Who were the mysterious gunmen "Saika-shu" who cornered Nobunaga and Hideyoshi?

NHK's program "Heroes' Choices," which focuses on heroes who made decisions that changed history, will air "Chasing! Saiga-shu: The Mysterious Gun Group That Cornered Nobunaga and Hideyoshi" on NHK BS from 9:00 PM on September 1st. The program will uncover the truth about the Saiga-shu by tracing the few clues available, such as who they were and why they were able to possess so many guns.

At the end of the Sengoku period, while Nobunaga and Hideyoshi were working to unify the country, there were people who refused to accept the rule of the daimyo and tried to live in a republic-like environment.

One of them was the Saika clan, based around the area of present-day Wakayama City. With a large number of guns, they caused great trouble to Oda Nobunaga, who was attacking the Hongan-ji Temple, on both land and sea. They even attempted to attack Osaka Castle to undermine Hashiba Hideyoshi, who was aiming to rule the country. However, their true nature remains shrouded in mystery.

The truth about the Saika clan has been revealed through recent advances in research...