Takeda Shingen, the Tiger of Kai (1521–1573)

Shingen was the daimyō of Kai Province, another of the great figures of the Sengoku period and one of the most powerful. He was the eldest son of the lord of the province, but his early years were not easy, as his father removed him from the line of succession despite the fact that he was already said to be a true military genius.
Shortly afterwards, he took up arms against his father and brother, defeated them, and seized the fiefdom that was rightfully his. Once he had brought the province of Kai under his control, Shingen decided to expand his power across all the neighbouring provinces, which defended themselves fiercely but, overwhelmed, turned to the daimyō Uesugi Kenshin for help. Thus, the two clashed in the famous Battle of Kawanakajima, which ended in a draw. Shingen managed to conquer most of the territories bordering Kai, although he failed to achieve all his objectives after dying prematurely in the midst of his final campaign, and went down in history as one of the finest generals and rulers of Japan’s Sengoku period.