Sengoku Jidai & Japanese Castles

scribefigaro has written two extremely excellent articles on things Japanese.

Japanese Castles gives us an overview of the history and architecture before giving us her first person impressions from her tours of some of the remaining castles. From explaining what a honmaru is to pointers about rest rooms and gift shops at the modern sites this is filled with useful information.

Sengoku Jidai Primer gives a great overview of the period for the non-historian. Special emphasis is given to people and events with an impact on the Inuyasha storyline.

These are indispensable to anyone writing anything set in feudal Japan.