Nagao Kagetora , later known as Uesugi Kenshin , was a Japanese daimyō. He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful daimyō of the Sengoku period. Known as the "Dragon of Echigo", while chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield as a military genius, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries and trade, and his rule saw a marked rise in the standard of living of Echigo.

The Uesugi clan is a Japanese samurai clan which was at its peak one of the most powerful during the Muromachi and Sengoku periods. At its height, the clan had three main branches: the Ōgigayatsu, Inukake, and Yamanouchi. Its most well-known member is the warlord Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578).