The ''Ôban'', or "Great Guard," was one of the three chief shogunate guard forces in the [[Edo period]]. While the ''[[koshogumi|koshôgumi]]'' and ''[[shoinban]]'' oversaw the defense of [[Edo castle]] and of the shogun's person, the ''Ôban'' oversaw the defenses of [[Nijo castle|Nijô]] and [[Osaka castle]]s. | The ''Ôban'', or "Great Guard," was one of the three chief shogunate guard forces in the [[Edo period]]. While the ''[[koshogumi|koshôgumi]]'' and ''[[shoinban]]'' oversaw the defense of [[Edo castle]] and of the shogun's person, the ''Ôban'' oversaw the defenses of [[Nijo castle|Nijô]] and [[Osaka castle]]s. |