Hōjō Sōun (d. 1519)

Ise Sōzui (伊勢宗瑞, 1432-1519), also known as Hōjō Nagauji (北条長氏), best known by the name Hōjō Sōun (北条早雲), is remembered as the founder of the Later Hōjō clan (後北条氏), one of the most powerful houses of the Sengoku period. Though later legend painted him as a rōnin who rose from obscurity to seize control of the Kantō almost overnight, his background was in fact far more distinguished. He belonged to a well-respected branch of the Ise family, long-serving vassals of the Ashikaga...