Battle of Okehazama
1560 · Okehazama, Owari Province (around present-day Toyoake and Midori Ward, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) · World · Modern
Oda Nobunaga launched a surprise attack on Imagawa Yoshimoto's headquarters under cover of rain; Yoshimoto was killed in battle, and the Imagawa army retreated along the whole line.
Belligerents
Oda Nobunaga's army
- Commanders
- Oda Nobunaga
- Strength
- About 2000–3000
Imagawa Yoshimoto's army
- Commanders
- Imagawa Yoshimoto, Matsudaira Motoyasu (Tokugawa Ieyasu)
- Strength
- About 25,000 (claimed 40,000)
Background
Imagawa Yoshimoto, daimyo of Suruga, Totomi and Mikawa, led a large army west into Owari, took the Oda forts of Washizu and Marune one after the other, and halted to rest around Okehazama while on the march.
Course of the battle
- Imagawa advances westThe Imagawa army took the Oda forward forts, and Yoshimoto's headquarters halted near Mount Okehazama.
- Surprise attack in the rainNobunaga sortied from Kiyosu with picked troops and approached the Imagawa headquarters under cover of a heavy rainstorm.
- Yoshimoto killed in battleCaught completely off guard, Yoshimoto was cut down by Oda soldiers, and his whole army retreated in disarray.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1560 |
|---|---|
| Place | Okehazama, Owari Province (around present-day Toyoake and Midori Ward, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) |
| Result | Oda Nobunaga launched a surprise attack on Imagawa Yoshimoto's headquarters under cover of rain; Yoshimoto was killed in battle, and the Imagawa army retreated along the whole line. |
| Winner | Oda Nobunaga's army |
| Casualties | Imagawa losses were about several thousand killed (estimated); Oda losses were relatively light, with no precise records. |
| Territorial change | The Imagawa clan went into decline, and Matsudaira Motoyasu (later Tokugawa Ieyasu) broke away from the Imagawa to strike out on his own, allying with Nobunaga in 1562. |
Impact
The battle is a famous example in Sengoku history of the few defeating the many; it marked the rise of Oda Nobunaga and his first step toward unifying Japan.
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