About the Battle of Okitanawate
The Battle of Okitanawate was fought in 1584 (24th day of the 3rd month, Tenshō 12) at Shimabara, Hizen Province. The Shimazu feigned retreat lures a great army onto a narrow causeway. The day Ryūzōji Takanobu, lord of five provinces and two islands, sank into a trap of muddy paddies.
- Year
- 158424th day of the 3rd month, Tenshō 12
- Place
- Shimabara, Hizen Province
- Era
- Sengoku / Azuchi–Momoyama
The two armies
Ryūzōji forces Commander-in-chiefRyūzōji Takanobu 22,0004 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 7,400
Fought 22,000
Shimazu–Arima allianceBy troop strength
- Shimazu Iehisa 島津家久 Commander-in-chief 3,000
- Arima Harunobu 有馬晴信 2,000
- Shimazu Ambush (left) 島津伏兵・左 1,200
- Shimazu Ambush (right) 島津伏兵・右 1,200
Ryūzōji forcesBy troop strength
- Ryūzōji Takanobu 龍造寺隆信 Commander-in-chief 8,000
-
Nabeshima Naoshige 鍋島直茂 5,000 - Rear Guard 後陣 5,000
- Four Guardians of Ryūzōji 龍造寺四天王 4,000
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- 7:00 AMCh. 1
HostFive Provinces and Two Islands March South
The 3rd month of Tenshō 12. Ryūzōji Takanobu, master of Hizen, marches down on Shimabara with an army said to number 25,000. The Shimazu and Arima who meet him have only a few thousand. But Shimazu Iehisa has a speciality for beating great armies with small ones: the feigned-retreat ambush.
- 8:00 AMCh. 2
BaitThe Retreat That Lures
The Shimazu troops posted at the mouth of the causeway make one clash, then deliberately break and fall back. "The Shimazu are nothing to fear." Encouraged, the great Ryūzōji army rushes headlong onto the single-track causeway, hungry for victory.
- 9:30 AMCh. 3
AmbushFrom the Marshes on Either Side
The moment the great army is stretched deep along the causeway, the ambushers hidden in the deep paddies on both sides open fire with their arquebuses all at once. A narrow road with no way forward or back. The long Ryūzōji column is skewered from the flank.
- 11:00 AMCh. 4
MireA Great Army Sinks in the Mud
The Ryūzōji, who should have won by numbers, cannot use them on the narrow causeway. Those who try to push forward sink in the mud; those who try to retreat collide with the men behind. Amid friendly-fire and gunfire, 25,000 melt away before their eyes.
- 12:00 PMCh. 5
FallThe Lord Loses His Head
At the height of the chaos, the palanquin carrying Ryūzōji Takanobu is spotted by the Shimazu. With no way to escape, the lord of five provinces and two islands is killed on the spot. Without its commander-in-chief, the great army is no longer an army at all.
- 1:00 PMCh. 6
KyushuThe Shimazu Toward Kyushu
Having lost their pillar, the Ryūzōji decline at once, and mastery of Hizen passes to the Shimazu. With both the Ōtomo and the Ryūzōji beaten, the Shimazu house moves within reach of unifying Kyushu. A battle that showed the whole country how terrible the feigned-retreat ambush could be.
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 Okitanawate?
The Shimazu feigned retreat lures a great army onto a narrow causeway. The day Ryūzōji Takanobu, lord of five provinces and two islands, sank into a trap of muddy paddies.
When and where did the Battle of Okitanawate take place?
It took place in 1584 at Shimabara, Hizen Province (24th day of the 3rd month, Tenshō 12).
Who fought in the Battle of Okitanawate?
Shimazu Iehisa of the Shimazu–Arima alliance, Ryūzōji Takanobu of the Ryūzōji forces were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Battle of Okitanawate 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.