[Yamagata Prefecture] A journey through the history of Yonezawa feudal lord “Takayama Uesugi” What is the thought behind the words “If you do it, you will succeed”?

When talking about the history of Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, one of the important people is Yozan Uesugi. To this day, he is a person who is affectionately and respectfully referred to as Lord Takayama.

In this article, we will introduce recommended spots to learn more about the history of Yozan Uesugi.

What kind of person is Yozan Uesugi?

Uesugi Takazan was the 9th lord of the Yonezawa domain, known as one of the most famous feudal lords of the Edo period. " If you do it, it will happen.If you don't do it, it will not happen.If it doesn't happen, it's because you didn't do it for others.” These words left by Takayama are famous.

At the age of 10, Takayama was adopted as the son-in-law of the daughter of the previous feudal lord, and at the age of 17 he inherited the headship of the family. Takayama became the leader of the Yonezawa region at a young age, and used his various skills to boost the Yonezawa clan.

The land protected by Takazan Uesugi | What is the revolution that built the foundation of Yonezawa?

Uesugi Yozan carried out various reforms from the time he took over as head of the family until his retirement at the age of 35. The effects of these efforts later became the economic and industrial base of the Yonezawa clan.

great thrift ordinance

At the time when Takayama inherited the headship of the family, the Yonezawa clan was burdened with huge debts. Therefore, the first thing Takayama implemented was the Great Thrift Edict. Correcting the extravagance and wastefulness of himself and his officials was the first step toward reforming the domain's administration. Although he received opposition from the important figures for getting involved in a meeting with the Yonezawa clan, the feudal lord himself took the initiative and tried to be frugal.

Their daily meals consist of one soup and one dish, and everything from their haori and hakama to their underwear is made of cotton. The number of maids was also reduced from 50 to 9. As a result, the cost of living for the feudal lord in his Edo domain residence was reduced by more than half.

agricultural development

Takayama feels a sense of crisis over the current situation of fields devastated by floods and droughts, and of farmers who have lost hope and run away, so he holds a ``Rei of Sekiden'' in order to revitalize agriculture. The sight of the feudal lord himself picking up a hoe and plowing the fields seems to have increased the motivation of farmers and samurai to clear the fields, which led to the development of agriculture.

industrial development

With the goal of rebuilding the Yonezawa clan's economy, Takayama also worked on industrial development.

Women and women of samurai families were encouraged to do weaving as part-time jobs. The spread of sericulture there created the foundation for silk textiles and later Yonezawa-ori techniques. Even today, Yonezawa-ori is known as a traditional craft representing Yonezawa City.

Other technological developments were also carried out in areas such as salt production, paper production, and ceramic production.

academics

Takayama placed emphasis on the dissemination of learning and founded the domain school ``Kojokan.'' By having students learn practical subjects such as politics and economics, rather than just reading and writing, they will play a part in developing excellent human resources for the domain.

famine countermeasures

During the Tenmei Famine during the reign of Uesugi Yozan, countless people died in the Tohoku region. Among them, the Yonezawa domain, ruled by Takayama, used the domain's financial resources to purchase rice from Niigata and Sakata in an effort to reduce starvation. It is also said that the lessons learned from this experience were used to research animals and plants that could serve as substitute foods, and to spread methods for making preserved foods within the domain.

Numerous historical sites in Uesugi Takayama

Here are some recommended spots to follow the path of Takayama Uesugi.

Uesugi Shrine (Setsusha: Matsumisaki Shrine)

Matsumisaki Shrine was named after Uesugi Takayama, who was enshrined at Uesugi Shrine in 1902, and Yonezawa Castle was also called Matsumisaki Castle. In 1923, Lord Kagekatsu, the first lord of the Yonezawa domain, was enshrined together, and in 1938, Lord Keikatsu's senior vassal, Kanetsugu Naoe, Lord Takayama's mentor, Hosoi Hirasu, and Lord Takayama's distinguished retainers, Takemata Totsuna, and Yoshimasa Kaito, were enshrined. They were enshrined together, and there are currently six deities enshrined.

The Takayama Theater is permanently installed at the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum. You can see exhibits that explain Takayama's reforms in an easy-to-understand manner, including dramatic videos, dioramas, and touch panels. The museum also houses items related to the Uesugi clan and national treasures. If you are a history buff, please enjoy it.

INFORMATION

• Name: Uesugi Shrine (Setsusha: Matsumisaki Shrine)
• Address: 1-1-38 Marunouchi, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture 992-0052
• Phone number: 0238-22-3189
• Official URL: https://www.uesugi-jinja.or.jp/

GOOGLE MAP

Denkoku-Mori (Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum/Okitama Cultural Hall)

The Takayama Theater is permanently installed at the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum. You can see exhibits that explain Takayama's reforms in an easy-to-understand manner, including dramatic videos, dioramas, and touch panels. The museum also houses items related to the Uesugi clan and national treasures. If you are a history buff, please enjoy it.

INFORMATION

• Name: Dengoku-Mori (Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum/Okitama Cultural Hall)
• Address: 1-2-1 Marunouchi, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture 992-0052
• Phone number: 0238-26-8001
• Official URL: https://www.denkoku-no-mori.yonezawa.yamagata.jp/top.htm

GOOGLE MAP

summary

In this article, we introduced Mt. Uesugi, a famous mountain in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, and spots related to Mt. Takayama.

The reason why his name has been passed down from generation to generation as Lord Takayama is thought to be due to gratitude for his achievements in building the economic and industrial infrastructure of Yonezawa City. Why not follow in the footsteps of Takayama, who sincerely acted to protect the people of his territory?