Sekigahara

October 21, 1600

Strategic Context
Toyotomi Hideyoshi unifies Japan in 1590 but dies in 1598 after his disastrous invasion of Korea, leaving his
infant son, Toyotomi Hideyori, to rule a now-weakened Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu, regent to the king, steps in
to take power. This creates a conflict among the daimyo (feudal lords), which soon begin choosing sides.

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Ishida Mitsunari, an ambitious bureaucrat, organizes a coalition mainly comprised of Western daimyo to
support the Toyotomi claim and overthrow Tokugawa; meanwhile, Eastern daimyo for the most part support
Tokugawa. In 1600, while Tokugawa marches north to suppress a rebellion, Ishida and allied Western
daimyo launch a formal complaint against Tokugawa and march north to seize vital castles and challenge his
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power. However, Tokugawa reaches the vital ground first, and so Ishida retreats to the high ground in the
narrow valley of Sekigahara, which Tokugawa must march through to strike Ishida’s power base.

Stakes
+ A Western victory would weaken the
perception of Tokugawa’s hold on
power, drawing more daimyo to
Ishida’s side.
+ An Eastern victory would allow
Tokugawa to strike Ishida’s power
base, drawing more daimyo to
Tokugawa’s side.
By Jonathan Webb, 2015
 Sekigahara, 1600
Strength

Western Army Eastern Army

Ishida Mitsunari Tokugawa Ieyasu

84,400  89,300

Well Well

By Jonathan Webb, 2015

Japan c. 1600
The battlefield consists of a somewhat marshy valley with hills on most sides. The steepest hills are Mount Sasao to the north and Mounts Momokubari and Nangu to
the south, with the more gradual Mounts Tengu and Matsuo to the west. The widest lane into the valley is to the east along two roads, as well as three narrower lanes
to the west and south along single roads. The only urban features are the towns of Tarui in the clearing to the east, and Sekigahara which sits directly in the center of
the valley and all roads. Significant water features include Ikedari pond in the west as well as three rivers which run through the valley.
0 500m 1 km Eastern Army
(Tokugawa)
Mount Sasao
N

Ai River

Tarui

Ikedari
Pond

Sekigahara
Mount Tengu

Teradani Mount Momokubari

River

Fuji River

Mount Nangu

Mount Matsuo

Western Army
(Ishida)
Kobayakawa
Tokugawa
In
Kuroda
Fighting
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thenorth,
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ais
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Mount
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troops
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position,
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suddenly
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unengaged
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the field
Kobayakawa
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palisade
ontoMount
engage left
volley
that
to hit
Nangu.
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Tokugawa
troops
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ofsuspects
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istooverwhelmed
Sekigahara. precludes
and adjusts and his units any Mori
killed.accordingly. action.
0 500m 1 km Mount Sasao
Eastern Army
(Tokugawa)
Kuroda
Landmarks Ishida

N Husokawa
Shima/ Kuroda
Gamo
Yamanouchi
Kato/
Tsutsui/T
Husokawa
Shimazu anaka Kuroda
Ai River
Ikedari Kato/
Matsudaira/
Pond Tsutsui/T Husokawa Tokugawa
Il Namosa
anaka
Konishi
Kato
Il Namosa Ikoma

Tsutsui
Il Namosa
Ukita
Fukushima
Terazawa/
FukushimaTanaka
Mount Tengu Matsudaira Asano
Ikeda

Fukushima Sekigahara

Todo/ Terazawa Kikkawa

Otani Asano
Kyogoku

Fuji River
Teradani Kikkawa
Kobayakawa
River
Todo/
Natsuka
Kyogoku
Mount Momokubari Mount Nangu
Ogawa

N
Eastern
Western Army
Army
Mori
Mount Matsuo
(Tokugawa
(IshidaChosokabe
Mitsunari)
Ieyasu)
Western Army 0 500m 1 km
(Ishida)
Kobayakawa
89,300
84,400
 Sekigahara, 1600
Casualties & Aftermath
Western Army: Eastern Army:

40,000 ~7,500
or or
48% 8%
Tokugawa quickly exploited his victory, besieging and capturing Ishida’s home castle of
Sawayama, Kobayakawa leading the main assault. Tokugawa captured and executed Ishida
soon after. Tokugawa rewarded his supporting daimyo rich with lands from his enemies but,
keeping in mind the conflicting loyalties many daimyo held toward the Toyotomi family,
Tokugawa promised his granddaughter’s hand in marriage to Toyotomi Hideyori. In 1603,
Tokugawa established himself as shogun. In 1615, Tokugawa attacked Osaka Castle and
defeated a now teenaged Toyotomi Hideyori, removing the last obstacle to a lasting, stable
regime under his leadership. The Tokugawa shogunate survived until 1857 when it was
overthrown in the Meiji Restoration.
By Jonathan Webb, 2015
 The Art of Battle:
Animated Battle Maps
http://www.theartofbattle.com
By Jonathan Webb, 2015