Prayer for the Devil: Religion and the Regime of Oda Nobunaga

A common theme in the historiography related to Oda Nobunaga is his strong opposition to religious institutions. While Nobunaga’s conflicts with several temples were brutal, this article argues that the image of Nobunaga as broadly anti-Buddhist is a result of an overreliance on the writings of the Jesuit Luís Fróis. Indeed, an analysis centered on documents issued by Nobunaga and his regime reveal that religious institutions served important roles in Nobunaga’s regime, and that Nobunaga tended toward maintaining precedent in his relationship with religious institutions. This article provides a framework of the Oda regime’s religious policies and the main aspects of it.