was a Japanese

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

lord and

retainer Retainer may refer to: * Retainer (orthodontics), devices for teeth * RFA ''Retainer'' (A329), a ship * Retainers in early China, a social group in early China Employment * Retainer agreement, a contract in which an employer pays in advance for ...

of 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 ...

during the

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 ...

. He was known as a skilled military commander and was also considered to be one of the "Great Pillars" along with

Takahashi Shigetane also known as was a Japanese samurai lord and senior retainer of the Ōtomo clan throughout the latter Sengoku period. He was the biological father of Tachibana Muneshige. Biography As Shigetane was additionally known by the name of 'Takahas ...

for the Ōtomo clan, serving in all their major campaigns.

Biography

Akimori served under

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 ...

. On 1578, Sōrin attacked the Takajo Castle of 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 ...

. The castle garrison 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 ...

, gathered 500 troops to hold ground at Takajo Castle. Yamada managed to defend the castle and this led to a decline in the morale of the Otomo troops.

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 ...

and

sallied from Takajo castle and attacked the Otomo army from the rear. Later, the Shimazu army defeated Otomo's, who retreated under heavy losses at

Battle of Mimigawa The Battle of Mimigawa was a battle, fought in Japan, between the Ōtomo clan and the Shimazu clan in 1578. The Ōtomo force was led by Sorin's brother-in-law Tawara Chikataka, while the Shimazu clan was led by Shimazu Yoshihisa. Prelude In May ...

. Kamachi Akimori killed in the battle. Japanese warriors 1578 deaths 1520 births {{Japan-hist-stub