INTERACTIVE BATTLE
Siege of Otsu Castle
13-21 October 1600 · Otsu Castle, Omi Province
Kyogoku Takatsugu, having gone over to the Eastern side, held Otsu Castle and pinned down a large Western force; the castle surrendered on the day of Sekigahara itself.
Background
Otsu Castle was built around 1586 near present-day Hamaotsu on Toyotomi Hideyoshi's orders, replacing Sakamoto Castle. Its fourth lord, Kyogoku Takatsugu, had joined the Western force in the Hokuriku direction but changed sides and shut himself in the castle. Otsu sits where the Tokaido and Hokkoku roads meet, on the line between Kyoto-Osaka and Sekigahara.
Outcome
Takatsugu drew some 15,000 Western troops under Mori Motoyasu and Tachibana Muneshige to Otsu and surrendered on 21 October. Because that was the day of Sekigahara itself, this large force never reached the field. Afterwards the castle was abandoned on Ieyasu's orders and replaced by Zeze Castle.
Course of the battle
1 13 October 1600
The Western army invests Otsu Castle
Mori Motoyasu, Tachibana Muneshige and other Western commanders surrounded Otsu Castle, held by Kyogoku Takatsugu after his change of side.
Sources123·Certainty: High
2 21 October 1600
The castle surrenders on the day of Sekigahara
Takatsugu held out, keeping a Western force said to number 15,000 at Otsu, and surrendered on the very day of Sekigahara; those troops never reached the decisive field.
Sources123·Certainty: High
Historical significance
The delay Takatsugu imposed is said to have weighed heavily on the outcome at Sekigahara. With the siege of Tanabe it kept substantial Western strength away from the decisive field.
Key figures
徳川方
1
Lord of Otsu Castle
He left the Western force in Hokuriku for the Eastern side and held Otsu Castle, pinning down a large Western army.
Sources123·Certainty: High
石田方
2
Western besieging commander
Besieged Otsu Castle together with Tachibana Muneshige.
Sources123·Certainty: Medium
Western besieging commander
Attacked Otsu with Mori Motoyasu; because the castle held until the day of Sekigahara he never reached the main battle.
Sources123·Certainty: Medium
Other events of 1600
Notes on the data
The sources date the siege to the 7th-15th days of the 9th month of Keicho 5; the Gregorian dates come from a description giving both calendars (13-21 October 1600).
Sources consulted
- 大津市観光協会「びわ湖大津トラベルガイド 大津城ゆかりの地を歩く」
- 大津市観光協会「戦国の大津歴史舞台 大津と大津城」
- 大津市「大津城跡発掘調査報告書」
The numbers in the text refer to the list above. Certainty indicates how far a statement is supported by the cited sources; it does not refer to the precision of the coordinates or the dating.
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