Glossary

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tatami (畳)

Woven straw mats used as traditional Japanese flooring.

Japanese rooms are traditionally measured by the number of tatami mats laid out in it, the dimensions of which are 90 cm x 180 cm x 5 cm.

tengu (天狗)

lit. "Heavenly Dog"

Tengu are mythical creatures found in Japanese folklore and traditionally depicted with human, monkey and avian features. Though their shapes vary, typical characteristics include red faces, long noses, and wings. Beginning in the 13th century, tengu came to be associated with the mountain ascetics who practice Shugendou and are said to be protective spirits of the mountains and forests.

Uesugi Kenshin (上杉謙信)
Feb. 18, 1530 - Apr. 19, 1578

Also called: Nagao Kagetora (長尾景虎), Uesugi Masatora (上杉政虎), Uesugi Terutora (上杉輝虎)
Title: Kantou Kanrei (関東管領)

Historically: Fourth son of the noted warrior Nagao Tamekage, Kenshin wrested control of the Nagao clan from his brother Nagao Harukage and fought for control of Echigo Province. He accepted the name Uesugi Masatora when he gave refuge to his nominal lord, Uesugi Norimasa, and at his urging campaigned to push the Houjou out of the Kantou Region.

He adopted the name "Kenshin" when he became a Buddhist monk and a devotee of Bishamonten. The standard his army carried onto the battlefield bore the character 毘 ("bi") for Eight-Sword Bishamonten. He battled Takeda Shingen five times at Kawanakajima, as well as the Houjou and Ashina clans and Oda Nobunaga, whom he defeated despited being outnumbered. However, Kenshin died soon after the battle. He named his two adopted sons, Uesugi Kagetora and Uesugi Kagekatsu, his heirs, hoping that they would divide the Uesugi lands peacefully between them after his death.

In Mirage of Blaze: He became a god of war after his death, ascending from Nin Dou to Ten Dou, and established the Meikai Uesugi Army to ensure that the peace of Japan is not disrupted by the onshou. He named Kagetora as its commander.

Uesugi Tomoyoshi (上杉朝良)
1473? - 1518-05-30

Uesugi Tomoyoshi was son of Uesugi Tomomasa and adopted by his uncle Uesugi Sadamasa. He was attracted to books and learning, and was enjoined again and again to martial studies by his adopted father.

His adopted father died in battle against Uesugi Akisada in 1494, and Tomoyoshi became head of the Ougigayatsu branch of the Uesugi Clan and master of Kawagoe Castle in Musashi.

vajra

Also known as: kongou-sho (金剛杵)

A mystical indestructible weapon in Buddhism and Hinduism which destroys ignorance. In Hindu mythology, this weapon was made out of the spine of the sage Dadhichi, who sacrificed himself so that this weapon could be created to kill Vitrasur, who had conquered heaven and terrorized gods.

In tantric rituals, the vajra, held in the right hand, symbolizes the male principle while the bell, held in the left hand, symbolizes the female principle; their interaction leads to enlightenment.

Yokohama-shi (横浜市)

The City of Yokohama is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second-largest city in Japan after Tokyo. It is also a major port and commercial hub and historically one of the first cities to be opened to foreigners during the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

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