A prefecture located in north-central Japan on the island of Honshuu, its capital is Toyama City and was once known as Ecchuu, governed for some part of its history by the Uesugi Clan.

Toyama Bay is Japan's largest open-sea inner bay to the Sea of Japan, and is known for its depth and abundance of fish. It is also famous for the mirage that appears during the spring and winter.

Also called: Hiyoshimaru (日吉丸), Kinoshita Tokichiro (木下藤吉郎), Hashiba Hideyoshi (羽柴秀吉)
Titles: Kanpaku, Taikou, Chikuzen no Kami

Historically: The second of the "Three Unifiers"; he was born a peasant but rose quickly through the ranks of Oda Nobunaga's vassals to the position of one of Nobunaga's most distinguished generals. After Nobunaga's death, he took over the work of unifying the nation through military strength and brought an end to the Sengoku period.

A castle once located in Mutsu Province (Fukushima Prefecture).

Also known as: Matsunaga Nasu (松永茄子), Tsukumogami (九十九髪), Tsukomo Nasu (九十九茄子), Sakubutsu Nasu (作物茄子), Tsukomo Nasu (付藻茄子)

A masterpiece tea caddy which was imported from China during the early Muromachi Shogunate (1336 - 1573) and owned by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. It was said that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu carried it even when going to battle. The caddy was treasured by several generations of Ashikaga shoguns and passed through several hands before being sold to Matsunaga Hisahide for the price of 1,000 kan.

When Matsunaga Hisahide surrendered to Oda Nobunaga, he offered the Tsukumokami Nasu to Nobunaga as a sign of his loyalty.

This priceless item now resides in the Seikadou Bunko Art Museum in Tokyo.

Also known as: crimson beast

A spirit-beast which takes the form of a long-tailed lion around five-six feet in length with golden eyes, surrounded by red fire, tsutsuga have the ability to devour the souls of people, tigers, and leopards, and spit fire. They can interact with the physical world, their razor-sharp claws and teeth making them ferocious predators, but can be affected by mind powers, such as nenpa and hypnotic suggestion.

Legend has it that Holy Priest Shoudou trapped a male and female pair of the tsutsuga into the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The female tsutsuga has the power to devour spirits as well as the souls of living people who look into the tsutsuga's eyes, entrapping them within the Tsutsuga Mirrors. The male tsutsuga eats fire and exhales fire instead of air. Their cubs inherit both abilities.

Title: Ecchuu no Kami
Also known as: Tsutsui Fujikatsu (筒井藤勝), Tsutsui Fujimasa (筒井藤政), 後順慶

Son of the Sengoku general Tsutsui Junshou in Yamato, Junkei succeeded his father as clan head in 1550 when he was only 2 years old upon his father's death of illness. His uncle Tsutsui Junsei acted as his guardian. However, Tsutsui Junsei died in the invasion of Yamato by Matsunaga Hisahide in 1564, and Junkei lost Tsutsui Castle, the clan's main castle, to Hisahide.

In 1566 he joined with the Miyoshi Triumvirate in order to recover Tsutsui Castle, but Hisahide proved too much to handle. Junkei then became a vassal of Oda Nobunaga, and fought several battles under him, including the seige of Mount Shigi in 1577 where Hisahide was defeated. After the battle Nobunaga rewarded Junkei with the province of Yamato.

After Nobunaga's death, Junkei became a vassal of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He died at 36 of illness. His tomb is located near the remains of Tsutsui Castle in what is now Tsutsui Junkei History Park.

Built in 1430 by Tsutsui Junei, the castle became the main castle of the Tsutsui Clan. Tsutsui Junkei was its seventh generation master. He lost the castle to Matsunaga Hisahide in 1564. Junkei later became a vassal of Oda Nobunaga and recovered the castle upon Hisahide's death and his appointment as governor of Yamato by Nobunaga in 1577, but abandoned it in 1580 and moved to Yamato-Kooriyama Castle in obedience to Nobunaga's one-castle policy.

Nothing now remains of the castle but a stone monument marking the spot where it once stood.