The First Battle of Akashi occurred in June 1865 when the army of the pro-Imperial Choshu Domain laid siege to the Harima Province capital of Akashi defended by the daimyo of the pro-Shogunate Nagoya Domain, Owari Mochinaga. The Nagoya Domain launched a failed sortie which resulted in the loss of all but 12 of the defenders, leading to the city's fall and Choshu's expansion into the Kansai region of central Honshu.
Background[]
By the end of 1864, the outbreak of violence between the pro-Imperial and pro-Shogunate domains of Japan had led to the formation of regional powers affiliated with both alliances. In the Chugoku region of western Honshu, the pro-Imperial Choshu Domain established its hegemony through conquering its neighboring rivals and forming alliances with the major pro-Imperial clans of the region. In the Kansai region of west-central Honshu, the pro-Shogunate Nagoya Domain expanded out of its heartland in Owari Province and came to rule over Ise, Yamato, Kawachi, and Harima Provinces in southern Kansai. This made them a feared powerbroker in the region, and, by December 1864, Nagoya's daimyo Owari Mochinaga had readied a large army to invade the pro-Imperial Okayama Domain of Bizen Province.
By then, however, the Choshu Domain had established an alliance with the Okayama Domain. Hoping to forestall the Nagoya Domain's advance, the Choshu Domain declared war on Nagoya, and, in early December, Ijuin Takaaki's Choshu flotilla shelled Owari's army on the border of Harima and Bizen, killing 11 of his hashimoto bodyguards. In January 1865, the Okayama daimyo Ikeda Mochimasa led his army into battle with Owari's army and smashed it, forcing Owari to flee to the coast of Harima with the remnants of his force. There, he set up camp and replenished his numbers, while Mochimasa launched a failed assault on Harima's castle, Akashi, which resulted in his death and the withdrawal of his army back to Bizen.
The Choshu Domain's plans to reinforce the Okayama Domain's frontline failed because of the Okayama Domain's persistent refusal to allow Choshu forces to march through its territory. In response, Takasugi Shinsaku and his Choshu army withdrew from Bitchu Province to Bingo Province, where the army embarked on Takaaki's ships and sailed to Harima, where they disembarked along the coast. Sensing a looming battle, Owari withdrew his army to Akashi, which was then besieged by Takasugi's 1,905-strong army. Takasugi decided to have his army dig in rather than risk a costly frontal assault, but, in late June, Owari decided to order his 1,245-strong army and garrison to sortie against the besiegers.
Battle[]
The Choshu army's "U"-shape maneuver
The Choshu army deployed on a plain, while the Nagoya army - attacking at nighttime - attacked from the mountains. Torii Morofusa, commanding the Nagoya left flank, decided to launch a charge of his Yari Kii horsemen against the Choshu left flank, which included modern sabre cavalry. The ensuing cavalry battle resulted in Morofusa's death, but also the elimination of one of the two Choshu cavalry regiments. It was then that the main Nagoya attack occurred, at which point the larger Choshu army formed a near "U" shape in order to fire on the hordes of Nagoya soldiers from all sides. The Nagoya regiments were shot to pieces, and the Choshu line infantry were able to fight off the samurai warriors who made it to their ranks for brief melee battles. At the same time, the Nagoya Domain's prized Parrott Rifle artillery were charged by another regiment of sabre cavalry, ridding them of their technological advantage. Before long, the whole Nagoya army - surrounded and badly mauled - collapsed. Owari himself was killed in the rout which soon followed, and all but 12 of his men were killed or deserted. The remaining 12 surrendered to the Choshu Domain, which proceeded to occupy Akashi and the rest of Harima Province, thus establishing a foothold in Kansai and challenging the Nagoya Domain's ascendancy.
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