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The 'Lion of Sagami' Who Crushed an Army by Night — Hojo Ujiyasu and the Night Battle of Kawagoe

Hojo Ujiyasu, third lord of the Later Hojo based at Odawara, crushed an allied army of over 80,000 with just 8,000 men in a night attack at Kawagoe in 1546, earning the name 'Lion of Sagami.' Known also for good governance through land surveys and tax reform.

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Hojo Ujiyasu, third lord of the Later Hojo based at Odawara, faced disaster in 1546 when Kawagoe Castle was besieged by an allied army of 80,000. Feigning weakness to lower their guard, he launched a night attack with just 8,000 men and routed them — the Night Battle of Kawagoe, earning him the name ‘Lion of Sagami.’ He was also a fine administrator, conducting land surveys, reforming taxes, and even setting up a petition box 170 years before Yoshimune.

Odawara Castle, Kanagawa — the Later Hojo stronghold, an impregnable fortress that dominated Kanto in Ujiyasu's day

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Tokiwagi Gate of Odawara Castle — the fortress that supported five generations of Later Hojo rule over Kanto, from which Ujiyasu commanded the region

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Donjon of Odawara Castle — symbol of the Later Hojo that the 'Lion of Sagami' Ujiyasu built in Kanto through good governance and strategy

Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Key Figures

Hōjō Ujiyasu