After his defeat by Nitta Yoshisada in 1336, Ashikaga Takauji completely restored his forces and secured the support of three powerful clans in Kyushu: the Sōni, Shimazu, and Otomo. In addition, he received significant reinforcements from Shikoku Island under the command of Hosokawa. Having thus strengthened his army, Ashikaga Takauji marched on Kyoto.
The battle unfolded as Takauji advanced along the coast of the Inland Sea. In Tomo, halfway to Kyoto, a military council was held, at which it was decided to attack with two detachments. One unit, commanded by Takauji himself, moved by sea, while the other, led by Ashikaga Tadayoshi, advanced along the coast. The vanguard was commanded by Sonii Yorihisa, who had arrived from Kyushu.
As the two armies advanced eastward, they received significant reinforcements arriving by sea from Shikoku, commanded by Hosokawa. On June 24, Takauji reached Kojima in Bizen, and on July 4, he dropped anchor at Akashi. At the same time, the second army, moving overland, reached Ichi-no-tani, the site of Yoshitsune's glorious victory over the Taira clan in 1184. It was symbolic to spend the night before the battle here.
Unrest in Kyoto
News of Ashikaga's vigorous advance caused alarm among loyalists in Kyoto, as Nitta Yoshisada was forced to retreat under his pressure. Emperor Go-Daigo sent for Kusunoki Masashige and ordered him to support Nitta.
Kusunoki, as an experienced military man, objected to this decision, remembering the Hogen Disturbance. However, his arguments were rejected. He believed that engaging the enemy in open battle was too risky. Instead, he advised Go-Daigo to take refuge on Mount Hiei: Takauji would not be able to resist the temptation to enter the capital, where he could be attacked by the combined forces of monks and samurai, and Nitta would be able to cut off his retreat.
But Kusunoki's wise advice was ignored. He was forced to agree with the emperor's decision. Following the ideals of samurai loyalty, Kusunoki decided to die in battle. Setting off, he was convinced that he would not return. As he left, he told his son Masatsura that he would give his life for the emperor and did so willingly, knowing that one day Masatsura, who was then ten years old, would continue his work.
Troop deployment
The loyalists, threatened by attack from both land and sea, took up their positions. Commander-in-chief Nitta Yoshisada covered the coast between the Minato and Ikuta rivers. Kusunoki stood opposite Ashikaga Tadayoshi's army, with his back to the Minato River.
Tadayoshi divided his army into three parts. He himself took the center, Sonii moved along the coast, maintaining contact with the fleet, and Shiba climbed a hill, threatening Kusunoki's right flank.
First clashes
The first skirmish occurred when Hosokawa's army attempted to land. The loyalists put up fierce resistance: Hosokawa's samurai were thrown back to their boats and forced to sail further east along the shore.
Meanwhile, Nitta was attacked by Soni. Hosokawa soon managed to land his troops at the mouth of the Ikuta River, and Nitta was forced to retreat to repel a new attack. As a result, Kusunoki found himself alone on the opposite bank of Minato.
He could still hold out against Tadayoshi and Shiba, but the landing of Takauji's army put him in an extremely difficult position. Hosokawa, meanwhile, forced Nitta to retreat.
The death of Kusunoki Masashige
On the hot afternoon of July 5, 1336, Kusunoki found himself attacked on all sides. In a fierce battle, he fought to the end, until, covered in wounds, he committed harakiri.
Thus ended the life of Kusunoki Masashige, a samurai who, faithful to his ideals of duty and loyalty, chose death over surrender. With his death, the cause of the loyalists was lost.
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.
