In 1551, Sue Harukata overthrew Ouchi Yoshitaka and effectively took control of the Ouchi clan, ruling it through Ouchi (Otomo) Yoshinaga, who was submissive to his will.
In 1554, Mori Motonari rose up against Sue. In June of that year, he defeated Sue's army at the Battle of Osikihata. After this victory, Motonari moved to Miyajima (Itsukushima) Island, where he began construction of Miyo Castle. In 1555, he stationed his garrison in this fortification.
Motonari then began to implement a carefully thought-out plan. He spread rumors that the new fortress was vulnerable to attack by Sue's troops. Harukata believed these rumors and transported his army by junks to the island, where he managed to capture the fort. Meanwhile, Motonari, continuing to carry out his plan, captured the Sakarao fortress on Honshu, which belonged to Sue. In this way, he cut off Harukata's troops, trapping them on a small island.
After that, Motonari waited for the right moment to deliver the decisive blow. Sue's warriors were so confident in their own safety that they even stopped posting sentries. On a rainy October night, Motonari, with the support of the Murakami family, who provided him with pirate ships, transported his army to the island. Once there, he divided his forces into two detachments. The first detachment, commanded by Motonari himself and his sons, Mori Takamoto and Kikkawa Motoharu, bypassed the fortress from the north. The second detachment, led by Motonari's other son, Kobayakawa Takakage, secretly headed for the main gate of the castle.
Although Motonari's army was several times smaller than Sue's, he had the main advantage on his side: surprise. At dawn, both groups of attackers launched their assault from different directions. Sue's soldiers were caught off guard and tried to flee in panic, but all the ships had been taken away in advance by the Murakami pirates.
Hundreds of Harukata's soldiers committed suicide: some threw themselves into the water, others resorted to traditional seppuku. Following their example, Sue Harukata also took his own life. This victory marked the beginning of the rise of the Mori clan as rulers of western Japan.
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.
