The Battle of Mimigawa was a battle, fought in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, between the

Ōtomo clan was a Japanese samurai family whose power stretched from the Kamakura period through the Sengoku period, spanning over 400 years. The clan's hereditary lands lay in Kyūshū. Origins The first family head, Ōtomo Yoshinao (1172–1223), took ...

and the

Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contrast ...

in 1578. The Ōtomo force was led by Sorin's brother-in-law Tawara Chikataka, while the Shimazu clan was led by

Shimazu Yoshihisa was a powerful ''daimyō'' and the 16th Chief of Shimazu clan of Satsuma Province, the eldest son of Shimazu Takahisa. He is a renowned as a great general, who managed to subjugate Kyushu through the deft maneuvering of his three brothers. Eventu ...

Prelude

In May 1578 The Shimazu had been advancing north from their

Satsuma Province was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation is . History Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. Durin ...

, when

Ōtomo Sōrin , also known as Fujiwara no Yoshishige (藤原義鎮) and Ōtomo Yoshishige (大友義鎮), was a Japanese feudal lord (''daimyō'') of the Ōtomo clan, one of the few to have converted to Roman Catholicism (Christianity). The eldest son of , he ...

(retired ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'') and his heir Yoshimune, moved south to confront them. The Christian Ōtomo army destroyed Buddhist and Shinto religious buildings along the way. Later, The Ōtomo crossed the Mimigawa and laid siege to Takajo Castle on 20 October, The Takajo garrison only have 500 men led by

Yamada Arinobu was a retainer of the Shimazu clan during the Edo period. He served under Shimazu Yoshihisa. On 1568, he became a Karō for his services. He was known as a skilled commander in battle. On 1578, Ōtomo Yoshishige attacked the Shimazu clan and ...

. The Ōtomo set up their Portuguese cannon, ''kunikuzuri'' or "destroyer of provinces", across the Kiribaragawa. The castle was soon reinforced by 1000 men under Yoshihisa's younger brother,

Shimazu Iehisa was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who was a member of the Shimazu clan of Satsuma Province. He was the fourth son of Shimazu Takahisa. He served in a command capacity during his family's campaign to conquer Kyūshū. His sons were S ...

Shimazu Toshihisa was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, he was a third son of Shimazu Takahisa, who served as a general officer and senior retainer of the Shimazu clan of Satsuma Province. He was fought in Battle of Mimigawa (1578), Siege of Mi ...

was able to ambush some Ōtomo troops and follow the survivors to their headquarters at

Matsuyama file:Matsuyama city office Ehime prefecture Japan.jpg, 270px, Matsuyama City Hall file:Ehimekencho-20040417.JPG, 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan ...

had a dream the night before the battle, which he turned into a poem, and the Shimazu considered a good omen:

Battle

The Shimazu used their favorite decoy tactic, used 8 times from 1527 to 1600. In the center of their army as decoy was

Shimazu Yoshihiro was the second son of Shimazu Takahisa and the younger brother of Shimazu Yoshihisa. Traditionally believed to be the 17th head of the Shimazu clan, he was a skilled general during the Sengoku period who greatly contributed to the unification ...

, with

Shimazu Tadahira Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...

and

Shimazu Tadamune Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...

on his flanks, and

in reserve. The Ōtomo army in the center, led by Tagita Shigekane and

Saeki Korenori Saeki may refer to: Places * Saeki, Okayama, a former town in Wake District, Okayama, Japan * Saeki District, Hiroshima, a former district in Hiroshima, Japan * Saeki-ku, Hiroshima is one of the eight wards of the city of Hiroshima, Japan. ...

, were led on by the Shimazu false retreat, across the Takajogawa, into the Shimazu trap.

and

sallied from Takajo castle and attacked the Otomo army from the rear. Otomo's general,

Tawara Chikataka Tawara may refer to: Places * Tawara, Ivory Coast, a village in Savanes District, Ivory Coast * Tawara, Iwate, Esashi District, Iwate, Japan * A village on Motorina Island, Japan Other uses * Sunao Tawara (1873–1952), Japanese pathologist k ...

fled while Tagita Shigekane,

Saeki Karenori Saeki may refer to: Places * Saeki, Okayama, a former town in Wake District, Okayama, Japan * Saeki District, Hiroshima, a former district in Hiroshima, Japan * Saeki-ku, Hiroshima is one of the eight wards of the city of Hiroshima, Japan. ...

Yoshioka Akioki file:Yoshioka Town Culture Center.jpg, 250px, Yoshioka Town Culture Center is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 21,749 in 8,311 households, and a population density of 110 ...

and Tsunokuma Sekiso were killed in battle. The bodies of the Otomo army littered the 25 km back to the Mimigawa in their retreat and pursuit by the Shimazu army. According to Fabian Fucan, Shimazu used the battle to warn other ''daimyōs'' not to abandon the Buddhist religion.

References

Shimazu clan Battles of the Sengoku period 1578 in Japan Conflicts in 1578 {{Japan-battle-stub