Battle of Nyoigatake (如意ケ嶽の戦い)
The Battle of Nyoigatake was fought near Mt. Nyoigatake in Sakyo Ward of Kyoto City at midnight of July 14, 1509. Whether it developed into a great battle, whether they attempted to invade Kyoto again, and whether they attempted to force their way back to Awa Province remains unknown. Some maps show the location as Nyoigatani (Nyoi Valley).
How the war broke out
In the Eisho Disturbance, Sumimoto HOSOKAWA and Yukinaga MIYOSHI withdrew to Koga in Omi Province once, but they immediately invaded Kyoto and defeated the entire army of Sumiyuki HOSOKAWA.
The former Seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the eastern barbarians") Yoshitane ASHIKAGA, who had been expelled in the Coup of Meio, attempted to take advantage of the disorder and go to Kyoto, trusting in Yoshioki OUCHI. In anticipation, Sumimoto HOSOKAWA asked Shigeyuki HOSOKAWA, his grandfather, and Takakuni HOSOKAWA including Yoshioki OUCHI together planned to reconcile with them. But, a serious incident occurred -- In collusion with Yoshioki OUCHI, Takakuni HOSOKAWA fled from Kyoto on April 27, 1508 on the pretext of visiting Ise Shrine and took refuge with Iga no kuni Shugo (Provincial Constable of Iga Province) Takanaga NIKI.
On May 18, 1508, Sumimoto HOSOKAWA and Yukinaga MIYOSHI realized the disadvantage of having a band of kunishu (local samurai) who ruled Settsu Province take the side of Takakuni HOSOKAWA and also of the army of Yoshioki OUCHI close at hand, set fire to their residence and fled to Omi Province again.
On the next day, May 19, 1508, Takakuni HOSOKAWA entered the capital of Kyoto; on July 16, 1508, Yoshitane ASHIKAGA arrived in Kyoto from Sakai; and on August 7, 1508, Yoshitane ASHIKAGA assumed the office of shogun again, appointed Takakuni HOSOKAWA kanrei (shogunal deputy) and appointed Yoshioki OUCHI kanrei dai (representative of a shogunal deputy), respectively.
Sumimoto HOSOKAWA was hemmed in on all sides -- Sadamasa IKEDA who was a kunishu from Settsu Province taking the side of Sumimoto HOSOKAWA died in the battle, Akutagawa Bungo no kami (governor of Bungo Province) wrecked in typhoon on his way to Awa Province retreated, and there had been little progress in draft enrollment from Omi Province.
Progress of the battle
To break the deadlock, the armies under the command of Sumimoto HOSOKAWA and Yukinaga MIYOSHI proceeded over Lake Biwa in June in the next year 1509, and on July 14, 1509, from Kozekigoe, the army of three thousand men set up camp on Mt. Nyoigatake. To cope with them, the allied forces of Takakuni HOSOKAWA and Yoshioki OUCHI of twenty to thirty thousand men camped around Mt. Nyoigatake.
Then, the two sides engaged in battle, but, as it began to rain heavily around midnight, Sumimoto HOSOKAWA, Yukinaga MIYOSHI and others ran away through the roaring sound of the heavy downpour to Awa Province.
Battle aftermath
The attempt of Sumimoto HOSOKAWA and Yukinaga MIYOSHI to retake Kyoto failed.
On May 19, 1508, Takakuni HOSOKAWA entered the capital of Kyoto; in contrast, Yoshizumi ASHIKAGA fled from Kyoto to Okayama-jo Castle in Omi Province trusting in the Kuri clan, and on November 4, 1508, Takakuni HOSOKAWA and Yoshioki OUCHI dispatched a punitive force after Yoshizumi, which led to the Battle of Okayama-jo Castle.
Different opinions
According to other accounts, this battle may not have developed into a great battle. With such limited armies of Sumimoto HOSOKAWA and Yukinaga MIYOSHI around three thousand strong, Yukinaga MIYOSHI who was proficient in directing a war could not have devised a strategy aimed at retaking Kyoto -- They might have aimed at turning the tide of the war and retreating back to Awa Province.
From the description of "Sanetaka koki" (The Sanetaka's Diary) that 'they fled under cover of the downpour started during the night,' there was an opinion that the two sides might have confronted each other once but fled under cover of the heavy rain and darkness. Judging from the description in kuge-nikki (noblemen's diaries) that 'the hunt for defeated warriors began around Kyoto and some sixty warriors were arrested and executed,' it could be considered that there was a small-scale battle. Allegedly, although Nagahide MIYOSHI, the son of Yukinaga MIYOSHI, separated from his father and fled to Ise Province, Takakuni HOSOKAWA spread the dragnet and put Nagahide to death in Ujiyamada.
Besides the many documents that describe that 'Sumimoto HOSOKAWA fled to Awa Province in the Battle of Nyoigatake,' there was another opinion, that 'he fled in the Battle of Okayama-jo Castle on November 4, 1508.'