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The Sengoku Jidai (The Country at War) was a time of civil war in Japan during the 16th century. The Sengoku period was a struggle between the numerous clans to determine who would be the Shogun (military leader) of Japan. The struggle eventually saw the Mori clan assume power. Lord Motonari, the daimyo (clan leader) of the Mori clan, become Shogun of Japan. Many battles were fought before the matter was settled. One of the greatest battles of the period was the Battle of Bungo, named so after the province in which it was fought.
Rumors of War
In 1543, spies for the militant Mori clan uncovered long range plans of an invasion by their peaceful ally, the Shimazu clan, lead by Lord Shimazu Takahisa. At the time, the Mori were tied up in the conquest of the island of Shikoku. Lord Mori Motonari quickly completed his conquest of the ronin (rebel samurai) there and prepared to meet the coming invasion. In 1546, Shimazu war drums heralded the gathering of a great host of warriors. The signs of imminent conflict were even apparent to the lowliest of peasants. Lord Takahisa was in Bungo province with his gathering Shimazu army. This deployment made an attack across the sea into Shikoku most likely. Lord Motonari waited across the water in Iyo province with a somewhat smaller army of Mori warriors.
The Road to Bungo
Surprisingly, the province of Nagato, the sole Shimazu province on the Japanese mainland and bordering with Mori territory, was lightly defended. A small army in Buzen on Kyushu was close enough to support, but added little to a threat of an invasion from that quarter. When the Mori-Shimazu alliance was on the verge of collapse in 1546, the Mori decided not to wait for Lord Takahisa to attack. Lord Motonari invaded Nagato with armies from Suo and Iwami. The Shimazu army was defeated on the field of battle and retreated into their castle. By the end of the year 1546, the Shimazu castle fell to the Mori.
Figure 1: The road to Bungo, spring 1546.
Once the Mori were certain the garrison in Nagato castle would not attempt to break the siege, they moved into Buzen where Lord Takahisa had joined the small army defending the province. Lord Takahisa wisely conceded Buzen to the advancing Mori warriors and retreated back to Bungo. Shortly after the Shimazu daimyo arrivied in Bungo, a Mori ninja attempted to assassinate Lord Takahisa. The ninja was captured and executed on the eve of the coming battle. Two great Daimyos were poised for one of the important battles in Japanese history.
The Battle Begins
The two armies of Lord Mori Motonari converged on Bungo in the spring of 1547. However, even the combined strength of these two armies did not quite match the numbers of the Shimazu. The armies on both sides, lead by their respective daimyos, took to the battlefield on April 22, 1547. The slight Mori disadvantage in numbers was made worse when several bands of samurai were delayed by the rain and fell behind the main Mori host. These stragglers would not arrive on the battlefield until later in the day.
Figure 2: The starting battlefield deployment and troop movements
The Mori marched onto the field of battle via the valley floor. Mori scouts spotted the Shimazu warriors to the south, high on the west wall of the valley. Lord Mori Motonari ordered his warriors to the southwest up a gentle slope which would bring the Mori host up the valley wall to the Shimazu and eliminate the height advantage Lord Shimazu Takahisa enjoyed from his position if Takahisa did not move to block the climb. The Mori advance up the slope was screened by a forest and a small hill crest just north of the Shimazu position. While the wave of red samurai swarmed up the slope and past a temple, there was no sign of activity from the Shimazu. Lord Takahisa was about to lose the advantage of height he enjoyed at the beginning of the battle.
"My Lord! Victory is ours!"
As the Mori approached the hill crest, a scout ran up to Lord Motonari and exclaimed "My Lord! Victory is ours! The foolish Shimazu are arrayed to attack down into the valley and are even now watching for us in vain. Their flank sits before us like a head on an executioner’s block!" As six bands of red clad yari (spear) samurai crested the ridge, the Shimazu archers wheeled to face them and fired a deadly hail of arrows. Fortunately for the Shimazu, the Mori attack was clumsy and spread out, giving the Lord Takahisa time to react and bring up his own yari samurai. The two armies clashed. The Mori had a slight advantage in that they were attacking down the small hill crest into the massing green wave.
While more and more Shimazu poured into the Mori samurai, Lord Motonari realized he was losing his advantage. He ordered his archers to crest the hill so they could actually see their targets. He also ordered his yari ashigaru (armed peasants) to join the battle. These moves by the Mori were too late. The red samurai wavered and then broke. The sight of fleeing samurai shattered the fragile morale the yari ashigaru. Those that did make it to the Shimazu lines quickly changed their minds and fled with the samurai. Within minutes the Mori archers were swept up in the rout as a mob of survivors streamed northward towards safety. The elated Shimazu followed in a blood frenzy, trying to kill as many stragglers as they could.
Figure 3: The rout of the Mori main body.
Even Lord Mori Motonari was affected. He attempted a dignified withdraw and tried to rally his warriors, but the tenacious pursuit by the Shimazu forced the great Mori leader to flee the battlefield.
"Look men! The ant challenges the elephant!"
As the last of the Mori main body was fleeing the field, the stragglers from the Mori army began arriving on the valley floor. The commanding general wisely gathered his forces and waited for the Shimazu to come to him. Lord Shimazu Takahisa finally got his battle crazed men under control and reformed his army. When he looked down into the valley and saw the small Mori host defiantly gathering there, he stared disbelieving at the sight before him. Then he smiled and said, "Look men! The ant challenges the elephant!" The Shimazu warriors gave a triumphant cry and then rolled forward down the hillside towards the tiny army that stood in front of them.
Figure 4: The battle unfolds.
Figure 5: The Mori reinforcements watch the triumphant Shimazu approach.
Only about 270 Mori warriors stood bravely on the valley floor waiting for the green juggernaut that approached. The archers began firing feverishly when the Shimazu came within range. As the Shimazu approached the Mori archers, the Mori samurai charged and plowed into the oncoming attackers. The ferocity of the attack stunned the Shimazu. Their elation quickly faded as the Shimazu warriors realized how tired they were from the earlier fighting and how fresh this small group of Mori warriors was. The Shimazu army broke and fled south.
Figure 6: The stunned Shimazu flee south and the Mori break off pursuit.
Figure 7: Lord Shimazu’s attack and flight.
Lord Takahisa could not believe what he was seeing. In anger, he charged the Mori with his bodyguard while his archers continued to fire at the enemy. Meanwhile, the Mori general called off the pursuit of the routing Shimazu so that he could keep his small army together.
The charge of Lord Shimazu did not last long. Very soon he was fleeing south with most of his army. Once again, the Mori general called off the pursuit to keep his army together. His warriors were very tired now.
Figure 8: Lord Shimazu (the gold standard in the distance) and his army flee southward.
"General, here they come again!"
The Mori general was glad the battle was all but over. There were only some archers to contend with and the day would be his. Then he heard his tired samurai cry, "General, here they come again!" Lord Takahisa rallied his army and was now marching his samurai northward back up the valley to attack again. The Mori army wheeled ninety degrees to face south and then marched to meet the revitalized Shimazu.
Figure 9: The weary Mori clash again with the rallied Shimazu army.
Fortunately for the tired Mori army, the Shimazu were even more exhausted and demoralized. Again the Shimazu army routed along with Lord Takahisa. However, even as these samurai were fleeing, another group had rallied and started its approach to the Mori. Joy turned resignation. It seemed to the red samurai that the war gods would not let the Shimazu stop attacking until all the Mori were dead.
Figure 10: The second rout of the Shimazu army.Note that Lord Shimazu (the gold standard) in the lower right is alone and separated from his fleeing warriors. Also note the Shimazu warriors that have reformed in the distance.
The Death of Lord Shimazu Takahisa
Lord Takahisa was crazed by the abrupt change in fortunes during the battle. After he had rallied his army and ordered another attack, he joined his samurai to bolster their morale. He would not flee the battle as Mori Motonari had done! Unfortunately, he and his diminished bodyguards had gotten separated from the rest of the army. Soon Lord Takahisa was alone and his army was fleeing once again. He fought valiantly for several minutes even though surrounded by enemies. His valor was not enough and he eventually fell to his attackers.
Figure 11: Although Lord Shimazu has fallen, notice that his army (right) has rallied yet again.
"They are not human!"
Even as Lord Takahisa fell, his army still wasn’t done. Cheers of triumph at the Shimazu Lord’s death were cut short when the Mori samurai saw their enemy rally one more time. "They are not human!" shouted a Mori archer. The Mori gathered their dwindled numbers and readied for another attack. Fortunately, the Shimazu attack was as fragile as rice paper since the green warriors were near collapse from exhaustion. The Mori, as weakened as they were from fatigue, easily routed the Shimazu yet one more time. The day was getting late and Mori general decided not to allow the Shimazu to rally anymore. He ordered all his warriors to pursue the enemy. They would not form again!
Figure 12: The Mori pursue the routed Shimazu army.
Aftermath
As the sun set, the Mori had not yet cleared the field and one fresh group of Shimazu samurai marched onto the battlefield forcing the Mori to finally yield and abandon Bungo. Had there been more time, the Mori may have carried the day. However, the battle had far reaching consequences in the power struggle for Shogun of Japan. Although the battle was a tactical defeat for the Mori, it turned out to be a strategic victory. Lord Shimazu Takahisa had no heirs to his clan and with his death the Shimazu lands collapsed into rebellion. This eliminated one of the major factions contending for the Shogunate of Japan.
Figure 13: The Shimazu flee as the sun sets. Notice the remains of the first engagement on the hill above.
The Battle of Bungo was to be one of the greatest and most significant battles in Japanese history. It featured opportunities gained, lost and wasted. The Mori gained a great advantage of height, position and surprise, but failed to capitalize. The Shimazu, having routed the Mori main body, foolishly let victory slip from their grasp by going over to an offensive battle and attacking fresh Mori reinforcements when merely needed to hold their position on the heights was enough to win the day. The outcome of the battle was never certain and victory swayed between the two foes. The battle also stands as a testament to the bravery of the samurai warriors on both sides and to the gallant Lord Takahisa. The Mori reinforcements could have easily fled the battle upon seeing their main body and Daimyo routing from the field. The Shimazu also refused to yield, reforming their scattered ranks time and time again even after their Lord fell in battle. The Battle of Bungo is where the Japanese samurai established themselves as some of the fiercest warriors in all history.