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Japanese: うしろまき

…It most often refers to a reserve force or reinforcements waiting in the rear for rescue and the rescue action. The Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary, which lists terms from the Azuchi-Momoyama period, lists the word ushiromaki as a synonym and interprets it as surrounding or attacking an enemy from behind. The battle in September 1584 (Tensho 12) when Maeda Toshiie rescued Suemori Castle in Noto and defeated the superior army of Sassa Narimasa is famous as a successful example.

From "Castle Siege"

...Also, surrounding residents were forced to enter the castle to prevent them from being conscripted by the attacking forces, and in other cases, hostages were taken from residents remaining outside the castle to prevent them from cooperating with the attacking forces. The attacking forces established a supply system for food, ammunition, etc. for a long-term siege, built camp huts in places where arrows from the castle could not reach, and tied a fence around the camp huts in preparation for a counterattack from the castle or a counter-encirclement by the supporting forces. Sometimes a moat was dug outside the fence, and in some cases a secondary castle was built on a terrain overlooking the castle. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "Ushiromaki" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…救援のため後方に控える予備部隊または援兵およびその救援行動をさす場合が最も多い。安土桃山時代の用語を採録する《日葡辞書》では同義語として〈うしろまき〉を掲げ敵を背後から包囲すること，または攻めることと解釈している。1584年(天正12)9月，前田利家が能登末森城を救援し，優勢な佐々成政の軍を撃破した戦闘などは成功した事例として名高い。…

【城攻め】より

…また周辺の住民も，攻め方に徴用されることを防ぐために城に入らせたり，そうでない場合は城外に残った住民が攻め方に協力しないよう人質を取ることもあった。攻め方は，長期包囲のために兵糧，弾薬などの補給体制を確立するとともに，城からの矢弾の届かない場所に陣小屋を作り，城からの逆襲やその支援勢力による後巻（うしろまき）(逆包囲)に備えて，陣小屋の周囲に柵を結び巡らした。柵の外側に濠を掘ることもあり，さらに城を見下ろす地形を選び付城（つけじろ）を築くこともあった。…

※「うしろまき」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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