Vassal of Uesugi Kagekatsu and son of Yoshie Kagesuke who died with his brother, father, and grandfather at Uozu Castle when it fell to Oda forces in June of 1582.

A commander in Yamato during the Sengoku who became head of his clan in 1533. He formed a peace alliance with the Tsutsui Clan in 1540 and married the daughter of Tsutsui Junkou, bringing about the golden age of the Toichi Clan. He built Ryuuouzan Castle, one of the largest castles in Yamato. He was said to be a superior warrior as well as a talented poet. At his sudden death of illness in 1545 at the age of 49, he was succeeded by his son and heir Toichi Tookatsu.

Also called: Matsudaira Takechiyo, Matsudaira Motoyasu
Titles: Mikawa no Kami, Shogun

Historically: The third of the "Three Unifiers"; an ally of Oda Nobunaga, after Nobunaga's death he first battled against then became an ally of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. When Hideyoshi died in 1598, Tokugawa moved against Hideyoshi's son and heir Toyotomi Hideyori and the five regents appointed to protect the Toyotomi rule. Tokugawa, along with his allies the Date and Mogami, and the defected Kobayakawa and Mouri clans, defeated the opposition at the Battle of Sekigahara and established the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Also known as: Tsuruchiyomaru (鶴千代丸)

Eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he received Mito in Hitachi Province in 1609 and founded the Mito branch of the Tokugawa house.

Tooyama Yasumitsu was a vassal of the Houjou Clan, son of Tooyama Naokage and younger brother of Tooyama Tsunakage. He was master of Shinjou Castle in Sagami. His wife was Uesugi Kagetora's aunt (mother's older sister).

In 1569, Yasumitsu and his son Tooyama Yasuhide were sent by Houjou Ujiyasu to participate in peace negotiations with Uesugi Kenshin in the Echigo-Sagami Alliance, and when Ujiyasu's son Saburou was adopted by Kenshin in 1570, he went with Saburou to Echigo. When Kagetora was defeated by Uesugi Kagekatsu in the Otate no Ran, Yasumitsu committed suicide alongside him.

A daimyo of the Sengoku era who rose from the lowly position of foot soldier to serve as a commander of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's fleet in the invasions of Korea. He was one of Toyotomi's main generals in the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), but switched his allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who gave him the 200,000-koku fiefdom of Iyo-Imabari and later made him lord of the 320,000-koku domain of Tsu, with land in both Iga and Ise.

Toudou Takatora was a famous designer of castles, involved in in construction of as many as twenty castles, including: Edo Castle, Wakayama Castle, Uwajima Castle, Imabari Castle, Iga Ueno Castle and Sasayama Castle.

Also called: Tsuchiya Uemon (土屋右衛門)

One of the Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen who fought in numerous battles, including the Battle of Kawanakajima.

A famous Japanese comedy duo formed in 1985 of the team of Uchimura Teruyoshi (Ucchan) and Nanbara Kiyotaka (Nanchan).

Also called: Nagao Kiheiji (長尾喜平次), Nagao Akikage (長尾顕景), Nagao Kagekatsu (長尾景勝)

Historically: One of Uesugi Kenshin's nephews, he was adopted by Kenshin and named Kenshin's heir along with Uesugi Kagetora. Following Kenshin's death in 1578, he provoked the feud against Kagetora in the Otate no ran for succession. His forces won over those of Kagetora in 1579, and he forced Kagetora to commit suicide. He lost the Uesugi's western holdings to Oda Nobunaga, and later submitted to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, under whom he rose to prominence to become a member of the council of five regents appointed by Hideyoshi to protect the Toyotomi rule.

As a general under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Kagekatsu received the 1.2 million-koku fief of Aizu in addition to his 550,000-koku fief of Echigo. After Toyotmi's death, Kagekatsu was one of the first daimyo to plan revolt against Tokugawa Ieyasu with the building of a new castle in Aizu and the accumulation of troops, and could be said to have least partly begun the Battle of Sekigahara. He refused a summons from Tokugawa to go to the capital to explain himself, and attacked with a 50,000 army, which were held back by Mogami Yoshiaki and Date Masamune. Kagekatsu was defeated early at the siege of his castle at Shiroishi and declared his allegiance to Tokugawa.

Afterwards, Kagekatsu was given the 300,000-koku Yonezawa-han in the Northeast.

Also known as: possibly Houjou Ujihide (北条氏秀), Houjou Saburou (北条三郎), Saburou Kagetora (三郎景虎)

Historically: Uesugi Kagetora was the seventh son (sixth to survive to adulthood) of Houjou Ujiyasu, younger brother of Houjou Ujimasa, Houjou Ujiteru, Houjou Ujikuni, Houjou Ujinori, Houjou Ujitada, and older brother of Houjou Ujimitsu. His mother was the sister-in-law of Tooyama Yasumitsu, a vassal of the Houjou Clan (other sources say Zuikeiin, Ujiyasu's principle wife). It's likely that he and Houjou Ujihide were two different people and that Ujihide was the son of Houjou Tsunashige and living in Edo while Saburou was living in Echigo, so most historians refer to him as Houjou Saburou when describing his early life.

As a child, he was sent into the priesthood at Souun Temple in Hakone, then sent as hostage to Takeda Shingen of the Takeda Clan in the three-way alliance between Houjou, Takeda, and Imagawa formed in 1554 (though this last point is now in dispute, as it is told only in the Records of Ancient Battles of the Eight Kanto Provinces and recorded in none of the Takeda Clan records.)

He was adopted by his uncle Houjou Genan in 1569 and married Genan's daughter.

When the Houjou and Uesugi clans formed an alliance in 1569, Saburou was sent to Uesugi Kenshin in an exchange of hostages with Kakizaki Haruie. (At first, the hostage was set to be Houjou Ujimasa's third son Kunimasumaru, but Ujimasa could not bring himself to send off his son, who was then still a baby.) Saburou was sent to the Uesugi clan in early 1570. Kenshin, who never married, developed a liking for the handsome and intelligent Saburou. He married his niece Seienin, the daughter of Nagao Masakage and older sister of Nagao Akikage (Uesugi Kagekatsu) to Saburou, gave him the name Kagetora (a name that had once belonged to Kenshin himself), and adopted him into the Uesugi Clan.

When Kenshin died suddenly in 1578 without naming an heir, Kagetora and Kagekatsu, similarly adopted by Kenshin, fought for succession to the position of clan head (the Otate no Ran). Though Kagetora held the early advantage with the backing of Uesugi vassals such as Uesugi Kagenobu, Honjou Hidetsuna, Kitajou Takahiro, and the Houjou Clan, the tide of the battle turned with Takeda Katsuyori's betrayal to Kagekatsu's side.

When the Otate fell in 1579, Kagetora attempted to escape to Odawara Castle, but was betrayed at Samegao Castle by Horie Munechika and committed suicide. His wife committed suicide along with him (though there are also accounts that she remained behind at the Otate and committed suicide there when her brother Kagekatsu refused Kagetora's surrender.) His oldest son Doumanmaru died at the hands of Kagekatsu's troops along with Uesugi Norimasa, and the rest of his children were believed to have died along with their parents.

In Mirage of Blaze: He was born to Houjou Ujiyasu and Zuikeiin as their eighth (seventh to survive to adulthood) and youngest son. After his death in the Otate no Ran, he was charged by Uesugi Kenshin to become kanshousha in order to ensure that the peace of Japan is not disrupted by the onshou as the leader of the Yasha-shuu and the commander of the Meikai Uesugi Army.

Title: Kantou Kanrei
Also known as: Fujiwara-no-Norimasa (藤原憲政)

Son of Uesugi Norifusa, he was only three when his father died. His adopted brother, Uesugi Norihiro, succeeded his father as head of the clan. When his brother was banished in 1531, Norimasa inherited the title of Kantou Kanrei.

From 1541 to 1552, he battled both the Houjou and Takeda Clans. He suffered several defeats, and fled to Nagao Kagetora (Uesugi Kenshin) in 1552, leaving his son and heir behind (who was later captured and executed.)

In 1557, he adopted Nagao Kagetora and in 1561 passed the title of Kantou Kanrei to him as well as the Uesugi family name and inheritance.

He later supported Uesugi Kagetora in the Otate no Ran. But as the Kagetora faction was hard-pressed due to Takeda Katsuyori's defection, he took Kagetora's son and heir with him to negotiate with the Kagekatsu faction. However, both were killed by an assassin at Kagekatsu's camp.

His sons were killed as well in the Otate no Ran, so ironically, it would be Uesugi Kenshin's son, Uesugi Kagekatsu, who would sever the bloodline of the Uesugi house.

Uesugi Tomosada was a daimyo of Musashi and the last clan head of the Ougigayatsu branch of the Uesugi Clan. Born in 1525, he succeeded his father Uesugi Tomooki as head of the Ougigayatsu-Uesugi Clan upon his father's death in April of 1537.

In order to hold his own against the mighty Houjou Clan, he built a castle (Jindaiji Castle) at Jindai Temple. However, taking advantage of Tomosada's youth, Houjou Ujitsuna attacked and successfully took Kawagoe Castle in July. Tomosada took flight and later made Matsuyama Castle his main stronghold.

In 1541, he reconciled with his long-time enemy Uesugi Norimasa to deal with a common enemy, Houjou Ujiyasu. In 1545, with the cooperation of Imagawa Yoshimoto of Suruga, they along with Ashikaga Haruuji attacked Kawagoe Castle with 80,000 troops (the Battle of Kawagoe Castle). Tomosada died in battle, ending the Ougigayatsu-Uesugi line.

Vassal of the Uesugi Clan, became head of the Yamayoshi Clan in September of 1577, at the death of his brother Yamayoshi Toyomori at the age of 13 with his uncle as his guardian. According to Uesugi Clan customs, a clan's land is seized until its head reaches adulthood at the age of 15, whereupon it is returned, but taking into account the long service of the Yamayoshi Clan, only half of the Yamayoshi land was seized, and Kagenaga was transferred from Sanjou Castle to Koba Castle.

The year after he entered Koba Castle, Kenshin died and the Otate no Ran began. He held Koba Castle in Uesugi Kagekatsu's name.

He also supported Kagekatsu in the Shibata Shigeie Rebellion and thereafter fought in many of Kagekatsu's wars, including Toyotomi Hideyoshi's assault against Odawara Castle and the Imjin War.

Head of the Echigo Yasuda Clan, son of Yasuda Kagemoto. He served as a vassal of the Uesugi clan and was given Iiyama Castle in Shinano by Uesugi Kenshin for merits in the Battle of Kawanakajima. The "aki", or "existing" character in his name was also bestowed on him by Kenshin.

In 1578 during the war for succession after Kenshin's death, he and his younger brother Yasuda Yoshimoto both supported Uesugi Kagekatsu, while his relatives Kitajou Takahiro and Kitajou Kagehiro (the Kitajou Clan and Yasuda Clan were both descended from the Mouri Clan) supported Uesugi Kagetora. He wrote: "Those who abandon Lord Kagekatsu, our rightful lord, and run to everyone's Kagetora are not descended from true warriors." It is said that Kagekatsu wept tears of joy upon reading his declaration.

He worked to persuade others such as Shibata Shigeie and Ijimino Nobumune to join Kagekatsu's side. In March of 1579, when Kagetora surrendered the castle and headed for the Kantou, he convinced Horie Munechika, master of Samegao Castle, to switch to Kagekatsu's side. Kagetora was cornered and committed suicide, and Kagekatsu won as a result.

It is also said that Akimoto took pity on Uesugi Norimasa's corpse, which was left unburied after his death, and gave it a proper burial.

In order to persuade Shibata Shigeie, Ijimino Nobumune, and other commanders to join Kagekatsu, Akimoto had promised reward such as castles and territory for merit during the war, a promise backed by Kagekatsu. However, he was opposed by other commanders such as Yamazaki Hidenori and Naoe Nobutsuna, who disagreed because these commanders had not joined Kagekatsu at the beginning of the war. Unable to keep his promise, Akimoto committed seppuku.

He was succeeded by his brother Yoshimoto.

Son of Yoshie Munenobu and trusted vassal of Uesugi Kenshin. He served as keeper of Kasugayama Castle when Kenshin was absent during his battles. He also fought in many of Kenshin's wars.

He supported Uesugi Kagekatsu in the Otate no Ran after Kenshin's death along with his son Nakajou Kageyasu and his father Yoshie Munenobu. He committed suicide at Uozu Castle along with his father and two eldest sons when it fell to Oda Nobunaga in 1582.

Also known as: Yoshie Sukekata (吉江資堅)

Head of the Yoshie Clan, a vassal of Uesugi Kenshin and a close aide to him in his later years. He supported Uesugi Kagekatsu in the Otate no Ran. He died in 1582 in the Battle of Uozu Castle along with twelve other Uesugi commanders.

Youhiki is the Japanese name for Yang Guifei, the legendary beauty of the Chinese Tang dynasty, who lived from 719 - 756.

Her story was highly popular in Japan, where rumor states that she escaped from her death during the An Lushan Rebellion, crossed the sea to Japan, and lived out the rest of her life there.

In Mirage of Blaze: she becomes guardian of the Japanese seas as a sea goddess. Lady Tomo, who worshiped her in life and became one of her handmaidens after death, adopts her name during her quest to retrieve the tide jewels 'manju' and 'kanju.'