Uesugi clan was a court noble at the beginning, and became an emerging power in Kanto region through having a relationship with the samurai family, Ashikaga clan; then the Uesugi families founded by his male cousins, Shigeyoshi UESUGI (Takuma-Uesugi family), Tomosada UESUGI (Futahashi-Uesugi family, later Ogigayatsu Uesugi family), and his brother Norifuji UESUGI (Inukake-Uesugi family) underwent power conflicts to expand its influence in the Kanto region while taking advantage of matrimonial relations with Ashikaga clan of the shogun family throughout the Muromachi period.
上杉氏はもともと公家であったが、武家の足利氏と結び付いて関東の新興勢力となり、従兄弟の上杉重能（詫間上杉家）や上杉朝定（二橋上杉家、後の扇谷上杉家）、それに兄弟の上杉憲藤（犬懸上杉家）などを祖とする上杉諸家が、将軍家・足利氏との姻戚関係を背景として、室町時代を通し関東で勢力抗争を展開することとなる。