The , based in Ōta in Kii Province

Kii Province

, or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Provinces. The Kii Peninsula takes its name from this province....

, were one of many Ikkō-ikki

Ikko-ikki

', literally "Ikkoshū Uprising", were mobs of peasant farmers, Buddhist monks, Shinto priests and local nobles, who rose up against samurai rule in 15th to 16th century Japan. They followed the beliefs of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism which taught that all believers are equally saved by Amida...

(Buddhist fanatic warriors) groups in feudal Japan.

In particular, the members of the Saika Ikki, along with the monks of the Negoro-ji

Negoro-ji

The complex of Buddhist temples stands on the side of, and is surrounded by, the sacred peaks of the Katsuragi Mountains which dominate the horizon at the northern end of the city of Iwade, Wakayama in Japan....

, were renowned for their expertise with the arquebus

Arquebus

The arquebus , or "hook tube", is an early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. The word was originally modeled on the German hakenbüchse; this produced haquebute...

, and for their expert gunsmiths and foundries. Both of these groups came to the aid of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji

Ishiyama Hongan-ji

For other uses, see Ishiyama .The ' was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, mobs of warrior monks and peasants who opposed samurai rule. It was established in 1496, at the mouth of the Yodo River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. At the time, this was just outside of the remains of the...

, the central fortress cathedral of the Ikkō-ikki which was besieged by 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...

 from 1570 to 1580.

The town motto is translated to english as : "Stand strong and do not forget" (1)

Their own fortress, Ōta castle (near the site of present-day Wakayama Castle

Wakayama Castle

' in Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, sits at the mouth of the Kii River. Originally Ōta castle, home of the Saiga Ikki, it was captured by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1585, during the Siege of Negoroji; many monks from Negoroji sought refuge in Ōta, which was soon destroyed by flood...

), was besieged by Nobunaga in 1577. The monastery was attacked again several years later by 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...

, in chastisement for their opposition to his former lord, Oda.