Okehazama 1560 - Dengakuhazama Gorge

After his army's success at capturing the Oda border forts of Marune and Washízu, the Imagawa army and its commander Yoshimoto took time to rest and celebrate their victories in a wooded gorge called Dengakuhazama. Nobunga, hearing of this, quickly …

1560-06-15

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After his army's success at capturing the Oda border forts of Marune and Washízu, the Imagawa army and its commander Yoshimoto took time to rest and celebrate their victories in a wooded gorge called Dengakuhazama. Nobunga, hearing of this, quickly set into motion a plan to surprise the enemy's camp. He first set up a dummy army with hundreds of Oda flags on a nearby hilltop, and then led 3000 men around behind the Imagawa camp. A thunderstorm covered his movement and when the storm subsided, the Oda force fell on the camp. Yoshimoto was killed in his Command tent and the Imagawa troops fled in all directions.

Toyoake, Owari Province, Japan

In 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto, a powerful warlord who controlled Suruga, Tōtōmi, and Mikawa Provinces amassed an army of 25,000 men to march on Kyoto to challenge the increasingly weak and ineffective Ashikaga shogunate for control of the country. The army followed the route of the Tōkaidō highway, and crossed from Mikawa into Owari province, which had recently been united by local warlord Oda Nobunaga. The Imagawa forces quickly overran the border fortresses of Washizu, Matsudaira forces led by Matsudaira Motoyasu took Marune fortress, and Yoshimoto set up camp at Dengakuhazama, located in the village of Okehazama, just outside of what is now the city of Nagoya. In opposition, Oda Nobunaga could field only about 2000-3000 men, or roughly one-tenth of the Imagawa army. Although some of his staff recommended withdrawing to the Oda stronghold of Kiyosu Castle, Nobunaga was aware that Kiyosu would not be able to withstand a siege, and instead stated that "only a strong offensive policy could make up for the superior numbers of the enemy", and ordered a counterattack. The geography of the area in which the Imagawa set up their camp was well known to Nobunaga and his scouts, as they had often used the area for war games in the guise of falconry hunts.

Wikipedia: Battle of Okehazama

Imagawa

Oda