Kawagoe Castle was built in Musashi Province in 1457. It was constructed by Ota Doshin and his son Ota Dokan on the orders of their suzerain, Uesugi Mototomo of the Ogigayatsu branch of the Uesugi clan. Later, the castle passed into the possession of another branch of the same clan, the Yamanouchi.
The Rise of the Hojo Clan
The son of the founder of the Hojo clan, Hojo Ujitsuna, continued his father's work of expanding the clan's influence in the Kanto region.
In 1524, he attacked Edo Castle, and in 1537, he captured Kawagoe. From that moment on, the castle became a key outpost on the border between the Hojo and Uesugi domains. Ujitsuna died in 1541.
The Uesugi Alliance Against the Hojo
Three years later, in 1544, Uesugi Tomosada of the Ogigayatsu branch and Uesugi Norimasa of the Yamanouchi branch joined forces to counter the expansion of the Hojo clan. They enlisted the support of Ashikaga Haruuji, who held the position of official representative of the shogun in the Kanto region.
Although Haruuji was Ujitsuna's son-in-law and had previously been allied with Hojo, he decided to side with Uesugi.
The beginning of the siege of Kawagoe
In the autumn of 1545, the combined forces of Tomosada, Norimasa, and Haruuji invaded the Hojo lands and laid siege to Kawagoe Castle.
The allies reasonably expected that the new daimyo of the Hojo clan — Hojo Ujiyasu (1515–1571) — would be unable to send reinforcements to the castle, as at the same time the troops of the Takeda and Imagawa clans invaded Sagami Province from the west and threatened the Hojo stronghold — Odawara Castle.
The garrison and enemy forces
Since 1537, the commander of Kawagoe Castle had been Hojo Tsunasige, the adopted son of Ujitsuna and, accordingly, the half-brother of Ujiyasu. He commanded about three thousand soldiers.
According to some sources, the besieging forces numbered up to 80,000 men, but most historians consider this figure to be greatly exaggerated.
Fortifications of the castle
At the time of the siege, Kawagoe was a flatland castle (hirajiro) with a developed system of fortifications. It included six courtyards separated from each other by moats, earthen ramparts, and clay walls on top. The passages were covered by powerful gates, and watchtowers were located around the perimeter. Some external exits were additionally reinforced with umadashi barbicans.
The besiegers' tactics
Several attempts to storm the castle failed, and the allies resorted to a blockade tactic, hoping to wear down the fortress. By the spring of 1546, after lengthy negotiations, Hojo Ujiasu managed to make peace with Imagawa and focus his attention on Kawagoe.
Since a political solution could not be reached, Ujiasu sent troops to rescue the fortress garrison. The relief army numbered only 8,000 soldiers, significantly fewer than the besiegers.
Reconnaissance and attack plan
This is where Ujiasu's talent as a commander and his ability to use shinobi scouts came into play. According to intelligence reports, the allied forces had lost their vigilance during the many months of siege and were not expecting an attack; the garrison was not being properly maintained.
A risky plan for a night attack was developed. Agents were sent to the castle to warn the garrison about reinforcements and plans for a relief strike in order to coordinate actions.
Ujisasa ordered his soldiers not to wear heavy armor and not to be distracted by collecting enemy heads, so as not to slow down the pace of the attack. This order did not sit well with the soldiers, as the number of heads collected was a measure of valor. However, Hojo's vassals did not dare to disobey.
Night attack and defeat of the allies
At night, Ujisuke's warriors launched an attack and were immediately supported by a sortie from the castle defenders. Uesugi's troops were caught off guard. Panic ensued, and the soldiers were put to flight. One of the commanders of the besiegers, Uesugi Tomosada, was killed in the battle.
This brilliant operation brought Hojo Ujiyasu fame as a great warrior. None of the representatives of the Hojo clan ever achieved such success again.
See also
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The Siege of Shiga Castle
After the defeat of the Takato and Oi clans in the campaigns of 1544–1546, the Takeda clan had only one rival left in the Saku region: Kasahara Kiyoshige. His stronghold was Shiga Castle, located northwest of Utiyama Castle.
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First Battle of Azukizaka
In response to the Oda clan's advance into the western part of Mikawa Province, in August 1542, the combined forces of Imagawa Yoshimoto and Matsudaira Hirotada (father of the future shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu) advanced into the Ikutahara area.
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Battle of Ankokuji
As a result of the summer campaign of 1542, the Suwa clan was completely defeated. Takeda Shingen stationed his military contingent at Uehara Castle. Takeda's army general, Itagaki Nobukata, subsequently became the commandant of this castle.
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The Siege of Matsuyama Castle
In 1537, the head of the Ogigayatsu branch of the Uesugi clan, Uesugi Tomooki, died. He was succeeded by his son, the thirteen-year-old Uesugi Tomosada (1525–1546). Hojo Ujitsuna (1487–1541), who had long been planning to expand his holdings in Musashi Province, decided to take advantage of the new daimyo's inexperience. He assembled an army of 7,000 soldiers and marched on Kawagoe Castle.
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The Siege of Unokuchi Castle
One of the important steps in the career of every Japanese commander was the uijin, the first military campaign in which he took part. For the legendary Takeda Shingen, according to some sources, this campaign was the siege of Unokuchi Castle.
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Battle of Arita-Nakai
By 1517, Takeda Motoshige, lord of Kanyama Castle, was probably the most influential daimyo in Aki Province. Ten years earlier, he had served as a vassal of the Ōuchi clan and participated in Ōuchi Yoshiyuki's campaign in Kyoto. This campaign was part of an effort to support the deposed shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane.
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The Siege of Arai Castle
Hojo Nagauji (Soun) (1432–1519) went down in Japanese history as one of the most notable figures of his time. He is considered a prime example of a gokoku-jo daimyo. The process of gokoku-jo literally means “the lower classes defeat the upper classes” and in Japanese history was expressed, among other things, in the elevation of minor samurai to the status of owners of entire provinces.
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Battle of Sakai
Ōuchi Yoshihiro was an influential shugo of the provinces of Suō and Nagato and played an important role as a supporter of the Ashikaga clan during the war with the Southern Court. His greatest achievement was forcing the Southern Court emperor to surrender in 1392, which brought an end to the Nanboku-chō period. This victory strengthened the Ashikaga clan's position and marked the end of the long-standing rivalry between the two imperial lines.
