Utsunomiya Ujitsuna

A military commander in Shimotsuke (Tochigi Prefecture) during the Nanboku-cho period. The son of Kintsuna, his mother was the daughter of Chiba Munetane. His childhood name was Kaga Tomomaru. He was called Shiro, and held the ranks of Shimotsuke-no-kami, Iyo-no-kami, and Junior Fifth Rank. He also called himself Nanreian. In 1337 (2nd year of Engen, 4th year of Kenmu), when Kitabatake Akiie of Oshu led a large army westward, he resisted from Utsunomiya Castle together with his vassal Haga Takana. During the Kanno Disturbance (1350-52), he sided with Ashikaga Takauji and was appointed as the shugo of Echigo (Niigata Prefecture) and Kozuke (Gunma Prefecture) as a reward. Takana's sons Takaie and Takasada were the deputy shugo of Echigo. Ujitsuna and Takana tried to prevent Uesugi Noriaki from returning to the shugo of Echigo, and were attacked by the forces of the Kanto kubo Ashikaga Motouji. They surrendered once, but in 1368 (Shohei 23, Oan 1), they allied with the Hei Ikki of Musashi and rebelled again, and Utsunomiya Castle was captured by the kubo Ujimitsu. He died on July 5th of the following year. His posthumous name was Genzan Zenko.

[Takenori Shinkawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

南北朝時代の下野(しもつけ)（栃木県）の武将。公綱(きんつな)の子、母は千葉宗胤(むねたね)の女(むすめ)。幼名加賀寿丸。四郎と称し、下野守(かみ)、伊予守、従(じゅ)五位下。南齢庵と号す。1337年（延元2・建武4）奥州の北畠顕家(きたばたけあきいえ)が大軍を率いて西上すると、家臣の芳賀高名(はがたかな)とともに宇都宮城によって抗戦した。観応(かんのう)の擾乱(じょうらん)（1350～52）には足利尊氏(あしかがたかうじ)方に属し、恩賞として越後(えちご)（新潟県）・上野(こうずけ)（群馬県）の守護に補任(ぶにん)された。越後守護代は、高名の子高家(たかいえ)、高貞(たかさだ)。氏綱、高名は、上杉憲顕(うえすぎのりあき)の越後守護復帰を阻止しようとしたため、関東公方(くぼう)足利基氏(もとうじ)の軍勢に攻められ、いったん降伏するが、68年（正平23・応安1）武蔵(むさし)の平一揆(へいいっき)と結び、ふたたび反し、公方氏満(うじみつ)によって宇都宮城は攻落された。翌々年7月5日没。法名元山禅綱。

［新川武紀］

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