About the Battle of Hitotoribashi
The Battle of Hitotoribashi was fought in 1585 (17th day of the 11th month, Tenshō 13) at Hitotoribashi, Adachi District, Mutsu Province. In the midst of his attack on Nihonmatsu, Date Masamune's 7,000 are surrounded by 30,000 of the Satake–Ashina alliance. The heroic death of the old retainer Oniniwa Sagetsusai in the rearguard and the allies' withdrawal save Masamune: the greatest crisis of his youth.
- Year
- 158517th day of the 11th month, Tenshō 13
- Place
- Hitotoribashi, Adachi District, Mutsu Province
- Era
- Azuchi–Momoyama period
The two armies
Date forces Commander-in-chiefDate Masamune 12,3004 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 12,300
Fought 30,000
Date forcesBy troop strength
- Date Masamune 伊達政宗 Commander-in-chief 7,000
-
Date Shigezane 伊達成実 2,500 -
Katakura Kagetsuna 片倉景綱 2,000 - Oniniwa Sagetsusai 鬼庭左月斎 800
Satake–Ashina allied armyBy troop strength
- Satake Yoshishige 佐竹義重 Commander-in-chief 12,000
- Ashina forces 蘆名勢 9,000
- Nikaidō & Iwaki forces 二階堂・岩城勢 9,000
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- 9:00 AMCh. 1
HostThirty Thousand Allies
The 11th month of Tenshō 13. As Date Masamune presses his attack on Nihonmatsu, an allied army of 30,000 under Satake Yoshishige and the Ashina bears down on him. Masamune has barely 7,000 to meet them. The two armies face each other at Motomiya.
- 11:00 AMCh. 2
SiegeA Great Army Crosses the Bridge
The allies cross Hitotoribashi and envelop the Date from all sides. The difference in numbers is overwhelming: one Date contingent after another gives way, and a bullet grazes Masamune himself. The young One-Eyed Dragon's greatest crisis.
- 1:00 PMCh. 3
RearguardOniniwa Sagetsusai Steps Forward
As the main body begins to crumble, the old retainer Oniniwa Sagetsusai Yoshinao, past seventy, volunteers for the rearguard. Waving a golden baton, he leads a handful of men to a stand at the edge of Hitotoribashi. "Leave the rearguard to this Sagetsu."
- 3:00 PMCh. 4
DeathSagetsusai Killed
Sagetsusai throws himself into the flood of the allied army, holds it and dies fighting. But the time bought at the cost of his life checks the collapse of Masamune's main body. An old commander's death saves his lord.
- 5:00 PMCh. 5
StandShigezane and Kagetsuna Hold
Date Shigezane and Katakura Kagetsuna knit the line together in the melee and hold until sunset while pulling Masamune back. On the brink of annihilation, one push from destruction, the Date just barely do not break.
- 7:00 PMCh. 6
NightThe Allies Leave in the Night
In the middle of the night, with victory seemingly at hand, the allied army suddenly withdraws. It is said that a threat had appeared in the Satake lands to the rear and Yoshishige was forced to go home. The army of 30,000 leaves before it can complete its victory.
- 8:00 PMCh. 7
AliveThe One-Eyed Dragon Survives
Snatched from the jaws of death, Masamune escapes a crisis that had brought him to the edge of collapse. Surviving this battle leads on to his mastery of southern Ōshū at Suriagehara four years later. Sagetsusai's loyal death was long remembered in the Date house.
In Ultra detailBattle Pass
The same scene in the standard quality and in Ultra detail. Drag the line to compare, and switch between "Wide" and "Close-up". Ultra detail adds rugged mountains, forests and rocks in 3D, rippling seas and rivers, rows in the fields and soldiers as figures. Chapter 1 of every battle can be watched in Ultra detail without the Battle Pass.
FAQ
What was the Battle of Hitotoribashi?
In the midst of his attack on Nihonmatsu, Date Masamune's 7,000 are surrounded by 30,000 of the Satake–Ashina alliance. The heroic death of the old retainer Oniniwa Sagetsusai in the rearguard and the allies' withdrawal save Masamune: the greatest crisis of his youth.
When and where did the Battle of Hitotoribashi take place?
It took place in 1585 at Hitotoribashi, Adachi District, Mutsu Province (17th day of the 11th month, Tenshō 13).
Who fought in the Battle of Hitotoribashi?
Date Masamune of the Date forces, Satake Yoshishige of the Satake–Ashina allied army were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Battle of Hitotoribashi in 3D?
Yes. This page plays a free three-minute 3D animated overview showing the deployments, the movements of each army and how the battle was decided.