Reasons Why Tokugawa Ieyasu Forcibly Assaulted Takatenjin Castle

introduction

In the Warring States period, attacking a castle required meticulous preparation. Forcing an assault without adequate preparation risked unnecessary casualties on one’s side. For this reason, a “forcible assault” was rarely chosen. However, circumstances, such as potential reinforcements for the castle or concerns over the besieging army’s food supplies, sometimes necessitated aggressive short-term strategies, leading to a “forcible assault”. This article presents one such instance where political motivations drove the unifier of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu, to forcibly assault Takatenjin Castle.

The “forcible assault” was executed with an eye on post-capture reputation of Takeda Katsuyori

In Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”, attacking a castle is described as the least favorable strategy. Preliminary preparations, such as arranging siege weapons and constructing watchtowers, would take at least three months. If troops acted impulsively during this time, they might incur significant damage. From this perspective, a “forcible assault” that relies solely on overwhelming troop strength is considered a less than ideal tactic. Indeed, a prolonged siege, allowing time for covert operations and preparation, would ideally make the enemy lose their will to fight, leading to their surrender, which would be the best.

However, if there’s anticipation of reinforcements for the castle or concerns about the army’s provisions, a “forcible assault” becomes an inevitable option. In some cases, political motivations also dictate such aggressive actions.

One notable example is the “Second Siege of Takatenjin Castle.” Located near the border between Suruga Province in Tōtōmi Province, Takatenjin Castle was a critical strategic point. Since its fall to Takeda Katsuyori in 1574, it became a top priority for Tokugawa Ieyasu to reclaim.

After defeating Takeda Katsuyori at the Battle of Nagashino alongside Oda Nobunaga, Ieyasu captured several castles, including Suwahara, Futamata, and Inui. He further established six forts around Takatenjin Castle to lay a complete siege. The castle, defended by about 1,000 troops under Okabe Motonobu, soon found itself surrounded by over 10,000 of Ieyasu’s forces by October 1578.

As 1579 dawned, the castle defenders suffered from extreme food shortages due to the heavy siege. At this time, Takeda Katsuyori was confronting the Hojo clan in Kanto and couldn’t spare forces to relieve Takatenjin. Word reached Ieyasu of the castle’s willingness to surrender. It seemed inevitable that Ieyasu would gain an almost certain bloodless capture.

However, a “political objective” arose. Nobunaga instructed, “Do not accept the surrender of Takatenjin Castle. It’s unfortunate that soldiers will perish, but if you brutally conquer the castle, Katsuyori’s reputation for not sending reinforcements will plummet, leading other Takeda-loyal castles to switch to our side.”

The besieged soldiers of Takatenjin, denied the opportunity to surrender, launched a desperate assault on March 22. Ieyasu’s forces countered, killing nearly 700 warriors led by Motonobu. Subsequently, key Tokugawa commanders, such as Honda Tadakatsu and Torii Mototada, led a direct assault on the castle. They successfully occupied the Kin Kuruma section of the castle, followed by Toda Yasunaga and his forces fiercely capturing the Matoba Kuruma section. Despite the rugged cliffs around Takatenjin castle, Tokugawa troops pressed on with their forcible assault, and managed to capture the castle despite suffering casualties.

Written & Supervised by: Hashiba Akira

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