Oda Hidenobu

Oda Hidenobu (織田 秀信) was the son of Oda Nobutada and lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama period in the late-16th century. His other name was Sanpōshi (三法師).

Succession dispute
When Oda Nobutada and Oda Nobunaga, Hidenobu's father and grandfather, respectively, were killed during the Incident at Honnō-ji in 1582, there was a dispute as to who would rule the Oda clan. Toyotomi Hideyoshi supported Hidenobu, whose opponent was his uncle, Oda Nobutaka (who was supported by Shibata Katsuie). Though Hidenobu was only 2 years old at the time, he became the ruler of the Oda clan.

Battle of Sekigahara
Hidenobu followed in serving under Ishida Mitsunari during the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Before the battle, he had controlled Gifu Castle, an important element in Mitsunari’s overall plans; however, he ended up losing the castle during the Battle of Gifu Castle against Ikeda Terumasa and Fukushima Masanori. After losing at Sekigahara, Hidenobu's vassals committed seppuku in Gifu Castle. The blood-stained floorboards eventually became the ceiling in Sōfuku-ji in Gifu. The ceiling is now called the Blood Ceiling. Hidenobu himself died five years after the defeat at Sekigahara.