The Siege of Sawayama was a battle 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...

 in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The daimyo

Daimyo

is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...

Rokkaku Yoshikata

Rokkaku Yoshikata

was a samurai head of the Rokkaku clan during Japan's Sengoku period. He was shugo and later daimyō of an area of southern Ōmi province, he served as castellan of Kannonji Castle...

 besieged the treacherous prince Dōdō

Dōdō

Dōdō Kuranosuke was a retainer of the Rokkaku clan until 1558, when he launched a rebellion.The retainer betrayed Rokkaku Yoshikata, and then fled to the safety of Sawayama Castle in present-day Shiga Prefecture, Honshu...

 at his stronghold in Sawayama Castle

Sawayama Castle

is a castle in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. This castle was an important military stronghold of Ōmi Province. The Azai clan held this castle in the Sengoku Period. Ishida Mitsunari held it at the end of the 16th century after the ruin of the Azai clan.This castle was attacked by...

. An Iga

IGA

Iga or IGA may stand for:-Given name:* a female given name of Polish origin. The name originates from the female given name Jadwiga and stands for gia,or gina in the USA....

 ninja named Tateoka Doshun

Tateoka Doshun

Tateoka Doshun was an intermediate-ranking Iga ninja during the Sengoku Period. He is also known as Igasaki Doshun or Igasaki Dojun....

 was employed to infiltrate the castle after several attacks on the castle failed. Doshun razed the castle to the ground after sneaking in.

Battle

The Rokkaku clan

Rokkaku clan

The was a Japanese samurai clan which wielded considerable power in the Muromachi period under the Ashikaga shogunate.-Rise and Fall:Founded by Sasaki Yasutsuna of Ōmi province in the 13th century, the name Rokkaku was taken from their residence within Kyoto; however, many members of this family...

 of Omi Province

Omi Province

is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...

 was an enemy of the Ashikaga Shogunate

Ashikaga shogunate

The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...

, Rokkaku Takayori fighting against shogun

Shogun

A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...

 Ashikaga Yoshihisa

Ashikaga Yoshihisa

was the 9th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1473 to 1489 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshihisa was the son of the eighth shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa....

 in 1487. In 1558, his grandson Rokkaku Yoshikata

Rokkaku Yoshikata

was a samurai head of the Rokkaku clan during Japan's Sengoku period. He was shugo and later daimyō of an area of southern Ōmi province, he served as castellan of Kannonji Castle...

 began a campaign against prince Dōdō

Dōdō

Dōdō Kuranosuke was a retainer of the Rokkaku clan until 1558, when he launched a rebellion.The retainer betrayed Rokkaku Yoshikata, and then fled to the safety of Sawayama Castle in present-day Shiga Prefecture, Honshu...

 in Shiga Prefecture

Shiga Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...

. Yoshikata besieged him in Sawayama Castle, his major base. Despite launching several attacks against him, the treacherous retainer did not retreat. Yoshikata hired ninja Tateoka Doshun

Tateoka Doshun

Tateoka Doshun was an intermediate-ranking Iga ninja during the Sengoku Period. He is also known as Igasaki Doshun or Igasaki Dojun....

 to carry out the mission to sabotage Sawayama. Tateoka had 48 ninjas of Iga

IGA

Iga or IGA may stand for:-Given name:* a female given name of Polish origin. The name originates from the female given name Jadwiga and stands for gia,or gina in the USA....

 and Koga

Koga

-People:* Koga is a Japanese kuge family name* Harue Koga was a Japanese painter active in the Taishō period* Hiroyasu Koga, Yukio Mishima's kaishakunin* Masao Koga, was a Japanese composer, guitarist and pop musician...

, known to be the hub of the ninja bases.

Doshun constructed paper lanters carrying the mon of Dōdō

Dōdō

Dōdō Kuranosuke was a retainer of the Rokkaku clan until 1558, when he launched a rebellion.The retainer betrayed Rokkaku Yoshikata, and then fled to the safety of Sawayama Castle in present-day Shiga Prefecture, Honshu...

's family, gaining entrance through the front door as if they were of the same clan. Once out of sight, the ninjas decimated the garrison by launching a fire attack. Every attempt to put out the flames failed, and the defenses were breached. Yoshikata pressed the advantage by launching an assault on the much-weakened castle, taking it the first try.

Aftermath

Following his victorious attack on Sawayama, Yoshikata came into conflict with the forces of Kizawa Nagamasa

Kizawa Nagamasa

Kizawa Nagamasa was a daimyo of the Sengoku Period in Japan.Nagamasa built Shigisan Castle for the Hatakeyama clan in 1536, an accomplishment that earned him the title of shugo of Yamato Province. In 1561 he expanded into Shiga Prefecture when he defeated the Rokkaku clan at the Battle of Maibara...

 in 1561. The Battle of Maibara

Battle of Maibara

The Battle of Maibara was an engagement during the Sengoku Period of Japan. Kizawa Nagamasa defeated the forces of Rokkaku Yoshikata using ninja to launch fire attacks and sneaky assaults.- Battle :...

 was a victory for Nagamasa, who reconquered the castle. More battles by ninja

Ninja

A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...

 during the Sengoku Era followed, like the Battle of Udono between the Oda clan

Oda clan

The was a family of Japanese daimyo who were to become an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the spotlight soon after, several branches of the family would continue on as daimyo...

 and the Imagawa clan

Imagawa clan

The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa . It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan.-Origins:Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa and took its name.Imagawa Norikuni received from his cousin the...

.