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
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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.
