TAKEDA SHINGEN AND
UESUGI KENSHIN:
TWO WARLORDS

DURING JAPAN’S “AGE OF WARRING STATES” several outstanding warlords emerged. Among them, Takeda Shingen Harunobu (1521-73), of Kai, and Uesugi Kenshin Terutora (1530-78), of Echigo, are often cited together. They were neighbors who confronted each other five times at a place called Kawanakajima,¹ and their characters contrasted distinctly. Shingen was a careful administrator who prompted a retainer to compile his words and deeds in many volumes, Kenshin a soldier pure and simple whose spirit of fair play was admired even by his enemies, Shingen among them.

Indeed, if, by happy coincidence, the best-known words on governance during this prolonged period of civil war come from Shingen, so does the best commendation of Kenshin. Shingen’s wisdom on how to run a country is summarized in the following homiletic verse:

Hito wa shiro hito wa ishigaki hito wa hori

nasake wa mikata ada wa teki nari

The people are the castle, the stone wall, and the moat;

compassion makes a friend, vengeance a foe

It is a famous historical anecdote that the Confucian scholar Ogy Sorai (1666-1728), visiting the place where Shingen’s residence used to be, was surprised by its small size:

Ah! Lord Kizan [Shingen], with his heroic military prowess, moved troops from the five provinces of Kai, Shinano, Suruga, Hida, and Kzuke, and his impregnable way overwhelmed the lords of the Eastern provinces; in the end not one appeared who was able to oppose him. But, compared with his great achievements, his residence was so small, so simple!

Sorai may have been indulging in Chinese-style hyperbole, for it was Shingen himself who made a highly credible assessment of his worthy opponent, Kenshin. When he knew he was soon to die, he gathered his top commanders and gave instructions. One had to do with his heir, Shir Katsuyori (1546-82):

As for Katsuyori’s fighting, he must first make a truce with Terutora. Kenshin is such an honorable soldier that he won’t do anything petty to young Shir. Especially, if he speaks to him and says, “May I count on you,” nothing should go wrong. I, Shingen, being childish, was never able to say to Terutora, “I count on you,” and in the end I wasn’t able to strike a truce with him. Katsuyori must go to Kenshin and say, “I count on you.” With Kenshin you can do that without embarrassment.²

For an account of these men we will turn to the Nihon Gaishi (An Unofficial History of Japan), written in Chinese by the historian and poet Rai San’y (1780-1832), and, for the most famous battle between them, to the Ky Gunkan (A Military History of the Great Men of Kai), generally attributed to Obata Kanb Kagenori (1573-1663). Both books have been faulted for historical inaccuracies, but both have also been praised for achieving their goals. For if San’y succeeds in giving effective portraits of many of Japan’s distinguished military commanders, Kagenori succeeds in giving a vivid sense of how warlords tried to manage both war and peace.

In the following narrative, Shingen’s name changes from Katsuchiyo to Harunobu to Shingen. Kenshin, too, undergoes similar changes. Also, at first his family name is Nagao; he did not acquire the name of Uesugi until 1561 when Uesugi Norimasa (1523-79) transferred to him his title of Kant kanrei, (Governor-General of the Kant).

SHINGEN’S UNHAPPY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FATHER

[Takeda] Nobutora fought and defeated [Governor of Kazusa] Kushima, the strong man of Suruga. On that day a son was born, so he was named Katsuchiyo;³ later he was called Harunobu. He was always composed and wily. Nobutora favored a younger son, Nobushige, and wanted to get rid of Harunobu. Harunobu deliberately acted dumb and incompetent to hide his true self. When put in positions to have to compare himself with Nobushige in talent and skill, he would make sure to come out the inferior. Or he would fall from a horse to be helped up. Nobutora’s commanders were contemptuous of Harunobu. Harunobu in the end secretly conspired with Imagawa Yoshimoto,⁴ the lord-governor of Suruga. Yoshimoto was his sister’s husband. In the fifth year of Tenbun [1536], Yoshimoto made a request to the imperial court, adopted Harunobu as his son, had him take the manhood rite, had him appointed Master of the Banquets and Governor of Shinano.

In the eleventh month Nobutora took his soldiers to Shinano and attacked Unnokuchi Castle. The lord-president of the castle, Hiraga Genshin, fought back well. Nobutora assaulted him with 8,000 soldiers and was still unable to bring him down the following month. Then there was a great snowfall. Nobutora’s commanders held a council and said, “It’s already late in the twelfth month. Let us withdraw. Our enemy will not tail us.”

Nobutora followed the advice. Harunobu asked to take up the rear. Nobutora laughed and said, “You want to take up the rear because you know the enemy won’t tail us. Nobushige would never do such a thing.” Harunobu insisted and took up the rear with 300 soldiers. When he was several miles behind the main force, he stopped his men to bivouac and warned them: “Don’t remove your armor. Don’t take off the saddles. Feed your horses and then have some food. We’ll leave around four in the morning. Just follow me where I go.”

His soldiers secretly derided him for this, saying, “The wind and the snow are so terrible. What’s the use of these precautions?”

When four in the morning came, Harunobu promptly decamped, turned back to head for Uninokuchi, raced through the snow with the 300 riders, and reached the castle at daybreak.

Genshin had already dispersed his soldiers, staying in the castle only with a hundred. Harunobu divided his soldiers into three groups and himself led one group into the castle, leaving two groups outside with their banners up to work in unison with his men inside. The soldiers within the castle could not assess the size of the enemy and surrendered without fighting. Harunobu beheaded Genshin, returned with the head, and gave it to Nobutora. Nobutora’s men were greatly surprised. Yet Nobutora would not give him any word of praise, saying, “It was cowardly of you to abandon the castle.” His commanders privately admired Harunobu but would not dare praise his achievement. Harunobu himself continued to act dumb.

Nobutora was violent by nature and inconsistent in reward and punishment. The people of his province suffered because of this. Harunobu secretly conspired with the elder retainers Obu Hybu and Itagaki Nobutaka to strengthen his ties with Imagawa Yoshimoto. Yoshimoto, who was worried about Nobutora’s strong resistance, wanted to manipulate the latter’s province by helping Harunobu. Nobutora was not aware of this.

In the fifth month of the seventh year [1538] Nobutora wanted to drive Harunobu to Suruga. He put him in Obu’s care and went to Suruga himself to consult Yoshimoto about this. Yoshimoto detained Nobutora and would not allow him to go back. As a result, Harunobu became independent in Kai. None among the commanders was unwilling to give in completely and take his orders.

However, hearing about the upset, the neighboring provinces wanted to take advantage of the situation. Also, many of the peasants of Shinano moved out to side with Murakami Yoshikiyo. In the sixth month the lord-president of Suwa Castle, Suwa Yorishige, and the lord-president of Fukashi Castle, Ogasawara Nagatoki, combining their forces into an army of 10,000 soldiers, came to attack. Harunobu, leaving Commander of Mounted Soldiers Hara, Governor of Kaga, to stay to defend, himself struck out to Nirasaki with 6,000 men to fend off the attackers. He assembled farmers and tradesmen of Kaga and Fuch, 5,000 in all, and made each one carry a paper banner and march forward with drums and battle cries. The enemy withdrew and ran.

SHINGEN EXPANDS HIS TERRITORY

Harunobu became arrogant and arbitrary, indulged in banquets and other pleasures, and delighted in composing verses in Chinese, while neglecting government. There were none among his retainers who dared warn him. Itagaki Nobukata feigned illness and, secretly inviting to his home a monk who was good at composing verses in Chinese, studied verse composition for a couple of months. He then came out of his house and sat in on a banquet where he offered to compose verses. Harunobu would not believe it. Nobukata insisted and was granted his request. On the spot he composed verses on the five topics given. Harunobu was immensely pleased and asked, “How did you manage to be like this?”

Nobukata seized the chance to warn: “Sir, your father was so unreasonable that you finally drove him away. Now you are acting just the way he did. How do you know that someone might not do to you what you did to him?”

Harunobu was struck by the truth of this and started again to concentrate on government.

In the third month of the eleventh year [1542] Yoshikiyo, Nagatoki, and Yorishige, along with Kiso Yoshitaka, came to attack with soldiers assembled in Shinano. Harunobu’s commanders became afraid. Harunobu said, “There are four of them working together, but they may not necesssarily agree among themselves. We should engage them in battle and defeat them.”

For deception Harunobu widened his moat and heightened his earth wall. The four men regarded this as an expression of timidity⁵ and unhesitatingly advanced into Harunobu’s territory. Harunobu marched out during the night and, taking advantage of misty rain, pressed forward and struck, handing the enemy a resounding defeat. The four men regrouped and came to Hirasawa. Harunobu struck and defeated them again. From then on they came to attack every year, but Harunobu won each time.

Harunobu recruited Yamamoto Kansuke. A man from Mikawa, Kansuke was a wall-eyed cripple. He had once studied military strategy with Ogata so-and-so and having that knowledge sought employment with Imagawa Yoshimoto. Yoshimoto’s old retainers all treated Kansuke with contempt and Yoshimoto himself saw nothing special in him. Kansuke remained on the parasitic fringe for several years. When Itagaki Nobukata heard of his reputation, he recommended him to Harunobu. Harunobu summoned and saw him, talked with him, and was immensely pleased. On the spot he gave him holdings worth 200 kan⁶ and gave him the name Haruyuki.

In the eleventh month Harunobu took nine castles in Shinano, using Haruyuki’s stratagems. In the thirteenth year [1544] he trapped and killed Suwa Yorishige using Nobukata’s stratagems and took Yorishige’s daughter as a concubine. The next year she gave birth to Katsuyori; he was called Shir. Harunobu already had his first son, Yoshinobu. So he made him his heir and made Katsuyori inherit Yorishige’s house. In the fifth month of the fourteenth year [1545] he fought and defeated Ogasawara Nagatoki and Ina.

In the third month of the fifteenth year [1546] he attacked Toishi Castle. Murakami Yoshikiyo, commanding 6,000 soldiers, came to the rescue. Harunobu’s spearheads, such as Amari Bizen and Yokota Bitch, were all killed, and his force was about to be crushed. Haruyuki spoke up, “Sir, don’t try to stop the enemy’s spearhead head-on. Make it veer to the right and we’ll win.” Harunobu said, “Even my soldiers don’t always obey my command. How could I possibly move the enemy as I wish?”

Haruyuki requested to borrow soldiers from those in the rear and struck out to the left. Yoshikiyo’s army veered to the right. Harunobu’s army recovered its spirit, pressed forward, and defeated the enemy. Because of this achievement Haruyuki’s holdings were increased to 800 kan. Haruyuki went to Suruga for a visit. All those who used to deride him now extolled him. Yoshimoto regretted this.

Hearing that the Kai soldiers were exhausted at Toishi, Uesugi’s commanders came over Usui Pass with 20,000 soldiers. Harunobu sent Nobukata for defense. He then took on the task himself. In the ninth month he attacked and defeated the Uesugi army. Sanada Yukitaka and his son Masayuki all did good work. Also, using Yukitaka’s stratagems, Harunobu trapped and killed 500 crack troops under Murakami Yoshikiyo.

In the eighth month of the sixteenth year [1547], Harunobu took Shiga Castle. Yoshikiyo sent his army to Uedahara. Itagaki Nobukata, commanding the van, was not prepared; he had just won a battle. Yoshikiyo took advantage of his neglect, attacked him with his entire force, and killed him. Harunobu went out with reinforcements. Yoshikiyo, leading commandos, dashed into his camp, and even engaged in a sword fight with him; but he fell from his horse and in the end suffered a terrible defeat.

In the eighth month of the eighteenth year [1549], Harunobu invaded Kzuke. Also he fought with Ogasawara Nagatoki in Suwa Field and made him run. In the third month of the nineteenth year he invaded Kzuke again. Nagatoki withdrew when he heard that Harunobu had come out again.

At this time Imagawa Yoshimoto established a marital connection with Hj Ujiyasu, the lord-governor of Sagami.⁷ He then came on behalf of Ujiyasu and made a request: “Sir, Ujiyasu is about to fight Uesugi and take Kzuke. It is his wish that you refrain from making a move ahead of him.” Harunobu agreed and allied himself with Ujiyasu and Yoshimoto.

In the same year Harunobu had his head shaven and called himself Shingen. Shingen held up a mirror and, looking at himself in it, said, “My face resembles Acala’s.”⁸ At once he summoned a painter and had his portrait made and, after having a sword and a rope added to it, declared, “Even if our four neighbors launch an assault into our land after my death, they won’t dare do anything outrageous if they see this image of mine.”

Shingen continued to attack Murakami Yoshikiyo. He also attacked Takashina, Suda, and Shimazu. In the twenty-second year [1553] he invaded the four counties surrounding Kawanakajima. Yoshikiyo and others were unable to hold him back. They consulted one another and decided that Uesugi Kenshin was the only one who could oppose Shingen. Accordingly, they all went to join him.

KENSHIN’S CONFLICT WITH HIS BROTHER

[Nagao] Tamekage had four sons. The first was called Harukage; the next, Kageyasu; the next, Kagefusa; and the last one, Kagetora. Kagetora was called Torachiyo⁹ in his childhood; he was born of Tamekage’s second wife. When mentioned first in history, he is eight years old, sharp and imperturbable. Tamekage did not love him. He drove him to Tochio, wanting to make a monk of him. Kagetora did not take to learning matters related to monkhood. When Tamekage died, many of his commanders gave their allegiance to Kagetora.

However, there was a Minister Teruta Hitachi, who had been favored by Tamekage. Taking advantage of Harukage’s mediocrity, he conspired with his two sons, Kuroda Hidetada and Kanatsu so-and-so, as well as Nagao Toshikage, the lord-president of Sanj Castle, to put Harukage forward as heir and kill Kageyasu and the rest. Kagefusa ran out. They chased and killed him inside the outer gate. Kagetora, then thirteen years old, also ran. A gate keeper hid him under a bamboo floor. When night came and he opened the floor, he found Kagetora fast asleep. He woke him and secretly let him out. Kagetora went to Kasugasan Temple. The monk of the temple, holding his hand, escaped to Tochio, where he hid him in the house of his wet-nurse’s husband, Honj Yoshihide. Yoshihide, along with Usami Sadayuki, protected him with greatest care. Sadayuki was a hereditary commander of the Uesugi clan. He loved to read books and was versed in astronomy and military strategy. Once he decided to help Kagetora, he established a deep relationship with him.

When Kagetora heard that the rebel would not leave him alone but would keep hunting him down, he left the place to avoid him. Like his fourteen followers, he dressed like an itinerant monk, wearing leggings and straw sandals as he departed. Climbing Mt. Yone, he looked over the city below and said, “One of these days when I raise an army to recover my land, I will make sure to set up camp here.” Finally he reached Sendanno.¹⁰ He wept, offered prayers, and said, “I, your son, will make sure to annihilate your enemy and soothe your angry soul.” In the end he made a round of the provinces of the Hokuriku and Tsan, closely observing and mapping the shapes and locations of mountains, rivers, castles, and lakes before returning.

Someone informed the rebel of Kagetora’s whereabouts. The rebel sent a troop to capture him. Kagetora, working with Yoshihide and Sadayuki, raised an army. He took Tochio Castle, made it his headquarters, and waited to receive his orders from Uesugi Sadazane.¹¹

In the spring of the thirteenth year [1544] Toshikage and Hidetada came to attack, commanding soldiers. Kagetora not only defended himself but trounced them: He killed Toshikage and made Hidetada run. In the fourteenth year he sent Jin’yo Masatsuna to Kyoto to request an imperial command to destroy the rebel. In the fifteenth year the rebel frequently came to attack. Kagetora won each time he fought.

In the sixteenth year [1547] Harukage sent a clansman, Masakage, to attack with a great force. Sadayuki wanted to go out and fight. Kagetora climbed up the castle, surveyed the enemy, and said, “The enemy has come from a distance but has no logistical support. He won’t stay here for long. If we wait until he begins to withdraw, and attack, we can win.”

Past midnight Masakage began to withdraw as expected. Kagetora, with 3,000 horsemen, opened the gate and galloped out, fought the enemy at Shimohama and made him run. When the enemy reached Mt. Yone, Kagetora restrained and halted his soldiers; when the enemy was about to go over the pass, Kagetora urged his men to resume pursuit, and again defeated the enemy.

Sadayuki turned to his commanders and asked, “Gentlemen, do you know why our lord restrained and halted his soldiers when he did?”

“No, we don’t know, sir.”

Sadayuki said, “If you press against your enemy when he’s climbing a steep place, he’ll turn back and attack. If you allow him to go over a pass and then attack from a higher position, he won’t be able to hold himself up. Our lord is young, but as we’ve seen, he can assess an opportunity and change himself at will. He’s far ahead of whatever I might be able to plot.”

Masakage surrendered, and Harukage, cornered, committed suicide.

In the eighteenth year [1549] the people of his land begged Kagetora to return. Teruta and others, entrenched in Sanj, still would not surrender. In the nineteenth year Kagetora attacked Sanj, brought the castle down, and killed Teruta. The rebels, with the remaining soldiers, held out at two castles in Niiyama and Kurotaki. Kagetora wanted to mount a final assault, but Uesugi Sadazane happened to die, and he could not. In the twentieth year he sent one of his commanders, Takanashi Sadayori, who attacked and brought down Niiyama Castle, and killed Kuroda Hidetada. Usami Sadayuki brought down Kurotaki Castle and killed Kanatsu. Echigo was completely pacified.

In the twenty-first year [1552] the commanders and soldiers together expressed their wish to have Kagetora as their master. Kagetora said:

“I was pressed by people both high and low into fighting my brother with an army. I had not expected him to take his own life. In the circumstances, if I were to become lord-governor of Echigo, the whole world is bound to say that I’ve robbed this land. Now this place is more or less pacified. You may choose a different master. I will leave, become a monk, and make clear what my true intentions were.”

He shaved his head and called himself Kenshin. When he was ready to leave for Mt. Kya, all the commanders signed a petition begging him to stay and govern the land. Kenshin said:

“You install a master because you intend to follow his orders. If you don’t intend to follow orders, you needn’t have a master. If you agree not to go against the orders I issue from now on, I will agree to stay.”

On the spot he made a pledge to his commanders. The next day he issued an order, rounded up the sixteen ministers known for manipulating his orders, and put them to death at Rinsen Temple. His commanders were left in trepidation.¹²

In the fifth month Kenshin was appointed Junior Assistant President of the Board of Censors and promoted to Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade. He said, “It is not right for an imperial subject to receive government positions and rank without making proper acknowledgments.” In the second month of the twenty-second year [1553] he obtained permissions to pass through the provinces on the way and, leading 2,000 soldiers, entered Kyoto through the Hokuriku Route. He first went to the Imperial Palace to pay his respects, then had an audience with Shogun Yoshiteru.¹³ He returned in the fifth month.

KENSHIN BATTLES WITH SHINGEN AT KAWANAKAJIMA

Murakami Yoshikiyo, Takanashi Masayori, Suda Chikamitsu, Shimazu Norihisa, and others came from Shina to surrender, begged an audience with Kenshin, and said, “Sir, we’ve been the targets of Takeda Shingen’s invasion, and we can’t find a place to settle down. We have heard Your Lordship’s great reputation. We would be most grateful if you could give us a hand and rescue us.”

Kenshin said, “Gentlemen, you are by no means the sort of people to stand below someone else. You have nonetheless come to entrust yourselves to me. I must say you know me. Still, I have now put an end to the civil strife in my land. Of course, I have Kaga and Etch as my father’s enemies. I always want to destroy those provinces, with the final aim of raising my banners in Kyoto. This simple wish is all I have. But I won’t be a true man if I meet someone who knows me and do not do what I can for him.”

He then asked Yoshikiyo, “Tell me, sir, how does Shingen use his soldiers?”

“The way he moves his army, sir,” Yoshikiyo said, “he indulges neither in keeping it on the march for long nor allowing it to stay in one place for long. Every battle of his is aimed at a final victory.”

“He aims for a final victory,” Kenshin said, “because his true desire is to cultivate the land. I am not the same. I meet an enemy and I fight him. In essence, I try not to get my spear blunted.”

He issued an order throughout his land to gather soldiers in Odahama on the twelfth day of the tenth month. Commanding 8,000 mounted soldiers, he entered Shinano and set fire to some of the castles belonging to the Takeda clan. Advancing farther, on the first of the eleventh month he bivouacked at Kawanakajima.

Hearing this, Shingen requested reinforcements from Imagawa and, commanding 20,000 foot soldiers, went to Amenomiya Ferry. He then dispatched Yamamoto Haruyuki and three other men to spy on the enemy. They came back and reported, “The Echigo army is quite alert, sir. You should have cordons of soldiers and make the enemy buckle under without fighting.”

Shingen followed the advice. The two armies encamped with water between them. Kenshin challenged Shingen to fight. Shingen would not come out. They faced each other for twenty-seven days. Kenshin sent a messenger and had him say:

“I have heard, sir, that the way you use your army, you never allow it to stay in one camp for long. If that is the case, why do you try not to settle the outcome with me? I have no resentment or vengeful thoughts against you. I am doing this only for Yoshikiyo and others.

“Dare I ask, Why did you rob them of their lands? If you do not want to fight with me, return their lands to them. If you do not want to return their lands to them, fight with me.”

Shingen responded by saying, “It is admirably righteous of you to protect Yoshikiyo. Nevertheless, as long as I remain alive, you, sir, will not have your way. If you want to fight, you start it.”

Kenshin said, “Agreed.”

At once he held a council and promised to begin battle the next morning. That night he issued a command, made a circular formation with seven units combined, and at early dawn advanced across the bridge. Shingen, putting together fourteen units, tried to fight them off. From six in the morning to two in the afternoon they contested the bridge, giving chase and being chased, the outcome of the battle unresolved. Kenshin divided his army, had a group cross the river upstream and come out behind the Kai army. The Kai army saw this and retreated. Yokota Gensuke and Itagaki Sabur, as well as seven commanders from Suruga, were killed. Similarly, many of the Echigo soldiers were killed or wounded. Kenshin assembled his soldiers and went back.

THE FOURTH BATTLE AT KAWANAKAJIMA¹⁴ ACCORDING TO THE KY GUNKAN

On the sixteenth day of the eighth month of the fourth year of Eiroku [1561], an express messenger from Kawanakajima, Shinano, arrived and reported: Terutora has come out and is encamped on Mt. Saij, facing Kaizu Castle, and he is saying that he will make sure to bring the castle down. His army consists of about 13,000 men.

Lord Shingen left Kfu on the eighteenth day of the same month and on the twenty-fourth arrived in Kawanakajima. He made camp this side of Kenshin’s on Mt. Saij, occupying the Amenomiya Ferry. Kenshin’s men expressed worry, saying that their retreat route to Echigo was cut off and that they were as if “bagged.” But Terutora showed no concern whatsoever.

Lord Shingen stayed where he was for five days and on the sixth day, the twenty-ninth, crossed Hirose Ferry and entered Kaizu Castle. But Kenshin ignored his administrator’s opinion and remained on Mt. Saij as he had done for some time. Obu Hybu urged Lord Shingen to engage in a decisive battle. When Lord Shingen summoned Minor Controller of the Popular Affairs Ministry Baba and asked his counsel, Baba, too, advised a big battle.

Lord Shingen said, “Among my able commanders, Governor of Yamagi Obata died of illness this past June, while Governor of Mino Hara sustained thirteen wounds at Warikadake Castle this summer and hasn’t recovered from them, so I couldn’t bring him, either.” He then summoned Yamamoto Kansuke and ordered him to consult Baba to work out the preparations for the battle the next day.

Kansuke said, “Of your 20,000 men, sir, 12,000 should be sent to Kenshin’s camp on Mt. Saij to begin battle around six tomorrow morning. The Echigo forces, whether they win or lose, are bound to cross the river and withdraw. When they do, the group led by your aides-de-camp and the men of their two reserves will attack them from rear and front to finish them off.”

Accordingly, it was decided that ten commanders–Censor Ksaka; Junior Secretary of the War Ministry Obu; Baba; Governor of Bitch Oyamada; Lieutenant of the Outer Palace Guards, Left Division, Amari; Sanada Ittokusai; Aiki; Governor of Shimozuke Ashida; Oyamada Yasabur; and Governor of Owari Obata–would go over to Mt. Saij to begin battle at six in the morning.

It was also decided that twelve commanders–the aides-de-camp group led by Obu Sabur, of the Middle Palace Guards, who was to be in the middle, the Tenky¹⁵ and Anayama to the left, and Secretary of Palace Repairs Nait and Governor of Bungo Morozumi to the right, with Hara, of the Hayato Office, and Shyken to the left and Tar Yoshinobu,¹⁶ then twenty-four years old, and Mochizuki to the right, flanking them, and Assistant Director of the Palace Kitchen Bureau Atobe, Imafuku Zenkur, and Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Ceremonial Asari bringing up the rear–all told, a force of 8,000 – would set out around four in the morning, cross the Hirose Ferry, and deploy themselves so that they might begin fighting the enemy as he withdrew.

When Kenshin, on Mt. Saij, detected signs of food preparations made by the spearheading aides-de-camp, he assembled all of his commanders and said:

“Fifteen years ago, in the year of the Sheep, when Shingen was twenty-seven, and I, Kenshin, eighteen, we began to fight. Since then we have engaged in battle a number of times. But each time Shingen was careful not to make errors in his deployment and in the end gave the impression that he dominated the battlefield, with me as loser.¹⁷

“Now I see that he is preparing for battle tomorrow. And what I see as clearly as if reflected in a mirror is this: his strategy is to divide his men into two groups, one of them to come over to this camp to begin battle, with the other to finish off my aides-de-camp as they cross the river to withdraw.

“Let me outwit him in this instance. We will soon cross the river and spend the night there. As the sun rises we will attack Shingen’s forces to start a battle and throw them off before his spearheads hurry to get to us. We’ll see to it that Shingen’s aides-de-camp and mine will have a fight. Shingen himself and I myself will grapple with each other so that we may stab each other to death or, if that isn’t possible, strike a truce. Either way tomorrow’s will be a once-in-a-lifetime battle!”

Terutora equipped himself with armor and around ten on the night of the ninth day of the ninth month decamped from Mt. Saij, crossed the Amenomiya Ferry, and moved to the other side. As he did so, not a single sound was heard even though there were as many as 13,000 men. This was because on a battlefield, by combat regulations, each Echigo man was made to prepare three-men’s worth of food at each breakfast time, so did not need to prepare food for the evening; as a result, there was no sign of fires being made.¹⁸

On the tenth day of the ninth month, at daybreak, Lord Shingen crossed the Hirose Ferry, deployed his 8,000 men, and was waiting for the first report of his spearheads, when, as the sun rose and the mist completely dissipated, he saw Terutora’s 13,000 men positioned right before him and very close indeed. Kenshin was his powerful enemy and, even with an equal number of troops, it would have been a dangerous battle for him. But he had only 8,000, Kenshin 13,000. Even if we win, the Takeda men thought–and with reason–a great many of us will be killed.

Lord Shingen summoned a Shinano warrior by the name of Urano, a man accomplished in bow and arrow, and sent him out as a scout. Urano returned from the scouting, sat respectfully in front of him, and said, “Sir, Terutora has already left.”

Lord Shingen, being a discerning general, said, “Do you suppose someone like Kenshin crosses a river during the night and then, as the day breaks, leaves without doing anything? Tell me, how did he leave?”

Urano said, “Sir, he would circle along our formation and come up to our front. As he repeated this move a number of times, he gradually went off toward the Sai River.”

On hearing this, Lord Shingen said, “I can’t believe you say such a thing, Urano. That’s a formation called ‘wheeling,’¹⁹ and it’s employed when you want your aides-de-camp to clash with your enemy aides-de-camp. This means Kenshin wants to make this his final battle with me.”

Lord Shingen at once began redeploying his men.

Kenshin placed a powerful commander by the name of Amakazu, Governor of mi, along with a unit of 1,000 foot soldiers, far behind the front, and appointed a commander by the name of Naoe, with 2,000 soldiers, magistrate of provisions, Kenshin himself leading a force of 10,000. Then, with a commander by the name of Kakizaki as spearhead, Kenshin heading the second group, they charged headlong, banners tilting, starting the battle in a single sweep.

Almost at once, one unit of Kenshin’s aides-de-camp turned around to the right of Shingen’s camp, drove off Lord Yoshinobu’s fifty mounted aides-de-camp, along with about 400 troops, and cut into Lord Shingen’s aides-de-camp. 3,600 or 3,700 soldiers, friends and foes combined, were thrown into a melee, stabbing and getting stabbed, slashing and getting slashed, some grabbing each other’s armored shoulders, grappling and falling down; one would take his enemy’s head and rise to his feet, when someone, shouting, “That’s my master’s head,” would skewer him with his spear, and a third, seeing that, would cut that man down. The Kai forces were so taken up by what was happening right in front of them they didn’t even know where Lord Shingen was. The same was true of the Echigo forces.

At that moment a warrior wearing a pale-green sleeveless jacket, his head wrapped in a white kerchief, riding a light cream-colored horse, a three-foot drawn sword in hand, galloped straight up to Lord Shingen, who was sitting in his chair, struck at him three times, barely missing him each time. Lord Shingen stopped the blows with his battle-fan. When later examined, the fan had eight sword cuts. His chief attendant and the head of his twenty-man bodyguard, twenty men in all, each a brave warrior, ferociously fought back, even while surrounding him lest friends or foes spot him, cutting down anyone who came close. sumi Governor Hara, the chief attendant, took up Lord Shingen’s spear, which had blue shells inlaid in its handle, and stabbed at the warrior in the pale-green sleeveless damask jacket on the light cream-colored horse. He missed. He stabbed at the top of the warrior’s armor but hit the forward part of his horse’s rump. The horse reared straight up, then bolted. When later inquired about, the warrior turned out to be no other than Terutora.

Among Lord Shingen’s aides-de-camp, Obu Sabur, of the Middle Palace Guards, along with his men, repelled Echigo’s first spearhead, Kakizaki and his men, and pursued them for about 300 yards. Anayama and his men, too, pursued Kenshin’s retainer, Shibata, for about 400 yards. All that while Lord Shingen had only his chief attendant, twenty-man bodyguard, and seventeen or eighteen pages, Tsuchiya Heihachi and Naoda Kihei among them, but would not withdraw a single step, standing at the spot where he rose from his chair.

But all of the nine other units on the Kai force, Lord Tar Yoshinobu’s included, were defeated, and they retreated toward the Hirose Ferry on the Chikuma River. Among them, the Tenky and Governor of Bungo Morozumi were killed; among the aides-decamp and commanders of foot soldiers, Yamamoto Kansuke, the Lay Monk Dki and Hajika Gengor were killed. Lord Shingen received two light wounds on his arm, and Lord Tar Yoshinobu received two wounds.

Most of the people had decided that in this battle Lord Shingen had lost, when the ten spearheading commanders who had gone to Mt. Saij and realized that they’d been duped by Kenshin, and who, hearing the gunshots and battle cries, had vied with one another in crossing the Chikuma River, began attacking the Echigo forces from their rear and charged and charged as the latter retreated.

Kenshin, indomitable though he was, was accompanied only by a warrior by the name of Wada Kih. He had to let go his honored horse, Hj Tsukige, and, riding his administrator’s reserve horse, retreated to Mt. Takanashi.

Lord Shingen’s warrior by the name of Yamadera took back the Tenky’s head from the man who had taken it, and, in so doing, killed him, bringing back his head along with the Tenky’s. As for Morozumi, a warrior under his command, Ishigur Gor, of the Middle Palace Guards, and a masterless warrior from Mikawa by the name of Naruse, took his head back and came back with the heads of some Echigo men.

In this battle, the round that started at around six in the morning ended mostly as a victory for Terutora, of Echigo, and the round that started at around ten ended as a victory for Lord Shingen, of Kai. The number of Echigo men killed, including ordinary soldiers, reached 3,117. With the lists of their heads Lord Shingen raised a victory cry around four in the afternoon. On that occasion Minor Controller of the Popular Affairs Ministry Baba held his lordship’s sword, and Moroga, a warrior in the vanguard of Shinano, held his bow and arrow.

EVENTS FOLLOWING THE KAWANAKAJIMA CONFRONTATIONS

In the eighth month of the seventh year of Eiroku [1564], Kenshin himself inspected the border with Shinano Province. Shingen also took up a position facing him. The commanders of both houses tried to persuade their masters, saying, “Sir, simply because of four counties, you have had military confrontations with your powerful enemy for twelve years now and lost a great many of your officers and soldiers as a result. This has only benefited the provinces surrounding us. Please do not do it again.”

Kenshin and Shingen agreed, and each promised to select a wrestler, have the two fight, and allow the winner’s side to take Kawanakajima. Uesugi’s wrestler won. Thereupon Shingen took only Kaizu Castle, and everything else belonged to Kenshin. Kenshin restored Murakami Yoshikiyo and Takanashi Masayori and had them regain their villages….

Earlier, Imagawa Yoshimoto had fought [Oda] Nobunaga, and had been defeated and killed.²⁰ His son Ujizane was dumb and feeble and left the administration to his favorite subject, Miura Yoshishige. The people of his land would not obey him. Our lord Tokugawa [Ieyasu]²¹ once belonged to Imagawa. He now belonged to Oda. His army grew every day. At the time [Shingen’s father] Nobutora was still alive, living a wanderer’s life in Shinano. He sent a man to Shingen to say, “Suruga is in chaos. Tokugawa is about to possess it. You should go ahead and take it.” Shingen did not reply.

Shingen’s province did not have any coastline. He obtained salt from the Tkai. Ujizane conspired with Hj Ujiyasu and secretly closed the supply routes for salt. Kai suffered greatly. When Kenshin heard this he sent a letter to Shingen and said, “I hear, sir, that Ujiyasu and Ujizane torment you by means of salt. This is cowardly and unjust. I fight you, but I fight with bow and arrow, not with rice and salt. I beg you, sir, that henceforth you obtain salt from my land. The quantity may be large or small, depending on your need.”

He then ordered merchants to supply Shingen with salt at an equitable price….

In the first year of Genki [1570] a clan under Sano Masatsuna took over Iimori Castle to fight Masatsuna. Hj Ujimasa²² aided the attack with 40,000 soldiers. Masatsuna informed Kenshin of the emergency. In the first month Kenshin left and marched day and night. When he heard that Ujimasa planned to divide his troops, one group to fend him off, the other to launch a sudden assault on the castle to bring it down, he said to his commanders, “Even if I fight and defeat Ujimasa, it will be of no use if I fail to rescue the castle from falling into the enemy’s hand. I will go into the castle by myself and defend it firmly. Put forward Yoshiharu as your commander and advance.”

Kenshin then led eighty riders and passed right in front of Ujimasa’s army and entered the castle. He was wearing a black cotton robe, but no armor. He held a cross-billed spear as he rode past. The enemy soldiers pointed at him and said, “That’s Kenshin.” In great consternation they did not dare block him or attack him. His commanders then arrived. Ujimasa’s army was crushed and fled. Kenshin scotched Iimori Castle, made a round of Shimotsuke and Kzuke, and entered Umayabashi….

In the second month of the second year [1571], Shingen led his soldiers to the east²³ and, arriving in Ttmi, attacked Takatenjin Castle. In the fourth month he entered Mikawa and brought down eight castles. Tokugawa [Ieyasu] came out to the rescue. But seeing the stern, inviolable lineup of Kai’s army, he did not dare go into battle. Nobunaga, hearing that Yoshiaki²⁴ was inviting Kenshin and Shingen to join him, became mortally afraid. He intensified his flattery of Shingen, sending him a letter of apology in which he said, “Ieyasu has come very close to your land. It must have been some error on his part. I will point it out to him. I would be grateful if you would not reprimand him.” Shingen replied and said, “Sir, I do not know what you are talking about.”

Tokugawa sent two messengers to establish a favorable link with Kenshin, proposing, with a firm pledge of alliance, to attack Shingen from two sides. Murakami Yoshikiyo’s son, Kunikiyo, who was in Echigo, strongly supported this move. In the fourth month of the third year [1572], Kenshin, commanding 10,000 soldiers, came out to Shinano and set fire in Naganuma, thereby showing his support from a distance. When Katsuyori, who was in Ina, received the news of this danger, he took 800 soldiers to defend the place. Kenshin said, “He wants to fend me off with such a small number of soldiers. He certainly is worthy of being Shingen’s son. I will add to his reputation as a man of bravery.” He pulled back his soldiers, then entered Etch and subjugated the Shiina and Jinb clans.

In the tenth month Shingen, taking advantage of Kenshin’s immobility because of snow,²⁵ again went to Ttmi and brought down Futamata Castle. Nobunaga secretly sent soldiers to help Tokugawa. In the twelfth month Shingen advanced and took up a position in Mikata Field, thereby threatening Hamamatsu Castle. As a challenge he set fire to the town surrounding the castle. The soldiers in the castle would not come out. Shingen feigned withdrawing. The solders in the castle rushed out. Noto Governor Uehara said to Oyamada Masayuki, “Tokugawa’s formation is simple. I see Oda’s banners moving. We should defeat them.”

Masayuki forwarded the message to Shingen. Shingen moved his troops back. Masayuki, along with Katsuyori, Yamagata Masakage, and Baba Nobumasa, was the spearhead. First, Masayuki and Masakage made a joint retreat. Katsuyori and Nobufusa followed this with a thrust into the enemy core. Meanwhile Shingen dispatched Tango Governor Yonekura to launch an attack from the flank, and resoundingly defeated Tokugawa.

Some commanders begged Shingen to attack Hamamatsu. Ksaka Masanobu said, “No, that won’t do. If we attack but can’t bring it down in twenty days, Nobunaga is bound to come to help with a great force. If we then end up facing him for several months and if Kenshin comes out to Shinano, we’ll be forced to go back to the rescue. If that happens, Nobunaga will say, ‘I even repelled Shingen.’ That will harm our lord’s great reputation.”

Shingen retreated to encamp in Osakabe. During this battle he captured Oda’s commander, Hirade Hirohide, and sent his head to Nobunaga with a letter of censure announcing he was severing their relationship. Even then Nobunaga did not stop making various excuses.

In the first month of the first year of Tensh [1573], Shingen brought down Noda Castle. He became ill and went back. Nobunaga begged Shogun Yoshiaki to persuade Shingen to stop moving his army. Shingen declined, listing Nobunaga’s five crimes. In the second month he had Akiyama Haruchika lure Iwamura Castle into surrender. The wife of the commanding officer of the castle was Nobunaga’s aunt. Haruchika took her away and made her his wife. Many soldiers from Kyoto and its vicinity came to say congratulations.

Shingen recovered from his illness and set off again. He said, “With this expedition I am determined to enter Kyoto.” Accompanied by 30,000 soldiers he came to Mino. Nobunaga went out with 10,000 soldiers to defend himself. Yamagata Masakage, with 800 riders, ran up against him. Nobunaga fled without fighting and redoubled his efforts to beg for a truce. Shingen would not listen. He turned and entered Mikawa and encamped in Hiraya.

SHINGEN’S DEATH

In the fourth month Shingen’s illness recurred. He determined that he would not recover, summoned his commanders, and gave them instructions on things to be done after his death. He ordered Katsuyori to serve as his deputy until Nobukatsu grew up.²⁶ He warned him, saying, “You must restrain yourself lest you indulge in moving your soldiers and destroy our country. If I die, there will be only one man under Heaven: Kenshin. You must request his support and entrust this country to him. Once he agrees to be entrusted, he will never join with his neighbors to invade you.” These words finished, Shingen became unconscious. After a while he awoke briefly, called Yamagata Masakage, and said, “Tomorrow, raise your flag at Seta.”²⁷ He then died. He was fifty-three years old.

His commanders hid his death in accordance with his orders. Because his brother Nobutsuna looked like him, they put Nobutsuna in a palanquin and went back. The word was, “Because of illness Shingen has returned to his country.”²⁸ On the night of his death he had met all the messengers from various lands. Also, he had signed in advance several hundred blank sheets of paper to be used to respond to written inquiries. As a result of all this no one invaded the land.

Shingen constantly read a range of books. He took Sun Tzu’s words and had them written on his flag: “Immovable as a mountain, destructive as fire, quiet as a forest, swift as a wind.”²⁹ Baba Nobufusa once asked, “Sir, the wind may be swift, but doesn’t it cease as soon as it rises?” Shingen said, “In moving an army I’d like to be as swift as I can. Should I have to cease, my second in command would continue.” Nobufusa said, “You would then be counting on the second round for victory.” In that way the master and his subjects investigated military matters. Everything was done in that fashion.

In the end all of his neighbors heard about Shingen’s death. Hj Ujimasa rushed a messenger to tell Kenshin of the news. Kenshin happened to be having his meal. He put down his chopsticks and lamented, “I have lost my good rival. We won’t have a hero like that again!” For a long time after he privately wept for him.

Kai’s four long-standing commanders, Baba Nobufusa, Yamagata Masakage, Nait Masatoyo, and Ksaka Masanobu, took turns trying to persuade Katsuyori to request a truce with Kenshin. Katsuyori would not listen. He was by nature self-confident and used his own counsel. He increasingly favored Nagasaka Chkan and Atobe Katsusuke, who were close to him even while Shingen was alive. He wanted to send out soldiers to Mino. The four commanders each said this would not do. Chkan and Katsusuke recommended the move and let him send out soldiers. It happened that Mikawa’s army surrounded Nagashino, and the move was stopped at once.

In the fifth month Katsuyori dispatched Nobufusa to rescue Nagashino. The Mikawa army placed some soldiers in ambush, burned firewood, and, pretending that it had set fire to its own camp and escaped, offered itself as bait. The Kai men wanted to give chase. Nobufusa said, “The smoke is white. They didn’t burn down their camp.” He sent out some riders to check it out. As expected, they found soldiers waiting to waylay them. At once they retreated and encamped in Kurose. They brought down a castle and went back. In the meantime Masakage headed to Hamamatsu but did not gain any advantage and went back.

In the second month of the second year [1574], Katsuyori went out to Mino and brought down various forts. In the fifth month he attacked and brought down Takatenjin. Back home he gave a banquet for his men. Masanobu and Masatoyo said to each other, “This banquet portends the fall of the Takeda clan.” Masanobu tried to persuade Katsuyori, saying, “Sir, you are becoming used to victories and aren’t trying to restrain yourself. To stir up resentments in your neighbors isn’t good for long-term planning. You should give back the lands to the two houses and work out a truce so that you may eventually take over the Eastern region and assemble a sufficient force.”

The two favorites blocked the move. As they recommended, Katsuyori went out to Ttmi. He crossed the Tenry River but did not encounter any enemy and turned back. On his way back, in Ina, he found Nobutora. The man was already eighty. Katsuyori wanted to carry him home. But seeing that Nobutora was as violent as ever, he gave up the notion.

Observing that Shingen’s neighbors and the Kai soldiers no longer frequently contended with one another, Nobunaga sensed that Shingen must have died, and for a while tried to confirm it.

After Shingen’s death Nobunaga concentrated his attention on Kenshin. He deprecated himself and exalted Kenshin, trying to be as subservient as he had been to Shingen. He made his sister marry Jinb Nagasumi. Nagasumi was Uesugi Yoshiharu’s older brother and was on Kenshin’s side. So Nobunaga openly linked himself with Kenshin, while secretly working out schemes against him. With similarly secret planning he invited some of the commanders under the Uesugi clan to pledge allegiance to him. Kenshin wrote to censure his treacherous act. Nobunaga wrote back to make excuses. Kenshin would not listen.

Hatakeyama Yoshitaka’s commanders, Yusa Danj and others, poisoned Yoshitaka and surrendered to Nobunaga with Nanao Castle as a trophy. In the seventh month Kenshin, commanding 30,000 soldiers, went to subjugate the west. He attacked Nagasumi at Kibune Castle and brought him down, entered Kaga and conquered Kanazawa; he then moved his soldiers to attack Nanao, and, with Yoshiharu as commander, took Noto with effort. Yusa and others begged Nobunaga for help. Nobunaga, attacking Nagashima at the time, was unable to come. In the ninth month the castle fell, and Kenshin killed Yusa and others. He then had his soldiers rest; the second day was the night of a thirteenth-day moon, which was bright and clear. He distributed sake to his army and assembled his commanders. As the drinking reached its peak, Kenshin made a poem:

Frost fills the camp, the autumn air fresh.

Several lines of geese pass, the moon at midnight.

Echigo mountains, now Noto scenery taken.

No matter: People back home think of this expedition.

He selected officers and soldiers who were good at singing verse and had them sing this.

When he finished the administrative matters of the country, he went back. Nobunaga came to the rescue with a great army, but when he learned that the castle had already fallen, he left. Still, he sent a messenger to Kenshin to convey his apologies.

BATTLE OF NAGASHINO

This year Nobunaga invited Mikawa’s commander, Okudaira No-bumasa, to surrender and had him defend Nagashino against Kai. In the fourth month of the third year [1575], Mikawa’s accounting officer, ga so-and-so, secretly sent a letter to Kai, pledging to revolt if Kai attacked. Katsuyori took up a position at Nire Castle. When he heard that ga’s scheme had been exposed and ga killed, he went back.

In the fifth month Katsuyori left Masanobu with 10,000 soldiers to defend against Echigo; he himself led 15,000 and surrounded Nagashino, encamping in Dko Temple. He had his uncle, Nobuzane, defend the fort at Tobinosu. Tokugawa requested Nobunaga for reinforcements. Nobunaga would not come out. Messengers were sent three times, but he would not agree. A messenger said, “If you don’t help us, we will give Ttmi to Takeda, become his vanguard, and take Owari. Also, Shingen is dead. Sir, why are you so afraid?”

Thereupon Nobunaga came to help, with himself as commander. His soldiers numbered about 70,000. Even then, worried about clashes with Kai’s mounted soldiers, he built three layers of fences and lined up 10,000 guns for defense.³⁰

Katsuyori wanted to fight. Nobufusa, Masakage, and Masatoyo all counseled against it, saying, “The enemy forces are new, and their spirits are high. It is best to avoid them for a while. Or else, attack the castle at once. We may suffer casualties but we should bring it down before going back.”

The two favorites said, “Today is the day for a battle to conquer the two enemies. Don’t listen to those old and cowardly people.”

Nobufusa said, “In today’s battle we the old and cowardly will all die. You gentlemen will simply run away.”

In the end Katsuyori made Muroga Yukitoshi and Oyamada Masayuki stay and surround the castle, and he himself advanced and crossed the river. The next morning the enemy assaulted Tobinosu from the flank. Nobuzane was defeated and killed. Our camp looked back at this and became restless.

The enemy men issued a challenge to battle. Masakage was the spearhead of the left wing. He dashed ahead, broke through a fence, was hit by a bullet, and died. Nobufusa was the spearhead of the right wing. Along with Sanada Noriyuki and Tsuchiya Naomura, he broke through a fence. Noriyuki and Naomura were also hit by bullets and died. Muroga Yukitoshi came and begged, “Sir, shouldn’t we lift the siege?” Katsuyori said, “You may.” Before he said this, most of his forces had perished.

Nobufusa rushed a man to Katsuyori to say, “Sir, leave this place at once. I beg you. I will stay here and die.” He stayed on with eighty horsemen to fight and lost all of them. He climbed a hill and, seeing that Katsuyori was now far away, shouted loudly to the enemy, “I am Baba, Governor of Mino. Kill me if you can and win a big reward!” Enemies gave him multiple stabs, and he died.

The two favorites got away first. Masanobu must have known of the defeat of the Takeda forces beforehand: With 8,000 soldiers he came to the border to meet Katsuyori and take him home. He reminded him of the earlier warnings and asked him to marry a Hj woman, so as to fend off the two enemies. Katsuyori followed this advice….

KENSHIN’S DEATH

This year Katsuyori sent a messenger to request a truce with Kenshin so that he might retaliate against Oda. Kenshin agreed and offered to take Katsuyori’s son as hostage. Katsuyori did not approve. About that time Tokugawa attacked Futamata Castle. The commanding officer of the castle, Yoda Yukinari, defended it firmly and did not surrender. Accordingly, Tokugawa attacked and brought down Suwanohara, in the end attacking Oyama. Katsuyori said, “Does he think I’m too disabled to come out again?” He assembled 20,000 soldiers and went to the rescue. The enemy lifted the siege and left.

In the twelfth month Yukinari died. Tokugawa came out to attack again. Yukinari’s son, Nobushige, put up a defense. Katsuyori ordered him to abandon the castle and withdraw. Iwamura fell again. Nobunaga killed his aunt by his own hand.³¹

In this month Katsuyori received Hj’s daughter and married her. After returning from the ceremony, Masanobu said, “Tonight I can sleep well for the first time.”

In the spring of the fourth year [1576], Katsuyori took his soldiers to Ttmi and faced Tokugawa in Yokosuka. Katsuyori wanted to fight. Masanobu counseled against it and said, “You lost many of the old commanders in the Nagashino battle. I am the only one left. Do you mean to kill me, too?” Katsuyori withdrew and, after building a fort in Sagara, went back.

Echigo’s commanders tried to persuade Kenshin by saying, “Sir, the Kai army was defeated again. You should take advantage of this.”

Kenshin said, “I fought Shingen fifteen or sixteen times but was unable to take his country. Now he’s dead. If I act in contempt of his poor son, take advantage of his defeat, and get his country, how can I face the world with clear conscience?”

In the third month Kenshin entered Etch, took Hasunuma, captured and killed Shiina Yasutane, and had a commander of his enter Hida and conquer the Ema clan….

Nobunaga secretly invited Ch Shigetsura, a resident of Noto, and Matsut Hikotsugu, a resident of Kaga, to persuade the Ikk bandits³² to move north. In the fifth year [1577] Shigetsura assembled soldiers and made Anamizu Castle his base. In response the castles of Komatsu, Ataka, and Mt. Daid revolted. At this juncture Tsutsui Junkei and Matsunaga Hisahide,³³ who were based in Yamato, sent letters of allegiance to Kenshin in the distance, begging him to come west. At the same time they sent a pledge to Mori to the far west, in their attempt to attack Nobunaga from the east and the west.

In the ninth month Kenshin himself as commander attacked and brought down Anamizu, killed Shigetsura, and attacked Komatsu and Ataka. Nobunaga sent to the rescue five of his commanders, Shibata Katsuie and Maeda Toshiie among them, commanding 48,000 soldiers. He himself secretly came to help. Kenshin attacked and brought down the three castles. He advanced to the Yusurugi Bridge and, encamping twenty-five miles from Oda’s army, sent a messenger to obtain a pledge to begin battle the following morning. Nobunaga again escaped by night. Kenshin laughed out loud and said, “Nobunaga is quite good at running. If he had stayed around, I could have kicked all of his men into the water.”

Kenshin advanced and attacked Kanazawa and brought it down. Entering Echizen, he attacked Oda’s forts as he went, drove off the defending soldiers, and moved on, setting fire to everything. The smoke and dust filled the sky. Nobunaga retreated to Kitanosh, then retreated and entered Nagahama.

As the cold set in and the snow began to fall, and hearing that Hisahide and others had already been defeated and killed, Kenshin wanted to take his army home. He sent a letter to Nobunaga and said, “Shingen is already dead. That you, sir, leave Shir³⁴ to Ieyasu, while yourself staying in Azuchi, must mean that you are making preparations against me. You’ve had easy fights with your enemies in the Kyoto region. You have yet to observe a northerner’s skills. With your permission, sir, I’d like to come west to meet you with soldiers from the eight provinces³⁵ next spring, on the fifteenth day of the third month. Try, sir, not to regard me, Kenshin, the way you do the leather-sandaled city folk.” He said this last because at the time the people in Kyoto loved to wear leather sandals. He had a messenger take this letter, along with 2,000 bolts of Echigo fabric as a gift.

Nobunaga met the messenger and said, “Please go back and report this to Lord Echigo for me. I, Nobunaga, have no reason to contest his lordship. Should he come to visit, I would take off my swords and, carrying nothing but a fan on my hip, ride out alone to receive him and guide him into Kyoto. His lordship is a man of justice. I know he would never rob me of the lands I struggle to manage.”

The messenger returned and conveyed these words. Kenshin laughed and said, “Nobunaga is a treacherous soldier. He is trying to put me off guard with sweet words. I hear that in the Nagashino battle he tormented Shir, of Kai, with fences and guns. The next year he is bound to try something similar with me. I have no intention whatsoever to be trapped by his schemes.”

In the tenth month Kenshin returned to Echigo and sent out written appeals every other day to raise armies from the eight provinces under his control, with the target date of the fifth day of the third month. As for the soldiers in Kaga and to its west, he planned to pick them up as he moved along.

The news made the Kyoto region quake. Nobunaga sent a messenger to inform Katsuyori of this, begging him to forget what had happened between them in the past and to restore their old relations. He said, “If Kenshin comes west, leyasu and I will block him on the Northern Route. I hope, sir, that you will then immediately move to Echigo. If we win, you may keep the land you take.” Katsuyori did not reply.

In the third month of the sixth year [1578], soldiers of the Hokuriku provinces gathered like clouds in response to Kenshin’s appeals. Kenshin himself reviewed them, made pledges, and was about to set out. Two days before setting out, an illness struck, and he died two days later. He was forty-nine. He died five years after Shingen did.