Hojó Soun

(1432 –1519) was the first head of the Hojo clan, one of the major powers in Japan’s Sengoku period. He was originally known as Ise Shinkurō, a samurai of Taira lineage. Although he only belonged to a side branch of the main, more prestigious Ise family, he fought his way up, gaining territory and changing his name in imitation of the illustrious Hojo. Soon after gaining control of the Izu Province in 1493, he secured Odawara Castle, which would become the center of the Hojo family’s domains for nearly a century. Supposedly, he seized the castle after arranging for its lord to be murdered while out hunting.