was the son of Oda Nobutada

Oda Nobutada

was the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, and a samurai who fought in many battles during the Sengoku period. He commanded armies under his father in battles against Matsunaga Hisahide and against the Takeda clan....

 and lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama period

Azuchi-Momoyama period

The came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...

 in the late-16th century. His other name was Sanpōshi (三法師).

Succession dispute

When Oda Nobutada

Oda Nobutada

was the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, and a samurai who fought in many battles during the Sengoku period. He commanded armies under his father in battles against Matsunaga Hisahide and against the Takeda clan....

 and Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga

was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...

, 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

Oda clan

The was a family of Japanese daimyo who were to become an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the spotlight soon after, several branches of the family would continue on as daimyo...

. Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

 supported Hidenobu, whose opponent was his uncle, 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 ....

 (who was supported by Shibata Katsuie

Shibata Katsuie

or was a Japanese military commander during the Sengoku Period who served Oda Nobunaga.-Biography:Katsuie was born in the Shibata family, a branch of the Shiba clan . Note the differences between , , and the .Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobukatsu...

). 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

Ishida Mitsunari

Ishida Mitsunari was a samurai who led the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 17th century. Also known by his court title, Jibunoshō...

 during the Battle of Sekigahara

Battle of Sekigahara

The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...

 in 1600. Before the battle, he had controlled Gifu Castle

Gifu Castle

is a castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Along with Mount Kinka and the Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city.-History:Gifu Castle was first built by the Nikaidō clan between 1201 and 1204 during the Kamakura Period....

, an important element in Mitsunari’s overall plans; however, he ended up losing the castle during the Battle of Gifu Castle

Battle of Gifu Castle

The was a battle in August 1600 that led to the destruction of Gifu Castle in Gifu, Mino Province , Japan. The battle served as a prelude to the Battle of Sekigahara the following month. It pitted Oda Hidenobu of the western forces against Ikeda Terumasa and Fukushima Masanori of the eastern forces...

 against Ikeda Terumasa

Ikeda Terumasa

was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. His court title was Musashi no Kami.Terumasa fought in many of the battles of the late Azuchi-Momoyama Period, and due to his service at the Battle of Sekigahara, received a fief at Himeji....

 and Fukushima Masanori

Fukushima Masanori

was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku Period to early Edo Period who served as lord of the Hiroshima Domain. A retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he fought in the battle of Shizugatake in 1583, and soon became known as one of Seven Spears of Shizugatake which also included Katō Kiyomasa and...

. After losing at Sekigahara, Hidenobu's vassals committed seppuku

Seppuku

is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...

in Gifu Castle. The blood-stained floorboards eventually became the ceiling in Sōfuku-ji

Sofuku-ji (Gifu)

' is a Buddhist temple located in Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The temple has strong ties to both Saitō Dōsan and Oda Nobunaga. Gifu's Sōfuku-ji is famed throughout Japan for both the number of monks it produces and for its "Blood Ceiling". Shortly after its founding, it was also known as Kōsai-ji...

 in Gifu

Gifu, Gifu

is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...

. The ceiling is now called the Blood Ceiling. Hidenobu himself died two years after the defeat at Sekigahara.