Shibata Katsuie and the Siege of Chōkōji

Today’s episode of “The Words of the Samurai” is dedicated to a phrase as powerful as it is dramatic, spoken by Shibata Katsuie – one of the most loyal and proud generals of the Oda clan – during the siege of Chōkōji Castle in 1570. This quote stands out from previous ones not only for its solemnity but also for the extraordinary context in which it was spoken: a moment of extreme crisis, where every drop of water was vital and every word could shape the fate of men.

According to the most reliable sources, Katsuie was under siege by the Rokkaku clan. The castle’s water supply was nearly exhausted, and the hope of survival was fading. It was then that Katsuie, knowing that any chance of resistance depended on the morale of his men, made a radical decision: he gathered the soldiers, ordered the destruction of the last water jars, and spoke these memorable words.

Only one shot

「水は土に還ったぞ 我らも土に還るまでじゃ」
“Mizu wa tsuchi ni kaetta zo. Warera mo tsuchi ni kaeru made ja.”
“The water has returned to the earth. We too shall return to the earth… when the time comes.”

This phrase condenses an awareness of death, a determination to fight to the last breath, and a calm acceptance of fate. The act of destroying the remaining water containers was deeply symbolic – a deliberate choice to sever all ties to the idea of surrender. There was no turning back: only the fight remained, and the honor of dying in battle.

The phrase became so famous that it earned Shibata Katsuie the nickname “Kamewari Shibata” (Shibata who broke the jars). His spirit became legendary: though initially at a disadvantage, his army fought back with such determination that they defeated the enemy and turned the tide of battle.

In a time when the line between life and death was always thin, words like those of Shibata Katsuie were not mere rhetoric – they were declarations of faith in the bushidō, the warrior’s code of honor.
Even today, centuries later, his words speak to us of sacrifice, of courage born from acceptance, and of the will to fight on despite everything.