Gen'an Hōjō

Gen'an Hōjō is Sōun Hōjō's youngest son and Ujiyasu's uncle. He served the Hōjō faithfully from his father's time to Ujinao Hōjō. He is remembered for his cultural talent and long service as a monk of Hakone Gongen's shrine. Gen'an's unique position as a senior member of the Hōjō allowed him to function as a key advisor and powerful counterweight to any other sub-faction within the Hōjō.

Role in Games
Gen'an is mentioned in Samurai Warriors 4 as the author of Lady Hayakawa's heirloom, the Gen'an's Pinciples. In Samurai Warriors 4: Empires, Gen'an appears as a Hōjō officer in the earlier scenarios.

In the Nobunaga's Ambition series, Gen'an possesses mid 80s intelligence and political skills, making him very good at management and negotiation. However in balance his military skills are in the low 30s, making his ability to lead campaigns limited. In Samurai Cats Gen'an, he’s depicted with a hitoyogiri, as he was famous in real life for his talent with the wooden flute.

Historical Information
Hōjō Gen'an was born the youngest son of Hōjō Sōun. While he was still young, Gen'an's father placed him within Betsutoji Temple as a monk for Hakone Gongen, an influential sect in the Kantō region. It is believed that Sōun sent Gen'an to rise in prominence among the monks to gain their influence over the region, making the conquest of the land easier. To help support his efforts, Sōun gifted Gen'an 4,400 kan (weight system for currency weighing about 8 and a quarter pounds) in 1519. For his part, Gen'an did rise in their ranks to achieve the position of Bettō in 1525, the 40th leader of said shrine. It was around this time Gen'an started calling himself Nagatsuna and Sotetsu.

When Hōjō Sōun passed, Hōjō Gen'an's brother, Hōjō Ujitsuna, continued backing Gen'an's efforts by paying for the reinvention of the Hakone Gongen shrine. Gen'an supported his brother beyond his monastery work. He was noted for his talent at equestrian and archery abilities, which he made use of in battle for his clan. In 1535 Gen'an fought against both the Takeda clan in Kai and the Uesugi clan at Musashi Irumagawa. After Hōjō Tamemasa passed away at a young age, Gen'an took over management of Muira and Kozukue castles. Just four years later Gen'an was part of Hōjō Ujiyasu's night raid during the battle of Kawagoe Castle.

By 1559 Gen'an held the largest stipend holding of any of the Hōjō vassals, at 5,457 koku. Tragedy followed Gen'an the following year, when his eldest son, Hōjō Saburo (also known as  Hōjō Tokinaga, not Hōjō Saburo), died suddenly. That same year the Uesugi invaded Kantō and Gen'an helped defend Odawara. In the year 1569 Hōjō Gen'an fought against the Takeda in Suruga. At the battle of Kamabara Castle, the fighting turned sour and Gen'an's forces were defeated, his two remaining sons slain.

Brefet of any heir, Ujiyasu tried to help his uncle by allowing him to adopt Hōjō Saburo. However, an alliance that was arranged between the Hōjō and the Uesugi required that Saburo be adopted by Uesugi Kenshin. Hōjō Ujimitsu took over management of Kozukue castle and Gen'an's grandson, Hōjō Ujitaka became his heir. Gen'an passed away in 1589 at the age of 97, although the exact dates of his death and birth are uncertain, some suggesting he died in 1585 instead.

Hōjō Gen'an was best known for his cultural skills. He was very well versed in both Waka and Renga poetry, as well as tea ceremony and the hitoyogiri (a bamboo flute). His skill at saddle making and garden arrangements was also recognized by many in his time. When Lady Hayakawa moved to Suruga in preparation to marry Imagawa Ujizane, Gen'an gifted her a book on court edicate that was highly praised for its attention to detail.