The , also known as the Komaki Campaign (小牧の役 ''Komaki no Eki''), was a series of battles in 1584 between the forces of Hashiba Hideyoshi (who would become

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

in 1586) and the forces of

Oda Nobukatsu also known as Kitabatake Tomotoyo was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the second son of Oda Nobunaga. He was adopted as the head of the Kitabatake clan from Ise Province. He survived the decline of the Oda clan ...

and

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

. Hideyoshi and Ieyasu had both served

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

and had not previously come into conflict; this would in fact be their only period of enmity. Ieyasu achieved tactical victory in the fighting, but both leaders realized that neither could strategically gain from it. The conflict was resolved when Hideyoshi and Ieyasu agreed to exchange hostages; Ieyasu sent his son ( Ogimaru) to Hideyoshi, who in turn sent his own sister (

Asahi no kata Asahi no kata (朝日の方, 1543 – February 18, 1590) was a Japanese aristocrat of the Sengoku period. She was a half-sister of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and wife of Tokugawa Ieyasu, two of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan. Apart from "Asahi no ...

) and mother (

Ōmandokoro Ōmandokoro (大政所, 1516 – 29 August 1592) or Ōmandokoro Naka was the mother of the Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. She was also the mother of Asahi no kata, Tomo and Toyotomi Hidenaga. Biography Ōmandokoro is said to have been ...

) to Ieyasu.

Background

In 1583, at the

Battle of Shizugatake The took place during the Sengoku period of Japan between Toyotomi Hideyoshi (then Hashiba Hideyoshi) and Shibata Katsuie in Nagahama, Shiga, Shizugatake, Ōmi Province over a period of two days beginning on the 20th day of the fourth month of ...

, Hideyoshi supported Nobukatsu, the second son of

, and defeated

Shibata Katsuie or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He was retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought ...

, who supported Nobunaga's third son, Nobutaka. After winning the battle, Hideyoshi invited Nobukatsu and other generals to his residence at

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. Layout Th ...

, which he had just completed that same year. The meaning of such an invitation was for all the men to pay homage to Hideyoshi, which would reverse the roles between Hideyoshi and Nobukatsu. Therefore, Nobukatsu broke his bonds to Hideyoshi and did not go to Osaka Castle. Hideyoshi offered reconciliation to three of Nobukatsu's chief retainers ( Tsugawa Yoshifuyu,

Okada Shigetaka Okada (written: 岡田 literally "hill rice-paddy") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese painter * Doris Okada Matsui, American politician of the Democratic Party *, Japanese painter in the Edo period *, Japanese ...

and Azai Nagatoki), which led to rumors that they were all in support of Hideyoshi. This in turn led Nobukatsu to become suspicious of the three men, whom he ordered executed on the sixth day of the third month of Tenshō 12 (or 17 March 1584 on the Gregorian calendar) These actions gave Hideyoshi the justification for attacking Nobukatsu and, as a result, Nobukatsu asked

for auxiliary forces. The next day, when Ieyasu sent his forces out to battle, it became a battle between Hideyoshi and Ieyasu.

Battle events

The first of these battles was fought around

Mount Komaki is an mountain located in the city of Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At one point, the mountain was topped with the original Komakiyama Castle, built by Oda Nobunaga. Its base stretches for nearly from east to west, and from north to south, ...

and gave rise to the name "Battle of Komaki". The rest of the battles took place around

Nagakute is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,503 in 24,352 households, and a population density of 2,854 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nagakute is a member of the World Health Organ ...

, giving rise to the modern-day names "Battle of Nagakute" for the conflict. During this conflict,

Honda Tadakatsu , also called Honda Heihachirō (本多平八郎) was a Japanese samurai, general, and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) a ...

entered negotiation with the Akai clan, a samurai clan from

Tanba Province was a province of Japan in the area of central Kyoto and east-central Hyōgo Prefectures. Tanba bordered on Harima, Ōmi, Settsu, Tajima. Tango, Wakasa, and Yamashiro provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichid ...

, which led by Ashida Tokinao, younger brother of

Akai Naomasa was a Japanese samurai leader of the Sengoku period.Ōta, Gyūichi ''et al.'' (2011)''The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga,'' p. 323 n32 He was known for his bravery and skill as a warrior, so his nickname became 'red Oni (demon) of Tamba Province'. N ...

, as Tokinao aspired for the revival of the Akai clan by contributing with Tokugawa clan. Tokinao then raised an army in Tanba to aid Ieyasu.

Battle of Haguro

On Tensho 12, 13th day of the third month (23 April 1584), Ieyasu arrived at

Kiyosu Castle is a Japanese castle located in Kiyosu, western Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is noted for its association with the rise to power of the Sengoku period warlord Oda Nobunaga. The kanji in the name of the castle was written as 清須城. The curren ...

. On that same day, warriors of the

Oda clan The is a Japanese samurai family who were daimyo and an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they reached the peak of their power under Oda Nobunaga and fell soon after, several branches of the ...

's vassals who were led by

Ikeda Tsuneoki , also known as Ikeda Nobuteru (池田信輝), was an Ikeda clan ''daimyō'' and military commander under Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama periods of 16th-century Japan. He was a retainer of the famous warlords Oda No ...

switched to the side of Hideyoshi and took over

Inuyama Castle is a ''yamajiro''-style Japanese castle located in the city of Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The castle overlooks the Kiso River, which serves as the border between Aichi and Gifu Prefectures. The ''tenshu'' of Inuyama Castle, one of only 1 ...

, which had originally been built by

.Highlights of the Region: Aichi Prefecture
Chubu Wide-Area Tourism Promotion Council. Accessed October 23, 2007. Ieyasu was upset upon hearing this news and rushed to Inuyama Castle, arriving two days later. At the same time,

Mori Nagayoshi was a samurai officer under the Oda clan following Japan's 16th-century Sengoku period, and the older brother of the famous Mori Ranmaru. His wife Ikeda Sen, was the daughter of Ikeda Tsuneoki. Nagayoshi was known to have such a bad temper an ...

(brother of

Mori Ranmaru , also known as Mori Naritoshi (森成利), was a samurai retainer to the Oda clan. He was son of Mori Yoshinari, and had 5 brothers in total, from the province of Mino Province, Mino. He was a member of the Mori clan (Genji), Mori Clan, descen ...

, who died at the

Incident at Honnō-ji The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized approach to the command, control, and coordination of emergency response providing a common hierarchy within which responders from multiple agencies can be effective. ICS was initially develope ...

with Nobunaga) began his attempt for the Kiyosu Castle. Despite fierce

arquebus An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. The term ''arquebus'' was applied to many different forms of firearms ...

fire from Mori's men,

Sakai Tadatsugu was one of the most favored and most successful military commanders serving Tokugawa Ieyasu in the late Sengoku period. Serving as the highest-ranking general in the Tokugawa clan along with Ishikawa Kazumasa, Tadatsugu is also regarded as o ...

succeeded at flanking and attacking Mori's in the rear. Mori Nagayoshi fled, having suffered 300 casualties.Turnbull, Stephen (1998). ''The Samurai Sourcebook''. London: Cassell & Co. Three days later, on the 16th day of the third month (26 April), forces called to support Inuyama Castle arrived in Haguro. Ieyasu, however, had already known of these plans and had

and

Sakakibara Yasumasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period through early Edo period, who served the Tokugawa clan. As one of the Tokugawa family's foremost military commanders, he was considered one of its Shitennō (Tokugawa clan), "Four Guardian ...

move 5,000 troops to Haguro that same evening. Early the following morning, Tadatsugu's troops launched a surprise attack on Nagayoshi, whose troops barely escaped after the onslaught. On the 18th day (28 April), without fear of raids from enemies, Ieyasu took over Inuyama Castle and finished the defenses that had first been built up by Hideyoshi.

Mission to Mikawa

Hideyoshi and his troops left his fortifications at Osaka Castle on the 21st day (1 May), arriving at Inuyama Castle on the 27th day (7 May), and in Gakuden (present-day Inuyama) on the 5th day of the fourth month (14 May 1584). Ieyasu, between entering

Komaki Castle is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 148,872 in 68,174 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city was . Komaki is commonly associated with the former Komaki Airport, whic ...

and arriving in Gakuden, stayed away from battle, except for a few smaller skirmishes here and there. Hideyoshi was lulled into complacency by this situation, aided by Tsuneoki, who said to him, "Ieyasu is now in Komakiyama. He is away from his main base in

Okazaki Okazaki may refer to: *Okazaki (surname) *Okazaki, Aichi, a city in Japan *Okazaki Castle, a castle in Japan *Okazaki fragments Okazaki fragments are short sequences of DNA nucleotides (approximately 150 to 200 base pairs long in eukaryotes) w ...

and if we were to move our arms against him, we will certainly win." The ambitious Hideyoshi decided to set out for Mikawa, along with the support of

(who had regained his reputation at the Battle of Haguro),

(who was embarrassed by his daughter's marriage),

Hori Hidemasa , also known as Hori Kyūtarō (堀久太郎), was a samurai retainer of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku period. He was Nobunaga page, and one of Hideyoshi's greatest generals. He commanded Hideyoshi forces in severa ...

and the young Hidetsugu (17 years old at the time). Hidetsugu was able to amass 8,000 men, which were supported by Hori Hidemasa's 3,000 men, Mori Nagayoshi's 3,000 men and Tsuneoki's 6,000 men. On the following day, they all set out for Mikawa.

Battle of Iwasaki Castle

The Battle of Iwasaki was fought between the forces of

and the Iwasaki castle garrison led by

Niwa Ujitsugu The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA (), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental sciences. It also maintai ...

. Though it was just part of overall Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, it played an important role in the outcome. On the 7th day of the fourth month (16 May), Ieyasu learned of Hidetsugu's encampment at Shinogi (modern-day Kasugai) through the information provided by farmers in

Iga Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan located in what is today part of western Mie Prefecture.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Iga" in . Its abbreviated name was . Iga is classified as one of the provinces of the T� ...

. Ieyasu entered into Obata Castle ( Moriyama-ku,

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

) the following day and chose to pitch camp for the evening. Early the next morning, he sent both Ōsuga Yasutaka and

forces to chase after

Toyotomi Hidetsugu was a during the Sengoku period of Japan. He was the nephew and retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the unifier and ruler of Japan from 1590 to 1598. Despite being Hideyoshi's closest adult, male relative, Hidetsugu was accused of atrocities and at ...

's forces, and followed shortly thereafter with his own. Hidetsugu resumed his march on the eight day after hearing of Ieyasu's entrance to Obata Castle, but on the next morning, the situation changed very rapidly.

led the attack on Iwasaki Castle (modern-day Nisshin) and was promptly shot off from his horse. Embarrassed by his fall, Tsuneoki forgot about the

hit-and-run tactics Hit-and-run tactics are a Military tactics, tactical doctrine of using short surprise attacks, withdrawing before the enemy can respond in force, and constantly maneuvering to avoid full engagement with the enemy. The purpose is not to decisive ...

and started a full assault on the castle. Though the defenders fought well, the castle fell. Niwa Ujitsugu, suffered numerous casualties including 300 killed, Ujitsugu's brother Niwa Ujishige being among the dead.

Battle of Hakusanmori

At the time that Ikeda Tsuneoki was attacking Iwasaki Castle, Hidetsugu, Hidemasa and Nagayoshi moved their forces to Hakusanmori (the modern-day cities of

Owariasahi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 81,954 in 35,583 households, and a population density of 3,897 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Owariasahi is located in west-ce ...

) to rest their forces, but Tokugawa forces were closing in on them. Later, Hidetsugu forces were ambushed by Ōsuga Yasutaka and Sakakibara Yasumasa. Hidetsugu's forces were pretty much destroyed by Tokugawa's surprise attack. Hidetsugu himself was knocked from his horse, but was able to get another horse and escape. It was at this battle that many members of the Kinoshita family (including Sukehisa, the father of Hideyoshi's wife, Nene) died.

Battle of Hinokigane

Following the battle of Hakusanmori, the Tokugawa fortified Mount Komaki, creating a stalemate there. Thus,

, one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief commanders, decided to begin raids through neighboring

Mikawa Province was an Provinces of Japan, old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Mikawa''" in . Its abbreviated form name was . Mikawa bordered on Owari Province, O ...

with an army numbering 20,000. Ieyasu expected this and led Tokugawa troops to challenge Hideyoshi's forces.

Mizuno Tadashige was a retainer of the Tokugawa clan following the later years of the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 16th century. Biography Tadashige was the son of Mizuno Tadamasa and the brother of Mizuno Nobumoto. He participated in the Battle of Mikataga ...

led Tokugawa's rear-guard against Ikeda's force and the noise of the battle alerted

, the head of one of Hideyoshi's divisions. Hori Hidemasa led his men to the defense of his comrades, taking up position in the village of Nagakute. He held off the initial Tokugawa attacks, but was forced to withdraw as the main body of the Tokugawa army arrived, numbering some 9,000 warriors.

Battle of Nagakute

, another of Hideyoshi's commanders, waited until Ieyasu moved in to support

Ii Naomasa was a general under the Sengoku period ''daimyō'', and later ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Ieyasu.flank Flank may refer to: * Flank (anatomy), part of the abdomen ** Flank steak, a cut of beef ** Part of the external anatomy of a horse * Flank speed, a nautical term * Flank opening, a chess opening * A term in Australian rules football * The ...

them. At first, Naomasa's troops broke and retreating under the enemy assault, until Ieyasu furiously sent Naomasa's lieutenant, Kimata Morikatsu, to settle gave order to their troops and restore order. In the end, Tokugawa forces charged forward, rather than swinging around, and avoided the flanking maneuver. Mori Nagayoshi was shot off his horse, which demoralized Ikeda's force. Ii Naomasa commanded around three thousand musketeers during this battle. The battle lasted over two hours, as Naomasa units repeatedly foiled attempted charges towards his position by Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi troops with musket rifle barrages, until Nagayoshi was shot and killed in action, causing the entire Tokugawa forces gained the upper hand amid chaos. Tsuneoki also killed by

Nagai Naokatsu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period to early Edo period. He was a retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, first serving under Ieyasu's son Tokugawa Nobuyasu, Nobuyasu. After Nobuyasu's execution, Naokatsu left Tokugawa service, but la ...

's spear and died in battle. The army of Nagayoshi and Tsuneoki were annihilated and it ended in victory for the Tokugawa force. Later, Ieyasu decided to withdraw, unwilling to risk further casualties as Hideyoshi's main army approached, and returned to Komaki.Battle of Nagakute
. SamuraiWiki. Accessed October 23, 2007.

Aftermath

When news of the loss at the Battle of Hakusanmori arrived in the afternoon, the 20,000 troops of Hideyoshi rushed to Ryūsen-ji, near the battle site. Later that evening, when he heard that Ieyasu was staying at Obata Castle, he decided to assault it the next morning; however, during that time, Ieyasu had left Obata Castle, went to Komakiyama Castle and finally returned to Kiyosu Castle. Hideyoshi heard the news of Tsuneoki dead and Ieyasu's departure shortly thereafter, and on the 10th day of the fourth month (19 May), he left Gakuden; he arrived back to

Osaka castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. Layout Th ...

on the 1st day of the fifth month (9 June). On the 16th day of the sixth month (23 July 1584),

Takigawa Kazumasu or Takikawa Sakon was a Japanese samurai lord and daimyo of the Sengoku period. He was a retainer and military commander of Oda Nobunaga, and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, the older b ...

attacked Ieyasu's

Kanie Castle is a town located in Ama District, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 37,082 in 16,647 households, and a population density of 3,344 persons per km2. The total area of the town was . Etymology The origin of t ...

, but was driven back by

Oda Nagamasu was a Japanese daimyō and a brother of Oda Nobunaga who lived from the late Sengoku period through the early Edo period. Also known as or , the Tokyo neighborhood Yūrakuchō is named for him. Nagamasu converted to Christianity in 1588 ...

. As a result, Kazumasu had his responsibilities taken from him and removed from Ieyasu's group. On the 9th day of the ninth month (12 October),

Sassa Narimasa was a Japanese samurai lord of the Sengoku through Azuchi–Momoyama periods. He entered Oda Nobunaga's service at the age of 14 and remained in his service throughout Nobunaga's rise to power. He was a member of the so-called Echizen Sannin ...

, at the behest of Ieyasu, attacked

Suemori Castle is a former Japanese castle located in Nagoya. It was originally outside the city of Nagoya in the countryside of the Owari Province. Lord Oda Nobuhide (1508-1549) built this castle in 1548. The following year, his third son Oda Nobuyuki (d. 15 ...

Noto Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan in the area that is today the northern part of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, including the Noto Peninsula (''Noto-hantō'') which is surrounded by the Sea of Japan. Noto bordered on Etchū Province, E ...

, forcing out its resident; later

Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又左 ...

arrived in the middle of the night, and defeated the Sassa forces. On November 12th, Nobukatsu made peace with Hideyoshi without Ieyasu's permission. Though Ieyasu had gained the advantage in both engagements, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu did make peace with each other in the early part of 1585.

become the peacemakers between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, also between Sassa Narimasa and Maeda Toshiie. In the words of

George Sansom Sir George Bailey Sansom (28 November 1883 – 8 March 1965) was a British diplomat and historian of pre-modern Japan, particularly noted for his historical surveys and his attention to Japanese society and culture. Early life Sansom was bor ...

, "...both men were too sensible to waste strength on a foolish quarrel." It is said that Ieyasu was furious with Nobukatsu for independently making peace with Hideyoshi. In any case, as Ieyasu no longer had a justifiable reason to continue the battle, he sent his son, Ogimaru (later Yuki Hideyasu), as a hostage to Hideyoshi, thus ending the conflict.

National Historic Site

The in the city of

was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1939. The designation includes Mount Mihata (御旗山), Mount Irogane (色金山), and the head mound (首塚) It is about a 3-minute walk from

Nagakute Kosenjō Station is a railway station in city of Nagakute, Aichi, Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, Japan operated by the Linimo, Aichi Rapid Transit Company. Lines Nagakute Kosenjō Station is served by urban maglev Linimo line, and is located 3.4 kilometers from th ...

on the

Linimo , formally the is a magnetic levitation train line in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, near the city of Nagoya. While primarily built to serve the Expo 2005 fair site, the line has since operated to serve the local community. Linimo is owned and opera ...

maglev line.

Names for the battle

During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, the public records of the

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty which produced the Tokugawa shoguns who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868 during the Edo period. It was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of ...

and the

shogunate , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

refer to these battles as Battle of Komaki (小牧陣 ''Komaki no Jin''). However, there are also documents that refer to it as the Battle of Iwasakiguchi (岩崎口の戦い ''Iwasakiguchi no Tatakai''). There are places where the fighting in Nagakute is called the Battle of Nagakute (長久手合戦 ''Nagakute Gassen''), but the two battles have generally been merged into one. Many other names have also been used to describe these battles, some of which separate the two, while the others keep them together. During the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

, the various Japanese words for battles, campaigns, etc., were mostly unified, leading to it sometimes being called the Komaki and Nagakute Campaign (小牧・長久手の役 ''Komaki-Nagakute no Eki''). Through all of this, though, "Battle of Komaki and Nagakute" has come to be the accepted name.

Appendix

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Komaki and Nagakute 1584 Battles of the Sengoku period 1584 in Japan Conflicts in 1584 Historic Sites of Japan Nagakute, Aichi Owari Province Mikawa Province Military history of Aichi Prefecture Attacks on castles in Japan