10 Facts About Nagao Tamekage

Nagao Tamekage was a retainer of Japanese feudal lord Uesugi Fusayoshi, and a daimyo in his own right, during Japan's Sengoku period.

Nagao Tamekage is perhaps best known as the biological father of Nagao Kagetora, who would be adopted into the Uesugi clan as Uesugi Kenshin, and has become one of the most famous Sengoku-period daimyos.

Nagao Tamekage's mother came from the Takanashi clan of Shinano.

However, one of a number of nari-agari mono, or "upstarts" of this period, Nagao Tamekage sought to usurp his lord, and battled with Uesugi forces a number of times in the first decade of the 16th century.

In 1506, after Yoshikage was killed in action at the Battle of Hannyano, the Igarashi and Ishida clans of the Chuetsu area rebelled, but this was pacified before long by Tamekage who had succeeded his father as head of the Echigo-Nagao clan.

Nagao Tamekage ultimately laid siege to Uesugi Fusayoshi in 1507, at Matsunoyama in Echigo Province, and Fusayoshi was killed.

Nagao Tamekage then went on to pursue a number of campaigns of his own, gathering territory and power.

In 1510, Nagao Tamekage plotted with Jinbo Nagakiyo in an attempt to overtake the Jinbo clan from within, using his status as shugo-dai to bring Nagakiyo to his side.

The plot stretched longer than a year, and Nagao Tamekage's patience grew thin.

Nagao Tamekage then engaged Uesugi Akisada, and defeated him as well, with the help of Hojo Soun, another growing power in the region.