The Siege of Inokuchi (Autumn-Winter 1175) took place during the Genpei War when the Kiso branch of the Minamoto clan under Minamoto Yoshinaka besieged the Mino Province capital of Inokuchi, defended by the Toki clan under Toki Saneatsu. The battle saw the garrison be crushed by the Minamoto forces, who proceeded to repel an attack by Saneatsu's army on the castle. The siege led to the destruction of the Toki clan and the Minamoto takeover of Mino.
History[]
The Kiso Minamoto clan rebelled against the Taira clan's dominance over Japan and Emperor Go-Shirakawa, and the Genpei War would break out shortly after. The ensuing war would see the Minamoto clan aggressively expand, with the ambitious Minamoto Yoshinaka seeking to expand his clan to challenge the Taira clan's dominance of Japanese politics. In winter 1175, he began his first conquest by leading an army against the Toki clan of Mino Province, leading 525 troops alongside his retainer Imai Kanehira. His attack on the town of Inokuchi, the Toki clan's stronghold, saw his army face Toki Saneatsu's 569-strong Toki garrison and army.
The Minamoto took advantage of the Toki army's division; they faced Yamaoka Masaie's garrison on a hilltop at the undefended town of Inokuchi, while Saneatsu's army marched to the relief of the town. The Minamoto army assaulted the poorly-equipped Toki garrison and slaughtered them after a quick battle, with the Minamoto chasing down the Toki forces and killing many of them. Shortly after, Saneatsu's army arrived to seize the castle of Inokuchi from the Minamoto, and the Minamoto army moved to defend the hilltop town from the Toki forces. The Minamoto charged downhill and overwhelmed the Toki forces, and Saneatsu was slain in the battle. The Toki clan was destroyed, and Mino was conquered by the Minamoto.