Tokugawa’s Gamble – Betrayals, Battles, and the Tiger of Kai

Jun 30, 2025 | News On Japan

Jun 30, 2025 (Kings and Generals) - This episode of Sengoku Jidai explores Tokugawa Ieyasu’s rise during Japan’s chaotic Warring States era, focusing on his conquest of Totomi Province, alliance with and betrayal of the Takeda clan, and the climactic Battle of Mikatagahara.

After securing Mikawa and allying with Oda Nobunaga, Ieyasu aimed to seize Totomi and Suruga from his former overlords, the weakening Imagawa clan. In 1567, he officially changed his family name to Tokugawa to claim noble lineage, a strategic move toward future ambitions of becoming Shogun.

Ieyasu allied with the powerful Takeda Shingen, who also sought to dismantle the Imagawa. While Shingen’s betrayal of the Imagawa led to internal strife and even the execution of his own son and a key general, it cleared the path for a joint invasion. Tokugawa took Totomi after a lengthy siege of Kakegawa Castle, while Shingen battled the Hojo clan over Suruga.

After the uneasy alliance broke down, Shingen captured much of Suruga. Meanwhile, Ieyasu solidified his control in Totomi and clashed alongside Nobunaga against the Asakura and Azai clans, notably at the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, where his experienced Mikawa troops proved decisive.

In 1572, Shingen, answering a call from Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki to check Nobunaga's power, invaded Totomi with a massive army. Despite advice to remain defensive, Ieyasu confronted Shingen at Mikatagahara. The Takeda forces overwhelmed Ieyasu’s troops in a brutal winter battle. Ieyasu narrowly escaped thanks to a self-sacrificing decoy and used a clever bluff to prevent the Takeda from storming Hamamatsu Castle.

Though victorious, Shingen decided to retreat, wary of Nobunaga’s intervention and Kenshin’s potential attack from the north. Before he could return the next year, Shingen fell ill and died in early 1573—removing one of Ieyasu’s greatest threats but leaving the war with the Takeda unresolved.

The episode closes with a promise to continue the story in the next installment, covering the downfall of Ieyasu’s son and the further struggles against the Takeda clan.

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