About the Battle of Yamazaki
The Battle of Yamazaki was fought in 1582 (13th day of the 6th month, Tenshō 10) at Yamazaki, Yamashiro Province. Eleven days after Honnō-ji. Hideyoshi, back from the west in the Great Return, ends Akechi Mitsuhide's "three-day reign" on rain-soaked Mount Tennō.
- Year
- 158213th day of the 6th month, Tenshō 10
- Place
- Yamazaki, Yamashiro Province
- Era
- Azuchi–Momoyama period
The two armies
Akechi forces Commander-in-chiefAkechi Mitsuhide 16,0005 units 
Hashiba forces Commander-in-chiefHashiba Hideyoshi 26,5005 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 16,000
Fought 26,500
Akechi forcesBy troop strength
- Akechi Mitsuhide 明智光秀 Commander-in-chief 5,000
-
Saitō Toshimitsu 斎藤利三 5,000 - Ise Sadaoki 伊勢貞興 2,000
- Matsuda Masachika 松田政近 2,000
- Tsuda Nobuharu 津田信春 2,000
Hashiba forcesBy troop strength
- Hashiba Hideyoshi 羽柴秀吉 Commander-in-chief 10,000
-
Kuroda Kanbei & Hashiba Hidenaga 黒田官兵衛・羽柴秀長 8,000 -
Ikeda Tsuneoki 池田恒興 4,000 -
Nakagawa Kiyohide 中川清秀 2,500 -
Takayama Ukon 高山右近 2,000
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- 1:00 PMCh. 1
ReturnThe Great Return from Chūgoku
Only eleven days after the Honnō-ji Incident. Hashiba Hideyoshi, who has raced back 200 kilometres from Takamatsu in Bitchū, assembles an army of 40,000 at Tonda in Settsu. "Avenge our lord": the just cause is already in Hideyoshi's hands.
- 2:30 PMCh. 2
LinesFacing Off in the Rain
The 13th day of the 6th month, rain. The two armies face each other across the narrow pass at Yamazaki. A corridor a kilometre wide between Mount Tennō and the Yodo River becomes the battlefield that will decide the fate of the realm. The Akechi have 16,000; the Hashiba more than twice as many.
- 4:00 PMCh. 3
ClashBattle at the Hour of the Monkey
The rain stops toward evening. Across the Enmyō-ji River the vanguard of Takayama Ukon and Nakagawa Kiyohide collides with the Akechi army's strongest contingent under Saitō Toshimitsu. In the opening clash the Akechi push forward.
- 4:30 PMCh. 4
TennōTaking Mount Tennō
Kuroda Kanbei and Hashiba Hidenaga secure the slopes of Mount Tennō and pin down the Akechi right wing with fire from above. The mountain that would become a byword for "the battle that decides the realm" settled the issue this way.
- 5:00 PMCh. 5
RiverThe Ikeda Contingent Crosses
The Ikeda Tsuneoki contingent, advancing along the Yodo River, forces the Enmyō-ji River and bites into the Akechi left wing. Ise Sadaoki, Matsuda Masachika and other Akechi commanders are killed one after another. The line begins to crack audibly.
- 5:30 PMCh. 6
RoutThe Akechi Collapse
Barely two hours after the battle began. Outnumbered, the Akechi army breaks completely. Mitsuhide abandons Onbōzuka and withdraws to Shōryūji Castle.
- 7:00 PMCh. 7
EndThe Three-Day Reign Ends
Slipping out of the castle under cover of night, Mitsuhide makes for Sakamoto, but in a bamboo grove at Ogurusu he is said to have died on the bamboo spears of peasants. Eleven days after Honnō-ji: the "three-day reign" of legend.
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 Yamazaki?
Eleven days after Honnō-ji. Hideyoshi, back from the west in the Great Return, ends Akechi Mitsuhide's "three-day reign" on rain-soaked Mount Tennō.
When and where did the Battle of Yamazaki take place?
It took place in 1582 at Yamazaki, Yamashiro Province (13th day of the 6th month, Tenshō 10).
Who fought in the Battle of Yamazaki?
Hashiba Hideyoshi of the Hashiba forces, Akechi Mitsuhide of the Akechi forces were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Battle of Yamazaki 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.