Battle of Imizu

The was fought during Japan's Sengoku Period between two rival daimyo, Jinbo Nagamoto and Shiina Yasutane, in Etchū province during the third month of 1554. Nagamoto and Yasutane had been at odds for years, skirmishing numerous times with no clear winner. This particular battle came about by a particularly aggressive move by Nagamoto, when he moved over 8,000 soldiers into the Imizu district of Etchū. The Shiina clan not only had ancestral roots in Imizu district, but Shiina Yasutane's cousin, Shiina Tanehiro held a fortress on the outskirts of Oshima village, which guarded a pass that was heavily used for trade and politics in Shiina lands, in particular building materials and salt. If the Jinbo were able to bring down Tanehiro's fortress, they would gain control of an important trade highway, and possibly put the Shiina in an economic stranglehold. Tanehiro dispatched a messenger to Yasutane to request immediate assistance. Because of the immediate danger, he readily agreed, and dispatched his army.

Opening Siege

In the meantime, the Oshima fortress was besieged. It took 18 hours for Yasutane's army to arrive and engage the Jinbo forces, but by this time Oshima had fallen, and Tanehiro had been killed in a final [...] charge into the Jinbo ranks. The arriving Shiina army was greeted with the burning remains of Oshima fortress, and a Jinbo army fully deployed and prepared for battle.

Main Battle

The battle opened with a charge at the left flank of the Shiina army by Jinbo general Matsutake Kiyotaro, which was meant to split the main Shiina force. The charge was met head on by Shiina general Nitta Kazunaga's force of spearmen, who were able to hold off Kiyotaro's forces long enough for the main Shiina army to deploy. The main battle took place in a fairly confined space consisting of the burning remains of Oshima fortress, thick forest, and steep hills. Because of this, the fighting was close and violent, however only a small fraction of both armies were actually engaged in combat at any one time - perhaps less than 1000 soldiers on each side actually fought in the battle.

The battle of Imizu is best known for one of the few documented cases of hand-to-hand combat between two daimyo on the field of battle during the Sengoku period. According to the Etchu Ranki, Nagamoto rode into the Shiina camp disguised with the helmet of a dead Shiina soldier, and attacked Yasutane. Yasutane was struck across the jaw, but was pulled to safety by vassals before Nagamoto could deliver the [...] blow. Nagamoto's page, Chiba Kazusa, who had followed his lord into the enemy camp, spirited him away on horseback before the Shiina generals could capture him. Kazusa then rode into the ranks of the pursuing troops wearing his lord's distinctive helmet, drawing attention to himself. He killed several of the enemy and delayed their pursuit long enough for Nagamoto to make his escape. Despite being both outnumbered and their leader incapacitated, the Shiina forces were able to overwhelm and drive the Jinbo forces from the field. The Jinbo general, Jinbo Kiyoshige, Nagamoto's friend and advisor, was killed while covering the Jinbo retreat. This defeat weakened the Jinbo and helped in striking a temporary peace between the two clans later that year, which was cemented with the return of the slain Kiyoshige's distinctive blue armor.

References

  • Abe, Yoshichiro "Sengoku no Kassen Zenroku" (戦国の合戦全録) Japan, 1973
  • Morisaki, Rokurou "Sengoku Jidai no Eiyu" (戦国時代の英雄) Japan, 1982
  • Takayama, Kiyotaka (1893). "Chiba-ki" (千葉記). Tokyo: Keizai Zasshisha.