Lit.:"East of the Gate", the easternmost of five regions located on Honshuu Island which comprises of the seven prefectures of Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. This is the most highly developed and industrialized region of Japan and was the heart of feudal power during the Edo Period.
During the Edo Period, the area was also called the "Kanhasshuu" (関八州), or Eight Kantou Provinces: Musashi, Sagami, Kazusa, Shimousa, Awa, Kouzuke, Shimotsuke, and Hitachi.
Lit.: "River-crossing Castle"
Also known as: Hatsukari Castle (初雁城), Kirigakure Castle (霧隠城)
Kawagoe Castle was a flatland castle built in 1457 by Oota Sukekiyo, a chief vassal of Uesugi Mochitomo of the Ougigayatsu-Uesugi clan. In 1525, Houjou Ujitsuna took over the castle, and it became a strategic position for the Houjou rule of the Musashi Province. In 1546, the Battle of Kawagoe Castle was fought over the castle, in which the Houjou Clan won an incredible victory over overwhelming odds.
During Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Siege of Odawara in 1590, the castle fell to Maeda Toshiie and was later given to Tokugawa Ieyasu's vassal Sakai Shigetada. It then passed through the hands of several other clans before being abandoned around the 1870s.
In 1924 the Saitama government declared the castle ruins a historical landmark, and it was named as one of Japan's 100 famous castle in 2006.
Also known as: Kawagoe Night Battle (河越夜戦), Kawagoe Engagement (河越合戦)
The Battle of Kawagoe Castle was fought on May 19, 1546, in Musashi Province at and around Kawagoe Castle, held by the Houjou, against an overwhelming force led by Uesugi Norimasa (Yamanouchi-Uesugi Clan and the then-Kantou Kanrei), Uesugi Tomosada (Ougigayatsu-Uesugi Clan), and Ashikaga Haruuji (the then-Koga Kubou).
When the Uesugi-Ashikaga forces besieged Kawagoe Castle on Oct. 31, 1545, they numbered roughly 70,000-80,000 men to the 3,000 in the castle garrison, led by Houjou Tsunashige. (One account says that all the daimyo of the Kantou except Chiba Toshitane of Shimousa participated.) Ujiyasu led a reinforcement force of 8,000 from Sagami, and the fighting was locked in stalemate for several months. Kushima Tsunahiro (Tsunashige's younger brother), who was in Ujiyasu's reinforcement force, sent a single horseman to slip through the Uesugi-Ashikaga forces into the castle to coordinate a surprise attack.
Ujiyasu sent a false offer of surrender to the Uesugi army. Instead of accepting it, they attacked the Houjou fiercely. Ujiyasu pulled back, luring the enemy into believing they had the battle in hand. On the night of May 19, Ujiyasu split his 8,000 troops into four companies. One of them he left under the leadership of Tame Mototada with the command that it would not move until the end of the battle. Ujiyasu led the other three companies, traveling lightly without armor, into the enemy camp at midnight. The Uesugi-Ashikaga army collapsed in pandemonium. Uesugi Tomosada was killed. When Tame Mototada saw from behind Ujiyasu that he had thrust too far in, he sounded a conch shell to warn Ujiyasu and pull him back. On the other hand, Tsunashige, who had been watching over the battle from inside the castle, led his troops into Ashikaga Haruuji's army, shouting "We've won! We've won!" Occupied with Ujiyasu's army and completely unprepared, the Ashikaga army was routed. The total number of dead on the Uesugi-Ashikaga side reached 13,000 according to some accounts.
As a result of the battle, the Ougigayatsu-Uesugi Clan was destroyed, and Kantou Kanrei Uesugi Norimasa rapidly lost power and influence until he was driven out of Hirai Castle, his main stronghold, and forced to seek refuge with Nagao Kagetora in Echigo. Immediately thereafter, Ashikaga Haruuji was surrounded at the old imperial palace and forced to retired in favor of his son, Ashikaga Yoshiuji, whose wife was Houjou Ujiyasu's daughter.
A city located in Saitama Prefecture which was the seat of the former Kawagoe-han.
Kazusa was a province of ancient Japan which is now the south-central part of Chiba Prefecture. It was held by several clans, including the Kazusa-Takeda, Sakai, Toki, and Awamasaki (under Satomi) Clans. Later the Takeda, Sakai, and Toki Clans submitted to the Houjou Clan, which continued fighting fierce battles with the Satomi Clan.
Lit.: Northern Circle Park
The Kita no Maru National Garden is a forest park and plaza north of the Imperial Palace. There are many cultural facilities within the park as well as remains of the old Edo Castle.
Komagatake is one of the lava domes in the central dome of the Hakone Volcano, formed around 400,000 years ago.
Komagatake can be reached via the Hakone Komagatake Ropeway from the eastern bank of Lake Ashi.
Kondou Tsunahide became a vassal of Houjou Ujiteru in 1581 and was active in the south-west region of Musashi. After Ujiteru took Shimotsuke, Tsunahide was tasked with the governance of Enomoto, one of its territories, and given Enomoto Castle. He was entrusted with great authority, and was also involved in diplomatic negotiations with the Katakura of the Date Clan.
During the Siege of Odawara, he died in battle at Hachiouji Castle.
The Imperial Palace is the residence of the Emperor of Japan and is a large park-like area located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It is contained with the premises of Edo Castle, which was taken over by the Meiji Emperor in 1868 at the capitulation of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Emperor moved his residence there from the Kyoto Imperial Palace, making Tokyo the de facto capital of Japan.
Mount Kouya, located in Wakayama Prefecture, is famous for being the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Buddhism in Japan and was first settled by Kuukai in 819. The original monastery founded there has since grown into the town of Kouya with over a hundred temples as well as a university dedicated to religious studies.
Kuki Yoshitaka was the 8th head of the Kuki Clan and Kuki Navy. He was born in Shimo Province as the second son of Kuki Sadataka and served both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi in a brilliant career encompassing many campaigns, including the siege of the Ikkou Sect at Ishiyama Hongan Temple, during which he built armored ships to rebel fire from the Mouri Navy.
Yoshitaka also participated in the Subjugation of Kyuushuu in 1587 and the Siege of Odawara in 1590. He retired in 1597 in favor of his second son, Kuki Moritaka. However in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, he fought on the Toyotomi side while his son fought for Tokugawa Ieyasu. Moritaka begged Ieyasu for his father's life, which Ieyasu granted, but Yoshitaka committed suicide before the message reached him.
Kushima Masashige was master of Takatenjin Castle in Tootoumi and father of Houjou Tsunashige and Houjou Tsunafusa. His family served the Imagawa Clan for generations, and it is likely that he served Imagawa Ujichika. There are theories that he died in battle with Takeda Nobutora in the service of the Imagawa Clan or at the Battle of Iidagawara serving the Houjou Clan, among others.
Maeda Toshiie was born the fourth son of Maeda Toshimasa in Owari Province. He served Oda Nobunaga beginning in 1551 at the age of 13. When his father died in 1560, his oldest brother Toshihisa succeeded as head of the Maeda Clan, but in 1569 Toshiie suddenly became clan head by Nobunaga's decree.
After Nobunaga's death at Honnou Temple, Toshiie battled Toyotomi Hideyoshi under Shibata Katsuie but was defeated at the Battle of Shizugatake. Thereafter he served Hideyoshi and became one of his greatest generals, eventually being named by Hideyoshi to the Council of Five to protect and guide Hideyoshi's son Toyotomi Hideyori. However, Toshiie died of illness a year after Hideyoshi.
Legend has it Holy Priest was an ascetic monk who lived during the Nara Period. His names means "ten thousand scrolls", signifying his vow to read a sutra every day until he had read ten thousand volumes. He is said to be the founder of Hakone Shrine as well as the one who reformed the evil nine-headed dragon of Lake Ashi.
Also known as: Odawara Shouchinju (小田原総鎮守)
A shrine dedicated to the Shinto deities Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and Ukanomitama-no-Kami, Matsubara Shrine prospered during the Sengoku under the protection of the Houjou Clan. It was called formerly Odawara Shouchinju, or "Shrine of the Odawara Tutelary Gods" and renamed Matsubara Shrine during the Meiji Period when Buddhism and Shintoism were separated by law.
Matsuda Hideharu (or possibly Naohide (直秀)—opinions differ) was the second son of Matsuda Norihide. He served Houjou Ujinao and reported the betrayal of his father and older brother during the Siege of Odawara. He followed Ujinao to exile on Mt. Kouya after the fall of the Houjou; after Ujinao's death, he served the Kaga-Maeda Clan.
Matsuda Norihide was eldest son and heir to Matsuda Morihide and the chief vassal with the highest position in the Houjou Clan.
The Matsuda Clan, which had successively served the Houjou Clan since the time of Houjou Souun, held a vast fief of 2798-kan under the Houjou. Norihide's mother was Houjou Tsunashige's younger sister. He served Ujiyasu as a shrewd internal administrator and also fought in several of his battles, including the invasion of Suruga and the Battle of Kounodai against the Satomi Clan.
After Ujiyasu's death Norihide served Ujimasa, and in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Siege of Odawara took the side of those in favor of resistance to the bitter end. However, he and his eldest son Kasahara Masataka were persuaded by Hori Hidemasa to switch sides, a fact discovered by his second son Matsuda Hideharu and reported to the Houjou. Houjou Ujinao placed Norihide under confinement and forced Masataka to commit suicide. It is said that this is the incident that resulted in the Houjou's surrender.
Hideyoshi, in condemnation of Norihide's disloyalty, had him commit ritual suicide. Hideharu followed Ujinao to Mt. Kouya and after his death served the Maeda Clan.
The largest city in Nagano Prefecture, Matsumoto is surrounded by mountains and is acclaimed for its beautiful views.
Lit. "female bird feather river"; a river that runs through Matsumoto City.
Also known as: Mifunedai no Tatakai (三船台の戦)
The Battle of Mt. Mifune/Mifunedai was fought between Satomi Yoshihiro and Houjou Ujimasa on Sept. 25, 1567, in Kazusa, Kimitsu-gun, Mifunedai (present-day Kimitsu City in Chiba Prefecture.
The battle took place after a heavy defeat suffered by Satomi Yoshihiro at the hand of the Houjou Clan in the 2nd Battle of Kounodai (1564), in which Yoshihiro lost the northern part of Kazusa and the western part of the Satomi territory. The Houjou was in the process of building a fortress at Mifunedai, the base of Mt. Mifune, in order to take Yoshihiro's main fortress of Sanuki Castle. Knowing that once the Houjou fortress was completed, Sanuki Castle, located only a kilometer to the south, would be in great danger, Yoshihiro attacked the Houjou troops stationed at Mifunedai.
Upon learning of the attack, Houjou Ujimasa lead his troops across Edo Bay while sending Houjou Ujiteru with a detached force toward Kururi Castle, Satomi Yoshitaka (Yoshihiro's father)'s main fortress.
In response, Yoshihiro rallied from Sanuki Castle and met Ujimasa's troops in a fierce battle. The Satomi army tore the Houjou army apart, killing one of its chief commanders, Oota Ujisuke. Fearing a pincer attack from land and water, the entire Houjou army retreated back to Sagami.
Lit.: Three-Province Mountain Pass
During the Sengoku Era, Mikuni Pass was one part of the three-province highway that was the shortest path between Echigo and Edo, but snow drifts and avalanches in winter and landslides in summer made it a difficult crossing. Uesugi Kenshin maintained it during his time as Kantou Kanrei in order to maintain his foothold in the Kantou.
It is now a major artery in the Japanese highway system, designated Highway 17 (Mikuni Tunnel).
The Battle of Mimase Pass took place on Oct. 8, 1569 between the armies of the Houjou Clan, led by Houjou Ujiteru and Houjou Ujikuni, and the Takeda Clan, led by Takeda Shingen, after the Kai-Sagami-Suruga alliance fell apart in 1568 upon Takeda's invasion of Suruga.
On Oct. 1, 1569, Takeda Shingen besieged Houjou Ujiyasu's Odawara Castle with 20,000 troops, but like Uesugi Kenshin before him, failed to penetrate the Houjou Clan's main fortress' defenses and retreated four days later on Oct. 5 after setting fire to the land near the castle. Houjou Ujiteru and Houjou Ujikuni set up an ambush with an army of 12,000-20,000 (estimates differ) at the strategic Mimase Pass for the Takeda army as it retreated back towards Kai. Houjou Ujimasa brought up their main army of 20,000 in a pincer movement.
Takeda Shingen led the Takeda army along with his generals Takeda Katsuyori, Takeda Nobukado, Yamagata Masakage, Naitou Masatoyo, Baba Nobuharu, Asari Nobutane, and Obata Norishige.
Houjou Ujiteru and Houjou Ujikuni led the Houjou army along with their generals Houjou Ujitada, Takajou Kurando (?), Hara Tanehide, and Ueda Tomonao.
Ujiteru and Ujikuni apparently sprung the ambush before Ujimasa arrived. Shingen, who had sensed the attack, split his army into three parts: one met the Houjou head-on, while the other two hid in the mountain and attacked from the side. The two armies met in full-blown battle on Oct. 8. The Houjou held the advantage at the start. However, a detached force led by Yamagata Masakage struck in a surprise attack from the higher ground of Shida Pass about a kilometer to the south-west, managing to turn the tide of the battle. The Takeda army also employed arquebuses in the narrow mountain pass to their great advantage, and the Houjou army suffered heavy losses. Though the fighting was close at the beginning of the battle, by the end it was clearly a Takeda victory.
Ujimasa halted his army upon hearing of the Houjou defeat, so the pincer attack (which may yet have won the day for the Houjou) never came to pass. Takeda then pushed forward into Sagami, there to raise his victory shout, before retreating.
Because Uesugi Kenshin had not sent aid during the seige and battle, the Houjou Clan began to view him with distrust, and Houjou Ujiyasu wrote a letter to him expressing his discontent. This battle would become the underlying cause for the Houjou's severing of their alliance with the Uesugi Clan and reformation of their alliance with the Takeda Clan.
One of Tokyo's twenty-three special wards (self-governing, special municipalities existing only in Tokyo) located in central Tokyo, southwest of the Imperial Palace. It contains some of Tokyo's most popular entertainment and nightlife districts, as well as upscale residential and commercial areas. Tokyo Tower is located in this ward.
Minato contains the most corporate headquarters of any area in Japan, and could be said to be its business center. It also contains many embassies and offices of foreign corporation, so foreign residents make up about 1 percent of its population.
Miyuki Beach is located in Odawara City opposite Odawara Castle, a part of Sagami Bay.
A district of Hachiouji City, located slightly to the west of the center of the city.
Also known as: Ashikaga-jidai
The period of Japanese history stretching from approximately 1336 to 1573 when the Muromachi/Ashikaga Shogun ruled Japan. The first part of the era, from 1336 to 1392, were the Nanboku-chou, or Northern and Southern Court Period, while the second part was the Sengoku Period. The era started when Ashikaga Takauji deposed Emperor Go-Daigo, forming the shogun's court in the north and the emperor's new court in the south. Succession rivalry in the Ashikaga family resulted in the Ounin no Ran, leading to the rise to power of local warlords and the chaos of the Sengoku. The era ended when Oda Nobunaga drove the last Ashikaga Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, out of Kyoto.
Musashi Province, a province of ancient Japan, was comprised of the present-day prefecture of Tokyo as well as parts of Saitama Prefecture and Kanagawa Prefecture. It was the largest province in the Kantou and was formed in the 7th century. It was governed by many, many clans, including the original Houjou Clan for about 100 years starting from the 1210s. The Later Houjou Clan took the territory in the late Sengoku Era after the Battle of Kawagoe Castle in 1546 drove out the Uesugi influence. Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of the Kantou after the fall of the Houjou Clan in 1590.
The Musashino Mausoleum is the imperial tomb of the Showa Emperor, who ruled Japan from 1926 - 1989, and is one of four tombs at the Musashi Imperial Burial Place located in Hachiouji City, Tokyo. Construction on the tomb started on Jan. 17, 1989, ten days after the death of the emperor. The emperor was buried there on Feb. 24, and the tomb was given its name on the 27th. The imperial family visits the mausoleum and conducts religious ceremonies there on Jan. 7th of every year.
Formerly known as the province of Shinshuu, Nagano Prefecture is located in central Japan on Honshuu Island. Its capital is the City of Nagano.
Also known as: Nagao Kagetaka (長尾景孝), Nagao Toukurou (長尾藤九郎)
Title: Yamato no Kami (大和守)
Historically: Son of Nagao Akikage, he became head of the Sousha-Nagao Clan at a young age. He later (around 1545) passed the position to his younger brother Nagao Kagefusa. When the clan was destroyed by Takeda Shingen and their territory lost, the family escaped into Echigo. There Kagefusa became a monk, and Kagetaka was adopted by Naoe Sanetsuna when he married Sanetsuna's daughter, Osen-no-Kata. He succeeded his adopted father as master of Yoita Castle in 1577 and was a vassal of Uesugi Kenshin. He promptly took the side of Uesugi Kagekatsu during the war for succession after Kenshin's death and mobilized the members of the Naoe Clan at the castle to subdue Kagetora's troops.
After the intra-house war and Kagekatsu's victory, a question of reward was called into question. Yasuda Akimoto, one of Kagekatsu's trusted commanders, had promised rewards to Shibata Shigeie, Mouri Hidehiro, and others to convince them to join Kagekatsu's side. However, Yamazaki Hidenori, Naoe, and others objected, for they had risked life and limb at Kasugayama Castle from the very beginning of the battle, while Shibata Shigeie and the others had been lured by promise of reward from Yasuda Akimoto.
Yasuda Akimoto committed suicide when he could not keep his promise of reward. Later, Mouri Hidehiro, carrying a grudge for his death, murdered Yamazaki Hidenori at Kasugayama Castle; Naoe, who was with him at the time and took up a sword to defend himself, was killed as well. His death ended the Naoe line, which Kagekatsu later resurrected by marrying Naoe's widow, Osen-no-Kata to Higuchi Kanetsugu and commanding him to take the Naoe name.
In Mirage of Blaze: According to Kousaka Danjou, and Houjou Ujiteru he was the ringleader of Uesugi Kagekatsu's forces in the Otate no Ran. He is now Uesugi Kagetora's protector and one of the Yasha-shuu under his command. He alone, as Kagetora's protector, was given the power to perform kanshou on other souls, a power he used to force Kagetora's soul into Minako's body.
Also known as: Naoe Kagetsuna (直江景綱), Naoe Masatsuna (直江政綱)
Title: Yamato no Kami (大和守)
Historically: A trust-worthy and courageous vassal of Uesugi Kenshin who served as one of his military commanders. Also served Kenshin's father (Nagao Tamekage) and older brother (Nagao Harukage) and was an excellent adminstrator. Adopted Naoe Nobutsuna when he married Sanetuna's daughter Osen-no-Kata, since he had no sons of his own.
Lit.: "power of telekinesis"; one of the two types of spiritual abilities of the Yasha-shuu which uses spiritual energy to affect a substance. Naoe levitating pebbles against Takaya is one example.
Lit.: "waves of will/thought"; a nendouryoku attack using spiritual energy which focuses the will and releases it in a burst to strike at a target.
Also: "onii-san (お兄さん)", "onii-sama (お兄さま)", "onii-chan (お兄ちゃん)", "nii-sama (兄さま)", "nii-san (兄さん)", "nii-chan (兄ちゃん)"
"Older brother"—one of those very simple terms which is unfortunately difficult to translate because of the differences in usage between English and Japanese. In Japanese, it is much more natural to call your (older) brother "nii-san" or "onii-san" rather than by their given name. It connotates a degree of respect and at the same time a certain closeness. ("Onii-sama" indicates more formality, "onii-chan" indicates less familiarity.) This is the same reason most children in both cultures call their parents "Mom" and "Dad" instead of by their given names.
One can also use "onii-san" to refer politely to an unrelated slightly older male.
Masks worn by performers in the oldest Japanese theatre art.
Lit. "roof monkey"; Uesugi Kenshin's ninja, who used a special technique which involved traveling on rooftops and entering houses from above. Their forte was hunting down other ninja, such as the Fuuma of the Houjou Clan and the Toppa of the Takeda Clan.
In Japanese mythology, the nue is a chimera formed from the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the legs of a tiger, and a snake-tail. The nue can transform into a black cloud and brings illness and misfortune.
In Mirage of Blaze: The troops of the various clans, lumped-together masses of onryou, are called the «nue». Mori Ranmaru commands the Nue-shuu of the Oda, who are onryou with strong powers.
Also called: Oda Kippoushi
Title: Kazusa no Suke, Owari no Kami
Historically: The first of the "Three Unifiers"; born in Owari to a samurai, his unbridled, ruthless ambitious and military tactical genius enabled him to gain control of the imperial court in 1573 after having driven the shogun out of Kyoto. His seal read "the realm subjected to military power". Murdered at the age of forty-nine by his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide in the Honnou-ji in Kyoto.
Odawara Castle is a mountain castle located on a hill above Odawara City in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture and is a designated national historic site. It was built in 1417 by Oomori Yoriharu and greatly expanded by Houjou Souun when he took it in 1495. His son Houjou Ujitsuna made it his main stronghold, and so it remained for three more generations of the clan. Its extensive defenses repelled attacks by great warlords such as Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen. Toyotomi Hideyoshi took the castle in 1590 after the Houjou surrendered to him in the Siege of Odawara. He awarded it to Tokugawa Ieyasu after destroying most of its fortifications along with the Houjou lands.
Tokugawa gave the castle one of his senior retainers, Ookubo Tadayo, after the completion of Edo Castle, and it remained in the hands of the Ookubo Clan aside from a few decades in the late 1600s until the Meiji Era, when the castle was destroyed in 1870–1872 in obedience with imperial decree.
The area became Odawara Castle Park (also known as Castle Ruins Park) in 1950. The park includes an art museum, local history museum, city library, amusement park, and zoo. The present (historically inaccurate) structure, which mimics the much-reduced form of the castle in Ookubo Tadayo's time, was rebuilt in 1960 out of reinforced concrete to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the proclamation of Odawara as a city. Tokiwagi Gate (常磐木門) in the inner citadel, Akagane Gate (銅門) in the outer citadel, and Umade Gate (馬出門) were reconstructed in 1971, 1997, and 2009, respectively, in more historically accurate representations of their late Edo forms.
The City of Odawara, located in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture, flourished as the castle-town of the Houjou Clan, whose strategic fortress of Odawara Castle served as an impregnable stronghold for several generations of the clan during the Sengoku. During the Edo Period, it became the castle-town of Odawara-han and controlled the East Sea Road between Edo and Tokugawa stations west of Hakone.
A samurai and member of the Houjou Oumamawari-shuu in direct service to the head of the Houjou Clan.
Lit.: "vengeful ghost"; the spirits of those who died in the Sengoku period who are still so filled with rage and hatred that they continue to exist in the world as vengeful spirits instead of being purified and reborn.
Lit.: "vengeful general": the spirits of the warlords of the Sengoku period, who continue their battles even in modern-age Japan.
Title: Musashi Shugodai
Ooishi Sadahisa was a warlord of Musashi, son of Ooishi Sadashige and master of Takiyama Castle. He succeeded his father as head of the family, but in 1546 upon the Uesugi Clan's defeat to Houjou Ujiyasu in the Battle of Kawagoe Castle, he married his daughter Hisa to Ujiyasu's third son Houjou Ujiteru and adopted him, upon which he retired and yielded both Takiyama Castle and his title to Ujiteru. After retirement he worked to further diplomatic relations between the Houjou and Uesugi Kenshin.
A city located at the foot of the Northern Japanese Alps in Nagano Prefecture near Matsumoto. It was founded in 1954.
Lit.: "Great Boiling Valley"
Oowaku Valley is a volcanic valley located in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture with sulphuric vents from the Hakone Volcano. It was once known as "Hell Valley" and was given its current name by the Meiji Emperor and Empress during their visit.
It is known for its "kuro-tamago," or "black eggs," which are eggs hard-boiled in the hot springs. Eating one is said to add seven years to your life.
Oowaku Valley is accessible via the Hakone Ropeway.
The City of Osaka is the capital of Osaka Prefecture and the commercial and gourmet food center of Japan.
Uesugi Kenshin built the Otate in present-day Niigata Prefecture as residence for Uesugi Norimasa, Kantou Kanrei, when the latter escaped from Hira Castle in 1552, which was under attack by Houjou Ujiyasu with 20,000 soldiers, and sought aid from Kenshin (Nagao Kagetora at the time) at Kasugayama Castle. Kenshin later used the Otate as his public government office.
In 1578, after Kenshin's death, Kagetora escaped from Kasugayama Castle and set up his headquarters at Otate on June 18th during the Otate no Ran. Kagekatsu attacked Otate in February of the following year, finally destroying it by flame in April after Kagetora and his family had evacuated.
Nothing of the building (which had not been grandiose in the first place) remains today; the area is now mostly devoted to housing districts with a small "Otate Park."
Lit.: "War of the Castle". The Otate no Ran was the name given to the intra-clan war fought between Uesugi Kagekatsu and Uesugi Kagetora, both adopted sons of Uesugi Kenshin, for succession to the position of head of the Uesugi Clan after Kenshin died. The war bifurcated the Uesugi commanders and in the end significantly weakened Uesugi's power. The "Otate", or "Castle/Mansion" refers to the residence Uesugi Kenshin built for the Kantou Kanrei, Uesugi Norimasa, near Kasugayama Castle. He used it as a government office after Norimasa passed on the title to him and the lands around Kasugayama Castle were developed.
On March 9th in the 6th year of Tenshou (April 15th, 1578), Uesugi Kenshin collapsed at Kasugayama Castle's privy from an "unforeseen nervous weakness" (some speculate poison or assassination) and died on the 13th (April 19th, 1578) without ever regaining consciousness.
Traditionally, it is held that he died without ever deciding on an heir. Some point to evidence such as Uesugi Kagetora accompanying him on shrine visits at the New Year and not being forced to perform military service (though proof of the latter is sketchy), to support theories that Kenshin favored Kagetora. It is evident that Kagetora, who was adopted from the mighty Houjou Clan, ruler of the Kantou, had unshakeable standing within the Uesugi Clan even after the Echigo-Sagami Alliance fell apart in 1571.
On the other hand, Kenshin had conferred the highest military powers within the Uesugi family on Kagekatsu, and the Uesugi retainers used similar titles for Kenshin and Kagekatsu.
Pointing to some of the above reasons, many historians argue that Kenshin had intended to pass the title of Kantou Kanrei and position of clan head of the Sannai-Uesugi Clan to Kagetora while making Kagekatsu the master of Echigo and the head of the Echigo-Uesugi Clan. There is no way of telling based on current evidence which would have been the sole heir.
In any case, a dispute over the rightful heir to Kenshin arose between Kagekatsu and Kagetora immediately. Kagekatsu moved first. On the day following Kenshin's death, Kakizaki Haruie, viewed as being in the Kagetora faction, was assassinated (there is another theory that Haruie was killed before the Otate no Ran, when his father was accused of treason). Also, according to one primary historical record, Kagekatsu moved quickly to occupy the inner citadel, treasury, and armory of Kasugayama Castle, though the exact date is unknown. Kagekatsu proclaimed himself the rightful heir in a letter dated March 24th (April 30th) and began attacking Kagetora, barricaded in the Third Wing.
Kagekatsu and Kagetora's forces fought in what is now Jouetsu City on May 5th (June 10th, 1578), and until Kagetora evacuated in the middle of the month, hostilities continued within Kasugayama Castle. During that time, both Kagekatsu and Kagetora tried to win the various Echigo generals to their side.
Commanders committed to Kagekatsu:
- Amakasu Kagemochi: Oumi no Kami
- Higuchi Kanetoyo, Naoe Kanetsugu, Ookuni Saneyori
- Honjou Shigenaga: Echizen no Kami
- Irobe Nagazane: Son of Irobe Katsunaga, master of Hirabayashi Castle
- Joujou Masashige: one of Kenshin's adopted sons, Kagekatsu's brother-in-law, head of the Joujou-Uesugi family
- Kakizaki Noriie: Noto no Kami
- Kanou Hideharu
- Kawada Nagachika: Buzen no Kami
- Murakami Kunikiyo: head of the Yamaura-Uesugi family
- Naoe Nobutsuna: Yamato no Kami, master of Yoita Castle
- Ooishi Tsunamoto: Harima no Kami
- Saitou Tomonobu: Shimotsuke no Kami, master of Akada Castle
- Shibata Nagaatsu, Shibata Shigeie, Ijimino Nobumune
- Suda Mitsuchika
- Yamayoshi Kagenaga: head of the Yamayoshi Clan, master of Koba Castle
- Yasuda Akimoto: head of the Echigo-Yasuda Clan, master of Iiyama Castle
- Yasuda Nagahide: master of Yasuda Castle
- Yoshie Munenobu, Yoshie Kagesuke, Nakajou Kageyasu
Commanders committed to Kagetora:
- Ashina Moritaka: head of the Ashina Clan
- Ayukawa Morinaga: master of Oobasawa Castle
- Daihouji Yoshiuji: head of the Dewa Daihouji Clan
- Horie Munechika (who later betrayed him): Suruga no Kami, master of Samegao Castle
- Honjou Hidetsuna: master of Numata Castle
- Honjou Saneyori
- Houjou Ujimasa, Houjou Ujiteru, Houjou Ujikuni: Kagetora's elder brothers, head and generals of the Houjou Clan
- Kaji Hidetsuna: nephew of Uesugi Kenshin, master of Kaji Castle
- Kanamari Chikatsuna: master of Sanjou Castle
- Kawada Shigechika: Houki no Kami
- Kitajou Takahiro, Kitajou Kagehiro
- Kurokawa Kiyozane: master of Kurokawa Castle
- Nagao Kagenao
- Sanbonji Sadanaga: head of the Sanbonji-Uesugi Clan, master of Fudouzan Castle, Iyo no Kami
- Shimodaira Shurinosuke: master of Jouhukuji Castle
- Takeda Katsuyori (who was later bribed by Kagekatsu and entered into an alliance with him): head of the Takeda Clan
- Uesugi Norimasa: Kenshin's adopted father, former Kantou Kanrei
- Uesugi Kagenobu: originally Nagao, head of the Koshin-Nagao family
- Uesugi Norishige: son of Uesugi Norimasa
On May 13th (June 18th), with the lines between the commanders drawn, Kagetora finally retreated from the Third Wing to the Otate and requested aid from his brother Houjou Ujimasa while ordering his troops to set fire to the lands around Kasugayama Castle. He attacked Kasugayama Castle with around 6000 troops on May 17th (June 22nd), but was repelled.
He regrouped and attacked again on the 22nd (June 27th) with the same result. Around this time, hostilities between Kagekatsu and Kagetora's forces also began within the broader region. In Kouzuke, Kitajou Takahiro and Kitajou Kagehiro (father and son) sent forth troops with their aim on Kunohe Castle. Kagekatsu had no troops to spare at this point, and Kagetora's side easily took several castles in Miyano and Ogawa. Kagetora's side had completed organization for drawing Houjou troops into Echigo at this point, but since the distance was great, the Houjou requested assistance from their ally Takeda Katsuyori. Katsuyori sent an advance guard of 20,000 under the command of Takeda Nobutoyo, which arrived at the Echigo-Shinshuu border on May 29th (July 4th).
Aside from the Houjou and Takeda, Kagetora also received assistance from Ashina Moritaka. However, Moritaka met dogged resistance from Kagekatsu's forces and was stopped in his tracks. Still, Kagetora held the advantage at this point. The only problem: Ujimasa had little interest in moving to the offensive.
Kagekatsu, at a disadvantage now that he was being attacked from three directions, took a big gamble. He sent an advance guard to Katsuyori's camp offering a large amount of money and Kouzuke's rice fields in exchange for a Kagekatsu-Takeda alliance. How Kagekatsu knew that Katsuyori was painfully short on funds after his ignominious defeat at the Battle of Nagashino to Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu is unknown. Katsuyori arrived at Kaidu Castle and conferred with Nobutoyo. He entered into an alliance with Kagekatsu on June 12th (July 16th).
Now that Kagekatsu's side had successfully bought Takeda, they no longer needed to watch their backs. On the day the alliance was made Kagekatsu took Noumine Castle, allowing him to communicate with Sakato Castle from Kasugayama Castle. On the following day, Kagetora's side lost Uesugi Kagenobu, and their situation worsened day by day. Kagekatsu pressed towards various castles held by Kagetora's forces in Ecchuu. Katsuyori continued peace negotiations with Kagekatsu at full tilt; they were concluded on June 29th (August 2nd), and he withdrew his troops on August 28th (September 29th).
In the following month, Ujimasa finally began moving in earnest. Houjou Ujiteru and Houjou Ujikuni set out for Echigo by Ujimasa's command. They crossed Mikuni Pass and took Kabasawa Castle, within striking distance of Sakato Castle. However, the castle was well-guarded by Kagekatsu's forces, and with the onset of winter the Houjou forces could not advance to Kasugayama.
Finally, with Ujikuni and Takahiro left behind to guard Kabasawa Castle and Kagehiro acting as rear guard, they retreated. The Takeda forces, withdrawing from the lands around Kasugayama Castle, loitered between Kasugayama/Otate and Sakato Castle, in the end acting as a deterrent against Kagetora and Houjou forces. At the end of the year (January in the Gregorian calendar) Kagekatsu married Katsuyori's younger sister.
Having skillfully removed external threats and gathered support within the clan, Kagekatsu decided that the internal war would be resolved before the snow thawed. On the other hand, Kagetora was losing both supporters and castles. On February 2nd (February 27, 1579) Kagekatsu ordered a general offensive against Kagetora at Otate. Kagehiro was killed.
Kagekatsu recaptured Kabasawa Castle from the Houjou. Kagetora escaped from Otate and, with no hope of relief from the Houjou, who were blocked off by snow, sent his eldest son along with Kenshin's adopted father Uesugi Norimasa to negotiate for peace. On the way to Kagekatsu's camp, they were surrounded by Kagekatsu's troops and killed (there are accounts that the order actually came from Kasugayama Castle). On his flight from Otate towards the Kantou, Kagetora stopped at Samegao Castle. There he was betrayed by its master, Horie Munechika, and committed suicide along with his family on March 24th (April 19th, 1579).
Though Kagekatsu won the internal war, he would continue to face resistance from Honjou Hidetsuna, Kanamari Chikatsuna and others, and would not have total control of the clan until a year later.
The Otate no Ran would become one of the underlying reasons for the destruction of the Takeda Clan and the drastic decline of the Uesugi Clan's power.
<small>Note: Japanese dates given in this entry are based on the lunar calendar; Gregorian Calendar dates in () were calculated using <a href="http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/geschichte-japans/nengo_calc.htm">NengoCalc</a>.</small>
Eldest daughter of Takeda Shingen and Sanjou-no-Kata. She married Houjou Ujimasa, heir to the Sagami Houjou Clan, on the occasion of the three-way alliance between the Takeda, Imagawa, and Houjou clans in December of 1554 when she was 12 years old. The wedding was a glorious affair and had 10,000 people in the procession. She gave Ujimasa a daughter and five sons, including his heir Houjou Ujinao in 1562, and their marriage was thought to be a happy one.
However, when Shingen attacked Suruga in December of 1568, breaking the alliance, Ujiyasu flew into a rage and had the marriage between Oubaiin and his son broken off. Oubaiin was sent back to Kai, where she later entered the priesthood at Daisen Temple in Koufu. She died at the age of 27.
Shingen built a sub-temple (part of his family temple) in her honor, as did Ujimasa when the Houjou and Takeda formed another alliance in 1571.
