The two armies met with a hill between them, controlling the hill would be a great advantage in the coming battle.
The Ito had marched in a more compact, maneuverable formation and their advantage in cavalry enabled them to harry the Shimazu army and gain the high ground.
As the two armies clashed, the fighting on the right flank of the Shimazu army was intense. The Ito were gaining the upper hand as Tomokata's Yari Samurai struggled against greater numbers and the Ito cavalry.
It was a different story on the left flank however, the Ito and Shimazu archers were peppering each other with arrows, the Shimazu having much the better of it, and a unit of Yari Ashigaru managed to get into a position to flank the Ito.
An Ito general charged the Yari Ashigaru in a suicidal charge without infantry support, he was cut down by the Shimazu spears and the Ashigaru moved to flank the Ito infantry engaged with the Shimazu Yari Samurai, the battle was as good as over at that point and few Ito left the field to return news of the defeat.
A son of the Ito Daiyo was killed on the field of battle, his riderless mount fleeing into the woods. A portent of things to come for the Ito?
Bookmarks