Imagawa Ujichika
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese daimyo
of the Sengoku period
. He was the 10th head of the Imagawa clan
of Suruga Province
.
. In 1476 Yoshitada invaded Tôtômi Province and defeated the Katsumada and Yokota
clans. On the return to Suruga, however, he was waylaid at Shiokaizaka and was attacked and killed by the remnants of the two families he had just defeated.
) proposed that until Ujichika has his coming of age ceremony, Oshika Norimitsu act as a regent in his name. This averted armed conflict within the Imagawa, at least temporarily. However, when Ujichika turned 17, Norimitsu would not turn over control of the imagawa clan to him, and hostilities resumed. Shinkûrô attacked Norimitsu's mansion on Ujichika's behalf and once Norimatsu was defeated, Ujichika assumed his position as head of the clan. He gave asylum to Ashikaga Yoshizumi after the latter fled Kyoto in 1491 and afterwards escorted him back. A capable leader, he spent much time campaigning in Tôtômi and Mikawa, strengthening the position of the Imagawa on the Tokai Coast. He died of illness in 1526 and was succeeded by his eldest son Ujiteru. Ujichika is remembered for sending three of his six sons to various temples to become monks and for building Nagoya Castle
in Owari
in 1525 - both of which were considered somewhat unusual - the latter because the Imagawa had only the most tenuous of holds over Owari Province.
Ujichika's sons included Ujiteru
(d.1536), Hikogoro (d.1536), Yoshizane, Yoshimoto
, and Ujitoyo.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
. He was the 10th head of the Imagawa clan
Imagawa clan
The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa . It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan.-Origins:Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa and took its name.Imagawa Norikuni received from his cousin the...
of Suruga Province
Suruga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka prefecture. It was sometimes called . Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay.-History:...
.
Biography
Ujichika was the son of Imagawa YoshitadaImagawa Yoshitada
Imagawa Yoshitada, the father of the famed Imagawa Ujichika and the 9th head of the Imagawa clan. Yoshitada spent most of his time invading the Tōtōmi Province, attacking the Katsumada and Yokota clans...
. In 1476 Yoshitada invaded Tôtômi Province and defeated the Katsumada and Yokota
Yokota
- Place names :* Yokota Air Base, an US Air Force Base located in Tokyo, Japan* Harima-Yokota Station* Iyo-Yokota Station* Yokota, Shimane** Izumo Yokota Station* Iwami-Yokota Station- Family names :* Yokota family* Jaguar Yokota...
clans. On the return to Suruga, however, he was waylaid at Shiokaizaka and was attacked and killed by the remnants of the two families he had just defeated.
Succession
A succession dispute between supporters of Yoshichika's infant son Tatsuomaru (Ujichika) and his cousin Oshika Shingorô Norimitsu developed. Ôgigayatsu - Uesugi Sadamasa and the so-called Horigoe Kubô (Ashikaga Masatomo) both became involved, and the imagawa found themselves standing at a crossroads. Ise Shinkûrô (the future Hôjô SôunHojo Soun
was the first head of the Late Hōjō clan, one of the major powers in Japan's Sengoku period. Born Ise Moritoki, he was originally known as Ise Shinkurō, a samurai of Taira lineage from a reputable family of Shogunate officials...
) proposed that until Ujichika has his coming of age ceremony, Oshika Norimitsu act as a regent in his name. This averted armed conflict within the Imagawa, at least temporarily. However, when Ujichika turned 17, Norimitsu would not turn over control of the imagawa clan to him, and hostilities resumed. Shinkûrô attacked Norimitsu's mansion on Ujichika's behalf and once Norimatsu was defeated, Ujichika assumed his position as head of the clan. He gave asylum to Ashikaga Yoshizumi after the latter fled Kyoto in 1491 and afterwards escorted him back. A capable leader, he spent much time campaigning in Tôtômi and Mikawa, strengthening the position of the Imagawa on the Tokai Coast. He died of illness in 1526 and was succeeded by his eldest son Ujiteru. Ujichika is remembered for sending three of his six sons to various temples to become monks and for building Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan. During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle was the center of one of the most important castle towns in Japan—Nagoya-juku— and it included the most important stops along the Minoji, which linked the Tōkaidō with the Nakasendō.-History:In...
in Owari
Owari
Owari may refer to:* Owari Province* Owari Domain* Owari, more commonly spelled oware, a game* Owari Mandarin orange, a form of citrus fruit...
in 1525 - both of which were considered somewhat unusual - the latter because the Imagawa had only the most tenuous of holds over Owari Province.
Legislative Acts
He composed the Imagawa house code, the Imagawa Kana Mokuroku, in 1526. Clauses included such stipulations as the punishment for unlawful entry of another's residence (article 7), the imposition of capital punishment in violent quarrels between retainers (article 8), the accountability of the parents of children (of retainers) involved in fights (article 11), regulations concerning the private sale and leasing of land (articles 13-15), debt repayment (article 17), and forbidding retainers of the Imagawa to arrange marriages with houses outside the Imagawa domain (article 30).Ujichika's sons included Ujiteru
Imagawa Ujiteru
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, who ruled the Imagawa clan of Suruga Province....
(d.1536), Hikogoro (d.1536), Yoshizane, Yoshimoto
Imagawa Yoshimoto
was one of the leading daimyo in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was one of the three daimyo that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He was one of the dominant daimyo in Japan for a time, until his death in 1560....
, and Ujitoyo.