Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578) was the lord of Echigo Province, famed for his tactical brilliance at the battles of Kawanakajima and his devout faith in Bishamonten, the Buddhist god of war, whose avatar he believed himself to be. He famously sent salt to rival Shingen when Shingen's supply was cut off, an act celebrated as the '義' (righteousness) that defined his life. Kasugayama Shrine enshrines him as a god, and its annual spring festival with samurai processions keeps his legend vivid.