Hojo Ujiyasu (1515 – October 21, 1571), the third head of the Odawara Hojo clan, was a formidable daimyo known as the "Lion of Sagami." Revered as a fearsome samurai and brilliant strategist, he became famous for successfully breaking sieges by renowned warlords Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Ujiyasu was the son of Hojo Ujitsuna, and his only known wife was Zuikei-in, sister of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Among his children were Hojo Ujimasa and Uesugi Kagetora.
Born in 1515, Ujiyasu, originally named Chiyomaru, fought his first battle at the age of 15 against Uesugi Tomooki of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi clan at the Battle of Ozawahara in 1530. When his father died in 1541, many of the Hojo’s enemies saw an opportunity to strike. However, Ujiyasu rose to the challenge, reorganizing the Hojo lands and implementing key reforms, including cadastral surveys (1542-1543) and a taxation overhaul in 1550.
Odawara, where his family’s stronghold Odawara Castle was located, became a thriving trade center under his leadership. Ujiyasu developed the area by reorganizing roads and establishing artisans' guilds, markets, and post stations throughout the Hojo-controlled territory, solidifying his power in the Kanto region.
In 1545, Uesugi Tomosada, son of Uesugi Tomooki, sought to retake Kawagoe Castle with a large coalition of forces. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Ujiyasu, using strategic intelligence and ninja to gather information, led a decisive night raid during the Siege of Kawagoe Castle, securing a major victory. This triumph marked a turning point in the Kanto region, leading to the downfall of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi clan and diminishing the prestige of Uesugi Norimasa, Kanto kanrei (Governor-General of the Kanto).
Ujiyasu’s conquests continued. In 1551, he defeated Uesugi Norimasa at Hirai Castle, forcing him to flee to Echigo, where he was sheltered by his retainer Nagao Kagetora (later Uesugi Kenshin). Ujiyasu’s strategic brilliance expanded the Hojo clan’s territory across Sagami, Izu, Musashi, Shimosa, and Kazusa provinces.
By 1559, Ujiyasu retired, passing formal leadership to his son Hojo Ujimasa. However, even in retirement, Ujiyasu played a key role in defending the Hojo clan’s interests, including fending off multiple sieges led by Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, two of the period’s most powerful warlords.
The Hojo’s territory continued to expand under Ujiyasu, but their ambitions led to conflicts with neighboring clans. Notably, in 1567, the Hojo forces suffered a defeat against the Satake clan at the Battle of Numajiri, halting their eastern expansion.
Ujiyasu's diplomatic skills helped him make peace with his former adversaries, Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen. He solidified alliances through marriage—one of his daughters married Imagawa Ujizane, and another, Hojo Masako, became the second wife of Takeda Katsuyori. Ujiyasu passed away in 1571, leaving behind a powerful legacy and a stable domain for his son Ujimasa to inherit.
See also
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Takeda Nobuyoshi
Takeda Nobuyoshi (1128–1186 or later) was a prominent Japanese samurai lord of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods and the founder of the Takeda clan.
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Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi (1846–1866) was the fourteenth shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1858 until his death. His reign came during the turbulent final years of the shogunate, when Japan faced growing Western pressure and serious internal political conflict.
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Tokugawa Ienari
Tokugawa Ienari (1773–1841) was the eleventh shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1787 to 1837, making him the longest-serving Tokugawa shōgun. He was a great-grandson of the eighth shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshimune.
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Matsudaira Nobuyasu
Matsudaira Nobuyasu was only twenty years old when his father ordered him to commit seppuku. The reason was not a defeat in battle, but a crisis inside the Tokugawa family that had become too dangerous to ignore.
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Yamagata Masakage
Masakage was one of Takeda Shingen’s most loyal and capable commanders. He was included in the famous list of the “Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen” and also belonged to the inner circle of four especially trusted warlords known as the Shitennō.
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Yagyu Munenori
Yagyū Munenori began his service under Tokugawa Ieyasu while his father, Yagyū Muneyoshi, was still at his side. In 1600, Munenori took part in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. As early as 1601, he was appointed a kenjutsu instructor to Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu’s son, who later became the second shogun of the Tokugawa clan.
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Yagyu Muneyoshi
A samurai from Yamato Province, he was born into a family that had been defeated in its struggle against the Tsutsui clan. Muneyoshi first took part in battle at the age of sixteen. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was forced to enter the service of the Tsutsui house and later served Miyoshi Tōkei. He subsequently came under the command of Matsunaga Hisahide and in time became a vassal first of Oda and later of Toyotomi.
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Endo Naozune
Naozune served under Azai Nagamasa and was one of the clan’s leading vassals, renowned for his bravery and determination. He accompanied Nagamasa during his first meeting with Oda Nobunaga and at that time asked for permission to kill Nobunaga, fearing him as an extremely dangerous man; however, Nagamasa did not grant this request.
