Also known as: choubukuryoku (調伏力)
The special power given to the Yasha-shuu to banish onryou to the Underworld using the dharani of Uesugi Kenshin's guardian deity, Bishamonten. The types of choubuku include "kouhou-choubuku", "ressa-choubuku", "kekkai-choubuku", etc. Each choubuku is begun with the incantation "bai" and the ritual hand gesture of Bishamonten's symbol.
Choubuku does not work against kanshousha, who have bodies of their own.
Daiken (Great Sword Shrine) is located on Mt. Tsurugi at an elevation of 1,820 meters (5,971 ft). It is known to 'sever bad connections and forge good connections'.
Lit.: "Rite of Buddhist cedar-stick burning platform"; enormous pyres used in Esoteric Buddhism for public prayer, made up of thousands of cedar wooden sticks with inscriptions of people's prayers. These rites originated in India as a way of making offerings to the gods.
There are various types of goma rituals, including those used for prayers for good health, fortune, and peace, as well as those used for exorcisms and summoning the protection of the gods.
Also known as: Yahata no Kami, Yawata no Kami, hachiman Daibosatsu (八幡大菩薩)
Hachiman is a Shinto God of War whose name means God of Eight Banners. He is a popular deity in Japan who is also worshiped as the god of agriculture and divine protector of the Japanese people.
A brief list of honorifics used in address:
san (さん) - the most common honorific, usually used to address someone outside one's immediate circle with respect
kun (君) - usually used towards boys and men of junior status or equal age and status
chan (ちゃん) - a diminutive used mainly towards children, and intimate friends, especially women; also used as an endearment for girls
sama (様) - the formal form of "san", showing a high level of respect
senpai (先輩) - used to refer to someone with a more senior status, such as a freshman towards a senior
sensei (先生) - often translated as "teacher", but can actually be used to show respect for anyone with superior knowledge in a field, including doctors and writers
dono/tono (殿) - an antiquated term which roughly translates to "lord", used to show great respect for the addressee, who can be of equal or higher status than the speaker
uji/shi (氏) - in ancient times, carried the meaning "of the ~ clan" or "of the ~ surname"; now used in formal speech and writing to refer to someone unfamiliar to the speaker.
hime (姫) - used to denote a princess or lady of higher/noble birth
Also known as: cutting whirlwind, razor whirlwind, vacuum whirlwind
A wind demon commonly depicted in Japanese folklore as a trio of weasels with sharp claws, riding on a gust of wind to cut into the skin of their victims at lightning speed.
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.
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.
Lit. "light-enclosing exorcism"; a type of exorcism which uses the incantation noumakusamanda... and summons Tobatsu Bishamonten. Described as bomb-like, as opposed to ressa-choubuku.
Located in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka Castle was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the former site of the Ikkou Sect's Ishiyama Hongan Temple. He completed it in 1598 after 5 years of construction.
The City of Osaka is the capital of Osaka Prefecture and the commercial and gourmet food center of Japan.
Lit. "rend-exploding exorcism"; a type of choubuku which uses the incantation "ari nari tonari...." Described as gun-like, as opposed to kouhou-choubuku.
The eastern part of present-day Shizuoka Prefecture, ruled by the Imagawa clan for much of the Sengoku Period. It was later taken over by Takeda Shingen when Imagawa Yoshimoto was defeated by Oda Nobunaga. When Tokugawa Ieyasu came to power the province was assigned to one of his allies.
Born in 1534, Tadazumi was originally a Shinto priest of Tosa Shrine before he was made a Chousokabe retainer by Motochika, engaged mostly in diplomacy.
He persuaded Motochika to surrender to Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the latter's conquest of Shikoku and later participated in the conquest of Kyuushuu in 1586. After Nobuchika's death in the Battle of Hetsugi River, he went to the Shimazu Clan as an envoy to receive Nobuchika's ashes.
He later administered the area around Nakamura Castle in Hata District and died of illness in the castle aged 67.
