Siege of Moji
Encyclopedia
The was a 1561 siege against the castle of Moji
(門司) in Japan. The castle belonged to the Mōri clan
, whose capital was the city of Yamaguchi
.
Forces under Ōtomo Sōrin
attacked the castle in alliance with the Portuguese
, who provided three ships between 500 and 600 tons, with 300 crews and 17 or 18 cannons. This is thought to have been the first bombardment by foreign ships on Japan.
The bombardment permitted the Ōtomo troops to establish themselves around the Moji castle. After expanding their ammunition though, the Portuguese soon had to leave, unable to assist the siege further.
The besieged nevertheless managed to break the siege lines and reinforce the castle. Ōtomo led an all-out assault on the castle, but the assault failed, and the castle finally remained in Mōri possession.
Moji-ku, Kitakyushu
is a ward of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the former city of Moji which was one of five cities merged to create Kitakyūshū in 1963. It faces the city of Shimonoseki across the Kanmon Straits between Honshū and Kyūshū....
(門司) in Japan. The castle belonged to the Mōri clan
Mori clan
The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
, whose capital was the city of Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi
is the capital city of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 198,971 and a population density of 194.44 persons per km²...
.
Forces under Ōtomo Sōrin
Otomo Sorin
, also known as Fujiwara no Yoshishige and Ōtomo Yoshishige , was a Japanese feudal lord of the Ōtomo clan, one of the few to have converted to Christianity. The eldest son of Ōtomo Yoshiaki, he inherited the domain of Funai, on Kyūshū, Japan's southernmost main island, from his father...
attacked the castle in alliance with the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
, who provided three ships between 500 and 600 tons, with 300 crews and 17 or 18 cannons. This is thought to have been the first bombardment by foreign ships on Japan.
The bombardment permitted the Ōtomo troops to establish themselves around the Moji castle. After expanding their ammunition though, the Portuguese soon had to leave, unable to assist the siege further.
The besieged nevertheless managed to break the siege lines and reinforce the castle. Ōtomo led an all-out assault on the castle, but the assault failed, and the castle finally remained in Mōri possession.