Title: Hyuga no Kami
Also known as: Koreta Mitsuhide

A talented general and poet who belonged to the inner circle of Oda Nobunaga's vassals. He later ambushed Nobunaga at Honnou Temple in 1582, killing both Nobunaga and his heir, Oda Nobutada. Akechi Mitsuhide then proclaimed himself the new shogun, but soon clashed against Toyotomi Hideyoshi's forces and was defeated in the Battle of Yamazaki only 13 days later. He was killed en route to his stronghold of Sakamoto Castle in the village of Ogurusu by a bandit with a bamboo spear (though an alternate theory states that he was not killed but became a monk instead).

A castle built by Toda Ujikane in 1617 at a strategic site crossed by two rivers flowing into the ocean, allowing for boat landings. It was located in what is now the City of Amagasaki, Hyougo Prefecture.

The castle was known for being the place where Araki Murashige fled to in his failed revolt against Oda Nobunaga. It was demolished in 1873 and rebuilt in 2018.

Title: Settsu no Kami

A vassal of Oda Nobunaga, born in what is now Ikeda City in Osaka as eldest son and heir to Araki Yoshimura (some say Araki Takamura). He served as vassal to Ikeda Katsumasa and married the daughter of Ikeda Nagamasa. He later served the Miyoshi Clan when they took over the Ikeda Clan, but was noticed by Nobunaga and allowed to become a vassal of the Oda Clan.

Nobunaga gave him Settsu Province as well as several castles, and Murashige fought in many of Nobunaga's wars, including the ten-year siege of Ishiyama Hongan Temple.

In October of 1578, Murashige suddenly revolted against Nobunaga. (Opinions differ on why he did so; Nobunaga apparently held Murashige in high esteem, and his betrayal came as a shock.) Oda's army besieged Murashige at Itami Castle, and he resisted bitterly for the space of a year. However, when his attendants Nakagawa Kiyohide and Takayama Ukon betrayed him, he was left at a severe disadvantage. Thereafter he fled alone to the Mouri Clan. His wife and children as well as soldiers and everyone else left behind at Itami Castle (some 600 people) were executed at Kyoto.

In 1582, after Oda's death and Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to power, Murashige returned to Sakai City in Osaka as a master of the tea ceremony. In the beginning he called himself Araki Douhun (荒木道糞), formed of the characters for "road" and "excrement" in remorse for abandoning his wife and children. Later, Hideyoshi forgive him his past errors and gave him the name Doukun (道薫), with "excrement" changed to "fragrance".

He died in Sakai at the age of 52.

Also known as: Itami Castle (伊丹城)

A flatland castle constructed by the Itami Clan during the Northern and Southern Courts period (1336 - 1392) and renovated in 1475, Itami Castle contained the oldest castle keep in Japan. It fell in 1574 to Araki Murashige, who changed its name to Arioka Castle and greatly expanded it into one of the largest castles in the region.

However, when Murashige later rebelled against Oda, Oda laid siege to the castle and took it in 1579. His general Ikeda Motosuke demolished it. Today its ruins are located just in front of Itami Station.

A city founded in Hyougo Prefecture in 1871, Ashiya was designated as an urban planning area in the early 1900s, which led to the development of large single-family homes along the hills overlooking Osaka Bay.

Also know as: Bishamon, Tamonten, Vaiśravaṇa, Kubera

Bishamonten is one of the 12 Deva Guardians, the protector of the North and the most powerful of the Four Heavenly Kings. He is the god of warfare and warriors, sometimes called the "black warrior"; black is his symbolic color, and winter is the season over which he presides. He is often depicted as warrior with a crown on his head, a pagoda in one hand and a trident in the other. He punishes those who do evil and is also the guardian of the places where Buddha preaches. He is one who is all-knowing, who hears everything, who is always listening, and is completely versed in Buddha's teachings. He is one of Japan's Seven Deities of Fortune. The soldiers of his army are the powerful earth deities called Yaksha.

Bishamonten is also called "Tobatsu Bishamonten" (刀八毘沙門天), or "Eight-Sword Bishamonten", because of an error in translation passed down through the centuries. The original name, "Bishamonten of Tobatsu", pointed to a manifestation of Bishamonten which appeared in the Central Asian kingdom of Tou-po or Tobatsu (兜跋) to protect the capital city against invaders. Bishamonten in this form is depicted with a diadem on his head, four hands holding a key, a gem, a pagoda, and a halbert before him and eight arms holding eight swords around him.

The westernmost area of Japan on the island of Honshuu comprised of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi.

Also known as: Mahavairocana, Dainichi Nyorai, Vairocana, Daibutsu

Mahavairocana is the Cosmic Buddha who represents the center or zenith and is especially important to the Shingon school of Esoteric Buddhism. He was worshiped in Japan from as early as the Heian Period, and his Mahavairocana Sutra forms the basis for the rituals of the Shingon School.

Dainichi's characteristic hand gesture is the index finger of the left hand clasped by the five fingers of the right, symbolizing the unity of earth, water, fire, air, and spiritual consciousness.

A monk of Kurama Temple to whom Agi entrusts the corpse-hair mandala of Araki Murashige's clan. He is described as being in his early 30's with the physique of a warrior-monk and a tonsure that suited his face well. He is appears to be an attendant of the head monk.

Shimozuma Rairyuu performs kanshou on him.

Also known as: Momoyama Castle (桃山城), Fushimi-Momoyama Castle (伏見桃山城)

A castle located in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward and built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1592 - 1594 to be his retirement palace, Fushimi Castle was particularly famous for its gold leave-covered Golden Tea Room. It was destroyed by earthquake only two years after its completion, but was soon reconstructed and came under the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu vassal Torii Mototada.

Also known as: gebakuhou (外縛法), gaibaku

Lit.: "outer bind"; a method of tying a spirit body or physical body to one place such that they cannot move, also commonly called "paralysis". Kagetora and company use gebakuhou when they wish to perform «choubuku» on especially powerful spirits or a large host of spirits during "kouhou-choubuku" or "kekkai-choubuku", etc.

Also known as: Gohou Douji of the Swords

Lit.: "Dharma-protecting boy"; a variety of demon-deity in the service of Bishamonten who can be summoned by a high priest with mikkyou to do his bidding. They look like boys of 9 or 10 with red hair and golden skin who wear a thousand swords and ride on top of a magic wheel (Cakraratna). Their power and skills are varied and depend on the power of their summoners.

In Mirage of Blaze, Takaya summons the Gohou Douji by writing Bishamonten's mantra on a piece of paper in Sanskrit and wrapping it around a dagger while chanting On beishiramandaya sowaka, then drawing Bishamonten’s seed syllable in the air above the blade before placing the fore- and middle fingers of his right hand against his forehead. He then touches the sword to his fingers, whereupon the paper ignites, and the Gohou Douji appears from the fire.

Lit. "wave of self-protection"; the goshinha is a protective mesh spun from fine strands of spiritual energy which surrounds the caster and protects from an opponent's spiritual as well as physical attacks. The mesh gains strength and stability when it is multi-layered and becomes the goshinheki. The goshinha is Naoe's forte.

Lit. "light of self-protection"; a protective barrier along the lines of the goshinha which looks like a cloak of gold light, used by the Gohou Douji.

A traditional Japanese restaurant in Gion, Kyoto at which Hazama Shigeharu and Naoe meet confectionery wholesalers after the first day of the Confectionery Industries Symposium.

Likely fictional, although there is a "Hanaguruma" ([[https://tabelog.com/en/kyoto/A2601/A260203/26002422/|花車) restaurant in Gion.

Literally: "Era of Peace and Tranquility"; a period in Japanese history in which Chinese influences on Japanese culture, such as Confucianism, were at their height. The imperial court was at the peak of its power, and the capital was moved from Nara to Heian (now Kyoto). This era is greatly admired for its art, including poetry and literature (The Tale of Genji was written during this period). Buddhism, primarily in the form of two esoteric schools, Tendai and Shingon, began to spread throughout Japan.

Higashiyama (East Mountain) Ward is one of the 11 wards of Kyoto and is seated between Kamo River and the Higashiyama mountain range. It holds residential areas in its western part, forests to the east, a commercial district to the north, and a semi-industrial zone to the south.

Lit.: "human pillar"; human sacrifices made to the gods during the construction of dikes, bridges, castles, etc. with the hope that the building would be protected against floods, invaders, and the like. The sacrifice is made by burying the person alive.

A Nichirenshu Buddhist temple located in Kyoto, famous for being the site at which Oda Nobunaga was betrayed and murdered by his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide.

A Tendai Buddhist temple constructed from 1586 - 1588 in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto at the command of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who wanted a "giant Buddha" temple in the capital city to rival that of Nara.

The temple has been destroyed by fire, lightning, and earthquake and rebuilt several times. During the Meiji era its land was subdivided and allocated to Kyoumei Shrine to its south and adjacent Houkoku Shrine, thus greatly reducing the size of the temple.

Also known as: Ikeda Katsushige, Ikeda Shigenari, Araki Kyuuzaemon

Ikeda Tomomasa was the eldest son of Ikeda Nagamasa of Settsu Province, but his father chose another son, Ikeda Katsumasa, to succeed as clan head upon his death due to his superior accomplishments in literary and military arts. Other accounts claim that Tomomasa was an illegitimate son.

Tomomasa plotted with a retainer of the clan, Araki Murashige, to overthrow Katsumasa and send him into exile. He then assumed the position of clan head. Araki later abandoned the Ikeda Clan to serve Oda Nobunaga. Tomomasa allied himself with an enemy of the Oda and was driven into exile. Araki took the opportunity to seize control of the Ikeda Clan. Tomomasa eventually surrendered to Oda, who made him a retainer of Araki Murashige.

When Araki rebelled against Oda and escaped to Amagasaki Castle he entrusted Arioka Castle to Tomomasa and the other retainers, who surrendered the castle to Oda upon his pledge that no harm would befall their wives and children "if Amagasaki Castle and Hanakuma Castle were surrendered to me." Tomomasa and others rode for Amagasaki in order to persuade Araki to surrender, but he refused to receive them. Tomomasa et. al. took flight instead of returning to Arioka Castle, abandoning their families. Oda ordered all hostages to be executed to make an example of them.

A fortified Buddhist temple established in 1496 which was home to warrior monks, priests, peasants, and local nobles (Ikkou-ikki) who opposed samurai rule. Oda Nobunaga, who feared the power and influence of the monks, set siege to the fortress in 1570 while Kennyo was its chief abbot. The siege lasted for 10 years, and the temple finally fell in 1580.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi began construction of Osaka Castle on the same site three years later.

Also known as: 12 Celestial Beings, 12 Deva, 12 Deva Guardians

The highest-ranking deities of the highest heaven of the Plane of Desire who are particularly important to the Shingon sect of Esoteric Buddhism. The 12 Devas are guardians of the 12 directions: the eight cardinal and ordinal directions, up, down, sun, and moon. The twelve are: Bonten, Taishakuten, Suiten, Bishamonten, Enmaten, Katen, Rasetsuten, Ishanaten, Futen, Nitten, Gatten, Chiten.

Titles: Izumi no Kami

Historically: the son of Kakizaki Kageie. He was sent to Odawara Castle in Sagami when the Kenshin and the Houjou clans struck a peace treaty in an exchange of hostages with Houjou Saburou (Uesugi Kagetora). The fate of Kakizaki Haruie was unknown when his father was accused of treason. There are theories that he either died in 1575 along with his father, or that he was murdered by Uesugi Kagekatsu's faction in 1578 during the Otate no Ran.

In Mirage of Blaze: He was one of Uesugi Kagetora's most loyal followers as well as the leader of his faction in the Otate no Ran, and was killed by Uesugi Kagekatsu's followers. He is now one of the Yasha-shuu under Kagetora's command. Haruie possesses female bodies (the only member of the Yasha-shuu to do so) in search of a lover who died two hundred years ago.

Of the Yasha-shuu, he is the one who excels most at the spiritual sensing ability called reisa.