In the year 1551, Kenshin was called upon to provide refuge in his castle for his nominal lord, Uesugi Norimasa, who had been forced to flee there due to the expansion into the Kantō region by the lord Hōjō Ujiyasu from the Hōjō clan. At the age of 19 he became the head of the family and entered the Kasugayama Castle, but still as the retainer of the Uesugi clan. He stepped down from the lead of the clan and provincial government, and gave the titles to his younger brother.
At the age of 15 he was placed in joint command of Tochio castle, making a reputation for himself by successfully defending it against the rebels who were plotting against the Uesugi, and Kenshin succeeded in wresting control of the clan from Harukage in 1548. As the story is told, at first Kenshin was reluctant to take the field against his own brother, but was eventually convinced that it was necessary to the survival of Echigo. It would seem that Harukage hadn't proven the most effective or inspiring leader (probably due to ill health), and his failure to exert control and gain support of the powerful kokujin families had resulted in a situation which was nearly to the point of tearing the province apart. They urged the young Nagao son to go to Echigo and contest his older brother's rule. However, upon arriving at Sendanno (December 1536) in Etchū, his forces were suddenly attacked by Enami Kazuyori, and in the resulting battle Tamekage himself was slain, and his army put to flight.Īt the age of 14, Kenshin was suddenly contacted by Usami Sadamitsu and a number of other acquaintances of his late father. It came to a peak in 1536, when Kenshin's father gathered up an army and marched westward. However, in later years, Tamekage found himself at odds with the neighboring Ikkō-ikki of Hokuriku, and as the political power in the region started to shift in favor of the Ikkō (due largely to the sudden rise of Hongan-ji), the situation for Echigo quickly deteriorated. His father's family were the retainers of the Yamanouchi branch of the Uesugi clan, and his father has gained some renown with his military victories over his lords Uesugi Akisada, Sadanori and Funayoshi.
Born as Kagetora, he was the third or fourth son of the noted warrior Nagao Tamekage and his life presents a unique story - he was not from the Uesugi, but Nagao clan.
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