The conflict between the Soga and Mononobe clans, who were related to the imperial dynasty, arose on religious grounds. The Soga supported Buddhism, which had come from Korea, while the Mononobe remained faithful to Shintoism and fiercely opposed the spread of “foreign teachings.” Tensions reached a peak after the death of Emperor Yomei in 587.
The struggle for the throne
At that time, the clans were led by Soga no Umako and Mononobe no Moria, both of whom held ministerial posts at the emperor's court. Moria was dissatisfied with Yomei's patronage of Buddhism and supported Prince Anahobe in his claim to the throne. When the emperor, who had reigned for only two years, suddenly died, rumors of his violent death spread among the Soga clan. Acting on behalf of the emperor's widow, Soga no Umako gathered his supporters and attacked Anahobe's residence. As a result of the attack, the prince was killed.
The first clashes
In early July, Soga's army marched against Mononobe, but was defeated in a series of skirmishes. According to the Nihon Shoki, Mononobe no Moriya used a ruse: his soldiers hid behind barricades made of rice straw sheaves, called inaki, from where they fired arrows. Under such cover, they inflicted serious damage on the enemy. Having suffered defeat, Soga retreated to Mount Shigi (Shigisan) to regroup.
Prince Umayado, the future Shotoku Taishi, also participated in this campaign. He decided to raise the morale of the warriors. The Nihon Shoki records his words: “We must not suffer defeat. But if we do not make a vow, we will not be victorious.”
He cut down a nuride tree, carved images of the Four Heavenly Kings from it, and attached them to the knot of his hairstyle. Then he made a vow: “If I defeat my enemies now, I will definitely build a temple for the Four Kings, the guardians of peace.”
Soga no Umako also offered a prayer: “If the Heavenly Kings and the Great God-Kings help me and protect me, if we win, I will build a temple in their honor and spread the Three Treasures.”
According to legend, that night, Bishamonten, the Buddhist god of war, appeared to the prince and promised to lead him into battle himself.
The Battle of Shigisan
The next day, another skirmish took place. A warrior named Tomi no Obito managed to strike Mononobe no Moriya with an arrow. Having lost their leader, Mononobe's army faltered and soon fled.
The defeat at Shigisan was fatal: the Mononobe clan was removed from the political arena, and its surviving members subsequently changed their surnames. The victory strengthened the position of the Soga clan, and Buddhism, supported by this clan, began to spread rapidly throughout the country.
Prince Shotoku kept his promise. In 593, he founded Shitennoji Temple, the Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings, in the Tennoji area, not far from modern-day Osaka. This temple has survived to this day and is considered one of the oldest Buddhist temples in 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.
