Minoh FallsOil on canvas, 53.0 × 41.0 cm, 2012-2022, M.Tsushima
As his territory expanded, Nobunaga would spend weeks to march his army in far-off lands facing hostile warlords. But he was not all time engaged in military affairs; while warfare dragged on, he would rather enjoy excursions and sightseeing.
Background
In 1578, a Nobunaga's vassal, Araki Murashige, who was on the military campaign against Mori Clan, rebelled against Nobunaga. It could be a heavy blow to Nobunaga; Araki could stand against Nobunaga by allying not only with Mori but also with Osaka Honganji Temple that Nobunaga had besieged for two years.. Nobunaga sought to dissuade Araki but to no avail. Nobunaga dispatched his army to besiege Araki in Arioka Castle in Settsu Province.The castle was so strongly fortified that Nobunaga's siege army's attack on 15 January 1579 was repulsed with heavy casualties including loss of his vassal, Mammi Shigemoto. Nobunaga ordered his men to build redoubts around the Arioka Castle to reinforce the siege army and block all traffic to the castle, even of wild animals[1], then he returned to Azuchi,
The next time Nobunaga set off to command the siege army in Settsu Province was 31 March. This time, he did not try to assault the castle, instead, he had his son, Nobutada, reinforce the siege by building redoubts around the enemy castle, while he practiced falconry in nearby fields. On the way to a falconry field, on 25 April, he visited Minoh Falls, a famous waterfall in Settsu Province.
Accounts
Ota Gyuichi(1527-1613), samurai who served Nobunaga, writes[1]:On the final day of March, Nobunaga visited the Minoh Falls. On the day, one of his 13 hawks had a little injury at its leg. He had a lot of great hawks, the collection is unparalleled. He did falconry every day. His passion is beyond words; people were impressed by his vigor.
Date and Venue
Ota Gyuichi's document reads that Nobunaga visited Minoh Falls on March 30, Tensho 7 (24 April,1579 on Julius Calendar). Nobunaga then was 44 years old.He left Kyoto 25 days earlier, accompanied by his son, Nobutada, who was to conduct the construction of redoubts around the Arioka castle. On the following day Nobunaga did falconry on the way to Arioka.
Minoh Falls is 11 km northeast of the Arioka Castle which had been besieged by Nobunaga's army since December of the previous year. Unlike his first sojourn to the Settsu Province four months before, Nobunaga did not make direct attack on the castle, instead, he camped at Furuikeda, 6 km north of Arioka, ordering his men to reinforce the redoubts and forts surrounding the Arioka castle. Securing the surrounding areas from the hostile forces' attack, Nobunaga days on end went to nearby valleys to do falconry. The Minoh Falls was on the way to one of the falconry fields.
Minoh Falls
Minoh Falls is in the Northern Settsu mountain range overlooking Osaka Plain. The height is 33 meters. It is on the Mihon River which runs into the Ina River which runs by the Arioka Castle. The Minoh Falls was named after its shape which resembled a mino, a straw raincoat.
The early historical record reads that the place was a Buddhists' training ground. In 658 CE. En no Gyoja, a shaman, who conducted a Buddhist training in a cave above the falls, had an enlightenment and founded a temple named Minoh-ji Temple. Later in the 14th century, the temple was renamed as Ryuan-ji Temple, where notable priests, Gyoki, Kukai, Honen, Nichiren, practiced Buddhism. The temple developed so much that it had eighty-odd buildings in its golden age. But fires and wars destroyed the buildings, and in 1603, the temple was moved from the vicinity of the falls to the present site, 1.6 km south of the falls.
The Ryuan-ji Temple was burned during the Nobunaga's war in Settsu province. Though the area was secure enough for Nobunaga to play falconry around, he might see the burnt buildings near the falls. While Nobunaga visited the Minoh Falls, at Arioka, 11 km downstream, the siege was going on. It took another eight months of the siege for the castle to fall to Nobunaga.
References
[1] 信長公記, 太田牛一[2] 摂津名所図会 巻六上 (No.7 p9/47) 箕面瀧 1798