Emperor Ogimachi (1517-1593) was the 106th ruler of Japan, reigning after Go-Nara. He took to the throne in 1557, and at that point, the court’s finances and influence was strained but persistent. In order to rebuild the institution and re-establish traditional protocols, Ogimachi deftly utilized the legitimacy afforded to him through a partnership with Oda Nobunaga. For example, in 1567 ten months before Nobunaga marched on Kyoto, Ogimachi sent him a message soliciting aid for the prince’s coming of age ceremony and palace repairs, as well as in recovering court lands. To add weight to this request, and to incentivize Nobunaga to carry it out, Ogimachi claimed that any warrior such as himself who assisted the throne would receive the emperor’s blessing. This was a powerful incentive, and such directives motivated as well as legitimated other conquests of Nobunaga such as those in Owari and Mino where he was instructed to restore court lands. This arrangement, where Ogimachi granted Nobunaga legitimacy for conquest and Nobunaga helped maintain the institution, persisted until Nobunaga’s demise and is emblematic of the continued sway of the court.