Harunori Uesugi

Lord of Yonezawa Domain in the mid-Edo period. Born in Edo as the second son of Akizuki Tanemitsu, Lord of Takanabe Domain in Hyuga Province (Miyazaki Prefecture). His childhood name was Matsusaburo, and later Naomatsu. In 1760 (10th year of the Horeki era), he was adopted by Uesugi Shigesada, Lord of Yonezawa Domain in Dewa Province (Yamagata Prefecture), and in April 1767 (4th year of the Meiwa era), at the age of 15, he became the 10th Lord of the domain. After coming of age, he took the name Harunori, and after the Lord's retirement in 1802 (2nd year of the Kyowa era), he took the name Yozan. Harunori's succession to the title marked the start of reforms in the domain's government. At the time, the Yonezawa Domain was in dire financial straits, and there was strong discussion of returning the domain to the shogunate, but a group of capable people gathered at the Seigasha Shrine of Warashina Shohaku led by Harunori, the new lord of the domain, and carried out reforms of the domain's government. The reforms were a long process, spanning the Meiwa, An'ei, and Kansei reforms, with a break during the Tenmei era (1781-1789). The first reform was carried out under Harunori as lord of the domain, under the supervision of regent Takemata Masatsuna, and included the implementation of the Great Thrift Order, reforms to the rural governance system, the planting of one million lacquer trees, one million mulberry trees, and one million paper mulberry trees, the introduction of weaving techniques, and the founding of the domain school, Kojokan. The feudal lord himself sought the guidance of Confucian scholars Hosoi Heishu and Shibui Tashitsu, who were close friends of his, in implementing frugality and in establishing domain schools. After the reforms were halted due to the Tenmei famine and other reasons, Harunori retired from his position as lord in 1885 (Tenmei 5) at the age of 33, and thereafter became the guardian of the new lord, Haruhiro (Shigesada's biological son), and is famous for the "Denkoku no Ji" (Prayer to the Nation) that he sometimes gave to the new lord. The Kansei Reforms were promoted mainly by the middle elder, Nozoki Yoshimasa (Taika), but from his retirement home, Harunori consistently guided the reforms both spiritually and practically, for example by having his maids raise silkworms and weave silk. He died in Yonezawa on March 12, 1822.

[Akio Yokoyama]

"Uesugi Yozan" by Akio Yokoyama (1968, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中期の米沢(よねざわ)藩主。日向(ひゅうが)国（宮崎県）高鍋(たかなべ)藩主秋月種美(たねみつ)の二男として江戸に生まれる。幼名松三郎、のち直松(なおまつ)。1760年（宝暦10）出羽(でわ)国（山形県）米沢藩主上杉重定(しげさだ)の養嗣子(ようしし)となり、67年（明和4）4月、満15歳で第10代の藩主となる。元服して治憲を名のり、藩主隠退後の1802年（享和2）に鷹山(ようざん)と号した。治憲の襲封は、藩政改革の開始を意味した。当時米沢藩は極度の財政窮乏のため、領土を幕府に返上しようとする有力な議論も出ていたが、藁科松伯(わらしなしょうはく)の菁莪社(せいがしゃ)に集まった有為の人物を中心に、新藩主治憲をたてて藩政改革を断行した。改革は天明(てんめい)年間（1781～89）の中断期を挟んで、明和(めいわ)・安永(あんえい)の改革、寛政(かんせい)の改革にわたり長期に及んだ。第一次の改革は治憲が藩主として、執政竹俣当綱(たけのまたまさつな)のもとに進められ、大倹約令の実施、農村支配機構の改革、漆・桑・楮(こうぞ)各100万本の植え立て、織物技術の導入、藩校興譲館の創設など積極的な施策が実施された。倹約の実践、藩校創設の指導にあたっては、藩主自ら親しく儒者細井平洲(へいしゅう)や渋井太室(たしつ)の教えを請うている。改革が天明飢饉(ききん)その他の理由で中断したあと、85年（天明5）治憲は満33歳で藩主を隠退し、その後は新藩主治広(はるひろ)（重定の実子）の後見役となるが、ときに新藩主に与えた『伝国之辞』が有名。寛政の改革は中老莅戸善政(のぞきよしまさ)（太華(たいか)）を中心に推進されたが、隠殿における治憲は女中たちに養蚕、絹織りをさせるなど、精神的、実践的にも一貫して改革を指導している。文政(ぶんせい)5年3月12日米沢で没す。

［横山昭男］

『横山昭男著『上杉鷹山』（1968・吉川弘文館）』

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