When and where did the Siege of Miki take place?

It took place in 1578 at Miki Castle, Harima Province (Tenshō 6 to 8).

Who fought in the Siege of Miki?

Bessho Nagaharu of the Bessho forces, Hashiba Hideyoshi of the Hashiba forces were among the commanders.

Can I watch the Siege of Miki 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.

The Siege of Miki in 3D

About the Siege of Miki

The Siege of Miki was fought in 1578 (Tenshō 6 to 8) at Miki Castle, Harima Province. The "starvation siege of Miki." Hashiba Hideyoshi ringed Bessho Nagaharu's Miki Castle with more than forty siege forts and starved it for a year and ten months. The strategist Takenaka Hanbei died in the siege camp.

Year: 1578 (Tenshō 6 to 8)
Place: Miki Castle, Harima Province
Era: Azuchi–Momoyama period

How the battle unfolded

Revolt The Bessho Turn on the Oda
The 3rd month of Tenshō 6. Bessho Nagaharu, of a great family of eastern Harima, rises against the Oda. The Mōri banner flies over Miki Castle and the anti-Oda forces of the region rally to it. Hashiba Hideyoshi, pushing forward his western campaign, suddenly finds his rear cut off.
Ring Forty Siege Forts
Hideyoshi avoids a direct assault. He builds more than forty siege forts around Miki Castle and links them with ditches and palisades until not even an ant can crawl out. From his headquarters on Mount Hirai he cuts every road by which supplies could reach the castle.
Hunger The Starvation Siege of Miki
Month by month the ring of forts tightens around the castle. The blockade later known as the "starvation siege of Miki." Inside, in time, the oxen and horses, the grass and the trees are all eaten, and hunger eats away at the garrison.
Hirai The Fight for Mount Hirai
Unable to bear it, the Bessho sally out. They launch a night attack on Hideyoshi's headquarters on Mount Hirai, but Tani Daizen and other besiegers hold them off at the cost of their lives and drive them back. Yet even in victory, a quiet farewell was coming to the Hashiba camp.
Hanbei Farewell, Hanbei
The strategist Takenaka Hanbei dies in camp. "The Kongming of our day," wasted by consumption, ends his 36 years in the siege lines at Miki. Hideyoshi loses his right arm. The Mōri attempt to bring in supplies by sea is cut off too, and the castle's hopes run out.
End Nagaharu Dies for His Garrison
The New Year of Tenshō 8. Knowing it is over, Bessho Nagaharu takes his own life together with his family, on condition that every soldier and villager in the castle be spared. The siege of a year and ten months comes quietly to its end.

Generals and units

Bessho forces Bessho Nagaharu Commander-in-chief
Bessho forces Bessho Yoshichika
Bessho forces Bessho Tomoyuki
Bessho forces Mōri Supply Column
Hashiba forces Hashiba Hideyoshi Commander-in-chief
Hashiba forces Takenaka Hanbei
Hashiba forces Kuroda Kanbei
Hashiba forces Tani Daizen
Hashiba forces Asano Nagamasa

FAQ

What was the Siege of Miki?: The "starvation siege of Miki." Hashiba Hideyoshi ringed Bessho Nagaharu's Miki Castle with more than forty siege forts and starved it for a year and ten months. The strategist Takenaka Hanbei died in the siege camp.
When and where did the Siege of Miki take place?: It took place in 1578 at Miki Castle, Harima Province (Tenshō 6 to 8).
Who fought in the Siege of Miki?: Bessho Nagaharu of the Bessho forces, Hashiba Hideyoshi of the Hashiba forces were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Siege of Miki 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.