In a book named 'Battle fields of zohyo' (common soldiers) (published by The Asahi Shimbun Company in 1995) written by Hisashi FUJIKI, he presented a theory that the image of the Uesugi army was different from the real Kenshin UESUGI who was usually reputed as a loyal person based on a phrase that 'Kenshin was a savior of the people in Echigo Province because he planned and implemented venture business called war in other provinces, stricken villages in the Kanto region, which were battlefields, suffered looting and he had seen hell,' this sensational theory of 'working away from home' was supported by many experts and widely spread among the public.
藤木久志は著書である『雑兵たちの戦場』（朝日新聞社・1995年刊）で「上杉謙信は越後の民衆にとっては他国に戦争と言うベンチャービジネスを企画実行した救い主であるが、襲われた関東など戦場の村々は略奪を受け地獄を見た」と、通常言われる義人・上杉謙信像とは別の上杉軍の姿こそが実態であったとし、このセンセーショナルな「出稼ぎ」説は多くの識者から支持を得て広く世間に浸透した。