Tenchijin-The Life and Times of Naoe Kanetsugu
Introducing the Background to NHK's Taiga Drama
Saturday, 30 May to Sunday, 12 July 2009

The Battles of Kawanakajima were fierce showdowns between the sworn rivals, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. They were two of the greatest generals of Japanese history and, after their deaths, Kenshin’s son, Uesugi Kagekatsu, established his sway over Echigo. This was in large part due to Naoe Kanetsugu (1560-1619), a minister of the House of Uesugi whose wisdom and human qualities won the high esteem of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Kanetsugu’s life spanned the end of the Warring States Era and start of the Edo Period, an age of great transition from a country divided into armed domains to unity under the Heavens. Kanetsugu, this man of great acuity, not only maintained relations with warlords all over the country while supporting his feudal master, Kagekatsu, but also himself became an important player in history. In particular, the so-called Naoe Letter that Kanetsugu sent in response to Ieyasu regarding rumors of a Uesugi insurrection is said to have been the trigger that led to the decisive Battle of Sekigahara.
This exhibition has been organized in connection with Tenchijin, NHK’s grand historical TV drama series for 2009, so the focus is placed on items from the House of Uesugi dating from Kanetsugu’s lifetime. As Kanetsugu was so highly regarded for his literary and well as material accomplishments, there is also a selection of paintings, valuable classical Chinese documents and beautiful craftworks from the Momoyama culture, with which he was closely associated. It is our sincerest wish to portray a sense of the dramatic times and culture of the warlords of those days, centered on Naoe Kanetsugu and his master, Uesugi Kagekatsu, through these historical documents and artistic treasures.