The Tanuki Kotatsu Reading Den 
January 19th
新書太閣記 progress: 02.74% // Volume I: 31.76% 
I like how the chapter titles are pretty vague in this book. Currently reading The Three Kingdoms (in English) as bedtime reading and the chapters in that are the complete opposite. The chapter will end like - General Guy is suddenly ambushed by the enemy, he turns to flee but the enemy has set up behind him and begins to close in. Read on to the next chapter to find out what happens…
– turn the page –
and you’re met with the chapter title of: General Guy is captured and executed.
oh… thanks book
Words found under the kotatsu
把手「とって」ー Handle; grip // (also: 取っ手 or 把っ手)
常々「つねづね」ー Always; usually
不埒「ふらち」ー Lawless; outrageous; insolent; rude; inexcusable
迂闊「うかつ」ー Careless; thoughtless; unobservant
破廉恥「はれんち」ー Shameless; infamous
屋根瓦「やねがわら」ー Roof tile
遠祖「えんそ」ー Remote ancestor; forefather
Character Name List
Probably some spoilers, but this is a historic novel, so can spoilers really exist for things that have (for the most part) actually happened 
Main
Hideyoshi: 豊臣秀吉「とよとみ ひでよし」
– – – Childhood name: 日吉「ひよし」
– – – Childhood nickname: 猿「さる」
Volume I: 1535 - 15??
日吉「ひよし」- Hideyoshi (as child)
Nickname: 猿「さる」
Family
木下弥右衛門「きのした やえもん」- Father
筑阿弥「ちくあみ」ー Step-father
大政所「おおまんどころ」// also お奈加「おなか」ー Mother
おつみ - Older sister
小竹「こちく」- Baby brother
加藤清正「かとう きよまさ」// also 弾正「だんじょう」- Ojisan (only distantly related (before marriage))
– Married to: おえつ (sister of お奈加)
Friends & Acquaintances
仁王「におう」- Big kid friend
於福「おふく」(Nickname - full name: 福太郎「ふくたろ」) // 楊景福「ようけいふく」(Chinese name/birth name) - Timid kid friend (older than Hideyoshi)
– 五郎大夫 「ごろ だゆう」// 祥瑞「しょうずい」(Chinese name) - Father
– 梨琴「りきん」- Mother
捨次郎「すてじろう」- Previous servant to 五郎, later the adoptive father of 於福, and owner of a tea ware shop - and employer of, and master to, Hideyoshi
Others
織田信秀「おだ のぶひで」- Daimyo
– 織田与三郎「おだ よさぶろう」- Younger brother
今川義元「いまがわ よしもと」- Daimyo
斯波義統「しば よしむね」- Daimyo (head of the Shiba clan) at Kiyosu castle
渡辺天蔵「わたなべ てんぞう」- Nobushi
Hachisuka Clan
蜂須賀小六「はちすか ころく」(also 正勝 「まさかつ」) - Head of the Hachisuka clan
// Retainers:
– – 稲田大炊助「いなだ おおいのすけ]
– – 青山新七「あおやま しんしち」
– – 長井半之丞「ながい はんのじょう」
– – 松原内匠「まつばら たくみ」
Historical People
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阿倍仲麻呂「あべ の なかまろ」ー Japanese scholar & poet (around 700AD)
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白楽天「はく きょい」ー Late 700s Chinese poet (Bai Juyi / Bo Juyi) also known as: 白楽天「はく らくてん」in Japan.
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道元「どうげん」(or 道元禅師「どうげん ぜんじ」ー Japanese Buddhist Priest, writer & poet (Early to mid 1200s) (also known as 栄西禅師「えいさい ぜんじ」)
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空海「くうかい」ー The one and only Kukai or Kobo Daishi - a Buddhist monk. Posthumously given the title of: 弘法大師「こうぼう だいし」born as: 佐伯 眞魚「さえき の まお」(late 700s to early 800s)
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源頼政「みなもと の よりまさ」ー Prominent poet and warrior (1100s)