Akasaka, or "red hill," was the name of a hilltop fortress famously defended by
Kusunoki Masashige in the
Genko Incident of
1331.
In September of 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo put out a call for samurai to join him in his struggle against the Hojo bakufu. Few warlords of any standing were willing to risk the wrath of the Hojo, but Kusunoki Masashige was an exception. Gathering a force of 500 loyal men, Kusunoki established the fortress of Akasaka on Mount Kongo in Kawachi province, where he was soon joined by fellow loyalist Prince Morinaga.
A bakufu army arrived in early November, and promptly laid seige to the fortress. Kusunoki was constantly coming up with clever tricks and strategems - rolling logs, surprise flank attacks, liberal use of boiling pitch, etc. Thus, despite being massively outnumbered, Kusunoki and his men held out for almost three weeks, inflicting an inordinate number of casualties upon the enemy. Finally, the bakufu forces managed to cut off Kusunoki's water supply, dooming the fortress.
Kusunoki realized the cause was lost, but ever the trickster, he concocted a clever plan. On the night of November 20, he snuck his men out of Akasaka in small groups, under cover of darkness. When the Hojo troops stormed the undefended fortress the next day, all they found was a massive flaming funeral pyre, and a lone sobbing attendant who tearfully told the Hojo that Kusunoki and his men had opted to commit mass suicide when they saw that all hope was lost. The Hojo were so moved by this display that they let the attendent go free. In reality, Kusunoki and his men were miles away, and would fight another day.