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.
It is known for certain that Takatenjin Castle was rebuilt many times during its existence. There is even a theory that there were originally two castles built on neighbouring peaks of Mount Kakuo, which eventually merged into one large fortification. By 1580, it measured 1,500 metres from north to south and 1,000 metres from west to east. Takatenjin was considered one of the most impregnable castles of its time and served as an important outpost in the Totomi province.
After the Kusima clan, the castle passed to another vassal of the Imagawa clan, the Ogasawara clan. After the defeat of Imagawa by the armies of Oda and Tokugawa, the castle became the property of Ieyasu.
The first and second sieges
In 1571, Takeda Shingen laid siege to the castle with an army of 20,000, but failed and was forced to retreat. His son, Takeda Katsuyori, was successful during the second siege of Takatenjin Castle in 1574. The loss of this important strategic point greatly upset Ieyasu, and he waited for the right moment to retake the castle. In 1580, he decided that the time had come for revenge.
Preparations for the siege
The commander of Takatenjin at that time was Okabe Masayuki (Nagano), who had about a thousand men under his command. Masayuki had previously served the Imagawa clan, then Takeda Shingen, and after his death, his son, Takeda Katsuyori. He was an experienced and courageous commander.
Tokugawa's troops marched from Hamamatsu Castle and approached Takatenjin in October 1580. Ieyasu ordered the construction of a small fort on Mount Mitsuizan, located directly opposite the castle. Mitsuzan was ideal for building a fortification: there were three water sources there, and the steep slopes provided natural protection on all sides. The height of the hill allowed control of the enemy's actions in the castle and observation of the entire surrounding area.
Ieyasu had an excellent base for further operations against Okabe Masayuki, but he felt that this was not enough. He ordered the construction of about six more forts on the neighboring hills, surrounding the castle from the southeast, east, and northeast. Realizing how strong this castle was, Ieyasu prepared for a long siege.
His soldiers began to build a double ring of fortifications and dry moats around the castle. Piles of branches were piled up in front of the palisades to create additional obstacles. These fortifications served not only to prevent sorties by the besieged, but also to protect against possible attempts to unblock the castle from the outside. Ieyasu feared that Katsuyori might send troops to help.
The siege plan and the forces of the parties
Ieyasu set up his headquarters on Mamushizuka Hill, about eight kilometers from the castle. His total forces numbered about 11,000 men. Ieyasu himself commanded a detachment of 3,000, Honda Tadakatsu and Sakakibara Yasumasa commanded two and a half thousand each, Torii Mototada commanded one thousand, Osuka Yasutaka commanded seven hundred and fifty, Ishikawa Yasumichi and Honda Yasusige commanded five hundred each, and Sakai Shigetada commanded two hundred and fifty men.
Ieyasu ordered all the surrounding villages to be burned and the crops destroyed in order to deprive the castle of food. He chose the tactic of “attacking with hunger,” hoping to force the enemy to surrender through starvation. The defenders were also regularly fired upon with bows and guns. Tokugawa's archers took cover behind portable tate shields and bamboo taketaba bundles.
Ieyasu did not plan a frontal assault — he wanted to force the enemy to surrender. To prevent escapes and sudden sorties, sentries were placed along the perimeter at a distance of about 1.8 meters from each other.
The Siege
The New Year passed without change. In early January, word came that Takeda Katsuyori had sent troops to aid the castle. Upon learning of this, Oda Nobunaga also sent reinforcements from the province of Owari under the command of Mizuno Tadashige (1541–1600), stationing them at Yokosuka Castle near the besieged Takatenjin.
However, this news turned out to be false—Katsuyori did not send troops, and the garrison was left without support.
In February, spies reported to Ieyasu that famine had begun in the castle and the defenders were eating grass and leaves. According to some sources, Ieyasu offered them surrender, promising to spare their lives, but there is no reliable confirmation of this. In any case, if the offer was made, the garrison rejected it, and soon everything ended in a bloody assault.
The final battle
In March 1581, Ieyasu began preparations for the final offensive, counting on the enemy being exhausted and weakened. He moved his headquarters to Yokosuka Castle and directed the preparations from there.
On March 22, 1581, the final battle took place. Sources differ in the details, but it appears that the garrison decided on a desperate sortie. According to the Shintō Kōki chronicle, all 688 remaining defenders of the castle rushed into the attack and were completely destroyed by Tokugawa's superior forces. Ietada Nikki's diary records: “We lost about 130 fighters, while the enemy lost more than 600.” Other sources specify that the defenders divided into two groups: one headed west and engaged in battle with Okuba Tadayo, while the other headed east, where they were met by Ishikawa Yasumichi. Both groups were completely destroyed.
There were rumors that some managed to break through the siege. Among the survivors was mentioned the deputy commander, Yokoshi Tadatoshi.
Consequences
After the defeat of the besieged, Ieyasu ordered a search of the area for fugitives. He himself entered the captured castle and soon ordered the troops to withdraw. On March 24, he returned to Hamamatsu.
The captured Takatenjin was used for some time as an auxiliary castle in the Totomi province, but after Ieyasu moved to the Kanto region in 1590, it was abandoned. Only ruins remain to this day.
See also
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Battle of Mimigawa
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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.
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The Siege of Iwakura Castle
The Oda clan came to power in the province of Owari in the 15th century as a result of the so-called gokoku-jo, or “overthrow of the higher by the lower.” By rebelling against their suzerain, the Shiba clan, the Oda were able to achieve independence. However, this victory led to internal strife: the clan split into two rival branches.
