Oda Ujiharu: Why the ‘weakest Samurai warlord’ is admired

During Japan’s Sengoku (Warring States) period, there was one name that instantly struck fear into the hearts of even the most powerful feudal lords: “Oda,” as in the merciless master maneuverer Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582). Interestingly, around the same time, there was a name that elicited the exact opposite reaction, and it was also “Oda” — as in Oda Ujiharu, master of Oda Castle in modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture, whose constant losing streak made him known as the weakest Sengoku samurai warlord. Why, then, do so many people admire him today? Let’s find out. The Loser Phoenix of Hitachi Born sometime in the 1530s (perhaps even in 1534, though that may have been an invention to draw parallels between Ujiharu and Nobunaga), the weakest samurai warlord in history has no connection to the Demon King. Their names are written with different characters and point to two vastly different lineages. Nobunaga hailed from a relatively minor family in Owari (modern-day Aichi), while Ujiharu was conn ... Read full article.