The , taking place from 1570 to 1580 in
Sengoku period
The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615.
The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...
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 ...
, was a ten-year campaign by lord
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
against a network of fortifications, temples, and communities belonging to the
Ikkō-ikki
were rebellious or autonomous groups of people that were formed in several regions of Japan in the 15th-16th centuries; backed up by the power of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, they opposed the rule of governors or ''daimyō''. Mainly con ...
, a powerful faction of
Jōdo Shinshū
, also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran.
Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.
History
Shinran ( ...
Buddhist monks and peasants opposed to the rule of the samurai class. It centered on attempts to take down the Ikki's central base, the cathedral fortress of
Ishiyama Hongan-ji
The was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, leagues of warrior priests and commoners who opposed samurai rule during the Sengoku period. It was established in 1496, at the mouth of the Yodo River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. At the t ...
, in what is today the city of
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
. While Nobunaga and his allies led attacks on Ikki communities and fortifications in the nearby provinces, weakening the Hongan-ji's support structure, elements of his army remained camped outside the Hongan-ji, blocking supplies to the fortress and serving as scouts.
Background
The Ikkō-ikki leagues of warrior monks and commoners were among the last to stand in the way of
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
's bid to conquer all of Japan. Oda and Tokugawa had fought the Ikki before, crushing their armies of
Mikawa Province
was an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Mikawa''" in . Its abbreviated form name was . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces.
Mik ...
and other areas, and by 1570, their twin fortresses of Ishiyama Hongan-ji and
Nagashima
was a series of fortresses and fortifications controlled by the Ikkō-ikki, a sect of warrior monks in Japan's Sengoku period who opposed samurai rule. It was attacked and destroyed by Oda Nobunaga in the 1570s. This, combined with the surrende ...
were their last bastions of strength. He besieged both fortresses simultaneously, attacking Ishiyama in August 1570 and
Nagashima
was a series of fortresses and fortifications controlled by the Ikkō-ikki, a sect of warrior monks in Japan's Sengoku period who opposed samurai rule. It was attacked and destroyed by Oda Nobunaga in the 1570s. This, combined with the surrende ...
in 1571.
Siege
In August 1570, Oda Nobunaga left
Gifu Castle
is a Japanese castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Along with Mount Kinka and the Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city. The castle is also known as . It was designated a National Historic Site in 2011 ...
in
Gifu
is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...
with 30,000 troops, and ordered his generals to build fortresses around Ishiyama, while Nobunaga himself focused on the
Sieges of Nagashima The , taking place in 1571, 1573, and 1574, were part of Oda Nobunaga's campaigns against the Ikkō-ikki, arguably among his greatest enemies. Nagashima, in Owari Province along Japan's Pacific coast, was the location of a string of river island fo ...
fortress and other campaigns.
On September 12, the
Ikkō-ikki
were rebellious or autonomous groups of people that were formed in several regions of Japan in the 15th-16th centuries; backed up by the power of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, they opposed the rule of governors or ''daimyō''. Mainly con ...
launched a midnight stealth attack against Nobunaga's forces at Kawaguchi and Takadono. The Ikko were reinforced by
warrior monks from
Negoro-ji
is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Iwade, Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. Surrounded by the sacred peaks of the Katsuragi Mountains, the temple grounds were designated as a National Historic Site and a National Pla ...
in
Kii Province
, or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kii''" in . Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Pro ...
and 3,000
musketeer
A musketeer (french: mousquetaire) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare particularly in Europe as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a pre ...
s, pushing Oda's army back.
Nobunaga's armies remained camped out, assigned to monitor the Ikki's fortress, and take it if they could.
In 1574, after destroying the Nagashima complex and reducing the threat from the Ikki's supporters, Oda attempted to starve out the fortress. This was no easy task, however, because the Ishiyama fortress sat on the coast, which was guarded by the fleet of the
Mōri clan
The Mōri clan (毛利氏 ''Mōri-shi'') was a Japanese samurai clan descended from Ōe no Hiromoto. Ōe no Hiromoto was descended from the Fujiwara clan. The family's most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan's power ...
, masters of naval combat and Oda's enemies.
By early 1575, however, the fortress was already in urgent need of supplies, and the Abbot
Kōsa
, also known as Hongan-ji Kennyo (本願寺 顕如), was the 11th head of the Hongan-ji in Kyoto, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki (Buddhist warrior priests and peasants who opposed samurai rule), during ...
was ready to begin peaceful overtures with Nobunaga to end the siege. But the ousted ''
shōgun
, officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...
''
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
"Ashikaga Yoshiaki" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the 15th and final ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573.Ackroyd, J ...
sent a letter to
Mōri Terumoto
Mōri Terumoto (毛利 輝元, January 22, 1553 – June 2, 1625) was a Japanese ''daimyō''. The son of Mōri Takamoto, and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, he fought against Oda Nobunaga but was eventually overco ...
asking for his aid in supplying the cathedral fortress.
[ Yoshiaki eventually raised some troops himself to aid the besieged.]
Battle of Tennoji
In April 1576, Oda's army attacked the Hongan-ji fortress, led by Harada Naomasa Harada (written: ) is the 52nd most common Japanese surname. Notable personalities with this surname include:
*, Japanese actor
*, Japanese professional wrestler
*, Japanese Zen Buddhist monk
*, Japanese swimmer
*, Japanese rock climber
*, Japanese ...
, Akechi Mitsuhide
, first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period best known as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga. Mitsuhide was a bodyguard of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later a successful general under ...
, Hosokawa Fujitaka
, also known as , was a Japanese samurai ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. Fujitaka was a prominent retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the last Ashikaga shōgun. When he joined the Oda, Oda Nobunaga rewarded him with the fief of Tango and went on ...
, Tsutsui Junkei
son of Tsutsui Junshō, and a ''daimyō'' of the province of Yamato. On 1571, Junkei, through the offices of Akechi Mitsuhide, pledged to service of Oda Nobunaga.
Military life
Early in his career, in 1565, Matsunaga Hisahide, one of the most ...
, Nakagawa Kiyohide
Nakagawa Kiyohide (中川 清秀; 1542 – June 6, 1583) was a ''daimyō'' in Azuchi–Momoyama period. His childhood name was Nakagawa Toranosuke (中川 虎之助). His common name was Nakagawa Sebe (中川 瀬兵衛).
Biography
His fathe ...
, Takayama Ukon
, born and also known as Dom Justo Takayama (c. 1552 – 3 or 5 February 1615) was a Catholic Church in Japan, Japanese Catholic Kirishitan daimyō and samurai who lived during the Sengoku period that witnessed anti-Catholic sentiment. Takay ...
, Araki Murashige
was a retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, head of the powerful "Setssu-Ikeda clan" of Settsu Province. Under Katsumasa, Murashige sided with Oda Nobunaga following Nobunaga's successful campaign to establish power in Kyoto.
Military life
Murashige bec ...
, and Sakuma Nobuhide Sakuma (written: 佐久間) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Akira Sakuma (born 1952), Japanese video game designer
*, Japanese ice hockey player
*Kumi Sakuma (born 1976), Japanese voice actress
*Rei Sakuma (born 196 ...
, but Oda forces were quickly repelled by 15,000 Ikkō-ikki defenders.[ Mitsuhide and Nobuhide made a request for reinforcements to Nobunaga who was staying in Kyōto. Later, Nobunaga himself personally came. He led an army of only 3,000 men to attack as many as 15,000 enemy forces, along with ]Niwa Nagahide
, also known as Gorōzaemon (五郎左衛門), his other legal alias was Hashiba Echizen no Kami (羽柴越前守), was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku through Azuchi-Momoyama periods of the 16th century. He served as senior retainer to the O ...
, Hashiba Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' ( feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Co ...
, Takigawa Kazumasu
, also known as Sakonshōgen (左近将監), was a samurai retainer and military commander of Oda Nobunaga, and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi, during Japan's Sengoku period. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Toshihisa and later Kazumasu ...
, Hachiya Yoritaka
was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period who served the Oda clan. First he served the Toki clan and Saito clan. When Oda Nobunaga started campaign on Mino Province, he became a vassal of Nobunaga as a member of "Kuro-horo-shu" (bodyguard ...
and Inaba Yoshimichi
, also known as Inaba Ittetsu (稲葉 一鉄), was a Japanese samurai warrior in the Sengoku period. served the Saitō clan of Mino province. Later, he become a retainer of Oda Nobunaga.
Biography
His childhood name was Hikoshiro (彦四郎) la ...
. Nobunaga attacked Mitsuji fortress, pushing back the Ikki garrison to their inner gates and Nobunaga suffered a bullet wound to his leg. However, Harada Naomasa lost his life during the battle.
The fall of Ishiyama Hongan-ji
Later in 1577, Sakuma Nobumori
was a retainer for the Oda clan.
He was thus treated as Nobunaga's most important retainer and would come to fight in every important battle under Nobunaga's command such as the 1567 Siege of Inabayama Castle, the 1571 and 1573 Siege of Nagashim ...
was chosen as Harada's replacement as commander of the Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji and given troops from seven provinces placing him in command of the largest Oda-clan army among the Oda retainers. By then, 51 outposts had been built around the central fortress, many equipped with arquebus
An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier.
Although the term ''arquebus'', derived from the Dutch word ''Haakbus ...
squads.
But Nobumori made no progress against the Hongan-ji forces and in the meantime Kuki Yoshitaka
(1542 – November 17, 1600) was a naval commander during Japan's Sengoku Period, under Oda Nobunaga, and later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was also the ninth headmaster of the Kuki family's school of martial arts, Kukishin-ryū and thus a very sk ...
failed to blockade Mōri supply lines in the first Battle of Kizugawaguchi The two were fought during Oda Nobunaga, Oda Nobunaga's attempted Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, sieges of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji in Osaka. The Ishiyama Hongan-ji, Hongan-ji was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, mobs of warrior monks, priests, ...
.
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
was forced to revise his tactics and began to attack the outposts, and the supporters of the Ikki.[
Nobunaga ordered ]Shibata Katsuie
or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period.
He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought in the 1575 Battle of Nagashino an ...
to conquer the Hokuriku region
The was located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lay along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region, which it is currently a part of. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern ...
, sent Takigawa Kazumasu
, also known as Sakonshōgen (左近将監), was a samurai retainer and military commander of Oda Nobunaga, and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi, during Japan's Sengoku period. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Toshihisa and later Kazumasu ...
to suppress ikko-ikki rebels at Kii province
, or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kii''" in . Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Pro ...
, Hashiba Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' ( feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Co ...
to conquer the Chūgoku region
The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428.
History
'' ...
from the Mori clan, and Akechi Mitsuhide
, first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period best known as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga. Mitsuhide was a bodyguard of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later a successful general under ...
to pacify Tanba Province
was a province of Japan in the area of central Kyoto and east-central Hyōgo Prefectures. Tanba bordered on Harima, Ōmi, Settsu, Tajima, Wakasa, and Yamashiro Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō system ...
in 1577, and Nobunaga eventually blocked the Mōri's supply lines.
In 1578, Nobunaga accused Araki Murashige
was a retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, head of the powerful "Setssu-Ikeda clan" of Settsu Province. Under Katsumasa, Murashige sided with Oda Nobunaga following Nobunaga's successful campaign to establish power in Kyoto.
Military life
Murashige bec ...
of sympathies to the Mōri clan, and enlisted Kuki Yoshitaka
(1542 – November 17, 1600) was a naval commander during Japan's Sengoku Period, under Oda Nobunaga, and later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was also the ninth headmaster of the Kuki family's school of martial arts, Kukishin-ryū and thus a very sk ...
to set up a blockade and disrupt the fortress' supply lines from the Mōri navy with massive new battleships. Later, in the Second Battle of Kizugawaguchi The two were fought during Oda Nobunaga, Oda Nobunaga's attempted Siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, sieges of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji in Osaka. The Ishiyama Hongan-ji, Hongan-ji was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, mobs of warrior monks, priests, ...
, Kuki Yoshitaka broke the Mōri supply lines for good. Nobunaga also gave orders to Hideyoshi to besiege Mōri's Miki castle
was a Japanese castle in Miki, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It was built by Bessho Nagaharu in the Sengoku period. Today some ruins and a partial reconstruction remain at the castle site, and its ruins have been protected as a National Historic ...
at Harima province
or Banshū (播州) was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture. Harima bordered on Tajima, Tanba, Settsu, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji.
During the ...
.
However in 1579, the Mori clan lost their strategic castle at Miki
Miki may refer to:
Places
*Miki, Hyōgo, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
*Miki, Kagawa, a town in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan
*Miki, Azerbaijan, a village in Astara Rayon, Azerbaijan
People
*Miki (given name)
*Miki (surname)
*Miki Núñez (born ...
and Itami Castle
270px, Map of Itami Castle.
was a Muromachi period Japanese castle located in Kawabe District of northern Settsu Province (what is now the city of Itami, Hyōgo Prefecture), Japan. It is also called .Its ruins have been protected as a Nat ...
.
By then in 1580, the siege was beginning to swing in Nobunaga's favor. The majority of the Ikki's allies were already inside the fortress with them, so they had no one to call on for aid. The Ikki under the leadership of Shimozuma Nakayuki continued to fight, eventually the defenders almost ran out of ammunition and food. Abbot Kōsa
, also known as Hongan-ji Kennyo (本願寺 顕如), was the 11th head of the Hongan-ji in Kyoto, and Chief Abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, cathedral fortress of the Ikkō-ikki (Buddhist warrior priests and peasants who opposed samurai rule), during ...
held a conference with his comrades, after receiving a letter of advice from the imperial court via imperial envoys in April 1580. Kōsa and his son surrendered a few weeks later. The fighting finally ended in August 1580.[
]
Aftermath
With respect to Imperial order, Nobunaga spared the lives of many of the defenders, including Shimozuma Nakayuki, but burned the fortress to the ground.
In the same year, following the fall of the Honganji, Nobunaga accused Sakuma Nobumori
was a retainer for the Oda clan.
He was thus treated as Nobunaga's most important retainer and would come to fight in every important battle under Nobunaga's command such as the 1567 Siege of Inabayama Castle, the 1571 and 1573 Siege of Nagashim ...
and dismissed Ando Morinari from Nobunaga's service.
Three years later in 1583, Toyotomi Hideyoshi would begin construction on the same site, building Osaka Castle
is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
Layout
The main tower ...
, a replica of which was constructed in the 20th century.
References
{{Authority control
Ishiyama Hongan-ji
The was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, leagues of warrior priests and commoners who opposed samurai rule during the Sengoku period. It was established in 1496, at the mouth of the Yodo River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. At the t ...
1570s conflicts
16th century in Japan
Conflicts in 1580
Battles of the Sengoku period
Ikkō-ikki