Hōjō Ujinao (北条 氏直; 1562 – December 19, 1591) was a Japanese daimyō of the late Sengoku period, and the final head of the Later Hōjō clan. An important figure in the history of Azuchi–Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the Siege of Odawara (1590). He survived the Siege and carried on as a small daimyō in the Edo period.
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Biography
Born in Odawara Castle in 1562, Ujinao was the grandson of Hōjō Ujiyasu and the son of Hōjō Ujimasa and was named Kuniōmaru (国王丸). His mother was the daughter of Takeda Shingen.
Coming of age in early 1577, he took the formal name Ujinao. He married Tokuhime, the second daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu, as a condition for peace between their two clans. In maturity, Ujinao held junior 5th court rank, lower grade (ju-go-i-ge) and the title Sakyō-dayu. Later, he took part in the Ujimasa invasion at Kazusa Province. This battle marked the first battle for Ujinao.
Tenshō-Jingo Conflict
In 1582, after the death of Oda Nobunaga, Ujinao and the Hōjō family took advantage of the situation to launch an invasion of the Kai (currently Gunma Prefecture) and Shinano Provinces. However, at the same time, Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Uesugi clan also aspired to seize the vast area in Shinano Province, Kōzuke Province, and Kai Province which was ruled by the remnants of many small clans formerly serving the Takeda clan. Ieyasu invaded the Kai and Shinano provinces to establish control there with the consent of senior vassals of the Oda clan. Uesugi Kagekatsu of Uesugi clan also made his move by supporting the former Takeda clan forces under the lead of Ogasawara Dōsetsusai from Ogasawara clan and Yashiro Hidemasa at Chikuma and the Nishina clan of Azumino. They defeated and expelled Kiso Yoshimasa, who was granted the control of both Chikuma and Azumino by Oda Nobunaga. However, facing this development, another branch of Ogasawara clan (led by Ogasawara Sadayoshi and his retainers) appealed to the Tokugawa clan and offered their allegiance to Ieyasu. This caused a three-way conflict between those three factions and an event known as the Tenshō-Jingo war broke out.
By June 13, the Hōjō clan had captured Iwadono Castle in Tsuru District, and instructed Watanabe Shozaemon, a local magnate from Tsuru District, to assist them in their conquest. Subsequently, Sanada Masayuki seized Numata Castle for the Uesugi clan. On June 14 however, Kawajiri Hidetaka killed Honda Nobutoshi. Leading to an uprising from many clans in Kai province against Hidetaka on the following day, which resulted in Hidetaka being killed in June 18. On June 24, Uesugi Kagekatsu of Echigo also advanced into northern Shinano and entered Naganuma castle. Later, Ujinao attacked the location of senior retainer, Takigawa Kazumasu at the Battle of Kanagawa. On the border between the Kōzuke and Musashi provinces, Kazumasu faced off against the Hōjō forces at Kanegawa. Kazumasu had 18,000 troops, while the Hōjō wielded 55,000, Kazumasu was defeated and retreated to Nagashima. In response, on July 7, 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent a letter to Ieyasu authorizing him to dispatch troops to secure the two provinces of Kai and Shinano.
As the main body of the Tokugawa army led by Ieyasu met with the Hōjō clan main army stationed at Wakamiko castle, a series of military engagements between them occurred, where 8,000 of Tokugawa soldiers fought against around 50,000 soldiers of Hōjō soldiers led by Hōjō Ujinao. On July 12 as the troops under Ujinao advanced across Usui Pass, Nobushige resisted them, abandoned the Komoro Castle, and retreated to a fortress which he deemed more suitable to defend against the Hōjō army. Later on July 16 of the same year, Sadayoshi launched an attack on Fukashi Castle, forcing Dōsetsusai along with Hidemasa to surrender to Sadayoshi.
Fall of Go-Hōjō clan
In 1590, Odawara fell to a siege at the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi; his father and uncle were forced to commit suicide, but Ujinao was spared because he was Tokugawa Ieyasu's son-in-law. Ujinao and his wife were exiled to Mount Kōya, where he died later the following year.
His adoptive son, Hōjō Ujimori, was the first daimyo of Sayama-han (Kawachi Province).
Family
Father: Hojo Ujimasa
Mother: Obaiin (1543–1569)
Wife: Toku Hime
Children:
Son by Tokuhime
Hoshuin-dono married Ikeda Toshitaka by Tokuhime
Manshuin-dono by Tokuhime
Appendix
Bibliography
Kazuhiro Marushima (丸島和洋) (2015). "北条・徳川間外交の意思伝達構造" [The structure of communication in diplomacy between the Hojo and Tokugawa]. 国文学研究資料館紀要. 11 (11). 国文学研究資料館. doi:10.24619/00001469. ISSN 1880-2249.
Hirayama, Yū (2011), 武田遺領をめぐる動乱と秀吉の野望 [Takeda's Territory and Hideyoshi's Ambitions], 戎光祥出版, ISBN 978-4-86403-035-9
Hirayama, Yū (2015). 天正壬午の乱 [Tensho-Jingo war] (増補改訂版 ed.). 戎光祥出版. ISBN 978-4-86403-170-7.
Shinichi, Saito (2005). 戦国時代の終焉. 中公新書 1809. 中央公論新社. ISBN 4121018095.
