Hōjō Genan

Hōjō Genan (1493–1589) was born as the son of Hōjō Sōun, founder of the Later Hōjō clan, and was a remarkable figure known both as a military commander and as a cultured intellectual. Though his given name is transmitted as Hōjō Naganaga, he was widely known by his sobriquet 'Genan.' From his elder brother Ujitsuna's era, he supported the main house, and during his nephew Ujiyasu's time, he served as a practical senior retainer defending western Sagami around Hakone and Odawara. Skilled in waka poetry, renga, kemari, and flute playing, he embodied the cultural refinement of the Later Hōjō clan. Having served as bettō of Hakone Gongen (Hakone Shrine), he was also called 'Genan-bō.' In military matters, he managed the tensions along the North Kantō-Kai border through political acumen, dealing with Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, and was deeply involved in Later Hōjō diplomacy. Having lived a long life to age 97, his tenure became a cornerstone of the Later Hōjō clan's greatest prosperity. Regarding swords, as custodian of sacred blades at Hakone Gongen, he maintained Ko-Bizen and Yamashiro-tradition swords offered to the shrine, and is recorded as a passionate sword connoisseur with refined appreciation.