Battle of Mikatagahara

Date	January 25, 1573
Location	Mikatagahara, north of Hamamatsu, Tōtōmi Province
Result	Takeda victory; successful Tokugawa retreat

Belligerents

forces of Takeda Shingen

forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga

Commanders and leaders

Strength

35,000

11,000 Total
(8,000 Tokugawa troops, plus 3,000 from Oda Nobunaga)

Casualties and losses

Accounts vary from 100 to 500.

Accounts vary from 500 to 2000

The Battle of Mikatagahara (三方ヶ原の戦い, Mikatagahara no tatakai^?) (January 25, 1573; Tōtōmi Province, Japan) was one of the most famous battles of Takeda Shingen's campaigns, and one of the best demonstrations of his cavalry-based tactics. It was also one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's worst defeats, and complete disaster was only narrowly averted.

According to the Japanese calendar, the battle was fought on the 22nd day, 12th month, the year Genki-3.

In October 1572, after having concluded alliances with his rivals to the east (the Late Hōjō clan of Odawara and the Satomi clan of Awa), and after waiting for the snow to close off the northern mountain passes against his northern rival, Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Shingen led an army of 30,000 men south from his capital of Kōfu into Tōtōmi Province, while Yamagata Masakage led a second force of 5,000 men into eastern Mikawa Province. They quickly captured Yoshida Castle and Futamata Castle.

Shingen was opposed by Tokugawa Ieyasu, based at Hamamatsu Castle with 8,000 men, plus an additional 3,000 reinforcements received from his ally, Oda Nobunaga. However, Takeda's intent was not to attack Ieyasu nor to seize Hamamatsu; rather, he wished to avoid conflict if possible to save his forces to destroy Nobunaga and to march on Kyoto.

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