Battle of Uedahara
gigatos | March 31, 2022
Summary
The Battle of Uedahara (Japanese: 上田原の戦い, Uedahara no tatakai) was a battle during the Japanese Sengoku period. The battle took place in 1546 and was the first defeat of Takeda Shingen. It was further the first battle in Japan in which firearms were used.
Takeda Shingen united with troops that had captured Shika Castle and led an army of 7,000 men north to meet the threat of Murakami Yoshikiyo. The vanguard of Shingen was led by Itagaki Nobukata. When Itagaki launched a frontal attack against Murakami”s vanguard, the attack was met with defeat and Itagaki himself killed.
Murakami used 50 men of infantry armed with Chinese hook canisters, which were intended to provide support for the archers. A total of 700 of Takeda”s men were killed, including Itagaki, and two other generals, Amari Torayasu and Hajikano Den”emon. Shingen himself was wounded by a spear in his side.
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