The 1578 siege of Ōtate took place following the sudden death of Uesugi Kenshin, one of Japan's greatest warlords. Kenshin had requested that the inheritance be split between his nephew, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and his adopted son Uesugi Kagetora. Thus, on March 17, 1578, Uesugi Kagekatsu led a force from his castle at Kasugayama to besiege his cousin's Ōtate castle. The castle fell, Kagetora committed seppuku, and Kagekatsu claimed the full inheritance.