Regions, Provinces, and Castles

One of the major obstacles I faced in playing NA games as a non-Japanese person was the sheer number of provinces and castle names. I knew that a good hierarchical categorization was helpful in remembering a large amount of data. So I did some research to figure out how to organize this categorization.

At the end, I found that the hierarchical categorization in order of Regions - Provinces - Castles was quite useful in remembering geographic whereabouts of provinces and castles.

I made this quite a while ago since it was a work in progress. However, I got busy and couldn't continue. And in an unfortunate accident, I erazed the save file I was using for this guide. So I decided to publish what I have compliled so far. Otherwise it would never get finished. I am currently engaged in a total domination game on the same scenario so that I might be able to continue this guide. However, I don't know how long it will take since my play time is limited.

Regions of Japan

Note 1: The provincial boundaries on this map are based on modern Japan, and do not exactly match the Sengoku era provincial boundaries. However, these boudaries more or less follow the historical precedents enough to be used as reference points to identify the general boundaries of each region.

Note 2: In the game, "KInai" region is mentioned. "Kinai" means the neighboring area of the capital. So Kansai region can be understood as "Kinai" region. However, "Kinai" is usually defined as the much narrower area leaving some of provinces in Kansai region not included. As a result, I use Kansai rather than "Kinai" as the regional name to inculde all the provinces organized into regions.

Note 3: Since the area covered by "Ezo" in SOI is limited to the southern tip of Hokkaido, Ezo as a region and as a province is essentially synonymous.

Provinces: Overview

Note: In SOI, some of the larger provinces are broken up into smaller provinces. For example, Dewa province in Tohoku region is broken up into 3 provinces as Ugo, North Uzen, and South Uzen. To avoid any confusion, I am going to follow provinces defined by SOI for this guide.

HOW TO RELATE AND REMEMBER THE NAMES OF PROVINCES

Tip 1: Many of provinces will end their names with zen, chu, or go. This means Front (zen), Middle (chu), or Rear (go) indicating shared provincial name with denotation of how far or close from Yamashiro, the capital province. For example, Ugo and Uzen in Note 4 can be understood as U-Far and U-Near provinces. Similarly, Bizen, Bicchu, Bingo can be understood as Bi-Near, Bi-Middle, Bi-Far provinces or Echizen, Ecchu, Echigo can be understood as Echi-Near, Echi-Middle, Echi-Far provinces.

Tip 2: In Kanto region, some of the provinces share the same name but in a different way from Note 3. They are Kazusa (Upper-Fusa) and Shimosa (Lower-Fusa) provinces. The same rule applies to Kozuke and Simotsuke provinces.

Tohoku/Ezo Region: Overview

Tohoku Region is the notheastern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It covers a very large area with low population density. Historically, there were only 2 provinces, Dewa and Mutsu in the region. Due to its size and the highly fractious nature of power division within the region, the game divides the region into 9 provinces.

Ezo literally means Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan and, by extension, the land belonging to Ainu people. Historically, Ezo as a province did not exist during the time covered in the game. Only in 1590, by the order of Toyomomi Hideyoshi, Matsumae clan formerly known as Kakizaki clan moved from Mutsu to the area referred in the game as Tokuyama Castle to form Matsumae District as the nothern frontier. So Kakizaki clan in control of fictional Ezo province beginning from the early 1500's is a bit of historical revision.

Tohoku/Ezo Region: Ezo, West Mutsu, East Mutsu

Ezo

Starting Popularity: 45

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Tokuyama	10
Mobe	3

West Mutsu

Starting Popularity: 50

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Ishikawa	10
Mutsu Fukushima	4
Namioka	7

East Mutsu

Starting Popularity: 60

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Sannohe	10
Noheji	9

Tohoku Region: Rikuchu, Rikuzen, Ugo, North Uzen, and South Uzen

* Yuri is not a regular fortress but a contructed one during the game. However, this is a location you are forced to construct a fortress because there is at least 1 to as many as 3 tribes unable to control unless you build one in that area.


Rikuchu

Starting Popularity: 50

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Kosuiji	10
Kunohe	3
Shizukuishi	8
Hanamaki	5
Isawa	9
Toriumi	3

Rikuzen

Starting Popularity: 50

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Rifu	10
Teraike	9
Myo	7
Koizumi	10

Ugo

Starting Popularity: 50

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Hiyama	10
Tokko	5
Kakunodate	4
Yokote	7

North Uzen

Starting Popularity: 55

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Yamagata	10
Tendo	9
Mamuro	3
Tsurugaoka	8

South Uzen

Starting Popularity: 70

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Yonezawa	10

Tohoku Region: Iwaki and Iwashiro

Iwaki and Iwashiro are provinces created in 1868 during the Meiji era. Since the game tries to break up Dewa/Mutsu provinces into 9 smaller provinces, the names of Iwaki and Iwashiro are borrowed from a different time period. But then again, I am also doing the same thing when I use "Tohoku" region which is a modern terminology.

Iwaki

Starting Popularity: 50

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Odaka	10
Soma Nakamura	9
Linodaira	8
Miharu	4
Sukagawa	9
Nihonmatsu	8
Marumori	4
Suginome	9
Watari	9
Komine	10

Iwashiro

Starting Popularity: 60

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Kurokawa	10
Inawashiro	4
Aizu Shingu	4
Shiono	3

Kanto Region: Overview

Home of Hojo clan in most of scenarios and Tokugawa clan in Sekigahara scenario. In addition to 8 provinces, Izu province is also included in this section although it is a part of Tokai region. Since whoever controls Odawara also controls Izu in the game probably because Hojo clan historically started out from Izu province, it makes more sense to consider Izu and Sagami together.

Kanto Region: Provinces

Note: Some fortresses appearing in other scenarios and therefore not appearing on this map are denoted by *.

Hitachi

Starting Popularity: 65

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Ota	10
Ishizuka	10
Ishioka	8
Oda	8
Moka	10

Shimosa

Starting Popularity: 50

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Koga	10
Moriyama	9
Motosakura	9
Sekiyado*	8
Kogane*	10

Kazusa

Starting Popularity: 55

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Kukuri	10
Mangi	7

Awa

Starting Popularity: 65

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Tateyama	10

Shimotsuke

Starting Popularity: 55

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Utsunomia	10
Gion	10
Mibu	9
Karasawayama	9
Karasuyama	8
Otawara	10

Kozuke

Starting Popularity: 55

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Minowa	10
Numata	3
Kunimine	7
Hirai	5

Musashi

Starting Popularity: 50

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Kawagoe	10
Edo	9
Oshi	7
Hachioji	6
Iwatsuki	8

Sagami

Starting Popularity: 70

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Odawara	10
Tamanawa	9
Misaki	4

Izu

Starting Popularity: 65

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Nirayama	10
Shimoda	3

Shinetsu Region: Overview

Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, and their famous battles of Kawanakajima. Enough said!

Shinetsu Region: Echigo, Shinano, Kai

North Echigo

Starting Popularity: 45

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Shibata	10
IYasuda	5

South Echigo

Starting Popularity: 65

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Kasugayama	10
Matsudai	4
Sakato	3
Kitajo	10
Tochio	9
Yoita	8

North Shinano

Starting Popularity: 55

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Katsurao	10
Toishi	3
Komoro	3
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥	3
Iiyama	3

South Shinano

Starting Popularity: 50

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Takato	10
Kiso Fukushima	3
Iida	5

Kai

Starting Popularity: 65

Castle /Fortress	# of Distrcts
Tsutsujigasaki	10
Nakano	3
Fuji Yoshida	3

Tokai Region: Overview

Imagawa in Suruga, Tokugawa (Matsudaira before the name change) in Mikawa, and Oda Nobunaga, the man this game is named after, in Owari. The region where history was made that changed the course of a nation.

Tokai Region: Provinces

[Yup]

Amazing job you did here.
It is interesting a lot of those names are still used today in Japan.

[LAntorcha]

Linodaira is a thypo. Japanese don´t use "L". Is a Capital "i". So "iinodaira".

[Crispin]

This is pretty damn cool and useful, thank you.

[RoxyRiku94]

Part 2 of Hokuriku Castles:
Kaga: Oyama/Kanazawa (Owner depends on Scenario, Main Castle, 12 Castle Slots, 3000 HP)
Kaga: Daishoji (Owner depends on Scenario, 3 Districts, 11 Castle Slots, 3000 HP)
Echizen: Katsuyama (Owner depends on Scenario, Mountain Castle, 3 Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)
Echizen: Asakurayama (Asakura, Mountain Castle, 3 Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)
Echizen: Ichijodani/Kitanosho (Owner depends on Scenario, Main Mountain Castle, 12 Castle Slots, 7000 HP)
Echizen: Somayama (Owner depends on Scenario, Mountain Castle, ? Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)
Echizen: Kanegasaki (Owner depends on Scenario, Mountain Castle, 3 Districts, 11 Castle Slots, 5000 HP)
Wakasa: Nochiseyama (Owner depends on Scenario, Main Castle, 12 Castle Slots, 3000 HP)

[RoxyRiku94]

And some more fortresses in the Chubu, and Hokuriku Regions (Part 1 for later):
Owari: Shobata (Oda, 6 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP)
Mino: Uho (Owner depends on Scenario, 6 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP)
Hida: Kaerikumo (Anegakoji, Mountain Castle, 3 Districts, 13 Castle Slots, 6000 HP)
Ise: Anotsu (Owner depends on Scenario, 4 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP)
Etchu: Uozu (Shiina/Uesugi, 3 Districts, 11 Castle Slots, 3000 HP)
Etchu: Toyama (Owner depends on Scenario, Main Castle, 12 Castle Slots, 3000 HP)
Etchu: Takaoka (Owner depends on Scenario, 9 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP)
Etchu: Fukumitsu (Owner depends on Scenario, ? Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP)
Noto: Nanao (Owner depends on Scenario, Main Mountain Castle, 14 Castle Slots, 10000 HP)
Noto: Takuda (Owner depends on Scenario, Mountain Castle, 4 Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)
Noto: Matsunami (Owner depends on Scenario, Mountain Castle, 5 Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)

[RoxyRiku94]

And some more fortresses in the Kanto and Shinetsu Regions:
Hitachi: Mito (Late Satake, 10 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP)
Kazusa: Oyumi (Ashikaga, not to be confused with the Shogunate, 9 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP)
Kazusa: Shiizu (Mariyatsu, 9 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP)
Kozuke: Umayabashi (Owner depends of Scenario, 9 Districts, 11 Castle Slots, 3000 HP)
Musashi: Hachigata (Hojo, Mountain Castle, 6 Districts?, 9 Castle Slots, 4000 HP)
North Echigo: Hirabayashi (Uesugi, Mountain Castle, 3 Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)
North Shinano: Kaizu (Takeda, Mountain Castle, 3 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 4000 HP)
North Shinano: Nechi (Uesugi, Mountain Castle, 4 Districts?, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)
North Shinano: Unnokuchi (Takeda, Mountain Castle, ? Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)
South Shinano: Uehara (Takeda, Mountain Castle, ? Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)

[RoxyRiku94]

*Note that the HP count already includes pre-built facilities (Earthen Wall, Stone Wall for Example)
East Mutsu: Hachinohe (Nanbu, 10 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP
Ugo: Minato (Anto/Akita, 6 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP
Rikuzen: Sanuma (Kasai, 8 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP
Rikuzen: Nakaniida (Osaki, 8 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP
North Uzen: Nobesawa (Late Mogami, 10 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP
North Uzen: Hasedo (Late Mogami, 3 Districts, 15 Castle Slots, 5000 HP
Iwaki: Odemori (Sadatsuna Ouchi, 4 Districts 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP)
Iwaki: Motomiya (Late Ashina, 8 Districts, 9 Castle Slots, 1000 HP
Iwaki: Gongendo (Late Soma, Mountain Castle, 6 Districts, 7 Castle Slots, 2000 HP
Iwaki: Tanagura (Not exactly in-game, but featured in Ascension, Tachibana in Battle of Osaka Castle, ? Districts, ? Castle Slots, ? HP

[RoxyRiku94]

Thanks for sharing this overview of most castles and fortresses. It might be noteworthy that some castles change with Events and Scenarios (Owari's Castle becomes Kiyosu instead of Nagoya, Bizen's Castle becomes Okayama instead of Mt.Tenjin and Musashi's Castle becomes Edo instead of Kawagoe).

You missed out some of the other fortresses of some of the provinces, so I add them here in the next comment.

[reichcommisar]

thank you for this can't wait for you to update it to include western provinces