Hōjō Gen'an

Hōjō Gen'an (birth year unknown–1589) was born as a son of Hōjō Sōun, founder of the Later Hōjō clan, and is an unusual figure known both as a warrior and as a man of culture. His Buddhist name was Chōkō, later Sōtetsu, but he was widely known by the name “Gen'an.” From the time of his elder brother Ujitsuna he supported the main line of the family, and under his nephew Ujiyasu he was active as a practical senior figure guarding the Hakone and Odawara area of western Sagami. Versed in waka and renga poetry, saddle-making, and shakuhachi-making, he embodied the cultural refinement of the Later Hōjō clan. He served as bettō (chief administrator) of Hakone Gongen (Hakone Shrine) and was also called “Hakone-dono.” In military affairs, he led a force in the Battle of Yamanaka in Kai in the 4th year of Tenbun (1535) and in the Battle of Kawagoe Castle in the 15th year of Tenbun (1546). When Takeda Shingen attacked Odawara in the 12th year of Eiroku (1569), he argued for holding out within the castle. The Hōjō Godaiki records that he lived to the age of 97, and he served five generations of the Later Hōjō clan, holding great influence within the household.