Siege of Mitsuji

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Siege of Mitsuji

The May 1576 siege was part of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War during Japan’s Sengoku period. The Ikko-ikki, a group of warrior monks and peasants, held the Mitsu-ji fortress in Osaka against Oda Nobunaga’s forces.

Nobunaga personally led the attack, bringing about 3,000 ashigaru (foot soldiers) and several of his generals, including Niwa Nagahide, Hashiba Hideyoshi, Takigawa Kazumasu, Inaba Ittetsu, and Hachiya Yoritaka. The Ikko-ikki defenders numbered about 15,000 sōhei (warrior monks). The fight drove the Ikko-ikki back to their inner gates. Nobunaga was wounded in the leg by a bullet, and one of his generals, Harada Naomasa, was killed. Despite the losses on Nobunaga’s side, the Ikko-ikki held the fortress, achieving victory in this engagement.