Born a daughter of Oda Nobuhide of Owari (birth year debated), some thirteen years younger than her brother Nobunaga. She is said to have been very beautiful.
For her brother's alliance she married Azai Nagamasa of northern Ōmi (year debated). It was a political match, but the couple are said to have been close.
From around this time she bore three daughters: Chacha (later Yodo-dono), Hatsu and Gō (birth years debated).
Her husband Nagamasa turned against her brother Nobunaga, setting the two at war. A tale says she warned Nobunaga of a pincer attack by sending a bag of beans tied at both ends, but it is considered a later legend.
Odani castle fell and Nagamasa took his own life. Oichi left the castle with her three daughters and returned to her brother, later living quietly at Kiyosu in Owari.
Her brother Nobunaga died in the Honnō-ji Incident. After the Kiyosu Conference, where senior Oda retainers decided the future, she married Shibata Katsuie and moved with her daughters to Kitanoshō castle in Echizen.
Katsuie was defeated by Hashiba Hideyoshi at Shizugatake and Kitanoshō castle was besieged. Oichi sent her three daughters out of the castle and took her own life with Katsuie. Her death poem likening her life to a brief summer night survives.
Shibata KatsuieYodo-donoAzai Nagamasa
Azai NagamasaKuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei)Takeda KatsuyoriMogami YoshiakiSanada MasayukiAsano NagamasaSatake YoshishigeOda Nagamasu (Urakusai)
People of the Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.