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Family crest of Ise Sōzui

Founder of the Hōjō clan

Ise Sōzui

伊勢宗瑞

birth year unknown – 1519

Founder of the Hōjō clan. Originally from the Ise clan that served the Ashikaga shogunate, he advanced into Izu Province in 1493 based on his ties to the Imagawa of Suruga Province, attacked the residence of Ashikaga Chachamaru (the Horikoshi kubō), and established Nirayama as his stronghold. In Sagami Province, he gained control of Odawara before March 1501, and in 1516 destroyed the Miura at Shinji Castle, establishing a territorial domain based on Izu and Sagami provinces. The name 'Hōjō Sōun' became established in later eras; birth dates are traditionally given as either 1432 or 1456. Both the story of rise from peasant origins and the account of the fire ox stratagem are later anecdotes and traditions.

Sources 小田原市「北条氏五代100年の歴史」/小田原北条氏ゆかりの市町「堀越御所攻め」/静岡県立中央図書館「伊豆 歴史散歩」/小田原市教育研究所「北条五代100年 年表」/小田原市「小田原開府500年」/小田原市「北条五代にまつわる逸話」/国立公文書館デジタルアーカイブ「早雲寺殿廿一箇条」/神奈川県立図書館「早雲寺殿廿一箇条」

Family tree

Ise Sōzui

This person

Hōjō Ujitsuna

Child

Only relationships confirmed in the sources are shown. This is not a complete record of the family.

Related events

12

1493

Month 1

Attack on the Horigoe Palace

Directed the capture of the Horikoshi palace
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Ise Sōzui (Hōjō Sōun) attacked the Horigoe palace, expelled Ashikaga Chachamaru, and advanced into Izu.

1494

Uesugi Sadamasa Dies at the Arakawa

Served with the Ogigayatsu Uesugi side
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Ōgigayatsu Uesugi leader Uesugi Sadamasa, campaigning with Ise Sōzui against Yamanouchi Uesugi Akisada, fell from his horse and died while attempting to cross the Arakawa River.

1496

onward

Ise Sōzui Brings Odawara Castle under His Control

Took Odawara Castle and made it his base in Sagami
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Ise Sōzui brought Odawara Castle under his control from the Ōmori clan. The latest Odawara City chronology dates this to 1496 or later rather than treating the traditional 1495 date as certain.

1498

Ise Sōzui Captures Fukane Castle

Took Fukane Castle and hunted down Chachamaru
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Ise Sōzui captured Fukane Castle in southern Izu and is said to have driven Ashikaga Chachamaru to his death, bringing the long resistance to Sōzui's conquest of Izu to an end.

1504

Month 9

Battle of Tachikawahara

Took part / involved
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The forces of Yamanouchi Uesugi Akisada clashed at Tachikawahara in Musashi with those of Ōgigayatsu Uesugi Asayoshi, Imagawa Ujichika, and Ise Sōzui. The Ōgigayatsu side won, but the war continued when Akisada counterattacked with reinforcements from Echigo.

1505

Month 3

Uesugi Asayoshi Makes Peace at Kawagoe

Mediator who backed the Ogigayatsu Uesugi side
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After a counteroffensive by Yamanouchi Uesugi Akisada, Ōgigayatsu Uesugi Asayoshi made peace at Kawagoe, ending the long Chōkyō War between the two Uesugi houses.

1509

Month 8

Ise Sōzui Begins Invading Ōgigayatsu Uesugi Territory

Took part / involved
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Around August, Ise Sōzui began invading the Sagami territory of his former ally Ōgigayatsu Uesugi Asayoshi, opening a new front in the province.

1510

Battle of Gongenyama

Took part / involved
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The Yamanouchi and Ōgigayatsu Uesugi armies attacked Gongenyama, a base held by Ise Sōzui's side, in an intense battle that deepened the struggle between the Ise and Uesugi forces over Sagami and Musashi.

1512

Month 8

Ise Sōzui Captures Okazaki Castle

Took part / involved
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Ise Sōzui defeated Miura Yoshiatsu and captured Okazaki Castle in August. After forcing Yoshiatsu to retreat toward Arai Castle, Sōzui established a new base at Tamanawa in October to secure the approach to Kamakura.

1516

Month 7

Arai Castle Falls and the Miura House Is Destroyed

Took part / involved
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On the eleventh day of the seventh month, Ise Sōzui's forces captured Arai Castle from Miura Yoshiatsu and his son Yoshioki. Both died in battle, ending the Sagami Miura house.

1518

Ise Sōzui Transfers the Headship to Ujitsuna

Passed the headship to Ujitsuna
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Ise Sōzui transferred the headship to his heir Ujitsuna. That year Ujitsuna issued a document bearing the tiger seal as he advanced territorial administration.

1519

Month 8

Ise Sōzui Dies at Nirayama Castle

Died at Nirayama Castle
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On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, Ise Sōzui died at Nirayama Castle at the age of sixty-four. Ujitsuna inherited the government Sōzui had built in Izu and Sagami.

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