Podcasts about Councillor

Five young people have died and three others have been injured in a road crash in Dundalk in Co Louth. The three men and two women who died were all under the age of 25 and have been named as Chloe McGee,Alan McCluskey, Dylan Commins, Shay Duffy and Chloe Hipson. To pay tribute to the victims was Padraig McGovern, Principal of O'Fiaich College, Dundalk and Michael Gallagher Sinn Féin Councillor in Drumconrath.

Five young people have died and three others have been injured in a road crash in Dundalk in Co Louth. The three men and two women who died were all under the age of 25 and have been named as Chloe McGee,Alan McCluskey, Dylan Commins, Shay Duffy and Chloe Hipson. To pay tribute to the victims was Padraig McGovern, Principal of O'Fiaich College, Dundalk and Michael Gallagher Sinn Féin Councillor in Drumconrath.

This episode we cover the first silver mine in Japan, as well as the way that this sovereign is approaching offerings to the kami and handling family matters. For more check out: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-138   Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 138: Offerings and Covenants   A gentle summer breeze blew through the cherry-tree-covered hills of Yoshino valley.  The royal residence, a kind of summer home for the royal family, normally somewhat quiet, was suddenly abuzz with activity.  The regular groundskeepers and those who tended the site throughout the year mingled with servants sent from the capital to make it ready for a royal visit.  Rooms were aired out and swept. Metal fixtures were polished.  The kitchen was stocked and ready to go. It had been some years since the prince—now sovereign—had resided in the valley as an attempt to proclaim he had retired from the world.  Now he was sitting at the top of the state government, but as such, he was more often than not living in the grand palace in Asuka, which he had renovated at the start of his reign. This, the Yoshino palace, was left as more of a vacation home—though "home" hardly did it justice given its majesty compared to the meager dwellings that otherwise surrounded it. And now there was a massive royal procession on their way.  Sure, it was the sovereign and his queen, and only a handful of princes, but they would each need their own quarters and likely have their own household staff that would no doubt need to be fed and housed.  In such a way a "simple" outing for the royal family was so often anything but for those who had to make it happen. And yet, such labor was much preferred to toiling in the fields, especially as the heat of the day started to rise, and the height of summer loomed large in the all-too-immediate future.   Alright, so we are in the midst of the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, the brother of Naka no Ohoe, who came to power through the use of military force—purportedly used in self-defense—and the sovereign who would have a profound effect on solidifying the Ritsuryo state, as well as the Chronicles and the history of the archipelago as we know it.  We've talked about Ohoama's ascension to the throne, and even his first year.  We mentioned how, during his reign, he rewarded those who helped him, tweaked the rank system, and we talked a bit about what we know of the clothing and the material culture of the period. This episode, we continue looking at what occurred during Ohoama's reign.  Specifically we'll be covering some of the ways in which Ohoama and his court were shaping the government and the structures of power to serve him and his family.  This includes everything from ritual, such as making offerings to various kami, to the way that he seems to have centralized power to himself and his family, which would have lasting impacts through the Asuka and Nara periods. First, though, a tiny little digression about silver.  We start in the 3rd lunar month of the second year since Ohoama ascended the throne, or the year 674 by the western calendar.  We are told that Woshiumi no Miyatsuko no Ohokuni, the governor of Tsushima, the island that formed the main border between the archipelago and the mainland, reported that silver had been produced there for the first time, and sent in some as tribute.  This is the first recorded instance of silver being produced in Japan. At this time, silver mining was mostly limited to finding a vein of silver on the surface and digging it out as far as one could possibly go into the rock and stone.  Still, silver would eventually become an important resource for the archipelago.  Tsushima would continue to produce silver through modern times.  Granted, production was limited until new refining techniques were introduced from Joseon Korea in the 16th century.  This was just as Ming dynasty deposits were declining, and as such, silver would become a major export from the archipelago to the mainland.  Indeed, by the 17th century, it is said that Japan accounted for one quarter to one third of the entire world's silver production. For now, however, the discovery of native silver was certainly a good start, but the Yamato court wasn't switching to a silver coin currency just yet—rice and cloth were still the major currencies for tax and trade purposes.  Still this find seems not insignificant, and clearly the chroniclers thought so as well -- as did the court.  They granted Ohokuni, the governor of Tsushima, the rank of Lower Shoukin.  The silver produced by the mine was offered to the various kami of heaven and earth, and presents were made to the high ministers and others of the rank of Shoukin and above. Now back to the Chronicles, and to the meat of what I'll be talking about this episode. On the 3rd day of the 8th lunar month of 674, we are told that the Royal Prince Wosakabe was sent to Isonokami shrine to polish up the divine treasures, at which point the sovereign made a rather spectacular decree:  he declared that all of the precious things originally deposited in the sacred treasuries by the various houses should be returned to their descendants. This appears to be a reference to the long-standing practice by Yamato of demanding that those they had gained some level of hegemony over turn over their sacred objects for Yamato's keeping.    We talked about this back in episodes 19 and 29, for example, when we talked about how Mimaki Iribiko, aka Sujin Tenno, and Ikume Iribiko, aka Suinin Tenno, had both requested treasures from Izumo and elsewhere, to be stored in the treasure house of Isonokami. We aren't told what all of these treasures were, but we can deduce that these were sacred treasures of the different houses and localities, much as the mirror, jewel, and sword were sacred treasures of Yamato.  These were items that early on distinguished the elite class in the archipelago, and had come to be gathered in the divine store houses.  You may recall how, early on, we saw mentions in the Chroncles that ships sent out to meet with others from different lands would place such treasures on a makeshift tree on the deck as a way of depicting who they were—who they represented. It would seem that these sacred objects came to represent the divine ancestors of the elites, and so eventually were associated with the idea of power and authority.  As Yamato spread its influence, possibly as much through the spiritual authority of Mt. Miwa as through its economic and military capability, it seems to have demanded that the various lands that came under its sway place their sacred treasures in Yamato's storehouse—a powerful image of Yamato's authority.  In a sense, this was a kind of hostage situation: recognize our authority, or your most sacred treasures, representing your ancestors, will be at risk .  One wonders if this isn't part of the reason that we find buried caches of bronze ritual items, including weapons, bells, and other such things, perhaps as a means of keeping them safe from those who would steal them away. However, in the new era of the Ritsuryo system, those objects, while still considered divine and sacred, did not hold the same value as they once had.  Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but this really seems to me to be particularly illustrative of the idea that the cultural imaginary of state power and authority had shifted.  Yamato's power and authority was no longer based on its role as a spiritual powerhouse as much as it was centered on the continental framework of a heavenly mandate and a system of laws and punishments.   And so, the sovereign could return the sacred items back to their descendants, because to do so did not cost him anything, and at the same time would no doubt earn him goodwill.  He could appear magnanimous and, in so doing, solidify his position as the supreme hegemon of this new state.  In many ways this acknowledged the importance of the divine treasures to the people and to the kami while also no doubt reinforcing Confucian stereotypes of the benevolent ruler. More importantly, this shows how Ohoama was restructuring the rituals of the state.  After all, he had the Jingikan, an entire governmental department dedicated to administering the various shrines and sacred rituals; so even if the sacred treasures were returned, they were still technically under the control of the state apparatus.  We've already talked about the Daijosai, the Feast of First Fruits for a new reign, a central ritual to which Ohoama had added further pomp and circumstance.  But as no less a scholar than Herman Ooms has written about, Ohoama also initiated the practice of ordering regular centralized offerings to not just one particular kami, but to several or even a number of kami, or shrines, at any given time.  We see this in the following year, on the 23rd day of the first lunar month of 675, in an almost off-hand remark. Later, in the 10th month of 676 offerings were made to all of the "Ahimbe" kami of Heaven and Earth—that is all of kami that were part of the festival of first fruits held on the first day of the rabbit on the 11th lunar month.  Offerings were also made to all of the Heavenly and Earthly kami on the second day of the year in 681. Of course, these offerings would not just be enriching the shrines of these various kami, but it would also reflect on the various uji connected to each of those shrines, as well. Another example of the court's involvement in these ritual innovations appears to be the worship of the deities at Tatsuta and Hirose.  The first example of that is also in 675, in the 4th month of that year.  Prince Mino and Saheki no Muraji no Hirotari were sent to the Wind-gods at Tateno, in Tatsuta.  Aston notes that there is a litany to the Wind-gods mentioned in the Engishiki, a 10th century collection of information on various rituals of the time, so this practice seems to have taken hold, at least enough to persist over 3 centuries later.  Also in the 4th month of 675, Hashibito no Muraji no Ohobuta and Sone no Muraji no Karainu were sent to worship the Oho-imi deity at Kahawa, in Hirose. The Oho-imi appears to be a "big abstinence" deity, whom Aston identifies with Waka'ukahime, responsible for food.  Worship is again paid twice in the year 676, once in 677, then twice again in 679, continuing twice a year, almost exclusively in the 4th and 7th lunar months, through the end of the reign.  Why were these particular deities chosen for special worship by the court?  Ooms notes that these shrines were built downstream along the Yamato river, which, along with its tributaries, was responsible for the irrigation of the crops in the Nara basin.  This mirrors, in some ways, the responsibility of rulers in the Yellow River and Yangzi river regions to help ensure the flow of the rivers while preventing devastating flooding – a very continental idea of the responsibilities of the sovereign, though expressed here with a particularly Japanese style. Indeed, Aston associates the deity at Hirose, with the deity of food.   Likewise, the Wind-deities at Tatsuta were also related to helping to grow crops.  After all, Tatsuta would have been situated near the break in the mountains that surrounds the Nara basin, where the Yamato River flows out towards the Kawachi plain.  As anyone who lives near a mountain gap is no doubt familiar, those areas are notorious for channeling weather phenomena, including storms, which can bring rain, but could also bring terrible winds.  So it does seem a natural point to pray for good weather for your harvest or otherwise, given the geography that made up the sovereign's world. We also have, in this reign, considerably more discussion of Ise than we've seen, previously.  In 673 we have the Royal Princess Ohoku no Himemiko entering the Saigu, the Abstinence, or Purification, Palace, where she was to be purified before going to Ise, which she did in the 10th lunar month of 674.  Ohoku is said to have been the first official Saiou, the unmarried royal princess sent to oversee shrine operations, of Ise Shrine.  This is a practice we see at multiple shrines, although it's most prominent at Ise. The term for the position in general is Saiou, although at Ise the royal princess would also be known as the Saiguu, after the purification palace.  Although Ohoku is said to have been the first Saiguu at Ise, this is muddied somewhat by some earlier mentions in the Chronicles.  There are those who are said to have been sent as Shrine Princesses to Ise back in the time of Mimaki Iribiko and Ikume Iribiko, but the process was largely discontinued—or at least rarely mentioned—until this period.  There are certainly several named individuals who are said to have served the Deity of Ise previously, starting with the presumably mythical Yamato Hime, who is credited with founding the shrine.  There are also various royal princesses are noted as either having served or as having been made ineligible due to their indiscretions. However, those earlier mentions rarely go into the detail we see here —starting with the abstinence hall, where the would-be Shrine Princess must purify herself prior to approaching the shrine, a process that took some time.  Certainly we first really see this put into action with Ohoku, and from that time the position of Saiguu or Saiou at Ise does appear to have been regularly filled.  That Ohoku was actually the first "Saiguu" shrine princess appears to be confirmed by the "Fusou Ryakki", which states that the first Saiou was appointed when then Prince Ohoama, in the midst of the Jinshin war, made a prayer to Ise and offered the royal princess Ohoku no Himemiko in exchange for victory.  In fact, a lot of the focus on Ise seems to stem from its apparent involvement, at the behest of either Ohoama or his consort, Uno no Sarara Hime, in the conflict. The following year we are told that the Royal Princesses Towochi and Abe proceeded to Ise Shrine as well, though presumably just for a brief visit.  Towochi, you may recall, was Ohoama's daughter who had been married to Ohotomo, aka Koubun Tennou, whom Ohoama had defeated to take the throne.  Abe was a daughter of Naka no Oe, half-sister to Ohoama's queen, Uno, and would eventually go on to marry the Crown Prince, Kusakabe.  That gives you some idea of the position of those were going to the shrine. Princess Towochi herself would fall ill a few years later in 678.  In fact, it was just as the sovereign himself was preparing to go pay a visit to the abstinence palace, perhaps so that he could also head out to Ise.  The court had a divination to figure out when he would leave, officers had cleared the roads, and the public functionaries were in a line of procession when word came that Princess Towochi, suddenly took ill and died within the palace.  This stopped everything in its tracks, and in that year there was no sacrifice made to the kami of heaven and earth.  I suspect that this was in part due to mourning and in part due to the pollution more generally associated with death. Two weeks later, she was buried at Akaho, and Ohoama raised a lament for her. Later, in 686, we are told that the Royal Princess Taki, the Princess Yamashiro no Hime, and the Lady Ishikawa were all sent to Ise Shrine, though Princess Taki returned in less than a fortnight. Why all this focus on Ise?  Remember that the Chronicles were begun in this era, and so the "truth" they would tell would be the truth that Ohoama and his immediate successors orchestrated. The focus on Amaterasu, her shrine at Ise, and the role of the sovereign as Heavenly Descendant was thus part of the overarching narrative that the Chroniclers tried to promote.  Still, hints that the focus on Ise shrine may have been something largely created in this era, however, are scattered throughout the existing literature, despite the Chroniclers' best efforts. For one thing, it is fairly clear that early on, the focus in the Chronicles is on  Mt. Miwa and the deity  Ohomononushi, rather than Amaterasu.  We also see the fingerprints of deities like Takami no Musubi, who in one story is the one who is actually responsible for sending the Heavenly Grandchild down to earth in the first place. It also seems telling that Amaterasu is not mentioned in earlier court rituals.  Worship of Amaterasu by the royal family takes place at Ise shrine.  Meanwhile, there are various rituals preserved within the traditions of the palace that include many other, seemingly older deities. I have also noted in the past how Ise shrine isn't even the primary shrine of Ise no Kuni.  In fact, that is claimed by Tsubaki shrine, the shrine to Saruta Hiko no Ohokami, with a separate shrine to Ame no Uzume, who are both said to have met the heavenly grandchild on his descent. None of this is to say that Ise Jingu was brand new at the time of the Chronicles' writing —there does seem to have been a shrine on that spot for some time, though even the Chronicles suggest that it might have been moved from a shrine originally housed in the Nara basin.  It is also possible, and even likely, that the rise of Ise and Amaterasu coincided with other trends at the time.  Even if the Sun Goddess had not always been centered in Yamato ritual, she was not a new deity, and it may have been the case that her prominence, and that of her shrine in Ise had been growing in prominence before this time, and so the court was now adopting that popularity for themselves.  Of course, Ohoama and Uno don't exactly spell out what they were attempting to achieve, beyond the unification of the archipelago, more broadly.  How, exactly, their focus on Ise Shrine was meant to play into that I don't know that I could fully state, but it certainly seems to have allowed the sovereign to create a new cultic focus for kami worship with a story that touched on regions from Kyushu all the way to the eastern shore of the Kii peninsula. Given the decentralized nature of kami worship, I don't believe it was possible to completely rewrite all of the stories—hence the numerous and conflicting accounts given in the Chronicles.  However, that is also what would have made it easier to hide newly fabricated—or perhaps simply exaggerated—stories in the mix.  And of course, it wasn't necessarily that the Chroniclers were creating things out of whole cloth, but they were able to choose those things that people would remember and what would be lost and forgotten over time.  They had to make the decision, for instance, which story they told was the "main" storyline, and which were listed as coming from "other books", implying a degree of separation from the truth. Through all of this, it certainly seems that propping up the royal family and its lineage was a central focus—even if that lineage was largely something that had recently been created.  As a reminder, we see a lot heavier reliance at this point on royal princes as opposed to other elite families, and an actual or implied reliance, in particular, on the royal family, as that is where Ohoama was consolidating most of the power and authority. Kitayama Shigeo coined the term "Koushin Seiji" to refer to this idea of a consolidated royal—or imperial—family managing the affairs of state.  Literally it is something like "Imperial Family Government".   In Shigeo's concept this was specifically an autocratic authority executed by the sovereign, and those of his immediate family.  Of course, writing in the post-war era, it is more than a little likely that Shigeo and others were looking at the concept of Tennou in the 20th century compared with many other world monarchs.  In that vein, the Asuka and Nara periods do seem to have been one of the rare times—perhaps even the last time—that the sovereigns had such a direct hand in the government and the making and establishment of law and tradition. That said, not everyone ascribes entirely to the idea that Ohoama was a completely autocratic despot—after all, it was clear that there were still plenty of powerful families in the archipelago, and the Ritsuryo state itself was also being strengthened.  Still, it does seem that Ohoama had brought his queen, Uno no Sarara, and his descendants into government.  And they would not only assist him, but continue his work for the next generations, such that even though the histories would not be finished until well after Ohoama's death, they would still show his influence on events. The dedication of the royal family to work as one is perhaps most clearly demonstrated in the events of the 5th lunar month of 679.  It was then that the sovereign, and his family, proceeded to the Yoshino Palace.  Now Ohoama had plenty of offspring—among them 10 sons.  And as long as he was around, there would be a certain amount of civility, but he knew all too well how things could break down after a sovereign's death.  And so he brought them together and he made them enter into a pact, which we know as the Yoshino Covenant, or Yoshino no Meiyaku.  Besides Ohoama himself, there were several others in attendance, presumably those who might stand to one day inherit the realm.  These included his partner and queen, Uno no Sarara Hime, as well as her son, Prince Kusakabe, who would be named Crown Prince, only a couple of years later.  It also included the Royal princes Ohotsu, Takechi, Kawashima, Osakabe, and Shiki.  All of these individuals were made to swear an oath to support each other, even though they were all from different mothers, and they agreed. But so what?  Why does it matter?  It is all well and good that Ohoama brought them together for a bit of kumbaya in his old digs away from the capital, but was there anything really to this covenant. This covenant is significant in several ways.  First off, it is clear that Ohoama was pulling in his family and trying to ensure they were onboard with what he was doing and what was planned.  Furthermore, it set out a clear line of succession, something that had not really been done up to this point. We have ideas on what would have made a candidate eligible, but other than naming a particular crown prince there hasn't exactly been any clear process or rules of precedence for who would assume the throne.  Here, though, we have a list that appears to be in order of precedence, since it otherwise may not seem to make sense, at least from a modern perspective. A key clue in the Chronicles is often the order of the names.  The most important or highest ranking person is usually given first, and then names are typically given in descending order of precedence.  There are clues that this is the case, but it becomes even more stark when we actually see reference to an individual's court rank or the size of their fief.  Since this period brings about court rank even for royal princes, we have some of that, at least in later records.  As such, there is the idea that this order was actually providing for a line of succession.   As I mentioned, up to this point, the contest for the throne was a toss up with each monarch's death.  Claims from competing princes were often considered equally valid until one proved their claim through a political or military victory.  Ohoama appears to have been trying to add greater structure to this.  Specifically, we see that Uno no Sarara's son, Kusakabe, is given pride of place.  In fact, throughout the Chronicle it is typical that we see the Chroniclers designate a queen—a Kougou—that is considered the primary wife.  This queen is almost always found to be the descendant of previous royalty, granting their child a doubly royal lineage, through both the maternal and paternal lines.   There has been plenty of reason to doubt that this was actually the case, and it often seems like the Chroniclers stretched things more than a bit to make it all work out.  However, now we are almost more concerned with the very *truth* that the Chroniclers were attempting to burn into the social consciousness rather than the historical facts, because that gives us direct insight into how the court of the day viewed succession and legitimacy.And that does lead to another possible thought:  since the Chroniclers knew how things turned out it is possible that they were the ones ensuring that the order was as we have it.  So we cannot definitively say that this exactly mirrors's Ohoama's idea, but it certainly seems in line with his history and intentions and helps set the stage for us, at least, regarding what would later transpire in regards to succession.. Getting back to the covenant, as I noted, the first person listed, after Ohoama and Uno no Sarara Hime, is Prince Kusakabe.  He would be about 17 or 18 years old at this time, which is probably why he wasn't formally named Crown Prince until a couple of years later.  He isn't the eldest son, however.  Rather he was the second son.  Ohoama's eldest son, Prince Takechi, was actually third in line. Takechihad been with his father helping to lead the troops during the Jinshin War. While he was some 8 years senior to Kusakabe, he was nonetheless a son of Amago no Musume, one of Ohoama's consorts from a powerful clan, but not a royal princess like Uno no Sarara, Kusakabe's mother. Between Kusakabe and Takechi, in the second place spot for succession, was actually Prince Ohotsu, whom we also mentioned during the Jinshin War.  Ohotsu was likely 16-17 years old around this time.  While he was the third eldest child, he, like Kusakabe, was the son of a Royal Princess, Princess Ota, daughter of Naka no Oe, giving him greater bonafides than Takechi, apparently. So, in the top three slots, we have: Ohoama's eldest son by a royal mother, Ohoama's second eldest son by a royal mother, and finally Ohoama's eldest son by a non-royal mother. Fourth in line, and the 4th eldest, presumably, though I don't know that we have an actual age for him, is Prince Wosakabe.  He likely wasn't too young, however, as he had been given the task, previously, to polish the divine treasures in Isonokami's storehouse. It would appear that six of Ohoama's other sons didn't even get a mention.  That includes Princes Naga and Yuge, born to another daughter of Naka no Ohoe, Ohoye no Himemiko.  Then there is Prince Toneri, son of Royal Princess Nittabe, not to be confused with Royal Prince Nittabe, Ohoama's son by way of a daughter of Fujiwara no Kamatari.  Finally there was Royal Prince Hodzumi, a maternal grandson of Soga no Akaye, and Prince Shiki, a full brother to Prince Wosakabe. Prince Toneri is particularly conspicuous in his absence.  We know that he held the 5th rank, and two positions in government—that of Nagon, or Councillor, as well as the Minister of the Household, our Kunaikyou.  This may be because he was not doing so well.  We aren't told the story until the following year, on the 2nd day of the 7th lunar month of 680, when we are told that Prince Toneri took ill and was on the point of death.  His half-brother, Prince Takechi, went to check on him, and a day later Toneri passed away.  The way these are written it would be easy to believe that it all happened in a pretty short timeframe, but it is also just as likely that illness lingered, especially without modern medicine.  So it is possible that Prince Toneri was too sick at the time of the original covenant, though there could be some other reason we weren't told. This doesn't necessarily hold for all of the others, though.  For instance, we have the Princes Naga and Yuge mentioned in 693, well over a decade later, being granted the 2nd Broader Pure Rank at the same time that Prince Takechi is granted the 1st Broader Pure Rank.  So we can at least see that they were ranked below Takechi.   Similarly we see Prince Hodzumi likewise attained 2nd Broader Pure Rank at some point, and was still around to have his own fief and to receive houses to it in the following reign.  Hozumi even ranked above some of the others were in Yoshino, and yet was not present. It is possible that the princes not mentioned, assuming they had not met with an untimely end that was not mentioned in the record somewhere, could have been too young or too junior at the time of the meeting.  After all, when we look at the known ages of those who were there, we see that Prince Takechi may have been 25 years old, but Prince Kusakabe and Prince Otsu were just under 20, and it is unclear if others were older or younger than they were. There are two other princes who were part of the covenant who were not, perhaps surprisingly, sons of Ohoama.  Rather they were his nephews, sons of Ohoama's brother, Naka no Ohoe.  They were the princes Kawashima and Shiki. Kawashima is mentioned several times throughout the record.  Kawashima's mother was from a high ranking noble family, but given that Kawashima was married to his cousin, one of Ohoama's daughters, that may have brought him closer to the family.  He was about 22 years old at the time, too.  We see him often teaming up with Prince Osakabe on various projects, including the project to compile together the history of the royal household.  In fact, Prince Kawashima always precedes Prince Osakabe when they are mentioned together.  That said, we have evidence of Kawashima only being awarded up to 3rd Greater Pure rank, below even that of some who were not present, such as Prince Hodzumi.  His importance and impact, however, is noted through his numerous appearances in the record. In contrast, Prince Shiki has almost no mentions in the record.  It doesn't help that there are two Princes Shiki, one born to Naka no Ohoye and one born to Ohoama.  Their names are spelled differently, however, and although the first character of "Shiki" used in the Yoshino record matches neither name, the second character suggests that this was the son of Naka no Ohoye and not the Shiki that was brother to Prince Osakabe—though given that one followed the other in the record, there may have been some confusion on this point. And with all of that we have our apparent line of succession, as well as an idea of who the movers and shakers might be within the royal family.  From Ohoama and Uno no Sarara, we have Princes Kusakabe, Ohotsu, Takechi, Kawashima, Osakabe, and Shiki.  Six princes, four directly descended from the current sovereign, Ohoama, and two from the Naka no Ohoe lineage. Obviously, promoting the idea of a strictly patrilineal succession of father to son would have caused some problems for Ohoama's own legitimacy, not that anyone was going to gainsay him while he was on the throne.  However, with Kusakabe they seem to have established that in a de facto format, at least.  Furthermore it provided a blueprint for succession might fall to the other lines should the main line not work out.  This put Prince Ohotsu as next in line, should anything happen to Kusakabe, followed by Takechi.  That Kawashima may have had a shot over Osakabe and then Shiki is interesting as it suggests that it wasn't strictly about who descended from whom. We'll have to wait for Ohoama's death before we can fully appreciate how well this worked, of course.  Throughout history, agreements and covenants amongst powerful interests are often only as permanent as long as all of the interests remain aligned with one another, whether through mutual benefit or threat of consequences.  Once the power shifts, as it always does, those promises and treaties are almost always up for renegotiation, unless they are supported by some higher authority, whatever that might be. Following the royal family's off-site, they returned to the palace in Asuka.  There they had a formal ceremony in the Great Hall, the Ohodono, where the six princes all demonstrated their allegiance and paid respects to Ohoama.  Given the timing of this event, one can likely assume that it was a kind of public acknowledgement of the covenant and the agreement that they would all be working together as a united front on the project of the government. And with that, I think we can bring it to  a close for now.  There is plenty more about this reign to discuss before we move on, but we'll get there. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

One Auckland councillor says a long road's ahead before the city's close to congestion charging. A new bill has passed in Parliament that'll let councils charge drivers on specific roads at peak travel periods - beginning with the City of Sails. A report commissioned by the mayor estimates stalled traffic costs the city $2.6 billion dollars each year. Howick Ward councillor Maurice Williamson says a long process of consultation, and setting up a board will now begin. "I'll make the wild prediction now - you will not see an operational congestion charging regime for a minimum of at least three years from now." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Road Safety Advocate Michael O'Neill is once again organising an annual remembrance mass for road traffic accident victims. John McGahon is relishing his role as CEO of Dundalk Chamber. The youngest ever Councillor elected to Louth County Council Sionnain McCann featured in the Other Side of Politics today. While Pharmacist Kathy Maher has invited the SAFE mobile unit to Duleek this weekend with mental health firmly in focus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first of the Fraser Coasts Festive Events is happening this weekend. Time is running out to register for the Xmas Lights Trail,the Hundy Festival is on this weekend and a free Mini-Expo relating to dementia support is coming to the Hervey Bay Neighborhood Centre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deadline Report - Ben Vidgen Investigates. A double shot of reality.

Norm Murray speaks with Mississauga's Ward 1 Councillor, Stephen Dasko about what's happening in his part of Mississauga, upcoming holiday events, and some council activities in general.

Tom Elliott has gone back-and-forth with Merri-bek councillor and socialist activist, Sue Bolton, on the topic of socialism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're pleased to welcome Dawn Kilmer, SUMA Vice President of Towns and Councillor for Prince AlbertJoin us as we unpack the Board's role, the benefits of SUMA for Municipalities in all regions of Saskatchewan. ***************************************************Learn More About SUMA: Website: https://suma.org/Facebook: https://facebook.com/SUMAConnectTwitter: https://twitter.com/SUMAConnectLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saskatchewan-urban-municipalities-associationInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/suma.connectYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SUMASask***************************************************Listen to the Show: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QLq7OluynaodZyd7c30DN?si=f67427d5b2ec4483Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/municast/id1750494860Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnyOMC0SKIN9AwtusJmC9pLyuaudHP7Bf&si=SnzkKbG0GQvkMLb4***************************************************Music: ‘One Foot On Main Street' written and performed by Jeffery Straker, used with permission.**************************************************Follow the Cross Border Network: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossborderpodcast/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/crossbordernetwork.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@crossborderpodcast Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/CrossBorderInterviews/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crossborderinterviews/ Website: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/MuniCast is made in partnership with SUMA and the Cross Border Network©2025

Send us a textThis weeks guest Rachel Okello is a solicitor who gained the accolade of lawyer of the Year 2024 for BirminghamBlack Lawyers Association who has a special interest in human rights and family immigration. Not only did she assist communities impacted by the Windrush scandal but also sat on the government Advisory panel during the Windrush scandal. As well as sharing her expertise on national and international media channels such as the BBC and Irie FM in Jamaica, she also runs an NGO called Friends of Asebu and was a Conservative town councillor for Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham.Connect with Rachelwww.clarityvisas.comwww.asebupav.com Support the showDisclaimer : The views and opinions expressed are those of guests featured and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Reggae Uprising Podcast or its representatives. Reggae Uprising Podcast does not own any of the rights to any of the music or extracts featured. It is used only as a tool of education, upliftment and empowerment for and of people of Africa and its diaspora.Subscribe & Connect : www.danieal.live/podcastOfficial Merch : www.dgarms.com

London city councillors approved an increase to councillor salaries beginning after the next municipal election in Ontario in the fall of 2026. Dr. Martin Horak chaired the task force that examined councillor salaries in London and joined Mike Stubbs to talk about the recommendations that were made.

Former London Mayor Matt Brown discusses the increases in councillor salaries.

Limiting media access to new council policing committees 'doesn't make sense' according to the National Union of Journalists. The Government is advising the restrictions for the new Local Community Safety Partnerships. The LCSPs, which will replace the old Joint Policing Committees, aim to bring together a broader range of stakeholders than before, including local residents, HSE and Gardaí. Alan Morrissey was joined by Maghera Fianna Fáil Councillor and former member of the Joint Policing Committee Pat Hayes to discuss this further. Image (c) Fianna Fáil

There's a call for hidden cameras to be installed in illegal dumping blackspots in rural parts of Clare following a serious incident over the weekend. A large number of items were found disposed of in a ditch on what's known locally as the Farmer's Road in the Rossmanagher area of Sixmilebridge on Sunday. The items included a quad bike, a propane gas tank, children's toys and several plastic materials. Cratloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat O'Gorman has been telling Clare FM's Seán Lyons he believes GDPR is protecting illegal dumpers and not the general public.

Greg Brady spoke Josh Matlow, Ward 12 Toronto–St. Paul's Councillor about City, Metrolinx face criticism for not extending transit service for Game 7. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A North Saanich councillor is calling for some pickleball courts to be ripped out. Guest: Roger Graves - Vancouver Island Regional Pickleball Association Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Brady spoke Josh Matlow, Ward 12 Toronto–St. Paul's Councillor about City, Metrolinx face criticism for not extending transit service for Game 7. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dida Berku, Côte-Saint-Luc city councillor for District 3.

Greg Brady spoke to Josh Matlow, Ward 12 Toronto–St. Paul's Councillor about the City's unclear thinking about lane reductions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Brady spoke to Josh Matlow, Ward 12 Toronto–St. Paul's Councillor about the City's unclear thinking about lane reductions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textAngela Murray from the episode Hero's and Villian's talks to us on the Only Fools and Horses PodcastSupport the show

Send us a textThis weeks guest Rachel Okello is a solicitor who gained the accolade of lawyer of the Year 2024 for BirminghamBlack Lawyers Association who has a special interest in human rights and family immigration. Not only did she assist communities impacted by the Windrush scandal but also sat on the government Advisory panel during the Windrush scandal. As well as sharing her expertise on national and international media channels such as the BBC and Irie FM in Jamaica, she also runs an NGO called Friends of Asebu and was a Conservative town councillor for Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham.Connect with Rachelwww.clarityvisas.comwww.asebupav.com Support the showDisclaimer : The views and opinions expressed are those of guests featured and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Reggae Uprising Podcast or its representatives. Reggae Uprising Podcast does not own any of the rights to any of the music or extracts featured. It is used only as a tool of education, upliftment and empowerment for and of people of Africa and its diaspora.Subscribe & Connect : www.danieal.live/podcastOfficial Merch : www.dgarms.com

Mike Kakuk joins Deb Hutton at the Party Table for Party for Two. Ron Butler, the principal broker at Butler Mortgage, weighs in on the Bank of Canada lowering policy rates to 2.25%. Leaside residents blame a rat infestation on a neighbour feeding wildlife. Councillor for Don Valley West, Rachel Chernos Lin speaks with Deb about this. The Jays won last night, and Meaghan Markle and Prince Harry were spotted at the game...in Dodgers hats?! Jerry Agar joins in on the conversation.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Jennie Moreton and Michael Moynahan. First up, Roger Cotton, farmer and Councillor for the Lawrence-Tuapeka Ward has been checking in with Southland locals. he says in particular the elderly can be left isolated with the recent extreme weather. Then, Labour's targeted Capital Gains Tax - is New Zealand ready for a CGT, this time? And finally, to restore it, or to bowl it? That's a question the small town of Cambridge is trying to answer for its heritage-listed water tower.

Greg Brady spoke with Parthi Kandavel, Councillor Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest about a Full Road Closure at Clonmore and Gerrard that had the councillor fuming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Auckland councillor has voiced disappointment with recent misinformation concerning the fatal bus collision on Tāmaki Drive. An electric bus suffered a fatal collision with a car last week and the bus driver was killed in the flames. North Shore councillor Richard Hills says it was 'shocking' to see the number of posts criticising the EV buses - even though it was proven electric batteries weren't behind the fire. "It was a significant fire caused by the car itself, so Fire and Emergency New Zealand have confirmed that. And then Kinetic - obviously who are extremely upset they've lost a colleague - also put out a statement that the batteries were unharmed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Brady spoke with Parthi Kandavel, Councillor Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest about a Full Road Closure at Clonmore and Gerrard that had the councillor fuming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Lucy Maloney, OneCity Vancouver councillor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Numbers at the Hervey Bay Aquatic Centre have soared with the recent hot weather. If you own a dog it needs to registerd by this Friday, make sure you register for the xmas lights trail and council has adopted a plan to bring its Maryborough administration and customer service teams together in City Hall.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An independent councillor for the Killarney Municcipal District, Brendan Cronin, brought a motion at Monday’s monthly Kerry county Council meeting. Cllr Cronin claimed delays opening the new Killarney Community Nursing Unit nursing unit are causing anguish to patients and their families alike. Speaking to Treasa, he alleged people are being sent out of Kerry for long term residential care to places like Cork, Limerick and Offaly. In a statement to Radio Kerry, HSE South West said they offer residential placements as close to home as possible, but that they can only offer placements in facilities with available capacity | Kerry Today with Treasa Murphy

It's claimed new guidelines are restricting Clare Special Needs Assistants from helping children in the classroom. It comes as the Department of Education has also been requested to carry out a full review of additional needs school spaces in this county. A circular issued by the Department of Education in May states the role of the SNA is to support the care needs of a child and that responsibility for the overall progress of students lies with the classroom teacher. A recent report by the he National Council for Special Education has also indicated that SNAs should have no role in assisting children with behavioural difficulties, causing outcry in Clare. The local authority has now requested that Minister Helen McEntee calls for an urgent meeting with the NCSE to resolve the issues. Ennis Fianna Fáil Councillor and SNA, Antoinette Baker Bashua believes it's a glaring policy error.

Guest: Richard Stewart, Mayor of Coquitlam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could we see cruise ships docking at Moneypoint in the near future? That's the hope of Cree Independent councillor, Dinny Gould. He brought a motion before the recent meeting Clare County Council, asking the local authority to “explore an opportunity to boost tourism in West Clare and capitalise on Moneypoint port”. For more on this, Alan was joined by Dinny Gould, Cree Independent Councillor and Cillian Murphy, member of the steering group Loop Head Together. Image (c) Visit Clare

Sinn Féin councillor Tom Barry spoke to Jerry about anti-social behaviour and the use of fireworks in North Kerry. Jerry also spoke to Fine Gael senator Mike Kennelly about the ongoing issue.

There's disappointment from some after a majority of Māori wards are set to go. 17 councils have voted to keep them, and 25 have voted to remove them Whakatane Māori Ward councillor Toni Boynton says those referendums should never have been held. She says this choice should be up to councils. "If they're elected by their constituents, that's democracy, right? And they're elected to be able to make those decisions and that decision was taken away from them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trevor Maxwell has been a Rotorua councillor for 48 years and joins Emile Donovan.

As you will have heard, Jim Gavin has stepped down from the Presidential race.But, what now for Fianna Fáil, and what now for the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin?Joining Kieran to discuss and give their reactions is Seán Defoe, Newstalk's Political Correspondent, Minister of State Niall Collins, Paidi O'Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central and Michael Regan, Fianna Fáil Councillor on the Galway County Council. Also joining later to give their thoughts is Conor Lenihan, former Fianna Fail Minister and David W Higgins, Independent Economist.

Auckland Council's seeking feedback on plans to test a new scheme over six months, starting in February next year, but only in select suburbs. In those areas household rubbish bins will move to fortnightly collections, instead of once a week. Daniel Newman is the current councillor for Manurewa-Papakura, he voted against the trial and talks to Lisa Owen.

It's claimed "Brendan O'Regan would turn in his grave" if he became aware of an upcoming development on the site of a former Clare hotel. Clare County Council has granted planning permission to Crescent House Limited for a mixed-use development which will require the demolition of the Shannon Shamrock Hotel in Bunratty. The project will features 58 residential units as well as a convenience retail store and six retail or office units. Cratloe Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat O'Gorman believes what the area really needs is tourist accommodation.

A Councillor in Limerick city is calling for businesses to take more responsibility for their shopfronts and to reduce the scourge of shoddy signage.Joining Seán to discuss is Maria Donoghue, an Architect and Independent Councillor in Limerick…

Guest host Brad Smith spoke to Mike Colle, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence about Councillors back Chow on speed cameras, oppose Ford ban. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Auckland Council has voted in favour of a new housing intensification plan that clears the way for high-rise buildings of up to 15 storeys around public transport hubs. Auckland councillor Richard Hills spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A new housing density plan is going ahead following a heated Auckland Council debate. The plan which allows more housing near transport hubs and fewer in natural hazard zones, has passed with 18 in support and 5 opposed. It will remove 27 percent of Special Character Areas. Councillor Shane Henderson says the plan now goes out for public consultation. "It's time for people to feedback in and say - look, we might have gotten this or that area wrong, or make some adjustments to people's neighbourhoods and things like that. It's really important that we allow people to have their say." Housing and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has welcomed the decision. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have previously spoken about the close connection between Ennis and the German town of Langenfeld on Morning Focus, The two towns have shared a close friendship since becoming official Twin Towns in October 2013, with lots of events and initiatives being held. This year, the Ennis–Langenfeld Twinning Board will host its third Oktoberfest celebration on Culture Night this Friday (19th September, from 7pm to 10pm) at the beer garden in Fawl's Bar, O'Connell Street. For more on this, Alan Morrissey was joined by Dara Glynn, Secretary of the Ennis-Langenfeld Twinning Board and Councillor, Mary Howard on Friday's Morning Focus.

Limerick councillor Liam Galvin from Abbeyfeale talks to Jerry about growing concerns that workers will be laid off by Kostal. Production of On-Board Chargers for electric carsare to be transferred to Kostal China. He called on the government to intervene to minimise job losses in Abbeyfeale.

Fine Gael councillor in the Kenmare Municipal District, Teddy O’Sullivan Casey, speaks to Jerry about another crash at Loo Bridge yesterday evening. He says he has repeatedly called for safety measures to be introduced at the junction of the N22 Killarney-Cork Road and the R569 to Kilgarvin and Kenmare. There have been several collisions at that location in recent years.

The Cathaoirleach of Kenmare Municipal District, Cllr Norma Moriarty, has rejected accusations of being anti-democratic. She opposed the council’s nomination of Dublin businessman, Gareth Sheridan, to contest the upcoming 2025 presidential election. Cathaoirleach Moriarty speaks to Jerry about why she opposed Gareth Sheridan’s nomination.

Clement Manyathela and the listeners reflect on Orlando Pirates’ win. Clement also asks the listeners if they know their ward councillors as President Cyril Ramaphosa hosts ANC councillors from throughout the country in Nasrec on Monday The Clement Manyathela Show is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (SA Time). Clement Manyathela starts his show each weekday on 702 at 9 am taking your calls and voice notes on his Open Line. In the second hour of his show, he unpacks, explains, and makes sense of the news of the day. Clement has several features in his third hour from 11 am that provide you with information to help and guide you through your daily life. As your morning friend, he tackles the serious as well as the light-hearted, on your behalf. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Clement Manyathela Show. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to The Clement Manyathela Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/XijPLtJ or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/p0gWuPE Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Whitehalls have been all over the place this week. The West Country has been well and truly explored and they've got the souvenirs to prove it. Plus, an unfortunate interaction with the neighbours for an embarrassed DL and a local councillor from Cornwall.JOIN THE WITTERING WHITEHALLS FOR THEIR BARELY (A)LIVE TOUR: https://thewitteringwhitehalls.co.uk/You can email your questions, thoughts or problems to TheWitteringWhitehalls@gmail.comOr, perhaps you'd like to send a WhatsApp message or Voice note? Why not?! Send them in to +447712147236This episode contains explicit language and adult themes that may not be suitable for all listeners.