The Lord Kenshin Festival is an annual two-day celebration honoring the warlord Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578). The festival has been held in Joetsu since 1926 and celebrated its 100th year in 2025. The event, now held in August, is one of the biggest on the city’s annual cultural calendar and attracts several tens of thousands of attendees annually.

Kenshin, as he was known, was one of the most storied daimyo lords of the Sengoku (“Warring States”) period (1467–1568). Born Nagao Kagetora, he studied Zen Buddhism, Chinese classics, and military strategy at Rinsenji Temple in Joetsu from the age of six to 13 before eventually succeeding to the leadership of the Uesugi family and rising to power at Kasugayama Castle. Throughout his life, he gained recognition for numerous displays of generosity and virtue. Unlike other leaders of the time, he is said to have resisted unnecessary violence and cruelty and often showed respect for his rivals. Some of his most famous battles include the Battles of Kawanakajima (1553–1564), fought against his fierce adversary Takeda Shingen (1521–1573), lord of Kai. Despite their long-held rivalry, Kenshin is said to have sent supplies of salt to Shingen in a time of need and wept when he heard news of Shingen’s death years later.

Celebrating the virtues associated with Kenshin, including valor, bravery, generosity, kindness, and compassion, is central to the Lord Kenshin Festival. The event originally began through the efforts of local youth groups, alongside a local cultural preservation movement, and takes place throughout the city of Joetsu with the support of the local community. The festival features performances of traditional music and dance, battle reenactments, parades, martial arts demonstrations, and Buddhist ceremonies. The main highlights of the festival are a large procession through the city, which often features a national celebrity playing the role of Kenshin, and reenactments of scenes from the Battles of Kawanakajima. The festival typically begins with a pre-celebration on a Friday evening and finishes on Sunday night. Most major event locations are in the Kasugayama Castle area, including Kasugayama Shrine, Rinsenji Temple, and the base of Mt. Kasugayama. Shuttle buses run regularly between Kasugayama Station and the main festival sites.