First Battle of Azukizaka | |||||||
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Part of the Sengoku period | |||||||
Site of the Battle of Azukizaka | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Imagawa clan Matsudaira clan | Oda clan | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Imagawa Yoshimoto Imagawa Sessai Matsudaira Hirotada | Oda Nobuhide Oda Nobuyasu Oda Nobuzane Kawajiri Hidetaka | ||||||
In the FirstBattle of Azukizaka (小豆坂の戦い, Azukizaka no tatakai) Oda Nobuhide defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto, [1] setting the stage for his son, Oda Nobunaga, to become one of Japan's greatest warlords. Despite the defeat, later in 1548, Yoshimoto defeated Nobuhide in the Second Battle of Azukizaka and continued to expand his territory until 1560, when he faced Nobunaga and was killed in the Battle of Okehazama.
In response to Oda moves into Western Mikawa, Imagawa Yoshimoto moved forces into Ikutahara in the 8th month of 1542. Oda Nobuhide responded to this by leaving his position at Anjô castle and crossing the Yahagi river taking up a position at Kamiwada, and in the 10th month, engaged in battle at Azukizaka, southeast of Okazaki castle.
The Imagawa vanguard was led by a warrior by the name of Yuhara of Suruga, and Nobuhide was joined by his brothers Nobuyasu, Nobumitsu, and Nobuzane. The battle was quickly won by the Oda side, with credit given to seven Samurai, known as the "Seven Spears of Azukizaka".
During the First Battle of Azukizaka in 1542, seven of Oda Nobuhide's men so distinguished themselves they became known as the "Seven Spears of Azukizaka" (小豆坂七本槍). The seven Samurai were,
Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese daimyō and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He was the Tenka-bito and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first shōgun of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled 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 Oda subordinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The son of a minor daimyo, Ieyasu once lived as a hostage under daimyo Imagawa Yoshimoto on behalf of his father. He later succeeded as daimyo after his father's death, serving as ally, vassal and general of the Oda clan, and building up his strength under Oda Nobunaga.
Oda Nobuhide was a Japanese daimyō and magistrate of the Sengoku period known as "Tiger of Owari" and also the father of Oda Nobunaga the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. Nobuhide was a deputy shugo (Shugodai) of lower Owari Province and head of the Oda clan which controlled most of Owari.
Saitō Dōsan, also known as Saitō Toshimasa, was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. He was also known as the "Viper of Mino" for his ruthless tactics. His honorific title from the Imperial Court was Yamashirō-no-kami (山城守). After entering monkhood in his later years, he was also called Saitō Yamashirō-nyudō-no-kami (斎藤山城入道守).
Imagawa Yoshimoto was a Japanese daimyō of the Sengoku period. Based in Suruga Province, he was known as The number one Daimyō in the Tōkaidō; he was one of the three daimyō that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He died in 1560 while marching to Kyoto to become Shogun. He was killed in the village of Dengakuhazama in Okehazama by Oda Nobunaga.
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 (又左衛門) being his common name. He was a member of the so-called Echizen Sanninshu along with Sassa Narimasa and Fuwa Mitsuharu. The highest rank from the court that he received is the Great Counselor Dainagon.
Mizuno Nobumoto was a Japanese daimyō of the Sengoku period. He was Tokugawa Ieyasu's uncle through Matsudaira Hirotada's marriage to his sister, Odai no Kata.
The Battle of Okehazama took place in June 1560 in Owari Province, located in today's Aichi Prefecture. In this battle, the heavily outnumbered Oda clan troops commanded by Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period.
Shibata Katsuie or Gonroku (権六) 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 and 1577 Battle of Tedorigawa.
Tenbun (天文), also known as Tenmon, was a Japanese era name after Kyōroku and before Kōji. This period spanned from July 1532 through October 1555. The reigning emperor was Go-Nara-tennō (後奈良天皇).
Sakuma Nobumori was a retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He was thus treated as Oda 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 Nagashima.
Matsudaira Hirotada was the lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa province, Japan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. He is best known for being the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Ikeda Tsuneoki, also known as Ikeda Nobuteru, was an Ikeda clan daimyō and military commander under Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama periods of 16th-century Japan. He was a retainer of the famous warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In his early years, he served Nobunaga, since his mother was a foster mother of Nobunaga.
Sessai Chōrō (雪斎長老) or Imagawa Sessai, also known as Taigen Sessai, was a Japanese abbot and mountain ascetic (yamabushi). He was an uncle of Imagawa Yoshimoto, and served him as military advisor and as commander of Imagawa's forces, despite his lack of any formal battle training or experience.
Two battles in Japanese history were named Battle of Azukizaka:
Sassa Narimasa was a Japanese samurai lord of the Sengoku through Azuchi–Momoyama periods. He entered Oda Nobunaga's service at the age of 14 and remained in his service throughout Nobunaga's rise to power. He was a member of the so-called Echizen Sanninshu along with Maeda Toshiie and Fuwa Mitsuharu. He was also known as Kura-no-suke (内蔵助).
Kawajiri Hidetaka was a Japanese samurai warrior during the Sengoku period, he was served Oda Nobuhide and was one of the vassals of Oda Nobunaga. He was the first samurai in the "Kuro-horo-shu" elite troops selected from Nobunaga's aides, and later served as an assistant to Oda Nobutada, Nobunaga's eldest son. He was also the lord of Mino Iwamura, and later became the lord of Kai province. There are few documents related to Hidetaka and Kawajiri clan, and many of his traces are recorded in Shinchō Kōki, Koyo Gunkan, and records related to Tokugawa clan.
Ōtaka Castle was a Sengoku period flatland-style Japanese castle located in what is now part of Midori Ward of the city of Nagoya, Aichi in the Tōkai region of Japan. The ruins, together with that of the detached fortresses of Marune-toride (丸根砦跡) and Washizu-toride (鷲津砦跡) have been collectively protected as a National Historic Site since 1944.
The Battle of Muraki Castle was one of the first victories of the young Oda Nobunaga in his struggle to unite the province of Owari against the powerful Imagawa Yoshimoto, whose army had invaded the eastern parts of Owari.
Battle of Kiyosu Castle or Battle of Kaizu was the first victory of the young Oda Nobunaga in his struggle to unite the province of Owari against his cousin, Oda Nobutomo, deputy governor of southern Owari.
2. The "Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga" book.