By 1517, Takeda Motoshige, lord of Kanyama Castle, was probably the most influential daimyo in Aki Province. Ten years earlier, he had served as a vassal of the Ōuchi clan and participated in Ōuchi Yoshiyuki's campaign in Kyoto. This campaign was part of an effort to support the deposed shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane.
However, relations between the Ōuchi and Takeda clans were difficult and not mutually beneficial. At the end of the 15th century, taking advantage of internal strife within the Takeda clan, the Ōuchi invaded their lands and forced them to swear allegiance. When Motoshige was able to return to Aki, he enlisted the support of the Amago clan and freed himself from the Ōuchi's imposed “guardianship.”
The death of Mori Okimoto
In 1516, Mori Okimoto, the daimyo of the neighboring Mori clan, died unexpectedly. His youngest son, Komatsumaru, became his heir. The situation of weakened power was too tempting for rivals, and Takeda Motoshige decided to take advantage of it. Knowing that the main forces of the Ouchi clan were still in Kyoto, he gathered an army of about 5,000 warriors and invaded the lands of the Kikkawa clan, an ally of the Mori. Takeda laid siege to Arita Castle, which was commanded by Oda Nobutada.
The Mori's challenge
A few weeks later, Motoshige launched a raid deep into the Mori clan's territory. He set fire to the village of Tajihi, hoping to force Mori into open battle.
Mori's army was led by Motonari, the younger brother of the late Okimoto and guardian of the young Komatsumaru. He was only twenty years old, and this was his first military campaign.
Motonaori's Preparations
Motonaori could not count on the help of Ouchi's troops, so he mobilized his own vassals. Awa, Fukuhara, Inoue, Kutiba, and Watanabe gathered under his banners. In total, he managed to gather about seven hundred warriors, who were joined by another three hundred fighters from the Kikaw clan.
These forces marched towards Arita Castle. On the way, they encountered the vanguard of Takeda's army, numbering five hundred men, commanded by Kumagai Motonao.
The death of Kumagai Motonao
The allied forces stopped and opened fire on the enemy with their bows. Motonao himself was in the front ranks, encouraging his warriors and inspiring them to fight. But this cost him his life — he was struck by an enemy arrow.
The battle at the Matauti River
At that time, Motoshige was with the main forces at Arita Castle. Upon learning of the defeat of the vanguard, he gathered his troops and led them to avenge their fallen comrade. Takeda's army attacked the forces of Mori and Kikkawa, who had taken up positions on the opposite bank of the Matauti River.
Takeda had a numerical advantage. The allied forces faltered and were ready to retreat. They were held back only by Motonari's constant exhortations and personal presence.
The death of Motoshige and Mori's victory
At that moment, Motoshige himself rushed into battle. He forced his way across the river on horseback, but was almost immediately struck by a well-aimed arrow and fell on the battlefield.
The death of their leader was a turning point. Takeda's troops fled, and Motonari was victorious.
Consequences
This victory paved the way for the rise of the Mori clan. From that moment on, their influence grew not only in the province of Aki, but throughout the Chugoku region.
See also
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The Third Siege of Takatenjin Castle
The history of the castle prior to the conflict between the Tokugawa and Takeda clans is rather unclear. According to one version, the castle was built in 1416, when Imagawa Sadayoshi (1325–1420) was governor of Suruga Province and half of Totomi Province. Allegedly, it was he who ordered Imagawa Norimasa (1364–1433) to build this fortification. However, no reliable evidence has been found to support this. Another version is considered more plausible, according to which the castle was built during the conquest of Totomi Province at the end of the 15th century by Imagawa Ujitsuna (1473–1526) and his general Ise Shinkuro (Hojo Soon). In this case, another of Ujitsuna's generals, Kusima Masashige (1492–1521), is considered responsible for the construction.
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Battle of Mimigawa
In 1556, the Shimazu clan launched a campaign aimed at systematically conquering the island of Kyushu. In the same year, the province of Osumi was annexed and a war began with the Ito clan for control of the province of Hyuga. In 1577, Ito Yoshisuke was defeated and fled north, where he sought help from Otomo Sorin, the Christian daimyo of Bungo Province.
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The Siege of Kozuki Castle
The battle for Kozuki Castle was a consequence of Oda Nobunaga's expansion in the Chugoku region. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was appointed to lead the campaign, which aimed to weaken the influence of the Mori clan in these lands. Under his command were famous samurai: Kuroda Kanbei, Takenaka Shigeharu, and Hachisuka Koroku. Amago Katsuhisa, who cherished the hope of one day restoring the Amago clan's lost dominance in western Japan, also joined Oda's army.
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The Siege of Nagashino Castle
Despite his reputation as a failure, created by 20th-century popular culture, especially cinema, Takeda Katsuyori (1546–1582) was in fact a brave warrior and talented commander. However, he always remained in the shadow of his great father, the legendary Takeda Shingen. After Shingen's death, Katsuyori sought to at least equal him, if not surpass him. Therefore, his actions were not always determined by pragmatic calculation. This character trait greatly influenced the subsequent events that led to the demise of the Takeda clan.
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Siege of Nagashima Fortifications
The Buddhist peasant movement Ikko-Ikki, which emerged in the 15th century, had grown considerably stronger and larger by the middle of the following century. It had effectively turned into a large feudal army used for territorial conquests. The Ikko-ikki fought fiercely not only against other branches of Buddhism, but also against the provincial daimyo and the central government.
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The Second Battle of Konodai
Hojo Ujiasu (1515–1571), one of the greatest representatives of the Hojo clan, spent almost his entire life at war. His possessions were in a difficult position: they were surrounded on all sides by aggressive neighbors ready to attack at any moment. In implementing his plans to expand the Hojo clan's influence in the Kanto region, Ujiasu was forced to confront well-known and powerful opponents—the Uesugi and Takeda clans. In the east, his main rival was the Satomi clan.
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The Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima
The Kawanakajima Plain is located at the confluence of the Saigawa and Tikumagawa rivers in the Japanese Alps. Between 1553 and 1564, five battles took place on this plain between the forces of Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen.
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Battle of Tonamoto (Nagahama)
At the beginning of the Sengoku Jidai period, the Teshokabe clan was one of the smaller clans in Tosa Province. Its neighbors were constantly at war with each other, engaging in endless skirmishes. Among them, Yosokabe Kunitika stood out as a military strategist of extraordinary talent. It was thanks to these abilities that he managed to defeat the neighboring clans step by step by the middle of the 16th century, expanding the influence of his clan. At that time, the clan's headquarters was Oko Castle.
