The Battle of Tatenawate (田手畷の戦い)
The Battle of Tatenawate was a war that took place in 1530 over hegemony of Kitakyushu between two daimyo (Japanese territorial lord) during the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States): the Ouchi clan of Suo Province and Shoni clan of Hizen Province.
The Ouchi clan and Shoni clan were old enemies with each other who fought over hegemony of Kitakyushu (Dazai-fu (local government office in Kyushu region)) all through the Muromachi period. Yoshioki OUCHI defeated Masasuke SHONI in 1497 and succeeded in making the Shoni clan, once the hegemony of Chinzei (nickname of Kyushu) demoted to a regional power.
Yoshitaka OUCHI (a son of Yoshioki) ordered Okitsura SUGI, Shugodai (deputy of Shugo, provincial constable) of Chikuzen Province, to lead the warlords of Kitakyushu in the Ouchi side to attack Seifukuji-jo Castle in Hizen Province, the castle of Sukemoto SHONI (a son of Sukemoto SHONI) in Hizen Province. However the warlords of the Shoni clan side (such as Iekane RYUZOJI and Yorichika BABA) fought bravely and Red bear force led by Kiyohisa NABESHIMA played an important role in making invading Okitsura run away. Sukesada YOKODAKE and Naokado TSUKUSHI of the Ouchi side were killed in battle.
The Shoni clan increased its momentum after this victory and recovered its strength by invading Dazaifu. However it lost strength again when Okifusa SUE, the Ouchi clan's Shugodai of Suo Province joined the war in Kyushu, and furthermore it was given up by reliable Iekane when Yoshitaka himself launched offensive with a large army.
After Sukemoto was killed himself in 1535, the clan temporarily collapsed.