Battle of Kumegawa

The Battle of Kumegawa (久米川の戦い) 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.

The battle
At dawn on May 12, the Imperial forces advanced upon the Shogunate forces' position at the Kume River (久米川) 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 plain 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. The Imperial forces formed a wedge to protect its center. With neither side gaining immediate advantage, the battle continued until losses forced the Shogun's forces to retreat. Losses were reported as relatively light for the Imperial forces but heavy for the Shogun's.

Result
The result was a victory for the Imperial forces; having grown weary from two days of heavy fighting, they rested at the battlefield. The Shogunate forces retreated south to Bubaigawara to await reinforcements.

Aftermath
The two armies fought again three days later at Bubaigawara and Sekido. In less than one week, Nitta led the Imperial forces 50 kilometers south and finally eliminated the Shogun's forces during the Siege of Kamakura.