Uesugi Matsuri

   'Uesugi festival'. One of a number of patriotic festivals inaugurated in the Meiji period, often at shrines (bekkaku kampei-sha) built for the purpose of promoting Japan's past military heroes. It commemorates the exploits of Terutora (known as Kenshin, 'humble faith'), Uesugi (1530-1578) who is remembered as a virtuous and principled warlord opponent of Nobunaga, Oda. His posthumous Buddhist name is Shinko. In 1887 Uesugi was also enshrined in the new Kasugayama jinja, Niigata, where his action in supplying salt to the town of Takeda when other feudal lords refused to do so is remembered in the Kenshin matsuri held on September 13th. At the Uesugi jinja, Yamagata, built in 1871 and designated a bekkaku-kampei-taisha in 1902, mock battles and colourful warrior parades (musha gyoretsu) during the four-day festival which runs from April 29th-May 3rd recall a series of battles over twelve years between Uesugi and his arch-enemy Takeda, Shingen. Takeda is similarly memorialised on his death-anniversary by a pre-bartle ceremony (shutsujin-shiki) of 24 commanders and a mock battle. His festival (shingenko matsuri or 'Lord Shingen matsuri') is held on the weekend nearest April 12th at the Takeda jinja in Kofu, Yamanashi.