The was part of the decisive Kōzuke-Musashi Campaign during the

Genkō War The , also known as the , was a civil war fought in Japan between the Emperor Go-Daigo and the Kamakura Shogunate from 1331 to 1333. The Genkō War was named after Genkō, the Japanese era corresponding to the period of 1331 to 1334 when the ...

in Japan that ultimately ended the

Kamakura Shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no ...

. It was fought on the banks of the

Tama River The is a major river in Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It is officially classified as a Class 1 river by the Japanese government. Its total length is , and the total of the river's basin area spans . The rive ...

in central Musashi province in what is now part of the city of

Fuchū, Tokyo 260px, Fuchū City Hall is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. Fuchū serves as a regional commercial center and a commuter town for workers in central Tokyo. The city hosts large scale manufacturing facilities for Toshiba, NEC ...

on May 15 and 16, 1333, it pitted the anti-shogunate imperial forces led by

Nitta Yoshisada was a samurai lord of the Nanboku-chō period Japan. He was the head of the Nitta clan in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period. He famously marched on Kamakura, besieging ...

against the forces of the Hōjō-led

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no ...

. It was the final major battle in Kōzuke-Musashi Campaign and was preceded by the Battle of Kumegawa.

The battle

After his victory three days earlier at the Battle of Kumegawa,

took time to rest his horses and men. Meanwhile, the forces loyal to the Shogunate retreated to Bubaigawara to regroup. Unbeknownst to Nitta, the Shōgun's forces had received reinforcements on the 14th greatly restoring strength and morale. As the Imperial forces advanced on Bubaigawara on the 15th, the Shōgun's forces attacked with a great archery barrage and thus halted the Imperial attack. The main body of the Shōgun's army then engaged Nitta's army, and despite aggressive counterattacks by Nitta, heavy losses forced Nitta to retreat.McCullough, Helen Craig (1959): pp. 274-285. Had the Shogunate forces immediately pressed their advantage of the First day, it was likely their victory would have been complete. However, during the night of the 15th, Nitta received critical reinforcements led by Miura Yoshikatsu. And at dawn on the 16th, Miura led his fresh troops and attacked an unsuspecting enemy.

and his brother

Nitta Yoshisuke also known as , (1305–1340) was the brother of Nitta Yoshisada in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period, capturing Kamakura with his brother from the Hōjō clan in 1 ...

advanced to the front while Miura harassed the enemy from the rear.

The Result

The battle resulted in a rout in favor of the Nitta brothers and Miura. Although the Shogunate forces held the initial advantage, their failure to exploit it led to defeat.Sansom, George (1963): pp. 19-21

Aftermath

The remnants of the Hōjō forces retreated in disarray to Kamakura where they regrouped. The forces led by Nitta pursued and were victorious during the Siege of Kamakura.

References

* McCullough, Helen Craig (1959). "The

Taiheiki The (Chronicle of Great Peace) is a Japanese historical epic (see '' gunki monogatari'') written in the late 14th century and covers the period from 1319 to 1367. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Taiheiki''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', pp. 923� ...

. A Chronicle of Medieval Japan." 1959. Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo, . * Sansom, George (1963). "A history of Japan 1334-1615." Eight Printing (1993). Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo, * Papinot, E. (1910). "Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan. 1972 Printing. Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo, .

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Bubaigawara Conflicts in 1333 Genkō War Bubaigawara 14th century in Japan 1330s in Japan 1333 in Asia