Lion Rampant – Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima, September 1561.

Background

The Battles of Kawanakajima were a series of battles fought in the Sengoku period of Japan between Takeda Shingen of Kai Province and Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo Province from 1553 to 1564. Shingen and Kenshin contested each other for control of the plain of Kawanakajima between the Sai River and Chikuma River in northern Shinano Province, located in the present-day city of Nagano. The battles were triggered after Shingen conquered Shinano, expelling Ogasawara Nagatoki and Murakami Yoshikiyo, who subsequently turned to Kenshin for help.

Five major battles of Kawanakajima occurred: Fuse in 1553, Saigawa in 1555, Uenohara in 1557, Hachimanbara in 1561, and Shiozaki in 1564. The most famous and severe battle was fought on 18 October 1561 in the heart of the Kawanakajima plain, thus being known the Battle of Kawanakajima. The battles were ultimately inconclusive and neither Shingen nor Kenshin established their control over the plain of Kawanakajima.

The Battles of Kawanakajima became one of “the most cherished tales in Japanese military history”, the epitome of Japanese chivalry and romance, mentioned in epic literature, paintings, woodblock prints, and movies.

The battles were part of the 16th-century Sengoku period, also known as the “Warring States Period”, and were little different from other conflicts. After the Ōnin War (1467–77), the Muromachi shōgun‘s system and taxation had increasingly less control outside the province of the capital in Kyoto, and powerful lords (daimyōs) began to assert themselves. Such lords gained power by usurpation, warfare or marriage—any means that would safeguard their position. It was manifested in yamajiro (“mountain castles”), which overlooked the provinces.

The fourth battle of Kawanakajima resulted in greater casualties for both sides, as a percentage of total forces, than any other battle in the Sengoku period and is, according to Turnbull, one of the most tactically interesting battles of the period.

After besieging Hōjō Ujiyasu’s Odawara castle, Uesugi Kenshin was forced to withdraw after hearing rumors about the movement of Takeda Shingen’s army. In September 1561 Kenshin left his Kasugayama Castle with 13,000 warriors, determined to destroy Shingen. He left some of his forces at Zenkō-ji but took up a position on Saijoyama, a mountain to the west of, and looking down upon, Shingen’s Kaizu castle.

To Kenshin’s ignorance, the Kaizu castle contained no more than 150 samurai and their followers and he had taken them completely by surprise. However, the general in command of the castle, Kosaka Masanobu, through a system of signal fires, informed his lord, in Tsutsujigasaki fortress, 130 km away in Kōfu, of Kenshin’s move.

Shingen left Kōfu with 16,000 men, acquiring 4,000 more as he traveled through Shinano Province, approaching Kawanakajima on the west bank of the Chikumagawa (Chikuma River), keeping the river between him and Saijoyama. “Neither army made a move”, knowing that victory would require the essential element of surprise. Shingen was thus allowed into his fortress at Kaizu along with his gun-bugyō (army commissioner), Yamamoto Kansuke. At that time Kansuke formed a strategy that he believed would prove effective against Kenshin.

Kōsaka Masanobu left Kaizu with 8,000 men, advancing up Saijoyama under cover of night, intending to drive Kenshin’s army down to the plain where Takeda Shingen would be waiting with another 8,000 men in kakuyoku (“crane’s wing”), formation. However, whether via spies in Kaizu or scouts looking down from Saijoyama, Kenshin guessed Shingen’s intentions and led his own men down to the plain. Kenshin descended from Saijoyama by its western flanks. Instead of fleeing Kosaka’s dawn attack, Uesugi Kenshin’s army crept down the mountain, quietly using bits of cloth to deaden the noise of their horses’ hooves. With the beginning of dawn, Shingen’s men were surprised to find Kenshin’s army ready to charge at them—as opposed to fleeing from the mountain, as expected.

Uesugi’s forces attacked in waves, in a kuruma gakari formation, in which every unit is replaced by another as it becomes weary or destroyed. Leading the Uesugi vanguard were two of Uesugi’s “Twenty-Eight Generals”, Kakizaki Kageie and Irobe Katsunaga. Kakizaki’s unit of mounted samurai clashed with Takeda Nobushige’s unit, resulting in the death of Nobushige, younger brother of Shingen. While the kakuyoku formation held surprisingly well, the Takeda commanders eventually fell, one by one. Seeing that his pincer plan had failed, Yamamoto Kansuke charged into the enemy ranks, being killed in action with his two chief retainers, Osaragi Shōzaemon and Isahaya Sagorō.

Eventually the Uesugi forces reached the Takeda command post, and one of the most famous single combats in Japanese history ensued. Uesugi Kenshin himself burst into the headquarters, attacking Takeda Shingen who, unprepared for such an event, parried with his signalling fan as best as he could, and held Kenshin off long enough for one of his retainers, Hara Osumi-no-Kami, to spear Kenshin’s mount and drive him off.

The Takeda main body held firm, despite fierce rotating attacks by the Uesugi. Obu Saburohei fought back against Kakizaki’s samurai. Anayama Nobutada destroyed Shibata Harunaga of Echigo, and forced the Uesugi main force back to the Chikumigawa.

Meanwhile, Kosaka’s stealth force reached the top of Saijoyama and, finding the Uesugi position deserted, hurried down the mountain to the fort, taking the same path they had expected the fleeing Uesugi to take. After desperate fighting, they punched their way through the 3000 Uesugi warriors defending the fort (under the command of Uesugi general Amakasu Kagemochi), and pressed on to aid Takeda’s main force. The Kosaka force then attacked the retreating Uesugi from the rear.

Takeda Shingen’s many great generals, including his younger brother Takeda Nobushige and Murozumi Masakiyo, were killed in the field.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Kawanakajima

The Game

We have started on a bit of a Lio Rampant run lately. One of my buddies came across a Samurai variant on the messages boards and wanted to try out his 28m Japanese armies on the tabletop. He chose the fourth battle of Kawanakajima, as it was a straight forward set up.

The table was a mostly open field with a river running along the back edge. There were a couple of hills and wooded areas sprinkled around.

The scenario was to have the Shingen camp in the middle, with those forces covering to each side, in front of the river. The Kenshin forces would be set up on the opposite table edge.

Each force contained four battle groups, under the different retainers for each. The forces were intermixed and contained samurai mounted and foot commands, with Ashigaru in support. The Ashigaru units included spearmen, archer and arquebus units.

The winner would be the side that broke the other sides army. In addition, if Shingen was eliminated in a challenge, Kenshin would get five points. The variant had its own challenge rules. Once within twelve inches, a player could declare the challenge and the leaders would roll off against each other rolling D6 (three for the general, two for the retainers). The fight would last up to three rounds. If a six was rolled on any of the dice, that would be a kill.

We lined up all the troops and got into it. The Shingen plan was to stretch out the Kenshin forces and work around the flanks, keeping the center clear. The Kenshin plan was to stretch out the Shengin force and then collapse on the center.

Both sides moved forward activating their plans. As the early moves were the same strategy, the fight stretched out across the tabletop. Kenshin’s center closed to try to get the challenge off. Unfortunately, the firepower was too great and the losses started to pile up. With their shooting advantage in the center, Shingen’s forces caused disproportionate casualties and even managed to take out Kenshin!

The flanks were a tale of two plans coming together. On the Shogun left, they were able to turn the flank, as planned. This pinned the Kenshin right on the flank and gradually lead to it being ground down and not being able to help with the center.

On the Shingen right, the flank action looked to be working, but the Kenshin forces were able to lock up the flanking forces and attack towards the center. With the Kenshin flank attack, they were able to get in range and try a last gamble challenge of Shingen. It was three dice for Shingen, vs two for the retainer. First roll for each, no sixes… Second roll for each, no sixes! The final roll! Shingen got the six, the retainer did not! The battle was over and Shogun had carries the day!

It turned out the be a wild battle with the challenge at the end needed to finish the fight. Everyone had a good time and thought the rules made for a fun game!

• Manteuffel