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.
Otomo Sorin immediately invaded Hyuga Province. His army of about 50,000 soldiers, commanded by Tawara Tikataka, Sorin's half-brother, began the siege of Taka Castle. The castle was of strategic importance in the region, as it allowed control over vast territories of the province. After the defeat of the Ito clan, Yamada Arinobu was appointed commander of the castle, with a garrison of about 1,500 men under his command. Despite numerous attacks, the defenders of the castle managed to repel them, and Otomo's troops were forced to resort to a passive siege.
When Shimazu Yoshihisa learned that Taka Castle was under siege, he gathered an army and marched towards Sadowara. His brother, Shimazu Yoshihiro, took a different route. On the way, he encountered the vanguard of Otomo's troops, attacked it, and completely scattered it. Building on their success, Yoshihiro's men destroyed the fortified fort on Mount Matsuyama, after which they joined forces with the main forces of the Shimazu clan.
Yoshihisa placed most of his troops in ambush near Taka Castle. A small detachment attacked the besieging Otomo forces and pretended to retreat. Pursuing them, the Otomo soldiers crossed the Takajo River and were ambushed. At the same moment, the garrison of Taka Castle made a sortie and attacked the enemy from the rear. Otomo's troops were defeated and fled.
The Shimazu army pursued them to the Mimigawa River, about 20 kilometers north of Taka Castle, where they completed their defeat of the enemy. This battle went down in history as the “Battle of Mimigawa,” although it would be more accurate to call it the “Battle of Takajo River.” After this victory, the Shimazu established control over the entire province of Hyuga.
See also
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
The Siege of Iwakura Castle
The Oda clan came to power in the province of Owari in the 15th century as a result of the so-called gokoku-jo, or “overthrow of the higher by the lower.” By rebelling against their suzerain, the Shiba clan, the Oda were able to achieve independence. However, this victory led to internal strife: the clan split into two rival branches.
-
The Siege of Katsurayama Castle
The siege of Katsurayama Castle was part of the so-called Third Campaign of Kawanakajima, one of five operations conducted by daimyo Takeda Shingen against the forces of the Uesugi clan in the north of Shinano Province.
