Uesugi Kenshin

Uesugi Kenshin
上杉 謙信
Portrait from Uesugi Shrine
Head of Uesugi clan
In office 1561–1578
Preceded by	Uesugi Norimasa
Succeeded by	Uesugi Kagekatsu
Head of Nagao clan
In office 1548–1578
Preceded by	Nagao Harukage
Succeeded by	Uesugi Kagekatsu
Personal details
Born	Nagao Kagetora February 18, 1530 (1530-02-18) Echigo Province, Japan
Died	April 19, 1578(1578-04-19) (aged 48) Echigo Province, Japan
Parents	Nagao Tamekage (father) Tora Gozen [ja] (mother)
Relatives	Uesugi Norimasa (adopted father) Nagao Harukage (brother) Aya-Gozen (sister) Nagao Masakage (brother-in-law) Uesugi Kagekatsu (adopted son) Uesugi Kagetora (adopted son)
Nicknames	"Dragon of Echigo" "God of War" "Bishamonten no Keshin"
Military service
Allegiance	Nagao clan Uesugi clan
Rank	Lord (Daimyō), Kanrei
Commands	Kasugayama Castle
Battles/wars	Siege of Tochio (1544) Battle of Fuse (1553) Battle of Saigawa (1555) Battle of Uenohara (1557) Siege of Odawara (1561) Battle of Kawanakajima (1561) Siege of Karasawa (1563) Battle of Shiozaki (1564) Siege of Matsukura (1568) Battle of Tonegawa (1571) Siege of Kanayama (1574) Siege of Nanao (1576, 1577) Battle of Tedorigawa (1577)

Nagao Kagetora (長尾 景虎, February 18, 1530 – April 19, 1578^[1]), later known as Uesugi Kenshin (上杉 謙信), was a Japanese daimyō. He was born in Nagao clan,^[2] and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan.^[3] 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 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 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".