The Sekigahara Campaign was a series of battles in Japan fought between the Eastern Army aligned with
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...
and the Western Army loyal to
Ishida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari (, 1559 – November 6, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the A ...
, culminating in the decisive
Battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of th ...
. The conflict was sparked by a punitive expedition led by Ieyasu against the
Uesugi clan in the northeastern
Tōhoku region, providing Mitsunari with an opportunity to denounce Ieyasu in the name of the infant ruling ''
taikō''
Toyotomi Hideyori
was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga.
Early life
Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second son. The birth of Hideyori cre ...
while the Tokugawa troops were in the field.
Much of the campaign consisted of a struggle to control key castles on the
Tōkaidō and the
Nakasendō, the main roads linking
Edo
Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
and the capital of
Kyoto. However, battles and sieges far from these key highways, both in the Tōhoku and in pockets of resistance around the capital, had wide-reaching effects on the manoeuvring and availability of troops for the decisive battle at Sekigahara. The campaign also spilled over briefly into the southern island of
Kyūshū, but Ieyasu quickly ordered his forces to stand down following his victory for political reasons.
The campaign dramatically changed the political landscape of Japan, resulting in the ascendancy of the
Tokugawa Shogunate over the
Toyotomi clan and the shifting of political power between the various
daimyō who participated in it.
Background
With the death of
Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1598, his 5 year-old son
Toyotomi Hideyori
was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga.
Early life
Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second son. The birth of Hideyori cre ...
succeeded him formally as the ''
taikō'' or imperial regent, and rule of Japan fell under a
Council of Five Elders
The Council of Five Elders (Japanese: 五大老, ''Go-Tairō'') was a group of five powerful feudal lords (Japanese: 大名, ''Daimyō'') formed in 1598 by the Regent (Japanese: 太閤 '' Taikō'') Toyotomi Hideyoshi, shortly before his death the ...
appointed by Hideyoshi as regents for Hideyori until he came of age.
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...
, a member of the council, installed himself in Hideyoshi's former residence of
Fushimi Castle
, also known as or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a Japanese castle located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto.
Fushimi Castle was constructed from 1592 to 1594 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the end of the Sengoku period as his retirement residence. Fushimi Castle ...
and arranged political marriages for his children in defiance of the council's restriction on doing so, drawing political ire.
Ishida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari (, 1559 – November 6, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the A ...
, one of the
Five Commissioners
5 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
5, five or number 5 may also refer to:
* AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era
* 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era
Literature
* ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram
* ''5'' (comics), an awar ...
appointed to civil administration by Hideyoshi, attempted to approach
Maeda Toshiie
was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又� ...
, a councilman and guardian of Hideyori, at
Ōsaka Castle to conspire against Ieyasu; however, the intervention of
Hosokawa Tadaoki
was a Japanese samurai warrior of the late Sengoku period and early Edo period. He was the son of Hosokawa Fujitaka with Numata Jakō, and he was the husband of a famous Christian convert ( Kirishitan), Hosokawa Gracia. For most of his life, h ...
, a friend of Ieyasu and of the Maeda clan, convinced Toshiie's son
Toshinaga to dissuade Toshiie from opposing Ieyasu.
Mitsunari resorted to attempting an assassination plot on Ieyasu, but when the plot failed, several of Ieyasu's generals independently attempted to eliminate Mitsunari. Mitsunari infamously escaped the castle at night disguised as a woman and fled to Fushimi Castle to beg Ieyasu to protect him from retaliation. Ieyasu agreed on the condition that Mitsunari go into exile in his holding at
Sawayama Castle
was a castle in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
This castle was an important military stronghold of Ōmi Province. The Azai clan held this castle in the Sengoku Period. Niwa Nagahide held it after the ruin of the Azai clan and lat ...
in the spring of 1599. Soon after, Maeda Toshiie died in April, and Toshinaga was elected to replace him; however, Ieyasu himself took up guardianship of Hideyori, occupying Ōsaka Castle on 28 October and further enraging the commissioners and council.
Mobilisation
Uesugi Kagekatsu, another councilman, defied Ieyasu by militarising, ordering 80,000 men to construct a castle in
Aizu
is the westernmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, the other two regions being Nakadōri in the central area of the prefecture and Hamadōri in the east. As of October 1, 2010, it had a population of 291,838. The princi ...
and expand its fortifications and road networks. On 7 May 1600, Ieyasu dispatched a letter to Kagekatsu demanding an explanation, Kagekatsu's chief advisor,
Naoe Kanetsugu
was a Japanese samurai of the 16th–17th centuries. The eldest son of Higuchi Kanetoyo, Kanetsugu was famed for his service to two generations of the Uesugi ''daimyōs''. He was also known by his court title, Yamashiro no Kami (山城守) or h ...
responded with mocking refusal. Subsequent negotiations broke down, with Kagekatsu even attempting to have one of Ieyasu's envoys killed as a spy, and after Kagekatsu refused to present in person at Ōsaka to account for his actions, Ieyasu summoned a war council on 12 July to plan a punitive expedition.
On 24 July, Ieyasu departed from Ōsaka Castle for his punitive campaign, stopping at Fushimi Castle the next night to give his retainer
Torii Mototada instructions against a likely Ishida-backed assault before continuing towards Aizu. Ieyasu was wary of a sudden attack by Mitsunari and his allies, and so he marched at a slow pace to monitor his rivals' movements, arriving in Edo on 10 August where he began mustering troops.
Date Masamune
was a regional ruler of Japan's Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful ''daimyō'' in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he was made al ...
and his uncle
Mogami Yoshiaki, rulers of
Sendai and
Yamagata respectively on the border with the Uesugi clan's territory, returned swiftly to their home provinces to defend against Kagekatsu. Mitsunari immediately began summoning conspirators to Sawayama Castle following Ieyasu's departure, some even being convinced to abandon their journeys to join Ieyasu's campaign such as
Ōtani Yoshitsugu
was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through the Azuchi-Momoyama Period. He was also known by his court title, . He was born in 1558 to a father who was said to be a retainer of either Ōtomo Sōrin or Rokkaku Yoshikata. He became one ...
. On 17 August Mitsunari's war council resolved to form the Western Army as a coalition against Ieyasu, with councilman
Mōri Terumoto as its nominal commander-in-chief.
On 22 August 1600, the coalition entered Ōsaka Castle and proclaimed the creation of the Western Army, claiming guardianship of Hideyori. The same day, Mitsunari issued a series of 13 charges against Ieyasu on behalf of the Five Commissioners and three members of the Council of Five Regents. This proclamation effectively marked the declaration of war between the Western and Eastern armies.
Chūbu-Kansai theatre
Engagements around Kyoto
The first major assault of the Western Army in the region of the capital was the
siege of Fushimi Castle
The siege of Fushimi was a crucial battle in the series leading up to the decisive Battle of Sekigahara which ended Japan's Sengoku period. Fushimi Castle was defended by a force loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern army, led by Torii Mototada. Kn ...
commencing 27 August. Torii Mototada was resolved to defend the garrison to the last, and despite setbacks the defense held until 6 September when Mototada committed
seppuku with his remaining forces, majorly setting back Mitsunari's attempts to support his castles along the Nakasendō road. Nine days later, Mitsunari entered
Ōgaki Castle
270px, Ōgaki Castle in 1933
270px, Edo period layout map of Ōgaki Castle
is a flatlands-style Japanese castle located in the city of Ōgaki, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. During the Sengoku period, Ōgaki Castle was home to several of Toyotomi Hi ...
uncontested.
Though the Western Army had attempted to win over the loyalty of
Hosokawa Fujitaka, the father of the Eastern Army general Hosokawa Tadaoki, Mitsunari had alienated Fujitaka during the period following Ieyasu's departure from Ōsaka through an abortive hostage-taking ploy resulting in the
death of Tadaoki's wife. Fujitaka had instead fortified Tanabe in
Tango Province with 500 men in support of Ieyasu. In mid-August, even prior to the official denouncement of Ieyasu, 15,000 Ishida troops under
Onoki Shigekatsu
The manga and anime series features an extensive cast of characters created by Masashi Kishimoto. The series takes place in a fictional universe where countries vie for power by employing ninja who can use superhuman abilities in combat. The ...
had begun
a siege of the fortress. However, Fujitaka's influence and prestige as a scholar-poet was so great that the sympathetic Ishida troops gave a weak offense, such as "forgetting" to load cannons before firing on the keep. The siege only ended 19 October following an order by the emperor to surrender to preserve his life and his precious library, following which the Western Army facilitated his retirement to Kyoto.
Ōtsu Castle on the southwest shore of
Lake Biwa, garrisoned by
Kyōgoku Takatsugu
was a ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of Ōmi Province and Wakasa Province during the late Sengoku period of Japan's history. Papinot, Edmond. (2003)''Nobiliare du Japon'', pp. 27–28./ref>
Biography
His childhood name was Koboshi (小法師). Takat ...
came under siege on 13 October by the 15,000-strong Western forces of
Mōri Motoyasu,
Tachibana Muneshige The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts.
People
* – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185)
* – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...
and
Tsukushi Hirokado
was the second son of Tsukushi Korekado and warlord/kokujin of Chikuzen. During the year of 1567, Hirokado was defeated by an Ōtomo officer by the name of Takahashi Jōun. Also surrendering to Ryūzōji Takanobu during the year of 1572. When ...
, along with a naval blockade by
Mashita Nagamori
was a ''daimyō'' in Azuchi–Momoyama period, and one of the '' Go-Bugyō'' appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Also called Niemon (仁右衛門) or by his court title, Uemon-no-jō (右衛門尉). He was sent to Korea as one of the Three Burea ...
. The staunch resistance of the Eastern Army troops under Takatsugu was only ended on the 21 October after the Western Army bombarded the castle from Mount Nagara, by which point the Western besiegers, like Onoki Shigekatsu's troops at Tanabe, were too late to join the decisive battle at Sekigahara.
Tōkaidō campaign
On 29 August, Ieyasu had established a base of operations in
Oyama, and by 1 September Ieyasu began relocating 50,000 troops mustered in Edo north to Oyama, preparing to strike at Kagekatsu in Aizu but not expecting to do so, believing the Date, Mogami and Maeda forces sufficient to halt the Uesugi advance. With the news of the fall of Fushimi, Ieyasu quickly returned to Edo by 10 September, already planning a westward return. Eager to secure the crossroads near
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. ...
now threatened by the Western Army at Ōgaki Castle, Ieyasu sent
Fukushima Masanori
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period to early Edo period who served as lord of the Hiroshima Domain. A retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he fought in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583, and soon became known as one of Seven Spea ...
,
Kuroda Nagamasa
was a ''daimyō'' during the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief strategist and adviser.
Biography
His childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577, when Nagamasa was ...
,
Honda Tadakatsu
, also called Honda Heihachirō (本多 平八郎) was a Japanese samurai, general and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings along with Ii N ...
, Ii Naomasa and
Hosokawa Tadaoki
was a Japanese samurai warrior of the late Sengoku period and early Edo period. He was the son of Hosokawa Fujitaka with Numata Jakō, and he was the husband of a famous Christian convert ( Kirishitan), Hosokawa Gracia. For most of his life, h ...
ahead along the Tōkaidō road with 16,000 men, followed by 15,000 men under
Ikeda Terumasa
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. His court title was '' Musashi no Kami''. Terumasa was also known by the nickname ''saigoku no shōgun'', or, "The ''Shōgun'' of Western Japan". Terumasa fought in many of the battles of the ...
,
Asano Yoshinaga
was a Japanese samurai and feudal lord of the late Sengoku and early Edo periods. His father served as one of the '' Go-Bugyō'' in the late Azuchi–Momoyama period.
Asano Yoshinaga was born at Odani, in the Asai district of Ōmi Province, in ...
and
Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, to fortify Masanori's holding of Kiyosu and to seize Gifu Castle from
Oda Hidenobu
, the son of Oda Nobutada, was a samurai who lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama period in the late-16th century. He was a convert to Catholicism. His other name was Sanbōshi (三法師).
Succession dispute
When Oda Nobutada and Oda Nobunaga, Hid ...
. The combined 31,000 troops of this "Tōkaidō Corps" quickly besieged Gifu on 28 September and forced the capitulation of Hidenobu.
Meanwhile in Ōsaka,
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 ...
retainer
Kikkawa Hiroie
(December 7, 1561 – October 22, 1626) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period.
Hiroie's father was Kikkawa Motoharu and his mother was a daughter of Kumagai Nobunao.
Biography
He initially w ...
was enraged by Mitsunari confining Mōri Terumoto, nominal commander-in-chief of the Western Army, to the castle, and in response to the insult Hiroie secretly communicated with the Tōkaidō Corps promising to keep the 36,000 Mōri troops from engaging the Eastern Army. Mōri Hidemoto, Terumoto's cousin and deputy, also urged Terumoto to defect to the Eastern Army before any engagement occurred.
On 29 September, the Tōkaidō Corps occupied the highlands of Akasaka to threaten Ōgaki Castle as Nabeshima Naoshige besieged the Eastern Army stronghold of Matsuoka Castle. The following day, 30,000 Western troops under Mori Hidemoto, Chōsokabe Morichika, and Nabeshima Katsushige besieged An'nōzu Castle, held by Fukuda Nobutaka and his 1,700-strong garrison.
Ishida Mitsunari left Ōgaki Castle on 1 October for Sawayama Castle, where he relented and summoned Mōri Terumoto, who had returned to his own domain to raise troops, to return; one messenger was intercepted, and though a second messenger succeeded in prompting Terumoto to depart with his 30,000 troops, they were delayed from reaching the major confrontations.
Ieyasu moved quickly towards the capital region, reaching Shimada in Suruga Province on 12 October and Nakaizumi in Totomi Province the following day. At the same time, Mōri Hidemoto and Kikkawa Hiroie entered Mino Province and fortified Mount Nangu. During this march, Ieyasu received a letter from Western Army commander Kobayakawa Hideaki offering to defect to the Eastern Army. On 17 October Ieyasu reached Kiyosu Castle, intending to bypass Ōgaki entirely to threaten Sawayama Castle or Ōsaka, and 2 days later he had arrived at Gifu Castle.
Ieyasu arrived in Akasaka around noon on 20 October, meeting up with the main body of the Tōkaidō Corps, and encamped on the hill at Okayama. Western Army generals convinced Mitsunari to permit a testing raid, and
Shima Sakon
, also known as Shima Tomoyuki and Shima Katsutake, was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku period. His nickname was (Shima the right hand). Sakon eventually left the service of the Hatakeyama clan, Tsutsui Junkei, Toyotomi Hidenaga and eve ...
and
Akashi Masataka led a small force to
attack the Eastern Army at the Kuisegawa river near Ōgaki, mauling the Eastern Army and forcing them to retreat to Sekigahara to regroup. That night,
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 o ...
with
Ukita Hideie's support suggested a night assault on the exhausted Eastern Army troops, but was opposed by Shima Sakon who convinced Mitsunari to decline the proposal, insulting Yoshihiro. Mitsunari instead ordered a general withdrawal in the evening to the valley of Sekigahara after learning of Kobayakawa Hideaki's occupation of Mount Matsuo, emptying Ōgaki Castle of most of its garrison.
On 21 October, the Western Army arrayed itself in the valley with Mitsunari's headquarters at the foot of Mount Sasao facing the Eastern Army, while Mōri Hidemoto led a separate formation at the Eastern Army's left flank at the foot of Mount Nangu. While both sides became aware of each others' positions at dawn, a thick fog halted plans initially and battle was not commenced until 8am when the fog cleared. The subsequent
battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of th ...
saw a decisive defeat for the Western Army, with Mitsunari's contingent annihilated by Kobayakawa Hideaki defecting to the Eastern Army and rolling down the formation's right flank, while after a smaller engagement and the treachery of
Kikkawa Hiroie
(December 7, 1561 – October 22, 1626) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period.
Hiroie's father was Kikkawa Motoharu and his mother was a daughter of Kumagai Nobunao.
Biography
He initially w ...
forced the eastern formation under Mōri Hidemoto to withdraw rather than join battle.
From 21 to 30 October, Ōgaki Castle was subsequently besieged and taken by the Eastern Army, while on 22 October Kobayakawa Hideaki began besieging Sawayama, ostensibly as a sign of penance and loyalty to Ieyasu; Ishida Masazumi, Mitsunari's brother and commander at Sawayama, capitulated and committed suicide on the second day of the siege. Ishida Mutsnari and Ankokuji Ekei were captured fleeing north from Sekigahara, and were subsequently executed in Kyoto on 9 November.
Nakasendō campaign
On 25 August, Ōtani Yoshitsugu had made contact with the
Sanada clan
The is a Japanese clan. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003).html" ;"title="DF 56 of 80">("Sanada," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 52 DF_56_of_80">("Sa_...
_at_Ueda_Castle_and_recruited_
_at_Ueda_Castle_and_recruited_Sanada_Masayuki">DF_56_of_80/nowiki>">DF_56_of_80">("Sa_...
_at_Ueda_Castle_and_recruited_Sanada_Masayuki_and_his_son_Sanada_Yukimura.html" "title="Sanada_Masayuki.html" ;"title="DF 56 of 80/nowiki>">DF 56 of 80">("Sa ...