Battle of Kawanakajima
1561 CE · Kawanakajima, Nagano, Japan
The Battle of Kawanakajima was fought in 1561 CE in Kawanakajima, Nagano, Japan between Takeda clan vs the Uesugi clan; inconclusive; both sides claimed victory after the bloodiest of their five battles on the plain.
Battle of Kawanakajima: quick facts
- Date
- 1561 CE
- Location
- Kawanakajima, Nagano, Japan
- Belligerents
- Takeda clan vs the Uesugi clan
- Commanders
- Takeda Shingen vs Uesugi Kenshin
- Result
- inconclusive; both sides claimed victory after the bloodiest of their five battles on the plain.
- Era
- ⛩️ East Asia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Kawanakajima?
The Battles of Kawanakajima were a series of five engagements between the legendary rivals Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, with the fourth battle in 1561 being the most famous and bloodiest. According to legend, Kenshin rode directly into Takeda's command post and slashed at him with his sword, which Shingen deflected with his iron war fan. The battles epitomize the Sengoku period's warrior spirit and remain among the most romanticized conflicts in Japanese history.
Did you know?
The famous duel between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin at Kawanakajima, where Kenshin slashed at Shingen with his sword and Shingen deflected it with his iron war fan, is one of the most iconic images in Japanese art.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Kawanakajima on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.