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Hojo Soun (Ise Soun): Reality of the Sengoku Era's Pioneer
Hojo Soun (1432?-1519) opened the Sengoku era. Once portrayed as a "ronin who rose by force," modern scholarship reveals him as a Muromachi shogunate official from the prestigious Ise clan — a sophisticated statesman who reorganized eastern Japan with low taxation and ethical governance.
Hojo Soun (1432?-1519, born Ise Moritoki) opened the Sengoku era. Once portrayed as a ronin who rose by force, modern scholarship reveals him as a Muromachi shogunate official from the prestigious Ise clan. He conquered Izu in 1491 by overthrowing Ashikaga Chachamaru, captured Odawara Castle in 1495, and founded the Later Hojo dynasty. His “four-six” tax policy (40% to lord, 60% to farmers) and the ethical code Soun-ji-dono Nijuichi-kajo preserved his reputation as a sophisticated statesman who introduced new governance to eastern Japan.
Last updated: May 2, 2026
Portrait of Hojo Soun (Ise Soun) — founder of the Later Hojo clan
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Nirayama Castle ruins — Soun's base in Izu and place of his death
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Main Hall of Sounji in Hakone — built by Ujitsuna in 1521 per Soun's wishes
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Odawara Castle in the Hojo era — captured by Soun in 1495
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Soun-ji-dono Nijuichi-kajo — pioneering ethical code of early modern samurai society
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
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