For the Ikko! A Shogun 2 AAR

[Monk]

IV - To Avenge the Fallen

In the wake of Yamato fields the Ikko-Ikki were completely thrown out of the province. The remnants of the armed forces still left in region were forced to retreat north with the Hattori hot on their heels. Yamato was lost and Yasunaga, In-field commander of all Hattori forces, was keen to keep the pressure on. Though he himself was called away to the west, his lieutenants easily seized their clan's former capital at Iga. with the Ikko lacking a strong unified leader in the south, and with reinforcements nowhere close enough to support the disorganized militias, the Hattori rolled up the southern part of Honshu quite easily.

Iga and Yamato were back in Hattori hands by the first chill of winter.

The first snow fall at Todaiji,
Clan Hattori territory
November, 1554

Though the campaign had proven to be an utter disaster, the Ikko Republic had been damaged far more by the loss of Sazuki Sadayu, the hero of the Ikko movement and beloved of the people. As Commander In-Field of all Ikko-Ikki, he was more responsible for the spread of the movement than any other man alive. Apart from Shonyo himself, perhaps, and there were citizens of the republic who would even contest that! But there is one thing none could contest, and that was the effect Sadayu's death had on the holy man. Shonyo disappeared into seclusion upon news of his most trusted general and friend's passing, none saw him save his advisors and Shimozuma Jutsurai, the de facto head of the Ikko administration.

Records of meetings held by the two men are hard to come by, and what transpired isn't fully clear. But as months passed, Jutsurai began to make more and more public appearances. Always having stayed in the background, he was far more active after the death of Sadayu. Proposing far more local edicts and ordinances, relaxing restrictions on trade, and further increasing payment and compensation for peasants who answered the call of the Ikko-Ikki to battle. Despite his militaristic background and reputation, he was the unifying force the Republic sorely needed. The army was in shambles, not only from the southern campaign, but from over five years of near constant campaigning. Jutsurai was responsible for the rebuilding and recruitment efforts that sprang up across the republic. Greater temples and dojos were built where men could dedicate themselves, not only to the Ikko faith, but to the pursuit of war. It wasn't long before he had the Ikko-Ikki rebuilt, and a new battle cry ready to be tested on the fields.

"To seek battle while knowing little of war is foolish. To know war and not seek battle is equally as foolish." ~ Shimozuma Jutsurai

The Republic had shifted its focus, under Jutsurai's leadership, a much more proactive stance in regards to external threats would from this point would be taken. No longer would the motto of the Ikko-Ikki be to capture and defend. When a threat was perceived to the republic, the Ikko-Ikki would attack. The people offered little resistance to this change. Many had died in the south, their greatest hero amung them! As the period of mourning passed, a powerful thirst for revenge took hold. It is not at all unlikely that rabel-rousing efforts played a huge part in that. But historians have found little evidence to paint Jutsurai as anything but a savior of a fledgling power.

This new direction was in direct opposition to Shonyo's teachings, who was conspicuously more and more distant from the Ikko-Ikki movement after 1554. Still the leader of the people's faith, he secluded himself in the mountainous region of Echizen, surrounded by monks loyal to him and the Ikko. From time to time he would make pilgrimages to the capital city, but for the most part, he distanced himself from Jutsurai's administration. Strangely, he never condemned it either. If he had, it is unlikely Jutsurai could have taken the people in the direction he did.

Jutsurai, meanwhile, consolidated his power as Shonyo withdrew from the public eye. As the new year dawned upon Japan the Ikko Republic was well on its way to recovering from the debacle that was the previous campaign. However, there was a growing concern that it simply could not sustain further fighting. The Ikko-Ikki needed time to settle down and catch their breath before any further expansion could be seriously considered. Jutsurai knew that if another forray into the south was made it would need to be quick and precise. Lucky for him, the Hattori clan was suffering far more than the Ikko-Ikki was.

In the Aftermath of Yamato Fields and the recapturing of Iga, the Hattori had been forced to fight five major battles along the breadth of their realm. Initially, this paid off when they obliterated the Yamana clan in north centeral Japan, but the political fallout made them no friends. Their list of enemies had grown quite large through their war-mongering reputation. Perhaps the only power in central Honshu who had not fought them was the Ashikaga forces in Kyoto, and even there tension was starting to mount! The time for Jutsurai came in 1555, when Hattori Yasunaga was killed in battle on the border with the Tokugawa. Spread thin and their most dangerous commander now out of the way, the Ikko-Ikki would strike...

The Battle of Todaiji
Jan, 1555
Beligerents: Ikko Republic v Clan Hattori
Commanders: Matsunaga Hirotsugu | Hata Shigehira

The Battle of Todaiji was an altogether small engagement. Counting to its credit likely only half the total number of troops per side that fought at Yamato fields, yet its impact was substantial. Stretched thin and facing increasingly desperate times as they fought in all directions, central Honshu was ripe for the taking. The Ikko-Ikki launched a brutal assault upon Iga in 1555 that secured the province with relative ease. Matsunaga Hirotsugu, commander of the Ikko-Ikki in the south, managed to take the Fortress at Iga in a daring night raid, suffering little casualties. His victory, and subsequent march into Yamato, set the stage for Todaiji, and the carnage it inspired.



Arriving in late January the fields were frozen over and a terrible chill cut straight to the bone as the Ikko-Ikki made their way foward. The road to Todaiji was not at all easy, a winter march is deadly if not properly undertaken, and the Ikko-Ikki had suffered greatly through their trek. Still, they stood proud, ready to do battle with the republic's enemies. The Ikko were never ones to shy away from their duty in service, and the dicipline instilled by Jutsurai's reforms only drove that home further. Another gift of the reforms was the presence of Ikko-Ikki cavalry. A first for the republic!



Led by a promising new warrior by the name of Hajikano Yukiie, they were the pride of Jutsurai but an unproven investment, as Todaiji would be their first true taste of blood. But to men like Hirotsugu, they represented a danger. Until now the state itself had armed and trained all who took up arms for the Ikko-Ikki, these men were wealthy enough to provide their own arms, and were afforded greater training than your average foot soldier. Thought it was true Samurai had carried the Ikko banner in battles previous (some to great honor!) they were always ronin. Hirotsugu and others like him, worried a dangerous precedent was being set...



Across the field, blocking the road toward Kii province was Hata Shigenhira, with the rest of the Hattori forces at his command. A man of some tactical skill, he had served honorably and was responsible for organizing the push that drove the Ikko remnant forces out of yamato, some years prior. Though he had not had true battle experience, he was sadly the best the Hattori could muster after so many losses. Yet as the Ikko-Ikki advanced upon him, cold wind biting at his face, he began to wonder if he could hold back the tide.

Hirotsugu would give his adversary little time to think about what he could or could not do. Ordering the cavalry to swing wide around the left, he marched his men forward under the covering fire of the archers and slammed his men home, meeting the hattori toe to toe, just as the Ikko-Ikki had done at Yamato. The difference now, was that they were on even ground and the fight was fair. Even so, the men of the Hattori clan stood their ground tenaciously, even as the banner went high and Yukiie's cavalry charge hit home, breaking the line into a number of different areas of action, they held the line.



Hirotsugu couldn't believe it. Even broken, the Hattori made the Ikko-Ikki fight, tooth and nail for every last inch. Step by bloody step, his men were continuing to push forward, but they were suffering two, sometimes three men felled for every hattori soldier slain. He couldn't sustain this pace, and he knew it! Battlefield reports indicate Hirotsugu sent word to Yukiie multiple times, ordering him to charge his men against the hattori rear - but the cavalry commander couldn't comply. His men were locked in a vicious struggle in and around the left flank with the Hattori cavalry, and were suffering heavy losses.



Just as it appeared the Ikko-Ikki would be forced to withdraw, the site of yellow banner, caught high in the wind caught Hirotsugu's attention. Yukiie had managed a break through and was barreling down hard on the Hattori flank. His men came crashing in, breaking the lines even further and forcing a total route! The men cheered over the broken bodies of their enemies as Yukiie led the cavalry on to persue the routers. The day'd been won, the cavalry had proven beyond any doubt their power and place within the Ikko-Ikki forces. But Hirotsugu was unconvinced. Matsunaga Hirotsugu was no fool. Correspondence from the general paint the picture of a paranoid and resentful man. He believed Yukiie was deliberately holding back the charge, today its impossible to tell if this was indeed the case, as battle records of the Sengoku era cannot always be reliable. What is known, however, is that casualty reports from the Tokugawa front paint a very disturbing picture. The Hattori cavalry divisions were decimated in the fight against Tokugawa Ieyasu.. It is unlikely they could have delayed Hajikano Yukiie and the rest of the Ikko cavalry for so long..

In the aftermath of Todaiji, Hattori resistance in central Honshu completely collapsed. Hata Shigehira escaped the battle, or is to believed to have as his body was never found - but no further records of a man by his name appear in history after that point. The Ikko-Ikki pressed their advantage, and by 1558, had completely whiped out all Hattori resistance in the central Honshu, including retaking what the Hattori clan had "stolen" from the Yamana. Pushed out of their homelands, their greatest heroes dead, and the tide turning against them, the Hattori Clan sued for peace. Jutsurai accepted their offer in the Iga Accord of 1558, and a time of peace was once again brought to the Republic.

Jutsurai would use this great victory as proof, not only that his army reforms had been much needed and highly effective, but that the Republic should aggressively seek out its enemies and deal with them upon the field. There is little evidence that anyone opposed that view, peacefully or otherwise. He had defeated the enemies who had brought down the great Sadayu, who could argue? And if they did, he now had the power to "quell" such arguments.

As soldiers of the Ikko-Ikki consolidated and secured their vast new holdings, a new threat began to make itself known... One far greater than the Hattori Clan had ever been...

[Populus Romanus]

Wow Hattori are on the run now!

[Hamata]

Yeah but look out for the red giant

[Monk]

V. Takeda Shingen

In the wars against the Takoaka Alliance and the Asai, the Ikko Republic could always claimed that defense, not conquest, was their primary reason for maintaining an effective fighting force in the field. After the terrible battles of the Hattori-Ikko conflict and the assimilation of much of central Honshu beneath the Ikko-Ikki banner, that was no longer the case. The Ashikaga Shogunate in Kyoto had been observing the fledgling power with great interest, but after the fall of the Hattori that interest had turned to concern. With the Ikko faith being carried by traders and commoners across Japan, who was to say how far this new movement would spread? Though an even more pressing question troubled the Shogun. Who could stop it?

Even as the Ikko-Ikki had struggled for the very right to exist against the Takoaka and Asai decades ago, another power had been building in the east of Honshu. As Suzuki Sadayu lay dying on the fields of Yamato, Takeda Shingen was leading the final push to defeat the Uesugi coalition and uniting the eastern isles. Shingen, once ruler of only the mountainous province of Kai, had won great fame in his conquests across Honshu. The Uesugi, beneath their daimyo Uesugi Kenshin, had appeared destined to take control of much of the islands. Built upon an alliance of the Date, Uesugi and the Hojo, the coalition was nigh unstoppable going into 1550 - when it ran directly into the fledgling Takeda clan. Completely annhihilating the Hojo in the opening seasons of the conflict, Shingen brought to his support the Imagawa clan and their Tokugawa vassals. United, the new alliance utterly destroyed the Uesugi Coalition and brought Honshu beneath the control of the alliance's leader: Takeda Shingen. By 1560, he had accepted the unconditional surrender of the Uesugi.

The Takeda Alliance, 1558 with Noto province highlighted, conquered a year later
Members: Takeda - Red, Imagawa - Grey, Tokugawa - White.

Shingen was content in his vast conquests, and why should he not be? Having issued forth from Kai as a means only to secure the protection of his clan, he had won a worthy peace. Together with the Tokugawa and Imagawa, he controlled all of East Honshu accept for the Date clan in the north. Though if records of the Takeda clan are reliable, the Date paid regular tribute to the Takeda, and appeared to want no conflict with the powerful clan.

The Shogunate's dilemma was even greater than a Republic of peasants controlling the cities and roads beyond Kyoto. Where the Hattori had looked to unite much of the center before, now an even greater power had risen in the lands beyond central Honshu. The Ashikaga could feel the winds of change blowing, but instead of turning into them, the Shogun decided he would fight it with all his might. In 1559 as the Takeda cleaned up the last traces of coalition resistance, Shingen was invited to the imperial court by the Emperor. Or so he believed. Upon arriving to the Imperial Palace he soon discovered that it was the Shogun who had invited him, and not the Emperor. Interestingly there is absolutely no record of Shingen accepting the invitation, nor of his journey to Kyoto. There, if folklore is to believed, he listened to the please of the Shogun, which all boiled down to one request: Destroy the Ikko-Ikki.

This likely would never have been known for certain had the great warlord not decided to journey to Echizen, capitol of the Ikko Republic in the fall of 1559. His arrival was greeted with the fanfare you'd expect from a public figure like him. Tales of Shingen's heroism and conquests were no secret. He was practically a legend to the common-folk, and when he arrived, he recieved the type of treatment you'd expect from a national hero. Even Jutsurai, who knew Shingen to be a cunning warrior and potential enemy, showed great respect to Shingen upon their meeting.

Takeda Shingen was in awe by the respect shown to him, no matter whom he spoke to, all treated him as if he was a member of the Republic itself. He and Jutsurai met and discussed much, records kept of that meeting have survived surprisingly well, but they are of the mundane type. The two men postulated, and showed each other diplomatic courtesy respective of their positions, but few things of importance were discussed. Shingen left the meeting making just one request of the Ikko Administrator - to meet with the reclusive Shonyo. Jutsurai was surprised by the request, but honored it all the same.

The Takeda warlord and Shonyo met on a cold afternoon, far from the city of Echizen in the mountainous stronghold of the Ikko-Ikki monk. There, the true discussion between the two powers took place. Though Jutsurai was the leader of the Republic, Shingen showed far more respect for the aging holy man than he did the de facto administrator of the Ikko-Ikki. Shonyo returned the respect shown to him and as the two talked, it was clear that neither truly wished ill or war to spring forward between the two powers. Shingen revealed the Shogun's desires to see the Ikko destroyed, but this was no surprise to Shonyo - his movement threatened the very foundation of power that had taken root in Japan. Even in the Takeda lands.

Though Shingen could not support or declare the Ikko-Ikki a friend, as his own ideaology was radically opposed, he knew that the war with the Republic would not be easy. And neither man trusted the Shogun, that was for sure. The two parted their meeting, agreeing to do everything in their power to keep the peace. To facilitate this, Shonyo returned to Echizen after almost five years in seclusion. His voice would once again push for a non-aggressive stance in the Ikko-Ikki. Jutsurai was unnerved, he had spend great efforts in modernizing the army, and now, his hands were being tied. Still, above all, Jutsurai was loyal to the Ikko-Ikki: and Shonyo was the Ikko as much as anyone could ever be.

The Ikko-Ikki republic established tenative trade rights with the Takeda Alliance. However, even as the people began to be comfortable with the peace, it was not meant to last.

Artist Depiction of the Great Famine of 1561

Japan was in crisis. Two decades of warfare through-out the islands had created a great need for food and supplies. Armies needed to be fed, great citadels could not be built without proper supplies, and in 1561 those supplies were running low. After three consecutive years of sub-par harvests even the most frugal of clans saw their storehouses running dry. There simply wasn't enough food to go around and public order began to break down as a result. The words of the Ikko-Ikki which taught equality were now on the lips of every man and woman with a growling belly. Riots broke out in many territories neighboring the Ikko Republic, demonstrations against the samurai warlords who held power. In many of these the demonstrators were rounded up and imprisoned or otherwise put down, but in Settsu and Noto provinces, this was far from the case.

Settsu was home to Osaka, a city hit hardest by the famines, and when riots broke out in late Feburary of 1561, the Hattori clan - who's power was already drastically weakened by wars and supply shortages - were unable to maintain their grip on the city. Ikko-Ikki sympathizers riled the crowds and captured the city, declaring their allegiance to the Republic. On the other side of the republic, Noto province had a much similar fate. However.. the Noto peninsular on the north side of Japan had recently been captured by the Takeda. As one can imagine, Takeda Shingen was not at all pleased by this. In the interests of diplomatic relationship, he requested Noto to be returned. For the first time since the death of Sadayu, there was complete agreement between Jutsurai and Shonyo. Noto was the property of the Ikko Republic.

Shonyo could not justify turning his back upon people who believed in the Ikko as strongly as these people did, they had been forced to rise up and take action, much as he and the rest of the Ikko-Ikki had done. Not out of a desire to conquer, but out of necessity. Jutsurai was in agreement, but for different reasons. He believed that bowing to a clan, even an honorable one like the Takeda, would be seen as a weakness...

Shingen responded quickly if the Republic would not return what lands were rightly his, he'd take them back by force.In the summer of 1561 he launched a campaign into Noto. Local Ikko forces were smashed and routed with little difficulty and the province was quickly re-secured by the Takeda Clan. Shingen was pressing his advantage on Kaga, the very heart of the Ikko Republic. Perhaps both parties were indeed reluctant, but war had come anyway.

The Shogun's two most powerful threats were about to have the biggest war the Sengoku had ever seen...

The Battle of Komatsu
September 1561
Belligerents: Ikko Republic vs Takeda Clan
Commanders: Hajikano Yukiie vs Takeda Shingen

Kaga province was directly to the south-west of Noto, and was one of the original homes to the Ikko-Ikki rebellion, home to the fanatical Kanazawa sect of the Ikko-Ikki, it had provided some of the finest warriors who had ever served in the Republic's wars. Takeda Shingen was determined to end the war against the Ikko as quickly as possible. In fact, after he had captured Noto he had sent peace envoys to the capital at Echizen. It was no surprised that after seeing their brethren subjugated and slaughtered that the administration was in no mood to talk.

An early snowfall in Kaga had made the march particularly difficult for the Takeda force, which was a well balanced mix of archers, ashigaru and samurai. Near the small town of Komatsu, Shingen had hoped to secure a campsite and perhaps wait out the weather until a clearer day. However, his scouting forces found the town nearly empty. No one in sight, not even the smallest child or the stray bark of a dog. As his cavalry branched out, screening through the nearby forest, they soon discovered why.

A huge Ikko-Ikki force was waiting in the dense woods, and as the Takeda horseman caught sight of them, they came under concentrated archer fire. Word was quickly passed to Shingen, who began to organize his men into battle formation. He had not expected to see the Ikko-Ikko here of all places. He'd counted on them staying closer to Kanazawa. Instead, Hajikano Yukiie, having been promoted after the battle of Toadiji, had snuck his men down from the provincial capital and had meant to catch Shingen in a deadly ambush. The Takeda forces had narrowly escaped a disaster through the use of scouting.

Shingen assumed direct command of his cavalry divisions and led them into the forest. Through masterful feints, he managed to keep the Ikko-Ikki pinned in place, with Yukiie unable to commit forces one way or another. The Takeda faked charge after charge, paralyzing the Ikko as infantry entered the forest.

Yukiie pushed forward as Shingen withdrew back to his lines, meeting the charge head..

The two sides smashed together forcing the Ikko-line off balance within moments of the first action. A gap had opened in the center of the Ikko line, forcing a charge from the reserves. The warrior monks charged into the gap, intent to shut it and stop the takeda. Their ferocity tore into the Takeda center and forced Shingen on his heels. In desperation, he led his cavalry around both flanks, probing for any weakness.

But weakness was not something an Ikko force displayed. Screaming loud and chanting their great battle cries. They met the dreaded Takeda cavalry in combat, holding their ground despite the legendary charge of said force.

Near the center a leafless, frozen tree had become the focal point of the worst of the carnage. The finest foot samurai in service to the Takeda clan went toe to toe with the Kanazawa Warrior Monks. Famed for their skill in the bow, the monks were also incredibly dangerous with in close combat. As the Ashigaru struggled near and around them, the very presence of such warriors filled the Ikko-Ikki with pride and inspiration, inspiring greater deeds of heroism.

Such heroism even brought down the mighty Takeda Shingen. As he withdrew from an engagement and repositioned, an arrow struck his neck, sending the warlord down into the ground unceremoniously. Yet even his loss did not deter the enemy enough to end the fight. Baba Yasutane, one of Shingen's most trusted generals, took up the mantle of his fallen daimyo and continued to press the attack.

The Ikko-Ikki were being pushed backward. The flanks were giving way, and the center - which until that point had been anchored by the ferocious warrior monks, was thinning. Without reinforcements Yukiie knew he couldn't hold, the Takeda had simply brought too many samurai for his forces to counter... that is where reality must give way to folklore, for no reports survive to add proof to this story. According to legend, the leader of the Ikko Monks approached Yukiie and demanded that he withdraw his forces. The warrior monks were holding the center, and could hold it long enough for the Ikko-Ikki to withdraw safely.

Did Yukiie recieve "permission" to withdraw? Was he demanded to? The fact remains that he did, leaving the warrior monks alone in the center against the entire Takeda Force. He withdrew as many men as he could just as the flanks collapsed and disappeared deeper into the forest, escaping into the country-side with the survivors and leaving the rest of the holy men of Kanazawa to die. Takeda clan battlefield reports from Kaga tell a freightening tale, that even completely surrounded the monks refused to give up, refused to surrender, and made the Takeda pay for every man they slew with ten of their own. It is likely a heavy exaggeration...

The battle of Komatsu ended just a little after 4:00 pm local time, but thousands of men lay dead by its end, among them the warlord who had united eastern Honshu. Hajikano Yukiie was forced to pull back and so was the interim commander of the Takeda campaign, Baba Yasutane. He returned to Noto Province, forced to wait for reinforcements to press against Kaga again.

In the aftermath of the battle two immediate things took place. The first would be the spread of the epic Komatsu, popularized by many artists and poems of the time, it tells the story of the brave monks who held the line at the battle, despite all odds, and gave their lives to protect the retreat of the common man. The second: a new man would succeed to power in the Takeda Alliance. A man who was about to embark on a course of action that would unite all of the Republic against him.

[Populus Romanus]

Wow! War with the Takeda was not what I was expecting, I had no idea that they had grown so powerful. It will truly be an epic clash then!

[Monk]

VI. The War for Kaga

Takeda Shingen was dead, Japan's most famous and powerful warlord lain low by the humblest of warriors, the Ikko-Ikki though none within the Republic celebrated his death. The Takeda Alliance and the Ikko-Ikki were reluctant enemies to one another from the start, social disagreements, and the right of control of Noto had kept them apart and ultimately lead one of the finest tacticians in the east to his death. All of Japan mourned the loss of such a legendary figure, even his enemies in the Republic.

With Shingen dead power in the Takeda Alliance passed to his son, Takeda Michinori. A skillful and rutheless soldier, Michinori had spent his early twenties fighting against the Date in the North. When peace between the Alliance and the northern clans was finally brought about, it is rumored that Michinori had his greatest rival from the clan assassinated. Now at the age of 31 (a child in comparison to Jutsurai and Shonyo, who were both in their 50s!) he assumed control of the largest political entity in Japan. He wasted little time. Within two weeks of his taking power he sent calls to both the Imagawa and Tokugawa, requesting their entrace into the war. However, the warlord would be denied.

The Great Famine gripped the land and strained supplies to their breaking point. Both clans had warned the Takeda not to engage in warfare while their ability to fight was hindered, but Shingen had gone forward with his invasion plans regardless. Michinori could hardly be angry with the responses of his allies. Baba Yasutane, commander in-field of his troops, had been forced to pull back all the way to Hida province near the heart of Takeda territory! With supplies limited and a bitter winter on the horizon, Michinori's campaigns would have to wait, but paths to vengeance are varied - and not all require an army. On December 13th, 1561 in the mountains of Echizen, Shonyo was reportedly meditating with two of his most trusted guards and advisors. Early the next morning all three men were found dead, and no sign or trace of their killer(s) could be located. His death would send shockwaves throughout all of Japan, not just the Republic. Shonyo, leader of the Ikko-Ikki movement, the man who had started everything with his teachings was gone. Murdered by a man too cowardly to show his face. Many clans rejoiced at the news, as the Ikko-Ikki's republic was a direct threat to their authority and ability to rule. But just as many regretted the death of such a great man. Tokugawa Ieyasu is said to have been one of the latter. No proof or evidence ever linked Michiyori to Shonyo's death, but that didn't stop Jutsurai..

The forests near Kanazawa, late September 1563

Jutsurai cast Michinori as the man who had taken Shonyo's life, as if the Takeda Daimyo himself had stepped across the border and assassinated the aging monk. To him, there was no difference, and the people of the Republic were soon convinced as much. Shonyo had been something of a symbol for the republic since its founding, almost a fatherly figure. As the people mourned him, Jutsurai's campaign of vengeance against the Takeda took root easily. More importantly, he was no the final member of the original Republic 'trinity'. With few men as powerful as he left, he was the Ikko-Ikki. More so than anyone else could ever claim. And soon, the people believed his words just as sure as a sun rise. Michiyori was responsible. The Takeda were responsible.

1562 dawned and the famines began to passed. Bountiful harvests once more blessed Japan and the clans began the slow march to recovery. While the crisis would not be officially declared over until a year later, the worst had passed. Meanwhile in the eastern half of Honshu, the two sides in the Ikko-Takeda war began to rearm..

Battle of Kanazawa

November, 1563
Belligerents: Ikko Republic vs Takeda Clan
Commanders Matsunaga Hirotsugu | Suwa Akitsuna, Yamadara Fugumichi

After his withdrawal from battle at Komatsu, Hajikano Yukiie faced increasing scrutiny in regards to his willingness and dedication to the Ikko-Ikki. With his long time rival, Hirotsugu, being one of his biggest ditractors many in the Ikko Militia felt he didnt have the stomach for command. Although Yukiie had the support of Jutsurai, the fact of the matter remains that beneath his command an entire military sect of the Ikko had been lost. As reinforcements arrived from all over the Republic, it was Hirotsugu who was given command of them, and not Yukiie. The famed warrior was not at all pleased by the turn of events, taking orders from an old warhorse like Hirotsugu was almost too much for him. Still, he complied. Despite the tension between the two commanders, their position in Kaga province strengthened every day as men of the Ikko arrived ready to fight.

Takeda Michinori however was through with waiting. After two long years of rebuilding and rearming his forces were ready for another round in Kaga. However, the troops now beneath the command of the Takeda were not the samurai heavy armies that had seen action two years prior. Still in the process of training replacements, the army that marched into Kaga in late August was largely an ashigaru force. However, they had quite a surprise for their Ikko-Ikki enemies.



Guns, brought to Japan through trade with westerners were now deployed by the Takeda. What better way to test a new way of war than against your worst enemy? The Takeda force advanced quickly through Kaga, but the dense forests in and around Kanazawa prevented thorough scouting. The Takeda commanders were on edge as they moved through the province, and with good reason.



Blocking their advance was a huge Ikko-Ikki force, and unfortunately for the Takeda, they didn't spot them until it was too late.



A hail of arrows slammed into the Takeda lines from deep within the tree-line, drawing the takeda out of formation and jumbling their organization. They returned fire, arrows and bullets whizzing through the trees as the two sides raced toward one another. At the edge of the trees both sides struggled against one another. As they clashed it became clear that both sides were about equal. Like two super heavyweights the two armies slugged it out in the cool autumn shade. While Hirotsugu pinned the Takeda along the trees, Yukiie led the cavalry in a wide arch around the right flank. It was the same tactic they had employed in the final battle against the Hattori, and when they came charging home, not even the Takeda forces could hold back their tide.



It was a perfect flank attack. The Takeda force crumbled as both of the eastern generals tried to organize a retreat. Only Yamadara Fugumichi, who had been in command of the left collumn, managed to withdraw his men with some semblance of order. Suwa Akitsuna, who had been sucked toward the center of the line, fled for his life. As did many of his loyal troops! With the battle won, Hirotsugu attempted to press his advantage, but he would be denied.

Despite their defeat at Kanazawa the Takeda forces did not retreat from Kaga province. Fugumichi organized a successful harassment on the Ikko-Ikki camps while the rest of the Takeda army was still in disarray, buying them the preciously needed time to regroup. By the time he pulled back to regroup with the rest of his allies, the Ikko-Ikki force was exhausted, having spent days chasing a highly mobile force through the back woods of Kaga. Still, Hirotsugu declared it a great victory for the republic and vowed to press his advantage at the earliest chance. Yukiie, who had always been called a glory-hound by his superior, was praised for his timely and decisive charge. Though neither men could truly stand the other, they could perhaps admit they made a good team..

Second Battle of Kanazawa
March, 1564
Belligerents: Ikko Republic vs Takeda Clan
Commanders: Matsunaga Hirotsugu | Yamadara Fugumichi

Unfortunately, Hirotsugu would have to wait nearly four months to press his advantage. The harrassment of Fugumichi proved to be very effective. Units of sometimes four or five gunners and archers picked and prodded at the Ikko-Ikki every time they tried to advance. Using the trees and woods for cover, it proved incredibly difficult to pin them down in the open. When the first snows of the year came, it was all but impossible. However, Jutsurai had a surprise for his embattled commander. The Ikko-Ikki were not backwards or slow to adopt new ideas. When the Takeda had deployed guns against them, the Ikko were quick to adapt.

Fugumichi was in a tough position. His lines of supply had already been tested to their limit as his men wintered in Kaga, and with news of Ikko-Ikki reinforcements on the march from Echizen, it would be harder and harder to continue his harassment and irregular style fighting. As spring came, he knew he still had time to make one final push for Kanazawa before the Ikko-Ikki mustered enough strength to overwhelm him.. and push he did.



Unfortunately, his push was met with the thunder of the Ikko-Ikki gunners. As he advanced, Fugumichi found that his best troops, the samurai archers who had made his harassment so effective, were being targeted first! Almost on the exact same piece of land as the first battle of Kanazawa, the two sides clashed in a messy melee. Unlike the first battle, which had taken place rather neatly on the edge of the tree line, this battle saw the lines quickly collapse into chaos.



But this kind of fight was, by now, the Ikko-Ikki specialty. As the Takeda lines of communications broke down, Hirotsugu organized charge after charge. As the takeda center began to gave way, Yukiie came around the side with the Ikko Cavalry, pressing home - never once letting up the pressure. Fugumichi tried to hold in the center, but his men were getting beaten and picked apart. In front of them they fought fearsome warrior monks and brave ashigaru. To the left of them, cavalry harassed and charged home only to withdraw and do it all over. And to the right, Ikko gunners picked at their flank. Firing volley after volley. By early afternoon, the battle had ended.



Fugumichi was in full retreat. Hirotsugu had made good on his word and thrown the Takeda forces out of Kaga province. As more and more Ikko-Ikki arrived near the battlefield at Kanazawa it was only a matter of time until they went on the offensive.

[Populus Romanus]

Another great update!

The Takeda force crumblerd as both

Should that be "crumbled"?