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INTERACTIVE BATTLE

Siege of Fushimi Castle

26 August 1600 · Fushimi Castle

After Tokugawa Ieyasu marched toward Aizu, the Western Army surrounded Fushimi Castle, defended by Torii Mototada and his garrison.

Background

Fushimi Castle had been Hideyoshi's political seat in his final years. After his death, Tokugawa Ieyasu entered as chief regent. When Ieyasu departed for Aizu to mount a military campaign against Uesugi Kagekatsu, Torii Mototada and others held the castle in his absence.

Outcome

The Western Army commanders surrounded and assaulted Fushimi Castle. After a desperate defense, Torii Mototada and the garrison fell in battle, and the castle was captured and burned.

Siege of Fushimi Castle — Fushimi Castle

Course of the battle

1　July 1600

The Western Army surrounds Fushimi Castle

After Tokugawa Ieyasu marched toward Aizu, the Western Army surrounded Fushimi Castle, defended by Torii Mototada. The castle controlled important Kinai routes and a major political center of the Toyotomi government.

Sources1234·Certainty: High

2　1 August 1600

Fushimi Castle falls and burns

Fushimi Castle fell and burned under assault, and commander Torii Mototada and members of the garrison were killed. Later alterations make precise mapping of combat locations uncertain.

Points of debate

Individual combat locations cannot be fixed precisely on the modern terrain.

Sources1234·Certainty: High

Historical significance

This siege was an independent action preceding the main battle of Sekigahara, and is positioned as the first major siege operation of the Sekigahara campaign. Taken together with actions elsewhere such as Gifu, Ōtsu, and Tanabe, Sekigahara itself represents the culmination of these regional conflicts.

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Key figures

徳川方

1

鳥居元忠

Garrison commander of Fushimi Castle

Died in battle after the Western army besieged and assaulted the castle, which fell and burned.

Sources12·Certainty: High

Other events of 1600

Month 8　丹後国田辺城の戦い始まる9/2　下野国小山評定9/8　山城国伏見城落城9/15　美濃国本多忠勝、関ヶ原で軍監を務める9/15　美濃国島津の退き口9/30　美濃国岐阜城落城Month 10　信濃国第二次上田合戦Month 10　出羽国慶長出羽合戦（長谷堂城の戦い）Month 10　美濃国藤堂高虎が関ヶ原で東軍に属し今治を領す10/13　近江国大津城の戦い始まる10/19　豊後国石垣原の戦い10/20　美濃国杭瀬川の戦い10/21　美濃国関ヶ原の戦い10/21　近江国大津城開城10/27　近江国石田三成が捕らえられる11/6　山城国石田三成らが六条河原で処刑される紀伊国桑山氏が東軍に属し紀伊から退去陸奥国伊達政宗が白石城を奪還

Sources consulted

  1. 京都市「伏見城跡 発掘調査報告書」
  2. 京都市「都市史20 伏見城」
  3. 京都市「伏見区の歴史：安土桃山時代 秀吉が開いた城下町」
  4. 京都市文化財保護課「伏見城跡・指月城跡 現地説明会資料」

The numbers in the text refer to the list above. Certainty indicates how far a statement is supported by the cited sources; it does not refer to the precision of the coordinates or the dating.

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