Hojo Soun

Kamakura and Koga: The Birthplaces of Japan’s Warring States Period

There is a widely accepted theory that Japan’s Warring States period began with the “Kyotoku Rebellion,” which broke out in Kamakura. If this is correct, then Kamakura—or Koga in Ibaraki Prefecture—could be considered the birthplace of the Warring States period. The exploits of Hojo Soun, Japan’s first warlord, may also lend credence to this theory. Furthermore, historical novelist Michiko Nagai has been named an honorary citizen of both Kamakura City and Koga City. For these reasons, the history of the late Muromachi period in the Kanto region remains endlessly fascinating.