Onimusha: Lion Dogs and Hozuki Pouches Before Rendaino

Get all 36 Lion Dogs and every Hozuki Pouch before The Clash at Rendaino locks Eastern Kyoto. Oni Vision setup, pouch crafting order, cleanup checklist, and mistakes to avoid.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword Lion Dogs Hozuki Pouches Before Rendaino
★

Core goal: Get every Lion Dog and every Hozuki Pouch (plus pouch upgrades) before you accept The Clash at Rendaino. That mission is the lock. After you start it, free-roam in Eastern Kyoto is gone until the story is over. Do the sweep now so the last fight and Carnage NG+ are not a scavenger hunt.

1Buy Oni Vision First (Do Not Skip This)

At the nearest Spirit Mirror, buy in this order:

  • 1
    Oni Vision: Treasures
  • 2
    Oni Vision: Treasures 2
  • 3
    Oni Vision: Search Range
How to use: Hold L2/LT and tap R2/RT while you walk. Collectibles light up through walls. Without these three, people walk past Lion Dogs and pouch chests constantly.
Lion Dogs do not spawn until you finish "What Lurks in the Shadows" and talk to Lady Murasaki. If the map has no paw icons yet, you are not missing them.

2Hozuki Pouches: Craft and Upgrade All Five

There are 5 pouch types (Default + Regeneration, Aggressor, Resistance, Awakening). After "Patching up the Pouch," Okuni marks pouch spots on your map. They sit in Genma strongholds; some sit behind miasma until later story beats.

  • Regeneration
    Health + stamina over time. "Easier mode." Most people keep this on for exploration and first-play bosses.
  • Resistance
    Health + Oni Power over time. Balanced default for mid/late game.
  • Aggressor
    Dumps Oni Power + Reflex. Offensive, not a heal. Use at mirrors to pre-buff before bosses.
  • Awakening
    Oni Power + Awakening gauge. Late-game burst setup.
  • Default
    Instant medium heal. Fine until you have Regen.
Pre-boss trick: At a Spirit Mirror, equip Aggressor, dump charges to top Oni Power + Reflex, rest at the mirror, swap to Awakening and top that gauge, then swap back to Regen/Resistance for the fight. Do not skip this before the Rendaino sequence.
Skeleton Hozuki sit near the Oni Cloth used to craft each extra pouch. Take every Skeleton Hozuki you see to Okuni immediately. The last one is tied to a late side story or chest.

3Lion Dogs: Grab All 36 Before the Lock

There are 36 Lion Dogs. They unlock sword appearances and the "For the Love of Dog" trophy. After Murasaki, they show as pawprints. Extra maps only spawn their dogs after you clear that map's boss. Check Curious Cases in the menu for per-map counts.

Rough unlock order:

  • 1
    After "What Lurks in the Shadows" - first batch across Eastern Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera, Nijo-jo, Imperial Palace.
  • 2
    After "The Roots of All Evil" and "Okuni's Kabuki Dance" - more Eastern Kyoto.
  • 3
    After "The Demon on the Mount" - Mount Oe.
  • 4
    After "In the Light of an Icy Moon" - last Eastern Kyoto + Arashiyama batch.
Grab every paw you pass. Interact; that is the whole mechanic. Do not leave all 36 for the last hour.

4Cleanup Checklist Before Talking to Takamura

  • 1
    Finish current story through the late Eastern Kyoto / icy-moon stretch so the last Lion Dog and pouch zones are open.
  • 2
    Manual save in a new slot. Label it something like "PRE-RENDAINO."
  • 3
    Open the map. Hit every remaining paw and every remaining pouch marker. Use Oni Vision constantly.
  • 4
    Return to Okuni and spend remaining Skeleton Hozuki / cloth / upgrade mats on pouches.
  • 5
    Confirm Curious Cases: 36/36 dogs. Confirm you can swap between all pouch types at a mirror.
  • 6
    Optional but recommended: Finish Chance Encounters and Mysteries of Kyoto on this run. Those reset in NG+. Lion Dogs, pouches, and pouch upgrades carry over.
  • 7
    Only then accept The Clash at Rendaino.
If you already started the mission: Finish the game, then Continue from the title screen to land back before the lock, or load the manual save.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Pouch Location Routes