Mino is situated in the heart of Honshu, a great and fertile plain surrounded by mountains. A strategically important location owing to its central position, it was often thought that holding the provincial capital of Gifu was the key to victory. Mino province was the site of the hugely important Battle of Sekigahara, which resulted in a Tokugawa victory over the Toyotomi. This battle secured Tokugawa Ieyasu's position, and made his rise to ultimate power almost inevitable.