In order to bolster the Southern Court's military might in Kyushu, Emperor Godaigo's son Imperial Prince Kaneyoshi was dispatched there as Seisei shogun (General of the West), and in the battle of the Chikugo river (also known as the battle of Ohobaru) over 100,000 men were said to have fought, including Imperial Prince Kaneyoshi, Takemitsu KIKUCHI, Taketsura AKABOSHI, Sadahisa UTSUNOMIYA, and Nagayuki KUSANO for the Southern Court, and father and son Yorihisa and Naosuke SHONI as well as Ujitoki OUCHI and Fuyutsuna UTSUNOMIYA for the Northern Court.
南朝勢力を強化するために、後醍醐天皇の皇子である懐良親王が征西将軍として派遣され、筑後川の戦い（大保原の戦い）では、南朝方の懐良親王、菊池武光、赤星武貫、宇都宮貞久、草野永幸らと北朝方の少弐頼尚、少弐直資の父子、大友氏時、宇都宮冬綱ら両軍合わせて約10万人が戦ったとされる。