Battle of Imafuku

The battle of Imafuku (今福の戦い, Imafuku no tatakai) was fought in late November 1614 between the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Toyotomi clan. This battle was one of the first of the series of battles fought near Osaka over the course of two years. The village of Imafuku stood on the northeast approach to Osaka, and so Tokugawa Ieyasu sent 1500 men under the command of Satake Yoshinobu to secure the site for a fort. They faced off against 600 men loyal to the Toyotomi "Western Army," under two generals named Iida and Yado.

Battle of Imafuku
Part of the post-Sengoku period
Battle of Imafuku. Satake is the red unit to the right; Tokugawa reinforcements are on the south bank.
Date late November 1614 Location Imafuku, northeast of Osaka Castle, Japan Result Tokugawa victory
Belligerents
Tokugawa shogunate	Toyotomi clan
Commanders and leaders
Satake Yoshinobu Uesugi Kagekatsu	Kimura Shigenari Gotō Mototsugu
Strength
1500 + reinforcements	600 + reinforcements
Casualties and losses
	500-600

After Satake routed the defenders from the village and killed Iida, reinforcements from the Western Army arrived. Kimura Shigenari and Gotō Mototsugu led a charge, incurring major casualties on the Eastern force and forcing Satake to call a withdrawal.

However, in the end, the Western forces were forced back once more after Uesugi Kagekatsu arrived with reinforcements for Satake's men. Satake then managed to finally get a hold on the village.

References

• Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & Co.