Chūgoku

Chūgoku is the western region of Japan that was mostly controlled by clans such as the Ōuchi, Amago and Mōri during the Sengoku era. Eventually it was the Mōri controlled this part of Japan, choosing to surrender and negotiate with the Toyotomi and later Tokugawa to maintain their power. The battle sharing this name in Samurai Warriors 3 is a fictional battle combining the major western clans into one force for Hanbei to overcome towards the end of his life.

Role in games
In Samurai Warriors 2: Empires, Chugoku is a regional scenario and can be unified before starting on a main scenario. The year starts in 1561 so Motonari Mōri Is still alive and head of the Mōri.

In Samurai Warriors 3, this is Hanbei's final stage. He and Kanbei start by assaulting the southwest garrison in order to splinter Motonari's coalition. Once Ginchiyo and Muneshige are lured outand defeated, causing Motonari to shut off the main camp and southern offensive. Hanbei proceeds to rendezvous with Hideyoshi in the north, who is under attack by Yoshihiro Shimazu and his ambush units. Once he helps Hideyoshi, they launch a final offensive against the main camp guarded by Motochika and defeating Motonari once and for all. After the battle, Hanbei, Kanbei, and Motonari discuss tactics and the three arrows analogy.

Yoshimoto Imagawa also fights at this map in Sengoku Musou 3 Z: Special where he wants Motonari and the western clans to join him in kemari. However, the infuriated Masamune Date provokes the western clans to rebel. It plays similarly to Hanbei's version other than these changes though. Motonari Mōri also saves the Tachibana from an Oda-Shimazu coordinated attack in his story.

In Samurai Warriors 4, the DLC stage Test of Wits is stated to be based in Chugoku. Like in Samurai Warriors 3, Motonari raises a coalition to oppose the Oda led by Hanbei and Kanbei, under the guise of offering them a vacation. Motonari's coalition this time includes the Takeda and the Date as well as future officers of the Toyotomi. One by one, both Hanbei and Kanbei deal with their opponent's various strategies, calling for reinforcements and countering with their own strategies. Once their forces encircle Motonari, Takakage Kobayakawa appears to ambush the main camp in a last ditch attempt. Defeating both Motonari and Takakage wins the battle, thus proving the Hanbei and Kanbei duo as superior strategists. Hanbei shortly passes away after the whole ordeal, keeping Motonari's book as a memento in his dying moments.