When and where did the Battle of Okitanawate take place?

It took place in 1584 at Shimabara, Hizen Province (24th day of the 3rd month, Tenshō 12).

Who fought in the Battle of Okitanawate?

Shimazu Iehisa of the Shimazu–Arima alliance, Ryūzōji Takanobu of the Ryūzōji forces were among the commanders.

Can I watch the Battle of Okitanawate 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 Battle of Okitanawate in 3D

About the Battle of Okitanawate

The Battle of Okitanawate was fought in 1584 (24th day of the 3rd month, Tenshō 12) at Shimabara, Hizen Province. The Shimazu feigned retreat lures a great army onto a narrow causeway. The day Ryūzōji Takanobu, lord of five provinces and two islands, sank into a trap of muddy paddies.

Year: 1584 (24th day of the 3rd month, Tenshō 12)
Place: Shimabara, Hizen Province
Era: Sengoku / Azuchi–Momoyama

How the battle unfolded

Host Five Provinces and Two Islands March South
The 3rd month of Tenshō 12. Ryūzōji Takanobu, master of Hizen, marches down on Shimabara with an army said to number 25,000. The Shimazu and Arima who meet him have only a few thousand. But Shimazu Iehisa has a speciality for beating great armies with small ones: the feigned-retreat ambush.
Bait The Retreat That Lures
The Shimazu troops posted at the mouth of the causeway make one clash, then deliberately break and fall back. "The Shimazu are nothing to fear." Encouraged, the great Ryūzōji army rushes headlong onto the single-track causeway, hungry for victory.
Ambush From the Marshes on Either Side
The moment the great army is stretched deep along the causeway, the ambushers hidden in the deep paddies on both sides open fire with their arquebuses all at once. A narrow road with no way forward or back. The long Ryūzōji column is skewered from the flank.
Mire A Great Army Sinks in the Mud
The Ryūzōji, who should have won by numbers, cannot use them on the narrow causeway. Those who try to push forward sink in the mud; those who try to retreat collide with the men behind. Amid friendly-fire and gunfire, 25,000 melt away before their eyes.
Fall The Lord Loses His Head
At the height of the chaos, the palanquin carrying Ryūzōji Takanobu is spotted by the Shimazu. With no way to escape, the lord of five provinces and two islands is killed on the spot. Without its commander-in-chief, the great army is no longer an army at all.
Kyushu The Shimazu Toward Kyushu
Having lost their pillar, the Ryūzōji decline at once, and mastery of Hizen passes to the Shimazu. With both the Ōtomo and the Ryūzōji beaten, the Shimazu house moves within reach of unifying Kyushu. A battle that showed the whole country how terrible the feigned-retreat ambush could be.

Generals and units

Shimazu–Arima alliance Shimazu Iehisa Commander-in-chief
Shimazu–Arima alliance Arima Harunobu
Shimazu–Arima alliance Shimazu Ambush (left)
Shimazu–Arima alliance Shimazu Ambush (right)
Ryūzōji forces Ryūzōji Takanobu Commander-in-chief
Ryūzōji forces Nabeshima Naoshige
Ryūzōji forces Four Guardians of Ryūzōji
Ryūzōji forces Rear Guard

FAQ

What was the Battle of Okitanawate?: The Shimazu feigned retreat lures a great army onto a narrow causeway. The day Ryūzōji Takanobu, lord of five provinces and two islands, sank into a trap of muddy paddies.
When and where did the Battle of Okitanawate take place?: It took place in 1584 at Shimabara, Hizen Province (24th day of the 3rd month, Tenshō 12).
Who fought in the Battle of Okitanawate?: Shimazu Iehisa of the Shimazu–Arima alliance, Ryūzōji Takanobu of the Ryūzōji forces were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Battle of Okitanawate 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.