Hojo Ujimasa (1538 – August 10, 1590) was the fourth leader of the later Hojo clan and the daimyo of Odawara. He continued his father Hojo Ujiyasu's policy of territorial expansion, achieving the largest territorial holdings in the clan's history.
Born in 1538 as the second son of Hojo Ujiyasu, Ujimasa's childhood name was Matsuchiyo-maru. After his elder brother Shinkuro passed away at a young age, Ujimasa became the heir apparent. In 1554, during an alliance formed by Ujiyasu with Takeda Shingen and Imagawa Yoshimoto, Ujimasa married Shingen's daughter, Obai-in.
Around 1559, Ujimasa assumed formal leadership of the family upon Ujiyasu's retirement. The Hojo clan expanded its control significantly under his leadership, including the capture of Iwatsuki Castle in 1560, which brought most of the Musashi Province under their control. Ujimasa participated in several key battles, such as the Battle of Konodai (1564) and the Siege of Odawara (1569).
In 1574, Ujimasa secured the surrender of Sekiyado Castle in Shimosa Province from Yanada Harusuke and gained the allegiance of Yuki Harutomi, a vassal of the Uesugi clan. The following year, Gion Castle in Shimotsuke Province, held by Oyama Hidetsuna, also surrendered. In 1577, Ujimasa invaded Kazusa Province and reconciled with his long-time adversary, Satomi Yoshihiro. This conflict marked the first battle for his heir, Hojo Ujinao.
By 1580, after Takeda Katsuyori's intervention in the Uesugi conflict and the death of Uesugi Kagetora, Ujimasa forged a new alliance with Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Hojo clan, alongside these allies, launched an attack on Takeda territory in Suruga, leading to the Battle of Omosu and participation in the Conquest of Koshu, culminating in the Battle of Tenmokuzan in 1582.
After Oda Nobunaga's unexpected death in 1582, Ujimasa seized the opportunity to attack Oda clan territories at the Battle of Kanagawa. Subsequently, the Hojo and Tokugawa clans settled their territorial disputes by exchanging Kai and Shinano Provinces for Kozuke Province.
In 1588, as Toyotomi Hideyoshi succeeded in unifying Japan, he invited Ujimasa and his son Ujinao to an imperial visit at the Jurakudai in Kyoto. However, Ujimasa declined the invitation, proposing a delay until the spring or summer of 1590, which Hideyoshi refused, straining their relations.
By 1590, Ujimasa had consolidated the clan's position and retired, passing leadership to his son Hojo Ujinao, who became the head of the clan and lord of Odawara. That same year, Hideyoshi launched the Odawara Campaign against the Hojo clan.
See also
-
Asano Nagaakira
Asano Nagaakira (March 18, 1586 – October 16, 1632) was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the early Edo period. He initially ruled Wakayama Domain before being transferred to the Hiroshima Domain, where his family would remain until the Meiji Restoration.
-
Takigawa Kazumasu
Takigawa Kazumasu (1525 – October 21, 1586), also known as Takikawa Sakon or Sakonshogen, was a prominent samurai and daimyō of the Sengoku period. He served as a loyal retainer and military commander under Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, the elder brother of Maeda Toshiie, and Kazumasu served alongside Toshiie in Nobunaga’s campaigns.
-
Sanada Yukitaka
Sanada Yukitaka (c. 1512 – June 8, 1574) was a renowned samurai warrior of the Sengoku period, best known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen." He was the father of Sanada Nobutsuna and Sanada Masayuki, as well as the grandfather of the legendary Sanada Yukimura, who later served the Toyotomi clan.
-
Torii Mototada
Torii Mototada (1539 – September 8, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and daimyo who lived through the Sengoku and late Azuchi–Momoyama periods. A loyal retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he is best remembered for his heroic last stand at the Siege of Fushimi, an event that played a crucial role in shaping Japanese history.
-
Toyotomi Hideyori
Toyotomi Hideyori (August 28, 1593 – June 4, 1615) was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first unified Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was Oda Nobunaga's niece.
-
Okubo Tadanori
Okubo Tadanori (January 13, 1842 – August 10, 1897) was the 9th daimyo of Odawara Domain in Sagami Province (modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture) during the late Edo period. Before the Meiji Restoration, he held the courtesy title of Kaga no Kami.
-
Okubo Tadayo
Okubo Tadayo (1532 – October 28, 1594) was a samurai general who served Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Azuchi–Momoyama period and later became the daimyo of Odawara Domain in the early Edo period.
-
Araki Murashige
Araki Murashige (1535 – June 20, 1586) was a samurai and retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, the head of the powerful Settsu-Ikeda clan in Settsu Province. Initially serving under Katsumasa, he aligned himself with Oda Nobunaga after Nobunaga’s successful campaign to establish control over Kyoto.
