Oda Nobutaka

Who was Oda Nobutaka?

Oda Nobutaka was a samurai and member of Oda clan. He was adopted as the head of Kanbe clan that ruled the middle region of Ise Province and was also called Kanbe Nobutaka.

Nobutaka was born as the third son of Oda Nobunaga and he was called San Shichi from possibly being born on March 7 on old Japanese calendar system. His mother is a concubine Sakashi. A theory has it that Nobutaka was actually born twenty days earlier than Nobunaga's second son Oda Nobukatsu but it was reported later than Nobukatsu's birth to Nobunaga and thus was acknowledged as the third son. According to this theory, it is also believed that the low status of his mother's parents had played a factor as well.

On 1568, after Nobunaga controlled Ise Province, Nobutaka was installed by the victorious Nobunaga to take over the head of Kanbe clan based around Kanbe Castle near the present day, Suzuka, Mie. His elder brother, Nobukatsu on the next year became an adopted member of Kitabatake clan ruling much larger area of southern Ise Province. Nobutaka was reported by missionaries to have a better character than the older Nobukatsu but was ranked lower and held less area than he did.