The 1537 siege of Musashi-Matsuyama was the first of several sieges of Matsuyama castle in Japan's Musashi province

Musashi Province

was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...

 over the course of the Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

 (1467-1603). The Uesugi clan

Uesugi clan

The was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from the Fujiwara clan and particularly notable for their power in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods ....

 controlled the castle in 1537, but lost it to the Hōjō clan

Late Hojo clan

The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...

 in this siege; they would regain it, and lose it once more in 1563

Siege of Musashi-Matsuyama (1563)

In Japanese history, the 1563 siege of Musashi-Matsuyama was a successful attempt by a combined Takeda clan-Hōjō clan army to regain Musashi-Matsuyama castle from the Uesugi clan; the Hōjō had seized the castle from the Uesugi in 1537, but lost it in 1563, and so sought to regain control of it once...

.

It may be interesting to note that the Uesugi sent for help during this siege by hiding a message inside a dog's collar; the tactic was ultimately unsuccessful.