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86-641: Nagao Kagetora ( 長尾 景虎 , February 18, 1530 – April 19, 1578) , later known as Uesugi Kenshin ( 上杉 謙信 ) , was a Japanese daimyō . He was born in Nagao clan , and after adoption into the Uesugi clan , ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan . He was one of the most powerful daimyō of the Sengoku period. Known as the " Dragon of Echigo ", while chiefly remembered for his feats and prowess on

172-473: A Buddhist monk. What followed after the triple alliance of Kenshin was the beginning of a rivalry which became legendary in the history of Japan and the Sengoku period . In the first conflict between the two, both Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen were very cautious, only committing themselves to indecisive skirmishes. Over the years, there would be a total of five such engagements at the famous site of Kawanakajima (1553, 1555, 1557, 1561, 1564), though only

258-596: A Takeda retainer drove him away. Shingen made a counter-attack and the Uesugi army retreated. The result of the fourth battle of Kawanakajima is still uncertain. Many scholars are divided on who the actual victor was, if the battle was actually decisive enough to even declare one, thus is generally considered a draw. It is considered to be the largest casualty battle in the Sengoku period, with loss of estimated 72 percent of Kenshin's army and 62 percent of Shingen's army, but Shingen also lost two of his most important generals during

344-466: A break, while the soldiers who had not seen action would fight on the front lines. This was extremely effective and because of this Kenshin nearly defeated Shingen. In Kōyō Gunkan there is one of the most famous instances of single combat in samurai history; during this battle, Kenshin managed to ride up to Shingen and slashed at him with his sword. Shingen fended off the blows with his iron war fan or tessen . Kenshin failed to finish Shingen off before

430-680: A female character, Kenshin is found in the Rance series most notably in Sengoku Rance. Kenshin was portrayed by Japanese figure skater and two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu in his Olympic free skate program Heaven and Earth (天と地と) , using the soundtrack of the two taiga dramas Ten to Chi to and Shin Heike Monogatari . Hanyu's motivation behind the music choice was his strong resonance with Kenshin's situation as well as his values and approach towards battle. The program

516-561: A guard against the particularly tumultuous times in which he lived. Daimyō , samurai warlords, fought one another for territory nearly constantly, across the entire country. Rennyo thus saw to it that the temples of his sect were fortified and defended from attackers. Though it was his charismatic leadership and populist teachings that inspired the fervor which powered the Ikkō-ikki uprisings, he never advocated or supported them. The uprisings continued nevertheless, past Rennyo's death in 1499, and

602-539: A member of the power opposed to Nobunaga. When the death of Hatakeyama Yoshitaka , a lord in Noto Province , sparked up confusion and conflict, Kenshin was quick to use the opportunity, taking land from the weakened clan and successfully besieged Nanao Castle , which put him in a position to threaten Nobunaga and his allies. In response, Nobunaga pulled together his own forces and those of his two best generals, Shibata Katsuie and Maeda Toshiie , to meet Kenshin at

688-508: A new class, the sengoku-daimyō , who arose from the ranks of the shugodai and jizamurai . Among the sengoku daimyō ( 戦国大名 ) were many who had been shugo-daimyō , such as the Satake , Imagawa , Takeda , Toki , Rokkaku , Ōuchi , and Shimazu . New to the ranks of the daimyo were the Asakura , Amago , Nagao , Miyoshi , Chōsokabe , Hatano, and Oda . These came from the ranks of

774-536: A ninja concealed in the cesspool beneath the latrine at Kenshin's camp with a short spear or sword. The theories are not mutually exclusive — the assassin, if he existed, might simply have fatally wounded an already-dying man. However, as his anticipation of his own death is recorded in the death poem, the possibility of the assassination is less likely. Domestically, Kenshin left behind a succession crisis. While he never had any children of his own, Kenshin adopted two boys during his lifetime. His nephew, Uesugi Kagekatsu ,

860-752: A peasant or merchant could transform himself into a capable mobile cannoneer in mere days. According to George Sansom , "The Ikko (Single-Minded) sect of Nenbutsu , or Buddha-calling ... is a branch of the worship of Amida developed from the teaching of Shinran into an aggressive doctrine of salvation by faith." In the 13th century, the jizamurai , a new class of small landowners, "formed leagues ( ikki ) for mutual defence", since they came from "good warrior families, long established in their own districts, and they were determined to protect their interests, both economic and social, against newcomers", according to Sansom. The Shirahata-Ikki, "White Flag Uprising", and Mikazuki-Ikki, "Crescent Uprising", were examples of

946-474: A practice called sankin-kōtai . In 1869, the year after the Meiji Restoration, the daimyo, together with the kuge, formed a new aristocracy, the kazoku . In 1871, the han were abolished , and prefectures were established. In this year, around 200 daimyo returned their titles to the emperor, who consolidated their han into 75 prefectures. Their military forces were also demobilized, with

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1032-614: A reply dated August 22 to Tokugawa clan 's senior vassal, Sakai Tadatsugu , and Matsudaira Masanori (son of Yoshinori, 1546-1582), a member of the Matsudaira clan. In the reply, he indicated his intention to come to an agreement. From this point, concrete alliance negotiations began, and on October 8, Ieyasu issued a pledge to Kenshin and also broke his relationship with the Takeda clan. As Ieyasu formed an alliance with Kenshin, he swore to break off relations with Shingen and afforded to have

1118-555: A samurai sword that he purchased at an auction, telling Chozen that it was used by Kenshin in the fourth battle of Kawanakajima. The manga Yukibana no Tora by Akiko Higashimura , serialised in Shogakukan 's seinen manga magazine Hibana from March 2015 to August 2017, also portrays its main protagonist Kenshin as a woman. Tomeo Yagiri's theory, known as the Female Uesugi Kenshin Theory , served as

1204-424: A situation which was nearly to the point of tearing the province apart. As the story is told, at first Kenshin was reluctant to take the field against his own brother, but was eventually convinced that it was necessary to the survival of Echigo. At the age of 15 he was placed in joint command of Tochio Castle , making a reputation for himself by successfully defending it against the rebels who were plotting against

1290-595: A small investigative council for any kind of unrest. Heading a campaign against Hōjō Ujiyasu from fall 1560 to the summer of 1561, Kenshin was successful in taking a number of castles from the clan, like Numata Castle and Umayabashi Castle , which ended with the first siege of Odawara Castle in Sagami Province . He managed to break the defenses and burn the town, but the castle itself remained unconquered due to threats from Shingen, and thus seized Kamakura . In 1563, Kenshin saved his ally Ōta Sukemasa who

1376-565: Is a playable character in Pokémon Conquest ( Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), where he is the warlord of Illusio with his partner Pokémon being Gallade and Mewtwo . Kenshin also appears in a gender bender parallel universe anime series Battle Girls: Time Paradox . A female Kenshin, as Nagao Kagetora, also appears in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order , voiced by actress and singer Nana Mizuki . Similarly appearing as

1462-595: Is also referred to as "The Dragon of Echigo " (越後の龍) because of his Kakarimidareryuu (懸かり亂れ龍) ensign displayed on the battlefield. His rival Takeda Shingen was called "The Tiger of Kai ". They fought several times at Battles of Kawanakajima . In some versions of Chinese mythology (Shingen and Kenshin had always been interested in Chinese culture, especially the works of Sun Tzu ), the Dragon and Tiger have always been bitter rivals who try to defeat one another, but neither

1548-422: Is doubt that Kenshin's act as purely altruistic as it was recorded that he did not merely sending salts, but allowing the merchants of Echigo to sell their salts in Takeda's territory. In essence, it was argued that Kenshin also saw the economic opportunity for merchants under his rule to prosper to go into Shingen's territories and selling salt, which direly needed by peoples of Kai due to the salt embargo enacted by

1634-512: Is ever able to gain the upper hand. Kenshin and Shingen were also known to harbour a deep respect for the other's military prowess and strategic foresight with Kenshin even going so far as to express remorse and weep at news of Shingen's death. His ceremony of departure to war started with praying at the shrine of Bishamonten, a traditional farewell meal with the generals with three dishes (symbolizing good fortune) and three cups, which also symbolized good luck and onmyōdō 's heaven, earth and man. It

1720-588: Is featured in 1979 film G.I. Samurai , and played by Eiichi Kanakubo is a minor character in Akira Kurosawa 's 1980 jidaigeki Kagemusha . The 1990 movie adaptation of Kaionji's novel, Heaven and Earth directed by Haruki Kadokawa , where's Kenshin played by Takaaki Enoki , covers the rivalry between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, focusing mainly on the character of Kenshin who is referred to by his original name Kagetora. The film has been praised for its realistic depictions of warfare and battles of

1806-594: Is not incorrect to consider the world uncertain, as a warrior one should not think of it as uncertain but as totally certain. Daimy%C5%8D From the shugo of the Muromachi period through the Sengoku period to the daimyo of the Edo period , the rank had a long and varied history. The backgrounds of daimyo also varied considerably; while some daimyo clans, notably the Mōri , Shimazu and Hosokawa , were cadet branches of

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1892-428: Is on Naoe Kanetsugu , the page and later advisor to Uesugi Kenshin's adopted son and heir Kagekatsu . Kenshin was again voiced by Gackt in the anime of the gag manga, Tono to Issho (2010–2011). The live-action drama Sengoku Basara: Moonlight Party cast actress Mayuko Arisue as Kenshin. Gackt participated in the production, but voiced Oda Nobunaga. In Cobra Kai , Season 5 episode 2, Terry Silver shows Chozen

1978-503: Is related to his successful reform efforts on trade, market, transportation network (taxing mechanism in the port towns), and revenues generated by the cloth trade. The result was control over commerce which the previous government did not have. He also established feudal ties with the warrior population by land grants. The so-called Funai Statutes show the provisions that apply to the traditional elites and common folk, tax breaks due to war exhaustion, with intent to centralize and consolidate

2064-624: Is said to have been undefeated in over 50 open battles, hence being dubbed the “God of War” by his followers. The Kenshin Festival 謙信公祭 ( Kenshin Kousai ) takes place every August in Jōetsu since 1926. The procession starts at Kasugayama Castle for the reenactment of the fourth Kawanakajima battle , with an army of 400–1,000 soldiers. Japanese singer-songwriter Gackt portrayed Kenshin on several occasions since 2007, and thanks to his participation,

2150-452: Is that early sources record his deterioration of health condition, his complaints of pain in the chest "like an iron ball", and as Kenshin Gunki (1582) records "on the 9th day of the 3rd month he had a stomach ache in his toilet. This unfortunately persisted until the 13th day when he died". However, it is also speculated that he was victim of one of the most famous ninja assassinations , by

2236-568: The shōgun in Kyoto . This served to heighten his reputation considerably, and added to his image as a cultured leader as well as a warlord. This same year he was pushed once again by Uesugi Norimasa to take control of the Kantō back from the Hōjō , and in 1560 he was able to comply. In August of the same year, he put southern Echigo under control of a five-man council for broad mobilization, as well formed

2322-539: The Battle of Tedorigawa (1577) in Kaga Province . Kenshin based his 30,000 strong army at the castle of Matsuto, while Oda Nobunaga 's forces arrived with 50,000 troops led by many famous generals. Despite Nobunaga's superior numbers, Kenshin managed to score a solid victory on the field. At first, Kenshin anticipated that Nobunaga would try to move by night over the river for dawn attack and thus refused to engage

2408-463: The Battle of Tonegawa , to once again disengage. In addition, after Shingen broke with the Hōjō, there was an incident when the Hōjō clan boycotted salt supplies to Kai Province . When Kenshin heard of Shingen's problem, he sent salt to Shingen from his own province. Kenshin commented that the Hōjō had "performed a very mean act". Kenshin added, "I do not fight with salt, but with the sword". However, there

2494-602: The Kantō region as the Kanto Kanrei , and his belief in the Buddhist god of war Bishamonten . Many of his followers and others believed him to be the avatar of Bishamonten, and called Kenshin the " God of War ". His original name was Nagao Kagetora (長尾景虎). He changed his name to Uesugi Masatora (上杉政虎) when he inherited the Uesugi clan , and in order to accept the official title of Kantō Kanrei (関東管領) he changed his name again to Uesugi Terutora (上杉輝虎) to honor

2580-806: The Mori of Chōshū , the Shimazu of Satsuma , the Date of Sendai , the Uesugi of Yonezawa , and the Hachisuka of Awa . Initially, the Tokugawa regarded them as potentially rebellious, but for most of the Edo period, control policies such as sankin-kōtai , resulted in peaceful relations. Daimyo were required to maintain residences in Edo as well as their fiefs, and to move periodically between Edo and their fiefs, typically spending alternate years in each place, in

2666-598: The Oda clan exploited rebellions against Kagekatsu to advance right up to the border of Echigo, having captured Noto and Kaga while the Uesugi brothers were busy with the infighting. This combined with the destruction of the Takeda clan , Uesugi's then ally and long time Oda enemy, would come close to destroying the Uesugi clan before Oda Nobunaga's own death once again shattered the balance of power in Japan. Kenshin's military success

Uesugi Kenshin - Misplaced Pages Continue

2752-536: The Takeda 's conquests taking them remarkably close to the borders of Echigo, Kenshin agreed to take the field on two fronts, against Hojo and Takeda, however the conflicts between the three lords showed also various alliances and treaties. In 1561, Masatora took the name of Uesugi Terutora , upon succeeding as head of the Yamanouchi-Uesugi family and assuming the position of Kanto Kanrei. Later, he changed his name again, finally to 'Kenshin' after he became

2838-686: The Tedori River , Nobunaga ordered a retreat into Ōmi Province . However, Kenshin, who described the opponent's performance as "surprisingly weak", had a false impression to have defeated Nobunaga, as the Oda army was actually led by Shibata Katsuie . Eventually, Kenshin secured the Noto Province from the Oda clan . In October 1577, Uesugi Kenshin arranged to put forth a grand army to continue his assaults into Nobunaga's land. In 1578, he entered alliance with Takeda Katsuyori against Nobunaga, but held up by bad weather and died of an esophageal cancer in

2924-469: The Uesugi , and Kenshin succeeded in wresting control of the Nagao clan from Nagao Harukage in 1548. Nagao Harukage stepped down from the lead of the clan and provincial government and gave the titles to his younger brother. Harukage died five years later in 1553. At the age of 19 Kenshin became the head of the Nagao clan and entered the Kasugayama Castle , but still as the retainer of

3010-447: The Uesugi clan . In the year 1551, Kenshin was called upon to provide refuge in his castle for his nominal lord, Uesugi Norimasa , who had been forced to flee there due to the expansion into the Kantō region by the lord Hōjō Ujiyasu from the Hōjō clan . He agreed to give the warlord shelter, under specific terms, but was not in a position at the time to move against the Hōjō. The terms were Norimasa's adoption of Kenshin as his heir,

3096-524: The ikki lay across major trade routes and occupied the same areas that Nobunaga saw as his primary territorial objectives. Nearly every road to the capital from this western part of the country was controlled by the ikki or their allies, and the populist roots of the ikki movement gave them significant economic power as well. Nobunaga in particular sought the destruction of the Ikkō-ikki for these reasons, and because they allied themselves with nearly every one of his major enemies or rivals. Ashikaga Yoshiaki

3182-448: The shogun , Kenshin praised Nobunaga. Their good relationship continued for a while, but in 1573, when Nobunaga expelled Yoshiaki, their relationship became delicate. Under the protection of the Mōri clan , Yoshiaki, began frequently requesting Uesugi, Takeda, and Hōjō to join forces and overthrow Nobunaga. Kenshin broke his alliance with Nobunaga. Through the mediation of Yoshiaki, he reconciled with Kennyo , formed an alliance, and became

3268-646: The shugodai and their deputies. Additional sengoku-daimyō such as the Mōri , Tamura , and Ryūzōji arose from the jizamurai . The lower officials of the shogunate and rōnin ( Late Hōjō , Saitō ), provincial officials (Kitabatake), and kuge (Tosa Ichijō) also gave rise to sengoku-daimyo . The Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 marked the beginning of the Edo period . Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu reorganized roughly 200 daimyo and their territories into han , which were assessed by rice production. Those heading han assessed at 10,000 koku (50,000 bushels) or more were considered daimyo. Ieyasu also categorized

3354-501: The tozama clans of Yamana , Ōuchi , Takeda and Akamatsu . The greatest ruled multiple provinces. The Ashikaga shogunate required the shugo-daimyō to reside in Kyoto , so they appointed relatives or retainers, called shugodai , to represent them in their home provinces. Eventually, some of these in turn came to reside in Kyoto, appointing deputies in the provinces. The Ōnin War

3440-479: The 13th shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiteru (足利義輝), and finally to Kenshin (上杉謙信) after he vowed to become a Zen-Buddhist ; in particular, he would become renowned for being a devotee of Bishamonten . Kenshin was born in the Tiger year ( Chinese zodiac ) and always kept the word "tora" (虎, tiger) in his names. He is respected as "The Tiger of Echigo " for his intelligent capabilities and excellent contributions. Kenshin

3526-516: The Edo shogunate, some rising to the position of rōjū . The fact that fudai daimyo could hold government positions, while tozama in general could not, was a main difference between the two. Tozama daimyō held mostly large fiefs far away from the capital, with e.g. the Kaga han of Ishikawa Prefecture , headed by the Maeda clan , assessed at 1,000,000 koku . Other famous tozama clans included

Uesugi Kenshin - Misplaced Pages Continue

3612-441: The Hōjō. Kenshin's respect for Shingen is evident from his reaction to Shingen's death: he privately wept and stated, "I have lost my good rival. We won't have a hero like that again!" Though his rivalry with Takeda Shingen was legendary, Uesugi Kenshin actually had a number of other ventures occurring around the times of these famous battles (1553–1564). In the year 1559, he made a trip with escort of 5,000 men to pay homage to

3698-550: The Imperial family or were descended from the kuge , other daimyo were promoted from the ranks of the samurai , notably during the Edo period. Daimyo often hired samurai to guard their land, and paid them in land or food, as relatively few could afford to pay them in money. The daimyo era ended soon after the Meiji Restoration , with the adoption of the prefecture system in 1871. The shugo daimyō ( 守護大名 ) were

3784-515: The Kagetora's supporters continued for few years in north-central Echigo. In 1582, Shibata Shigeie, who was a vassal of Kagekatsu, led a rebellion in north Echigo, probably due to low rewards for his support of Kagekatsu, but even more the Kagekatsu's granting control over the toll barriers in the port of Niigata to Takemata Yoshitsuna. However, in the aftermath of the costly internal struggle,

3870-477: The Nobunaga army. Then he pretended to send forth a small unit to attack Nobunaga's main force from behind and gave his enemy a great opportunity to crush his remaining force. Nobunaga took the bait. Nobunaga's force attacked at night expecting a weakened opponent at the front; instead Kenshin's full military might was waiting. Having lost 1,000 men in combat and some more as the Oda troops attempted to escape across

3956-425: The age of 14, Kenshin was suddenly contacted by Usami Sadamitsu and a number of other acquaintances of his late father. They urged the young Nagao son to go to Echigo and contest his older brother's rule. It would seem that Harukage hadn't proven the most effective or inspiring leader (probably due to ill health), and his failure to exert control and gain support of the powerful kokujin families had resulted in

4042-574: The attack. In 1563, Kenshin occupied Sano Domain of Kōzuke Province . He besieged Karasawa Castle against Sano Masatsune and made strong inroads into the region, forcing many of the smaller warlords to submit to him. At this point, by 1564 Kenshin controlled Echizen Province and Kōzuke Province . in June 12 of the same year, Kenshin entered alliance with Hōjō Ujiyasu and Oda Nobunaga. Later, in same month, Shingen asked shogun Yoshiaki Ashikaga and Nobunaga to mediate peace agreement with Kenshin, which

4128-526: The basis for the portrayal of female versions of Kenshin in popular culture. Yagiri proposed that Kenshin was a woman, inspiring various adaptations and interpretations in media. Various fictional works have utilized the femininity theory, portraying Kenshin as female or featuring gender-neutral interpretations. Kenshin has been featured in many video games, such as the Koei 's Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi and Capcom 's Sengoku Basara series. He

4214-660: The battle, namely his advisor Yamamoto Kansuke and younger brother Takeda Nobushige . Some more conservative estimates place the casualties around 20 percent. In 1563, Shingen allied with Hōjō Ujiyasu against the Uesugi clan , they captured Matsuyama Castle in Musashi Province . In 1565, Shingen then took Kuragano Castle and Minowa Castle in Kōzuke province . In 1571, Kenshin attacked Shingen's satellite Ishikura Castle in Kōzuke province, and they again faced each other at

4300-410: The battlefield as a military genius and war hero, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries and trade, and his rule saw a marked rise in the standard of living of Echigo. Kenshin is famed for his honourable conduct, his military expertise, a long-standing rivalry with Takeda Shingen , his numerous defensive campaigns to restore order in

4386-543: The daimyo according to their relation to the ruling Tokugawa family: the shinpan were related to the Tokugawa; the fudai had been vassals of the Tokugawa or allies in battle; and the tozama had not allied with the Tokugawa before the Battle of Sekigahara (did not necessarily fight against the Tokugawa). The shinpan were collaterals of Ieyasu, such as the Matsudaira , or descendants of Ieyasu other than in

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4472-717: The daimyo and their samurai followers pensioned into retirement. The move to abolish the feudal domains effectively ended the daimyo era in Japan. This was effectively carried out through the financial collapse of the feudal-domain governments, hampering their capability for resistance. In the wake of the changes, many daimyo remained in control of their lands, being appointed as prefectural governors ; however, they were soon relieved of this duty and called en masse to Tokyo, thereby cutting off any independent base of power from which to potentially rebel. Despite this, members of former daimyo families remained prominent in government and society, and in some cases continue to remain prominent to

4558-801: The early 1560s between rivals Shiina Yasutane and Jinbō Nagamoto , but he later sided with the Shiina and took over the Jinbo clan. Decades later, Kenshin turned against the Shiina clan, taking their main castle in 1570 and having Shiina Yasutane assassinated in 1576 by Kojima Motoshige . By the 1570s, after Kenshin took Toyama Castle and Matsukura Castle , Kenshin governed Echigo Province , controlled Kōzuke Province , Etchū Province and some adjacent provinces, all Hokuriku seaboard , and routed Oda Nobunaga 's forces in Echizen Province . In 1568, when Oda Nobunaga installed Ashikaga Yoshiaki as

4644-490: The festival in 2015 reached record high attendance of 243,000 people. The Echigo Kenshin Sake Festival is held every October and reaches attendance of roughly 100,000 visitors. Kenshin is the main protagonist of Chōgorō Kaionji 's epic historical novel Ten to Chi to ("Heaven and Earth") and NHK taiga drama adaptation Ten to Chi to (1969) where was played by Kōji Ishizaka . Kenshin, played by Isao Natsuyagi

4730-534: The first group of men to hold the title daimyō . They arose from among the shugo during the Muromachi period (approximately 1336–1573). The shugo-daimyo held not only military and police powers, but also economic power within a province . They accumulated these powers throughout the first decades of the Muromachi period. Major shugo-daimyō came from the Shiba , Hatakeyama , and Hosokawa clans , as well as

4816-458: The first time in Japanese history that a group of commoners ruled a province. The Ikko-ikki fought Asakura Norikage in the Battle of Kuzuryūgawa  [ ja ] of 1506 and defeated Nagao Tamekage in the 1536 Battle of Sendanno . They fought Asakura Norikage again in the 1555 Battle of Daishoji-omote. Rennyo was a pacifist and taught pacifism. He advocated self-defense only as

4902-410: The forces of Oda Nobunaga . After several failed attempts at seizing each emplacement, he eventually succeeded. In the 1580s, the last of the Ikkō-ikki courted Toyotomi Hideyoshi , and fought alongside his forces against warrior monks and priests of other sects. The Ikkō-ikki bands of the 16th century, due largely to their origins as countryside mobs, used quite varied armor and armament. Many wore

4988-412: The fourth battle would prove to be a serious all-out battle between the two. In 1561, Kenshin and Shingen fought the biggest battle they would fight, the fourth battle of Kawanakajima . Kenshin used an ingenious tactic: a special formation where the soldiers in the front would switch with their comrades in the rear, as those in the frontline became tired or wounded. This allowed the tired soldiers to take

5074-586: The lands around his capital, which were followed by further reforms for the consolidation of the imperial lands prior the 1560–1562 Kantō campaign. However, despite Kenshin's control over agriculture and the economy, he did not thoroughly implement key reforms such as cadastral surveys , important for military obligations, implying Kenshin's focus on commerce. The management of the administration, military organization, as well in some minor battles in Echigo Funai were handed by vassal Kurata Gorōzaemon . Kenshin

5160-489: The main line of succession. Several shinpan , including the Tokugawa of Owari ( Nagoya ), Kii ( Wakayama ), and Mito , as well as the Matsudaira of Fukui and Aizu , held large han . A few fudai daimyō , such as the Ii of Hikone , held large han, but many were small. The shogunate placed many fudai at strategic locations to guard the trade routes and the approaches to Edo . Also, many fudai daimyo took positions in

5246-507: The marriage proposal between relatives of Nobunaga and Shingen to be called off. The other main area which interested Uesugi Kenshin was Etchū Province in the west, and Kenshin would spend nearly half his life involved in the politics of that province. The land was inhabited by two feuding clans, the Jinbō  [ ja ] and the Shiina . Kenshin first entered the dispute as a mediator in

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5332-522: The members of the numerous ikki" occupied the monasteries and shrines, and "would ring the warning bells day and night, hoping to terrify the rich citizens", according to Sansom. The Ikkō-ikki were, at first, disparate and disorganized followers of Rennyo's teachings. His missionary work, and his appointment to the position of abbot of the Kyoto Hongan-ji, was in 1457, allowed him to "express in words and deeds" his unorthodox views. In 1465, Rennyo

5418-400: The more traditional priest robes, with varying degrees and types of armor. Some wore various sorts of helmets, while others opted for the straw hat and cloak of a peasant. Naginata remained very common, along with a variety of swords and daggers, and a limited number of arquebuses . Finally, while not truly armor nor armament, a very common item wielded by the mobs of Ikkō-ikki priest warriors

5504-492: The neighboring Ikkō-ikki of Hokuriku , and as the political power in the region started to shift in favor of the Ikkō-ikki (due largely to the sudden rise of Hongan-ji ), the situation for Echigo quickly deteriorated. It came to a peak in 1536, when Kenshin's father gathered up an army and marched westward. However, upon arriving at Sendanno (December 1536) in Etchū , his forces were suddenly attacked by Enami Kazuyori , and in

5590-473: The numerous risings against the Ashikaga shogunate . An uprising involving an entire province was called a Kuni-Ikki (kuni meaning province). Uprisings took place in 1351, 1353, 1369, 1377, 1384–1386, and 1366–1369. The risings in the 15th century, Tsuchi-Ikki or Do-Ikki, were better organized "and the peasants appear to have played a more prominent part". At the conclusion of the Ōnin War , in 1477, "many of

5676-519: The period. Being a box office success in Japan, it is also famous for holding the world record for most saddled horses used in one sequence — 800 horses were in a battle segment. Kaionji's novel was also adapted by TV Asahi for their 50th anniversary as 2008 TV drama special where Kenshin was played by Masahiro Matsuoka . In the 2007 NHK taiga drama, Fūrin Kazan , Uesugi Kenshin is portrayed by Japanese singer-songwriter Gackt . Gackt recalls that Kenshin

5762-462: The present day. For example, Morihiro Hosokawa , the former Prime Minister of Japan, is a descendant of the daimyo of Kumamoto . Ikk%C5%8D-ikki Ikkō-ikki ( 一向一揆 , " Ikkō-shū Uprising") were rebellious or autonomous groups of people that were formed in several regions of Japan in the 15th-16th centuries; backed up by the power of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism , they opposed

5848-480: The region, but these efforts were still in their infant stages when far more pressing concerns appeared. In 1553, Ogasawara Nagatoki and Murakami Yoshikiyo , two Shinano lords, both appeared before Kenshin requesting his help in halting the advances of the powerful warlord Takeda Shingen . Around the time Kenshin became the new lord of Echigo, Shingen had won major victories in Shinano Province . With

5934-522: The religious fervour of the Ikkō-ikki in the defence of his temple settlements, he was also careful to distance himself from the wider social rebellion of the Ikkō movement as a whole, and from offensive violence in particular. With recent improvements in firearms at the time, the Ikko-ikki movement would be able to rise very suddenly as a menacing force which presented a credible threat to the government, as

6020-487: The resulting fracas Tamekage himself was slain, and his army put to flight. The impact back at Echigo was immediate. Nagao Harukage , Tamekage's eldest son, immediately made his bid for control of the Nagao , and succeeded in this claim after a power struggle which resulted in the death of one of his brothers, Kageyasu. Kenshin was removed from the conflict and relocated to Rinsen-ji temple, where he spent his life from 7 to 14 dedicated to study, martial arts and Zen . At

6106-480: The rule of governors or daimyō . Mainly consisting of priests, peasants, merchants and local lords who followed the sect, they sometimes associated with non-followers of the sect. They were at first organized to only a small degree; if any single person could be said to have had any influence over them it was Rennyo , the leader of the Jōdo Shinshū Hongan-ji sect at that time. Whilst he may have used

6192-423: The spring of 1578. His death poem was: Even a life-long prosperity is but one cup of sake; A life of forty-nine years is passed in a dream; I know not what life is, nor death. Year in year out-all but a dream. Both Heaven and Hell are left behind; I stand in the moonlit dawn, Free from clouds of attachment. The cause of Kenshin's death has been questioned throughout the years. The theory accepted by most scholars

6278-544: The sub-sect of Jōdo Shinshū that he had founded spread as well. They established themselves in fortresses at Ishiyama Hongan-ji , just outside Osaka , and in Nagashima , on the borders of Owari and Ise Provinces and in a series of temples in Mikawa Province as well. Towards the end of the 16th century, however, their growing numbers and strength caught the attention and concern of the great samurai leaders of

6364-513: The time. Tokugawa Ieyasu worried that sōhei of Mikawa Province would rise up and seize the province. In 1564, his forces, with the help of Jōdo-shū sōhei, defeated the Mikawa Ikkō-ikki in the Battle of Azukizaka . The ikki attracted the ire of the likes of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga due to the economic and political threat they posed, more so than as a result of their military might. Ishiyama Hongan-ji and other strongholds of

6450-655: The title Lord of Echigo, and the Kantō Kanrei post as shōgun ' s deputy. Uesugi Norimasa, passed on the Uesugi name to Nagao Kagetora of the Nagao clan, become Uesugi Masatora who was gaining power as the Governor of Echigo. In 1552, the Uesugi started to wage war against the Hōjō clan. Though his rule over the Nagao and Uesugi clans were now unquestioned, much of Echigo was still independent of this young warlord's grasp. Kenshin immediately set out to cement his power in

6536-563: The warring dragon flag. Kenshin born as Kagetora, he was the third or fourth son of the noted warrior Nagao Tamekage (長尾為景), and his life presents a unique story – he was not from the Uesugi , but Nagao clan . His father's family were the retainers of the Yamanouchi branch of the Uesugi clan, and his father has gained some renown with his military victories over his lords Uesugi Akisada , Uesugi Sadanori and Uesugi Funayoshi . However, in later years, Tamekage found himself at odds with

6622-655: Was besieged at Otate in 1578, and although contacted for aid Hōjō Ujimasa and Takeda Katsuyori , the former backed down. Kagekatsu married Takeda's sister, and eventually was able to secure his succession. Kagetora fled to a castle near the Echigo-Shinano border where he committed suicide in 1579. The death caused local power struggles, with the result of almost decade long infighting in Echigo between 1578 and 1587, usually divided into "Otate Disturbance" (1578–1582) and " Shibata rebellion" (1582–1587). The resistance of

6708-528: Was a major uprising in which shugo-daimyō fought each other. During this and other wars of the time, kuni ikki , or provincial uprisings, took place as locally powerful warriors sought independence from the shugo-daimyo . The deputies of the shugo-daimyō , living in the provinces, seized the opportunity to strengthen their position. At the end of the fifteenth century, those shugo-daimyō who succeeded remained in power. Those who had failed to exert control over their deputies fell from power and were replaced by

6794-446: Was always portrayed as a very tough man, but wanted to play him with the female myth in the mind, which presented him clean-shaven and with long hair, although received some harsh criticism, co-actor Ken Ogata expressed his approval of Gackt's work and audience demanded the increase of his role in the series. The 2009 NHK Taiga drama Tenchijin partly re-tells the story of Uesugi Kenshin, played by Hiroshi Abe , although its main focus

6880-833: Was debuted in December 2020 at Big Hat arena in Nagano , near the historical location of the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima in 1961. It earned Hanyu two of his six titles at the Japan Figure Skating Championships , tying Takeshi Honda 's record of most national titles in 50 years. Fate is in heaven, armor is on the chest, accomplishment is in the feet; always fight with your opponent in the palm of your hand, and you won't get wounded. If you fight willing to die, you'll survive; if you fight trying to survive, you'll die. If you think you'll never go home again, you will; if you hope to make it back, you won't. While it

6966-491: Was followed by two shouts "Ei!" (Glory") and "O!" (Yes!) with the assembled troops, also repeated three times, and the army standard lowered to the generals as a way of respect. In the end, Kenshin re-dedicated to the war god with the "bow of Hachiman ", and mounted his horse surrounded by three flag banners; first with the first character of the Bishamonten's name, second with the red rising sun on blue (Emperor's gift), and

7052-440: Was forced to flee Kyoto , and established a new Hongan-ji branch temple, Yoshizaki-gobō , in Echizen Province in 1471. It was at this temple that he began to attract a significant following among peasants and farmers. About 1486 brought the first violent uprising, the first major organized action on the part of the Ikkō-ikki. They overthrew the governor of Kaga Province , and took control of it for themselves ; this represented

7138-717: Was once strongly supported in his claim to become Shōgun by Nobunaga, but turned to the ikki when their relationship soured. The ikki also had powerful allies in the Mōri , Azai , and Asakura clans . In the Asakura stronghold of Echizen province, today's Fukui-prefecture, Nobunaga ordered his generals to kill the people in Ajimano village in August 1575 as noted in The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga. The Ishiyama Hongan-ji and Nagashima fortresses were besieged several times by

7224-469: Was probably adopted for deflection of the antagonism by Kagekatsu's father, Nagao Masakage , relatives and supporters. Another adopted son, Uesugi Kagetora , who was originally the son of Hōjō Ujiyasu , was adopted to secure the Echigo's borders. Some suppose that Kagekatsu was intended to be gradually set up as his heir, while others that Kenshin decided to divide the estates between the two. Both sons had external blood ties, and reasonable claims. Kagetora

7310-474: Was responded to by Nobunaga to ask Kenshin for peace agreement with Shingen, in a meeting which called Koetsu Peace Agreement . However, in March of the next year, Kenshin break the negotiation with Shingen and instead reaffirm his alliance with Hōjō clan. Meanwhile, Tokugawa Ieyasu , who was an ally of the Hōjō clan, also seeking alliance with Kenshin by sending envoy to the Uesugi clan. In response, Kenshin sent

7396-458: Was under siege by both Hōjō Ujiyasu and Takeda Shingen , while in November 1569 when Shingen sieged Odawara Castle, Ujiyasu requested help from Kenshin. In 1566, after Yura clan of Kozuke Province changed their allegiance to Hojo clan. Later in 1574, Kenshin ordered the Satake clan to attack Yura clan Kanayama Castle , and participated in the siege himself, but Kanayama castle withstood

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