, born , also as Bekki Akitsura, and Bekki Dà Âsetsu, was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period who served the à Âtomo clan. A member of the Bekki clan, he was the father of Tachibana Ginchiyo and the adopted father of Tachibana Muneshige.
He was known as one of the wisest à Âtomo retainers and was remembered for his stance against Christianity in the à Âtomo's domain. Dà Âsetsu was accounted as one of the Sanshuku of the à Âtomo clan, together with Usuki Akisumi and Yoshihiro Akimasa.
Tachibana DÃ Âsetsu's military career is mostly known for his being in 37 military campaigns and more than 100 engagements of smaller scale, despite half of his lower body being paralyzed, including the Battle of Tatarahama, and the brilliant defense of Kurume city.
As a subject of mythical legends and for his personal battle prowess, Dà Âsetsu earned nicknames such as Hachiman incarnation (å¼Âç¢堫幡), Thunder god's incarnation (æ©å©æ¯天ã®åÂÂ身), God of war from Kyushu (ä¹Âå·Âã®è»Âç¥Â), and Dà Âsetsu the ogre (鬼éÂÂéª).
DÃ Âsetsu died from illness during a military campaign in Chikugo Province in 1585. His daughter Ginchiyo succeeded him as the Tachibana clan head not too long after.
Born with the childhood name of Akitsura, in Yoroigatake Castle, Bungo Province, Dà Âsetsu hailed from the Bekki clan. He fought his first battle leading 2,000 soldiers when he was 14 years old, replacing his sickly father who had retired from military service. In this campaign, Dà Âsetsu fought against the à Âuchi clan in , Buzen Province, where he emerged victorious despite being outnumbered by around 3,000 men.
On August 22, 1535, DÃ Âsetsu lead an army to pacify a rebellion of the Kikuchi clan in Higo Province, where he suppressed the rebels after the battle of Kurumagaeshi, after which DÃ Âsetsu organized 48 of his warriors to form a small elite squad nicknamed the Shiro-Taka or "White Hawks".
In 1546, Dà Âsetsu and other à Âtomo clan retainers were sent with 10,000 strong troops to suppress the first rebellion of the Akizuki clan.
In 1548, DÃ Âsetsu was recorded to have been struck by a lightning bolt, which caused his left leg to be permanently paralyzed
In 1550, Dà Âsetsu was involved in the à Âtomo clan's civil war of succession between à Âtomo Sà Ârin and à Âtomo Shioichimaru. At the end of this conflict, Shioichimaru was killed, while Dà Âsetsu was sent with an army to attack Irita Chikazane, a Shioichimaru loyalist. Dà Âsetsu managed to defeat Chikazane's army and forced him flee from à Âtomo territory.
In 1553, at the age of 41, DÃ Âsetsu retired as head of the Bekki clan, then adopted Bekki Shigetsura, his half nephew, as his foster son. DÃ Âsetsu also immediately appointed Shigetsura as the next head of the Bekki clan.
In 1554, DÃ Âsetsu was dispatched to suppress several rebellions that broke out in Bungo and Higo provinces, which were incited by Obara Akimoto, Honjo Shinzaemon, and Nakamura Shinbei.
On 19 May 1556, Dà Âsetsu's forces suppressed the rebellion of Obara Akimoto. Following that, Dà Âsetsu sent letters commending his vassals for their outstanding performances during this operation, such as Korenobu Yufu, Takano Daizen, Adachi Sakyà Â, and Ando Iesada.
In 1557, the Akizuki clan, which was led by Akizuki Kiyotane, again rebelled, with the assistance of a daimyo named MÃ Âri Motonari. In response, Ã Âtomo SÃ Ârin dispatched DÃ Âsetsu and Usuki Akisumi with 2,000 soldiers to quell the rebellion. DÃ Âsetsu besieged , the stronghold of the Akizuki clan. In the end, Kiyotane and his son committed seppuku inside their castle.
In 1558, DÃ Âsetsu fought a MÃ Âri clan general named Kobayakawa Takakage in the first siege of Moji castle. In this engagement, DÃ Âsetsu had his 800 archers shower Kobayakawa's army with their arrows.
In 1560, Dà Âsetsu, Usuki Akisumi, and Yoshihiro Akimasa fought against Munakata Ujisada, the head of the Munakata clan. For his achievements in pacifying the à Âtomo-clan enemies, Dà Âsetsu was appointed by Sà Ârin as Kabanshu (personal assistant) and Shugodai (governor) of Chikugo province.
In 1561, during the siege of Moji Castle which was controlled by the Mà Âri clan, Portuguese merchants assisted Dà Âsetsu with three ships weighted between 500 and 600 tons. The bombardment from the ships against the castle helped the à Âtomo troops under Dà Âsetsu's command to maintain the siege. On October 10, however, the castle defenders managed to break the siege after the Portuguese had expended all their ammunition and had withdrawn. The à Âtomo forces failed to take the castle.
In 1562, DÃ Âsetsu began the final phase of this siege. On July 13, DÃ Âsetsu and his subordinate Korenobu Yufu defeated the MÃ Âri clan army in the battle of Yanagigaura in Buzen Province. On October 13, DÃ Âsetsu stormed Moji Castle and managed to subdue the castle, which was defended by Reizei Mototoyo, a former Ouchi clan vassal who was 25 years old. On November 26, there was an all-day battle near Moji Castle, leaving hundreds dead and injured with an unclear result.
In 1563, on New Year's Day of the 6th year of Eiroku, a large army led by MÃ Âri Takamoto and Kobayakawa Takakage arrived to relieve Moji Castle from DÃ Âsetsu's besieging army. DÃ Âsetsu and MÃ Âri Takamoto fought until an envoy from Kyoto arrived with a message from the Ashikaga shogunate commanding both DÃ Âsetsu and Takamoto to cease their fighting. Later the same year, DÃ Âsetsu changed his name from Akitsura into DÃ Âsetsu.
On 25 July 1564, the Shogun's envoy secured a temporary truce between the Mà Âri and the à Âtomo clans. However, this truce did not last long, as on 25 March, in The Fourth Battle of Yanagigaura, Dà Âsetsu once again fought the Mà Âri clan army, which was led by Koremaki Yufu.
In 1565, the head of Tachibana clan, Tachibana Munekatsu, rebelled against the à Âtomo clan. Dà Âsetsu was sent to suppress this rebellion. In the end, the forces of Dà Âsetsu managed to capture Tachibanayama Castle, which belonged to the rebels. However, à Âtomo Sorin, the head of à Âtomo clan, decided to pardon Tachibana Munekatsu due to his family relationship.
In 1567, Akizuki Tanezane, a surviving son of Akizuki Kiyotane and the new head of the Akizuki clan, managed to recapture the castle of Mount Kosho from the à Âtomo clan and made clear his intention to oppose them. On August 14, in response, Sorin sent Dà Âsetsu, Usuki Akisumi, and Yoshihiro Akimasa with 20,000 soldiers to punish Tanezane. The à Âtomo army first engaged the Akizuki clan army in the Battle of Amamizu and Haseyama (also known as the Battle of Uryuno) on August 14âÂÂ15, and captured Ojo, a branch castle of Yasumimatsu Castle, causing the commander of the castle, Moromasa Sakata, to commit suicide. Dà Âsetsu then stationed his army around Yasumomatsu Castle in preparation of capturing Mount Kosho Castle. However, the castle was well defended and the siege dragged on. Subsequently, rumors circulated among the à Âtomo forces that a huge Mà Âri clan army in Chugoku was moving to invade Ojo, which prompted the à Âtomo forces to withdraw from the siege of Mount Kosho and abandoned Yasumimatsu Castle on September 3. As Tanezane learned of this development, he decided to sally out and give chase to the withdrawing à Âtomo army by dividing his 12,000 troops into four groups under the command of Kankage Intosho, Sanehisa Uchida Zenbei with over 3,000 cavalry, and Ayabe Suruga no Kami with over 5,000 cavalry. Dà Âsetsu had already anticipated this movement and fielded a rearguard of 3,000 soldiers with the assistance of his lieutenants, Bekki Shigetsura, Ono Shizuyuki, and Korenobu Yufu, with each of them leading 500 to 600 cavalry. During this attack, the forces of Tanezane managed to inflict many casualties on Dà Âsetsu's force as they killed one of Dà Âsetsu's most trusted generals, Koretada Totoki. However, the rearguard of the Dà Âsetsu force managed to reverse the situation and inflict heavy losses upon the Tanezane troops, forcing them to retreat. Later, at night, Tanezane once again launched an assault with 4,000 soldiers in a night raid. The unexpected night attack by the Akizuki forces threw the à Âtomo army into chaos, as they suffered over 400 casualties. As the battle progressed, Dà Âsetsu managed to calm his troops and organize an orderly retreat. However, the Tanezane forces pursued the fleeing Dà Âsetsu's forces further until they reached Chikugo Yamakuma Castle, causing the à Âtomo army to suffer even more casualties. Many of Dà Âsetsu's clansmen were killed in this battle, such as Bekki Akitaka, Bekki Chikashige, and Bekki Chikamune. Later in August, Dà Âsetsu marched to Mount Hà Âman Castle to battle the Akizuki clan. However, he faced stubborn resistance from the Akizuki forces as they clashed twice at Amamizu and Haseyama, before they finally could overcome the Akizuki army through a daring personal charge led by Dà Âsetsu. On November 15, à Âtomo Sorin sent Dà Âsetsu to further combat the Akizuki clan, when Dà Âsetsu managed to capture the enemy castle on Mount Hà Âman. Dà Âsetsu was recorded as being armed with a long sword in this battle. Later that year, Dà Âsetsu captured Yamakuma Castle from Tanezane.
In 1568, Mà Âri Motonari dispatch his army, commanded by Shimizu Munenori, to besiege Mount Tachibana Castle. However, Dà Âsetsu's forces managed to defend the castle. In this battle, four of Dà Âsetsu vassals, Tsuresada Totoki, Takano Daizen, Korenobu Yufu, and Ando Iesada, gained fame in the battle, and later received the nicknames of Dà Âsetsu-Shitennà Â(Four heavenly kings of Dà Âsetsu). The Mà Âri invasion also involved Tachibana Munekatsu, the head of the Tachibana clan, who betrayed the à Âtomo clan for the second time. Later that year, Dà Âsetsu Dà Âsetsu, Yoshihiro Akimasa, and Shiga Chikamori were dispatched by Sorin to lead 30,000 soldiers to besiege Tachibanayama Castle, which was defended by Tachibana Munekatsu. on July 4, they stormed the branch castle of Tachibana, on the cliff of Tachibana Mountain, and took 28 soldiers of Munekatsu captive. Later that night, one of Munekatsu's vassal defected into Dà Âsetsu's ranks, and assisted the à Âtomo army in subduing the castle. On July 23, after the fall of various parts of Mount Tachibana's fortifications, Munekatsu fled to his last remaining castle, while à Âtomo forces pursued him, until Munekatsu committed suicide inside the castle. On the same day, Dà Âsetsu and Takahashi Shigetane continued their operation against the Mà Âri clan's reinforcement that had been sent to reinforce Munekatsu. The standoff of Dà Âsetsu and Takahashi Shigetane against the Mà Âri continued until the next night, when Dà Âsetsu led a night raid against the Mà Âri army's supply base and forced the Mà Âri forces to retreat. On July 29, Dà Âsetsu and other à Âtomo generals commenced clean-up operation against the remaining resistances in the Mount Tachibana area, until 5,000 Mà Âri clan soldiers headed by Shimizu Munenori and Harada Takatane arrived to Tachibana Mountain on August 2. To resist this newly arrived enemy, Dà Âsetsu, Usuki Akisumi, and Yoshihiro Akimasa engaged the Mà Âri clan forces at the foot of Mount Tachibana. The result of this battle ended with an à Âtomo victory with the Mà Âri clan army routed and more than 300 Mà Âri being captured. Following the end of the Munekatsu rebellion and the failure of Mà Âri clan assistance, the office of the Tachibana clan was postponed from being inherited by Munekatsu's legitimate heir.
On November 25, Dà Âsetsu entered Chikugo Akashi Castle and married Hitoshihime, the daughter of Monchà «sho Akitoyo, an Otomo vassal.
In 1569, DÃ Âsetsu was involved in the failed defense of Tachibana Castle, where the enemy forces under MÃ Âri Motonari, by the extensive use of cannons, defeated Dosetsu forces. It was said that the reason DÃ Âsetsu was forced to abandon the castle was a lack of supplies. Later the same year, DÃ Âsetsu personally led the Otomo forces against the MÃ Âri clan in the Tatara area (located in modern-day Higashi-ku, Fukuoka), where they engaged in at least four battles which ended in deadlocks.
On 18 May, after several engagements at the Battle of Tatarahama, the à Âtomo army, led by Dà Âsetsu, Usuki Akisumi, and Yoshihiro Akimasa, clashed with 40,000 soldiers under Kikkawa Motoharu and Kobayakawa Takakage. During the fierce battle, Dà Âsetsu lead the charge into the enemy formation and killed more than ten of the enemy and managed to defeat the Motoharu vanguard, which was led by Yoshikawa Motoharu's vanguard, led by Nobuki Narazaki. Then, Yoshikawa Motoharu used iron cannon to counterattack. The situation was described as dire for the à Âtomo side before Dà Âsetsu charged towards a gap in the formation of Takakage's army, allowing other Dà Âsetsu generals to reorganize themselves and rearrange their artillery. Dà Âsetsu, riding his horse, charged forward into the enemy camp while drawing his sword. The army of Motoharu and Takakage was unable to resist and was pushed back. From 21 to 26 May, following the battle of Tatatahama, there were about 18 more clashes in the area between the Dà Âsetsu and the Mà Âri army with undetermined results. At this point, the Mà Âri clan suddenly lost their motivation to defend Tachibana Castle from Dà Âsetsu, as their own territories were threatened by Yamanaka Yukimori and à Âuchi Teruhiro. Then the Mà Âri sued for peace, which was accepted by the à Âtomo on the condition that Tachibana Castle be relinquished back to them.
On 23 April 1570, Dà Âsetsu fought the forces of Ryà «zà Âji Takanobu and Nabeshima Naoshige in the Battle of Imayama. In this engagement, Dà Âsetsu was recorded as riding a palanquin for the first time, to support his disabled left leg during the battle. After this battle, Dà Âsetsu advanced further to engage the Ryà «zà Âji army on the eastern flank of Saga Castle until September, after which Dà Âsetsu negotiated a truce with Ryà «zà Âji Takanobu. However, this campaign, which ended on 20 August, was considered a catastrophic defeat to à Âtomo forces, due to the massive casualties they suffered and failure to complete their objectives.
In 1571, Dà Âsetsu was appointed as the official head of Tachibana clan, and received the surname of Tachibana. As he now controlled Tachibanayama Castle, Dà Âsetsu was tasked to maintain the defense of the northwestern reaches of Bungo Province. However, as Dà Âsetsu was now tasked to defend Tachibana castle, the Bekki clan, which Dà Âsetsu originally hailed from, was divided in their opinions, as there were some who wanted to remain in Bekki clan's traditional domain, Fujikita, while other vassals of Bekki clan, such as Andà  Ietada, chose to follow Dà Âsetsu into Tachibana. Furthermore, Dà Âsetsu was also promoted to Shugodai of Chikuzen Province, causing Dà Âsetsu to now hold virtually limitless authority over the province. In the same year, Dà Âsetsu took Munakata Irohime, sister of his old enemy, Munakata Ujisada, as concubine. Dà Âsetsu was 59 years old, while Irohime was 25 years old. This was considered as a reconciliatory political marriage between the Munakata and the à Âtomo clans.
In 1575, Dà Âsetsu tried to adopt his vassal, Komono Masutoki, as the heir of the Tachibana clan. However, Masutoki declined to be adopted, Dà Âsetsu now changing his focus for the Tachibana clan heir to his daughter's only daughter, Tachibana Ginchiyo. Dà Âsetsu did secure authorization from à Âtomo Sorin to appoint Ginchiyo as the heir of the Tachibana clan. After Sorin granted him permission, Dà Âsetsu immediately retired as the head of Tachibana clan and appointed Ginchiyo, who at that time was still 7 years old, as head of the Tachibana clan. Dà Âsetsu also resigned from the position of Karà  (senior official) of the à Âtomo clan, and assumed a more active role in the military command of Chikuzen Province.
In 1578, Dà Âsetsu and Takahashi Shigetane led a military operation in Tsukushi Province, from which they pacified Iwaya Castle in Chikuzen Province, until they stopped at Shibata River. However, later in the same year the à Âtomo clan suffered a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Mimigawa at the hands of the Shimazu clan. Nevertheless, the defeat of the à Âtomo clan in Mimigawa prompted Dà Âsetsu to write many letters to Yoshimune and other high ranking vassals of the clan wherein he blamed the setbacks and also various rebellions by former à Âtomo vassals such as Akizuki Tanezane to the apostasy of many people in the region and conversions to Christianity. This harsh criticism from Dà Âsetsu caused many à Âtomo vassals to change their attitude towards Christianity and European missionaries, while Yoshimune himself even told LuÃÂs Fróis that he would not sponsor Christianity anymore in à Âtomo's territory. As the à Âtomo clan indeed suffered massive defections from their vassals due to their loss in Mimigawa, Dà Âsetsu stayed loyal. However, Tachibana Castle, which was located in the frontier of à Âtomo clan territories, now became vulnerable to enemy invasion. In 11âÂÂ13 December, Ryuzoji Takanobu worked together with Tsukushi Hirokado and Akizuki Tanezane to invade Chikuzen, while Dà Âsetsu and his army worked hard to defend those territories.
In 1579, in mid-January, Dà Âsetsu participated in the second à Âtomo invasion of Tsukushi Province and Dazaifu town, against the Akizuki clan, forcing Akizuki Tanezane to abandon his siege of Takatoriyama Castle. After that, Dà Âsetsu besieged Iwaya Castle for the second time. In March, Dà Âsetsu besieged Iwaya Castle for the third time with some subsequent clashes against the forces of Akizuki Tanezane. Following that, Dà Âsetsu engaged the Akizuki clan forces in the Battle of Yatake, Chikuzen Province. On 18 April, Dà Âsetsu rescued an à Âtomo-clan general named Shiga Chikamori, from being pursued by Akizuki Tanezane, by tricking the latter with some deceptions. Tanezane then withdrew his army as he believed the ruse. On 12âÂÂ18 July, Dà Âsetsu defeated Harada Nobutane in the Battle of Namamatsuhara. On 27 July, Dà Âsetsu repelled a joint attack from Tanezane and Nobutane. From 18 August until early September, Dà Âsetsu engaged in three separate battles against the armies of Harada Nobutane, Munakata Ujisada, and the Sugi clan in Tatarahama, Hakozaki, and near Agematsu Castle, respectively. In September, Dà Âsetsu and other à Âtomo generals fought in five separate battles against the allied forces of the Akizuki, Ryuzoji, Munakata, and Harada clans, in places such as Arahei Castle, Ikeda Castle, and Kosoyama Castle.
On 15 November to 29 December, DÃ Âsetsu was involved in five engagements against the Akizuki clan and their allies, such as Tsukushi Hirokado and the Harada clan.
In 1580, Dà Âsetsu sent a letter to 13 senior retainers of à Âtomo Yoshimune, the heir to Sorin. In that letter, Dà Âsetsu condemned the spread of Christianity in the territories of the à Âtomo clan. On 2 February, Dà Âsetsu fought the forces of the Ryuzoji clan in Sawara, Chiba. In May, he managed to capture a castle in Chikuzen from Munakata Ujisada. On 10 September, Dà Âsetsu clashed with Ujisada in the Yoshikawa area of Fukuoka, followed, in October, by the second Battle of Kama-Honami, the Battle of Mount Ishigaki, and the Battle of Yagiyama Ishizaka. From 3 November to December, Dà Âsetsu fought the forces of Akizuki Tanezane and Munakata Ujisada.
In 1581, DÃ Âsetsu participated in several engagements against Akizuki Tanezane. First, DÃ Âsetsu fought Tanezane and Ujisada in the Battle of Koganebara, which was recorded as the largest military engagement in Kurate District, Fukuoka, up to that time. In this battle, DÃ Âsetsu inflicted a crushing defeat on his enemies, which left the territories under the control of Ujisada vulnerable to further incursions by DÃ Âsetsu's army. Later, DÃ Âsetsu again fought Tanezane in Shimizuhara, and at Takatori Castle.
On 27 July, Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane fought Tsukushi Hirokado and Akizuki Tanezane in the Second Battle of Dazaifu Kanzeon-ji. It was in this battle that Takahashi Munetora, who would become known as Tachibana Muneshige, saw his first notable action. Contemporary Italian Jesuit Alessandro Valignano recorded that Muneshige was adopted by Dà Âsetsu and inherited the headship of the Tachibana clan. At first, Shigetane declined. However, Dà Âsetsu implored him and stated that although he had Ginchiyo as inheritor of his clan, he needed strong young samurai to lead the Tachibana clan in the future. He further stated that, after his death, strong commanders would be needed to lead both the Takahashi and Tachibana clans to defend the declining à Âtomo clan. As he saw that the Takahashi Shigetane potential heirs were many, then he needed Muneshige to inherit the headship of Tachibana. Thus, Shigetane finally accepted this reasoning and agreed to give Muneshige for the Tachibana clan. Then, as he secured the adoption, Dà Âsetsu immediately changed the lordship of the Tachibana clan from his daughter, Ginchiyo, to Muneshige.
On 6 November, Dà Âsetsu, along with Muneshige and Shigetane, marched to Kama and Honami. While on their way to the rescue of Kutami Akiyasu, the Tachibana and Takahashi forces received information that Akiyasu had safely retreated after fighting Akizuki Tanezane and Monjà «jo Munekage the elder (great-uncle of Monjà «jo Munekage the younger) in the Battle of Haratsuru. However, the Tanezane forces were still pursuing them. Both battles resulted in over 1,000 casualties, including over 300 casualties from the Tachibana and Takahashi, and 760 from the Akizuki clan.
On 10 February 1582, DÃ Âsetsu fought the Harada clan forces in the Fifth Battle of Ima Matsubara. Later, on 16 March, he fought Ujisada forces in the Battle of Mount Konomi. On 16 April, DÃ Âsetsu and Tachibana Muneshige besieged Iwato Castle, which was under the control of Nobutane. In the morning, DÃ Âsetsu crossed the Naka River with 1,000 of his soldiers, then he divided them into two groups before storming the castle and forcing the defenders to abandon it, allowing DÃ Âsetsu to claim the castle.
On 16 April 1582, during the Battle of Iwato, against the combined forces of 2,000 from the Akizuki, Harada, and Munakata clans, Dà Âsetsu led a 500-strong ambush force and surrounded the enemy's 1,000-strong main force. 300 of Muneshige's troops launched a surprise attack from the side with guns, while the remaining 200 soldiers were led by Komono Masutoki, who set up a false flag to make it look like reinforcements from the à Âtomo clan were coming, and finally managed to lift the siege. Muneshige then led 1,000 cavalry including Komono Masutoki, Korenobu Yufu, and Shigeyuki Ono, and eliminated 300 of the Harada general's troops. Kasa Okinaga, who had built a fort at Iwatosho Kubeno, killed 150 of them, and pursued them westward to Sawara County, where he burned down Harada Chikahide's Sawara Castle.
On 2 October, Dà Âsetsu sent his retainer Yoshida Rensama to assist Shigetane in recapturing Yonenoyama Castle from the Akizuki clan. It was recorded that 200 soldiers of the Akizuki clan were slain during this battle. On 12 November, Dà Âsetsu was tasked by Mori Shizuma, an à Âtomo clan vassal, to govern the town of Takatori. On the following day, as Dà Âsetsu was transporting military supplies to Nà Âgata, he was ambushed by Munakata Ujisada's army at Miyawaka. As Dà Âsetsu's forces fought back, they managed to repulse Ujisada forces, although they suffered many losses. On the following day, 14 November, Dà Âsetsu once again clashed with Ujisada forces, while the next day Dà Âsetsu hastily marched his army to capture Miyaji town at Fukutsu, Fukuoka, while Ujisada was still occupied with defending Kà Âbitake Castle. The last military engagement Dà Âsetsu was involved with in 1582 occurred on 22 December, when Dà Âsetsu, Shigetane, and Muneshige fought against Ujisada.
From January to February 1583, DÃ Âsetsu and Shigetane fought the Tsukushi clan in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka. From February to April, DÃ Âsetsu managed to repel repeated attacks from Tsukushi Hirokado. On 23 April, DÃ Âsetsu and Shigetane stormed Konomidake Castle, which was defended by Ujisada, causing the latter to flee into Hakusan Castle.
In March 1584, after Ryà «zà Âji Takanobu was killed at the Battle of Okitanawate, the à Âtomo clan launched a reconquest of Ryà «zà Âji territories, which formerly belonged to the à Âtomo, by invading Bungo Province. However, they were unable to subdue Chikugo Neko'o Castle which was defended by Kuroki Ienaga. This prompted Yoshimune to request assistance from Dà Âsetsu and Takahashi Shigetane on 18 August.
In response, Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane marched their force of 5,000 soldiers, crossing the mountainous and difficult terrain of the Chikugo River, Minou Mountains, Kujukujiri, and Takatori Mountain. while defeating the Tsukushi clan and Akizuki clan forces. The next opponent Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane faced was the Kusano and Hoshino clans, which Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane defeated in a series of battle at Tanushimaru Town, Katase, Eritoguchi, and Ishigaki, spanning 60 kilometer of from their starting point. On the 20 August, Dà Âsetsu appointed his vassal, Ujibe Tsubakihara to command an assault against Takamure Castle, which surrendered on 24 August. Then the forces of Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane further advanced and subdued Inuo Castle. On 25 August, they moving further to Mount Okagoya, where local samurai clans in the area submitted and joined the à Âtomo side. On 28 August, Dà Âsetsu sent his general Tachibana Shizumi to lead a detachment of 800 soldiers to besiege Jojima Castle. However, this detachment failed to subdue the castle. From 8âÂÂ11 September, Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane continued their march while subduing many Chikugo Province castles, such as Yamashita Castle, Tanigawa Castle, Henshun Castle, Kanematsu Castle, and Yamazaki Castle, and are recorded as having burned several villages surrounding Yanagawa castle on the 9th.
On 3 October, Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane stormed Takei Castle and razed it. On 28 October they pursued the fleeing enemy led by Kusano Chin'ei, who retreated to Hosshindake Castle. However, they failed to capture that castle, and Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane moved further onto another objective and captured Takatori Castle/Hoshino Castle (Yamanonaka Castle) and Fukumaru Castle on their way, until they captured Inoue Castle on 14 November. Furthermore, after burning down several settlements within Akizuki Clan's territory around Amagi and Amamizu, Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane proceeded to capture many castles in Mizuma District. However, they subsequently learned that the Akizuki clan forces managed to defeat an à Âtomo clan forces led by Chikaie Tawara, which forced Dà Âsetsu and Shigetane to abort their operation and returned to Mount Tawara and establish camp there with other à Âtomo generals such as Kutami Akiyasu and Chiga Shikamori. From then on, the year passed with their forces stationed in Kitano.
In 1585, Dà Âsetsu was involved in a defense against a massive invasion by an anti-à Âtomo alliance led by Ryà «zà Âji Ieharu. This alliance involved many à Âtomo enemies such as Kusano Chin'ei, Nabeshima Naoshige, Tsukushi Hirokado, Ki Shigefusa (also known as Utsunomiya Chinfusa), Nagano Sukemori, and Goto Ienobu. This alliance was further augmented by samurai clans from Hizen, Chikuzen, Chikugo, and Buzen, adding up to 30,000 soldiers in strength, while Dà Âsetsu and Takahashi Shigetane had only 9,800 soldiers under their command. The alliance began their attacks towards Kurume town.
DÃ Âsetsu and Shigetane managed to gain a series of victories over the numerically superior allied forces with a combination of brilliant maneuvers and tactics in three separate battles:
On 23 April, Ieharu and Hirokado committed their reserve of 16,000 troops and divided their force into five sections besieging Kurume. DÃ Âsetsu and Shigetane engaged the allied forces with a combination of skillful artillery salvos, defensive formation tactics, and timely counterattacks, which in the end caused the allied siege to collapse.
In 1585, during the siege of Neko'o Castle, Chikugo Province, DÃ Âsetsu fell ill. Then as his condition worsened, and he felt he was about to die, DÃ Âsetsu told his retainers to put his body in armor and bury it on Mt. Kora facing Yanagawa Castle. Thus he passed on September 11 at the age of 73. However, as Takahashi Shigetane and Tachibana Muneshige feared that the enemy would desecrate DÃ Âsetsu's body after a contemplated retreat, they did not fulfill his wishes and instead brought his corpse along with them on their retreat. Upon his death, DÃ Âsetsu was recorded to have fought in 37 campaigns and more than 100 minor engagements while about half of his body was paralyzed.
Dà Âsetsu was known for his loyalty to the à Âtomo clan. However, he was not afraid to criticize his lord. When, in 1578, à Âtomo Sorin planned to subjugate the Shimazu clan in southern Kyushu, Dà Âsetsu firmly opposed this policy. Later, when indeed Sorin was crushed by the Shimazu clan at the Battle of Mimigawa, Dà Âsetsu immediately harshly criticized Sorin. However, although the aftermath of this crushing defeat caused many of their vassals to lose confidence in the à Âtomo clan and defect, Dà Âsetsu stayed loyal and kept defended the à Âtomo clan. On one occasion, Dà Âsetsu even killed a pet monkey of Sorin with a Japanese war fan, as he saw Sorin was too self-indulgent with partying and playing with his pet. Furthermore, it was recorded that he changed his name from Hetsugi to Dà Âsetsu in 1563 in a deliberate attempt to associate himself with loyalty to Sorin, as he saw Dà Âsetsu, which literally means "road's snow", as symbolizing a loyalty in terms of a road that, frozen by snow, would never change its way, to be interpreted as his never changing his way or betraying his master until his own death.
DÃ Âsetsu was notoriously known as a ruthless disciplinarian. During the campaign against the Ryuzoji clan at Chikuzen Kawarasaki, he learned that some of his soldiers had left camp without permission and returned to their homes. DÃ Âsetsu immediately dispatched other soldiers and ordered them to execute not only those deserting soldiers who had returned home, but also their parents. Despite the urging of other senior military officers to not kill those soldier's parents, DÃ Âsetsu insisted, as he viewed the parents as equally guilty.
Dà Âsetsu was said to possess a "strength that above any ordinary men" and mastered a particular sword style that was named tachiuchi ni myà  o etaru (the art of slashing in all directions). According to the chronicle of Bekkidà Âsetsu Jà Â-jà  Bekki gundan, Dà Âsetsu managed to personally kill three Mà Âri clan generals, namely Motonori Akagawa, Motochika Katsura, and Motoyo Reisen, during the Battle of Yanagigaura on 13 October 1562. On the 14th, during the same battle, Dà Âsetsu reportedly cut down seven enemy warriors and personally charged into the enemy camp while on horseback, after which he received the nickname 'Oni-Dà Âsetsu' (Demon-Dà Âsetsu). Meanwhile, other records, from Bekki Gundan and Kyà «shà « shoshà  gunki, have stated that in 1567 Dà Âsetsu personally killed two enemy warriors, namely Katsura Motochika and Akagawa Motonori. During a battle with the Mori clan in 1569, Dà Âsetsu killed at least ten enemy warriors personally.
It was said that Dà Âsetsu was respected and admired even by his enemies. Nabeshima Naoshige reportedly shed tears after hearing the death of Dà Âsetsu, while Ryà «zà Âji Takanobu once praised Dà Âsetsu as "a best military figure in his time who are a lover of martial arts and literatures".
Meanwhile, his contemporary, the famous daimyo of Kai Province, Takeda Shingen, reportedly had heard of the reputation of DÃ Âsetsu, and once said that Shingen said he "would like to fight DÃ Âsetsu in a battle and test his fighting skills", although Shingen lamented that the distance between his territory and that of DÃ Âsetsu's were too far apart.
According to folklore, while DÃ Âsetsu was still a young man he was taking shelter under a tree, as it was raining. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck him. However, DÃ Âsetsu unsheathed his Chidori sword to cut the Thunder God inside the lightning bolt, allowing himself to survive. After this incident, he renamed his 'Chidori' to 'Raikiri'. The sword which is now preserved in a museum has discolored marks on its tip, which allegedly are the result of being struck by lightning bolt once.
Aside from Raikiri, DÃ Âsetsu also possessed a 85 cm katana sword made by Bizen Kiyomitsu.
A yari (Japanese spear) belonging to Dà Âsetsu is also preserved in the Tachibana Museum in Yanagawa city. It was reported that Dà Âsetsu used this spear to fight during the Battle of Mount Tachibana valley on 4 July 1568, when he fought against Tachibana Akitoshi, the former head of Tachibana clan who rebelled against the à Âtomo clan.
The Tachibana Museum also preserved a naginata (polearm) which dates from 1553 and which belonged to the Tachibana clan. Its blade length 65 cm while its curvature is 2.1 cm. This naginata was said to be one of the naginatas carried by 100 soldiers while escorting DÃ Âsetsu's carriage during battles.
As a military commander, DÃ Âsetsu participated in melee combats during his wars, despite suffering from paralysis in his left leg due to an accident at a point during his life, which forced him to ride in a carriage carried by his followers, even during battles. He also is said to keep his personal arquebus Tanegashima gun on the side of his carriage. There would be about 100 soldiers surrounding his carriage to escort him in battles. DÃ Âsetsu was said to command the soldiers who carried him to take him along in his carriage when charging into enemy ranks during battles.
Under Dà Âsetsu command were many units which were unique to his clan. Those units were usually given extravagant sobriquets, such as "Tachibana clan's four heavenly kings" (Shitennà Â), "Dà Âsetsu's 48 White hawk warriors" (Shirotaka), "Tachibana's 32 spear warriors" (San jà « ni yari hashira), or "Dà Âsetsu's two great kings" (no nià Â) These units usually consisted of the most elite and trusted retainers of both the Bekki and Tachibana clans. However, the membership of this units also changed many times during Dà Âsetsu lifetime. For example, the 48 White hawk Warriors often recruited new members to replace those who had retired or been killed in battle in order to sustain their numbers. Meanwhile, to help him maintain the administrations, Dà Âsetsu appointed seven of his most senior retainers as karà  (家èÂÂ; chief retainer).
Dà Âsetsu was also known as avid reader of military strategy in Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Later, in a à Âtomo military campaign, together with Takahashi Shigetane, Dà Âsetsu fought using the hà Âen (square) defensive formation, which included six ranks of arquebusiers and two ranks of bows to fend off attacks. In this battle, Shigetane used a defensive formation which was called the kà Âyaku formation. Another tactic implemented by Dà Âsetsu was an ad-hoc maneuver called Nagao-Gakari (é·尾æ¸ãÂÂãÂÂ). This tactic involved two ranks of riflemen which would shoot their guns in rotation, followed by spearmens charging forward, which was further followed by cavalry troops charging from behind them.
Dà Âsetsu was also known for his innovations in gunpowder warfare, as, according to one record, Dà Âsetsu once conducted experiments on complex movements of iron cannons before firing. He also invented a method of mixing ammunition and projectiles for one shot into bamboo tubes, or cartridges. This technique was rumored to allow the musket gunners of Tachibana clan to fire salvos of their matchlock rifles three times faster than other contemoporary rifle gunners in Japan. This technique, called hayagà Â, was reportedly used by Tachibana Muneshige during the Siege of à Âtsu in 1600.
The 18th-century Japanese philosopher Miura Baien wrote an elegy that praised Tachibana DÃ Âsetsu for his wisdom, courage, and honor.
Tachibana Dà Âsetsu is depicted in the Japanese semi-historical novel Honà  no gunsen Tachibana Dà Âsetsu, by Nishizu Hiromi.
In the popular anime series Naruto, there are techniques named "Chidori" and "Raikiri". To reference the story of DÃ Âsetsu, a major character named Kakashi Hatake uses one of these techniques to cut a bolt of lightning in half.
In the anime series Katana Maidens, Chidori is the sword used by the main character, Eto Kanami.
Tachibana appears in the video game ' as a generic officer.
Tachibana is mentioned in the description of the Raikiri, which is usable in the fantasy RPG Nioh.