Uesugi Kagetora (1552 – April 19, 1579) was the seventh son of Hojo Ujiyasu and was originally known as Hojo Saburo. He was adopted by Uesugi Kenshin and intended to be Kenshin's heir. However, in 1578, he was attacked in his Otate Castle by Uesugi Kagekatsu, his brother-in-law, and was ultimately defeated. Kagetora committed suicide the following year at Samegao Castle.
Born in either 1552 or 1554, Kagetora was also known as Hojo Ujihide, Hojo Saburo, and Saburo Kagetora during his lifetime. He was the seventh son (the sixth to survive to adulthood) of Hojo Ujiyasu, and the brother of Hojo Ujimasa, Hojo Ujiteru, Hojo Ujikuni, Hojo Ujinori, Hojo Ujitada, and Hojo Ujimitsu. His mother was either the sister-in-law of Toyama Yasumitsu, a vassal of the Hojo clan, or Suikeiin, Ujiyasu's principal wife. Historians generally agree that Hojo Saburo and Hojo Ujihide were two different individuals, with Ujihide being the son of Hojo Tsunashige and residing in Edo, while Saburo lived in Echigo.
As a child, Kagetora was sent to the priesthood at Soun-ji in Hakone and later held hostage by Takeda Shingen of the Takeda clan as part of a three-way alliance between the Hojo, Takeda, and Imagawa clans formed in 1554. In 1569, he was adopted by his uncle Hojo Genan and married Genan's daughter.
In 1569, as part of an alliance between the Hojo and Uesugi clans, Saburo was sent to Uesugi Kenshin as a hostage. Initially, Hojo Ujimasa's third son Kunimasumaru was to be the hostage, but Ujimasa, unable to part with his baby son, sent Saburo instead. Kenshin, who never married, took a liking to the handsome and intelligent Saburo. Kenshin married his niece Seienin to Saburo, gave him the name Kagetora, and adopted him into the Uesugi clan.
When Kenshin died suddenly in 1578 without naming an heir, Kagetora and Kagekatsu, who had also been adopted by Kenshin, fought for succession in what became known as the Otate no Ran. Initially, Kagetora had the upper hand with support from Uesugi vassals and the Hojo clan, but the tide turned when Takeda Katsuyori betrayed him and sided with Kagekatsu.
After Otate Castle fell in 1579, Kagetora attempted to flee to Odawara Castle, the Hojo stronghold, but was betrayed at Samegao Castle by Horie Munechika and committed suicide. Seienin, his wife, also committed suicide, although some accounts suggest she did so at Otate when her brother Kagekatsu refused Kagetora's surrender. Kagetora's eldest son, Doumanmaru, was killed by Kagekatsu's troops along with Uesugi Norimasa, and the rest of Kagetora's children are believed to have died during the power struggle.
Kagetora was considered by some to be a better heir for Kenshin due to his intelligence and assistance in battles, while Kagekatsu was known for gaining support within the Uesugi clan.
A modern-day reincarnation of Kagetora appears in the light novel and anime series "Mirage of Blaze." In this series, he is one of the two primary characters, members of the Uesugi Netherworld Force, responsible for exorcising undead soldiers from the Japanese Feudal Era who are participating in a modern-day war led by reincarnations of various feudal era warlords, including the spirit of Takeda Shingen.
See also
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Saito Tatsuoki
Saito Tatsuoki (6 September 1548 - 1573) was a daimyo of Mino Province during Japan's Sengoku period and the third-generation lord of the Saito clan. He was the son of Saito Yoshitatsu and grandson of Saito Dosan. His mother was a daughter of Azai Hisamasa, making him a nephew of Azai Nagamasa and a relative of Oda Nobunaga's first wife, Nohime, who was also a daughter of Saito Dosan.
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Kyogoku Tadataka
Kyogoku Tadataka (1593–1637) was a Japanese nobleman and the head of the Kyogoku clan during the early 17th century, a pivotal time marked by the Tokugawa consolidation of power. His childhood name was Kumamaro, and he hailed from a lineage claiming descent from Emperor Uda (868–897). Tadataka was the son of Kyogoku Takatsugu and one of his concubines, with his paternal grandfather being Kyogoku Takayoshi.
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Matsudaira Naomasa
The late Muromachi period, also known as the Sengoku period, was an era of continuous conflict and upheaval, often likened to periods of chaos in Chinese history. This turbulent era was brought to an end by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who, with the support of loyal retainers, established the Edo Shogunate and became the ruler of Japan. Among Ieyasu’s descendants, Naomasa Matsudaira, his grandson, played a significant role during the Osaka Siege. He earned praise from his adversary, Nobushige Sanada (Yukimura Sanada), for his valor as a young warrior and maintained strong relations with successive Tokugawa shoguns.
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Ishikawa Kazumasa
Ishikawa Kazumasa (1534–1609) was a prominent Japanese retainer who began serving Tokugawa Ieyasu during his youth. Their relationship began in 1551 when both were hostages under the Imagawa clan. Kazumasa remained a loyal companion to Ieyasu, participating in key events such as the Siege of Terabe in 1558 and the Siege of Marune in 1560. After Ieyasu broke away from the Imagawa following the latter event, Kazumasa became a trusted retainer and administrator in his service.
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Shimazu Toyohisa
Shimazu Toyohisa (July 1570 – October 21, 1600), also known as Shimazu Tadatoyo, was a samurai of the Shimazu clan and the son of Shimazu Iehisa. He was the nephew of Shimazu Yoshihiro and held command over Sadowara Castle. Known for his valor, Toyohisa participated in numerous key battles of the late Sengoku period, earning recognition for his bravery and tactical acumen.
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Ikeda Terumasa
Ikeda Terumasa (January 31, 1565 – March 16, 1613) was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period, recognized by his court title, "Musashi no Kami," and known as the "Shogun of Western Japan." Terumasa, a distinguished military leader, participated in numerous significant battles during the late Azuchi-Momoyama period. His service at the Battle of Sekigahara earned him control over the Himeji domain. Originally named Araokojimaru, he was the son of Ikeda Tsuneoki and the brother of Ikeda Sen. He later became the heir to Ikeda Nobuteru and held Ikejiri Castle in Mino Province.
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Mori Tadamasa
Mori Tadamasa (1570 - July 31, 1634) was a notable military commander during Japan’s Warring States period and an early Edo-period daimyo. Initially, he governed Kawanakajima Domain in Shinano Province (modern-day Nagano Prefecture) and later became the first lord of Tsuyama Domain in Mimasaka Province (now northern Okayama Prefecture). He founded the Mori family line of the Ako Domain. Tadamasa’s family origins trace back to the Genji (Minamoto) clan, specifically the Kawachi-Genji branch from Kawachi Province (in present-day southeastern Osaka Prefecture), a lineage tied to Emperor Seiwa through his ancestor Yorisada Mori, a great-grandson of the famed Minamoto no Yoshiie.
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Sanada Masayuki
Sanada Masayuki (1547 – July 13, 1611) was a daimyo and prominent lord of Japan's Sengoku period. Head of the Sanada clan from Shinano Province, he served the powerful Takeda clan of Kai Province alongside his father and brothers during Takeda Shingen’s leadership. Following the Takeda clan's decline, Masayuki took charge of the Sanada, and despite limited resources, he established his clan as an independent power under the Toyotomi regime by navigating alliances with dominant clans such as the Tokugawa, Hojo, and Uesugi. Renowned as one of his era's greatest strategists, Masayuki achieved notable victories against the Tokugawa forces in the Battle of Kami River and the Siege of Ueda.
