Norizane Uesugi

Japanese: 上杉憲実 - うえすぎ・のりざね

Year of death: March 22, 1466
Year of birth: 1410
A military commander in the Muromachi period. Kanto Kanrei. Shiro, Awa no Kami. Son of Echigo Shugo Uesugi Fusakata, he succeeded Yamauchi Uesugi Norikazu as Kanto Kanrei at the young age of 10. At that time, Kamakura Kubo Ashikaga Mochiuji strengthened his stance on independence from the Muromachi Shogunate and was proceeding with the elimination of opponents in Kanto, but Norizane followed this while also working with the Shogunate, playing the role of checking Mochiuji's independent actions. However, he was eventually alienated by Mochiuji, and in 1438 (Eikyo 10), he retreated to Ueno to avoid Mochiuji's attacks, but immediately cooperated with the Shogunate's relief army, which was dispatched, and approached Kamakura in return, finally forcing Mochiuji to surrender. However, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori did not accept Norizane's plea and forced Mochiuji to commit suicide the following year, and Norizane, feeling remorseful for having driven his master to death, retired to Izu as a monk. When the Battle of Yuki occurred in the same year, he returned briefly and advanced as far as the Siege of Koyama in Shimotsuke, but then he again wished to retire, and, refusing orders from the shogunate, he entered Izu again, and then went to Suo, where he died at Dainei-ji Temple in Nagato. Although he was a man who had the utmost trust of the shogunate and was trusted by the samurai of the Kanto region, his personality and actions in refusing to take a central role in Kanto politics and choosing a life of wandering were extremely unique. He was well-versed in Confucianism and I Ching, and is famous for inviting Kaigen from Engaku-ji Temple in Kamakura to revive the Ashikaga School in Shimotsuke. <References> "Kanagawa Prefecture History", General History, Vol. 1

(Yamada Kuniaki)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：文正1.閏2.6(1466.3.22)
生年：応永17(1410)
室町時代の武将。関東管領。四郎,安房守。越後守護上杉房方の子で,山内上杉憲基の跡を継ぎ10歳の若年で関東管領となる。当時鎌倉公方足利持氏は,室町幕府からの独立の姿勢を強め関東の反対派の掃討を進めていたが,憲実はこれに従いつつも幕府と通じ,持氏の独走を牽制する役割を果たした。しかし結局持氏に疎んぜられ,永享10(1438)年,持氏の攻撃を避けて上野に退去し,直ちに派遣された幕府の救援軍と呼応して逆に鎌倉に迫り,ついに持氏を降伏させた。しかし将軍足利義教は憲実の嘆願を容れずに翌11年に持氏を自殺させ,憲実は主人を死に追い込んだ悔悟の念から出家して伊豆に隠退した。同12年に結城合戦が起きると一時復帰して下野小山の陣まで進んだが,その後また隠退を望み,幕府の命令も拒んで再び伊豆に入り,さらに周防に赴き長門大寧寺で死去した。幕府の絶大な信任を得,関東の武士からも信頼された人物でありながら,関東の政治の中心に立つことを拒み続け,流浪の人生を選んだその個性と行動は極めて特異である。儒教や易に通じ,鎌倉円覚寺の快元を招いて下野の足利学校を再興したことは有名である。<参考文献>『神奈川県史』通史編1巻

(山田邦明)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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