Lit. "Bucket Gorge", the place near modern-day Aichi Prefecture where the 26-year-old Oda Nobunaga fought the battle of Okehazama against Imagawa Yoshimoto in June of 1560. Imagawa Yoshimoto was on his way to Kyoto to attempt to become ruler of all Japan and was passing through Nobunaga's territory of Owari, intending to crush Nobunaga's forces with his army on his way to the capital.

On the morning of the battle, Nobunaga left his castle of Kiyosu and journeyed to Okehazama, and the most faithful and famous of his generals joined him with their men along the way: Mori Yoshinari, Mori Ranmaru's father, Shibata Katsuie, Sassa Narimasa, Ikeda Shonyu, Niwa Nagahide, Oyotomi Hideyoshi: in all, around 3000 men to Imagawa's 25,000.

Nobunaga's army, camouflaged by a passing summer thunderstorm, fell upon the Imagawa army while the latter was resting at Okehazama. Taken completely by surprise, the Iwagawa army scattered, and Imagawa Yoshimoto was killed.

This battle destroyed the Imagawa faction and began Nobunaga's path to unification.