Battle of Kizaki

Battle of Kizaki
Part of Sengoku period
Date October, 1572 Location Kizaki plain, on the Ōsumi-Hyūga border Result Shimazu victory
Belligerents
Shimazu clan	Itō clan
Commanders and leaders
Shimazu Yoshihiro	Itō Yoshisuke
Strength
300[1]	3000[2]

The Battle of Kizaki occurred in June 1572 when the forces of Shimazu Takahisa defeated the larger army of Itō Yoshisuke.^[3]

Following their capture of Obi, the Itō strengthened their position on southern Hyūga and began encroaching territory belonging to the Shimazu. Yoshisuke desired to expand into Ōsumi and with that in mind supported clans antagonizing the Shimazu. Still the Shimazu were able to control Ōsumi and in 1572 offered battle to Yoshiaki in the plain of Kizaki, in the border between the two provinces. The armies at Kizaki had a great disparity in strength, the Shimazu only fielded 300 warriors while the Itō possessed as many as 3000.

Outnumbered in a 10:1 ratio, the Shimazu stood in a defensive position and were able to gain victory using their famous feigned retreat.^[4] The battle seriously damaged Itō's forces and the Shimazu were left in a position to expand north, into southern Hyūga. Four years later, the Shimazu would conclude the destruction of the Itō when they captured Takabaru forcing Yoshisake to flee into Ōtomo lands.^[5]

References

1. Samurai Archives
2. Samurai Archives
3. Turnbull, Stephen (2000). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & C0. p. 221. ISBN 1854095234.
4. Samurai - The World of the Warrior By Stephen Turnbull. Page 101