From 1500 to 1600, Japan experienced great turmoil, going through a period in history known as the 'Warring States Period'. In the last 40 years of this period, it was only through the efforts of three outstanding generals that Japan was finally unified in the early 17th century. These three extraordinary generals were Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose remarkable military achievements and great accomplishments are highly praised in Japanese history and folklore.