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.
Tomosada was unable to hold Kawagoe, even though his father had bequeathed him to defend the castle at the cost of his own life. The young daimyo was forced to retreat and take refuge in Matsuyama Castle, which at that time was owned by one of Uesugi's chief vassals, Nambata Norishige. Here, Tomosada hoped to regroup his forces and continue the fight against Ujitsuna.
Matsuyama Castle was a typical mountain castle of the early Sengoku Jidai period. It was located on a 40-meter plateau stretching from west to east. On one side of the plateau flowed the Namegawa River, which served as a natural defensive boundary, and on the other side, at the foot of the hill, a wide moat had been dug. The fortification system included four courtyards located one after another: the main courtyard, hommaru; the second courtyard, ninomaru; the Kasugamaru courtyard; and the third courtyard, sannomaru. The castle's defenses also included dry moats, karabori; artificial slopes, kirigishi; and vertical trenches, tatebori.
Hojo's troops, pursuing the retreating Tomosada, attempted to take Matsuyama on the march. However, the combined forces of Uesugi and Nambata launched a bold counterattack and managed to win.
The siege of Matsuyama Castle also went down in history as the “elegant battle.” According to legend, during the battle, a poetic duel took place between Nambata Norishige and Yamanaka Shuzan, one of the commanders of the Hojo clan's army.
Another legend related to this event has also survived. The Uesugi clan allegedly sent a request for reinforcements to their allied clan in a very unusual way: they put a letter in the collar of the castle dog. However, there is no reliable information about how effective this method was.
After repelling the attack, Matsuyama Castle became the main base of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi clan for the next eight years, until their defeat in the unsuccessful siege of Kawagoe Castle in 1545.
See also
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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.
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Battle of Shijonawate
After Kusunoki Masashige's death in the Battle of Minatogawa, his son, Kusunoki Masatsura, continued his work supporting the Southern Imperial Court in the Nanboku-chō period war. He took on his father's legacy not only as a duty, but also as a way to remain faithful to the ideals for which Masashige had given his life.
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Battle of Minatogawa
After his defeat by Nitta Yoshisada in 1336, Ashikaga Takauji completely restored his forces and secured the support of three powerful clans in Kyushu: the Sōni, Shimazu, and Otomo. In addition, he received significant reinforcements from Shikoku Island under the command of Hosokawa. Having thus strengthened his army, Ashikaga Takauji marched on Kyoto.
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The Siege of Tihaya Castle
Tihaya Castle was built by Kusunoki Masashige on top of Mount Kongo, separated from the neighboring hills by a deep ravine. The terrain itself provided natural protection, making the position extremely convenient for defense.
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The Siege of Akasaka Fort
Kusunoki Masashige, hero of the Genko Rebellion (1331–1333), was a talented commander and inventive strategist. The two sieges of castles where he acted as defender are inscribed in gold letters in the history of Japanese military art.
