Also known as: Hachigamine-jou

Kasugayama Castle was Uesugi Kenshin's primary fortress, located in present-day Niigata Prefecture. It was built by the Nagao clan, and Kenshin became its lord in 1548 (some say Kenshin built the castle). Uesugi Kagekatsu won control of the castle in the Otate no Ran after his adopted father's death.

A tsukumogami flute owned by Katsuragi Ichizou made of human bone which feeds on human energy and turns it into sound, placing whoever hears it under the flute's owner's control. When striking, it looks like a two-headed white snake.

One of Takaya's classmates at Jouhoku High.

Hazama Confectionery's head secretary. He works on the top floor of the company headquarters in Osaka and oversees Hazama Shigeharu's secretaries (eight total, not including Tachibana Yoshiaki).

Title: Houki no Kami

Vassal of the Echigo Uesugi Clan, later vassal of the Sagami Houjou Clan. He served Uesugi Kenshin along with his nephew Kawada Nagachika and participated in negotiations for the Uesugi-Sagami Alliance in 1569.

In the Otate no Ran after Kenshin's death, he declared his support for Uesugi Kagetora and took Numata Castle from Ueno Ienari of the Kagekatsu faction. He joined forces with Kitajou Takahiro to attack Sakato Castle, but retreated when Kagetora was defeated in Echigo. In order to aid the Houjou advance into eastern Kouzuke, which they were contesting with Takeda after Takeda joined Kagekatsu, Shigechika headed for Odawara.

After the destruction of the Houjou Clan, Shigechika served the Tokugawa Clan.

Also known as: Kawagoe Night Battle (河越夜戦), Kawagoe Engagement (河越合戦)

The Battle of Kawagoe Castle was fought on May 19, 1546, in Musashi Province at and around Kawagoe Castle, held by the Houjou, against an overwhelming force led by Uesugi Norimasa (Yamanouchi-Uesugi Clan and the then-Kantou Kanrei), Uesugi Tomosada (Ougigayatsu-Uesugi Clan), and Ashikaga Haruuji (the then-Koga Kubou).

When the Uesugi-Ashikaga forces besieged Kawagoe Castle on Oct. 31, 1545, they numbered roughly 70,000-80,000 men to the 3,000 in the castle garrison, led by Houjou Tsunashige. (One account says that all the daimyo of the Kantou except Chiba Toshitane of Shimousa participated.) Ujiyasu led a reinforcement force of 8,000 from Sagami, and the fighting was locked in stalemate for several months. Kushima Tsunahiro (Tsunashige's younger brother), who was in Ujiyasu's reinforcement force, sent a single horseman to slip through the Uesugi-Ashikaga forces into the castle to coordinate a surprise attack.

Ujiyasu sent a false offer of surrender to the Uesugi army. Instead of accepting it, they attacked the Houjou fiercely. Ujiyasu pulled back, luring the enemy into believing they had the battle in hand. On the night of May 19, Ujiyasu split his 8,000 troops into four companies. One of them he left under the leadership of Tame Mototada with the command that it would not move until the end of the battle. Ujiyasu led the other three companies, traveling lightly without armor, into the enemy camp at midnight. The Uesugi-Ashikaga army collapsed in pandemonium. Uesugi Tomosada was killed. When Tame Mototada saw from behind Ujiyasu that he had thrust too far in, he sounded a conch shell to warn Ujiyasu and pull him back. On the other hand, Tsunashige, who had been watching over the battle from inside the castle, led his troops into Ashikaga Haruuji's army, shouting "We've won! We've won!" Occupied with Ujiyasu's army and completely unprepared, the Ashikaga army was routed. The total number of dead on the Uesugi-Ashikaga side reached 13,000 according to some accounts.

As a result of the battle, the Ougigayatsu-Uesugi Clan was destroyed, and Kantou Kanrei Uesugi Norimasa rapidly lost power and influence until he was driven out of Hirai Castle, his main stronghold, and forced to seek refuge with Nagao Kagetora in Echigo. Immediately thereafter, Ashikaga Haruuji was surrounded at the old imperial palace and forced to retired in favor of his son, Ashikaga Yoshiuji, whose wife was Houjou Ujiyasu's daughter.

Lit.: "the island within the river"; a plain located in Shinano Province, very near modern Nagano, on which Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin fought five major battles in 1553, 1555, 1557, 1561 and 1564. In the battle of 1561, Takeda with 20,000 men won over Uesugi's force of 18,000. 12,400 and 12,960 men were lost by Takeda and Uesugi respectively, a loss of life greater than in any other battle in the Sengoku period

A student at Fukashi Junior High School in Takaya's year, described as a delinquent with blond hair who belongs to the "Yankee Gang". He's in Yuzuru's class in their second year of junior high.

Kazusa was a province of ancient Japan which is now the south-central part of Chiba Prefecture. It was held by several clans, including the Kazusa-Takeda, Sakai, Toki, and Awamasaki (under Satomi) Clans. Later the Takeda, Sakai, and Toki Clans submitted to the Houjou Clan, which continued fighting fierce battles with the Satomi Clan.

The real estate arm of Keibu Group. Its CEO is Tatsumi Yoshitsugu, and its employees include Kaizaki Makoto and Yashiro.

Lit. "barrier exorcism"; a ritual exorcism that first encloses the target and the caster in a spiritual shield, strengthening the caster's power and preventing the target from escaping.

Lit: Poppy/Mustard Priest Mountain; a mountain near Matsumoto which offers quiet hiking paths, camping, and a viewing platform at its summit from which one can see the Northern Japanese Alps.

Also known as: 金八 (Kinpachi), Onhachi, Buddhist Priest Kihachi, Kihachifushi, 走建 (Hashiritakeru, Hasetakeru)

Kihachi is mentioned in the Asahi Daijin (1189) at Takachiho Shrine.

There are many legends about Kihachi, including:

- He served Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto and ran to retrieve his arrows during the god's target practice. He retrieved 99 arrows, but grew so tired that he retrieved the 100th with his foot. Displeased, Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto cut off his head. The head rose into the sky and brought frost on the land until it was warmed by a bonfire.

- Onihachi lived in Chichi Cave at the foot of Mt. Nijou. He forcibly took Unome-hime (also known as Asara-hime), daughter of Inari-hime, as his wife and hid her.

- (From the Miyazaki Legends) Similar to the Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto story, he angered Aso-myoujin of Higo by picking an arrow up with his foot. His wife Asara-hime, an incarnation of a dragon from Mitai, rebelled against him at the behest of Mikeirino-no-mikoto (Mikenu-no-mikoto), whereupon Tabe Shigetaka and others subjugated him, cut him into pieces, and buried the parts in three separate places.

- (From Takachiho) He was a demon who lived in a cave until he was killed by a son of Emperor Jimmu, who cut him to pieces and buried him in three separate places.

- (Also from Takachiho) His real name was Hashiritakeru, a giant spider. He ruled Takachiho, harried the people, and violently carried off beautiful women. He was exterminated by Mikeirino-no-mikoto, his body cut up, and buried in several places. He was described as a god who could make frost at will.

Also known as: Kintetsu (近鉄)

Founded in 1910 as Nara Kido Co., Ltd, Kintetsu went through several mergers and consolidations to become the largest private railway in Japan. It also operates several subsidiaries in tourism, real estate, shipping companies, etc.

Also known as: Kin-Nara, Kin-Na

The terminal train station of the Kintetsu Nara Line which houses four platforms with four tracks underground. It opened as a temporary station on the Osaka Electric Railway in 1914 and today serves close to 70,000 people per day.

Kirifuri (Mist Falls) Plateau is a plateau located to the north of Nikkou City, at the foot of Mt. Nyohou. It is now a resort area with villas and tourist attractions like hiking trails, skiing, and golf courses.

Lit.: Mother of Demon Children
Also known as: Karitei (訶利帝), Kariteimo (訶梨帝母), Hariti

Kishimojin was originally a cannibalistic demon who stole the children of others to feed her own children. The mothers of those children pleaded with Shakyamuni to save them. He agreed and hid away the youngest of Kishimojin's children, upon whom she doted. She searched the universe for him, but could not find him, and finally asked Shakyamuni for help. Shakyamuni admonished her and asked her to imagine the pain other mothers must feel when she stole away their children, whereupon Kishimojin vowed to protect all children from that day forward, and became the goddess of easy birthing and the protection and parenting of children.

Kishimojin's consort and the father of her children is Pancika, one of the 28 yasha generals in the army of Bishamonten.

A young part-time employee of the yacht club Takaya and Ayako meet during their investigation on E Island who tells them about his sighting of merpeople. Described as muscular and tanned a golden brown even in winter.

A vassal of Uesugi Kenshin, eldest son and heir of Kitajou Takahiro. In 1563, he and his father both entered Maebashi Castle to help with the governing of the Kantou. He succeeded his father as head of the clan in 1574 at his father's retirement.

He supported Uesugi Kagetora in the Otate no Ran after Kenshin's death and fought several battles with Uesugi Kagekatsu's troops in Echigo. The following year, he was injured by a lance wielded by one of Kagekatsu's commanders, Ogita Nagashige, which became a fatal wound and killed him. Kagehiro had been a central cohesive force in Kagetora's faction, and after his death Kagetora's faction began to fall apart, leading to his defeat.

Kagetora's beloved in the age before he became Ougi Takaya.

A young woman who was a former hostess and Shiohara Kouzou's lover. She blames Shiohara Nagi for Kouzou's death. She lives in Takada City and seems to be something of an alcoholic.

Kodama Narikata was a retainer of the Mouri Clan in Mouri Takamoto's service. He commanded the Mouri Navy and was lord of Kusatsu Castle in Aki.

In Mirage of Blaze, Narikata continued to serve Mouri as the commander of its navy and was on board the 'Yamato' with Kikkawa Motoharu during the battle of Itsuku Island.

A flatland mountain-castle located in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture (formerly Musashi), built by Kantou Kanrei Uesugi around 1438 - 1439. It was later abandoned before the Later Houjou Clan took over the territory. Houjou Ujitsuna restored it and made his vassal Kasahara Nobutame its lord. Kasahara poured his efforts into maintaining the villages and land around the castle, and his descendants lived in the area well into the Edo Period.

Houjou Ujitaka, Houjou Saburou (Uesugi Kagetora), and Houjou Ujimitsu succeeded Kasahara as lord of the castle. In 1590, during the Siege of Odawara, the castle was taken by Toyotomi Hideyoshi without bloodshed. It was left to fall to ruin during Tokugawa Ieyasu's reign. The main structures of the inner ad outer citadels still remain today.

A student at Old Castle High School in junior class C who has been friends with Inaba Akemi since junior high.

She has something of a reputation for going through boyfriends quickly and decides to seduce Chiaki Shuuhei, her Math teacher. She is manager of the rugby team and gets Chiaki to agree to be the team's advisor in Kobayashi's place.