The Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima (10 September 1561) was a major but indecisive battle between the "Tiger of Kai" Shingen Takeda and the "Dragon of Echigo" Kenshin Uesugi, their fourth battle in eight years on the Kawanakajima plain of Shinano Province. The battle occurred after Yoshikiyo Murakami, the daimyo of the Murakami clan, pleaded for Uesugi assistance in defending Shinano from the Takeda clan. The battle was very bloody without a decisive winner, as the Uesugi army defeated the two Takeda armies but was forced to withdraw to Zenkoji.
Background[]
For eight years and three battles Kenshin Uesugi struggled against Shingen Takeda, and they met for the fourth time on the Hachimanbara plain of Kawanakajima. Shingen's 20,000-strong army camped at Kaizu Castle, while Kenshin's 13,000 troops camped on Mount Saijo. Shingen attempted to go around Mount Saijo and ambush the Uesugi army at their encampment, but Uesugi spies discovered movements in the Takeda castle at night, so the Uesugi relocated to the plain]]. Shingen led a third of his army to the plain to fight the Uesugi while the other two-thirds headed to Mount Saijo. The Uesugi had an advantage, with their large army outnumbering Shingen's smaller force on the plain. Also, the Takeda were divided in two, so it would be easier for Kenshin to utilize a divide-and-conquer strategy.
Battle[]
The Uesugi army was drawn up on the high ground of the Hachimanbara plain, while the main Takeda army was located on the lower parts of the field. Kenshin dispatched his rearguard units to reinforce the two units positioned on his eastern flank, staving off any attempt by the Takeda to attack the Uesugi from the flank. The Uesugi army included fierce warrior monks, with two warrior monk arquebus units being deployed on the field of battle. Kenshin Uesugi had one of these units deployed to his eastern flank while the rest of his army faced off with Shingen.
The main Takeda army under Shingen did not budge, going on the defensive while the other Takeda army at Mount Saijo moved down from the mountain to the battlefield. Kenshin led his main army against the main Takeda army, using numerical superiority against the smaller Takeda army. Shingen's forces were crushed by the numerically-superior Takeda army, and the smaller Uesugi army on the eastern flank engaged in battle with the Takeda army when they attacked. The Uesugi held off a Takeda cavalry attack, and when they were joined by the main Uesugi army, they launched a combined attack on the Takeda army. The Takeda were defeated, and Shingen was forced to retreat. The battle was costly for both sides, and Kenshin later withdrew to Zenkoji.
