The Takeda counterattack at Mimase Pass allowed Shingen's army to withdraw safely to Kai after failing to take Odawara Castle.
Key Facts
- Date
- November 26, 1569
- Location
- Mimase Pass, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
- Hōjō dead (approx.)
- 900 soldiers
- Hōjō commanders
- Ujiteru and Ujikuni (brothers)
- Key Takeda counterattack
- Led by Yamagata Masakage
- Prior context
- Failed Takeda siege of Odawara Castle
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Takeda Shingen had repeatedly attempted and failed to take Odawara Castle, the stronghold of the Hōjō clan in Kanagawa. As his army began withdrawing toward Kai province through Mimase Pass, the Hōjō clan saw an opportunity to strike the retreating force in a prepared ambush.
Hōjō brothers Ujiteru and Ujikuni lay in wait at Mimase Pass and attacked the Takeda army during its withdrawal. The Takeda vanguard, including Baba Nobuharu, came under severe pressure. Shingen commanded the main body personally, and the tide turned when Yamagata Masakage launched a fierce counterattack that drove the Hōjō forces back.
The Hōjō army was forced to retreat northward, suffering approximately 900 killed. The Takeda forces were able to continue their withdrawal safely back to Kai province, turning a strategically difficult retreat into a tactical battlefield success that blunted Hōjō pursuit.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Takeda Shingen, Baba Nobuharu, Yamagata Masakage.
Side B
1 belligerent
Hōjō Ujiteru, Hōjō Ujikuni.