Hojo Ujinao (1562 – December 19, 1591) was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period and the last leader of the Later Hojo clan. An important figure in Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the Siege of Odawara (1590). Despite this, he survived, and his family continued as minor daimyo during the Edo period.
Born in Odawara Castle in 1562, Ujinao was the grandson of Hojo Ujiyasu and the son of Hojo Ujimasa, initially named Kuniomaru. His mother was the daughter of Takeda Shingen. In early 1577, he came of age and adopted the formal name Ujinao. To secure peace between their clans, he married Tokuhime, the second daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ujinao held junior 5th court rank, lower grade (ju-go-i-ge), and the title Sakyo-dayu. His first military engagement was during his father's invasion of Kazusa Province.
In 1582, after the death of Oda Nobunaga, the Hojo family capitalized on the chaos to launch an invasion of the Kai and Shinano provinces. Simultaneously, Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Uesugi clan aimed to control the same territories. This led to the Tensho-Jingo War, a triangular conflict between the Hojo, Tokugawa, and Uesugi factions.
By June 13, the Hojo clan captured Iwadono Castle in Tsuru District. Sanada Masayuki received Numata Castle from the Uesugi clan. Amidst the turmoil, Kawajiri Hidetaka was killed by local insurrectionists in Kai Province. On July 7, 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi authorized Ieyasu to secure Kai and Shinano provinces.
The Tokugawa army clashed with the Hojo forces at Wakamiko Castle, where 8,000 Tokugawa soldiers fought against 50,000 Hojo troops led by Ujinao. On July 12, Ujinao's forces advanced across Usui Pass, prompting Nobushige to retreat to a more defensible position. The Tokugawa forces eventually triumphed in the Battle of Kurokoma, repelling Hojo Ujinao's detachment with a daring raid led by Mizuno Katsushige and Torii Mototada. This victory prevented the Hojo from encircling the Tokugawa army.
In December, Sakai Tadatsugu subdued Suwa Yoritada at Suwa in Shinano, securing his surrender to the Tokugawa. The Hojo clan, recognizing their precarious position, negotiated a truce with Ieyasu. Representatives from the Oda clan, including Oda Nobukatsu and Oda Nobutaka, mediated the negotiations, leading to a formal conclusion of the truce. The invasion by Satake Yoshishige against Hojo territory also pushed the Hojo to accept the truce.
See also
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Yuki Hideyasu
Yuki Hideyasu (March 1, 1574 – June 2, 1607) was a Japanese samurai who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods, serving as the daimyō of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province. Born Tokugawa Ogimaru, he was the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Lady Oman (also known as Lady Kogō), a handmaiden to Ieyasu’s wife, Lady Tsukiyama. Due to Ieyasu’s fears of his wife’s reaction to Oman’s pregnancy, Ogimaru and his twin brother were born in secrecy at the home of Honda Shigetsugu, one of Ieyasu’s retainers. Oman’s other son eventually became a priest, while Ogimaru was raised apart from Ieyasu, whom he only met at the age of three, in a meeting arranged by his older half-brother, Matsudaira Nobuyasu.
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Tsutsui Sadatsugu
Tsutsui Sadatsugu (June 6, 1562 – April 2, 1615) was a prominent figure in the Sengoku and early Edo periods, known as the cousin and adopted heir of Tsutsui Junkei, the feudal lord of Yamato Province. Following Junkei's death in 1584, Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated Sadatsugu to Iga Province, where he oversaw the construction of Iga Ueno Castle, marking the height of his prominence.
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Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (September 28, 1511 – November 29, 1535) served as the 7th lord of the Matsudaira clan during Japan's tumultuous Sengoku period. Renowned as the paternal grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of Japan's "great unifiers," Kiyoyasu expanded his clan’s influence, bringing all of northern Mikawa Province under his control after subduing the Saigo clan. His power was further symbolized by the construction of Okazaki Castle, a testament to the Matsudaira’s growing dominance.
