Hosokawa Ujitsuna (細川氏綱)

Ujitsuna HOSOKAWA (1514 - January 14, 1564) was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the early Sengoku period (period of warring states) and the last Kanrei (shogunal deputy) of the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun). He was the son of Tadakata HOSOKAWA and the foster son of Takakuni HOSOKAWA. Fujikata HOSOKAWA was his younger brother. His alias was Ietsuna. He was the a Settsu shugo (constable of Settsu Province).

With the aim of reinstatement, Ujitsuna raised armies in Izumi Province in 1543 in order to take revenge on Harumoto HOSOKAWA. Although he was backed by powerful clans in the Kinai region (provinces surrounding Kyoto and Nara), including the Hatakeyama clan, the Yusa clan and the Tsutsui clan, and Shogun Yoshiharu ASHIKAGA, he was at a great disadvantage at first because Harumoto had great power. However, he finally pulled off banishing Harumoto to Omi Province in 1549 after the tide turned because Nagayoshi MIYOSHI who was the vassal of Harumoto betrayed Harumoto and took sides with Ujitsuna (Battle of Eguchi).

In 1552, Ujitsuna went to the capital with Nagayoshi and was appointed to Kanrei. However he was just a puppet of Nagayoshi and didn't have any real power. After that, Ujitsuna was given Yodo-kojo Castle in Yamashiro Province but monitored by Nagayoshi, and he died in despair and hopelessness in 1563. Since then, nobody was appointed to Kanrei in the end.

[Original Japanese]