Most people I come across are not too familiar with Japanese history. One of the events that inspired my books is Oda Nobunaga’s siege and destruction of the fortified monastery on Mt. Hiei. (And if you read “The Legend of Sithalkaan”, you’ll get a re-imagined version of this event, complete with a different “original” location and a conspiracy theory to explain how it sits over Kyoto nowadays.)

Below is the Wikipedia article on the siege (it’s brief):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Mount_Hiei

Another account:
http://otsuke.blogspot.com/2015/04/mt-hiei.html

And another:
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_mount_hiei.html

Last, some insights into the warrior monk sects:
http://www.oocities.org/azuchiwind/monks.htm

Interestingly, I visited Japan after publishing the first book. Of course, we went to Enryakuji Temple (on Mt. Hiei) and got to walk around the sprawling complex and listen to the monks chanting.

If you visit Kyoto, it’s worth the visit! The link below provides official visitor information on the site. You can reach it by cable car; if you choose that route (instead of the bus), you get a great panoramic view of Kyoto. The road down from the site (if you go by bus) will also give you excellent panoramic views over Lake Biwa on the other site of the mountains.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3911.html

And if you’ve read “The Legend of Sithalkaan”, and find yourself in Kyoto, definitely go. You can contrast how its described in the books with what you see on the ground.

Final note: Spring and Fall have cherry blossoms, so the crowds will be much heavier. But, the extra color and nice climate is well worth the trouble.

Enjoy!