Sieges of Kuromaru

Siege of Kuromaru
Date	Autumn 1339
Location	Kuromaru fortress, Echizen Province
Result	Siege succeeds; fortress falls to Southern Court
Belligerents
Northern Court	Southern Court
Commanders and leaders
Shiba Takatsune	Wakiya Yoshisuke

Battle of Fujishima
	Part of the Nanboku-chō Wars
	; Fujishima Shrine monument to where Nitta Yoshisada's helmet was found
Date	August 1338
Location	Near Kuromaru fortress, Echizen Province, Japan36°5′17.84″N 136°12′33.43″E / 36.0882889°N 136.2092861°E
Result	Northern Court victory
Belligerents
Northern Court	Southern Court
Commanders and leaders
Hosokawa Akiuji	Nitta Yoshisada †
Strength
Unknown	50 horse
	class=notpageimage\| Location within Fukui Prefecture Sieges of Kuromaru (Japan)

The Kuromaru (黒丸), or "Black Fortress", was a fortress of the Kanrei Shiba 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

^ ^a ^b ^c Sansom, George (1961). A History of Japan, 1334–1615. Stanford University Press. p. 64. ISBN 0804705259.
^ Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. Cassell & Co. p. 208. ISBN 1-85409-523-4.

[Sansom2-1] Sansom, George (1961). A History of Japan, 1334–1615. Stanford University Press. p. 64. ISBN 0804705259.

[Turnbull2-2] Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. Cassell & Co. p. 208. ISBN 1-85409-523-4.

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