10 Amazing Rarely Mentioned Battles Of Japan's Civil War Era
2. Siege Of Iwaya (1586)
The Shimazu clan of Kyushu were in the final stage of their push to unite the entire island in 1586, having successfully beaten the Ryuzoji army at Okitanawate. This meant that, without Ryuzoji interference, they could continue their war against the powerful Otomo clan.
The patriarch of the Shimazu sent his brother, Yoshihiro, with an army said to have numbered a whopping 50,000 soldiers to besiege Iwaya castle in Chukuzen province. Iwaya was of some strategic value, but the real reward for besieging this castle was that it housed Takahashi Shoun, a chief retainer of the Otomo. Shoun actually expected such an action but the Shimazu arrived before he could finish his preparations, and as such he only had 760 troops to his name. Yes, the defenders were outnumbered 65 to 1.
The most amazing aspect of this is that Shoun, with his measly force, held off the overwhelming Shimazu forces for over two weeks – some sources actually claim the defenses held for a whole month! At one point, a Shimazu commander halted the attack on Iwaya and pleaded with Shoun to surrender, claiming that the Otomo would soon fall because they had betrayed Buddhism by converting to Christianity. Shoun bravely refused to surrender and said that it would be wrong to serve a clan only when it is strong and commit betrayal when it grows weak.
Shoun committed suicide when it became apparent the Otomo would not be able to reinforce him in time to rescue his forces. The Shimazu are said to have honored the man for his bravery and his resistance threw their offensive's schedule off so badly they actually returned home for the moment.