About the Night Battle of Kawagoe
The Night Battle of Kawagoe was fought in 1546 (Tenbun 15) at Kawagoe Castle, Musashi Province. An allied army of 80,000 under Uesugi Norimasa, Uesugi Tomosada and the Koga kubō Ashikaga Haruuji besieges Hōjō Tsunashige in Kawagoe Castle. Hōjō Ujiyasu comes to the rescue with only 8,000, feigns peace talks and retreat to lull the enemy, then launches a surprise attack in the dead of night. The allies collapse, the Ōgigayatsu Uesugi are destroyed, and the battle is counted with Okehazama and Itsukushima among the "three great surprise attacks of Japan."
- Year
- 1546Tenbun 15
- Place
- Kawagoe Castle, Musashi Province
- Era
- Sengoku period
The two armies
Hōjō side Commander-in-chiefHōjō Ujiyasu 11,0002 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 11,000
Fought 20,000Did not fight 50,000
Hōjō sideBy troop strength
- Hōjō Ujiyasu 北条氏康 Commander-in-chief 8,000
- Hōjō Tsunashige 北条綱成 3,000
Allied armyBy troop strength
- Uesugi Norimasa 上杉憲政 Did not fight 30,000
- Ashikaga Haruuji 足利晴氏 Did not fight 20,000
- Uesugi Tomosada 上杉朝定 15,000
- Nanbata Norishige 難波田憲重 5,000
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- Hour of the boarCh. 1
SiegeEighty Thousand Around the Castle
Since Tenbun 14 an allied army of 80,000 under Uesugi Tomosada of the Ōgigayatsu, Uesugi Norimasa of the Yamanouchi and the Koga kubō Ashikaga Haruuji has surrounded the Hōjō castle of Kawagoe many ranks deep. Its defender is Hōjō Tsunashige with a mere 3,000. The siege has lasted half a year.
- Hour of the boarCh. 2
ReliefUjiyasu Humbles Himself
Hōjō Ujiyasu hurries from Odawara to the rescue. But he has only 8,000 men. Facing an enemy ten times his size, Ujiyasu avoids a frontal battle, sends humble envoys to sue for peace and at times feigns retreat, inviting the enemy's complacency.
- Hour of the ratCh. 3
EaseA Great Army Grows Slack
The long siege, the overwhelming numbers and Ujiyasu's timidity. Complacency has spread through the allied army. Nightly feasts, slack watches; as good as victorious already, the great army sinks into deep sleep.
- Hour of the oxCh. 4
RaidTake No Heads, Just Run
The dead of night, the 20th day of the 4th month. Ujiyasu orders the whole army, "Take no heads, just run," and in light gear they pour into the allied camp. At the same moment Tsunashige throws open the castle gates and sallies out shouting, "Victory, victory!" A pincer attack.
- Hour of the tigerCh. 5
RoutCollapse in the Dark
Taken by surprise, the great army collapses, fighting itself in the darkness. Uesugi Tomosada of the Ōgigayatsu is killed in the melee, and the noble house of the Ōgigayatsu Uesugi is destroyed here. Nanbata Norishige too is said to have died after falling into a well in the dark.
- Hour of the hareCh. 6
DawnThe Night of the Three Great Surprise Attacks
Uesugi Norimasa and the kubō Haruuji both escape the field with their lives and little else. This night battle in which 8,000 beat 80,000 is counted with Okehazama and Itsukushima among the "three great surprise attacks of Japan," and it settled Hōjō mastery of the Kantō.
FAQ
What was the Night Battle of Kawagoe?
An allied army of 80,000 under Uesugi Norimasa, Uesugi Tomosada and the Koga kubō Ashikaga Haruuji besieges Hōjō Tsunashige in Kawagoe Castle. Hōjō Ujiyasu comes to the rescue with only 8,000, feigns peace talks and retreat to lull the enemy, then launches a surprise attack in the dead of night. The allies collapse, the Ōgigayatsu Uesugi are destroyed, and the battle is counted with Okehazama and Itsukushima among the "three great surprise attacks of Japan."
When and where did the Night Battle of Kawagoe take place?
It took place in 1546 at Kawagoe Castle, Musashi Province (Tenbun 15).
Who fought in the Night Battle of Kawagoe?
Hōjō Ujiyasu of the Hōjō side were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Night Battle of Kawagoe 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.