In the history of the Sengoku Jidai period, the Battle of Uedahara is known primarily as the first defeat of the previously undefeated Takeda Shingen, as well as the first field battle in which firearms were used.
With the fall of Shiga Castle in 1547, the entire Saku region came under the control of Takeda Shingen. In early 1548, Shingen convened a military council to determine the direction of future military expansion. His advisors pointed out that the Murakami clan was preparing for war. The Murakami began mobilizing their troops and sought to form alliances with the clans of the Saku region. At the end of 1547, Tomono Nobutoyo joined them. The situation became threatening: if no action was taken, it would be extremely difficult to control the newly conquered region. Therefore, a decision was made to launch a military campaign in the Tiiisagata region, which was owned by Murakami Yoshikiyo.
The beginning of the war
In January 1548, Murakami's troops began hostilities by invading the Saku region. Yoshikiyo's main goal was to expel Takeda's forces from these lands. In response, Shingen immediately declared a general mobilization and in early February marched out of his headquarters in Tsutsujigasaki. In Uehara, he was joined by General Oyamada Nobuari.
Despite the deep snow, Takeda's 7,000-strong army (some sources cite a figure of 10,000) crossed the Daimon Pass and reached Nagakubo Castle, where it made a brief stop to rest.
Opposing forces
If Takeda's army had managed to defeat the Murakami clan, most of the province of Shinano would have fallen under Shingen's control. However, the enemy was formidable. The Murakami clan controlled several regions and also enjoyed the support of other clans that, while not their vassals, were allied with them. Yoshikiyo mobilized vassals from various areas, and all of northern Shinano was ready to face Takeda. The Murakami army had no fewer soldiers than Shingen's.
Takeda's army set up camp on the edge of Uedahara, a large valley west of the Chikuma River. Murakami's army, approaching from the north, crossed the Muroga Pass and settled in the castle of the same name. Learning of the enemy's movements, Shingen moved his troops closer to the San River (also called Ubu), a tributary of the Chikuma River. Murakami's warriors set up camp in Iwahana. Both armies slowly drew closer, seeking to occupy the most advantageous positions for battle.
The beginning of the battle
The battle began in mid-February. Murakami's army, numbering between five and eight thousand experienced warriors, crossed the Urano River and attacked the vanguard of Takeda's army. Murakami's warriors knew the terrain well, and this played an important role in the outcome of the battle.
The commander of Takeda's vanguard, Itagaki Nobukata, formed his 3,500-strong unit into a battle formation, which some sources describe as six rows. At a signal, Itagaki's cavalry launched a powerful attack on the enemy. However, Murakami's warriors pretended to retreat and lured Itagaki's troops away from Takeda's main forces. After that, they attacked from the flanks. The maneuver caused panic, and Itagaki's soldiers fled in disorder.
Some sources claim that the Murakami used about fifty teppo arquebuses. Most likely, these were not European guns, which only appeared in Japan in 1543 and were not yet widely used, but simpler Chinese-made models. Their effectiveness was more psychological than military.
Defeat of the vanguard
Ultimately, Murakami's troops surrounded Itagaki's forces. At the same time, other positions of Takeda's army were also attacked. Oyamada Nobuari's warriors fought bravely, but were unable to turn the tide. According to some sources, even Shingen's headquarters was attacked, and he was slightly wounded.
During the battle, two senior Takeda generals, Itagaki Nobukata and Amari Torayasu, as well as Hajikano Denemon and Saima Kawatano-kami, were killed. The Takeda army suffered about 700 casualties and approximately 1,200 wounded. Shingen was forced to give the order to retreat.
Outcome of the battle
Murakami's victory was not complete and unconditional. Their losses amounted to about 350 killed and about 600 wounded. Despite their heavy defeat, Takeda's troops were not completely destroyed. They managed to avoid panic and retreat in an orderly manner.
See also
-
The Siege of Hara Castle
The Shimabara Rebellion of 1637–1638, which culminated in the siege of Hara Castle, was the last major uprising of the Edo period and had serious political consequences.
-
Battle of Tennoji
The confrontation between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyori during the “Osaka Winter Campaign” ended with the signing of a peace treaty. On January 22, 1615, the day after the treaty was signed, Ieyasu pretended to disband his army. In reality, this meant that the Shimazu forces withdrew to the nearest port. On the same day, almost the entire Tokugawa army began filling in the outer moat.
-
Siege of Shuri Castle
The Ryukyu Kingdom was established in 1429 on Okinawa, the largest island of the Ryukyu (Nansei) archipelago, as a result of the military unification of three rival kingdoms. In the following years, the state's control spread to all the islands of the archipelago.
-
The Siege of Fushimi Castle
Fushimi can perhaps be considered one of the most “unfortunate” castles of the Sengoku Jidai period. The original castle was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the southeast of Kyoto in 1594 as his residence in the imperial city.
-
The Siege of Otsu Castle
The siege of Otsu Castle was part of the Sekigahara campaign, during which the so-called Eastern Coalition, led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, fought against the Western Coalition, led by Ishida Mitsunari. Otsu Castle was built in 1586 by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi near the capital Kyoto, on the site of the dismantled Sakamoto Castle. It belonged to the type of “water castles” — mizujō — as one side of it faced Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa, and it was surrounded by a system of moats filled with lake water, which made the fortress resemble an island.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
