Imagawa Ujichika
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Imagawa Ujichika (今川氏親? 1473 - August 1, 1526) was the 10th head of the Imagawa clan and son to Imagawa Yoshitada throughout the mid-Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. With the unfortunate and sudden murder of Yoshitada within the year of 1476, a succession dispute became settled: Oshika Norimitsu would temporarily act as the regent head of the Imagawa until Ujichika's coming-of-age ceremony in 1590, in which Ujichika will initially be 17 years of age. As Norimutsu irrationally grew selfish in his state of power, Hojo Soun--a present supporter of the Imagawa--had little choice other than to subdue the former and establish Ujichika as the 10th rightful heir to the throne, at the time at which the succession was designated. With a year having passed beneath Ujichika's headship over the Imagawa, Ujichika became unhesitant to establish firmed relations with neighboring powers, and thus gave shelter to a certain Ashikaga Yoshizumi--who had fled from Capital Kyoto--escorting the latter back to the capital at a later time, receiving a high level of praise and reputation by means of this action.
As years passed on by, Ujichika consistently ensured that his position on the Tokai Coast of Suruga Province was well managed and ultimately protected, and he thus spent a large majority of his time in campaigning within both Totomi and Mikawa, earning a name for himself as a capable man of great leadership. This effort justifiably paid off at the extent that by discarding all relations from the capital, Ujichika was able to seize the estates that his neighbors possessed within Totomi, thus expanding his power to a new length. Around this same initial time within Ujichika's headship, three of his five sons had already begun being raised within neighboring priesthoods as monks, while the other two remained by the side of their respective father, trained in any such art that were to allow them the ability to fight by his side with martial prowess. A certain Nagoya castle was additionally built within the province of Owari by the year of 1525, primarily acting as an ensured base of power if he were to eventually be able to expand upon the province and seize ultimate control. In a terrible display of circumstance, however, Ujichika would unfortunately become exceedingly ill around the beginning of 1526, and he died shortly afterwards, willing for his eldest son, Ujiteru, to succeed his name and live on for the sake of the Imagawa. Thus did Ujichika die, but he ensured to establish a major level of writing that would justifiably ensure that he became recognized as one of the Imagawa's most respected leaders.
[edit] References
- Imagawa Ujichika - SamuraiWiki. (Samurai Archives) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005
