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After Kusunoki Masashige's death in the Battle of Minatogawa, his son, Kusunoki Masatsura, continued his work supporting the Southern Imperial Court in the Nanboku-chō period war. He took on his father's legacy not only as a duty, but also as a way to remain faithful to the ideals for which Masashige had given his life.

In 1347, Masatsura conducted several successful campaigns against supporters of the shogunate and the Northern Court. His military operations covered the provinces of Kii, Izumo, and Settsu. In these campaigns, he managed to strengthen the position of the Southern Court and show that his father's legacy lived on in him.

Masatsura's victory at Sakainoura is particularly noteworthy. An army led by Hosokawa Akiuji was sent there to capture him, but Masatsura's troops managed to defeat the enemy.

In 1348, the shogunate assembled a powerful force and sent it to the city of Yoshino. This was the location of the temporary imperial palace of the Southern Court, and the threat was deadly for the emperor and his entourage.

Masatsura realized that it would be impossible to defend the emperor's residence under such conditions and decided to lead his troops out to meet the enemy. At the same time, his ally, Kitabatake Chikafusa, headed towards Izumo, drawing part of the enemy's forces away with him, thereby easing the pressure on the Southern Court.

According to legend, Masatsura challenged the leader of the shogunate's forces, Ko Moroyasu, to a personal duel. He almost won the battle, but was struck by an enemy arrow, ending his career as a warrior.

According to other sources, Masatsura fought alongside his warriors. When the shogunate army began to gain the upper hand due to its numerical superiority, he retreated to the Nyoirinji temple. There, Masatsura composed a death poem and, following samurai tradition, committed seppuku.

Victory went to the Northern Court army. However, the Southern Court emperor and his entourage managed to escape from Yoshino. Thanks to this, the resistance was not broken, and the confrontation between the two courts continued.


See also

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  • The Siege of Nagashino Castle

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  • The Second Battle of Konodai

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  • The Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima

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  • Battle of Tonamoto (Nagahama)

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    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.

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