words

Related: 織田信長(おだのぶなが) (Oda Nobunaga)
Related: 変(へん) (incident, uprising)
general
Added 2026.10.10 21:20 · Revised 2026.10.10 21:23
31500/31843_honnoujinohen