※圖片為示意圖。Kakizaki Kageie
柿崎景家
The Fiercest Vanguard Commander of the Uesugi Army
介紹
Life and Origins
Kakizaki Kageie (c. 1513–1575) was born as the son of Kakizaki Toshiie, a local lord of Echigo Province, and served as castellan of Kakizaki Castle and Sarumo Castle.
Rise Under the Nagao Clan
He initially served Nagao Tamekage and, after Tamekage's death, his son Nagao Harukage. When Harukage and his younger brother Nagao Kagetora (later Uesugi Kenshin) contested the clan headship, Kageie backed Kagetora — a decision that shaped his subsequent career. Under Kenshin, he commanded a vanguard unit of 300 mounted troops and served as castellan of Kasugayama Castle in 1558.
Glory at Kawanakajima
Kageie's fame was cemented at the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561, where as vanguard commander he charged Takeda Shingen's headquarters at Hachimanbara, killing senior Takeda retainers Takeda Nobushige and Yamamoto Kansuke and nearly destroying the Takeda army. Kenshin is said to have remarked that "if Kageie had prudence to match his valor, no one in Echigo's seven districts could rival him."
Diplomatic Role
Beyond his martial reputation, Kageie's high rank, knowledge of court etiquette, and wit made him a natural choice for receiving envoys and handling diplomatic protocol, making him one of the most senior retainers of Kenshin's early reign.
Disputed Death
Accounts of Kageie's death vary. The traditional account holds that in 1575 he was executed on Kenshin's orders on suspicion of colluding with Oda Nobunaga, though this is questioned since his son Harue was not implicated and the Uesugi and Oda were not yet at war at the time — some historians suggest he instead died of illness.
Legacy
Counted among the "Four Heavenly Kings of Uesugi," Kakizaki Kageie is remembered as Echigo's fiercest vanguard commander for his decisive role at Kawanakajima.