Shibata forcesShibata
Shibata Katsuie
柴田勝家
“The Demon Shibata”
1522–1583 (aged 62)
- Rank / office
- Shuri-no-suke
- Domain / base
- Echizen
- Banner / crest
- Two wild geese
- Battles in 3D
- 2 battles
Portrait · Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
A summer night's dream, fleeting: cuckoo of the mountains, carry my name up to the clouds.
Death poem
A fierce commander and elder of the Oda house who led the vanguard in battle after battle. He is famous for the story of "Jar-breaker Shibata," who smashed the water jars in a besieged castle to cut off retreat and then charged. He commanded the northern army against the Uesugi. After Nobunaga's death he contended with Hideyoshi for control of the Oda house following the Kiyosu conference, but lost at Shizugatake, withdrew to Kitanoshō Castle and died there by his own hand with his wife Oichi.
Life and battlesGold dots mark battles you can watch in 3D
- 1570Genki 1
Jar-breaker Shibata
Surrounded in a castle, he smashed the water jars to cut off retreat and won with a desperate charge.
- 1575Tenshō 3
The Northern Army
Granted Echizen, he commanded the northern front against the Uesugi.
- 1577
Battle of Tedorigawa
Commander-in-chief of the northern army. He ordered the retreat, but command broke down; he lost much of his army to the night attack and the torrent and barely escaped south.
Tedori River, Kaga Province Commander-in-chief 6,000 troops Watch in 3D › - 1583Tenshō 11
Shizugatake
Contended with Hideyoshi for leadership of the Oda, but collapsed when the Maeda withdrew.
Battle of Shizugatake Commander-in-chief 5,000 troops Watch in 3D › Chief retainer of the Oda house, "the Demon Shibata." Caught between Morimasa's recklessness and Toshiie's withdrawal, he was driven to his end at Kitanoshō. - 1583Tenshō 11
The Fall of Kitanoshō
Took his own life at Kitanoshō Castle with Oichi, in one of the most celebrated deaths of the Sengoku age.
Related sites
FAQ
Who was Shibata Katsuie?
The chief retainer of the Oda house, feared as "the Demon Shibata." A fierce commander who led the vanguard in many battles, he is known for the story of "Jar-breaker Shibata": smashing the water jars in a besieged castle to cut off retreat before charging out.
Why did Katsuie fight Hideyoshi?
After Nobunaga's death he clashed with Hideyoshi over control of the Oda house at the Kiyosu conference, and the two collided the following year at Shizugatake. He lost, in part because Maeda Toshiie, on whom he relied, left the field.
How did Katsuie die?
Beaten at Shizugatake, he withdrew to Kitanoshō Castle in Echizen and took his own life together with his wife Oichi. It is remembered as one of the noblest deaths of the Sengoku age.
