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Aya-Gozen

1524 – 1609

Japanese monk

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About Aya-Gozen

Lived 1524 – 1609 (aged 84–85). Aya-Gozen was a Japanese monk.

was a Japanese noblewoman from the Sengoku period. She was the half-sister of Japanese warlord Uesugi Kenshin. She was also the mother of Uesugi Kagekatsu and the first wife of Nagao Masakage. Aya is best known for her role in events before and after the siege of Otate; she lamented the Uesugi civil war for succession after Kenshin's death and refused to support either heir.

Life Aya was the second daughter of Nagao Tamekage. Her mother is believed to have later born Uesugi Kenshin. The term -gozen is an honorific suffix; her given name was . She had two sons and two daughters by Nagao Masakage: their oldest son in childhood, so their second son, Kagekatsu, was adopted into the Uesugi clan, as reportedly were their daughters. Aya-Gozen moved to Kasugayama Castle in 1564. According to legend, she was a highly intelligent woman and skilled in recognizing talent, being responsible for employing various samurai to work for Kenshin. She recommended Naoe Kanetsugu to serve her son, Kagekatsu. It was rumored that Kanetsugu tried his best to care for her in gratitude.

After Kenshin's death, a dispute arose between Kagekatsu and Kagetora; Aya-Gozen tried to protect Kagetora's heir after the death of her eldest daughter Seienin (Kagetora's wife). Although she was with Kagetora, she returned to Kikuhime (Takeda Shigen's daughter and Uesugi Kagekatsu's wife) and Osen no Kata's (Naoe Kanetsugu's wife) care. After the conflict, she returned to Kasugayama Castle. Later, Sentōin received protection from Kagekatsu and accompanied him during transfers to Aizu in 1598 and to Yonezawa in 1601.

In 1609, she died at Yonezawa Castle, and was enshrined at Risen-ji. Owing to her efforts toward its construction, she is called a founder of the temple. The actual characters to write her name are confirmed from the death register kept at the temple. Her Buddhist name was . As for why she was named as such, the reasons are still debated even to this day.

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Important facts

Born
1524
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Consort

Family & relationships

Spouse
Nagao Masakage
Child
Uesugi Kagekatsu

People in Aya-Gozen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Aya-Gozen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Aya-Gozen?

Japanese monk

When was Aya-Gozen born?

Aya-Gozen was born in 1524.

When did Aya-Gozen die?

Aya-Gozen died on 10 March 1609.

What was Aya-Gozen's occupation?

Aya-Gozen was a monk.

What nationality was Aya-Gozen?

Aya-Gozen was Japanese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Aya-Gozen

· Wikidata: Q1068004

· DBpedia: Aya-Gozen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Aya-Gozen. https://biography.guide/aya-gozen/

MLA: "Aya-Gozen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/aya-gozen/.

Chicago: "Aya-Gozen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/aya-gozen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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