− | [[Image:Uesugi_mon.jpg|left|thumb|The Uesugi kamon.]]The Uesugi of eastern Japan (their domain at one point encompassed much of the Kanto region and [[Echigo province]]) were descended from [[Fujiwara Yoshikado]], a daijô-daijin in the 9th Century, whose descendant Shigefusa adopted the name Uesugi in the 13th Century. The Uesugi were related to the Ashikaga and became very powerful in the Muromachi Period and for many years provided deputy governors of the Kanto Ashikaga. By the opening of the Sengoku Period the Uesugi were represented by two main branches (a third, the Inukake, having died out in the 15th Century), the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi and Yamanouchi-Uesugi. These had become open rivals in the mid-15th Century and so vied for power in the Kanto. By the start of the 16th Century the Ogigayatsu were based at [[Kawagoe castle]] in [[Musashi province]] while the seat of Yamanouchi power was at Hirai in Kôzuke. The Ogigayatsu had traditionally relied on the Otô family while the Yamanouchi counted the Nagao of [[Echigo province]] as a pillar of their strength. The surging expansion of the [[Hojo clan|Hôjô]] into the lower Kanto after [[1593]] ultimately forced the two branches of the Uesugi to join forces. Kawagoe fell to [[Hojo Ujitsuna|Hôjô Ujitsuna]] in [[1537]] and in [[1545]] both the Ogigayatsu and the Yamanouchi shared defeat in attempting to regain it. Although this effectively marked the end of the Ogigayatsu as a viable independent power, Yamanouchi-Uesugi Norimasa, whose [[Hirai castle]] fell to the Hôjô in [[1551]], took up with his retainer [[Nagao Kagetora]] in Echigo. In [[1561]], while campaigning against the Hôjô in [[Sagami province]], Kagetora adopted the name Uesugi and the title of Kanto-kanrei. By dint of this the Uesugi survived the sengoku period and became a notable Edo daimyô house, although owing to [[Uesugi Kagekatsu|Uesugi Kagekatsu’s]] support of Ishida Mitsunari in the [[Battle of Sekigahara|Sekigahara Campaign]] ([[1600]]), they were much reduced in power. | + | [[Image:Uesugi_mon.jpg|left|thumb|The Uesugi kamon.]]The Uesugi of eastern Japan (their domain at one point encompassed much of the Kanto region and [[Echigo province]]) were descended from [[Fujiwara Yoshikado]], a daijô-daijin in the 9th Century, whose descendant Shigefusa adopted the name Uesugi in the 13th Century. The Uesugi were related to the Ashikaga and became very powerful in the Muromachi Period and for many years provided deputy governors of the Kanto Ashikaga. By the opening of the Sengoku Period the Uesugi were represented by two main branches (a third, the Inukake, having died out in the 15th Century), the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi and Yamanouchi-Uesugi. These had become open rivals in the mid-15th Century and so vied for power in the Kanto. By the start of the 16th Century the Ogigayatsu were based at [[Kawagoe castle]] in [[Musashi province]] while the seat of Yamanouchi power was at Hirai in Kôzuke. The Ogigayatsu had traditionally relied on the Otô family while the Yamanouchi counted the Nagao of [[Echigo province]] as a pillar of their strength. The surging expansion of the [[Hojo clan|Hôjô]] into the lower Kanto after [[1593]] ultimately forced the two branches of the Uesugi to join forces. Kawagoe fell to [[Hojo Ujitsuna|Hôjô Ujitsuna]] in [[1537]] and in [[1545]] both the Ogigayatsu and the Yamanouchi shared defeat in attempting to regain it. Although this effectively marked the end of the Ogigayatsu as a viable independent power, Yamanouchi-Uesugi Norimasa, whose [[Hirai castle]] fell to the Hôjô in [[1551]], took up with his retainer [[Nagao Kagetora]] in Echigo. In [[1561]], while campaigning against the Hôjô in [[Sagami province]], Kagetora adopted the name Uesugi and the title of Kanto-kanrei. By dint of this the Uesugi survived the sengoku period and became a notable Edo daimyô house, although owing to [[Uesugi Kagekatsu|Uesugi Kagekatsu’s]] support of [[Ishida Mitsunari]] in the [[Battle of Sekigahara|Sekigahara Campaign]] ([[1600]]), they were much reduced in power. |