Uesugi clan
Encyclopedia
The was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from the Fujiwara clan and particularly notable for their power in the Muromachi
and Sengoku period
s (roughly 14th-17th centuries).
The clan was split into three branch families, the Ōgigayatsu, Inukake and Yamanouchi Uesugi, which boasted considerable influence. The Uesugi are perhaps best known for Uesugi Kenshin
(1530-1578), one of Sengoku's more major warlords. The family name is sometimes rendered as Uyesugi, but this is representative of historical kana usage
; the "ye" sound is no longer used in Japanese
.
In the Edo period
, the Uesugi were identified as one of the tozama
or outsider clans, in contrast with the fudai
or insider daimyō
clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan.
Nagao clan's crest: nine suns with three tomoe
Kenshin's standard: the first character in Bishamonten (毘, bi)
Kenshin's standard: the flag of divine appointment
Kenshin's standard: open fan horse insignia
Kenshin's standard: the suspended and chaotically written dragon character (龍)
, Kenshin
, Kagekatsu
, Kagetora
, Harunori
, Kuninori.
, who was one of the Daijō daijin during the ninth century.
Kanjūji Shigefusa was a 13th generation descendant of the clan's great progenitor. Near the end of the 13th century, he received Uesugi domain in Tango province
, and he adopted the name of "Uesugi" after arriving and establishing himself. The three main branches of the Uesugi are the Inukake, the Yamanouchi and the Ōgigayatsu.
(1305-1358) was a daughter of Uesugi Yorishige and a granddaughter of Shigefusa.
The three Uesugi branch families are descendants of Uesugi Yorishige.
Throughout the Muromachi period, members of the clan were appointed shugo
(provincial governors), and would also dominate the post of Kantō Kanrei
(shogun's deputy in Kantō).
They gained such power in the Kantō region that, when in 1449 Kanrei Ashikaga Shigeuji killed his deputy Uesugi Noritada to significantly diminish if not eliminate the family's power, the Uesugi rose up and drove Shigeuji out of the area, asking the shogunate in Kyoto for another Kanrei. This development left the Uesugi extremely powerful within the Kantō region, more so than ever before, and the clan quickly expanded and grew, splitting into three branches, named after their home localities. The Ōgigayatsu became based at Kawagoe Castle
, in Musashi province
, while the Yamanouchi were in Hirai
, in Kozuke province
. The third branch, the Inukake, held a castle in the region as well.
The three would begin fighting for domination of the clan and the region almost as soon as the split occurred, and intense fighting continued for roughly twenty-five years, until the end of the Ōnin War
came about in 1477, bringing with it the end of the shogunate. Though the Ōgigayatsu and Yamanouchi branches both survived this conflict, the Inukake did not.
, while the Yamanouchi relied on the Nagao
of Echigo Province
as the pillars of their strength. Ōta Dōkan
, a vassal of the Ōgigayatsu Uesugi, who were less numerous than their Yamanouchi cousins, lent them a great boost of power by building Edo castle
for them in the 1450s. On the other hand, Nagao Tamekage
, Deputy Constable of Kamakura
in the first decades of the 16th century, allied himself with Hōjō Sōun
, who would later become one of the Uesugi's strongest rivals.
The expansion of the Hōjō
into the lower Kantō forced the two branches of the Uesugi to become allies. In 1537, Kawagoe
fell to Hōjō Ujitsuna
. Then in 1545, both of the branches of the Uesugi shared defeat, and attempted to regain their power. However, the Ōgigayatsu branch family came to an end with the death of Uesugi Tomosada, during a failed attempt to retake Kawagoe castle that year. Uesugi Norimasa
, the holder of Hirai castle, which had fallen in 1551 to the Hōjō, took up arms with his retainer, Nagao Kagetora in Echigo. Kagetora then adopted the surname of "Uesugi" after campaigning against the Hōjō in Sagami Province
; he would later take the name Uesugi Kenshin, and become one of Sengoku's most famous generals, battling the Hōjō and Takeda Shingen
for control of the Kantō.
At the end of the Sengoku period, Kenshin's adopted son Uesugi Kagekatsu
, then head of the clan, was a supporter of Ishida Mitsunari
during the battle of Sekigahara
. As a result of being on the losing side of the conflict, the Uesugi were afterwards much reduced in power.
domain of Yonezawa
(300,000 koku
) in Dewa province
, in Honshū
's Tōhoku (Northeast) Region.
Much research has been done on the economics of Yonezawa in the Edo period, particularly by Mark Ravina
among others, and it is taken as fairly representative of a tozama (outsider) domain. Yonezawa was far from the capital, with far less direct political control from the shogunate, and also less trade and urbanization. Yonezawa was largely an agricultural domain, making it again a good representation of agricultural and social developments among the peasantry in this period.
Despite agricultural advances and generally high growth in the 17th century, Yonezawa, like most parts of the country, experienced a considerable drop in growth after 1700; it may in fact have entered stagnation or decline. The official koku
revenue of the Uesugi daimyo
was cut in half in 1664, but the clan continued to expend as before, maintaining the same lordly standard of living. Yonezawa, again representative of many other domains, entered debt, and was especially hard-struck by famines in the 1750s. The situation became so bad that in 1767, daimyo Uesugi Shigesada considered giving the territory back to the shogunate. Instead, he allowed his adopted son Uesugi Harunori
to take over as daimyo; through agricultural and moral reforms, and series of other strict policies, Harunori turned the domain around. In 1830, less than ten years after Harunori's death, the shogunate officially praised Yonezawa as an examplar of good governance.
The Meiji Restoration
in 1868 brought the abolition of the han system, that is, the end of the domains, the feudal lords, and the samurai class.
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
and Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
s (roughly 14th-17th centuries).
The clan was split into three branch families, the Ōgigayatsu, Inukake and Yamanouchi Uesugi, which boasted considerable influence. The Uesugi are perhaps best known for Uesugi Kenshin
Uesugi Kenshin
was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
(1530-1578), one of Sengoku's more major warlords. The family name is sometimes rendered as Uyesugi, but this is representative of historical kana usage
Historical kana usage
The , or , refers to the in general use until orthographic reforms after World War II; the current orthography was adopted by Cabinet order in 1946. By that point the historical orthography was no longer in accord with Japanese pronunciation...
; the "ye" sound is no longer used in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
In the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, the Uesugi were identified as one of the tozama
Tozama
A ' was a daimyo who was considered an outsider by the rulers of Japan. The term came into use in the Kamakura period and continued until the end of the Edo period.-Edo period:...
or outsider clans, in contrast with the fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
or insider daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan.
Crest(s)/Banners
Two flying swallows in bambooNagao clan's crest: nine suns with three tomoe
Kenshin's standard: the first character in Bishamonten (毘, bi)
Kenshin's standard: the flag of divine appointment
Kenshin's standard: open fan horse insignia
Kenshin's standard: the suspended and chaotically written dragon character (龍)
Major Figures
NorizaneUesugi Norizane
Uesugi Norizane was a Japanese samurai of the Uesugi clan who held a number of high government posts during the Muromachi period....
, Kenshin
Uesugi Kenshin
was a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
, Kagekatsu
Uesugi Kagekatsu
was a daimyo during the Sengoku and Edo periods of Japanese history. The son of Nagao Masakage and husband of Uesugi Kenshin's elder sister, Aya-Gozen. After his father died, he was adopted by Kenshin....
, Kagetora
Uesugi Kagetora
was the seventh son of Hōjō Ujiyasu; he was adopted by Uesugi Kenshin, and was meant to be Kenshin's heir. However, in 1578, he was attacked in his castle at Ōtate by Uesugi Kagekatsu--Kagetora's respective brother-in-law—and was subsequently defeated. Kagetora committed suicide the following...
, Harunori
Uesugi Harunori
was a Japanese daimyo, the 9th head of the Yonezawa domain , and a descendant of Fujiwara no Yoshikado. Born in Edo, he was the second son of a daimyo of the Akizuki clan, who controlled part of Hyūga Province. His mother was a granddaughter of the fourth head of Yonezawa. His childhood names were...
, Kuninori.
Uesugi clan branches
The clan claims descent from Fujiwara no YoshikadoFujiwara no Yoshikado
was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.-Genealogy:This member of the Fujiwara clan was the sixth son of Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu...
, who was one of the Daijō daijin during the ninth century.
Kanjūji Shigefusa was a 13th generation descendant of the clan's great progenitor. Near the end of the 13th century, he received Uesugi domain in Tango province
Tango Province
was an old province in the area that is today northern Kyoto Prefecture facing the Sea of Japan. It was sometimes called , with Tamba Province. Tango bordered on Tajima, Tamba, and Wakasa provinces....
, and he adopted the name of "Uesugi" after arriving and establishing himself. The three main branches of the Uesugi are the Inukake, the Yamanouchi and the Ōgigayatsu.
Muromachi period
The mother of the Shôgun Ashikaga TakaujiAshikaga Takauji
was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
(1305-1358) was a daughter of Uesugi Yorishige and a granddaughter of Shigefusa.
The three Uesugi branch families are descendants of Uesugi Yorishige.
Throughout the Muromachi period, members of the clan were appointed shugo
Shugo
was a title, commonly translated as "Governor," given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan...
(provincial governors), and would also dominate the post of Kantō Kanrei
Kanrei
or, more rarely, kanryō, was a high political post in feudal Japan; it is usually translated as Shogun's Deputy. After 1349, there were actually two Kanrei, the Kyoto Kanrei and the Kantō Kanrei....
(shogun's deputy in Kantō).
They gained such power in the Kantō region that, when in 1449 Kanrei Ashikaga Shigeuji killed his deputy Uesugi Noritada to significantly diminish if not eliminate the family's power, the Uesugi rose up and drove Shigeuji out of the area, asking the shogunate in Kyoto for another Kanrei. This development left the Uesugi extremely powerful within the Kantō region, more so than ever before, and the clan quickly expanded and grew, splitting into three branches, named after their home localities. The Ōgigayatsu became based at Kawagoe Castle
Kawagoe castle
' is a flatland Japanese castle in the city of Kawagoe, in Japan's Saitama Prefecture. It is the closest castle to Tokyo to be accessible to visitors, as Edo castle is now the Imperial palace, and largely inaccessible....
, in Musashi province
Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
, while the Yamanouchi were in Hirai
Hirai
-People:*Family name is Hirai.*Hirai Hisashi*Hirai Kanako*Hirai Kazuo*Hirai Kazumasa, author*Hirai Kazumasa, weightlifter*Hirai Ken*Hirai Kōzaburō, Japanese composer*Hirai Minoru*Hirai Naohito*Hirai Nobukazu*Hirai Seijirō, railroad engineer*Hirai Shinji...
, in Kozuke province
Kozuke Province
was an old province located in the Tōsandō of Japan, which today comprises Gunma Prefecture. It is nicknamed as or .The ancient provincial capital was near modern Maebashi. During the Sengoku period, Kōzuke was controlled variously by Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, the late Hōjō clan, and...
. The third branch, the Inukake, held a castle in the region as well.
The three would begin fighting for domination of the clan and the region almost as soon as the split occurred, and intense fighting continued for roughly twenty-five years, until the end of the Ōnin War
Onin War
The ' was a civil war that lasted 10 years during the Muromachi period in Japan. A dispute between Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen escalated into a nationwide war involving the Ashikaga shogunate and a number of daimyo in many regions of Japan....
came about in 1477, bringing with it the end of the shogunate. Though the Ōgigayatsu and Yamanouchi branches both survived this conflict, the Inukake did not.
Sengoku period
Traditionally the Ōgigayatsu relied on the Ōta clanOta clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Ota are best known as daimyō of territories on Kyūshū during the Edo period ....
, while the Yamanouchi relied on the Nagao
Nagao
The ' was a family of daimyo, feudal lords who built and controlled Kasugayama Castle and the surrounding fief, in what is now Niigata Prefecture. Nagao Kagetora, adopted by Uesugi Norimasa, became lord of the castle in 1548, taking the name Uesugi Kenshin and effectively changing the ruling clan...
of Echigo Province
Echigo Province
was an old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It was sometimes called , with Echizen and Etchū Provinces. Today the area is part of Niigata Prefecture, which also includes the island which was the old Sado Province. This province was the northernmost part of the...
as the pillars of their strength. Ōta Dōkan
Ota Dokan
, also known as Ōta Sukenaga or Ōta Dōkan Sukenaga, was a Japanese samurai warrior-poet, military tactician and Buddhist monk. Ōta Sukenaga took the tonsure as a Buddhist priest in 1478, and he also adopted the Buddhist name, Dōkan, by which is known today...
, a vassal of the Ōgigayatsu Uesugi, who were less numerous than their Yamanouchi cousins, lent them a great boost of power by building Edo castle
Edo Castle
, also known as , is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan. It is located in Chiyoda in Tokyo, then known as Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate here. It was the residence of the shogun and location of the shogunate, and also...
for them in the 1450s. On the other hand, Nagao Tamekage
Nagao Tamekage
was a retainer of Japanese feudal lord Uesugi Fusayoshi, and a daimyo in his own right, during Japan's Sengoku period. According to some scholars, such as George Bailey Sansom, Nagao Tamekage's career makes him representative of the emergence of the daimyo, and the shift of regional power from the...
, Deputy Constable of Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
in the first decades of the 16th century, allied himself with Hōjō Sōun
Hojo Soun
was the first head of the Late Hōjō clan, one of the major powers in Japan's Sengoku period. Born Ise Moritoki, he was originally known as Ise Shinkurō, a samurai of Taira lineage from a reputable family of Shogunate officials...
, who would later become one of the Uesugi's strongest rivals.
The expansion of the Hōjō
Late Hojo clan
The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...
into the lower Kantō forced the two branches of the Uesugi to become allies. In 1537, Kawagoe
Kawagoe
Kawagoe may refer to two different locations in Japan:*Kawagoe, Mie, a town in Mie Prefecture*Kawagoe, Saitama, a city in Saitama Prefecture...
fell to Hōjō Ujitsuna
Hojo Ujitsuna
was the son of Hōjō Sōun, founder of the Go-Hōjō clan. He continued his father's quest to gain control of the Kantō ....
. Then in 1545, both of the branches of the Uesugi shared defeat, and attempted to regain their power. However, the Ōgigayatsu branch family came to an end with the death of Uesugi Tomosada, during a failed attempt to retake Kawagoe castle that year. Uesugi Norimasa
Uesugi Norimasa
was a daimyō of feudal Japan, and held the post of Kantō Kanrei, the Shogun's deputy in the Kantō. He is perhaps best known as the adoptive father of Uesugi Kenshin, one of the most famous warlords in Japanese history....
, the holder of Hirai castle, which had fallen in 1551 to the Hōjō, took up arms with his retainer, Nagao Kagetora in Echigo. Kagetora then adopted the surname of "Uesugi" after campaigning against the Hōjō in Sagami Province
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
; he would later take the name Uesugi Kenshin, and become one of Sengoku's most famous generals, battling the Hōjō and Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
for control of the Kantō.
At the end of the Sengoku period, Kenshin's adopted son Uesugi Kagekatsu
Uesugi Kagekatsu
was a daimyo during the Sengoku and Edo periods of Japanese history. The son of Nagao Masakage and husband of Uesugi Kenshin's elder sister, Aya-Gozen. After his father died, he was adopted by Kenshin....
, then head of the clan, was a supporter of Ishida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari was a samurai who led the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 17th century. Also known by his court title, Jibunoshō...
during the battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
. As a result of being on the losing side of the conflict, the Uesugi were afterwards much reduced in power.
Edo period
Uesugi Kagekatsu was given the tozamaTozama
A ' was a daimyo who was considered an outsider by the rulers of Japan. The term came into use in the Kamakura period and continued until the end of the Edo period.-Edo period:...
domain of Yonezawa
Yonezawa Domain
Yonezawa Domain was a feudal domain of Tokugawa Japan, controlled by daimyō of the Uesugi clan. Covering the Okitama district of Dewa province, in what is today southeastern Yamagata Prefecture, the territory was ruled from Yonezawa castle in Yonezawa city...
(300,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
) in Dewa province
Dewa Province
is an old province of Japan, comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. It was sometimes called .-Historical record:...
, in Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
's Tōhoku (Northeast) Region.
Much research has been done on the economics of Yonezawa in the Edo period, particularly by Mark Ravina
Mark Ravina
Mark Ravina is a scholar of early modern Japanese history, and Associate Professor of History at Emory University, where he has taught since 1991...
among others, and it is taken as fairly representative of a tozama (outsider) domain. Yonezawa was far from the capital, with far less direct political control from the shogunate, and also less trade and urbanization. Yonezawa was largely an agricultural domain, making it again a good representation of agricultural and social developments among the peasantry in this period.
Despite agricultural advances and generally high growth in the 17th century, Yonezawa, like most parts of the country, experienced a considerable drop in growth after 1700; it may in fact have entered stagnation or decline. The official koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
revenue of the Uesugi daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
was cut in half in 1664, but the clan continued to expend as before, maintaining the same lordly standard of living. Yonezawa, again representative of many other domains, entered debt, and was especially hard-struck by famines in the 1750s. The situation became so bad that in 1767, daimyo Uesugi Shigesada considered giving the territory back to the shogunate. Instead, he allowed his adopted son Uesugi Harunori
Uesugi Harunori
was a Japanese daimyo, the 9th head of the Yonezawa domain , and a descendant of Fujiwara no Yoshikado. Born in Edo, he was the second son of a daimyo of the Akizuki clan, who controlled part of Hyūga Province. His mother was a granddaughter of the fourth head of Yonezawa. His childhood names were...
to take over as daimyo; through agricultural and moral reforms, and series of other strict policies, Harunori turned the domain around. In 1830, less than ten years after Harunori's death, the shogunate officially praised Yonezawa as an examplar of good governance.
The Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
in 1868 brought the abolition of the han system, that is, the end of the domains, the feudal lords, and the samurai class.
Notable members of the clan
-
- Uesugi Shigefusa (13th c.)
- Uesugi Norifusa (d. 1355)
- Uesugi Shigeyoshi (d. 1349)
- Uesugi Akiyoshi (d. 1351)
- Uesugi Yoshinori (d. 1378)
- Uesugi Noriharu (d. 1379)
- Uesugi Norikata (1335-1394)
- Uesugi Norimoto (1383-1418)
- Uesugi NorizaneUesugi NorizaneUesugi Norizane was a Japanese samurai of the Uesugi clan who held a number of high government posts during the Muromachi period....
(1410-1466) - Uesugi Kiyokata (d. 1442)
- Uesugi Fusaaki (1432-1466)
- Uesugi Noritada (1433-1454)
- Uesugi AkisadaUesugi Akisadawas a samurai of the Uesugi clan, Kantō Kanrei and shugo of Kōzuke and Musashi Province. His loss of the Izu Province to Hōjō Sōun in 1492–1498 marked a significant development of Japan's Sengoku period....
(1454-1510) - Uesugi TomookiUesugi Tomookiwas a lord of Edo Castle and enemy of the Hōjō clan, who seized the castle in 1524. He was the son of Uesugi Tomoyoshi, who was among the first to oppose the Hōjō's rise to power....
(1488-1537) - Uesugi NorimasaUesugi Norimasawas a daimyō of feudal Japan, and held the post of Kantō Kanrei, the Shogun's deputy in the Kantō. He is perhaps best known as the adoptive father of Uesugi Kenshin, one of the most famous warlords in Japanese history....
(1522-1579) - Uesugi Tomosada (1525-1546)
- Uesugi KenshinUesugi Kenshinwas a daimyo who ruled Echigo province in the Sengoku period of Japan.He was one of the most powerful lords of the Sengoku period. While chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries...
(1530-1578) - Uesugi KagetoraUesugi Kagetorawas the seventh son of Hōjō Ujiyasu; he was adopted by Uesugi Kenshin, and was meant to be Kenshin's heir. However, in 1578, he was attacked in his castle at Ōtate by Uesugi Kagekatsu--Kagetora's respective brother-in-law—and was subsequently defeated. Kagetora committed suicide the following...
(1552-1579) - Uesugi KagekatsuUesugi Kagekatsuwas a daimyo during the Sengoku and Edo periods of Japanese history. The son of Nagao Masakage and husband of Uesugi Kenshin's elder sister, Aya-Gozen. After his father died, he was adopted by Kenshin....
(1555-1623) - Uesugi HarunoriUesugi Harunoriwas a Japanese daimyo, the 9th head of the Yonezawa domain , and a descendant of Fujiwara no Yoshikado. Born in Edo, he was the second son of a daimyo of the Akizuki clan, who controlled part of Hyūga Province. His mother was a granddaughter of the fourth head of Yonezawa. His childhood names were...
(1751-1822) - Amakasu KagemochiAmakasu Kagemochiwas a retainer of the Uesugi in Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century.Kagemochi followed in fighting in support at the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima during the year of 1561, guarding the ford of Amenomiya....
- Amakasu KagetsuguAmakasu Kagetsuguwas a samurai officer who served the Uesugi clan.Under the orders of Uesugi Kenshin, Kagetsugu became the head of the Amakasu clan. Kagetsugu was known as a valiant warrior, and was skilled in wielding swords as well as spears. He is also said to have contributed to the Uesugi clan's occupation of...
- Ayukawa Kiyonaga
- Honjō ShigenagaHonjo Shigenagawas a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period through Edo Period, who served the Uesugi clan. He held the court title Echizen no kami.Shigenaga fought at the Battle of Kawanakajima....
- Honjô Hidetsuna
- Irobe KatsunagaIrobe Katsunagawas a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. A high-ranking retainer of the Uesugi clan Katsunaga was one of the Kita-Echigo no Kokuninshu , and was considered as one of the most respected men under Uesugi Kenshin. He saw action at the 4th Battle of Kawanakajima of 1561 and the Battle of Sano in...
- Jojo MasashigeJojo Masashige' was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through Edo period, who served the Uesugi clan.Masashige brought victory to many of his allies, by mobilizing his troops to Etchu and Kozuke. After the death of his previous lord, Uesugi Kenshin, he became quite at odds with the new successor, and son...
- Kakizaki KageieKakizaki Kageiewas a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Uesugi clan of Echigo Province. He was one of the chief generals of Uesugi Kenshin.-Further reading:*Murooka, Hiroshi . Kakizaki Kageie. Tokyo: Tokyo Nihon Jōkaku shiryōkan....
- Kawada Nagachika
- Kitajô Takahiro
- Kitajô Kagehiro
- Kojima MotoshigeKojima Motoshigewas a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period who served the Uesugi clan. Prior to joining the Uesugi, Kojima had been a vassal to the Jinbo clan, however was exiled under suspicion of collusion with an enemy clan. Kojima attempted to take refuge in a temple in Hida Province, but when the temple was...
- Kojima YataroKojima Yatarowas a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Uesugi clan of Echigo Province. He was one of Uesugi Kenshin's leading generals. His ferocity in combat gave rise to his nickname, ....
- Murakami YoshikiyoMurakami YoshikiyoMurakami Yoshikiyo a retainer of the Japanese clan of Uesugi during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. Yoshikiyo followed in fighting against both Takeda Nobutora and his son Takeda Shingen. Yoshikiyo was also a very close ally under Uesugi Kenshin.He fought at the Battles of Kawanakajima in...
- Nakajô Fujikasuke
- Nakajô Kageyasu
- Naoe KagetsunaNaoe Kagetsunawas an officer under the Uesugi clan.Kagetsuna served as a very close confidante to Uesugi Kenshin. In both domestic and external affairs, Kagetsuna left his mark on Kenshin's regime...
- Naoe Kanetsuna
- Naoe KanetsuguNaoe Kanetsuguwas a Japanese samurai of the 16th-17th centuries. The eldest son of Higuchi Kanetoyo, Kanetsugu was famed for his service to two generations of the Uesugi daimyo. He was also known by his court title, Yamashiro no Kami or his childhood/adolescent name, Higuchi Kanetsugu .Kanetsugu served first as...
- Okuma TomohideOkuma Tomohidewas a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. He served the Uesugi clan, but later switched allegiances and became a retainer of the Takeda clan of Kai Province. He died with Takeda Katsuyori at the Battle of Temmokuzan....
- Saito TomonobuSaito Tomonobuwas an officer under the Uesugi clan following the Sengoku period of the 16th century.During the expedition into the Kantō region, and the Invasion of Etchu, he indeed made quite a name for himself. Other than being a grand warrior, it is known that in administration skills, he was very gifted....
- Samponji Sadanaga
- Shibata NaganoriShibata Naganori, usually known as Shibata Nagaatsu , was a military commander who served under the warlord Uesugi Kenshin.The son of Shibata Tsunasada and the elder brother of Shibata Shigeie, Naganori served under Kenshin from the latter's earliest campaigns. During the Ōtate no Ran, the succession struggle that...
- Shibata Shigeie
- Suda Mitsuchika
- Suibara Takaie
- Takemata Yoshitsuna
- Usami SadamitsuUsami Sadamitsu' also known as Usami Sadayuki was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Uesugi clan of Echigo Province....
- Yamayoshi ToyomoriYamayoshi Toyomori' was a hatamoto serving Uesugi Kenshin.Toyomori negotiated a peace treaty with the Hōjō clan in 1570, just a year after Toyomori became a hatomoto. While Kenshin was out fighting elsewhere, he entrusted the defense of Kasugayama Castle to Toyomori. Toyomori died of illness in 1577....
- Yasuda Akimoto
- Yasuda NagahideYasuda Nagahide' was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Uesugi clan....
- Yoshie Kagesuke