Hōjō Ujimasa

Hōjō Ujimasa

Grave of Hojo Ujimasa and Ujiteru

Hōjō Ujimasa (北条 氏政, 1538 – August 10, 1590) was the fourth head of the late Hōjō clan, and daimyo of Odawara.

He was the son-in-law of Takeda Shingen.^[1]

Ujimasa commanded in many battles, consolidating his clan's position, and retired in 1590. His son Hōjō Ujinao became head of the clan and lord of Odawara, but later that year they failed to hold Odawara against the forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (see Siege of Odawara (1590)). Ujimasa was forced to commit suicide along with his brother Ujiteru.

Like many samurai who committed seppuku in the face of shameful defeat, Ujimasa composed a death poem:

Autumn wind of eve

Blow away the clouds that mass

O'er the moon's pure light.

And the mists that cloud our mind

Do thou sweep away as well.

(雨雲の おほへる月も 胸の霧も はらひにけりな 秋の夕風)

Now we disappear

Well, what must we think of it?

From the sky we came

Now we may go back again

That's at least one point of view.

(我が身今　消ゆとやいかに　思ふべき　空より来たり　空へ帰れば)

(吹きとふく 風な恨みそ 花の春 紅葉も残る 秋あらばこそ)

In popular culture

Hōjō Ujimasa appears in Koei's video games Kessen, Samurai Warriors 2, Samurai Warriors 3 and Warriors Orochi. He was also in Capcom's Sengoku Basara, Sengoku Basara 2, and Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes. He also appears in The Creative Assembly's Total War: Shogun, and Total War: Shogun 2. Professional wrestler Akito wrestled as Ujimasa for the Dramatic Dream Team promotion on February 10, 2013.^[2]

Sources

• Stephen Turnbull. The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & Co. (1998)

References