Officially called the Samurai Dining Ware Tsuba Coasters (tsuba being the Japanese word for “handguard”), the lineup represents four of the most famous figures of the Warring States Period (1467-1590). First is Oda Nobunaga, the ambitious general who nearly untied all of Japan before being betrayed and killed by one of his subordinates.

Oda’s coaster bears an inscription of the victory prayer of his home fief’s Atsuta Shrine.

The crest of Oda’s de-facto successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, is recreated on his coaster.

But whereas Oda and Toyotomi were only able to hold on to their power for a brief period, their contemporary and ally Tokugawa Ieyasu would go on to start a shogunate that would last for more than 250 years.

The design of the Tokugawa coaster is based on that of the handguard of his personal katana.

Finally, although Sanada Yukimura’s historical exploits don’t compare to those of Japan’s three great unifiers, he’s easily a match for them in marketability, thanks to his frequent depiction as a handsome young man in anime and video games.

All four designs are identically priced at ¥500 (US$4.50) and officially go on sale in August 2016, although preorders can be made through Kotobukiya’s website now (follow these links for Oda, Toyotomi, Tokugawa, or Sanada). Aesthetically, it’d probably be best to order the same design for each member of your household, but if you and your family members happen to have conflicting samurai loyalties and insist on different coasters, at least you’ll be able to keep the negotiating table free of water stains during peace talks.

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