The Shimazu Retreat from Sekigahara
Keichō 5, 9th month, 15th day (October 21, 1600)
From Sekigahara in Mino Province, through Ise and Ōmi, back to Satsuma
- Date
- Keichō 5, 9th month, 15th day (October 21, 1600)
- Location
- From Sekigahara in Mino Province, through Ise and Ōmi, back to Satsuma
- Result
- Yoshihiro returned to Satsuma. A force said to have numbered about 1,500 when deployed is said to have been about 80 on its return.
Forces
Shimazu Yoshihiro's force (Western Army)
Eastern Army units in pursuit
About 5 min read
Overview
The Shimazu Retreat (Shimazu no Nokiguchi) was the withdrawal in which the force of Shimazu Yoshihiro, which had joined the Western Army at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keichō 5), broke through the enemy as the battle was lost and made its way back to Satsuma. It is said to have begun on the same day as the main battle of Sekigahara, the 15th day of the 9th month of Keichō 5 (October 21, 1600).
Breaking Through the Enemy
Yoshihiro's force took part in the main battle of Sekigahara as part of the Western Army. As the battle turned against the West, it is said to have broken through the unit of Fukushima Masanori and passed south beside the headquarters of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This movement is called a breakthrough through the enemy lines.
The Rear Guard and the Route Home
The rear guard held on at Utōzaka and at Makita and Ueno, and then entered the Ise West Road by way of Shōchi Pass. The main body is said to have crossed the Ise East Road at Komano Pass and Goso Pass and entered Ōmi. The route home is said to have run through Hozuki, Taga, Minakuchi, Seki, Ueno, Shigaraki, Nara and Sakai, and the force returned to Satsuma by sea from Hosojima in Hyūga.
On the pursuing side, Matsudaira Tadayoshi is said to have been wounded, and Ii Naomasa is said to have been wounded in an ambush at Shōchi Pass.
Numbers
The force is said to have numbered about 1,500 when deployed and about 80 when it returned to Satsuma. Some accounts give the number at the start of the retreat as 300 (by one account 1,000).
The Fate of the Rear Guard
Chōjuin Moriatsu is said to have worn Yoshihiro's jinbaori and acted as his substitute at Makita and Ueno, and to have been killed in action together with 18 retainers.
There are two accounts of the death of Shimazu Toyohisa. One holds that he fell at Utōzaka; the other holds that he withdrew past Shōchi Pass as far as Shirabyōshi-dani and took his own life. His remains are said to have been cremated at Yakushi-ji (now Rurikō-ji) and interred by his retainer Miwa Naisuke. A five-ringed stone tower known as the "Shimazu Mound" stands nearby. There is also an account that Yamaguchi Naotomo confirmed his death by inspecting the head.
What Remains on the Ground
Yoshihiro's camp site is said to lie near Shinmei Shrine in Koike. At Utōzaka there is a memorial monument inscribed "Shimazu Nakatsukasa-taifu Toyohisa no Hi," and at Rinkō-ji there is a monument to Chōjuin Moriatsu.