Siege of Otate

Summary

The 1578 siege of Otate (御館の乱, Otate no ran) took place following the sudden death of Uesugi Kenshin.[1] Kenshin had requested that the inheritance be split between his nephew, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and his adopted son Uesugi Kagetora. This conflict happened because of neither heirs being born with the Uesugi name. Kagekatsu was the biological son of Nagao Masakage and Kagetora was biological son of Hojo Ujiyasu.

Siege of Otate
Part of the Sengoku period
DateApril 23, 1578
Location
Result Siege successful; Uesugi Kagekatsu victorious
Belligerents
forces of Uesugi Kagetora forces of Uesugi Kagekatsu
Commanders and leaders
Uesugi Kagetora
Uesugi Kagenobu
Uesugi Norimasa
Kitajō Takahiro
Uesugi Kagekatsu
Naoe Kanetsugu
Honjō Shigenaga
Saitō Tomonobu

Before the situation could escalate into an armed conflict, Takeda Katsuyori acted as the mediator between those two. Therefore, eventually the Uesugi was divided for a military conflict. The Takeda supported Kagekatsu and the Hojo supported Kagetora.

Thus, on April 23, 1578— the 17th day of the 3rd month of Tensho 6 on the Japanese lunar calendar— Uesugi Kagekatsu led a force from his castle at Kasugayama to besiege Otate castle . Kagetora tried to return to Odawara but committed seppuku in Samegao Castle,[2] and Kagekatsu claimed the full inheritance.[1][3]

Uesugi retainers who supported Kagekatsu edit

  • Irobe Nagazane
  • Shibata Naganori
  • Shibata Shigeie
  • Suibara Chikanori
  • Takenomata Yoshitsuna

Uesugi retainers who supported Kagetora edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "百科事典マイペディア「御館の乱」の解説". kotobank. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  2. ^ "国指定史跡ガイド「鮫ヶ尾城跡」の解説". kotobank. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  3. ^ Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & Co. p. 230. ISBN 9781854095237.