Siege of Musashi-Matsuyama (1563)
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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 more.
Musashi-Matsuyama, situated in Japan's Musashi province
(today Saitama prefecture
), is so called simply to distinguish it from the other locations known as Matsuyama Castle
throughout Japan. Retaken by the Uesugi, who held it originally before the Hōjō siege twenty-six years earlier, it came under siege from the Hōjō and Takeda very soon after it was regained. The besieging army, under the command of Takeda Shingen
and Hōjō Ujiyasu
, employed a team of miners to dig under the castle's defenses, allowing the greater portion of their force easier access to their target.
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...
army to regain Musashi-Matsuyama castle from 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 ....
; the Hōjō had seized the castle from the Uesugi in 1537
Siege of Musashi-Matsuyama (1537)
The 1537 siege of Musashi-Matsuyama was the first of several sieges of Matsuyama castle in Japan's Musashi province over the course of the Sengoku period...
, but lost it in 1563, and so sought to regain control of it once more.
Musashi-Matsuyama, situated 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...
(today Saitama prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
), is so called simply to distinguish it from the other locations known as Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama Castle is the name of several castles in Japan:* Matsuyama Castle is a castle in Takahashi, Okayama .* Matsuyama Castle is a castle in Matsuyama, Ehime ....
throughout Japan. Retaken by the Uesugi, who held it originally before the Hōjō siege twenty-six years earlier, it came under siege from the Hōjō and Takeda very soon after it was regained. The besieging army, under the command of Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
and Hōjō Ujiyasu
Hojo Ujiyasu
was the son of Hōjō Ujitsuna and a daimyō of the Odawara Hōjō clan.Upon his father's death in 1541, a number of the Hōjō's enemies sought to take advantage of the opportunity to seize major Hōjō strongholds...
, employed a team of miners to dig under the castle's defenses, allowing the greater portion of their force easier access to their target.