Edo-era Kyoto

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is set in a dark-fantasy version of Kyoto in the early Edo period of 17th-century Japan. The setting is rooted in the real historical capital but reshaped by Malice and by the presence of demonic Genma in the city.

Early Edo, Not Sengoku

The Onimusha series was traditionally set in the Sengoku period, the era of warring states. Way of the Sword moves forward in time to the early 17th century, the first decades of the Edo period, when the country had begun to consolidate under the Tokugawa shogunate. That shift puts the game in the same historical window that produced its real-world cast: Musashi Miyamoto at his prime, Izumo No Okuni performing the dances that would become kabuki, and the historical duel at Ganryujima lurking on the horizon.

Historical Figures in a Supernatural City

The game's version of Kyoto mixes real historical figures with its supernatural elements. Musashi leads the cast, joined by Ono No Takamura and Izumo No Okuni. The rival swordsman Sasaki Ganryu also walks these streets, further real-world names reimagined as characters along the way.

Confirmed Locations

• Kiyomizu-dera Temple. A real-world Kyoto landmark, rebuilt inside the game with cooperation from actual temple officials. See Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

• The streets of Kyoto. Open city environments, shown in combat sequences in the Tokyo Game Show 2025 trailer.

• A hidden underground laboratory. A facility beneath Kyoto where the antagonist Dokyo runs experiments that create new Genma and spread Malice outward into the city.

Producer's Pillars

Producer Akihito Kadowaki has described the Kyoto setting as one of three core pillars for the game, alongside compelling characters and what the team calls ultimate sword-fighting action. The studio's authenticity push, including professional swordsmen brought in for motion capture and direct collaboration with temple officials on locations like Kiyomizu-dera, is anchored to that setting pillar.