Uesugi Kenshin

Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578) was one of the most celebrated warlords of the Sengoku (“Warring States”) period (1467–1568). He was born in what is now the city of Joetsu and rose to become the most powerful figure in Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture) and all of eastern Japan, during a time of civil war and instability. Kenshin, as he was known, remains a hero for many even today due to his reputation as a benevolent and generous leader.

Early years
Kenshin was born Nagao Kagetora at Kasugayama Castle as the youngest son of local daimyo lord Nagao Tamekage (1486–1542). At the age of six, after his father’s retirement, he was sent to Rinsenji Temple just outside the castle for protection. He remained there for seven years, studying Zen Buddhism, military strategy, and Chinese classics. At the age of 13, he was considered to have reached adulthood and was recalled to the Nagao family. By the age of 18, he had succeeded to the family headship and assumed power as the lord of Kasugayama Castle.

Years later he became head of the Uesugi family, which held the post of deputy shogun in the eastern Kanto region, and took the name Uesugi Masatora, later Uesugi Terutora, and finally Uesugi Kenshin. The name Kenshin combines the Chinese characters for “humility” and “faith,” reflecting his devotion to Buddhism and, in particular, Bishamonten, the deity of war. He was sometimes extolled by his followers as the reincarnation of Bishamonten.

The Dragon and the Tiger
Kenshin’s modern-day following stems from both his skill in battle and stories of his benevolence and generosity. Particularly famous are the five Battles of Kawanakajima (1553–1564), which Kenshin fought in what is now Nagano Prefecture against his longtime rival, the warlord Takeda Shingen, of Kai Province. These confrontations became some of the most celebrated in Japanese history for each leader’s tactical skill and valor. As neither side was able to gain the upper hand, the rivalry between Kenshin and Shingen was likened to that between the Dragon and the Tiger, which in East Asian mythology are described as two eternal but evenly matched adversaries. Kenshin was called the Dragon of Echigo, while Shingen became known as the Tiger of Kai after his home province (today’s Yamanashi Prefecture).

Many stories surrounding the two men’s relationship have been told over the subsequent centuries and have left their mark on Japanese language and culture. According to one legend, when Shingen faced an embargo from his enemies in the landlocked Kai Province, Kenshin sent him salt, an abundant resource in coastal Echigo, despite their rivalry. He thus expressed his belief that wars should be fought with swords, not by depriving civilians of necessities. This gave rise to the proverb “To send salt to your enemy,” and came to define Kenshin as a man who sought to play fair even in war.

An untimely death
By the mid-1560s, Kenshin had expanded his territory significantly beyond his native Echigo and formed an alliance with other notable warlords of the time, including Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582), who laid the foundations for Japan’s unification, and Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), who would later establish the Tokugawa shogunate. However, by the mid-1570s, his relationship with Nobunaga had soured, and both leaders prepared for battle. Kenshin defeated Nobunaga’s forces in the Battle of Tedorigawa in 1577, despite having roughly half the number of soldiers, and his power along the coast of the Sea of Japan was further strengthened. However, Kenshin died suddenly in 1578.

Kenshin remains front of mind for many in present-day Joetsu, where his legend has been celebrated at the Lord Kenshin Festival every year since 1926. Many shrines and temples in the city hold strong historical ties to his life, attracting visitors from around the country who show their respects and pray for success and victory.

The Uesugi Family

The Uesugi samurai family traces its origins back to the Kyoto region in the late thirteenth century. The Uesugi were close to the Ashikaga shogunate (1336–1573), and members of the family were appointed to significant positions in the eastern Kanto region between the late fourteenth and mid-sixteenth centuries. Among these titles was the Kanto kanrei, or shogunal deputy in the region, and governor of Echigo Province (today’s Niigata Prefecture).

The Uesugi were driven out of Kanto in the mid-sixteenth century, when kanrei Uesugi Norimasa (1523–1579) was defeated by the rival Hojo family and retreated to Echigo. There he passed on the title of Kanto kanrei and the Uesugi name to Nagao Kagetora, who would later become known as Uesugi Kenshin. During Kenshin’s time, the Uesugi greatly expanded its territories and rose to become one of the most powerful daimyo of the Sengoku period.

After Kenshin’s death in 1578, a power struggle ensued between his adopted sons, Kagekatsu (1556–1623) and Kagetora (1552–1579). Kagekatsu ultimately took control of the Uesugi family and consolidated its leadership under the rule of Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598), then the country’s de facto rulers. Kagekatsu became one of Hideyoshi’s closest advisors, and the Uesugi family was rewarded with expanded domains.

After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, in which Kagekatsu sided against future shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), the Uesugi were punished. They were stripped of much of their lands and reduced to the small Yonezawa domain in present-day Yamagata Prefecture. As an outsider (tozama) family under the Tokugawa shogunate, the Uesugi were forced to adapt to their new agricultural and comparatively insignificant domain during the Edo period (1603–1867). The family maintained its daimyo lord status until the system of domains was abolished in 1868 under the Meiji Restoration.

Uesugi Kenshin’s Faith

The warlord Uesugi Kenshin’s (1530–1578) devotion to Buddhism played a significant role in his personal life, shaped his reputation, and figures prominently in the lore that still surrounds him today. Kenshin particularly revered Bishamonten, and he was considered by some as a reincarnation of this Buddhist deity of war.

Kenshin was born into the Nagao family with the name Nagao Kagetora. After his father’s retirement in 1536, he was secluded at Rinsenji Temple under the tutelage of Zen Buddhist priests. While at Rinsenji, Kenshin’s education centered on Zen spiritual practice, military strategy, and Chinese classics. The seven-year period he spent at the temple shaped the virtues he would carry into his later life.

As eventual leader of both the Nagao family and their ally, the Uesugi family, his success in battle and devotion to Bishamonten became legendary. Part of his religious practice included a pre-battle departure ceremony in which he would pray at the temple of Bishamonten. The prayer ceremony would end with Kenshin mounting his horse surrounded by three flags, the first of them decorated with the name of Bishamonten.

Kenshin is said to have won more than 50 battles. Five of his most famous engagements, the Battles of Kawanakajima, were fought against his fierce rival Takeda Shingen (1521–1573). Kenshin was known as the Dragon of Echigo, and Shingen was known as the Tiger of Kai. Both were avid followers of Buddhism as well as Chinese culture, including the teachings of Sun Tzu, and their rivalry was often depicted as reflecting the yin-yang balance in Buddhist spirituality.

At the height of his powers, Kenshin was a generous supporter of many of the significant Buddhist temples still in Joetsu today. During the Battles of Kawanakajima, he sent many of the priceless artifacts housed at temples near the field of battle to Junenji Temple in his home city for safekeeping. In 1562, he restored Gochi Kokubunji Temple, the main Buddhist temple of the province, which had fallen into disrepair. Jokoji Temple, now the largest temple in Takada’s Temple Town, was moved to Joetsu at his request in 1567.

Similarly, Fuchu Hachimangu Shrine, the primary Shinto shrine in Joetsu, was revered by Kenshin and still holds his writings today. Several temples in and around modern-day Joetsu have erected memorial tombs in his honor, including Iwadonosan Myojoin Temple and Rinsenji Temple. Other local shrines with ties to Kenshin, including Kasugayama Shrine, are regularly visited by those praying for success in competition.

Toward the end of his life, Kenshin vowed to become a Zen Buddhist priest and took the name he is best known by. Today, his devotion to Buddhism is remembered at the annual Lord Kenshin Festival, which holds reenactments of his prayer ceremonies and offerings to Bishamonten.

Aoso

Aoso is a plant fiber material that was used widely since ancient times in Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture) and was an important item of trade especially during the rule of the warlord Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578).

The fiber is extracted from the cultivated ramie plant (Chinese nettle; Boehmeria nivea), which is also commonly found in fields and the foothills of mountains. Ramie grew especially well in Echigo Province due to the area’s cool climate, high humidity, and supply of snowmelt water, including in the area around Mt. Kasugayama, which was Uesugi Kenshin’s stronghold in the 1500s.

Aoso was traditionally considered a luxury textile fiber due to its strength and texture. It was used to produce high-quality fabrics such as finely woven Echigo jofu, which was often used for summer kimono. Fiber production contributed to the economy of Echigo, and Kenshin collected taxes from textile traders whose ships landed at the port outside Echigo Fuchu, the provincial capital. Farmers paid some of their taxes in cloth made from aoso.

Although the use of aoso declined during the Edo period (1603–1867), when silk and cotton became more readily available, aoso-based textiles such as Echigo jofu are still woven in Niigata today by local craftspeople committed to upholding traditional methods and the area’s legacy of artisanship.