Hojo Soun (1/2)The foundation of the 5th generation of the Gohojo clan

The period from the Onin War to the early Sengoku period was a time when the power of the shogunate declined and paid military commanders emerged from various regions. Hojo Soun traveled between the capital and the Kanto region. Soun, who became the foundation of the 5th generation of Hojo, not only served alongside Shogun Ashikaga in the Shogunate as Shinjishu and Hokobutsu, but also established a foothold in the Kanto region and was involved in the Imagawa clan's succession dispute. What was his eventful life like? Introducing Soun's life.

About Soun's nickname

It is said to be Sounan Sozui. Regarding his surname, he changed his name from "Ise" to "Hojo" after Soun's death. It was after his eldest son Ujitsuna took over that he never called himself Soun Hojo, and his signatures on letters written during his lifetime were Shinkuro Ise and Sozui Ise. In later generations, he was generally known as Hojo Soun.

His name was uncertain for a long time, and it was also said to be Nagauji, Ujishige, Ujimori, etc., but Moritoki is now the accepted theory. His common name, Shinkuro, is used in novels and other works, but in this article, I will use the name ``Ise Moritoki'' (or Sozui).

Origin of Soun

In the past, there have been rumors in modern times that this is a typical example of a samurai who rose from a simple ronin to a feudal lord during the Sengoku period. However, recent research has established that he was originally from the Ise clan, who served as a government steward for the Muromachi shogunate. He was a branch of the Ise clan that had territory in Bicchu Province, and it is almost certain that he was born in Bicchu Ebara Manor or Kyoto, and was the lord of half of Ebara Manor.

Comparing letters from the shogunate Shinjishu with letters related to Suruga Province, we find that the same person named ``Ise Shinkuro Moritoki'' is mentioned in the historical materials, which is also a deciding factor.

Recent research has shown that Morisada Ise was the father, and the mother was the daughter of Sadakuni Ise, the head of the Ise clan in Kyoto and the steward of the government, and that her father, Morisada, was important as the son-in-law of the 8th shogun Yoshimasa Ashikaga, who was the sister-in-law of Sadachika Ise, the steward of the government in the shogunate. It is also becoming clear that he was in a position of He is a cousin of Sadamune Ise, who succeeded Sadachika as Butler after Sadachika's downfall.
It is believed that when Moritoki was young, he lived in Bitchu Ebara Manor, which was Morisada's territory.

At Ebara Manor, there is a prohibition on signatures dating from 1471, dated ``Heisei Eki,'' and there is a monument ``Hojo Soun's Birthplace'' at the Takagoe Castle ruins in Jindai-cho, Ibara City. Another feature of Bicchu Ebara Manor is that it produced many vassals of the Gohojo clan, including the Naito clan, Kasahara clan, Hirai clan, Yamanaka clan, and Inoue clan.

Active as a servant of the shogunate

In 1467, the Onin War broke out, and Yoshitada Imagawa, the governor of Suruga Province, went to Kyoto and joined the eastern army. Yoshitada often visited Sadachika Ise, and Morisada served as his successor.
It is thought that Kitagawa-dono, Morisada's daughter and Sozui's older sister (or younger sister), married Yoshitada because of this connection.

Sozui is said to have served Shogun Yoshimasa's younger brother Yoshimi, but if we assume that he was born in the second year of Yasumasa (1456), which is considered likely in recent years, he would have been born during the period when Yoshimi was considered to be the shogun's successor (1464 – 1467). ), Yoshimi was too young (about 10 years old), and after 1467, Yoshimi joined the Western army.

The name ``Ise Shinkuro Moritoki'' began to appear in documents from 1481. In the 15th year of Bunmei (1483), he was appointed to the 9th Shogun Yoshihisa Ashikaga's post, and in the first year of Chokyo (1487), he became a public servant.
While serving the shogunate in Kyoto, he studied Zen at Kenninji and Daitokuji.

The battle between Suruga Shimo and the Imagawa family succession

In 1476, Yoshitada Imagawa was attacked and killed at Shiokazuzaka in Totomi by the Yokochi clan and the Katsumata clan, vassals of Yoshikazu Shiba, the guardian of Totomi who belonged to the Western Army.

The political situation in Totomi is complicated, and the remaining eldest son, Ryuomaru, is still young, so vassals of the Imagawa clan, such as the Miura clan and the Asahina clan, support Norimitsu Oshika (Yoshitada's cousin) from the family, and the whole family fights over the head of the family. Divided into two.
Horikoshi kubo Masatomo Ashikaga and the Ogigani Uesugi family intervened, and the butler Masanori Uesugi and the head of the family Dokan Ota led their troops into Suruga Province. The situation becomes disadvantageous for the Ryuomaru faction.

Sozui, who was Kitagawa-dono's brother, went to Suruga and deceived both sides by saying, ``The Uesugi clan and others will attack those who oppose peace,'' and made Norimitsu the acting head of the family until Ryuomaru came of age. I'll settle it. Masanori Uesugi and Dokan Ota were also withdrawn. The two factions exchanged sacred water at Sengen Shrine and swore a peace agreement. Norimitsu, who acted as the head of the family, entered Suruga-kan, and Ryuomaru and Kitagawa-dono moved to Ogawa Castle (Yaizu City) owned by Hoenaga Choja (Masanobu Hasegawa) in Ogawa. I have submitted. When the dispute over the Imagawa clan subsided, he returned to Kyoto and served the 9th Shogun Yoshinao as a servant.

In 1479, the former shogun Yoshimasa issued a memorandum acknowledging Ryuomaru's succession to the family headship and reassuring the main feudal lord. However, even after Ryuomaru reached the age of 15 and became an adult, Norimitsu did not attempt to restore the headship of the family.
In 1487, Sozui went to Suruga to assist Ryuomaru and entered Ishiwaki Castle (Yaizu City) to gather his comrades.
In November of the same year, he raised an army, attacked the mansion, and killed Norimmitsu and his younger brother Magogoro Oshika. Ryuomaru enters Surugakan, and two years later, he celebrates his coming of age and officially becomes the head of the Imagawa family, taking the name Ujichika.
Sozui was given territory in Kokokuji Castle (currently Numazu City), which was close to the border with Izu.

Also, around the same time, he became a direct vassal of Horikoshi Kubo Masatomo Ashikaga, and was given Tanakago and Kuwabarago in Izu Province as fiefs. However, following Masatomo's death in April 1491, he returned to the Muromachi bakufu as Shinjishu in May.
Around this time, he married the daughter (Nanyoin-dono) of Masakiyo Ogasawara, a magistrate of the shogunate (Gentsugu's grandfather, and great-grandfather of Mototsugu's son Yasuhiro and Hosokawa vassal Ogasawara Hidekiyo (Shosai)). His eldest son, Ujitsuna, was born in 1487.

Invading Izu

When Horikoshi Kubo Masatomo Ashikaga's son Chachamaru (half-brother of the 11th Shogun Yoshizumi Ashikaga) took over as Horikoshi Kubo, Sozui attacked the Horikoshi Imperial Palace. He wins and begins ruling Izu Province.

During the Kyotoku Rebellion, Kamakura kubo Shigeuji Ashikaga rebelled against the shogunate, and the Imagawa clan, ordered by the shogun, attacked and occupied Kamakura. Seiuji fled to Koga Castle and became an opposing force called the Koga Kubo, and fought fiercely with the Kanto Kanrei Yamauchi-Uesugi family on the side of the shogunate (Kyotoku War). Shogun Yoshimasa sent his half-brother Masatomo to replace Shigeuji as the Kamakura Kubo, but Shigeuji's side was so powerful that he was unable to enter Kamakura, so he remained based in Izu Hojo and became known as Horikoshi Kubo. Masu.

In 1483, peace was established between the Sei clan and the Uesugi clan, and Seichi's existence was suspended, leaving him to rule only Izu Province. In addition to his eldest son Chachamaru, Masatomo had Kiyoaki (later Yoshizumi Ashikaga) and Jundōji, and Chachamaru was disinherited due to his bad behavior, and Jundōji was appointed as the successor to Horikoshi Kubo.
When Masatomo died in 1491, Chachamaru killed Enmanin and Jundōji and succeeded him as Horikoshi Kubo.

Horikoshi Imperial Palace attack incident and Izu pacification

In April 1493, Kanrei Hosokawa Masamoto started the Meio Coup and expelled the 10th Shogun Yoshiki (later changed his name to Yoshitane). He appointed Kiyoaki to the position of Muromachi-dono (actually the shogun).