The feudal lord Sanada Masayuki built Ueda Castle in 1583. The castle was built on a cliff
along the Chikuma River. The castle became known all over Japan after the Sanada clan
defeated the formidable Tokugawa army twice.
For the first battle, a small force of 2000 Sanada soldiers fought an enormous 8000-strong
Tokugawa army and defeated the Tokugawa in 1585. In the second battle, in 1600, the
Sanada again defeated the much bigger Tokugawa army.
In the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), the biggest inland battle in Japanese history, the
Tokugawa fought against the Toyotomi fiercely. The Sanada family was divided into two sides.
Sanada Masayuki and his second son, Yukimura, sided with the Toyotomi while Masayuki’s
first son, Nobuyuki, sided with the Tokugawa. Then at the Osaka Summer Battle, the climax
of the Tokugawa-Toyotomi war, reached a conclusion. The Tokugawa completely defeated the
Toyotomi and Yukimura was killed. But Yukimura fought bravely and skillfully. He was
admired and then became well known as “Second-to-none Soldier in Japan” honorably.
Nobuyuki governed the Ueda region under the Tokugawa Rule. Since then Ueda has
prospered as a castle town.