[Yamagata Prefecture] 3 selected Sengoku warlords from Yamagata Prefecture! Yoshimitsu Mogami, Kanetsugu Naoe, Mitsuyasu Shimura

During the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, a major battle called the Keicho Dewa Battle took place in Yamagata Prefecture. The battle between the Mogami forces of the eastern army based at Yamagata Castle and the Uesugi forces of Aizu and Yonezawa who sided with the western forces was a fierce battle that will be remembered for generations to come.

What is the other Sekigahara “Keicho Dewa Battle”?

After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, on July 24th, when Tokugawa Ieyasu was heading out to conquer Uesugi Kagekatsu in Aizu, Ishida Mitsunari raised an army at Osaka Castle to overthrow Ieyasu. Ieyasu, who was in Shimotsuke (Tochigi Prefecture), returned to Edo, and the Tohoku generals who had gathered for the Aizu conquest also returned to their castles.

When Ieyasu and Hidetada left Edo for the Tokaido and Nakasendo routes, only the Mogami clan of Yamagata was left behind, and the Uesugi army led by Naoe Kanetsugu attacked Yamagata, resulting in a battle.

Yoshiaki Mogami (1546-1614), “The famous commander who revived the Ushu Tandai family”

The Mogami clan is part of the Seiwa-Genji Ashikaga clan, the Shiba family of Sankanrei, and is a member of the ``Ushu Tandai'' family.

Mogami Yoshimitsu statue
Statue of Mogami Yoshimitsu (Yamagata Castle Ruins)

Yoshimitsu was a famous general who excelled in literature and military affairs, and steadily expanded the territory of the Mogami clan, which had been dominated by the Date clan. He became a feudal lord with a wealth of 570,000 koku (exchanged with the inland area of ​​the prefecture).

Furthermore, Yoshimitsu's younger sister, Yoshihime, married Terumune Date and gave birth to Masamune, making Yoshimitsu Masamune's uncle.

father of the tragic bride

Yoshimitsu marries his daughter Komahime as a concubine to Kanpaku Hidetsugu Toyotomi, but it is said that it was an unwanted marriage. Hidetsugu was executed just before the 15-year-old Komahime arrived in Kamigata, and Komahime, who had unfortunately arrived, was also executed even though he had not yet received her.

As a result of this, Yoshimitsu was suspected of having had a relationship with Hidetsugu and was suspended, and the members of the Mogami family held a grudge against Toyotomi, and from then on they devoted themselves to Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Tensions rise over Kagekatsu Uesugi's transfer to Aizu

In 1598, Uesugi Kagekatsu, who had been fighting in the Shonai region, was transferred from Echigo to Aizu, and as the area bordered the area, a conflict with the Mogami family was only a matter of time.

Eventually, Kanetsugu Naoe sent Ieyasu, who was suspicious of the Uesugi family's military build-up, a ``Naoe Letter'' declaring war, and the conquest of Aizu was held, and Yoshiaki was ordered to invade Aizu from the Yonezawa exit as the commander-in-chief of the Tohoku forces.

However, the conquest of Aizu was canceled due to Ishida Mitsunari's raising of an army, and Ieyasu ordered his second son Hideyasu Yuki, Masamune Date, and Yoshimitsu to monitor Uesugi and headed for Osaka. The Ou generals who had gathered in the Mogami territory withdrew, and Date Masamune made peace with Uesugi, leaving the 7,000 Mogami forces isolated and facing the Uesugi forces of over 20,000.

The Battle of Hasedo Castle and the Yamagata Domain Afterward

While Mitsuyasu Shimura of Hasedo Castle withstood the onslaught of Uesugi's large army led by Kanetsugu Naoe, news of the Western army's defeat was reported at Sekigahara and the Uesugi forces retreated, but Kanetsugu waged a spectacular retreat. , Yoshimitsu went on the offensive and missed Kanetsugu.

View of the city of Yamagata from the Hasedo Castle ruins
View of the city of Yamagata from the Hasedo Castle ruins

After that, Yoshimitsu attacked Shonai, recaptured it, was recognized as the territory, and became the first lord of the Dewa Yamagata domain, which was worth 570,000 koku. However, when Yoshimitsu died, a dispute arose over the succession, and as a result, the Yamagata domain was reorganized. Masu.

INFORMATION

GOOGLE MAP

“One of the most famous military strategists in the Sengoku period” Naoe Kanetsugu (1568-1646)

Kanetsugu, known for his helmet with the symbol ``love'' on the placket, was recognized for his talent by Kenshin, and there are letters that show that he was a vassal of Kagekatsu even before he was adopted by the Naoe family. He supported his lord Kagekatsu, taking charge of the Uesugi family's domestic affairs, diplomacy, and military affairs.

Master and servant statues of Kagekatsu Uesugi and Kanetsugu Naoe
Master and servant statues of Kagekatsu Uesugi and Kanetsugu Naoe

He was originally a military commander in Echigo, but when Kagekatsu was transferred to Aizu, he was given Yonezawa by Hideyoshi as a vassal, and after Sekigahara, after the Uesugi family was reduced to Yonezawa, he raised the stone height and expanded the town. Because he laid the foundations for the Yonezawa domain by improving the area, promoting industry, and promoting the development of mines, he was designated as a warlord of Yamagata Prefecture.

Attack on Hasedo Castle and retreat

In the Keicho Dewa Battle, after Ieyasu went to Osaka, he received 18,000 soldiers from Kagekatsu, and the generals of the Eastern Army returned home to attack the isolated Mogami forces. While he was unsuccessfully attacking Hasedo Castle, the last stronghold of Yamagata Castle, he received news of the Western army's defeat at Sekigahara and decided to retreat towards Yonezawa.

Eventually, the 3,000-strong Rusei Masakage troop dispatched by Date Masamune arrived and Yoshimitsu Mogami also set out from Yamagata Castle, so they began a retreat toward Yonezawa, but although they were relentlessly pursued, they successfully completed the retreat, and Yoshimitsu Mogami witnessed the retreat. It is said that he was highly praised.

INFORMATION

GOOGLE MAP

"Facing an enemy 18 times as powerful" by Mitsuyasu Shimura (year of birth unknown - 1609 or 1611)

Lastly, I would like to introduce Mitsuyasu Shimura, a vassal of the Mogami clan who achieved great military success in the Keicho Dewa Battle.

It is said that he was born in Shimura, Urushiyama District, Dewa Province, as the son of Mitsukiyo Shimura, a vassal of the Mogami family, but the truth is unknown.

He is popular among SLG "Nobunaga's Ambition" fans as a talented military commander, but he is said to have been the most eloquent and intelligent commander in the Mogami family, and was dispatched as a messenger to Oda Nobunaga, his lord Mogami. There is also an anecdote that he allowed Yoshimitsu to be appointed Dewa no kami.

Hasedo Castle Ruins
Hasedo Castle Ruins

At the Keicho Dewa Battle, he holed up in Hasedo Castle with 1,000 soldiers and defended the castle from 18,000 Uesugi forces led by Kanetsugu Naoe, proving to the world that he was a military commander with outstanding military valor.

INFORMATION

  • Name: Hasedo Castle Ruins
  • Address: Hasedo, Yamagata, Yamagata Prefecture, 990-2363
  • Official URL: -

GOOGLE MAP

summary

In addition, Yamagata Prefecture is home to many other outstanding Sengoku warlords. The Date clan also has a connection, and Date Masamune was born in Yonezawa. In addition to Mitsuyasu Shimura, the Mogami family's vassals included military commanders who excelled in bravery and strategy, such as Hidetsuna Sakenobu.

Links to articles about famous military commanders from other prefectures

List of related articles