Genma Notes are easy to miss in Onimusha: Way of the Sword because they are not marked on the map like most other activities. There are 23 Genma Notes in Way of the Sword, and each one is found inside a chest that you have to reveal with your Oni abilities. Collecting all Genma Notes unlocks the Genma-ologist trophy/achievement.
Watch Musashi’s Oni Gauntlet while exploring. When it reacts (glows), use Oni Vision or Oni Power to reveal the concealed chest. Most notes are located in enemies and boss areas you’ve already fought, so revisiting old battle locations pays off. Complete your collection before the point of no return in “The Clash At Rendaino,” or use a manual save at that point to clean up remaining notes.
All Genma Note Locations in Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Genma Note #1 – Hitotsume Gasa
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – West of Higashioji Street Spirit Mirror
From the Higashioji Street Spirit Mirror, go west down the path past the stone lanterns and dead soldiers. Near the wooden wall and closed gateway, look against the stone barrier to your left. Your gauntlet will pulse near a pile of corrupted branches; use Oni Vision to reveal the chest.
Genma Note #2 – Kubi Akari
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – South of Kamo River – East Spirit Mirror
From the Kamo River – East Spirit Mirror, move south down the village thoroughfare until you come across an open fenced enclosure on the right filled with clay pots and wooden crates. Go inside the shed, use Oni Vision at the stacked supply crates area in the corner, and collect the note from the revealed chest.
Genma Note #3 – Togemaru
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – Courtyard West of Yorimasa’s Monument
Travel toward Yorimasa’s Monument, then cut through the alleyways westward into a secluded garden courtyard flanked by stone jizo statues and small shrines. Approach the miniature stone shrine beside the wall and use Oni Power to reveal the chest on the stone pathway.
Genma Note #4 – Kogai
- Eastern Kyoto – North of Gojo Street – West Spirit Mirror
From the Gojo Street – West area, head north into the destroyed settlement. Find a derelict wooden building with collapsed scaffolding out front. Climb through the opening, crawl under the fallen crossbeams, and get inside the back storage hall. Use your Oni Vision against the stacks of woven crates on the left wall to reveal the chest.
Genma Note #5 – Kogashira
- Location: Underground Laboratory – Underground Level 3 (Grand Theater)
Teleport to the Underground Laboratory Grand Theater Spirit Mirror on Level 3. Turn around from the mirror shrine and jog past the wooden support pillars toward the dead end under the upper catwalk. Use Oni Vision near the leaning timber pallet to reveal the chest.
Genma Note #6 – Oboro Garasu
- Location: Mount Oe – Valley Cave Area
From Mount Oe’s Cave Area Spirit Mirror, travel across the rickety wooden rope bridge overlooking the magma chasm. Instead of running straight across the upper catwalks, drop down to the lower tier. Use a wall run across the glowing mineral surface to reach the isolated rock perch on the cliffside. Activate Oni Vision to reveal the chest containing Genma Note.
Genma Note #7 – Mohja
- Location: Arashiyama – Mountain Trail / Temple Area
Found south of the Mountain Trail Spirit Mirror in the wooded temple perimeter. Head past the fallen tree barrier along the trail until you reach the fortified wooden palisade overlook. Climb onto the elevated wooden platform built against the pointed stake wall and use Oni Vision on the palisade fence to reveal the hidden chest on the deck.
Genma Note #8 – Chijiko
- Location: Underground Laboratory – Underground Level 2
Go to Underground Level 2 in the Underground Laboratory. Follow the path from the main corridor, enter through the multiple screen doors, and clear the crawling Genma along the way. Take the stairwell down, then through the side doorway, and continue to the end of the narrow tatami hallway. Use Oni Vision at the dead end to uncover the chest.
Genma Note #9 – Hirehime
- Location: Mount Oe – Valley Ruins Area II
Head to Ruins Area II in Mount Oe. Take the ladder down the cliffside into the lower cavern. Follow the wooden catwalks down to the red magma/water floor where multiple Genma spawn. Move toward the small campfire and large ceremonial urn tucked into a rocky wall alcove, then activate your Oni Vision to reveal the chest. Enemies will follow you to the chest and attack from behind, so better to kill them first.
Genma Note #10 – Hitotsume Sho
- Location: Kiyomizu-dera Temple – Temple Grounds Dojo
Travel to the Temple Grounds Spirit Mirror at Kiyomizu-dera. Cross the wooden bridge over the pond and sprint straight to the northernmost dojo estate at the top of the map. Head inside through the sliding panels into the inner chamber where a scroll hangs above an altar. Activate your Oni Vision in front of the scroll to access the chest.
Genma Note #11 – Byakue
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – Kiyomizu-zaka Slope
From the Kiyomizu-zaka Slope Spirit Mirror, run up the cobblestone hill to a tall wooden ladder propped against the roof eaves. Climb to the top, cross the rooftops, leap across the gap to the adjoining two-story balcony, and use Oni Vision against the window for the chest.
Genma Note #12 – Dohatsu-ten
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – East of Gojo Street – East Spirit Mirror
Fast travel to Gojo Street – East Spirit Mirror. Head east up the steps through the stone torii gate, then by a wall-run across the glowing cliffside surface to reach the secluded rocky ravine clearing where you fought Dohatsu-ten. On the left of it, find the collapsed wooden timbers and leaning planks beside a large porcelain urn. Activate your Oni Power to reveal the chest right next to them.
Genma Note #13 – Nue
- Location: Nijo-jo Castle – Nue Pond
Fast travel to the Nue Pond Spirit Mirror at Nijo-jo Castle. Wade into the murky swamp water in the open arena where you fought the Nue boss. Move near the wooden fence boundary north of the marsh, use Oni Vision, and loot the black and gold chest.
Genma Note #14 – Daidara
- Location: Kiyomizu-dera Temple – Oni Refuge – Shrine Grounds
From the Shrine Grounds Spirit Mirror inside the Oni Refuge sub-area of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, go up the stairs through the gate into the floating arena of shattered rubble where Daidara was defeated. Run toward the center edge, looking out over the void, and use Oni Vision to reveal the chest.
Genma Note #15 – Greater Nue
- Location: Kyoto Imperial Palace – Oikeniwa Pond Garden
Fast travel to the Oikeniwa Pond Garden Spirit Mirror inside Kyoto Imperial Palace. Run north across the courtyard into the boss arena where you duel Greater Nue. Get near the big crimson tree growth against the back wall and activate Oni Power to spawn the chest.
Genma Note #16 – Rasho-gan
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – Higashioji Street Spirit Mirror
Go back to the Higashioji Street Spirit Mirror in Eastern Kyoto. Right in the immediate courtyard arena where you fought Rasho-gan, look next to the stacked stone pagoda pillar. Use Oni Vision in front of it to expose the chest.
Genma Note #17 – Sasaki Ganryu
- Location: Kiyomizu-dera Temple – Temple Grounds
From the Temple Grounds Spirit Mirror at Kiyomizu-dera, enter the main sanctum where you battled Sasaki Ganryu. Run out onto the wooden balcony overlooking the misty valley. Reveal the chest in the corner railing via Oni Vision.
Genma Note #18 – Benkei
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – Gojo Bridge
Travel to the wooden bridge on the far western edge of Kyoto’s city map (the battlefield where you first fought Benkei). Move along the bridge deck until you reach the towering gnarled tree trunk covered in screaming carved faces. Use Oni Vision right at the base of the trunk to reveal the chest.
Genma Note #19 – Shuten Doji
- Location: Mount Oe – Mountain Trail / Castle Courtyard
From the Mountain Trail Spirit Mirror in Mount Oe, cross the bridge leading to the main castle gates. Head down the red spider-lily path on the right end of the compound. Before the boss hall, check the exterior wooden fence line obscured by red leaves and boxes. The note chest will be revealed there by Oni Vision.
Genma Note #20 – Dokyo
- Location: Arashiyama – Past Hozukyo Gorge (Horin-ji Temple)
Get to the Horin-ji Temple Spirit Mirror in Arashiyama. Go past the temple grounds into the shallow, swampy lake basin where you first face Dokyo. At the water clearing’s center, trigger Oni Vision, and claim the Dokyo Genma Note from the chest.
Genma Note #21 – Ifuu
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – Central Temple Courtyard (Right Side)
Head to the massive temple complex in Eastern Kyoto (northwest of the main city hub) where Ifuu and Burai were encountered for the first time. Enter the main hall. Facing the central altar, continue along the right perimeter near the wooden barrier and stone lanterns. Activate Oni Vision to reveal the chest.
Genma Note #22 – Burai
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – Central Temple Courtyard (Left Side)
This note is in the same chamber as Genma Note #21. Sprint directly across the hall to the opposite left-hand wall and use Oni Vision against the wooden barred partition to reveal this chest.
Genma Note #23 – Yoshitsune
- Location: Eastern Kyoto – Behind Rokudo-chinnoji Temple (Post-Game Only)
Complete the main story of the game and defeat the final boss, Minamoto no Yoshitsune. When prompted, save your clear data, then reload the finished post-game save file.
Fast travel to the Rokudo-chinnoji Temple Spirit Mirror, walk from the temple interior, and exit into the rear garden. Move past the stone jizo statues to the old stone well. Turn toward the wooden perimeter fence just behind the well and use Oni Vision to open the final chest to receive the last Genma Note and unlock the Genma-ologist trophy & achievement.
