The Battle of Anegawa took place during the Sengoku period in Japan on July 30, 1570, near Lake Biwa in Ōmi Province. It involved the allied forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu facing off against the combined armies of the Azai and Asakura clans. This historic battle marked the first instance of cooperation between Nobunaga and Ieyasu, ending the unbalanced alliance between the Oda clan and the Azai, and showcasing Nobunaga's innovative use of firearms.
The conflict arose when the Azai and Asakura clans responded to Oda Nobunaga's sieges of their strongholds at Odani and Yokoyama. The engagement is also referred to as the Battle of Nomura by the Oda and Azai, and the Battle of Mitamura by the Asakura clan.
As the Oda-Tokugawa alliance marched towards Odani castle, Azai Nagamasa, the head of the Azai clan, sought help from Echizen, leading to Asakura Yoshikage sending an army to support him. The combined Azai-Asakura force then confronted Nobunaga near the Anegawa, as he had stationed his troops on the southern bank.
The battle commenced the following morning, with the Oda and Azai clashing on the right side, and the Tokugawa and Asakura fighting on the left. The encounter devolved into a fierce melee in the middle of the shallow Ane River. During the battle, Nobunaga entrusted Hashiba Hideyoshi to lead troops in open combat for the first time, while Tokugawa Ieyasu's second division under Honda Tadakatsu and Sakakibara Yasumasa surrounded Asakura Kagetake.
Several notable duels occurred during the conflict, including one between Magara Jurozaemon and his son Magara Jurosaburo (Naomoto), who bravely covered the Asakura army's retreat but were ultimately slain. Another duel involved an Azai samurai named Endo Kizaemon attempting to attack Nobunaga but being thwarted by Takenaka Kyusaku, brother of Takenaka Hanbei.
The Tokugawa forces successfully defeated both the Asakura and Azai forces. After dealing with the Asakura, they turned their attention back to the Azai's right flank. The troops of the Mino Triumvirate, led by Inaba Ittetsu, also joined the battle and helped secure victory for the Oda-Tokugawa alliance.
Historical accounts of the battle are somewhat scarce, and some stories from the Edo period are fictional. However, it is estimated that around 9,000 men were killed, with the Asakura clan alone losing 1,100 samurai. The Oda camp reportedly collected 3,170 enemy heads.
Following the Battle of Anegawa, the Asai and Asakura forces, led by Asakura Kagetake, launched a counterattack in the Battle of Shimosakamoto and managed to defeat an Oda army, causing significant casualties.
The Battle of Anegawa has found its way into popular culture, featuring prominently in various video games, such as the Samurai Warriors series, Warriors Orochi series, Kessen III, and Nioh, where it plays a pivotal role in the main story revolving around the conquests of Oda Nobunaga and his clan.
See also
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The Siege of Shiroishi Castle
The siege of Shiroishi Castle was part of the Sekigahara campaign and took place several months before the decisive battle of Sekigahara. The daimyo of Aizu Province, Uesugi Kagekatsu, posed a serious threat to Tokugawa Ieyasu's plans to defeat the Western Coalition, and Ieyasu decided to curb his actions with the help of his northern vassals. To this end, he ordered Date Masamune to invade the province of Aizu and capture Shiroishi Castle.
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The Second Siege of Jinju Castle
During the two Korean campaigns of the 16th century, the Japanese repeatedly had to capture enemy fortresses and defend occupied or constructed fortifications from the combined Korean and Chinese forces. Among all the operations of that time, the second siege of Jinju Castle is considered the most interesting from the point of view of siege warfare.
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The Siege of Takamatsu Castle
The siege of Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu Province is considered the first mizuzeme, or “water siege,” in Japanese history. Until then, such an original tactic had never been used.
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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.
