The siege of Iwaya Castle (岩屋城の戦い) was fought in the year 1586 when an army 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 ...

put the castle of Iwaya, which belonged to the

Takahashi clan is the third most common Japanese surname. Less common variants include , , , , , , , and . Notable people with the surname include: * Aaron Takahashi, American actor * , Japanese singer and actress * , Japanese kickboxer * , Japanese classica ...

who were vassals 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 ...

, under siege. After the defeat of the

Ryūzōji clan was a Japanese kin group which traces its origin to Hizen Province on the island of Kyushu. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Hōki"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 802. History The clan was founded by Fujiwara no Suekiyo in 1186. The clan was al ...

at the

Battle of Okitanawate The , also known as the Battle of Shimabara, was fought on May 3 of 1584 between the combined forces of the Shimazu and Arima clans, and the Ryūzōji army. Ryūzōji Takanobu was attacking a number of independent clans close to his territories. ...

in 1584,

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 ...

refocused his attentions on the

and a campaign was started against their dominions. The siege of Iwaya Castle resulted after the Shimazu invasion of

Chikuzen Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces. History The original provincial ...

. The

castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

of Iwaya was

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 ...

, one of the most trusted retainers of the Ōtomo, and held the fortress with a small garrison of around 763 soldiers. When the invading army of around 35,000 soldiers put the castle under siege the situation seemed untenable, but the castle managed to hold for two weeks. When Shigetane realized he could not hold the fortress any longer he committed

seppuku , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...

and all soldiers suicide attack. The Shimazu took the castle and were impressed with Shigetane's loyal conduct; they are said to have prayed for his deceased spirit.The Samurai Archives
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siege of Iwaya Castle Iwaya Castle 1586 1586 in Japan Shimazu clan Iwaya Castle 1586 Conflicts in 1586