Battle of Suriagehara
Suriagehara, southern Mutsu Province, Japan
What happened
Date Masamune's army fought the Ashina clan and their allies, the Satake and Nikaidō clans. The Ashina wanted revenge for an earlier defeat by the Date. Masamune's larger army beat them. As Ashina troops fell back across the Nippashi River, a bridge collapsed and many were caught by the pursuing Date forces.
Why it matters
The victory secured the Date clan's power over southern Mutsu Province. After defeating the Ashina, Masamune made Kurokawa Castle his base.
What came next
Some clans kept resisting. In 1590 Toyotomi Hideyoshi called the northern lords to his campaign at Odawara; Masamune arrived late, was spared, and lost some of his lands.
Did you know?
Local lore says Masamune wrote the folk song 'Sansa Shigure' during the victory celebrations.
Timeline
- 17 July 1589Battle of Suriagehara.
- 1589Masamune makes Kurokawa Castle his base.
- 1590Masamune submits to Hideyoshi during the Odawara campaign.
- 1591Masamune gives up the Date ancestral lands to Hideyoshi.