Maeda Toshiie's victory at Suemori Castle established him as the dominant daimyō in the Kaga region during Japan's Azuchi–Momoyama period.
Key Facts
- Siege start date
- 9 October 1584
- Battle date
- 12 October 1584
- Sassa Narimasa's force
- 15,000 men
- Castle defended by
- Okumura Nagatomi and his wife Katō Tsune
- Region
- Kaga (now Ishikawa Prefecture), Japan
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the wider conflict of the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, Sassa Narimasa aligned with Tokugawa Ieyasu while his former ally Maeda Toshiie supported Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This political split brought the two former companions into direct military confrontation in the Kaga region, with Narimasa moving to seize Suemori Castle as a strategic objective.
On 9 October 1584, Sassa Narimasa besieged Suemori Castle with a force of 15,000 men. The defenders, led by Okumura Nagatomi and his wife Katō Tsune, resisted fiercely but were pushed to desperation. Maeda Toshiie arrived in the middle of the night on 12 October and routed Narimasa's besieging forces, ending the siege.
Following the defenders' victory, Maeda Toshiie consolidated his power and became the most influential daimyō in the Kaga region, corresponding to modern Ishikawa Prefecture. The outcome reinforced the strength of the Toyotomi coalition in northern Japan and weakened Sassa Narimasa's regional position.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Maeda Toshiie, Okumura Nagatomi, Katō Tsune.
Side B
1 belligerent
Sassa Narimasa.