In an excavation of Honno-ji Temple, trench marks and a lot of burned tiles which seemed to have existed at the same time as Honno-ji no Hen were found, which scholars pointed out signal a possibility that Honno-ji may have been reconstructed for use as a fortress.
2007年に行われた本能寺跡の発掘調査で本能寺の変と同時期にあったとされる堀跡や大量の焼け瓦が発見され、本能寺を城塞として改築した可能性が指摘された。