Siege of Tanabe

The siege of Tanabe in 1600 was one of a number of battles which took place in parallel to the more influential Sekigahara Campaign, which led to the unification of Japan under Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Siege of Tanabe
Part of the Sengoku period
Date 1600 Location Tanabe Castle, Tango Province, Japan 35°26′44.81″N 135°19′51.53″E Result inconclusive
Belligerents
Eastern army; Hosokawa clan garrison	Western army; Ikoma Chikamasa forces
Commanders and leaders
Hosokawa Fujitaka Numata Jakō	Onoki Shigekatsu
Strength
500	15,000
Location within Kyoto Prefecture Show map of Kyoto Prefecture Siege of Tanabe (Japan) Show map of Japan

History

The command of Tanabe Castle was held by Hosokawa Tadaoki. However, Tadaoki accompanied Ieyasu to Sekigahara, as part of the Tokugawa vanguard. Tadaoki's father Hosokawa Fujitaka and his mother Numata Jakō defended the castle walls against Ikoma Chikamasa's western forces under Onoki Shigekatsu. It is believed that, due to the respect they held for Hosokawa, the besieging army was somewhat slower and less effective than they might have been otherwise, and in the end the battle served to tie up these Western Army (anti-Tokugawa) contingents, preventing them from participating in the battle at Sekigahara.

References

• Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co. p252.
• Bryant, Anthony J (1995). 'Sekigahara 1600 - The final struggle for power', London: Osprey Publishing.