Battle of Hitotoribashi

How the battle unfolded

1. Host Thirty Thousand Allies

   The 11th month of Tenshō 13. As Date Masamune presses his attack on Nihonmatsu, an allied army of 30,000 under Satake Yoshishige and the Ashina bears down on him. Masamune has barely 7,000 to meet them. The two armies face each other at Motomiya.

2. Siege A Great Army Crosses the Bridge

   The allies cross Hitotoribashi and envelop the Date from all sides. The difference in numbers is overwhelming: one Date contingent after another gives way, and a bullet grazes Masamune himself. The young One-Eyed Dragon's greatest crisis.

3. Rearguard Oniniwa Sagetsusai Steps Forward

   As the main body begins to crumble, the old retainer Oniniwa Sagetsusai Yoshinao, past seventy, volunteers for the rearguard. Waving a golden baton, he leads a handful of men to a stand at the edge of Hitotoribashi. "Leave the rearguard to this Sagetsu."

4. Death Sagetsusai Killed

   Sagetsusai throws himself into the flood of the allied army, holds it and dies fighting. But the time bought at the cost of his life checks the collapse of Masamune's main body. An old commander's death saves his lord.

5. Stand Shigezane and Kagetsuna Hold

   Date Shigezane and Katakura Kagetsuna knit the line together in the melee and hold until sunset while pulling Masamune back. On the brink of annihilation, one push from destruction, the Date just barely do not break.

6. Night The Allies Leave in the Night

   In the middle of the night, with victory seemingly at hand, the allied army suddenly withdraws. It is said that a threat had appeared in the Satake lands to the rear and Yoshishige was forced to go home. The army of 30,000 leaves before it can complete its victory.

7. Alive The One-Eyed Dragon Survives

   Snatched from the jaws of death, Masamune escapes a crisis that had brought him to the edge of collapse. Surviving this battle leads on to his mastery of southern Ōshū at Suriagehara four years later. Sagetsusai's loyal death was long remembered in the Date house.

Generals and units

• Date forces Date Masamune Commander-in-chief
• Date forces Oniniwa Sagetsusai
• Date forces Date Shigezane
• Date forces Katakura Kagetsuna
• Satake–Ashina allied army Satake Yoshishige Commander-in-chief
• Satake–Ashina allied army Ashina forces
• Satake–Ashina allied army Nikaidō & Iwaki forces

FAQ

What was the Battle of Hitotoribashi?

In the midst of his attack on Nihonmatsu, Date Masamune's 7,000 are surrounded by 30,000 of the Satake–Ashina alliance. The heroic death of the old retainer Oniniwa Sagetsusai in the rearguard and the allies' withdrawal save Masamune: the greatest crisis of his youth.

When and where did the Battle of Hitotoribashi take place?

It took place in 1585 at Hitotoribashi, Adachi District, Mutsu Province (17th day of the 11th month, Tenshō 13).

Who fought in the Battle of Hitotoribashi?

Date Masamune of the Date forces, Satake Yoshishige of the Satake–Ashina allied army were among the commanders.

Can I watch the Battle of Hitotoribashi in 3D?

Yes. This page plays a free three-minute 3D animated overview showing the deployments, the movements of each army and how the battle was decided.