Battle of Yamazaki
The Battle of Yamazaki was fought in 1582 in Yamazaki, Japan. Akechi Mitsuhide, a retainer of Oda Nobunaga, attacked him as he rested in Honnoji, and forced him to commit harakiri. Akechi then took over Nobunaga's power and authority.
Thirteen days later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi met Akechi at Yamazaki, defeating him, avenging his rival (Nobunaga) and taking Nobunaga's authority and power for himself.
Preparations for Battle
Upon hearing the news that Nobunaga had been killed, and that Akechi Mitsuhide had taken command of his possessions, Toyotomi Hideyoshi quickly put together an army, and set out to meet Akechi. Akechi Mitsuhide controlled two castles (Shōryūji and Yodo), but learned of the size of Hideyoshi's army, and did not want to be caught inside a castle with his force divided; thus, he resolved to prepare for battle somewhere to the south. Meanwhile, Hideyoshi decided that a wooded area called Tennōzan, just outside the town of Yamazaki, was key to strategic control of the road to Kyoto. He sent a detachment under Nakagawa Kiyohide to secure this area, while he led the majority of the army to Yamazaki himself. Akechi arranged his army behind a small river (the Enmyōji-gawa) which provided an excellent defensive position. That night, Hideyoshi's men sent a number of ninja into the Akechi camp, setting fire to buildings and generally causing fear and confusion.
The Battle
On the following morning, the main fighting began as Hideyoshi's men began to form up along the opposite shore of the Enmyōji-gawa from the enemy, and a portion of Akechi's men crossed the river, seeking to make their way up the wooded Tennōzan hill. They were driven back by arquebus fire, and so Hideyoshi felt confident enough to launch the right wing of his forces across the river, and into Akechi's front lines. They made some progress, and were soon joined by the left wing, with support from atop Tennōzan. The majority of Akechi's men fled, with the exception of the 200 men under Mimaki Kaneaki, who charged and were destroyed by Hideyoshi's larger force. Soon, panic set in among Akechi's army, and Hideyoshi's army chased them back to Shōryūji. Akechi himself fled much further, to the town of Ogurusu, where he was captured by bandits and killed.
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