Changes

It should be mentioned here that as much as Kenshin may have liked to fight, he also worked hard to increase the economic strength of Echigo. He pursued a number of initiatives designed to stimulate trade, including making the most of Echigo’s lucrative hemp trade, building [[Kasugayama castle]] (which acted as his headquarters and a prosperous castle town) and in [[1564]] revitalizing the seaport of Kashiwazaki. Like many daimyo, Kenshin offered merchants special privileges, including tax reductions, to entice them to do business in his domain.  

It should be mentioned here that as much as Kenshin may have liked to fight, he also worked hard to increase the economic strength of Echigo. He pursued a number of initiatives designed to stimulate trade, including making the most of Echigo’s lucrative hemp trade, building [[Kasugayama castle]] (which acted as his headquarters and a prosperous castle town) and in [[1564]] revitalizing the seaport of Kashiwazaki. Like many daimyo, Kenshin offered merchants special privileges, including tax reductions, to entice them to do business in his domain.  

[[Image:Bi_kanji.jpg|thumb|right|Uesugi Kenshin's Battle Standard - 'BI' The First Character of 'Bishamonten', the God of War]]

[[Image:Bi_kanji.jpg|thumb|right|Uesugi Kenshin's Battle Standard - 'BI' The First Character of 'Bishamonten', the God of War]]

In 1577 one of the lords of [[Noto province|Noto]], [[Hatakeyama Yoshinori]], was overthrown and killed by one of his retainers, [[Cho Shigetsura]], apparently after the latter had come into some sort of agreement with Oda Nobunaga. Feuding broke out among the former members of the Hatakeyama and Kenshin was quick to take advantage of the situation. He invaded Noto, captured the home of the new head of the Hatakeyama (Yoshitaka), Nanao, and besieged Cho in [[Anamizu castle]]. Shigetsura was killed, and after securing the loyalty of the other Noto warriors, Kenshin moved into Kaga. Nobunaga responded to this activity by leading reinforcements up to Echizen, where he joined forces with his generals Shibata Katsuie and Maeda Toshiie. All told, Nobunaga may have had as many as 50,000 men on hand to oppose Kenshin, whose own army counted about 30,000 warriors.<ref>If these figures are accurate, then the following battle would be one of the largest in the Sengoku period up to this time, with a total of 80,000 men involved.</ref>  Kenshin and Nobunaga met at the Tedorigawa in Kaga, with the lord of Echigo demonstrating just how much he had learned from all those fights with Shingen. Kenshin based his army at [[Matsuo Castle]], across from which Nobunaga massed his forces. Suspecting that Nobunaga was itching for a fight and probably meant to attack at dawn, Kenshin dispatched a small force to move further up the river (while making a show if it). Nobunaga took note of the movements and believed that Kenshin was splitting his forces-a perfect opportunity for an attack; in the moonlight Nobunaga threw his forces across the river and against Matsuo. Kenshin’s forward units absorbed the charge, and in the end Nobunaga’s army was defeated. Nobunaga pulled his army back and took the bulk of it back to Omi, while Kenshin, after building a few forts in Kaga, returned to Echigo.

In 1577 one of the lords of [[Noto province|Noto]], [[Hatakeyama Yoshinori]], was overthrown and killed by one of his retainers, [[Cho Shigetsura]], apparently after the latter had come into some sort of agreement with Oda Nobunaga. Feuding broke out among the former members of the Hatakeyama and Kenshin was quick to take advantage of the situation. He invaded Noto, captured the home of the new head of the Hatakeyama (Yoshitaka), Nanao, and besieged Cho in [[Anamizu castle]]. Shigetsura was killed, and after securing the loyalty of the other Noto warriors, Kenshin moved into Kaga. Nobunaga responded to this activity by leading reinforcements up to Echizen, where he joined forces with his generals Shibata Katsuie and Maeda Toshiie. All told, Nobunaga may have had as many as 50,000 men on hand to oppose Kenshin, whose own army counted about 30,000 warriors.<ref>If these figures are accurate, then the following battle would be one of the largest in the Sengoku period up to this time, with a total of 80,000 men involved.</ref>  Kenshin and Nobunaga met at the Tedorigawa in Kaga, with the lord of Echigo demonstrating just how much he had learned from all those fights with Shingen. Kenshin based his army at [[Matsuo Castle]], across from which Nobunaga massed his forces. Suspecting that Nobunaga was itching for a fight and probably meant to attack at dawn, Kenshin dispatched a small force to move further up the river (while making a show if it). Nobunaga took note of the movements and believed that Kenshin was splitting his forces-a perfect opportunity for an attack; in the moonlight Nobunaga threw his forces across the river and against Matsuo. Kenshin’s forward units absorbed the charge, and in the end Nobunaga’s army was defeated. Nobunaga pulled his army back and took the bulk of it back to Omi, while Kenshin, after building a few forts in Kaga, returned to Echigo.

During the winter of 1577-78, Kenshin declared his intentions to continue fighting Nobunaga again and organized for an impressive army to assemble in the spring. Even as he readied for a great campaign (whether against Oda or Hojo), however, he was in poor health, reportedly barely able to eat solid food and walking with a pronounced limp. On 9 April he had a seizure of some sort while using his lavatory and died four days later, at the age of 48.  

During the winter of 1577-78, Kenshin declared his intentions to continue fighting Nobunaga again and organized for an impressive army to assemble in the spring. Even as he readied for a great campaign (whether against Oda or Hojo), however, he was in poor health, reportedly barely able to eat solid food and walking with a pronounced limp. On 9 April he had a seizure of some sort while using his lavatory and died four days later, at the age of 48.