The Rise of Uesugi Kenshin and His Ambitions

Uesugi Kenshin, one of Japan’s most legendary warlords during the Sengoku period, carved his name into history through a series of ambitious military campaigns. Born as Nagao Kagetora in 1530, he would later adopt the Uesugi name and become known as the “Dragon of Echigo” for his military prowess. His early campaigns in Noto and Kaga provinces reveal both his strategic brilliance and the limitations that would prevent him from becoming Japan’s ultimate unifier.

The stage was set for Kenshin’s military ventures during the Eishō era (1504-1520), when the Hatakeyama clan, rulers of Noto, briefly assisted Kenshin’s father Nagao Tamekage in pacifying the Jinbo clan of Etchū province. This alliance would later fracture, creating the conditions for decades of conflict that Kenshin would inherit and expand upon.

The Noto Invasion Campaigns

Kenshin’s military adventures in Noto began as a continuation of his father’s policies. During the Daiei era (1521-1527), Tamekage had initiated naval invasions of Noto using Echigo’s fledgling navy. After his father’s death, Kenshin took up this mantle, launching repeated assaults against Noto throughout his career.

The first major recorded campaign occurred in 1555 (Kōji 1), when Kenshin led the Echigo navy against Noto’s strategic strongholds. His primary target was the formidable Shichirō Castle, main fortress of the Hatakeyama clan. However, forewarned of Kenshin’s approach, the defenders had prepared extensive fortifications at the village of Michishita, creating defensive positions that thwarted the Echigo forces.

Unable to breach Shichirō’s defenses, Kenshin turned his attention northward to Anamizu Castle. Historical records from the Hatakeyama clan’s archives reveal an interesting detail – the castle’s lord, Nagatsugu Ren, was absent during the attack, leaving his retainers to defend against Kenshin’s forces. Remarkably, these retainers successfully repelled the invasion, earning rewards from their grateful lord upon his return.

The historical sources present some chronological discrepancies regarding these campaigns. While some records place Kenshin’s Noto invasions in the Kōji era (1555-1558), others argue they occurred much later in 1576 (Tenshō 4), just two years before Kenshin’s death. This debate stems from questions about the Echigo navy’s capabilities during the earlier period.

Naval Capabilities of the Echigo Forces

Skeptics like Hioki Ken, a local historian of Ishikawa Prefecture during the Shōwa era, questioned whether Echigo’s navy could have realistically launched such distant campaigns in the early 16th century. Noto Peninsula bordered Etchū to the south but had no land connection to Echigo, making naval power essential for any invasion.

However, multiple historical documents attest to Echigo’s naval capabilities. The Uesugi Family Documents record that as early as 1521 (Eishō 17), Nagao Tamekage personally led naval expeditions to Etchū. Later records from the Tenshō era (1573-1592) similarly describe Uesugi naval operations reaching Anamizu Castle. These consistent accounts across different periods suggest that the Echigo navy maintained operational capabilities throughout Kenshin’s lifetime.

Local legends from Noto’s northernmost villages add colorful details to these historical events. One tale describes how villagers, warned of Kenshin’s impending attack, donned terrifying ghost masks and seaweed wigs, beating war drums to frighten the invaders away under cover of darkness. The “Gojin Daiko” drum used in this defense became a cherished local artifact, symbolizing community resistance against powerful warlords.

The Kaga Campaigns and Mountaintop Defeats

While Kenshin eventually achieved his objectives in Noto after a 22-year struggle, his campaigns in neighboring Kaga province met with far less success. The fiercely independent Ikkō-ikki (Buddhist peasant leagues) of Kaga proved to be Kenshin’s most stubborn opponents.

The most famous confrontation occurred in 1576 (Tenshō 4) at the Battle of Kaga Ōta Village. After securing Etchū province, Kenshin turned his attention to Noto’s Hatakeyama rulers, demanding their submission. When they refused, he marched his forces through Kaga, where he encountered resistance from Ikkō-ikki leader Suzaki Hyōgo at Kurikara Pass.

Initial engagements favored Kenshin’s forces, with Suzaki retreating to his stronghold at Matsune Castle. However, winter conditions turned against the Echigo army as heavy snow fell. The poorly equipped soldiers suffered terribly from cold, burning their own arrows for warmth. Seizing this opportunity, Suzaki’s forces launched a surprise night attack that routed Kenshin’s army, reportedly killing over 1,000 Echigo soldiers.

Historical accounts of this battle vary significantly. Early sources like the “Kodan Heidan” (1673) describe Suzaki leading just 500-800 men against Kenshin’s 10,000, while later records like the “Hokuetsu Gunidan” (1698) claim the Ikkō-ikki mobilized 10,000 warriors themselves. What remains consistent across all versions is that Kenshin suffered one of his most humiliating defeats, giving rise to mocking folk songs about the “Tiger of Echigo” stumbling in Kaga.

The Asahiyama Campaign and Technological Disadvantages

Kenshin’s difficulties in Kaga continued at the Battle of Asahiyama in 1574 (Tenshō 2). His personal letters preserved in the Nakajō Documents reveal uncharacteristic frustration with the campaign. The Ikkō-ikki defenders, led by Wakabayashi Gagaku-no-suke, employed firearms effectively against Kenshin’s forces, wounding several of his commanders including the young Nakajō Kageyasu and Kakizaki Genzō.

The “Uesugi Kenshin Official Document Collection” compiled by the Yonezawa domain acknowledges this difficult campaign, noting that Kenshin’s forces remained bogged down from July through September against the stubborn defenders. Modern historians like Hioki Ken suggest that Kenshin’s withdrawal was less a strategic choice than a necessity after sustaining heavy casualties, despite later claims that the Ikkō-ikki had sued for peace.

This battle highlighted a critical weakness in Kenshin’s military – his apparent underestimation of firearms. While contemporaries like Oda Nobunaga enthusiastically adopted the new technology, Kenshin’s forces struggled against enemies who effectively used matchlock guns in defensive positions. Historians like Sekibayashi Bun’kichi argue that this technological disadvantage contributed significantly to Kenshin’s failures in Kaga.

Legacy and Historical Assessment

Kenshin’s campaigns in Noto and Kaga reveal both his strengths and limitations as a military leader. His persistence over two decades eventually brought Noto under his control, culminating in the 1577 fall of Shichirō Castle and the destruction of the Hatakeyama clan. However, his inability to subdue Kaga’s Ikkō-ikki prevented him from expanding further westward toward the imperial capital.

The historical record shows at least three major failed campaigns in Kaga:
– 1574: Defeat at Asahiyama Castle against Wakabayashi’s forces
– 1576: Disaster at Ōta Village against Suzaki’s winter attack
– 1577: Stalemate at Matsuto Castle against Kadoki Yorunobu

These setbacks confined Kenshin’s influence primarily to Echigo, Etchū, and Noto, preventing him from becoming a true contender for national unification. As Hioki Ken bluntly assessed in his “History of Ishikawa Prefecture,” Kenshin’s boasts about controlling Kaga and even parts of Echizen were largely empty claims – the folk song about the mighty warrior stumbling in Kaga told the more accurate story.

Kenshin’s mixed record in these campaigns demonstrates the complex realities of Sengoku warfare, where even brilliant tacticians could be thwarted by determined local resistance, harsh weather, and technological disadvantages. His legacy remains that of a formidable but ultimately regional power, whose ambitions were checked as much by the fierce independence of Kaga’s peasant warriors as by any rival daimyō.