Hojo Soun

The first head of the Hojo clan (later Hojo clan), a feudal lord in the Kanto region during the Warring States period. He is also known as Ise Shinkuro Nagauji. After becoming a monk, he took the name Sounan Souzui. There is a widespread theory that he was just a wanderer, and he is considered to be a representative figure of the era of overthrowing the ruling class, along with Saito Dosan of Mino, but it is almost certain that he was a member of the Ise clan, who were stewards of the Muromachi shogunate's Mandokoro. There is a strong theory that he was not just a wanderer, but was instead Ise Shinkuro Moritoki, who became a member of the shogunate's Moshitsugishu in 1483 (Bunmei 15). He first served Ashikaga Yoshimi and accompanied him to Ise in 67 (Onin 1), but then went down to Suruga, relying on his younger sister who was the wife of Imagawa Yoshitada. In 76, after Yoshitada's death in battle, he mediated a dispute over the succession of the family and appointed Ryuomaru (Ujichika), the son of his younger sister Kitagawadono, as his successor. For this achievement, he was given 12 districts in the lower Fuji area (Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture) and entered Kokokuji Castle (Numazu City). At that time in Kanto, the power of the Koga shogunate was declining, and various forces were splitting up and fighting one after another, centered on the conflict between the Yamanouchi and Ogigayatsu Uesugi clans. Soun had already established friendly relations with the local lords of Izu, and was aware of the situation, so he first went to Izu to gain a foothold for invading Kanto.

In 1491 (Entoku 3), he defeated the Horikoshi Shogun Ashikaga Chachamaru and moved to Nirayama Castle (Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture), where he gained independence and took control of Izu Province. Then, in 1495 (Meio 4), he captured Odawara Castle (Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture) of Omori Fujiyori, a senior vassal of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi clan, and advanced into Sagami. According to the Hojoki, Soun once had a dream in which a mouse ate two large cedar trees and then turned into a tiger. He likened the mouse to Soun, who was born in the year of the rat, and the two large cedar trees to the Uesugi clans of Yamanouchi and Ogigayatsu, and was delighted that this was a happy dream. Soun fought against the two Uesugi clans, the Koga kubo, the Takeda clan, and others in Sagami, Musashi, and Kai, suffering painful defeats as he headed east. In 1512 (Eisho 9), he attacked the Miura clan, the guardian of Sagami, at Okazaki Castle (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture), and pursued them, entering Kamakura. He built Tamanawa Castle to the northwest of Kamakura and used it as a base for conquering Miura, Edo, and even the Kanto region. In 1516, he defeated the Miura clan at Arai Castle (Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture), and took control of the entire Sagami province.

Soun was born in the same year as Ota Dokan, but lived for over 30 years longer, laying the foundation for the development of the Hojo clan. He died at the age of 88 in 1581, and was buried at Soun-ji Temple in Hakone Yumoto. The "Souun-ji Hall Twenty-one Articles" are said to be Soun's family precepts, which contain his lifelong beliefs. They detail basic principles such as having faith in the Buddha and the gods, going to bed early and getting up early, and reading books whenever you have the chance. The image at Soun-ji Temple well conveys the appearance of a Sengoku warlord who excelled in strategy.

[Yuko Ikegami]

"Hojo Soun" by Hiroshi Sugiyama (1976, Meishu Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

関東の戦国大名、北条氏（後(ご)北条氏）初代。伊勢新九郎長氏(いせしんくろうながうじ)ともいう。入道して早雲庵宗瑞(あんそうずい)と号す。一介の素浪人説が流布し、美濃(みの)の斎藤道三(どうさん)と並んで、下剋上(げこくじょう)の時代を代表する人物とされるが、室町幕府政所(まんどころ)執事伊勢氏の一族であることはほぼ確実である。1483年（文明15）幕府申次衆(もうしつぎしゅう)となった伊勢新九郎盛時をその前身とみる有力な説があり、単なる素浪人ではない。初め足利義視(あしかがよしみ)に仕えて67年（応仁1）の伊勢下向に従ったが、妹が今川義忠(よしただ)の室となっていた縁を頼って駿河(するが)に下る。76年義忠戦死後の家督争いを調停して、妹北川殿の生んだ竜王丸（氏親(うじちか)）をたて、その功によって富士下方12郷（静岡県富士市）を与えられ興国寺(こうこくじ)城（沼津市）に入る。当時関東では古河公方(こがくぼう)の力が衰え、山内(やまのうち)・扇谷(おうぎがやつ)両上杉氏の争いを軸に諸勢力の分裂と抗争が相次いでいた。早雲はすでに伊豆の土豪らとよしみを通じていて、そうした状況を把握しており、まず伊豆に討って出て関東侵出の足掛りをつくろうとした。

　1491年（延徳3）堀越(ほりこし)公方足利茶々丸(ちゃちゃまる)を討って韮山(にらやま)城（静岡県伊豆の国市）に移り自立、伊豆国を制圧した。ついで95年（明応4）扇谷上杉氏の重臣大森藤頼(ふじより)の小田原城（神奈川県小田原市）を攻略して相模(さがみ)に進んだ。『北条記』によれば、早雲はあるとき、ねずみが2本の大杉を食い倒してのち虎(とら)になった夢をみ、ねずみを子(ね)年生まれの早雲に、2本の大杉を山内と扇谷の両上杉氏になぞらえて、めでたい夢と喜んだという。早雲は両上杉氏、古河公方、武田氏などと、相模、武蔵(むさし)、甲斐(かい)に戦い、手痛い敗北も経験しながら東に向かう。1512年（永正9）相模守護家の三浦氏を岡崎城（神奈川県平塚市）に攻めてこれを追い、鎌倉に入った。鎌倉の北西に玉縄(たまなわ)城を築いて三浦、江戸、さらには関東制圧の拠点とし、16年新井(あらい)城（同三浦市）に三浦氏を滅ぼし、相模一国を従えた。

　早雲は太田道灌(どうかん)と同じ年に生まれたが、30年余りも長生きして北条氏発展の基礎をつくり、永正(えいしょう)16年に88歳で死去、箱根湯本の早雲寺に葬られた。「早雲寺殿廿一箇条(にじゅういっかじょう)」はその生涯の生活信条を記した早雲の家訓といわれている。仏神を信じよ、早寝早起きをせよ、すこしの隙にも書を読むようになど、基本的な心得が細かに述べられている。早雲寺にある画像は経略に優れた戦国武将の風貌(ふうぼう)をよく伝えている。

［池上裕子］

『杉山博著『北条早雲』（1976・名著出版）』

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