Battle of Mimigawa

• Date: 10 December 1578
• Location: Hyuga Province
• Battle

Tawara Chikataka (under the command of Otomo Sorin) (50,000+) vs. Shimazu Yoshihisa (30,000)

Determined to crush the growing power of the Shimazu, Otomo Sorin and his son Yoshimune led an enormous host into Hyuga, intent on recapturing lands taken from the Ito family. Tawara Chikataka, Sorin’s brother-in-law, led the bulk of the army to besiege Shimazu Iehisa in Taka Castle. Yoshihisa hastily rallied his kinsmen and marched north to Sadowara, where he was briefly held up by bad weather. Meanwhile, his brother Yoshihiro, who was advancing along a different route, encountered and scattered an advance Otomo force, following up this success with the destruction of an enemy fort at Matsuyama. Yoshihisa then advanced to the Taka area, and joined with the rest of the Shimazu clan. In the resulting battle Tawara sent the Otomo army in a frontal attack that was repulsed after some bitter fighting. The Otomo were quickly routed, and Yoshihisa won an amazing victory that cost his enemy thousands of men and heralded their decline.