Siege of Katsurayama

Siege of Katsurayama
Part of the Kawanakajima campaigns (Sengoku period)
Trailhead to the ruined Katsurayama castle
Date March 1557 Location Katsurayama Castle, northern Shinano Province, Japan Result Takeda victory Entire castle garrison killed, Katsurayama castle destroyed
Belligerents
forces of Takeda Shingen	forces of Uesugi Kenshin
Commanders and leaders
Baba Nobuharu	Ochiai Haruyoshi †
Units involved
Takeda clan	Ochiai clan Murakami clan
Strength
6,000 samurai and ashigaru[1]	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Heavy	Total

The siege of Katsurayama in March 1557 was fought between the forces of the Japanese daimyō Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin as part of the Kawanakajima campaigns. Katsurayama Castle was a strategically vital Uesugi stronghold in the contested Shinano Province and, when it was isolated from reinforcements due to late snow in early 1557, the Takeda clan used this opportunity to attack it. Although the castle garrison, consisting of the Ochiai clan and elements of the Murakami clan, defended Katsurayama furiously, the Takeda forces under Baba Nobuharu eventually stormed into the castle. Most of the garrison was killed in combat, while the families of the defenders committed mass suicide and the castle was burned to the ground.