Uesugi Kenshin's Righteous Strategy and Faith in Bishamonten: The Wheel Formation and the Gift of Salt to a Rival
In the snow-bound castle of Kasugayama in Echigo, smoke from a fire ritual rises from the hall of Bishamonten before dawn. On the war banner lit by braziers, a single character stands out in white ink: “Bi” (毘), for Bishamonten. The man beneath it is Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578), called the Dragon of Echigo and a “god of war” for his skill on the battlefield.
The Sengoku era is remembered for betrayal and territorial ambition. Against that background, Kenshin is described as a lonely figure who fought for what he saw as righteousness. He is said to have crossed the mountains into the Kanto region at the plea of the Kanto Kanrei, and to have fought Takeda Shingen at Kawanakajima to help displaced lords return, rather than to seize land for himself.
An Avatar of Bishamonten
Raised in the Soto Zen temple Rinsenji, Kenshin was deeply religious and came to revere Bishamonten, the guardian of the north, believing himself to be the deity’s agent in this world. Before campaigns he is said to have retreated into the Bishamon hall at Kasugayama, fasting and performing fire rituals, asking whether the coming war was just.
The Kurumagakari Formation
Kenshin’s name is linked with the “wheel” formation, in which units rotate like a mill wheel so that fresh troops keep striking the enemy front. Scholars still debate how it actually worked. It is associated above all with the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima (1561) and with the Battle of Tedorigawa (1577), where he is said to have defeated an Oda army.
Sending Salt to the Enemy
The proverb “to send salt to an enemy” is tied to Kenshin. When neighboring domains cut off salt to Shingen’s landlocked Kai in 1567, Kenshin is said to have refused to profit from the blockade and sent salt from Echigo at a fair price. The tale comes largely from later chronicles, and historians disagree on how much of it is fact, but it endures as an ideal of samurai honor.
A Heart Free of Clouds
Kenshin died suddenly at Kasugayama in 1578. His death poem is traditionally given as: “Whether paradise or hell lies ahead, the moon of dawn in my heart holds no cloud.”
Color the Sengoku Era
The Mori no Akari Series offers a Sengoku warrior coloring set with color samples as a download edition. The product name in the store appears in Japanese.
▶ View the Sengoku Warrior Coloring Set 01 (Download Edition)
Related Reading
References
- Hanagasaki Moriaki, Uesugi Kenshin, Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 2008
- Ike Susumu and Yada Toshifumi, eds., Uesugi-shi Nenpyo, Koshi Shoin, 2003
- Imafuku Tadashi, Uesugi Kenshin no Etsuzan, Yosensha, 2016