Second Battle of Azukizaka 1548

In 1548 Oda Nobuhide led an army into Mikawa, his objective being the Matsudaira's capital city of Okazaki. Matudaíra's young lord, Hirotada, turned to Imagawa for assistance and agreed to provide his only son as a hostage in return for …

1548-06-01

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In 1548 Oda Nobuhide led an army into Mikawa, his objective being the Matsudaira's capital city of Okazaki. Matudaíra's young lord, Hirotada, turned to Imagawa for assistance and agreed to provide his only son as a hostage in return for help, but the child was abducted by the Oda in route. Imagawa Yashimoto still fulfilled the bargain and called on his uncle, monk-general Taigen Sessai, to march out to meet Nobuhide. Sessai set up an ambush of sorts and although the fighting was desperate, Nobuhide was defeated and thus avenged the earlier loss at the same site some six years previously.

Azukizaka, Mikawa Province, Japan

The second battle of Azukizaka, took place in 1548 between the Oda and Imagawa clans . The Imagawa clan , led by Imagawa Yoshimoto at the time , was gradually extending its influence eastward from the Suruga province . Following a previous war with the Shiba family , the province of Tōtōmi firmly in the hands of the Imagawa, making the neighboring province of Mikawa a place of great contention. East of Mikawa was Owari province and the domain of the Oda clan . Oda Nobuhide was a staunch opponent of Imagawa and equally interested in increasing his own influence in Mikawa. Mikawa province was the home of the Matsudaira familywho found herself squeezed between two powerful clans. In 1548 the Matsudaira were vassals of the Imagawa and were about to join forces in the west of the province. At that moment a samurai named Toda Yasumitsu betrayed the Matsudaira and declared his support for the Oda clan. While the Yasumitsu rebellion was quelled, Nobuhide still led an army of about 4,000 men to Mikawa and his target was Okazaki , the capital of the Matsudaira. The young lord of Matsudaira, Hirotada , sought help from the Imagawa to receive assistance by agreeing to provide his only son as a hostage in exchange for help. The child (the future Tokugawa Ieyasu ) was sent east, but was intercepted and taken away by Toda Yasumitsu . Hirotada's son ended up hostage to the Oda, but although Nobuhide hoped this would convince Hirotada to change his alliance, he was soon disappointed. Hirotada did not yield to the blackmail of the Oda and remained firmly allied with the Imagawa. Meanwhile, Yoshimoto sent his talented uncle, the monk general Sessai Chōrō , with an army to confront the Oda at Mikawa. Nobuhide himself led an army from Anjō (a Mikawa castle conquered from the Matsudaira) and ran directly to meet Sessai's army. Sessai chose the terrain well and managed to surprise Nobuhide. The fighting was fierce but Nobuhide was eventually defeated and what was left of his army returned to Owari. Sessai then avenged the defeat six years earlier in the first battle of Azukizaka (1542).

Wikipedia: Battle of Azukizaka (1548)

Imagawa

Oda