About This Print

Rival daimyo Shingen Takeda (武田 信玄, 1521-1573) of Kōshū 甲州 (also known as Kai) province and Kenshin Uesugi (上杉 謙信, 1530-1578) of Echigo 越後 province face off on either side of the Sai River running through the fertile plains of Kawanakajima in northern Shinano Province (modern Nagano Prefecture.)  Three battles in the long-running warfare between Shingen and Kenshin are depicted with each battle scene defined by irregular stylized clouds traditionally used in Japanese paintings to separate narrative scenes.  Kenshin, on the right bank, sits on a folding stool holding a sword while Shingen, on the left bank, sits on his horse with an iron war fan (tessen).  Various military commanders for both daimyo are pictured and named in the small cartouches throughout the print.

From 1553 to 1564 five battles occurred between the two daimyo in the Kawanakajima area that have come to be known as the Battles of Kawanakajima 川中島の戦い.  While this print depicts one engagement during that period, it also depicts two earlier battles.  (See "Translations of Explanatory Cartouches" below.)

Translations of Explanatory Cartouches
Source: webpage of Takahashi Sangyo http://artinlife.nw.shopserve.jp/framart/ukiyoe_art/yoshitora-06-05.html for Japanese transcription
While this print does not carry a specific title, it does contain descriptive information on the scenes in the three large yellow cartouches, as follows:
Possible Additional Panels

While researching this print I came across a suggestion (on the previous sited webpage of Takahashi Sangyo), unconfirmed by other sources, that this collection's print is part of a six panel print as shown below.  While the three panels on the left continue the theme of the panels on the right and were also published by Yamashiroya Jinbei, the adjoining panels do not form a convincing match leaving me to believe they were not issued as a single six panel composition.