Hojo Ujiteru

Born around 1541 (Tenbun 10) as the third son of the Sengoku daimyo Hojo Ujiyasu. His mother was the daughter of Imagawa Ujichika. He was commonly known as Genzo. His title was Mutsu no Kami. In 1546, Ujiyasu defeated Kanto Kanrei Uesugi Norimasa and others, and Ujiteru was adopted by Oishi Doshun, a senior retainer of Norimasa who had surrendered and was the lord of Takiyama Castle in Musashi Province, and initially took the surname Oishi. Later, around 1561 (Eiroku 4), he became the lord of Takiyama Castle and demonstrated his military ability as a branch lord of the Hojo clan. After the Battle of Konodai in Shimousa Province in 1564, he advanced into the northern Kanto region, and in 1568 he became the lord of Kurihashi Castle in the same province, becoming a multiple branch castle lord and playing an important role in governing the Hojo clan's territory. He was particularly active in dealing with the Ashikaga clan, the Koga kubo, and in diplomacy with various daimyo such as the Date clan, the Tokugawa clan, and the Oda clan. Around the end of 1582 (Tensho 10), he extensively renovated Hachioji Castle in Musashi Province and moved there from Takiyama Castle, and thereafter resisted Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attacks on the Hojo clan. In the end, after his defeat in the Battle of Odawara in 1590, he committed suicide with his brother Ujiyasu. Currently, he has over 270 issued documents, including two types of red seal letters, one with the inscription "Nyoijoju" (reengraved once) and one with an unknown inscription, as well as letters and stamps.

[Yutaka Arimitsu]

"Studies on Hojo Ujiyasu by Sato Hironobu" (included in "Research on the Ashikaga Clan of the Koga Kubo", 1989, Azekura Shobo)" ▽ "Lord of Hachioji Castle, Hojo Ujiyasu by Shimoyama Haruhisa (1994, Tamashin Regional Cultural Foundation)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1541年（天文10）ごろ、戦国大名北条氏康(うじやす)の三男として誕生。母今川氏親(いまがわうじちか)娘。通称源三(げんぞう)。受領名陸奥守。1546年氏康が関東管領上杉憲政(うえすぎのりまさ)らを破り、氏照は降伏した憲政の宿老武蔵国滝山(たきやま)城主の大石道俊(おおいしどうしゅん)のもとに養子に入り、当初大石姓を名乗る。その後1561年（永禄4）ごろ滝山城主となり、北条氏の支城主として軍事的能力を発揮する。1564年の下総国国府台(こうのだい)合戦のあと北関東方面に進出して、1568年には同国栗橋(くりはし)城主を兼ね複合的支城主となり、北条氏の領国支配に重きをなす。とくに古河公方(こがくぼう)足利氏への対応や伊達氏、徳川氏、織田氏など諸大名との外交に尽力した。1582年（天正10）過ぎごろには武蔵国八王子城を大改修して滝山城から移り、その後の豊臣秀吉による北条氏攻めに対抗する。結局、1590年の小田原合戦の敗北により、兄氏政とともに自刃した。現在、印文「如意成就(にょいじょうじゅ)」（1度改刻）と印文未詳印との2種の朱印状を始め書状、判物(もつ)など270通余の発給文書を残している。

［有光友學］

『佐藤博信著「北条氏照に関する考察」（『古河公方足利氏の研究』所収・1989・校倉書房）』▽『下山治久著『八王子城主・北条氏照』（1994・たましん地域文化財団）』

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