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gackt_armyUesugi is referred to in history as the Dragon of Echigo, while his fellow warlord Takeda Shingen was referred to as the Tiger of Kai, in Chinese mythology, the dragon and tiger are bitter rivals.
Born as Nagao Kagetora, Uesugi spent his youth in the Buddhist monastery of Rizenji - this is where Kenshin's shrine stands today, and were Gackt has gone to pray for the success of last year's festival (and this year's)
Uesugi was the son of Nagao Tamakage, and he was the youngest of four brothers, there is no mention of sisters.
The noble Usami Sadamitsu (portrayed by Ogata Ken in the drama Fuurin Kazan) was one of a number of vassals of Uesugi's older brother Harukage who wished for Uesugi (age 14) to take over leadership of the clan. There is some speculation that Uesugi killed his brother, but most historians believe that Uesugi forced his elder brother to retire.
Uesugi was a brilliant strategist, but he would also challenge his rivals to one-on-one combat. Uesugi was respected by his contemporaries, and considered honorable (often to a fault)
The largest battle that involved Uesugi and Shigen was the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima - depicted at the close of Fuurin Kazan, where Uesugi on horseback charged Shingen alone, and Shingen held him off with his tessen or battle fan. There were many losses on both sides, but Kenshin is considered to have won the battle.
Though enemies, Shingen and Uesugi respected one another, Shingen gave Uesugi a precious sword, and Uesugi once allowed shipments of supplies (most important at the time salt, for the preservation of food) through his lands to the besiged Shingen, (because he would fight his battles with swords and spears, not rice and salt) On Shingen's death, Uesugi wept openly at the loss of his great rival, and in Shingen's will he admonished his son to become an ally of Uesugi.
Uesugi is most often depicted in art wearing the white headcowl of a Buddhist monk. Gackt only wore the famous headcowl in the first opening scenes of Fuurin Kazan, then his costume was changed, and he is depicted with long flowing hair, with the headcowl as a white banner on his shoulder. Uesugi most certainly had his head shaved after he became a Buddhist monk.
Uesugi's death was due to stomach cancer, brought on by an indulgence in sake (rice wine) this is illustrated in the scene in Fuurin Kazan where Uesugi allows himself to be shot at with arrows and guns, but remains unscathed, ironically drinking from a goblet filled with sake. The story of him being attacked by a ninja whilst using the lavatory is discredited .
There have been modern speculations that Uesugi - because he took no wife, nor had lovers of either sex, and adopted the sons of his rivals as his heirs - was in fact a woman, but these claims are spurious, this did lead however, in an indirect way to the casting of Gackt as Uesugi in Fuurin Kazan, because producers wanted a 'beautiful Uesugi'.
Born as Nagao Kagetora, Uesugi spent his youth in the Buddhist monastery of Rizenji - this is where Kenshin's shrine stands today, and were Gackt has gone to pray for the success of last year's festival (and this year's)
Uesugi was the son of Nagao Tamakage, and he was the youngest of four brothers, there is no mention of sisters.
The noble Usami Sadamitsu (portrayed by Ogata Ken in the drama Fuurin Kazan) was one of a number of vassals of Uesugi's older brother Harukage who wished for Uesugi (age 14) to take over leadership of the clan. There is some speculation that Uesugi killed his brother, but most historians believe that Uesugi forced his elder brother to retire.
Uesugi was a brilliant strategist, but he would also challenge his rivals to one-on-one combat. Uesugi was respected by his contemporaries, and considered honorable (often to a fault)
The largest battle that involved Uesugi and Shigen was the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima - depicted at the close of Fuurin Kazan, where Uesugi on horseback charged Shingen alone, and Shingen held him off with his tessen or battle fan. There were many losses on both sides, but Kenshin is considered to have won the battle.
Though enemies, Shingen and Uesugi respected one another, Shingen gave Uesugi a precious sword, and Uesugi once allowed shipments of supplies (most important at the time salt, for the preservation of food) through his lands to the besiged Shingen, (because he would fight his battles with swords and spears, not rice and salt) On Shingen's death, Uesugi wept openly at the loss of his great rival, and in Shingen's will he admonished his son to become an ally of Uesugi.
Uesugi is most often depicted in art wearing the white headcowl of a Buddhist monk. Gackt only wore the famous headcowl in the first opening scenes of Fuurin Kazan, then his costume was changed, and he is depicted with long flowing hair, with the headcowl as a white banner on his shoulder. Uesugi most certainly had his head shaved after he became a Buddhist monk.
Uesugi's death was due to stomach cancer, brought on by an indulgence in sake (rice wine) this is illustrated in the scene in Fuurin Kazan where Uesugi allows himself to be shot at with arrows and guns, but remains unscathed, ironically drinking from a goblet filled with sake. The story of him being attacked by a ninja whilst using the lavatory is discredited .
There have been modern speculations that Uesugi - because he took no wife, nor had lovers of either sex, and adopted the sons of his rivals as his heirs - was in fact a woman, but these claims are spurious, this did lead however, in an indirect way to the casting of Gackt as Uesugi in Fuurin Kazan, because producers wanted a 'beautiful Uesugi'.
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Date: 2008-08-23 01:19 pm (UTC)Cheers love.
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Date: 2008-08-23 03:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-23 08:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-23 10:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-25 09:21 am (UTC)But if Kenshin really was a woman, they must have hid that from birth on, no? I don't think Japanese men in that time would like a woman as a general.
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Date: 2008-08-31 10:11 am (UTC)I'd read a bit about Kenshin and was impessed by the English language info on the Joetsu city website: dunno why it's there in English but the language quality is good and the material looks well researched. I was particularly struck by Kenshin's efforts to improve peasant life in his area. One example is that he apparently encouraged migrant workers to come to Echigo to grow more hemp, which grew easily in the area and could be sold at a high price in Kyoto; he then used the hemp money to buy rice (which didn't have such a high yield on the West coast), so that the native workers didn't have to break their backs trying to grow rice to pay the feudal tax (paid in rice).
Anyway, I thought having your history article to read was a good contrast with other posts - to my mental digestion, the fun posts are only more fun for a bit of brain-food between!