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.
Takeda Nobutora's Military Council
In 1536, Takeda Nobutora, father of Takeda Shingen, convened a military council to discuss plans for expansion. An agreement had recently been concluded with Imagawa Yoshimoto, which reliably protected the Takeda lands from possible invasion from the south. Thanks to this, Nobutora was able to turn his attention to the north. The council chose Unokuchi Castle in Shinano Province as the main target of the campaign.
Unokuchi Castle
The Chikuma River flowed through the Saku region of Shinano Province. Unokuchi Castle, also known as Torii, stood on a hilly ridge on its right bank.
The steep slopes of the hill provided reliable protection for the fortress. It is believed that the castle had three rings of fortifications, which made it quite large for its time. It housed an impressive garrison of about three thousand soldiers.
The commandant of the castle was Hiraga Genshin, the younger brother of Oi Sadataka, commandant of Nagakubo Castle. Genshin was a remarkable man: according to his contemporaries, he was two meters tall, and his long odachi sword commanded respect.
Storming such a fortification was no easy task for Takeda's army, as even poorly trained peasant infantrymen could defend themselves effectively by throwing stones at the attackers' heads.
The Takeda army's advance
Despite the difficulty of the task, Takeda's army of about 8,000 soldiers advanced into the Saku region in November 1536. After crossing the Shinshu Pass on the border with Shinano, the troops moved along the Tikum River and arrived in the Negoya area at the foot of the ridge.
The local population had already taken refuge in the mountains or joined the castle's defenders. This allowed Takeda's army to occupy the abandoned houses and use them as a camp.
After a short rest, attacks on the outer fortifications of the castle began. But the assault was extremely difficult: the slopes were steep, and winter brought deep snow (today, snow cover in this region can reach 60 cm). Attempts to take the fortress were unsuccessful.
Nobutora's retreat
By the end of December, Nobutora convened a new military council. The decision was made not to continue the siege: a long-term confrontation could bring victory, but it would be too costly. The soldiers were suffering from the winter conditions, and morale was falling. Nobutora led the main part of the army back to Kai Province.
Takeda Shingen's disobedience
However, the young Shingen had his own opinion about the campaign. As an inexperienced warrior, his father entrusted him with command of the rearguard to keep him out of danger.
But Shingen did not obey the order to retreat. Instead, he and 300 horsemen made their own attempt to storm the castle.
A surprise attack
The defenders of Unokuchi were celebrating the departure of Takeda's army. Confident that the threat had passed, they let their guard down. Shingen took advantage of this: his horsemen rushed towards the castle gates.
They encountered no serious resistance. Most of the defenders had already left the fortress. No more than eighty men remained in the castle to defend it.
Shingen's warriors quickly captured the castle. Hiraga Genshin fought bravely, wielding his odachi and inflicting heavy damage on his enemies. But the numerical superiority decided the outcome — he fell in battle and was beheaded. Shingen took his head with him as a trophy confirming his victory.
Meeting with his father
Nobutora settled with his army in Wakamiko Castle in the Koma region, where he awaited the return of the rearguard led by Shingen. He was greatly surprised when his son appeared before him with the head of Hiraga Genshin and reported on his own attack.
However, this news did not bring Nobutora any joy. A serious conflict arose between father and son. Nobutora was annoyed that Shingen had disobeyed his orders, and even more so that his 300 horsemen had succeeded where an army of 8,000 had failed. For Nobutora, this meant “losing face.”
Historical disagreements
There is debate among historians as to whether the siege of Unokuchi Castle actually took place. Some consider it a real event, while others suggest that the description was created by chroniclers to glorify Shingen.
This battle is mentioned in sources such as the Koyogunkan, Takeda Sandai Gunki, and Koetsu Gunki. However, there is no mention of it in the Myōhōji-ki and Kohakusai-ki chronicles, which describe the history of the Takeda clan in detail.
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.
