About the Siege of Miki
The Siege of Miki was fought in 1578 (Tenshō 6 to 8) at Miki Castle, Harima Province. The "starvation siege of Miki." Hashiba Hideyoshi ringed Bessho Nagaharu's Miki Castle with more than forty siege forts and starved it for a year and ten months. The strategist Takenaka Hanbei died in the siege camp.
- Year
- 1578Tenshō 6 to 8
- Place
- Miki Castle, Harima Province
- Era
- Azuchi–Momoyama period
The two armies
Hashiba forces Commander-in-chiefHashiba Hideyoshi 21,5005 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 7,500Did not fight 1,500
Fought 12,000Did not fight 9,500
Bessho forcesBy troop strength
- Bessho Nagaharu 別所長治 Commander-in-chief 4,000
- Mōri Supply Column 毛利の兵糧隊 2,000
- Bessho Yoshichika 別所吉親 1,500
- Bessho Tomoyuki 別所友之 Did not fight 1,500
Hashiba forcesBy troop strength
- Hashiba Hideyoshi 羽柴秀吉 Commander-in-chief 10,000
-
Kuroda Kanbei 黒田官兵衛 Did not fight 4,000 - Asano Nagamasa 浅野長政 Did not fight 4,000
- Tani Daizen 谷大膳 2,000
-
Takenaka Hanbei 竹中半兵衛 Did not fight 1,500
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- Spring, Tenshō 6Ch. 1
RevoltThe Bessho Turn on the Oda
The 3rd month of Tenshō 6. Bessho Nagaharu, of a great family of eastern Harima, rises against the Oda. The Mōri banner flies over Miki Castle and the anti-Oda forces of the region rally to it. Hashiba Hideyoshi, pushing forward his western campaign, suddenly finds his rear cut off.
- Summer, Tenshō 6Ch. 2
RingForty Siege Forts
Hideyoshi avoids a direct assault. He builds more than forty siege forts around Miki Castle and links them with ditches and palisades until not even an ant can crawl out. From his headquarters on Mount Hirai he cuts every road by which supplies could reach the castle.
- Winter, Tenshō 6Ch. 3
HungerThe Starvation Siege of Miki
Month by month the ring of forts tightens around the castle. The blockade later known as the "starvation siege of Miki." Inside, in time, the oxen and horses, the grass and the trees are all eaten, and hunger eats away at the garrison.
- Summer, Tenshō 7Ch. 4
HiraiThe Fight for Mount Hirai
Unable to bear it, the Bessho sally out. They launch a night attack on Hideyoshi's headquarters on Mount Hirai, but Tani Daizen and other besiegers hold them off at the cost of their lives and drive them back. Yet even in victory, a quiet farewell was coming to the Hashiba camp.
- Autumn, Tenshō 7Ch. 5
HanbeiFarewell, Hanbei
The strategist Takenaka Hanbei dies in camp. "The Kongming of our day," wasted by consumption, ends his 36 years in the siege lines at Miki. Hideyoshi loses his right arm. The Mōri attempt to bring in supplies by sea is cut off too, and the castle's hopes run out.
- New Year, Tenshō 8Ch. 6
EndNagaharu Dies for His Garrison
The New Year of Tenshō 8. Knowing it is over, Bessho Nagaharu takes his own life together with his family, on condition that every soldier and villager in the castle be spared. The siege of a year and ten months comes quietly to its end.
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 Siege of Miki?
The "starvation siege of Miki." Hashiba Hideyoshi ringed Bessho Nagaharu's Miki Castle with more than forty siege forts and starved it for a year and ten months. The strategist Takenaka Hanbei died in the siege camp.
When and where did the Siege of Miki take place?
It took place in 1578 at Miki Castle, Harima Province (Tenshō 6 to 8).
Who fought in the Siege of Miki?
Bessho Nagaharu of the Bessho forces, Hashiba Hideyoshi of the Hashiba forces were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Siege of Miki 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.