Prior to the invasion, he had his sister Lady Oichi marry to Nagamasa AZAI, who governed Kitaomi, to establish a relationship between the Azai and the Oda clan.
侵攻に先立ち、北近江を治める浅井長政には、妹であるお市の方を娶らせて織田氏との縁戚関係を結んでいた。