Home Guard

The Home Guard, also known as Benju's Home Guard, were a unit of samurai protecting the town of Aru and Aru Province in the nation of Wa in the 1770s on the Wa Calendar.

Organization
The Home Guard were commanded directly by Toshikazu Wada and were in the service of Benju Matsutomo, the daimyo of the province. Members were disciplined and loyal.

They were trained by Yuji Takaesu, a vassal and friend of Benju. Thanks to Yuji's training, the Home Guard samurai were among the finest in the country, said to be equal even to the shogun's personal bodyguard, and were known to be incorruptible.

Activities
They patrolled the passes of the surrounding Ikuyu Mountains and escorted the trains of pilgrim both visiting and leaving Aru. They also maintained peace in the town and its environs, operating as a police force and as guards at the town gates, ward gates, and watchtowers, while also patrolling the streets. They also provided security at official functions for the daimyo and dignitaries and acted as bodyguards for the daimyo himself.

Base of Operations
The samurai lived and were based in the Castle District of Aru.

Possessions
They were armed at all times with a "daisho" of katana and wakizashi, and might carry a daikyu (bow) with twelve arrows, a sode garami or a man catcher as needed for an assignment. They had a uniform with a brown kimono and could wear any kind of armor according to the situation, from none at all to leather armor to scale mail.

History
In ,

Notable Members

 * Toshikazu Wada, commander