Warring States period in Japan and its Unifiers

During the Sengoku period in Japan, many castles were built all over the country. However, what is unique from a global perspective is that not only the Sengoku daimyo but also the temple and shrine forces and peasant uprisings owned castles. The ones who put an end to this era of conflict regardless of social status were rulers of Japan such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. They built castles not only for defense but also as symbols of their own power. The enormity of their power was conveyed to Europe by missionaries who visited Japan at the time. The castles of the Sengoku period, mainly in the Chubu and Kinki regions, provide insight into the social climate of the Sengoku period and the process of unification by the rulers, as well as international relations in East Asia during the Age of Discovery.