Atlas of Battles

battle, early modern

Battle of Kawanakajima

Battle of Kawanakajima was a battle fought in August 1561 at Old Battlefield of Kawanakajima, in what is now Japan. It was part of Battles of Kawanakajima, which ran from 1553 to 1564. The recorded result: Inconclusive. Recorded strength: 4th battle: 20,000 against 4th battle: 13,000.

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Scene from Battle of Kawanakashima
Scene from Battle of Kawanakashima. Docsubster, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtAugust 1561
WhereOld Battlefield of Kawanakajima, Japan36.591N, 138.186E
OutcomeInconclusive
BelligerentsTakeda clanagainstUesugi clan
Casualties and losses4th battle: 4,000+and4th battle: 3,000+
Part ofBattles of Kawanakajima1553 to 1564

Where it sits in Battles of Kawanakajima

Battle of Saigawa, 1555Battle of Uenohara, 1557Siege of Katsurayama, 1557Battle of Kawanakajima, 156115551561Battle of Kawanakajima, 1561
4 placed engagements of Battles of Kawanakajima in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateAugust 1561 (month precision)
PlaceOld Battlefield of Kawanakajima, Japan
36.591N, 138.186E
KindBattle, early modern
Strength4th battle: 20,0004th battle: 13,000
Casualties and losses4th battle: 4,000+4th battle: 3,000+
Commanders
  • Takeda Shingen
  • Takeda Nobushige
  • Yamamoto Kansuke (general)
  • Anayama Nobutada
  • Kōsaka Masanobu
  • Hoshina Masatoshi
  • Uesugi Kenshin
  • Uesugi Kagenobu
  • Kakizaki Kageie
  • Amakasu Kagemochi
  • Irobe Katsunaga
  • Shibata Nagaatsu
Battle of KawanakajimaBattle of KawanakajimaSiege of AmakazariBattle of SaigawaBattle of YokotagawaraBattles of KawanakajimaSiege of KatsurayamaSiege of AmakazariBattle of YokotagawaraSiege of KatsurayamaYokohamaGifuFukuiMatsumotoKōfuNagaokaKawasakiMaebashi100 km36.591N, 138.186E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.
Map: Battle of Kawanakajima
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 6 times between 1181 and 1561.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1561

Battle of Kawanakajima is one of 1,470 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 604 in present-day Japan.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q99526592, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima, revision 1384281335, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.