Obu Toramasa, who according to some accounts was a descendant of Minamoto no Yoshiie, was a chief vassal of the Takeda Clan who first served Takeda Nobutora, then his son Takeda Shingen, and later became tutor to Shingen's eldest son Yoshinobu. He was one of Shingen's Twenty-Four Generals and was nicknamed "The Wild Tiger of Kai." However, he was implicated in a plot to rebel against Shingen by Yoshinobu and was forced to commit suicide at the age of 62.

The Siege of Odawara in 1590 was the campaign by which Toyotomi Hideyoshi killed Houjou Ujimasa, exiled his son Houjou Ujinao, and eliminated the mighty Later Houjou Clan, ruler of the eight provinces of the Kantou, as a threat to his power.

The Houjou were not caught unprepared; guessing at Hideyoshi's intentions, they had made preparations by making a massive recruitment effort targeting men from 15 to 70 years of age, shoring up arms, and making large-scale renovations and repairs to Odawara Castle, Hachiouji Castle, Yamanaka Castle, Nirayama Castle, and others.

Toyotomi's main force consisted of Toyotomi Hidetsugu, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Oda Nobukatsu, Gamou Ujisato, Kuroda Yoshitaka, Hashiba Hidekatsu, Ukita Hideie, Oda Nobukane, Hosokawa Tadaoki, Kobayakawa Takakage, Kikkawa Hiroie, Hori Hidemasa, Ikeda Terumasa, Asano Nagamasa, Ishida Mitsunari, Natsuka Masaie, Hasegawa Hidekazu, Ootani Yoshitsugu, Ishikawa Kazumasa, Mashita Nagamori, Kanamori Nagachika, Tsutsui Sadatsugu, Ikoma Chikamasa, Hachisuka Iemasa, Ootomo Yoshimune, and Shimadu Hisayasu leading approx. 170,000 troops. His navy was lead by Chousokabe Motochika, Katou Yoshiakira, Kuki Yoshitaka, and Wakizaka Yasuharu with approx. 10,000 troops. An additional army lead by Maeda Toshiie, Maeda Toshinaga, Uesugi Kagekatsu, Sanada Masayuki, and Yoda Yasukuni came down from the north with approx. 35,000 troops.

In all, around 210,000 troops faced the Houjou 82,000 (though opinions differ on those numbers).

For the Houjou, Houjou Ujimasa, Houjou Ujinao, Houjou Ujitada, Houjou Ujiteru, Oota Ujifusa, Narita Ujinaga, Minagawa Hiroteru, Haga Yasutada, Matsuda Norihide, Kasahara Masaharu and Kasahara Masataka held Odawara Castle. Matsuda Yasunaga held Yamanaka Castle, Houjou Ujikatsu Yamanaka Castle then Tamanawa Castle, Houjou Ujinori Nirayama Castle, Daidouji Masashige Matsuida Castle, and Houjou Ujikuni Hachigata Castle.

Toyotomi's basic strategy held the troops from the north in reserve while sending his main army towards Odawara Castle, taking Yamanaka Castle, Nirayama Castle, and Ashigara Castle along the way. At the same time, his navy circled Izu Peninsula toward Odawara from the south. Though Toyotomi controlled an overwhelming force, the Houjou had gathered an elite force of 50,000 at Odawara Castle, with the most elite among them placed at Yamanaka, Nirayama, and Ashigara Castles.

One by one, the Houjou's supporting castles fell either to Toyotomi's main force or to the reserves from the north. At Odawara, however, only a night attack by Oota Ujifusa on the Houjou side and some skirmishes from the Toyotomi side could be called actual fighting.

In July, Ujinori and Ujifusa began peace negotiations via Ieyasu. The Houjou agreed to surrender, and Ujimasa and Ujiteru were moved to the guardhouse. They committed seppuku on the 10th of August.

The City of Odawara, located in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture, flourished as the castle-town of the Houjou Clan, whose strategic fortress of Odawara Castle served as an impregnable stronghold for several generations of the clan during the Sengoku. During the Edo Period, it became the castle-town of Odawara-han and controlled the East Sea Road between Edo and Tokugawa stations west of Hakone.

The village where Akechi Mitsuhide was supposedly set upon by bandits and killed after he lost the Battle of Yamazaki against Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

The manager of a Japanese inn and hot spring in Iya where Ushio used to work.

Okazaki Castle was built near the top of a small hill jutting out into the Sagami plains—geographically, not a very strategic position, but it was placed almost at the center of Sagami and therefore suitable for governance. It is unknown what happened to the castle after the Houjou Clan conquered Sagami.

A high school friend of Tachibana Yoshiaki whose family also owns a temple. He studied Buddhism in college to obtain his monk's license, but decided to work in a company after graduation instead. He currently works as a secretary for Hazama Shigeharu, whom he admires, at Hazama Confectionery. He recommends Naoe to Hazama when Hazama begins dreaming of a princess from antiquity.

「オン・アボギャベイロシャノウ・マカボダラ・マニハンドマ・ジンバラハラバリタヤ・ウン」

Also known as: Koumyou Shingon: "The mantra of glory/mantra of light" (光明真言)

A mantra of Dainichi Nyorai which expiates sin, and brings fortune, ease, and longevity. It is a powerful all-purpose mantra which can be used to remove illness and injury and protect the user from poisonous creatures, demons, and the dead.

The mantra of Amitābha, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Light.

The mantra of Kannon, a transliteration of the original Sanskrit which in English is usually written:

Oṃ Ālolik Svāhā

It means "Oh, Unstained One, Hail!" or "Salutations to the Pure One".

「おん　ばさら　ぼきしゃ　ぼく」

A mantra chanted at the end of a ritual to send any summoned powers back to their origins.

「オン・バザラギニ・ハラチハタヤ・ソワカ」

Also known as: hikougosin (被甲護身)

An incantation that casts a spiritual suit of armor around the receiver.

One description of the casting says: "Imagine that you have put on the armor of the Great Compassion and the Great Mercy of the Tathagata (Buddha), that all the demons and all those who would hinder the practitioner now see him enclosed in bright light and flames, like the orb of the sun."

「オン・ダキニ・サハハラキャテイ・ソワカ」

An invocation of protection from Dakini, a Buddhist deity who eats the hearts of the dead and is associated with the fox: "Oh Divine Eater of Human Flesh and those who follow you, I call upon you in fear and awe."

「オン・キリ・カク・ウン・ソワカ」

The mantra of Dakini, a Buddhist deity who eats the hearts of the dead and is associated with the fox.

「オン・シュチリ・キャロ・ロハ・ウン・カン・ソワカ」

The mantra of Daiitoku Myouou, used during Daiitoku Myouou-hou.

The mantra of Benzaiten (Saraswati):

"Oṃ Sarasvatyai svāhā" - "Hail Saraswati!"

Shingon of the treasure carriage, used to send the carriage which goes out to receive the idol of the Buddha. The accompany ritual gesture is made with the middle, ring, and little fingers interwoven, with forefingers touching and heels of hands touching, and thumbs spread.

The Aso Onda Festival is an annual traditional festival passed down through the generations which honors the pioneering god of Aso for opening the region to agriculture and prays for good harvests.

It has been a regular festival of Aso Shrine since the Meiji Era, and a large Shinto ritual is held on the occasion: July 26 at Kokuzou Shrine and on July 28 at Aso Shrine.

Also known as: Oniniwa Tsunamoto, Moniwa Nobumoto

A vassal of the Date Clan under Date Masamune whose father, Oniwa Yoshinao, died at the Battle of Hitotoribashi. Masamune's trust in him and his admininstrative skills were such that he was given important administrative duties over other key retainers at the age of 38.

In 1590, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi suspected Masamune of treason, Tsunamoto went to the capital in his lord's defense. Hideyoshi was so impressed by his ability that it was said that he gave one of his concubines to Tsunamoto.

Tsunamoto would later serve Masamune's son, Date Hidemune, with the same faithfulness.

Lit.: "vengeful ghost"; the spirits of those who died in the Sengoku period who are still so filled with rage and hatred that they continue to exist in the world as vengeful spirits instead of being purified and reborn.

Lit. "onshou-extermination": exorcism of the onshou

Titles: Harima no Kami

At first a vassal of the Sannai-Uesugi Clan, he became a vassal of the Nagao Clan when he accompanied Uesugi Norimasa into Echigo to seek the assistance of Nagao Kagetora (Uesugi Kenshin).

He took the side of Uesugi Kagekatsu during the Otate no Ran. After the war, he became one of the three magistrates of the Aizu along with Yasuda Yoshimoto and Iwai Nobuyoshi and was the chamberlain of Hobara Castle. His forte was in the maintainence of highways and other public works construction.

A city located at the foot of the Northern Japanese Alps in Nagano Prefecture near Matsumoto. It was founded in 1954.

A city located in Nagasaki Prefecture which was ruled by the Oomura Clan. In the second half of the Sixteenth Century, Oomura Sumitada became the first daimyo to convert to Christianity.