Database: The Siege of Miki Castle

At the end of the 16th century, Harima Province, which was divided among several lords, served as a buffer zone between the great lords of the east and west: Oda Nobunaga and the Mōri clan, respectively. In 1576, when the Mōri (at the request of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and the Hongan-ji) openly opposed Nobunaga, many of Harima's warriors followed Oda Nobunaga. However, resentment grew toward Hashiba Hideyoshi, the commander sent by Nobunaga, which provoked the revolt of Bessho Nagaharu in eastern Harima. Others followed and soon the anti-Nobunaga alliance extended to the central and western parts of the province.

Nagaharu's basic strategy was to defend Miki Castle while waiting for reinforcements from the Mōri, and he strengthened his forces by welcoming into the castle the warriors from eastern Harima who had joined his camp. In spring of 1578, Hideyoshi began the Siege of Miki Castle, taking over the surrounding fortresses to cut off the supply routes. At the beginning of winter, a new supply route was opened when Araki Murashige rebelled against Nobunaga in the neighboring province. But that route was cut off the following summer, and another supply convoy operation failed in the fall. By the early 1580s, food supplies were completely depleted. Nagaharu Bessho, along with his wife and younger brother, committed suicide on the condition that the other castle soldiers be spared. Thus Miki castle surrendered. This military siege, a slow starvation that lasted one year and ten months, is known as "Miki’s dry killing" (Miki no Hi-groshi).