Hōjō Ujiyasu

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Hōjō Ujiyasu (北条 氏康? 1515—1571) was the son of Hōjō Ujitsuna and a daimyō (warlord) of the Odawara Hōjō clan.

Upon his father's death in 1541, a number of the Hōjō's enemies sought to take advantage of the opportunity to seize major Hōjō strongholds. Ogigayatsu Tomosada tried unsuccessfully to take Edo Castle, and a few years later, in 1545, an army led by Ashikaga Haruuji and Uesugi Norimasa besieged Kawagoe Castle (see Siege of Kawagoe). Ujiyasu's brother Tsunashige was outnumbered more than 10-1, and Ujiyasu led a relief force. He slipped a samurai past the enemy lines to inform his brother of the enemy's approach, and made use of ninja to learn of the enemy's strategy and attitude. Using this intelligence, he led a night attack against the Ashikaga/Uesugi force. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Hōjō army defeated the besiegers because, under Ujiyasu's orders, they were not bulked down by heavy armor, and were not slowed down by seeking to take heads. This battle proved the end of the Uesugi line, until Uesugi Kenshin, who had been adopted into the line.

Hōjō Ujiyasu expanded the Hōjō territory, which now covered five provinces, and managed and maintained what his father and grandfather had held. He took Kōnodai in Shimousa Province in 1564 following a battle against Satomi Yoshihiro. Towards the end of his life he saw the first major conflicts between his own clan and Takeda Shingen, who would become one of the greatest warlords of the period. Shingen came into Musashi Province from his home province of Kai, attacking Hachigata and Takiyama Castles, where Ujiyasu's sons repulsed them. However, despite the intact castles behind him, Shingen pressed on to the Hōjō central home castle of Odawara, burning the castle town and withdrawing after three days. Two of Ujiyasu's seven sons fought Takeda at the battle of Mimasetoge in 1569, ending the first of the Takeda campaigns against the Hōjō.

Ujiyasu died in 1571, passing on the Hōjō domains and the problem of Takeda Shingen to his eldest son Hōjō Ujimasa.

[edit] References

  • Turnbull, Stephen (2002). War in Japan: 1467-1615, Oxford: Osprey Publishing.