Sieges of Kuromaru

The Kuromaru (黒丸), or "Black Fortress", was a fortress of the KanreiShiba Takatsune located in Echizen Province (present-day Nittazuka, Fukui, Fukui Prefecture) in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It was attacked twice during the Nanboku-chō Wars of the 14th century, during which it was likely both built and destroyed.

The fortress was first attacked in August 1338 by a small force under Nitta Yoshisada, numbering roughly fifty horse, in what would come to be known as the Battle of Fujishima. Hosokawa Akiuji had been ordered by Ashikaga Takauji to aid Shiba Takatsune in the defense, and encountered Nitta's force a short distance from the fortress.^[1]

The warrior monks of the Heisen-ji monastery, originally part of Nitta's force, were bribed by Shiba to abandon the attack, and Nitta's rush to fill the ensuing gap in his formations led to him and his horsemen running into Hosokawa's. In the battle which followed, Nitta was mortally wounded by an arrow.^[1][2]

The following year, upon his enthronement, Emperor Go-Murakami ordered the late Nitta Yoshisada's brother, Wakiya Yoshisuke, to lead another attack on the fortress. This assault was successful, and ended in Shiba's surrender.^[1]:68

Chapter 20 of the Taiheiki chronicles the events of the death of Nitta Yoshisada at Kuromaru. It states that an arrow wounded his horse, making it unable to jump over a ditch. It fell and trapped Yoshisada's left leg. An arrow in the flurry struck him between the brows, and he drew his sword and slit his throat. The resemblance to the death of Minamoto no Yoshinaka as described in the Heike Monogatari has led to questions about whether the account is factual.

في عام 1660، عثر مزارعٌ كان يحرث الأرض قرب موقع المعركة على خوذة كابوتو ، وقدّمها إلى ماتسودايرا ميتسوميتشي ، داي ميو إقطاعية فوكوي . دلّ تصميم الخوذة على أنها كانت تخص محاربًا رفيع الرتبة، وأعلن إينوي بانزايمون، كبير الاستراتيجيين العسكريين للإقطاعية، أنها لا بدّ أن تكون تخص نيتا يوشيسادا. في عام 1870، بنى ماتسودايرا موتشياكي ، الحاكم الإمبراطوري لفوكوي، ضريحًا شينتويًا ، هو ضريح فوجيشيما ، في الموقع، كجزء من مساعي حكومة ميجي لتكريم تاريخ استعادة كينمو وتعزيز الولاء للعائلة الإمبراطورية اليابانية . تُحفظ الكابوتو في الضريح، وهي تُعدّ من الممتلكات الثقافية الهامة. ^{[ 3 ]} وقد حظي موقع المعركة نفسه بالحماية كموقع تاريخي وطني منذ عام 1924. ^{[ 4 ]}

• تايهيكي (باللغة اليابانية)