On June 2, 1582, Mitsuhide marched from Tanba-Kameyama and ordered 'The enemy is at Honno-ji,' launching a surprise attack on his lord Nobunaga's lodging. The true motive remains debated, but the strike transformed Japan's political landscape. Just 13 days later, Mitsuhide was defeated by Hashiba Hideyoshi at the Battle of Yamazaki and killed while fleeing.

In the early hours of June 2, 1582, Nobunaga was lodging at Honno-ji with a small escort when Akechi Mitsuhide's forces surrounded the temple. With the words 'It cannot be helped,' he fought back but was overwhelmed, reportedly setting fire to the temple and dying by his own hand at age 49, on the cusp of unifying Japan.

During the Honnoji Incident on June 2, 1582, Yasuke — an African-born samurai in Nobunaga's service — fought alongside his lord against Akechi Mitsuhide's forces at Honno-ji. Even after Nobunaga took his own life, Yasuke continued to fight before being captured by Mitsuhide's troops. Mitsuhide reportedly spared Yasuke's life and sent him to the Nanban-ji (Jesuit mission). Yasuke's loyalty to Nobunaga to the very end, as a foreign-born retainer, reveals a little-known aspect of the Honnoji Incident.