Kamakura period

The Battle of Kumegawa was part of the decisive Kōzuke-Musashi Campaign during the Genkō War in Japan that ultimately ended the Kamakura... Shogunate. Fought in present day Higashimurayama at the foot of the Hachikokuyama ridge on May 12, 1333, it pitted the anti-shogunate imperial forces led by Nitta Yoshisada against the forces of the Hōjō Shogun. The battle was an immediate follow on from the previous day's nearby Battle of Kotesashi. At dawn on May 12, the Imperial forces advanced upon the Shogunate forces' position at the Kume River via the Kamakura Kaido highway. Since the previous day's battle at Kotesashi was indecisive, both sides had expected the battle to continue. The chosen battlefield was a plane crisscrossed by small rivers and bordered by low-lying ridges. The geography gave the mounted warriors room to maneuver with their commanders overlooking the battle from the surrounding ridges such as where Nitta raised his banner at Hachikokuyama. The Taiheiki chronicles what happened. The Shogunate forces formed a large mass with intention of encompassing the Imperial forces.
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The Battle of Bubaigawara was part of the decisive Kōzuke-Musashi Campaign during the Genkō War in Japan that ultimately ended the... Kamakura Shogunate. Fought in present day Fuchū on May 15 and 16, 1333, it pitted the anti-shogunate imperial forces led by Nitta Yoshisada against the forces of the Hōjō. It was the final major battle in Kōzuke-Musashi Campaign and was preceded by the Battle of Kumegawa. After his victory three days earlier at the Battle of Kumegawa, Nitta Yoshisada took time to rest his horses and men. Meanwhile, the forces loyal to the Shogun retreated to Bubaigawara to regroup. Unbeknownst to Nitta, the Shogun's forces had received reinforcements on the 14th greatly restoring strength and morale. As the Imperial forces advanced on Bubaigawara on the 15th, the Shogun's forces attacked with a great archery barrage and thus halted the Imperial attack. The main body of the Shogun's army then engaged the Nitta's army, and despite aggressive counterattacks by Nitta, heavy losses forced Nitta to retreat. Had the Shogunate forces immediately pressed their advantage of the first day, it was likely their victory would have been complete.
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