How was Sakai governed before Oda Nobunaga took control in 1569?

During the 15th and 16th centuries, Sakai functioned as a self-governing city, a status comparable to that of medieval European free cities. Rather than being under the direct control of a feudal lord, the city was administered by its leading merchants.12

Local governance was carried out through an assembly of 36 men, who were drawn from the city's powerful wholesale guilds. This merchant-led government maintained its own soldiers and constructed defensive infrastructure, including moats, to protect the city’s autonomy. By profiting from the ongoing conflicts between various daimyo (feudal lords) and resisting their attempts at domination, these merchants maintained Sakai's independence until they finally capitulated to the warlord Oda Nobunaga in 1569.21