The third occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in

Toyotomi 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 Cour ...

's campaign to eliminate the

Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this period ...

as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hideyoshi's intentions became clear. Thus, despite the overwhelming force brought to bear by Hideyoshi, the siege saw little actual fighting.

Background

In 1588,

succeeded the unifying nation from

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 ...

. Hideyoshi asked

Hōjō Ujimasa was the fourth head of the later Hōjō clan, and ''daimyō'' of Odawara. Ujimasa succeeded the territory expansion policy from his father, Hojo Ujiyasu, and achieved the biggest territory in the clan's history. Early life and rise In 1538, Uj ...

and Ujinao, the father and son, to attend the imperial visit to

Jurakudai The Jurakudai or Jurakutei () was a palace constructed at the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Kyoto, Japan. Construction began in 1586, when Hideyoshi had taken the post of , and required nineteen months to complete. Its total area was almost eq ...

(Hideyoshi's residence and office in Kyoto), but Ujimasa refused it. However, Ujimasa proposed to reschedule the visit to spring or summer of 1590, but Hideyoshi refused the proposal, which worsened their relationship, and in May, 1590, Hideyoshi launched the Odawara Campaign against Hōjō.

The Siege

The massive army of Toyotomi Hideyoshi surrounded the castle in what has been called "the most unconventional siege lines in samurai history." The samurai were entertained by everything from concubines, prostitutes, and musicians to acrobats, fire-eaters, and jugglers. The defenders slept on the ramparts with their arquebuses and armor; despite their smaller numbers, they discouraged Hideyoshi from attacking. So, for the most part, this siege consisted of traditional starvation tactics. Only a few small skirmishes erupted around the castle, as when a group of miners from Kai Province dug under the castle walls, allowing men under

Ii Naomasa was a general under the Sengoku period ''daimyō'', and later ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Ieyasu.Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle was a late Sengoku period Japanese castle in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It was one of the most famous among the castles built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and was the site of his first meeting with Date Masamune. Its ruins were designated ...

took away the Hōjō defenders' will to resist and they surrendered. In addition to taking

Odawara Castle is a landmark in the city of Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. History Odawara was a stronghold of the Doi clan during the Kamakura period, and a fortified residence built by their collateral branch, the Kobayakawa clan, stood on the ...

, Hideyoshi also defeated the Hōjō at their outposts at Hachiōji Castle,

Hachigata castle was a Sengoku period Japanese castle, located in the town of Yorii, Saitama Prefecture, in the Kantō region of Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a National Historic Site since 1932. Overview Hachigata Castle was located on a peninsula su ...

, and Shizuoka in and near the southwestern part of the

Kantō region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Sl ...

. Included Shimoda fortress at Ize province, where Hideyoshi's naval forces defeated the Izu suigun. However, at

Oshi castle 270px, Surviving gate of Oshi Castle is a Japanese castle located in Gyōda, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. During the Edo period, Oshi Castle was the center of the 100,000 ''koku'' Oshi Domain, but the castle is far better known for its associatio ...

, the defenders surrendered after hearing word that their lord had been defeated at Odawara. The

Chiba clan The Chiba clan (千葉氏 ''Chiba-shi'') was a Japanese '' gōzoku'' and samurai family descending from the Taira clan. The clan was founded by Chiba Tsunetane, the son of Taira no Tadatsune. The Chiba governed in Shimōsa Province, and the cl ...

, allies of the Hōjō in Shimōsa, also saw

Sakura Castle was a 17th-century castle, now in ruins, in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture. It was designated one of Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japanese Castle Foundation. History Sakura Castle fell to Honda Tadakatsu and Sakai Ietsugu of the Tokugawa army d ...

fall to Honda Tadakatsu and Sakai Ietsugu of the Tokugawa army during the campaign. Chiba Shigetane, ''

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

'' of the Chiba, surrendered the castle to the besieging forces on the condition that his clan would not be abolished. While the Chiba were consequently divested of all of their holdings, many of their senior members were taken into service by Tokugawa retainer

Ii Naomasa was a general under the Sengoku period ''daimyō'', and later ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Ieyasu.Takeda Katsuyori's Tsutsujigasaki Castle.

Aftermath

failed to hold Odawara against the forces of

and finally Odawara was taken. Later, Ujimasa was forced to commit

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

along with his brother Ujiteru.

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 fello ...

, one of Hideyoshi's top generals, was given the Hōjō lands. Though Hideyoshi could not have guessed it at the time, this would turn out to be a great stepping-stone towards Tokugawa's attempts at conquest and the office of shogun. The tea master Yamanoue Sōji was at the service of the Odawara lords. He was sentenced to death by torture.

In popular culture

The siege of Odawara is the climax of Hideyoshi's story in the video game '' Samurai Warriors 2''. Due to the sheer size of Odawara Castle in the game, it is divided into two stages, the eastern side besieged by the Tokugawa, Chōsokabe (in Xtreme Legends only), Shimazu, and Date armies, and the western side besieged by the Toyotomi main army. In the

Sengoku Basara is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including four anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, a magazine series, a trading card game, and numerous drama CDs, light nov ...

Season 2 anime, Odawara Castle was the setting for the fight between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Date Masamune. Hideyoshi was killed in the castle at Masamune's hands. Afterward, Ishida Mitsunari went to the castle to grieve his master's demise.

References

*Sansom, George (1961). ''A History of Japan: 1334–1615''. Stanford: Stanford University Press. *Takayama, Kiyotaka (1893). ''Chiba-ki'' (千葉記). Tokyo: Keizai Zasshisha. {{Authority control 1590 in Japan Odawara 1590 Odawara 1590 Conflicts in 1590 Odawara

External links

About Siege of Odawara, Odawara city official