Yoshiaki sent gonaisho (a letter issued with the signature of the shogun) to various provinces in order to defeat Nobunaga, and formed 'the anti-Nobunaga network' with Yoshikage ASAKURA, Nagamasa AZAI, Shingen TAKEDA, Terumoto MORI, Miyoshi sanninshu and temples such as the Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hiei, and the Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple.
義昭は打倒信長に向けて御内書を諸国に発し、朝倉義景、浅井長政、武田信玄、毛利輝元、三好三人衆、さらに比叡山延暦寺、石山本願寺などの寺社勢力に呼びかけて「信長包囲網」を結成した。