INTERACTIVE BATTLE
Battle of Kawagoe
April 1546 · Area around Kawagoe Castle
Hōjō Ujiyasu's relief force defeated the allied Uesugi and Koga Ashikaga army besieging Kawagoe Castle, and Ōgigayatsu Uesugi Tomosada was killed.
Background
After Hojo Ujitsuna took Kawagoe Castle in 1537, Ogigayatsu Uesugi Tomosada allied with the Yamanouchi Uesugi and the Koga kubo to retake it. Kawagoe commanded the Iruma river basin and northern Musashi, and its possession shaped the balance of power in the Kanto. For Ujiyasu the question was whether he could hold the forward position his father had built.
Outcome
The besieging Uesugi and Ashikaga coalition was broken by Ujiyasu's relief force together with the Hojo defenders inside the castle. Ogigayatsu Uesugi Tomosada fell in the fighting and his house was destroyed; the Yamanouchi Uesugi and the Koga kubo also lost ground.
Course of the battle
1 1537
Kawagoe castle passes to the Hojo
Hojo Ujitsuna pressed on from Edo against Uesugi Tomooki, and in 1537 Kawagoe castle passed to the Hojo of Odawara. The Ogigayatsu Uesugi lost their seat, and winning the castle back became the Uesugi aim thereafter.
Sources123·Certainty: Medium
2 Around October 1545
Allied Forces of Yamanouchi Uesugi, Ogigayatsu Uesugi, and Koga Kubo Besiege Kawagoe Castle
3 Until April 1546
Hōjō Ujiyasu Sorties as Relief Force and Takes Position
Against the Hōjō forces, who had been besieged in Kawagoe Castle for over half a year, Hōjō Ujiyasu sortied as a relief force and advanced near the castle to face the allied army.
Sources1256·Certainty: Medium
4 April 20, 1546
Battle of Kawagoe (Night Attack): Hōjō Ujiyasu Defeats the Allied Forces
Hōjō Ujiyasu launched a night attack and defeated the allied forces. Ogigayatsu Uesugi Asahada was killed in action, and Yamanouchi Uesugi Norikiyo and Ashikaga Haruuji retreated in defeat.
Points of debate
Sources differ on the actual details of the night attack—whether it was a surprise assault or involved a stratagem of feigned peace—as well as the troop strengths of both sides, and these details remain unconfirmed.
Sources12356·Certainty: High
5 April 1546
Matsuyama Castle Falls to the Hōjō
With the death of Ogigayatsu Uesugi Asahada, the Ogigayatsu Uesugi branch lost its principal house. Their stronghold of Matsuyama Castle fell into the hands of Hōjō Ujiyasu.
Sources128·Certainty: Medium
Historical significance
It marks the point at which the Hojo displaced the powers that had upheld the old Kanto order and became a central contender in its politics. It did not unify the Kanto: conflicts with the Satomi of Boso, Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo and the Takeda of Kai continued.
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Key figures
後北条氏
2
扇谷上杉氏
1
Head of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi
Sought to retake Kawagoe Castle, was defeated and killed; the Ōgigayatsu-Uesugi clan was destroyed by the defeat.
Sources3·Certainty: High
山内上杉氏
1
Head of the Kanto kanrei house
Joined Tomosada in besieging Kawagoe Castle.
Sources3·Certainty: Medium
古河公方
1
The Koga kubo
Joined the siege in alliance with the Uesugi.
Sources3·Certainty: Medium
Other events of 1546
Notes on the data
The battle is widely known as the "night battle of Kawagoe", but Kawagoe City questions whether it was fought at night at all. Troop numbers differ widely between records, so the stock heroic tale of a small Hojo force defeating a large one by a ruse is not treated as fact. This page uses "Battle of Kawagoe" and notes the popular name alongside it.
Sources consulted
- 川越市「川越市の歴史 中世」
- 川越市「県指定記念物 川越城跡」
- 川越市「川越の歴史年表」
- 川越市「河越夜戦跡」
- 北本市史
- 北本デジタルアーカイブズ「第6章」
- 埼玉県立嵐山史跡の博物館「平成30年度 越山」
- 吉見町「比企城館跡群松山城跡」
- 川越市「川越百景 東明寺、河越夜戦跡と門前」
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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