Kizakihara 1572

Ito Yoshisuke consolidated his gains over Hyuga province with the capture of Obi. Ito then pushed into Osumí, a holding of the Shimazu clan. Shimazu Yoshihiro only had few men with him, but was determined to make a stand. By …

1572-10-02

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Ito Yoshisuke consolidated his gains over Hyuga province with the capture of Obi. Ito then pushed into Osumí, a holding of the Shimazu clan. Shimazu Yoshihiro only had few men with him, but was determined to make a stand. By most accounts, he fielded slightly over 300 men to Yoshisuke's 3000, but the Shimazu were well led, took up a defensive position, and used feigned retreats to stretch out and disorganize the lto as they advanced. By the end of the day, the Shimazu clan still held the field.

Kizaki plain, on the Ōsumi-Hyūga border, Japan

The Battle of Kizaki occurred in June 1572 when the forces of Shimazu Yoshihiro defeated the larger army of Itō Yoshisuke. Following their capture of Obi, the Itō strengthened their position on southern Hyūga and began encroaching on territory belonging to the Shimazu clan. Yoshisuke desired to expand into Ōsumi and with that in mind supported clans antagonizing the Shimazu. Still the Shimazu were able to control Ōsumi and in 1572 offered battle to Yoshisuke in the plain of Kizaki, at the border between the two provinces. The armies at Kizaki had a great disparity in strength, the Shimazu only fielded 300 warriors while the Itō possessed as many as 3000. Outnumbered 10:1, the Shimazu stood in a defensive position and were able to gain victory using their famous feigned retreat. The battle, also known as "The okehazama of the south", due to how devastating Yoshihiro's victory was, seriously damaged the forces of the Ito clan and the Shimazu were left in a position to expand north, into southern Hyūga. Four years later, the Shimazu would conclude the destruction of the Itō when they captured Takabaru, forcing Yoshisake to flee into Ōtomo lands.

Wikipedia: Battle of Kizaki

Ito

Shimazu