Mausoleum of Uesugi Kenshin上杉謙信霊屋うえすぎけんしんれいや

Mausoleum of Uesugi Kenshin

Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578) was one of the most famous and revered daimyō of Japan's Sengoku, or Warring States, Era (1467-1615). Uesugi visited Mt. Kōya in 1574, three years before his death. It was at that time that he received the name Kenshin.

Unlike most of the monuments to the dead at Oku-no-in, Kenshin’s spirit is enshrined in an above-ground wooden building, which–based on its features–is believed to date from the beginning of the Edo Era. Inside, there is an altar with two stone memorial tablets, one for Kenshin and the other for his adopted son, Kagekatsu (1556-1623).

Records suggest that a separate mausoleum for Kagekatsu may have stood beside that of Kenshin’s until they were eventually merged in the mid 19th century.

The combined mausoleum to this father and son invites an unavoidable comparison with the shared grave of Takeda Shingen and his son Katsuyori. Shingen and Kenshin were arch enemies in life; their armies faced each other numerous times at the Battles of Kawanakajima. They now await salvation together at Oku-no-in.

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