The Samurai Rival Who Sent Salt to His Enemy

In Sengoku-era Japan, salt wasn’t just a seasoning. It was a lifeline. Without it, food couldn’t be preserved, and a landlocked province could be squeezed into submission without a single battle.

The Blockade That Wasn’t Supposed to End Well

Takeda Shingen, lord of the inland province of Kai, depended on salt routes that ran through neighboring territories. When rival clans cut off those routes, the blockade threatened his people and his armies.

A Rival’s Unexpected Response

Uesugi Kenshin, Shingen’s fierce battlefield rival, heard about the salt embargo. Instead of celebrating, he sent salt into Kai anyway. According to tradition, he explained the gesture with a simple line: wars should be fought with swords and spears, not by starving a population of salt.

Honor Over Advantage

The act didn’t end their rivalry. Kenshin and Shingen still clashed in multiple battles, including the famous Kawanakajima campaigns. But the salt shipment became a lasting symbol of honor amid a brutal era. It’s the origin of a proverb still used in Japan today: “Give salt to your enemies.”

Why the Story Still Resonates

The tale survives because it flips the usual logic of war. Kenshin chose principle over easy advantage. That choice didn’t make him weaker—it made him memorable. In a period defined by ambition and betrayal, an enemy who refused to win “the wrong way” became legend.