Nobô no shiro (2012)

thumb|right|250px|Oshi Castle (the reconstructed three-story turret, Gyoda, Saitama Prefecture), where the film is set. Surrounded by a lake, Oshi Castle was also known as the “floating castle.” Nagachika Narita, a member of the ruling Narita clan, was called “Nobou-sama” by the people—short for “dekunobou,” meaning a good-for-nothing—and was well liked by them. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, on the verge of unifying the country, was preparing to capture Odawara Castle, held by the Hojo clan, the greatest power in the Kanto region (the Siege of Odawara). To resist the Toyotomi forces, Hojo Ujimasa ordered the lords of castles across the region to join the defense. Ujinaga, lord of Oshi Castle, one of the Hojo family’s branch castles, appeared to obey the Hojo and set out for Odawara with half his troops to take part in its defense, while secretly communicating with the Toyotomi side to arrange a surrender. “Attack Oshi Castle in Musashi Province and win distinction in battle.” On Hideyoshi’s orders, Ishida Mitsunari advanced on Oshi with a huge army, including forces from the Satake and Utsunomiya clans. Masai Natsuka, sent as an envoy, knew the Narita clan had already decided to surrender, but deliberately behaved arrogantly to provoke a fight. The commander-in-chief, Nagachika, fell neatly into the trap and chose to fight. The senior retainers, who had been informed by their lord Ujinaga that surrender was planned, were initially thrown into confusion, but resolved themselves to the course of action; thus began the siege of Oshi Castle. Mitsunari commanded an army of more than 20,000, while the Narita forces numbered just over 3,000, even counting the farmers. Their commander-in-chief, Nagachika, had neither the martial courage nor the strategic wisdom expected of a general; he was, as his name suggested, something of a fool. But he had one remarkable gift: people liked him, and in particular he enjoyed an extraordinary degree of popularity among the common people. Thanks to their advantageous position and high morale, Oshi’s forces won a decisive victory in the opening battle. Mitsunari decided to make use of the nearby Tone River to construct the Ishida Embankment, 28 kilometers in total length, and flood the area, leaving only Oshi Castle and the castle town’s central keep above water. Nagachika’s response was to take a boat onto the lake surrounding the castle and perform a dengaku dance in full view of the enemy soldiers. On Mitsunari’s orders, members of the Saika forces shot at Nagachika as he danced, but he survived. Afterward, some of the farmers who had been hired to build the embankment outside the castle—and had not entered it—became enraged that Nagachika had been shot and began destroying the Ishida Embankment. The flood attack failed. As the waters receded and Mitsunari’s army was about to launch an all-out assault, news reached the Narita forces that Odawara Castle had fallen, and Oshi Castle opened its gates. Oshi was the only branch castle to hold out until the fall of Odawara Castle.