It basically sealed the fate of the country for the following 250 years or so. But there are quite a few intricacies as to why and how it happened. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a prominent general under Oda Nobunaga. Around 7:30am, when the mist lifted, the opposing armies realized just how close they were to each other. With Jun'ichi Okada, Kôji Yakusho, Kasumi Arimura, Takehiro Hira. Two main factions arose during the fading years of Hideyoshi's rule and the immediate aftermath of his death. The initial invasion of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Three clans in particular did not take the aftermath of Sekigahara lightly: The descendants of these three clans would in two centuries collaborate to bring down the Tokugawa shogunate, leading to the Meiji Restoration. Tokugawa had also sneaked in a supply of arquebuses.Knowing that Ieyasu was heading toward Osaka, Mitsunari decided to abandon his positions and marched to Sekigahara. [13], On October 20, 1600, Ieyasu learned that Ishida Mitsunari had deployed his troops at Sekigahara in a defensive position. Hideyoshi had risen from humble roots – his father was an ashigaru (foot-soldier) – to become the ruler of Japan. [17] Many others did not. In 1603, he was awarded the title of Shogun by the Emperor making him supreme military commander of Japan. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Led by daimyō Ishida Mitsunari, Toyotomi loyalists based mostly in western Japan clashed with largely eastern daimyō fighting for Tokugawa Ieyasu. Mitsunari was beheaded in Kyōto within a month. Hideyoshi’s health began declining in 1590, and had gotten worse by 1598. Hideyoshi quickly avenged his master and consolidated control over Japan afterward, with the aid of his brother Hidenaga. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Sekigahara, Kids Web Japan - The Battle of Sekigahara. Login with Facebook Sekigahara is a -player game depicting the campaign in the year 600 that founded the Tokugawa Shogunate. Updates? The Battle of Sekigahara is the fifth and final scenario of Act I: Japan in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties.It starts off from the cinematic "Out of the Fog" and revolves around a disillusioned General Kichiro remaining loyal with Tokugawa by staying with him for one last battle before finally changing his mind and leaving; staining and shaming his family name for generations. [13] Knowing that the Tokugawa forces were heading towards Osaka, Ishida decided to abandon his positions and marched to Sekigahara. The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: 関ヶ原の戦い; Kyūjitai: 關ヶ原の戰い, Hepburn romanization: Sekigahara no Tatakai) was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month), this battle was the biggest and one of the most important battles in Japanese feudal history, that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. He then directed his son, Tokugawa Hidetada, to move northwest along the Nakasendō road with 36,000 men. In 1664, Hayashi Gahō, Tokugawa historian and rector of Yushima Seidō, summarised the consequences of the battle: "Evil-doers and bandits were vanquished and the entire realm submitted to Lord Ieyasu, praising the establishment of peace and extolling his martial virtue. At this point, the buffer Ōtani established was outnumbered. [6][7] Respected regent Maeda Toshiie, a neutral party between the clashing factions, kept the peace for a time, but he too died in 1599. [16] When Ishida arrived, Kikkawa betrayed him as well. At 2:00 pm, after six hours of fighting, Tokugawa Ieyasu declared his army victorious. Ishida deployed his troops in a strong defensive position, flanked by two streams with high ground on the opposite banks. [8] However, Uesugi Kagekatsu, one of Hideyoshi's appointed regents, defied Ieyasu by building up his military. This was especially evident amongst the loyalist bureaucrats, who suspected Ieyasu of agitating unrest amongst Toyotomi's former vassals. Ieyasu's hasty march west forced M… Tired from a day's march and their gunpowder wet from the rain, Ishida and his forces stopped at Sekigahara. The battle field of Sekigahara is located on the border of Shiga and Gifu prefecture. [33] The 2017 video game Nioh includes a mission related to the battle and features heavily fictionalized versions of the events leading up to it. The film recounts the Battle of Sekigahara, a six-hour battle in 1600 that brought an end to the Warring States era in Japanese history, as well as the political struggles that led up to it. [12] Ishida could not risk leaving a force that could attack his rear, so he marched on it. … Recognizing that his position was untenable, Yoshitsugu asked one of his retainers to kill him. Due to these incidents, a large number of troops from both sides failed to show up in time for the battle. It … T… [30] Tokyo Broadcasting System aired a television miniseries about the subject in January 1981, also entitled Sekigahara [ja], loosely based on Shiba's novel series. The battle ended in the victory of Ieyasu. Myles Hudson was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopædia Britannica. [21] If either of these armies participated in the conflict, it could have ended quite differently. This battle saw the culmination of the Sekigahara Campaign and the complete defeat of the ‘Western Army’. Four additional western divisions defected and attacked the Ōtani forces from a third side. Ieyasu himself commanded 30,000 men and his subordinates led another 40,000 men. When that failed, Ieyasu refrained from killing him, instead moving to Ōsaka Castle to become Hideyori’s physical protector and further extend his power. Ieyasu installed Toyotomi Hideyori at Ōsaka Castle so that the Toyotomi vassals of the defeated coalition would look more favorably upon Ieyasu’s bloody campaign. The Battle of Sekigahara was the last major conflict between the western and eastern armies. Ishida Mitsunari, grasping the opportunity created by the chaos, rose up in response and created an alliance to challenge Ieyasu's supporters. The battle was fought around a small village called Sekigahara that sat astride a crossroads under the heights of Mt. Professor Yoshiji Yamasaki of, Learn how and when to remove this template message. After Hideyoshi's death, Kodain-in (Hideyoshi's chief consort) left Osaka Castle and lived as a castellan in Kyoto. Meanwhile, Ii Naomasa had engaged Shimazu Yoshihiro in his stationary position. Sekigahara (関ヶ原) is a 2017 jidaigeki Japanese film directed by Masato Harada starring Junichi Okada as Ishida Mitsunari. [6] The rain was relevant in that the bulk of both armies were equipped with matchlock rifles (tanegashima), which required dry gunpowder to fire. Both the other tairō and several daimyō were troubled by these moves, as they feared that Ieyasu sought to supplant the young Toyotomi heir. 'Sekigahara': A bold attempt to portray one of Japan's most decisive battles, Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan (2011), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Sekigahara&oldid=997132304, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles needing additional references from October 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing additional references from October 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Tokugawa gains nominal control of all Japan. [31] The 2008 BBC Docudrama television series Heroes and Villains included an episode which featured the battle. 30,000 samurai lost their lives in six hours of fierce fighting on October 21, 1600 when the two great forces clashed on the small plain at Sekigahara. Sekigahara was second only to the Battle of Okinawa in being the largest armed conflict between two opposing armies to take place on Japanese soil. Yodo-dono was present in the maintenance of the Western army, although she did not play a very notable role during the campaign. It still took three years for his shogunate to officially begin, but Sekigahara is often considered the unofficial start. While the Siege of Osaka of 1615 was a massive, violent epilogue with potential to alter the outcome, the Battle of Sekigahara was the key battle towards the end of this period to decide which dynasty would hold such power. Finally, Ieyasu himself set out from his base with 30,000 men, intending for the three groups to reconvene in Mino province. Mitsunari was stationed a short distance away at Ōgaki Castle with his forces. The ground was still muddy from the previous day's rain, so the conflict there devolved into something more primal. After Ieyasu defeated Mitsunari in Sekigahara, Kodain-in received several women from the Western army at her home. In a turn of fate, Yoshitaka committed seppuku before the news reached him. However, after Ieyasu was named shōgun in 1603 by Emperor Go-Yōzei,[24][17] a position that had been left vacant since the fall of the Ashikaga shōgunate 27 years earlier,[6] the battle was perceived as a more important event. Sekigahara was the biggest, bloodiest field battle in samurai history! Katō Kiyomasa and Fukushima Masanori were publicly critical of the bureaucrats, especially Mitsunari and Konishi Yukinaga. One of the most important battles in the history of Japan it marked the end of the power struggle that began with the death of the Warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi who had risen far from his peasant beginning but because of them could not claim the title of Shogun. Tokugawa Ieyasu was unrivaled in terms of seniority, rank, reputation, and overall influence within the regency government, and had the allegiance of much of the lords of eastern Japan. [8] Rumours started to spread stating that Ieyasu, at that point the only surviving contemporary ally of Oda Nobunaga, would take over Hideyoshi's legacy just as Nobunaga's was taken. At 1:30 pm Yoshihiro and his men began to retreat, but not before a volley of arquebus fire struck Naomasa and forced him to stop pursuing them. His forces charged Ōtani's position, which did not end well for Kobayakawa. In doing so, he gained control of many former Toyotomi territories. Having arrived at Sekigahara first, the western army placed a significant portion of its forces west of the village under the command of Ukita Hidei in the center, with Shimazu Yoshihiro to the north and Ōtani Yoshitsugu to the south. Around 8:00 am, wind blew away the fog, and both sides noticed their respective adversary's positions. Earlier, when Hidemoto decided to attack the Tokugawa forces, Hiroie refused to comply, stating he was busy eating and asked to be left alone. However, the final years of Hideyoshi's reign were troubled. He kept the Mōri army at bay, and since Ishida had no more support, he was defeated. Shima Sakon was shot and fatally wounded by a round from an arquebus[18] and Ōtani Yoshitsugu committed suicide. [22], Following the public execution of Ishida Mitsunari, Konishi Yukinaga, and Ankokuji Ekei, the influence and reputation of the Toyotomi clan and its remaining loyalists drastically decreased. At the formal conclusion of the war, Ieyasu stripped profitable lands from those prominent daimyō who opposed him and redistributed them among his allies, among whom were Kobayakawa Hideaki and Kikkawa Hiroie. Kikkawa Hiroie was one of the commanders on the mountain. ", "Sekigahara" redirects here. They had been following the Western Army, and benefited from considerably better weather. Following Tokugawa's victory, his son successfully guaranteed Yoshitaka's safety from Ieyasu. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. [15], Heavily outnumbered, Ōtani had no choice but to retreat. Ieyasu sent 31,000 soldiers southwest down the Tōkaidō road to capture Gifu Castle. Neither side saw each other due to the dense fog caused by the earlier rain. The Battle of Sekigahara: The History and Legacy of the Battle that Unified Japan under the Tokugawa Shogunate chronicles the events that led to one of the most important conflicts in Japanese history. Battle of Sekigahara, (October 21, 1600), in Japanese history, a major conflict fought in central Honshu between vassals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the end of the Sengoku (“Warring States”) period. Fearing a direct attack, some of Mitsunari’s men attempted to raid Ieyasu’s camp on October 20, but neither side inflicted much damage. The battle of Sekigahara in 1600 is the most decisive battle happened in the history of Japan. His right flank was reinforced by daimyō Kobayakawa Hideaki on Mount Matsuo. Battle of Sekigahara. [a] Ishida himself was later executed. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Shimazu refused as daimyō of the day only listened to respected commanders, which Ishida was not. [13], The battle started when Fukushima Masanori, the leader of the Tokugawa advance guard, charged north from the Eastern Army's left flank along the Fuji River against the Western Army's right centre. The site of the Battle of Sekigahara was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1931. Late 16th-century Japan saw the end of the Ashikaga shogunate and the unification of the provinces, a process that began with Oda Nobunaga and was completed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590. [10], Ishida wanted to reinforce Mōri at the impregnable Osaka Castle. Later, a supposed conspiracy to assassinate Ieyasu surfaced, and many Toyotomi loyalists, including Maeda Toshiie's son, Toshinaga, were accused of taking part and forced to submit to Ieyasu's authority. The nation had been unified first under Oda Nobunaga, who was assassinated by a traitorous general, and then by his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The site encompasses the sites of the initial position of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康最初陣地), the final position of Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康最後陣地), the position of Ishida Mitsunari (石田三成陣地), the Okayama beacon (岡山烽火場), the grave of Ōtani Yoshitsugu (大谷吉隆墓), the east kubizuka (東首塚), and the west kubizuka (西首塚)[29]. [13], Ishida held his current defensive position and Ieyasu deployed his own forces. Save 30% off a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. However Hideyoshi died in 1598 leaving a five-year-old son as his heir. To test his loyalty, the daimyō ordered some of his arquebusiers to fire on the Kobayakawa soldiers. To bolster his claim, Hideyoshi married noble women so that his heirs at least would descend from suitably distinguished families.[5][6]. One player assumes the role of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the most powerful daimyo in Japan. Matsuo, and Mt. Afterwards, Ieyasu summoned the help of various supporters and led them northward to attack the Uesugi clan. The Story of the Battle of Sekigahara Among the soldiers forming ranks at the battlefield of Sekigahara as dawn broke on the morning of October 21, 1600, there were few who could doubt that a decisive battle here would mark the end of decades of civil strife and that, at the end of the day, a new shogun with power throughout all Japan would emerge. It featured actors Hisaya Morishige, Gō Katō, and Rentarō Mikuni. This changed with the 2017 film Sekigahara, which covers the rivalry between Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu before leading to the battle itself in the final third of the film. Even though he had agreed to defect to the Tokugawa side, in the actual battle he was hesitant and remained neutral. Since the Tokugawa army departed from Edo, it could only take two roads, both of which converged on Gifu Castle. It is an adaptation of the 1966 novel Sekigahara by Ryōtarō Shiba. Some, like Ukita Hideie, managed to escape, at least initially. With Mitsunari’s coalition shattered, Ieyasu was able to capture Sawayama and Ōsaka castles in a matter of days. Shortly thereafter Ieyasu moved his left flank forward to engage with the Ōtani soldiers and directed nearly 20,000 men from his right flank to directly assault Mitsunari’s position, which was behind a series of fortifications adjacent to the Shimazu clan. This fortress was a halfway point between Osaka and Kyoto and was controlled by the Tokugawa ally Torii Mototada. The Battle of Sekigahara was the turning point in the Japanese Unification Wars (1550–1615). Battle of Sekigahara, (October 21, 1600), in Japanese history, a major conflict fought in central Honshu between vassals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the end of the Sengoku (“Warring States”) period. The Battle of Sekigahara, or the Battle for the Sundered Realm in Japan, is a historical battle in Total War: Shogun 2. At that point Kobayakawa joined the battle as a member of the Eastern Army. On August 22, 1600, Mitsunari and his coalition formally denounced Ieyasu for this action and other transgressions. These tairō were Uesugi Kagekatsu, Mōri Terumoto, Maeda Toshiie, Ukita Hideie, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 was a big battle that decided Tokugawa's soon-to-be position as the shogun of Japan after his victory with the Eastern forces. While rivals in the Hojo clan were defeated at the Siege of Odawara in 1590, failures in the invasions of Korea significantly weakened the Toyotomi clan's power and its support from bureaucrats who served in the government. When Ieyasu officially condemned him and demanded that he come to Kyoto to explain himself, Kagekatsu's chief advisor, Naoe Kanetsugu responded with a counter-condemnation that mocked Ieyasu's abuses and violations of Hideyoshi's rules, and Ieyasu was infuriated.[9]. That this glorious era that he founded may continue for ten thousands upon ten thousands of generations, coeval with heaven and earth."[25]. [12], At the same time, 15,000 Toyotomi troops were being held up by 500 troops under Hosokawa Yūsai at Tanabe Castle in present-day Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture. Kobayakawa Hideaki and his soldiers were positioned on the slopes of Mount Matsuo just south of the Ōtani forces, while Mōri Hidemoto and his vassals waited with Chōsokabe Morichika on Mount Nangū southwest of Ieyasu’s rear guard. To this end, Ishida's forces headed for Gifu Castle in order to use it as a staging area to move on Kyoto, since it was controlled by his ally Oda Hidenobu.[6]. The pivotal Battle of Sekigahara, which signaled the end of the Toyotomi as rulers of Japan and led to the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled the nation for almost 300 years is the subject of the exciting first episode of what was to become NHK's Taiga Drama for the year 2000. Statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Tōshō Shrine in Nikkō, Japan. [23], At the time, the battle was considered only an internal conflict between Toyotomi vassals. Essentially, it is a power struggle for the right to rule the land after Hideyoshi 's death. He and the rest of the residents committed seppuku to avoid capture. Kikkawa Hiroie had also been in communication with eastern generals, having informed them that the Mōri clan would not move during the battle. This would let Ishida control the capital of Kyoto and challenge the Tokugawa. Nobunaga unified much of Japan under his rule after defeating the Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and ending the Ashikaga shogunate; however, he was betrayed by Akechi Mitsuhide and died at the Honnō-ji Incident of 1582. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Just past Ōtani's forces were those of Kobayakawa Hideaki on Mount Matsuo. Shortly before his death in September 1598, Hideyoshi appointed five tairō, or regents, to protect his young son Hideyori and to rule on his behalf until he came of age. Even though the Tokugawa forces numbered some 38,000, an overwhelming advantage over Sanada's mere 2,000, they were still unable to capture the famous strategist's well-defended position. It took him ten days to capture Fushimi, and in that time Gifu Castle had fallen. The cannons from the Liefde, the trading ship that English sailor William Adams came to Japan on, were used by Tokugawa's forces at Sekigahara. The battle did not get a full movie featuring it until 2017, with previous inclusions generally only including a brief snippet in passing, such as the beginning of the 1954 movie Samurai I or the 1991 film Journey of Honor. Musashi would have been around 16 years of age at the time. The film is somewhat notable in being a revisionist reassessment, showing Tokugawa more as an antagonist while Mitsunari is a man of honor and the main protagonist. Subsequently, Ieyasu began to receive hostages, nobles who were involved with the Mitsunari army, such as Maeda Matsu, whose son, Maeda Toshimasa, was involved in the Western army, while her other son, Maeda Toshinaga, was an ally of the Eastern army. The loyalists sought to preserve the Toyotomi legacy and halt Ieyasu’s rise to power. You will learn about the Battle of Sekigahara like never before. They formed what came to be referred to as the Western Army. Before the fateful confrontation in Sekigahara, Ishida Mitsunari claimed Osaka Castle and planned to take hostages from relatives loyal to Toyotomi. Ryōtarō Shiba wrote a three volume historical novel called Sekigahara on it in the 1960s. A depiction of Japan's 17th Century Battle of Sekigahara where the Army of the East takes up arms against the Army of the West. Legend has it that the rōnin Miyamoto Musashi was present at the battle among Ukita Hideie's army and escaped the defeat of Hideie's forces unharmed. When Hideyoshi died in 1598, the new heir Toyotomi Hideyori was only 5 years old, necessitating a regency government. [14], The Western Army disintegrated afterwards with the commanders scattering and fleeing. Ieyasu’s victory on the field laid the groundwork for the Tokugawa shogunate, which presided over Japan until 1868. A bitter fight to the death ensued, and the results would determine the course of Japanese history for the next 250 years. "[26] Musashi is reticent on the matter, writing only that he had "participated in over six battles since my youth".[27]. Tokugawa and his forces defeated Ishida at the battle of Sekigahara on October 21st, 1600 A.D. effectively ending 140 years of war. [14], Ishida's only remaining forces were on Mount Nangu. In October the western armies besieged a few eastern strongholds, but they were unable to progress past Gifu, which had fallen to the Tōkaidō army. The Battle of Sekigahara was a major landmark that determined who would rule the land and is a highlight in Japanese history. [6] Additionally, Hideyoshi ordered the execution of his heir, the regent, as well as the entire family of his heir in 1595. The other becomes Ishida Mitsunari, champion of a warlord's child heir. In games, GMT Games produced the 2011 block wargame Sekigahara: Unification of Japan, which attempts to reflect the patchy loyalties of the armies involved by having randomized cards represent the loyalty of specific armies; players know which of their units are "reliable" but their opponents are not necessarily sure. However, these forces were there for a reason. [20] Some among the 15,000 troops respected Hosokawa so much they intentionally slowed their pace. [17] Tokugawa Ieyasu redistributed the lands and fiefs of the participants, generally rewarding those who assisted him and displacing, punishing, or exiling those who fought against him. When Hideyoshi died, Ieyasu relocated to Fushimi Castle, Hideyoshi’s magnificent palace in Kyōto, and approved several political marriages to cement alliances between his clan and neighbouring ones. Face Hideaki in anticipation of betrayal how and when to remove this template message 1975... 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