About the Battle of Itsukushima (Miyajima)
The Battle of Itsukushima (Miyajima) was fought in 1555 (1st day of the 10th month, Kōji 1) at Itsukushima, Aki Province. On a night of storm and rain, Mōri Motonari crosses the sea with 4,000 men and surprises the 20,000-strong Sue army on the sacred island. One day of cunning overturns the mastery of western Japan.
- Year
- 1555 (1st day of the 10th month, Kōji 1)
- Place
- Itsukushima, Aki Province
- Era
- Sengoku period (Chūgoku region)
How the battle unfolded
- Bait Miyao Castle: The Lure
The 10th month of Kōji 1. Mōri Motonari builds Miyao Castle on the north-west of Itsukushima and lures Sue Harukata's great army onto the narrow island. The Sue take the bait with 20,000 men, set their headquarters on Tō-no-oka and surround Miyao Castle, held by a mere 500, never suspecting a trap.
- Storm Crossing the Stormy Sea
Midnight, storm and rain. Weather in which no one who knew the sea would put out a boat. Under cover of that storm Motonari leads his main force out from Jigozen for the beach at Tsutsumigaura on the far side of the island. "This wind is the chance heaven has given us."
- Navy The Murakami Navy Arrives
At the request of Kobayakawa Takakage, 300 ships of the Murakami navy of the Inland Sea appear on the night sea. The Sue fleet is burned, and the sea that was their line of retreat becomes Mōri's. The 20,000 on the island now have no way out.
- Dawn Over the Mountain: The Surprise Attack
Daybreak. Motonari's main force crosses the ridge of Mount Misen and strikes the Sue headquarters on Tō-no-oka from behind. Takakage attacks from the sea, and the decoy garrison sallies from the castle. Attacked from three sides, the Sue army is caught in its sleep.
- Rout Twenty Thousand on a Narrow Island
Their very numbers become their undoing. Twenty thousand men cannot deploy on the narrow island and collapse as if fighting each other. Veteran commanders such as Hironaka Takakane and Miura Fusakiyo are killed one after another, and the formation melts from within.
- Suicide Death at Ōeura
Sue Harukata runs for the western beach to escape the island, but the sea is already blocked by the Murakami navy. With no way out, Harukata takes his own life at Ōeura. The army of 20,000 is destroyed in a single day, and Mōri Motonari rises to mastery of western Japan.
Generals and units
- Mōri forces Mōri Motonari Commander-in-chief
- Mōri forces Kikkawa Motoharu
- Mōri forces Kobayakawa Takakage
- Mōri forces Murakami Navy
- Mōri forces Miyao Castle Garrison
- Sue forces Sue Harukata Commander-in-chief
- Sue forces Hironaka Takakane
- Sue forces Miura Fusakiyo
- Sue forces Sue Fleet
- Sue forces Mihara Contingent
FAQ
- What was the Battle of Itsukushima (Miyajima)?
- On a night of storm and rain, Mōri Motonari crosses the sea with 4,000 men and surprises the 20,000-strong Sue army on the sacred island. One day of cunning overturns the mastery of western Japan.
- When and where did the Battle of Itsukushima (Miyajima) take place?
- It took place in 1555 at Itsukushima, Aki Province (1st day of the 10th month, Kōji 1).
- Who fought in the Battle of Itsukushima (Miyajima)?
- Mōri Motonari of the Mōri forces, Sue Harukata of the Sue forces were among the commanders.
- Can I watch the Battle of Itsukushima (Miyajima) 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.