, also known as was Japanese ''daimyo'' and the first head of the

Later Hōjō clan The was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region. Their last name was simply Hōjō (北条) but in order to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan with the s ...

, one of the major powers in Japan's

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

. Although he only belonged to a side branch of the main, more prestigious Ise family, he fought his way up, gaining territory and changing his name in imitation of the illustrious Hōjō.

Biography

Traditionally Soun held a reputation of a ''

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master' ...

'' who rose to power almost overnight in Kantō; however, he belonged to a prestigious family in the direct employment of the

Ashikaga shogunate The , also known as the , was the feudal military government of Japan during the Muromachi period from 1336 to 1573.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Muromachi-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 669. The Ashikaga shogunate was establi ...

, and enjoyed important family connections. It has been said that Sōun was born at the

Takakoshi castle also well known as Takakoshi-yama Castle is the remains of a castle structure in Ibara, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The castle was built in the Nanboku-chō period against a possible invasion of Kublai Khan's force. It has been said that Hōjō S ...

Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is . The city is ...

. His sister was married to Imagawa Yoshitada, a major daimyō from a prestigious cadet branch of the Ashikaga family. About 1475, under the

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...

of Ise Shinkuro, he worked for Imagawa, the constable of

Suruga Province was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka Prefecture. Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and was bordered by the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay to the south. Its abbrev ...

, and eventually became an "independent leader" with a number of warriors joining him. Shinkuro became a retainer in the Imagawa clan, and when Yoshitada died in battle in 1476, Shinkurō mediated the succession dispute between supporters of Yoshitada's son

Imagawa Ujichika was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. He was the 10th head of the Imagawa clan of Suruga Province. Ujichika was the son of Imagawa Yoshitada. He was the husband of Jukei-ni. Biography In 1476, Ujichika father, Yoshitada, invaded ...

and Yoshitada's cousin, Oshika Norimitsu. This proved a temporary peace. When Norimitsu again attempted to gain control of the Imagawa clan, Sōun came to Ujichika's defense, killing Norimitsu. Sōun was rewarded by Ujichika with Kōkokuji Castle. In 1491, he was able to take Horigoye after the death of Kantō kubō Ashikaga Masatomo, gaining control of

Izu Province was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Izu''" in . Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising th ...

. He then adopted the surname of Hōjō and the given name of Sōun or Sozui. He gained control of

in 1493, avenging a wrong committed by a member of the Ashikaga family which held the

shogunate , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...

. With Sōun's successful invasion in Izu province, he is credited by most historians as being the first "Sengoku ''daimyō''". After building a stronghold at Nirayama, Hōjō Sōun secured

Odawara Castle is a landmark in the city of Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. History Odawara was a stronghold of the Doi clan during the Kamakura period, and a fortified residence built by their collateral branch, the Kobayakawa clan, stood on the ...

in 1494, the castle which would become the center of the Hōjō family's domains for nearly a century. In an act of treachery, he seized the castle after arranging for its lord to be murdered while out hunting. In 1516, he laid siege to the castle of

Arai Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is co-operative industrial research association by the automotive industry with the Ministry of Industries, Government Of India The objectives of the Association are Research and Development in auto ...

, and "was virtual master of all Sagami". Late Hōjō Clan's Graves

In 1519, Sōun died in Nirayama Castle and passed on the newly built Hōjō domains to his son Ujitsuna, who subsequently changed the clan name from the original Ise to Hōjō and posthumously renamed his father to Hōjō Sōun. In 1521, Ujitsuna built Sōun-ji temple dedicated to his father.

Family

Hojo Soun memorial - Odawara, Japan - DSC06222

* Father: Ise Morisada * Mother: Daughter of Isa Sadanori * Adoptive father:

Ise Sadamichi Ise may refer to: Places *Ise, Mie, a city in Japan **Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie *Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria * Ise, Norway, a village in Norway *Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan *River Ise, a tributary of the ...

* Wife: Nan’yoin-dono * Concubines: ** Katsurayama-dono ** Kennyoji-dono * Children: **

Hōjō Ujitsuna was the son of Hōjō Sōun, founder of the Go-Hōjō clan. He continued his father's quest to gain control of the Kantō (the central area, today dominated by Tokyo, of Japan's main island). Biography In 1524, Ujitsuna took Edo Castle, whi ...

by Nan’yoin-dono ** Hojo Ujitoki (d.1531) by Nan’yoin-dono ** Katsurayama Ujihiro (d.1538/1539) by Katsurayama-dono ** Chosoin-dono married Miura Ujiin by Kennyoji-dono **

Hōjō Genan was a Japanese ''Samurai'' of the Sengoku period. He was the second and youngest son of Hōjō Sōun. Genan was a highly educated samurai, thus he worked as a diplomat of the Later Hōjō clan. Genan's son Hōjō Ujinobu was attacked by the Tak ...

(1493-1589) by Kennyoji-dono ** Seishoin-dono by Kennyoji-dono

References

*
Biography of Hojo Soun at Samurai-Archives.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hojo, Soun 1432 births 1456 births 1519 deaths Go-Hōjō clan