Uesugi Domanmaru (上杉道満丸)
Domanmaru UESUGI (1571 - April 13, 1579) was the heir to Kagetora UESUGI who was an adopted son of Kenshin UESUGI, 'kokushu' (landed daimyo) of Echigo Province. Domanmaru's mother was Seienin who was Kenshin UESUGI's niece. Domanmaru's siblings consisted of a brother and two sisters.
Blood Relationship
Domanmaru's father Kagetora Uesugi is generally believed to have been the seventh son of Ujiyasu HOJO who expanded his territory in the Kanto district (N.B. opinion varies). Domanmaru's mother was called Seienin, who was a daughter of Masakage NAGAO, Lord of Ueda-jo Castle in Echigo Province. Accordingly, Kagekatsu UESUGI, who was another son of Masakage, rivaled Kagetora in the 'Otate no ran' rebellion and was to be the first Lord of Yonezawa Domain, was Domanmaru's maternal uncle, and Sentoin, who was the mother of Seienin and Kagekatsu and the wife of Masakage, was his grandmother.
The Uesugi family's non blood relatives included Kenshin UESUGI who was Kagetora's stepfather and was popularly called 'Echigo no ryu' (literally, dragon in Echigo), Yoshiharu HATAKEYAMA and Kagekuni YAMAURA who had been adopted by Kenshin like Kagetora and Kagekatsu.
The Hojo clan, from which Kagetora had come, included Ujiyasu HOJO who is believed to have been Domanmaru's grandfather, Ujimasa HOJO, Ujikuni HOJO and Ujiteru HOJO who were Domanmaru's uncle.
Summary
Domanmaru, as indicated above, was the heir to Kagetora UESUGI and was born in Echigo Province where Kagetora lived. However, during Domanmaru's childhood, his step grandfather Kenshin UESUGI had died, which triggered the eruption of the Otate no ran rebellion which was an intra-clan war fought between Kagetora and Kagekatsu for succession of the position of head of the clan. As the battle went against Kagetora's force, Domanmaru's non-blood great-grandfather Norimasa UESUGI took Domanmaru to Kagekatsu's camp for peace negotiation, only to be murdered by the enemy warriors along with Norimasa. An alleged site of murdering Domanmaru is somewhere near Yotsuya-toride Fortress.
Domanmaru died at the age of nine (N.B. about his murder, some believe that it was murder with deliberation, and others believe it to be an accident due to confusion.)
Different Opinion
It is alternatively believed that Domanmaru was not murdered at the Yotsuya-toride Fortress, but was sheltered by Nobufusa ICHIKAWA who was a 'gozoku' (powerful local clan) in Hokushin (northern Shinshu) district. In addition to that, it is said that Domanmaru grew up at Jokeiin Temple in Takai County, Shinano Province, and married a young lady of the Ichikawa clan and called himself Denshichiro Terutora ICHIKAWA until his death in 1655.