Siege of Odawara (1590) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Third Siege of Odawara
Part of the Sengoku period
Later Hōjō era`s Odawara Castle
Date May - August 4, 1590 Location Odawara Castle, Sagami Province, Japan Result Siege succeeds; Toyotomi victory
Belligerents
Toyotomi clan	Later Hōjō clan
Commanders and leaders
Toyotomi Hideyoshi Tokugawa Ieyasu Oda Nobukatsu Maeda Toshiie Uesugi Kagekatsu Honda Tadakatsu Sakai Ietsugu Kobayakawa Takakage Ikoma Chikamasa Horio Yoshiharu Gamō Ujisato Sanada Masayuki Sanada Yukimura Ukita Hideie Hosokawa Tadaoki Kuroda Kanbei Ii Naomasa Hori Hidemasa Mogami Yoshiaki	Hōjō Ujimasa  † Hōjō Ujiteru  † Hōjō Ujikuni Hōjō Ujinao Hōjō Ujitada Hōjō Ujimitsu Hōjō Ujitaka Chiba Naoshige Matsuda Norihide Narita Ujinaga Daidōji Masashige Fūma Kotarō
Strength
Army of the Tōkaidō: 170,000 Army of the Tōsandō: 35,000 Navy: 10,000–20,630 220,000 total	82,000 total

The Third Siege of Odawara (called Odawara seibatsu in Japanese) happened in 1590. It was a major event in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's plan to unite Japan. Hideyoshi wanted to remove the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power.

Before the siege, the Hōjō clan worked hard to improve their castle's defenses. They knew Hideyoshi was coming. Even though Hideyoshi brought a huge army, there wasn't much actual fighting during the siege.

Why the Siege Happened

In 1588, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had mostly united Japan. This happened after many battles following the death of Oda Nobunaga in 1582. Hideyoshi invited Hōjō Ujimasa and his son Hōjō Ujinao to a special event in Kyoto. This event was at Jurakudai, Hideyoshi's home and office.

However, Ujimasa refused to go. He suggested they reschedule the visit for 1590. Hideyoshi said no to this idea, which made their relationship worse. In May 1590, Hideyoshi started his Odawara Campaign against the Hōjō clan. Ujimasa hoped that Date Masamune would help him. He also thought that if the battle lasted a long time, Tokugawa Ieyasu might switch sides and join the Hōjō.

The Siege of Odawara Castle

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's massive army surrounded Odawara Castle. People called his siege lines "the most unusual in samurai history." The samurai soldiers were kept entertained. They had musicians, acrobats, and jugglers.

The Hōjō defenders slept on the castle walls with their guns and armor. Even though they had fewer soldiers, they made Hideyoshi not want to attack directly. So, the siege mostly involved trying to starve out the defenders. There were only a few small fights around the castle. For example, some miners dug tunnels under the walls. This allowed soldiers led by Ii Naomasa to get inside.

After three months, something surprising happened. A new castle, Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle, suddenly appeared nearby. This castle was built very quickly by Hideyoshi's forces. Seeing this new castle made the Hōjō defenders lose their will to fight. They decided to surrender.

Other Battles and Outcomes

While Hideyoshi's main army was at Odawara Castle, his other forces were busy. Armies led by Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu captured other Hōjō strongholds one by one. These included castles like Matsuida, Minowa, Maebashi, Matsuyama, and Hachigata. They eventually reached Hachiōji Castle and areas near Shizuoka.

Hideyoshi's navy also played a part. Naval forces led by Chosokabe Motochika defeated the Izu navy at the Shimoda fortress. The Chiba clan, who were allies of the Hōjō, also saw their castle, Sakura Castle, fall. This happened when forces from the Tokugawa army, led by Honda Tadakatsu and Sakai Ietsugu, attacked it.

The leader of the Chiba clan, Chiba Shigetane, surrendered his castle. He did this on the condition that his clan would not be completely destroyed. The Chiba clan lost all their lands. However, many of their important members later worked for Ii Naomasa. This was because the Chiba clan had helped him years before.

Meanwhile, at the Oshi Castle, the defenders surrendered. They heard that their lord, the Hōjō clan, had been defeated at Odawara.

What Happened Next

Hōjō Ujimasa could not hold Odawara Castle against Toyotomi Hideyoshi's forces. After the castle was taken, Ujimasa was forced to take his own life. His brother, Hōjō Ujiteru, also died.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was one of Hideyoshi's most important generals. He was given the lands that used to belong to the Hōjō clan. At the time, Hideyoshi probably didn't realize how important this would be. These new lands helped Tokugawa Ieyasu become very powerful. It was a big step towards his goal of uniting Japan and becoming the shogun.

A famous tea master named Yamanoue Sōji worked for the Odawara lords. He was sentenced to death after the siege.