Sengoku period

Oichi (1547-1583), younger sister of Oda Nobunaga and wife of first Azai Nagamasa and later Shibata Katsuie. She and her second husband died together after he set fire to Kitanosho Castle following his loss at the Battle of Shizugatake.

Komatsuhime (小松姫) (1573 – March 27, 1620) was a female warrior (onna-musha) during late-Sengoku period and early Edo period . Born the daughter of Honda Tadakatsu, she was adopted by Tokugawa Ieyasu, before marrying Sanada Nobuyuki. She is described as having been very beautiful, highly intelligent and skillful in fighting. Komatsuhime fought in the siege of Ueda and challenged Sanada Masayuki and Sanada Yukimura at the entrance of Numata Castle.

Hirano Nagayasu (1559-1628) was a samurai warlord who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Sengoku period (or Warring States period from mid-15th to early 17th century). Gonbei is his alias. He is known as one of the Seven Spears who fought well in the Battle of Shizugatake. This print shows a scene from the battle. He later allied with the Eastern Army in the Battle of Sekigahara, but could not participate in the main battle since he was serving Tokugawa Hidetada.

A ninja or shinobi was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of the ninja included: espionage, sabotage, infiltration, assassination and guerrilla warfare. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfare were deemed "dishonorable" and "beneath" the samurai-caste, who observed strict rules about honor and combat. The shinobi proper, a specially trained group of spies and mercenaries, appeared in the Sengoku or "warring states" period, in the 15th century.

Japan's Sengoku Period is sometimes compared to Europe's Dark Ages, as a chaotic transition time between political systems.

Kikyo, a miko from the anime Inuyasha,

A comparison of matchlocks and equipment between ashigaru (Japanese foot soldier) and a European soldier from roughly the same time periods.