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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking at the opening ceremony for the Osaka expo, expressed his hope that the event would help restore global unity in a world plagued by conflicts and trade wars. “The world, having overcome the coronavirus pandemic, is now threatened by an array of divisions,” Ishiba said. “At a time like this, it is extremely meaningful that people from around the world gather here and discuss the theme of life and experience cutting-edge technology, diverse ideas and culture.” Expo 2025 Osaka officially opened on April 12, with the theme of life, world and the future, and Japan hoped to bring unity and portray a future society. Citing the expo's iconic lattice-like wooden “Grand Ring,” which symbolizes unity and encircles the venue, Ishiba said, “I sincerely hope the world will unite again through interactions among countries and visitors in and outside of this ring." The costly ring, the world's largest wooden architectural structure, is 20 meters (65 feet) high and has a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) circumference. During the six-month event on the reclaimed island and industrial waste burial site of Yumeshima, which means dream island, in the Osaka Bay, the city is hosting some 180 countries, regions and organizations showcasing their futuristic exhibits inside about 80 pavilions of unique designs. It is Osaka's second world expo after the 1970 event that scored a huge success and attracted 64 million visitors—a record until Shanghai in 2010. Emperor Naruhito, in his address at the opening ceremony, recalled visiting the earlier expo as a fascinating experience for a then 10-year-old prince. “I vividly remember how excited I was coming across the latest technology, playing with a wireless phone and looking at the moon rock,” brought back by the U.S. Apollo 12 lunar mission, said the emperor, now 65. Naruhito said he hoped the second Osaka expo would be as successful and expressed hope that children will learn more about people, regions and the world and think about future society by interacting with next-generation technologies and efforts for a sustainable future. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
田植えをされる天皇陛下、14日午前、皇居・生物学研究所脇の水田天皇陛下は14日、皇居内の生物学研究所脇にある水田で田植えをされた。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito planted rice seedlings at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward in an annual tradition Wednesday.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito planted rice seedlings at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward in an annual tradition Wednesday.
東京カテドラル聖マリア大聖堂で行われたフランシスコ・ローマ教皇の追悼ミサに参列された秋篠宮さま、27日午後、東京都文京区秋篠宮さまは27日午後、東京都文京区の東京カテドラル聖マリア大聖堂で行われたフランシスコ・ローマ教皇の追悼ミサに、天皇陛下の名代として参列された。 Japanese Crown Prince Akishino attended a memorial mass for Pope Francis at St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward on Sunday afternoon, in the name of Emperor Naruhito.
Japanese Crown Prince Akishino attended a memorial mass for Pope Francis at St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward on Sunday afternoon, in the name of Emperor Naruhito.
Japanese Emperor Naruhito hosted a dinner for Danish King Frederik X at his residence in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday.
天皇陛下と皇后さま、2月23日、皇居宮内庁は11日、天皇、皇后両陛下が2025年大阪・関西万博開会式出席などのため、4月11~12日に大阪府を訪問されると発表した。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit the western Japan prefecture of Osaka for the 2025 World Exposition opening ceremony in April, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit the western Japan prefecture of Osaka for the 2025 World Exposition opening ceremony in April, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday.
Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 156-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,574 on turnover of $5.4-billion N-T. Taiwanese Germans go to the polls Taiwanese nationals with German citizenship have cast their ballots in Germany's federal election Sunday for the first time. This follows a change in the country's Nationality Law last year that allows Germans with dual citizenship to vote. More than 200,000 citizenship applications were received by the government since the passage (通過) of the new law in June, including from a number of Taiwanese people. That's about two to three times higher than in previous years. Yushan North Peak Sees Rime Frost The Central Weather Administration says frost formations have been spotted on parts of Yushan, due to early morning low temperatures. The CWA says lows fell to "minus 5.2 degrees Celsius" on Taiwan's highest peak at around 5am today, and rime frost formed on surfaces on the mountain. Forecasters say the opaque (不透明的), granular deposits of ice crystals occur in foggy or cloudy conditions when the water droplets in the air freeze on cold surfaces. Temperatures on Yushan returned to 2.8 degrees at around 8am. (NS) Ukraine Zelenskyy on US Aid Deal Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a contentious (有爭議的) U.S. proposal that would have seen $500 billion worth of profits from Ukrainian rare minerals given to the United States as compensation for its wartime assistance to Kyiv has been taken off the table. Zelenskyy told a forum in Kyiv on Sunday that he was open to brokering a deal that would let the U.S. profit from his country's minerals, but that the $500 billion sum initially proposed had been removed from the discussions. The Ukrainian leader said considering aid as a debt to be repaid would be a “Pandora's box” that would set a precedent requiring Kyiv to reimburse all its backers. U.S. officials have expressed confidence that a deal could be reached this week. US India Flight Diverted An American Airlines flight from New York to New Delhi lands safely in Rome after security concerns. Here's Julie Walker. Japan Emporer Calls for Telling WWII Tragedy to Young Gen Japan's Emperor Naruhito, marking his 65th birthday, stressed the importance to keep telling the tragedy of the World War II to younger generations. At the palace, Naruhito, accompanied by his wife, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko, waved from the palace balcony to thank for the cheering well-wishers. The emporer pledging to contribute (貢獻,出力) to the effort to promote understanding of the history and determination for peace as the world observes the 80th anniversary of the war's end. Later Sunday, he was to celebrate his birthday at a palace banquet. This year, Naruhito and Masako are expected to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to pay tribute to (表示敬意的舉動) those killed by the U.S. atomic bombings and Okinawa, the site of one of the harshest battles in the war. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. ----以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供---- 臺南市安平「考古埕-尋找熱蘭遮市鎮」特展,首度公開熱蘭遮市鎮現地考古成果。更多資訊請上「臺南文資處」官網查詢。 https://sofm.pse.is/785t5v ▌展期|2024/9/22~2025/3/23 ▌時間|週三至週日及國定假日,09:00~17:00 ▌地點|安平劍獅埕(臺南市安平區延平街35號) -- Hosting provided by SoundOn
各国大使らと歓談される天皇、皇后両陛下の長女愛子さま、14日、千葉県市川市の宮内庁新浜鴨場天皇、皇后両陛下の長女愛子さまと秋篠宮家の次女佳子さまは14日、千葉県市川市の宮内庁新浜鴨場で、各国の駐日大使らをもてなす「鴨場接待」の接待役を務められた。 Princess Aiko, the only child of Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, hosted for the first time a duck-netting reception with the diplomatic corps in the country on Friday.
Princess Aiko, the only child of Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, hosted for the first time a duck-netting reception with the diplomatic corps in the country on Friday.
新年を前に、写真撮影に臨まれる天皇、皇后両陛下と長女愛子さま、2024年12月29日午後、皇居・御所天皇陛下は1日付で、新年の感想を宮内庁を通じて文書で公表された。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito, in his New Year's thoughts released through the Imperial Household Agency on Wednesday, expressed hope for world peace as the year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito, in his New Year's thoughts released through the Imperial Household Agency on Wednesday, expressed hope for world peace as the year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
皇居にある古品種の果樹園を散策される天皇、皇后両陛下の長女愛子さま、11月22日、皇居・東御苑天皇、皇后両陛下の長女愛子さまは1日、23歳の誕生日を迎えられた。 Japanese Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, turned 23 on Sunday.
Japanese Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, turned 23 on Sunday.
第43回全国豊かな海づくり大会の式典に出席された天皇、皇后両陛下、10日午前、大分市天皇、皇后両陛下は10日午前、大分市で開かれた第43回全国豊かな海づくり大会に出席された。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the 43rd national marine convention, held in the southwestern city of Oita, the capital of the namesake prefecture, on Sunday.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the 43rd national marine convention, held in the southwestern city of Oita, the capital of the namesake prefecture, on Sunday.
大分県種苗生産施設で、マコガレイの稚魚に餌を与えられる天皇、皇后両陛下、9日午後、同県国東市天皇、皇后両陛下は9日、第43回全国豊かな海づくり大会出席などのため、羽田空港発の特別機で大分県入りされた。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited a facility to grow young fish in the city of Kunisaki, Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Saturday.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited a facility to grow young fish in the city of Kunisaki, Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Saturday.
「国際青年交流会議」で参加者同士のディスカッションを見学される天皇、皇后両陛下、2日午後、東京都千代田区天皇、皇后両陛下は2日、東京都千代田区のホテルニューオータニで開かれた国際青年交流会議に出席された。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended Wednesday an international youth exchange conference in Tokyo.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended Wednesday an international youth exchange conference in Tokyo.
来日したスイスのアムヘルト大統領と会見される天皇陛下、8日午前、皇居・御所天皇陛下は8日、日本との国交樹立160周年に際して訪日したスイスのアムヘルト大統領と皇居・御所で約25分間会見された。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito met with Swiss President Viola Amherd at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito met with Swiss President Viola Amherd at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday.
We are finally starting to get into the Taika era and the Taika reforms, which would really start the transformation of Yamato into the bureaucratic state of the Nara period. This episode, we look back at how the Yamato state had been changing up to this point, some of the possible influences and precursors, and then dive into some of the first edicts, largely dealing with sending out governors to the provinces. These governors, or "kokushi", were originally temporary positions, limited in what they could do. More info over at https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-108 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is Episode 108: The Great Change ……………….. The Kuni no Miyatsuko, hereditary leader of his lands, likely heard the news before they arrived. Apparently Yamato was sending out an official—a kokushi—who was going to be doing some sort of survey. Whatever. Just another person from Yamato's court—what did it matter? His family had been in charge of the local lands for as long as anyone remembered, and while they might give nominal fealty to the Oho-kimi in Yamato, along with the occasional bit of taxes, paid in rice, what consequence was it to him? Some might say he was a big fish in a small pond, but it was his pond. Always had been, and always would be. Wouldn't it? ……………….. And we are back with our regular chronological podcast, and we are finally going to pick back up on the fall out from the events of 645, the Isshi Incident, when Prince Naka no Oe orchestrated the murder of Soga no Iruka, and later his father, Soga no Emishi, in full view of the court, including his mother, Takara, aka Kougyoku Tennou. That incident would be the start of Naka no Oe's own rise to power and the reshaping of Yamato from the its longstanding clan based system of government to a new national government of laws and punishments, known generally as the Ritsuryo system. This episode we'll dive into this new system and the so-called “Taika reforms” that brought it about, the changes it ushered in, and the ripples this sent throughout the entire archipelago. The term “Taika” itself means “Great Change”, and it isn't clear to me if it was picked because they expected to be making big changes or after the fact, but in the minds of most Japanese historians it is quite accurate. The entire system actually took about a century or so to really come together—we often think of the Ritsuryo system as it was in its final version. This period, though, is where things kicked off, so we'll be setting the stage and talking about some of the edicts during this period that eventually became the written code of the Ritsuryo system. This was started by Naka no Oe who, spoiler alert, would eventually reign as sovereign and be known as Tenchi Tennou. The system he helps put into place would continue to be used and refined even after his death and even after the end of the period covered by the Nihon Shoki. So after some background, we'll get to some of the very first edicts this episode, and then spend more time on them again, in the future. The RitsuryoThe Ritsuryo system was based largely on continental models, with Confucian ideals and the legal code of the Tang dynasty having particular influence. And as we discuss these changes, which were huge, I'll start with some clarifications and caveats. This was a system of government based largely on continental models, with Confucian ideals and the legal code of the Tang dynasty having particular influence. That One of the first things to emphasize is that said, itthis wasn't exactly an immediate revolution and reformation. Based on the entries in the Nihon Shoki, some of the work had already been started long before Naka no Oe came on the scene, largely attributed to the influence of Prince Umayado, aka Shotoku Taishi, and things like the 17 article constitution and rank system, which we discussed back in episode 95. And even after its initial implementation, there would come various tweaks to the system. Although there are numerous edicts made in the initial years of what is known as the Taika era, leading this change to often be given the nickname of the “Taika reforms”, the earliest formal administrative codes would come much later, firming up in the 8th century. Another thing to keep in mind as we realize, as we start looking at these changes is that the Yamato courtit didn't necessarily discard the old system, either. Changes like this take time, and something even if it is implemented for a year or two , it might not stick. This is one of the reasons that it is important that two of the apparent architects of the new system for these changes were there present through much of its implementation, actively guiding and shaping the process direction that the changes would take. These two individuals at wereas Prince Naka no Oe and Nakatomi no Kamako, later known in this reign as Kamatari, which is the name I'm going to use from here on out as it is the much more well known in case anyone decides to look up information later. Finally, I would also note that many of these changes were being applied at the level of the elites of society, how they organized power and how they approached governance – but we should also spare a thought for how this affected the majority of people. After all, it was the majority of people who were working the fields, cutting the wood, or fishing the seas. The elites were often otherwise engaged, and whichthat isn't to say that they did nothing. Often they were coordinating and bringing things together, but that was a smaller part of the overall population. In these reforms we get to see some rare glimpses into how all of thisit may have affected people beyond just the court elites. To set this up, let's start with a look at what brought us here, and how things changed over time and how they had governed things up until now—or at least as best as we can make out from our various sources. From there we can take a look at some of the earliest edicts related to the changes evolution in the government, focusing how they focused on consolidating the power and support at the center of the Yamato court and starteding to make more concrete Yamato's control across the rest of the archipelago. We've covered much of the development of complex society in Yamato this in previous episodes: How Yayoi society came with or at least introduced a form of stratification evident in graves, grave goods, as well as other patterns of lifeways. Local elites rose up to oversee communities, and eventually extended their influence, creating the various “kuni”, or countries—regional collections of communities that came together under a leadership structure and some shared cultural values. Some of the earliest stories give us the Hiko-Hime leadership structure, often with a male and female head of state, though sometimes shown as elder and younger co-rulers. This is backed up by some evidence in the kofun era, as we see large, single-purpose tomb mounds built for what we can only assume are the elite. Their construction would have required control of a large labor force, indicating a certain amount of their power, and their shape and various burial goods have further suggested, at least to scholars like Kishimoto, that there may have been a division of rulership, at least early on. We've talked about the spread of Yamato style round keyhole shaped kofun through the archipelago and how the popularity of that kofun shape demonstrated Yamato's influence but in the shape of their kofun, but that didn't necessarily accompany a change in change the actual dynamics of local government, other than demonstrating Yamato's increased influence. The next thing we see in the record, I would argue, is the change to a familial based system, or the Bemin-sei. This is what we've talked about periodically in terms of both the uji, familial groups or clans, and the “be” familial or occupational groups, but here I'll give an overview of the whole practice and what its development means in the sense of changing approaches to organizing and governing a complex society. The Bemin system was a means of further dividing and categorizing people in society, . It is rooted in continental concepts of a familial group. Prior to the 5th century, there isn't a clear indication of familial clans in Yamato, though that doesn't mean people didn't know where they were from. They still remembered who their ancestors were, and that was important, often tracing back to mythical and legendary individuals who are recorded as gods, or kami. I suspect, however, that in the smaller communities of the Yayoi period, where you were from was as a good an indicator of your relationships as anything else. Farming is a pretty sedentary lifestyle, and if you know all of your neighbors there isn't as much need to divide each other up into specific familial groups. It was more important that I'm from this village or region than I'm from this particular family. And so the oldest stories in the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki only refer to individuals by their names or by locatives. Occasionally we will be told that so-and-so was an ancestor of this or that uji, or clan, but it is telling that they don't use the clan name with that person. Surnames do become important, however, in the Bemin system. But they are only really important for those in the upper tiers of society. Amongst the farmers and other commoners—the heimin—you often won't find specific surnames, or people will use pure locatives or something similar to refer to a person. Surnames were for people a little further up the social food chain. From what we can tell, the uji structure likely started with the “-Be” families, trying to set up groups of individuals who were in charge of certain economic activities beyond just farming the land. The Imbe, the Mononobe, the Abe, the Kuratsukuribe, and the Kusakabe are all examples of family names ending in “-Be”. Some, like Kuratsukuribe, Inukaibe, and Umakaibe are all fairly straightforward: These are groups that were set up around particular industries. Kuratsukuri literally means “saddle-making”, so the Kuratsukuri-be are the saddlemakers. Inukai and Umakai refer to the ones who kept or raised the dogs and horses. Setting up a familial or clan unit around a certain profession was one way of organizing society so that you had the things that you needed. Such jobs were often inherited, anyway, passing from father to son, mother to daughter, etc. So it makes some sense. And the clan, or uji, structure meant that there was a person or persons at the head of the familial unit who could be responsible for coordinating efforts across different, sometimes dispersed, groups of people. The thing is, there is no indication that the people in these professions were necessarily related to each other prior to this organization, and in many ways the idea that they were a family with a common ancestor was a created fiction. There may have been some relationship—for instance, weaver groups were often centered on immigrant groups that came over from the continent with knowledge of specific techniques, so there was likely some pre-existing relationship, but they weren't necessarily what we would consider family, related by blood, to one another. Over time these groups became actual clans—children were born into them and remained, unless they specifically were split off into a different uji for some reason. Some of them dropped the “-Be” part of their name—in some instances it seems this may have created a distinction between the line at the head of the clan vice the other members, but that distinction isn't entirely clear. Furthermore, members of these clans were not, ultimately, restricted to the hereditary jobs for which the clan had been created. There are also clans that appear to be more about location, possibly local rulers or magnates. For example, there are the Munakata and the Miwa, referring to local chiefs or lords of the Munakata and Miwa areas, both important ritual areas. The clans formed another function as well, as each clan had a kabane, which was an early form of social rank. Some of these ranks appear to have come from titles or positions. So, for instance, you have the Omi, the Muraji, the Kimi, and the Atahe. Early on, Muraji appears to be the more prestigious title, with the Ohomuraji being the head of a Muraji level house that was also a key member of the government. Omi, meaning minister, eventually came to be seen as more prestigious, however. Meanwhile, both were more presitiousprestigious than the term “Kimi”, although that may have originated as a term for the rulers of the local countries, which makes sense if you consider that the Yamato sovereign was the Oho-kimi, or the Great Kimi, much as the Oho-omi was in charge of an Omi group and the Ohomuraji was in charge of a Muraji level house. There are also Omi and Muraji households for whom there is no Oho-omi or Oho-muraji ever mentioned, but only members of the Omi and Muraji ranked families were considered for positions at the top of the court hierarchy. This All of this clan and rank system began to change in the 6th century during the reign of Toyomike Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tenno, with the introduction of the 17 article constitution and new rank system. While both of these developments are of debatable veracity, since the chroniclers likely made this change seem much more structured than it actually was in practice, —there is probably at least something to the idea that the Yamato court y werewas adopting more continental ideas regarding state governance. The rank system, in particular, was a step towards recognizing individuals above simply their inherited social position. While kabane rank was applied to an entire uji, the new rank was applied to individuals alone, meaning that an individual could be recognized without necessarily rewarding every other person holding their same surname. At the same time, more and more books were coming in from the continent. Some of these were focused on the new Buddhist religion, but there were also other works, based on a variety of subjects and introducing the Yamato court to some of the philosophical ideas of what government should be. And then there were various envoys sent to the Sui and Tang courts in the early 7th century, where they would have seen how things were working there. Nonetheless, to be clear, we don't know it is unclear just how far Yamato control extended across the archipelago. We know that in the 5th century there were individuals who considered themselves part of the Yamato court structure from the Kantou to Kyuushuu. In the Nihon Shoki, we also see the establishment of Miyake up and down the archipelago, from as far out as Kamitsukenu, aka Kozuke, to the western edge of Kyushu, in the early 6th century. These were areas of rice-land which owed their output to the Yamato court or a particular endeavor. They would have had officials there tied to the court to oversee the miyake, providing a local court presence, but how much this translated into direct Yamato control is hard to say. Then there is the Dazai , the Yamato outpost in Kyushu, set up in the area of Tsukushi, modern Fukuoka Prefecture, largely following the Iwai Rebellion, and which we . We talked about this some in the Gishiwajinden Tour episode about Ito and Na, extending a more directand how the Yamato government extended a more direct, and explicitly military, presence in Kyushu. Still, the individual lands of places like Hi, Toyo, Kibi, Owari, or Musashi were all governed by the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the Yamato court's term for the various chieftains or rulers of the different lands. And that gets us roughly to the situation where we are now, in 645. Prince Naka no Oe hadand been talking with his good friend Nakatomi no Kamatari about how things should be, ever since the day that Kamatari had helped him out at a kemari game—something akin to group hackey-sack with a volleyball. As we've discussed in past episodes, a lot of this sense of “how things should be” related to nipping the power of Soga no Iruka and Soga no Emishi in the bud, cutting off what they no doubt saw as a thread to imperial power and the ”right way of doing things”. But Tthe two had also been taking lessons from the Priest Minabuchi, and, like students everywhere, they thought they had figured this whole government thing out as well. They'd been reading the classics and would have had access to the reports from various envoys and ambassadors to the Tang court. The last one had left in 630 and returned in 632. They would no doubt have seen the workings of the Tang dynasty law code of 624 and the subsequent update in 627. Naka no Oe and Kamatari may have even heard news of the update in 637. Thise law code, implemented by Tang Taizong, relied on Confucian and Legalist theory. It wasn't the first law code in East Asia, or even the Yellow River basin , but it is one of the most significant and influential, and the earliest for which we have the actual code itself—though the extant version is from 653, about eight years after the events of 645., butHowever, as we'll see, all of this was well withing the timeframe which the Ritsuryo system was used and updated, itself. So, Naka no Oe and Kamatari have a shiny new document in their hands, promising an organized system of government very different from the status quo in Yamato to date. However, the Tang law code did have a problem: It was undeniably centered in the imperial culture of the Yellow River and Yangzi River basins. These areas had long had the concept of empire, and even in the chaotic period of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern dynasties, the concept of an empire that ruled “All Under Heaven”, or “Tianxia” was something that people generally accepted. The Wa polities of the Japanese archipelago, even as they were now consuming media from the continent, still operated under their own cultural imaginaries of how the world was ordered and how government operated. And so the code couldn't just be adopted wholesale: It would have to be adapted to the needs and demands of the Wa polity. I should note that this was unlikely the reforms that took place in Yamato were sole effort of Naka no Oe and Kamatari, and much of what is written suggests that this wasn't done simply through autocratic fiat, but included some key politicking. This started even before the Isshi Incident. Kamatari already had close ties with Prince Karu before he met with Naka no Oe. Kamatari and Naka no Oe had also brought Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro into their confidence, a member of the Soga family. The Fujiwara family history, the Toushi Kaden, compiled by Fujiwara Nakamaro in the 8th century, describes Maro—referenced as Soga no Yamada—as a man of particular and upright character. He also appears to have had a beef with his cousin , Soga no Iruka, and was ambitious. I'm not sure just how much Naka no Oe and Kamatari were sharing their plans about reforming the State at this point, or if they were simply concentrating efforts on bringing down—that is to say murdering—Soga no Iruka. The Toushi Kaden mentions that others were also brought around to at least the idea that something had to be done about Soga no Iruka, though nobody was quite willing to speak out for fear of Soga no Iruka and his father, Emishi, and what they could do to someone's reputation—or worse. After all, Soga no Iruka had only recently killed the Prince Yamashiro no Oe, reportedly as part of a plot to ensure Prince Furubito would be next elevated to the throne. On the other hand, not much information seems to be given about the reforms until they are enacted. And so after the Isshi Incident, we see our murderous firebrands taking the reins of power. As we noted back in episode 106, Prince Karu was encouraged to take the throne, while Prince Furubito no Ohoye retired from the world and took orders at a temple in Yoshino. Naka no Oe had been offered the throne, we are told, but turned it down, as the optics on it would not have been great. Not only because he was clearly responsible for the death of Soga no Iruka and his father, and thus his mother's abdication. However, he could still be made Crown Prince, and keep right on going with his ambitions to change up the way things were done in the Yamato government. Although Naka no Oe and Kamatari get most of the credit, the work required the cooperation—or at least consent—of the newly made sovereign, Prince Karu, also known as Ame Yorozu Toyohi, later styled as Koutoku Tennou. After all, it would be his edicts that would lay out the new system, and his name that would be attached to it. One good example is a change that came immediately: Meanwhile, in place of Soga no Iruka as Oho-omi, Karu selected two individuals to take his place, dividing up the position of Oho-omi into ministers of the Left and Right. The first was Abe no Omi no Uchimaro, as Minister of the Left, and then Soga no Kurayamada no Omi no Ishikawa no Maro, Naka no Oe's recently made father-in-law, was made the Minister of the Right. These positions, later known as the Sadaijin and Udaijin, would continue to be two of the most powerful civil positions in the Ritsuryo and later Japanese governments. The Minister of the Left, the Sadaijin, was often considered the senior of the two. By the way, “Daijin” is just a sinified reading applied to the characters used for “Oho-omi”, or great minister. This means that the Minister of the Left, the Sadaijin, could just as easily be called the Oho-omi of the Left, or something similar. This actually causes a bit of confusion, especially in translation, but just realize that this is effectively just a rebranding, and not entirely a new name. What was new was this idea that they were broken into the Left and the Right a distinction that would mean a lot more once more of the bureaucratic offices and functionaries were properly defined. Who were these two new ministers? Abe no Uchimaro has popped up a few times in the narrative. He was an experienced courtier. The Abe family had been moving within the halls of power for some time, and had even stood up to the Soga family when Soga no Umako had tried to acquire their lands in Katsuraki, making an ancestral claim. Uchimaro had also been involved in the discussions regarding Princes Tamura and Yamashiro no Oe after the death of Kashikya Hime, hosting one of the dinners during which the delicate issue of succession was discussed. He was clearly a politician of the first order. Of course, Soga no Kurayamada had clearly earned his position through his connections with the conspirators. , bBut what about Nakatomi no Kamatari? Well, he wasn't exactly left out in the cold. Nakatomi no Kamatari was made the Naijin, the Minister, or “Omi”, of the Middle or the Minister of the Interior, implying that he had some authority over the royal household itself. This feels like a created position, possibly to allow him the freedom to help with the primary work of transforming the Yamato government. Although Naka no Oe and Kamatari get most of the credit, the work required the cooperation—or at least consent—of the newly made sovereign, Prince Karu, also known as Ame Yorozu Toyohi, later styled as Koutoku Tennou. After all, it would be his edicts that would lay out the new system, and his name that would be attached to it. One of the first things that is recorded in the Nihon Shoki was the declaration of a nengo, or era name. Up to this point, years in Yamato were remembered by the reign of the sovereign—typically based on their palace. So you would see things like the second year of the reign of the sovereign of Shiki palace, or something like that. In addition, at least since about the 6th century, if not earlier, years would eventually be given the appropriate sexagesimal year name, combing one of the ten stems and twelve branches. For example, 2024, when this episode is coming out, is the year of the Wood Dragon, or Kinoe-tatsu. This is still used for various Japanese traditionspractice still continues today in Japan for various reasons. The Nengo was something newly introduced to Japan, however: . Aan era name would be chosen by the sovereign, often based on important changes that either had occurred or even as a wish for something new. So you would we see a new nengo with the ascension of a new sovereign, but it couldan also come because of an auspicious omen or because of a terrible disaster and hope for something new. The current nengo, which started with the reign of Emperor Naruhito a few years back, is “Reiwa”. This very first nengo, we are told, was “Taika”, meaning, as I said up front, “Great Change”. It certainly was apropos to the work at hand. So let's go through the Chronicles and see some of the “great changes” occurring at the Yamato court now that the intention had been made clear. We already talked about the change from an single Oho-omi to ministers of the Left and Right, but there were many other Some of the first things were to set up various newly created officials and positions. An example is , such as two doctors, or Hakase – doctors in the sense of learned experts, not medical doctors, although medicine was certainly revered. One of these new Hakase was the Priest Min, presumably the same one who had brought back astronomical knowledge from the Sui dynasty, possibly the same as the one known as Sho'an. The other was Takamuko no Fubito no Kuromaro, who had gone to the Sui Dynasty with Min and others and come back with knowledge of how things worked on the continent. The Takamuko family had immigrant roots as descendants of the Ayabito, and Kuromaro was well traveled, returning from the Sui court by way of Silla. These two were well positioned to help with the work at hand. Now that the rudiments of a cabinet were in place, Oone of the first problems set before things after setting up their cabinet, as it were, was to askthe their new Ministers of the Right and Left, as well as the various officials, the Daibu and the Tomo no Miyatsuko, was how tohey should get people to acquiesce to forced, or corvee labor—the idea that for certain government projects villages could be called upon to provide manual labor in the form of a healthy adult—typically male—to help as needed. This was a thorny problem, and evidently it was thought best to get expertise beyond the purely human. The following day, tThe Udaijin, Soga no Ishikawa no Maro, suggested that the kami of Heaven and Earth should be worshipped and then affairs of government should be considered. And so Yamato no Aya no Hirafu was sent to Wohari and Imbe no Obito no Komaro was sent to Mino, both to make offerings to the kami there for their assistance, it would seem, in setting up a good government. This is significant, in part, as it shows the continued importance of local traditions focused on appeasing the kami, rather than the Buddhist rituals that they could have likely turned to, instead. FinallyThree weeks later, on the 5th day of the 8th month—about three weeks later— camecomes the first truly major edict of the Taika era, which and it wasis to appoint new governors, or kokushi, of the eastern provinces. Note that they specifically mention the Eastern Provinces, presumably meaning those east of Yamato, since they only sent out eight of them. They also did not send them to usurp control, necessarily, from the Kuni no Miyatsuko of those areas. The Kuni no Miyatsuko were still nominally in charge, it would seem, but the court was getting ready to make some major changes to the relationship. These governors were expected to go out and take a census of the people—both those free and those in bondage to others. They were also to take account of all of the land currently under cultivation, likely to figure out how to tax it appropriately. As for things other than arable land, such as gardens, ponds, rivers, oceans, lakes, mountains, etc., the edict commands the governors to consult with the people—presumably the people of the province—to get a better idea of what should be done. And this doesn't sound so bad. It is basically just a tally of what is already there. That said, anyone who has worked in a modern office probably knows about the dread that comes over a workplace when people show up from the Head Office with clipboards in hand. However, apparently many of the people had not yet heard of a “clipboard” and likely didn't realize that this was only a precursor to greater and more centralized bureaucratic control. Now in addition to taking a zero-baseline review of provincial resources, there was also a list of what these new governors y were to avoid – clear boundaries around the power they were to wield. For one thing, they were not to hear criminal cases. They weren't there to be an extension of the Yamato court in such matters or to usurp the duties of the Kuni no Miyatsuko, one supposes. Furthermore, when they were traveling to the capital, they were only to bring themselves and district officials, but not a huge retinue. Whether they realized it or not, these kokushi were early bureaucrats in a burgeoning bureaucratic state, and they weren't supposed to be going out there to become minor kings in their own right; their power came from and was limited by the royal edict. They also did not send them to usurp control, necessarily, from the Kuni no Miyatsuko of those areas. The Kuni no Miyatsuko were still nominally in charge, it would seem, but the court was getting ready to make some major changes to the relationship. When traveling on official business, the governors could use appropriate government resources, such as the horses and food that they were entitled to. Remember that post stations were set up, previously, to help better facilitate official travel and communication. In a later edict it would be clarified that officials would be given a bronze token with bell-like figures on it. The shape of the token would indicate what kinds of resources the individual was entitled to. This applied to governors and their assistants. Those who follow the rules could be rewarded with rank and more, while those who disobeyed would be reduced in rank, and any stipend that came with it. Furthermore, any government official who was found taking a bribe would be liable to pay twice the amount, as well as being open to criminal punishment. The Chief Governor was allowed nine attendants, while the assistant was allowed seven, and a secretary—for which think more of the head of a branch office or department under the governor—could have five. Any more, and the governor and followers could be punished for it. While in the provinces, the governors were expected to look into any claims of potentially false inheritance. This included anyone using a false name or title to claim rights that were not theirs. Governors were to first investigate what was going on before submitting their findings up to the court. Governors were also to erect arsenals on waste pieces of ground—ground that could not be cultivated for some reason. In those arsenals they were to gather the various weapons and armor of the provinces and districts, presumably so that soldiers could be called up quickly and everyone could just get their equipment from one place, but it also looks like an attempt to take control of the means of violence. Whether or not that was their direct intention I cannot say. There was a provision for those on the frontier, with the Emishi, to allow the owners to keep their weapons, probably because the situation was potentially volatile, and it could turn at any moment. And so that was the first major piece of legislation: Sending out governors to what are translated as “provinces”—though we are still using the term “kuni”, which equally refers to a state or country—ostensibly for the purposes of assessing the land, its value, the number of people, etc, but also to . They are centralizeing military assets. and they are given status as true court representatives. I do notice that it was explicitly stated that these governors were for the eastern lands, . presumably meaning those east of Yamato, since they only sent out eight of them These are areas that historically appear to have relied more on Yamato or else been something of a frontier area for the ethnic Wa people. They may have been more open to Yamato's demands on their sovereignty. There were two more pieces to thise edict that didon't directly apply to the governors. First off was the institution of a bell and a box to be set up at the court. The box was basically a place to receive complaints about how things were going in the realm. They are careful to note that complaints should be vetted by the Tomo no Miyatsuko, one of the hereditary government officials, or at least to the head of one's uji, if possible. If they couldn't come to a decision, though, the complaints would be collected at dawn and then the government would look into them. If anyone thought that there was a problem with how a complaint was being handled—for example, if they thought there was malfeasance involved or even just neglect, with officials not addressing it in a timely fashion, then the plaintiffs could go to the court and ring the bell, officially noting their dissatisfaction with the process. This idea of a bell and complaints seems to be a wide-ranging practice throughout Asia. During the reign of the Legendary Yao, people were encouraged to nail their complaints to a tree. Other edicts suggest that bells and drums were hung in royal palaces to allow common people to voice their grievances. We have examples of the practice showing up in the Sukhothai kingdom of Thailand, during the 13th century reign of King Ramkhamhaeng, and then a 16th century example in what is now Myanmar, aka Burma. While they differ in specifics, they are all related to the concept of royal justice even for the lowest of the people. Granted, if you are a farmer in Owari province, I don't know how easy it was going to be to make your way over to the royal palace and ring that bell, but at least there was the idea that people could submit complaints. This was apparently used relatively soon after, as recounted in the second month of the following year, about six months later. Apparently some person had placed a complaint in the box stating that people who had come to the capital on government business were being put to work and ill-used. Basically it sounds like they were being rounded up for corvee labor even though they weren't local residents, they were just passing through. In response, the sovereign, Karu, put a stop to forced labor at various places—presumably where the offending action was taking place, so I guess the complaint system it was working. The last part of this first set of edicts, kicking off the change was about inheritance. Not all people in Yamato were free, and the law saw a difference between the status of free and unfree persons—that is to say enslaved persons. And so they made laws that only the child of two free persons would be considered free. If either parent was in bondage, then the child was also considered in bondage to their parent's house. If two enslaved persons of different houses had a child, then they would stay with the mother. Temple serfs, though technically bound to service of the temple, were made a special case, and their children were to be treated as if the temple serf was a free person. Slavery is something that doesn't always get talked about regarding ancient Yamato, and the Chronicles themselves don't tend to mention enslaved peoplethem often, but more because they belonged to a class of society that was largely outside of the scope of the narrative. In cases where they are discussed, such as in these edicts, the Chronicles are unapologetic of the practice. These may have been people who were captured in raids, or their descendants, or people who had been enslaved as punishment for some offence, although it isn't quite clear just what would count. We know that Himiko sent enslaved persons as part of the tribute to the Wei Court, as she was trying to curry favor, and mention of them certainly shows up now and again. It is unclear how many people were enslaved up to this point, but some estimates suggest that it may have been five to ten percent of the population. As I've mentioned before, this practice continued up until the Sengoku Period, and was only abolished by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in an attempt to stop the Portuguese from buying enslaved Japanese people and transporting them away from Japan. That didn't meant that other forms of bondage, often economic in nature, didn't happen, however. So that was the content of the first edict—one of many. The court sent out newly appointed “governors” to the provinces, but these governors were, so far, limited in their scope. There is even some evidence that these may have been initially seen as temporary positions, and there was mention of “kokushi” in the previous reign. Still, this was part of a clearly concentrated effort to assume central authority over the archipelago. There were even officials appointed over the six districts of Yamato province, the core of the Yamato state, who were likewise expected to prepare registers of the population and the cultivated land. Even the idea that the sovereign had the right to make these appointments was something a bit radical, and indicated a change in way that the court, at least, would view the sovereign. It likewise placed the sovereign in a position to dispense justice, through the vehicle of the court, and it began to define the citizens of the realm as well. That said, this all could have been argued for by using the Sui and Tang as examples of what government should look like and what a true nation should look like. It is also possible that this didn't all happen of a sudden in the 8th month, as the Chronicles describe it. This is suggested at based on a separate account, mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, that the gathering of weapons, for instance—one of the things that the governors were charged with—actually took place between the 6th and 9th month, so some of this likely started before the date listed for the edict, and that may just have been one part of the whole. The Chroniclers often do this, finding one particular date and throwing in everything rather than giving things piecemeal—depending on the event. In addition, on the 19th day of the 9th month, officials were sent out to all of the provinces—not just the eastern provinces—to take a proper census. At this same time, the sovereign, Karu, issued another edict, which seems related to their work as well as that of the governors, or kokushi, sent to the east. In it he noted that the powerful families—the Omi, the Muraji, the Tomo no Miyatsuko, and the Kuni no Miyatsuko—would compel their own vassals to work at their pleasure. They would also appropriate for themselves various pieces of land, so that people could only work it for them. Not everyone was doing this, though. Some unnamed persons were accused of hording thousands of acres of rice-land, while others had no more land than you could stick a needle into. Furthermore, these powerful families were collecting taxes for themselves, first, and then handing a portion over to the government. They likely compelled their vassals to work on their own tombs, and such. And so, the sovereign, Karu, forbade anyone from becoming a landlord and forcing people to pay rent. Presumably he was also dealing with some of the other aspects, though that may have proved more difficult. After all, from what we've seen, everything that Karu is complaining about—things that no doubt were considered antithetical to good government based on pure Confucian values—were the norm for the elite at the time. Heck, the Kuni no Miyatsuko had no doubt thought of the land and the people on it as their own, not Yamato's. However, things were shifting, and once again we see Yamato exerting royal prerogative over the land and people, something that they would do more and more as the system of laws and punishments eventually came together. Now the big question is how did this all pan out? Well, it took some time, but we get a report on the second day of the third month of the following year, 646, and to be honest, it doesn't sound like things were going too well. Of the high officials sent out as kokushi to govern the eastern provinces, six listened and did what they were told, but two did not, and then there were numerous other issues. A more detailed list was given on the 19th of the month, including a clearer idea of punishments. The decree was given to the “Choushuushi”, apparently other government officials sent to check on how things were going, though it was clearly about various officials. The decree starts by reminding officials that they were not to use their position to appropriate public or private property. Anyone of Assistant governor rank or higher would be punished by being degraded in rank, and presumably their stipend. Those officials of clerk, or secretary, on down would face flogging. If anyone was found converting public property (or someone else's) to their own use, they would be fined double the value of the property, just as with bribes. So the Yamato government was They were really trying to tamp down on people trying to make a profit from their position. Here are a few of the specific things that the Choushuushi reported back: - Hozumi no Omi no Kuhi taxed individual families for his own use and though he gave some of it back make, it wasn't all. His two assistants were at fault for not correcting him. - Kose no Tokune no Omi did something similar, taking away horses from the farmers for his own use. His assistants not only did not correct him, but actually helped him. They also took horses from the Kuni no Miyatsuko of the province. One of the officials tried to remonstrate with him, but he finally gave in to the corruption. - Ki no Marikida no Omi sent men to Asakura no Kimi and Inoue no Kimi to look at their horses for his own use. He also had Asakura no Kimi make him swords and provide bow-cloth. He also took the payments in lieu of weapons offered by the Kuni no Miyatsuko but didn't properly report it. As a somewhat strange addition to these charges, he apparently was guilty of allowing himself to be robbed of a sword in his own province as well as in Yamato, presumably one that was actually government property. Apparently being held up at sword point wasn't considered sufficient justification for letting it go. This was facilitated by his assistants and their subordinates. - Adzumi no Muraji apparently made the Kuni no Miyatsuko send government property to someone when they were ill, and he took horses belonging to the Yube clan. His assistant gathered items at his house that were paid in lieu of hay, and he took the horses of the Kuni no Miyatsuko and exchanged them for others. At least two other brothers were found guilty as well. - Ohochi no Muraji broke the decree of not personally judging the complaints of the people in the districts under his charge. He took it on himself to judge the case of the men of Udo and the matter of the enslaved persons of Nakatomi no Toko, who was also considered guilty. - Kishida no Omi, as with Ki no Marikida, also allowed his sword to be stolen, showing a want of circumspection. - In one of the strangest put-downs in this list, Womidori no Omi and Tanba no Omi weren't guilty of anything, but were just considered incompetent. So make of that what you will. - Imbe no Konomi and Nakatomi no Muraji no Mutsuki also committed offenses, we are told, but the nature is unclear. - Hada no Omi and Taguchi no Omi, on the other hand, were free and clear. Apparently they hadn't committed any offenses. - Finally, Heguri no Omi was guilty of neglecting to investigate the complaints of the men of Mikuni. A big to-do was made about the punishments to be meted out to all of these individuals, as well as to the Kuni no Miyatsuko who may have enabled them. However, instead of prosecuting them, Karu declared a general amnesty. This was like a mass pardon of offenses—a do-over if you would. Not that anything would be forgotten. On the other hand, six individuals who did as they were told were all commended for their service. He also took the lent-rice for the maintenance of the late Kibishima, the dowager queen who had passed away in 643, and distributed her official-rice lands amongst the ministers down to the Tomo no Miyatsuko. He also gave rice-land and hill tracts, which weren't suitable for farming, over to various temples which had previously been omitted from the official registers for some reason. Over all, this seems to be a rather powerful message: We're not They weren't fooling around with these changes, and people better get on board or get out of the way. Whereas previously things in the provinces may have operated under a sort of Vegas Rules, that was no longer going to be tolerated. On the other hand, Karuhe demonstrated mercy, likely realizing that too harsh an approach would bring the wrath of the other powerful nobles. Nonetheless, he elaborated what each person had done and effectively put them and anyone else harboring thoughts that they could just ignore these edicts on notice. These reforms weren't going away. So we've talked about where we were and we can see the powers at the Yamato court starting to make changes. For now, this is probably going to be a good place to take a break for this episode, but there are a lot more of these reforms to get to, not to mention the rest of the intra-palace politicking at the court, as well as the changing situation on the continent and in diplomatic channels. We are going to keep looking at these changes as we move forward through the period of Great Change, known as the Taika era. Until then, thank you for listening and for all of your support. 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.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako reaffirmed the bond between the Japanese Imperial Family and the British royal family in their latest week-long state visit to Britain.
バッキンガム宮殿での晩さん会を前に、英国のチャールズ国王夫妻と記念撮影に臨まれる天皇、皇后両陛下、25日、ロンドン天皇、皇后両陛下は29日、国賓として臨んだ英国訪問を終え、帰国された。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako reaffirmed the bond between the Japanese Imperial Family and the British royal family in their latest week-long state visit to Britain.
A week of pomp, pageantry and pop as the Prince of Wales dances along to Taylor Swift as if no one was watching (but Roya and Kate were). Japan's Emperor Naruhito begins his state visit with King Charles rekindling an old friendship with some new jokes, and we look at the impact of the Princess Royal's incident involving a horse at her Gatcombe Park estate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Wednesday evening attended a banquet hosted by representatives of the City of London financial district in Britain's capital city.
Japanese Emperor Naruhito expressed hopes for "an enduring relationship based on friendship" between Japan and Britain in a speech Tuesday at a state banquet hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
英国訪問を前に記者会見される天皇陛下、19日午後、皇居・宮殿「石橋の間」天皇陛下は19日午後、22日からの英国公式訪問を前に、皇居・宮殿「石橋の間」で記者会見された。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito said Wednesday that he hopes that his planned trip to Britain will help deepen friendly relations between the two countries.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito said Wednesday that he hopes that his planned trip to Britain will help deepen friendly relations between the two countries.
宮内庁は17日、22日から訪英される天皇、皇后両陛下の追加日程を発表した。 Emperor Naruhito will meet with Japanese residents and British people with links to Japan in London Sunday as part of the Japanese Imperial couple's trip to Britain starting Saturday, the Imperial Household Agency said Monday.
Emperor Naruhito will meet with Japanese residents and British people with links to Japan in London Sunday as part of the Japanese Imperial couple's trip to Britain starting Saturday, the Imperial Household Agency said Monday.
The Imperial Household Agency released on Thursday 21 photos of Japanese Emperor Naruhito's family taken during their recent stay at a farm in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, and seven photos of cats related to the family.
即位を祝うパレードで、沿道に集まった人たちに手を振られる天皇、皇后両陛下、2019年11月10日、東京都港区天皇陛下は1日、即位から5年を迎えられた。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito on Wednesday reached the fifth anniversary of his enthronement, which marked the start of the current Reiwa period.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito on Wednesday reached the fifth anniversary of his enthronement, which marked the start of the current Reiwa period.
宮内庁は27日付で、天皇、皇后両陛下が6月下旬に国賓として英国を公式訪問される準備を進めていると発表した。 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are making preparations to visit Britain as state guests in late June, the Imperial Household Agency said Saturday.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are making preparations to visit Britain as state guests in late June, the Imperial Household Agency said Saturday.
神武天皇陵を参拝される天皇、皇后両陛下の長女愛子さま、27日午後、奈良県橿原市天皇、皇后両陛下の長女愛子さまは27日午後、学習院大の卒業を報告するため、初代天皇の陵とされる奈良県橿原市の神武天皇陵を参拝された。 Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, visited the mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu in the city of Kashihara in Nara Prefecture, western Japan, on the second day Wednesday of her first solo domestic trip.
Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, visited the mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu in the city of Kashihara in Nara Prefecture, western Japan, on the second day Wednesday of her first solo domestic trip.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Sunday visited Ishikawa Prefecture to attend the opening ceremony of the National Cultural Festival and the National Arts and Culture Festival for Persons with Disabilities in Kanazawa, the prefecture's capital. Episode Notes: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2023/10/16/japan-emperor-empress-visit-ishikawa-pref-attends-national-arts-and-culture-festival-for-persons-with-disabilities/
With travel to and from Japan increasing, concerns over a possible measles outbreak is prompting experts to recommend vaccinating against the disease. Two injured Ukrainian soldiers have arrived in Japan for medical treatment and rehabilitation at a hospital in Tokyo. The Japanese Industry minister met with local fishing representatives from the Tohoku region over plans to release treated water from Fukushima's stricken nuclear power plant into the sea. Meanwhile, plans have been approved for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to embark on their first official visit to Indonesia later this month. And with a three-day festival taking place in Ueno Park dedicated to the Philippines (June 9~11), NOTEBOOK visited Ueno Dōbutsuen, Japan's old zoo at the heart of Tokyo, mere minutes from the park and Ueno Station. — Substack: notebookpodcast.substack.com Instagram: @notebook_pod Twitter: @notebook_pod — Get in touch: notebook.podcast@gmail.com Leave a message: speakpipe.com/notebook — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
前立腺の検査を終え、東大病院を出られる天皇陛下、11月28日、東京都文京区宮内庁は2日、天皇陛下が11月下旬に受けられた前立腺組織を採取する生検で、前立腺に「異常は認められない」とする確定診断を発表した。 Japan's Imperial Household Agency said Friday that no abnormalities have been found in a prostate biopsy taken from Emperor Naruhito.
Japan's Imperial Household Agency said Friday that no abnormalities have been found in a prostate biopsy taken from Emperor Naruhito.
Emperor Naruhito on Wednesday had separate meetings with heads of state of seven countries on visits to Japan for attending the state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
ヨルダンのアブドラ国王と会見される天皇陛下、28日午前、皇居・宮殿「竹の間」天皇陛下は28日、安倍晋三元首相の国葬参列のため来日した7カ国の国家元首と皇居・宮殿「竹の間」で会見された。 Emperor Naruhito on Wednesday had separate meetings with heads of state of seven countries on visits to Japan for attending the state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
진행자: 조혜림, Beth Eunhee Hong 1. Britain and the world say farewell to Queen Elizabeth II 기사요약: 영국 최장수 군주로 70년간 재위한 엘리자베스 2세 여왕의 국가 장례식이 거행됐다. 1952년 25세의 나이로 왕위에 오른 엘리자베스 여왕은 96세의 나이로 서거했다. [1] Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest on Monday, after a state funeral attended by leaders from around the world and a historic last ceremonial journey through the packed streets of London. *be laid to rest: 매장되다 *packed: 꽉 들어찬 [2] Britain last held a state funeral in 1965 for the country's wartime prime minister Winston Churchill. In the six decades since, Britain's global reach has been much diminished and its place in the modern world has become less certain. But the country has dug deep into its centuries of tradition to honour the only monarch that most Britons have ever known. *decade: 10년 *diminish: 줄어들다, 약해지다 *dig deep: 깊이 파고들다 *monarch: 군주 [3] But now more than 2,000 people, including heads of state from US President Joe Biden to Japan's reclusive Emperor Naruhito, packed Westminster Abbey, whose 1,000-year history has been tied to royal coronations, marriages and funerals. *reclusive: 은둔하는 *coronation: (새 왕의) 대관식 기사원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220919000712 2. KBS' ‘National Singing Contest' opens 2nd chapter with comedian Kim Shin-young as new host 기사요약: 1980년 11월부터 42년동안 이어진 KBS의 장수프로그램 전국노래자랑을 이끌어온 국민 MC 송해가 지난 6월 별세했다. 그의 뒤를 이어 38세 코미디언 김신영이 제8대 진행자로 발탁됐다. [1] After the passing of veteran emcee Song Hae in June, those who grew up watching KBS' music show “National Singing Contest” has been mired in sorrow. At the same time, all eyes were on who will continue the legacy of the 42-year-old program. *passing: 소멸, 죽음; (시간의) 경과 *mire: 진흙탕, (곤경에) 빠지다 *legacy: 유산 [2] Many veteran emcees with careers spanning over 30 years were mentioned as Song's possible successor, but the Korean broadcaster announced last month that comedian Kim Shin-young, 38, was chosen as the longest-running program's new host in 34 years. *span: 기간에 걸치다 *successor: 후임자 [3] As the program's signature xylophone sounds signaled the contest's official opening, the 38-year-old presenter, who was decked out in a black tuxedo and white shirt, belted out "National!" followed by the audience's "Singing Contest!" in response. *decked out: 치장하다 *belt out: 힘차게 노래부르다 기사원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220919000758&ACE_SEARCH=1
Japanese Emperor Naruhito, who is visiting Britain to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, joined a reception hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in London on Sunday evening.
天皇、皇后両陛下がエリザベス英女王の国葬に参列するため、17~20日の日程で英国を訪問されることが16日の閣議で正式に決まった。 The Japanese government Friday formalized a plan for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to visit Britain from Saturday through Tuesday to attend the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II.
The Japanese government Friday formalized a plan for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to visit Britain from Saturday through Tuesday to attend the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II.
Daily infections in Tokyo fall below 10,000 while Emperor Naruhito expresses his intention to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96 last Thursday. Prime Minister Kishida pays his condolences at the UK Embassy to Japan, while Katsuhiro Otomo expresses his love of writer Kido Okamoto (1872-1939) popular for his subtle style of introducing the 'other' into the background of Japanese literature and whose father worked as an interpreter for the Embassy's British Legation in Tokyo during the late 1800s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIPThe Secretary-General arrived in Ulaanbaatar, today – the capital of Mongolia today. This is his second stop during this current trip. As you know, Mongolia is a nuclear weapon free zone, and has also been an important interlocutor of the United Nations in relation to the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The issue of the Peninsula will come up in discussions the Secretary-General will have on his current trip. He will then go to the Republic of Korea.Earlier today in Tokyo, the Secretary-General spoke to the media where he stressed that at a time when geopolitical tensions are rising and the nuclear threat is back in focus, nuclear-armed countries need to commit to “no first use” of nuclear weapons and must never use or threaten non-nuclear armed countries with the use of nuclear weapons. He also said that he hoped that these requests will be taken seriously because we are witnessing a radicalization of the geopolitical situation that makes the risk of a nuclear war something we cannot completely forget.In addition, he urged Japan to take climate action by cutting emissions, stop funding coal plants abroad and partner with countries to help them transition to renewable energy. And this afternoon, before leaving Tokyo, he met with Emperor Naruhito of Japan. You will have seen that on Saturday, he took part in the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima. In his message there the Secretary-General said his message to world leaders is simple: Stop flirting with disaster. Take the nuclear option off the table — for good.MIDDLE EAST The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, is continuing to closely follow implementation of last night's Ceasefire agreement and commitments, including the opening of Gaza for humanitarian assistance. He will be briefing the Security Council at 3:00 p.m. today on the ceasefire and developments related to the escalation. Deputy Special Coordinator, Lynn Hastings, entered Gaza this morning, leading the UN and humanitarian response on the ground. She has spent the day meeting with UN and humanitarian agencies, families affected by the escalation, and civil society groups, in order to begin assessing the damage and needs in the aftermath of the hostilities. Essential personnel of the UN Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) are working around the clock to monitor the situation and ensure critical service delivery. The electricity situation in Gaza is improving and rolling daily power cuts are expected to decline from 20 to 14 hours per day, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The World Food Programme (WFP) is set to distribute cash assistance to 5,000 people in need.Last night, the Secretary-General welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel. He is deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries, including children, from airstrikes in Gaza and the indiscriminate firing of rockets toward Israel from population centres in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant groups. The Secretary-General calls on all sides to observe the ceasefire. He reaffirms the United Nations' commitment to the achievement of the two-State solution based on relevant United Nations resolutions, international law, and prior agreements and the importance of restoring a political horizon.
A royal wedding usually involves celebration and pageantry, a ceremony steeped in tradition at an ancient and palatial building, and flag-waving in the streets by a public eager to see the newlywed couple. But for Princess Mako, who married Kei Komuro on Tuesday this week, there was none of that. There was only the perfunctory stamping of documents, followed by a muted press conference. Read more: What you need to know about the not-so-fairy tale of Princess Mako (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Imperial Household Agency criticized for media strategy — or lack thereof (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Princess Mako's marriage a 'warning sign' for Japan's imperial system (Ami Takahashi via The Japan Times) The world's oldest monarchy is running out of royals (Marika Katanuma via The Japan Times ) On this episode: Natsuko Fukue: Twitter Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Subscribe to the show and sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list to be notified when new episodes come out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: Princess Mako (right) and her sister Princess Kako attend the enthronement ceremony for Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in October 2019. | POOL / AFP-JIJI
This week, an unusually modest wedding brought an end to four years of torment for Princess Mako of Japan and her 'commoner' husband Kei Komuro, as the newlyweds plan to quietly leave their home country for a new life in the United States. The usual pomp and ceremony of an Imperial wedding was nowhere to be seen, as public disapproval of the union has left Mako with PTSD, after conservatives hounded the couple because they felt her groom simply wasn't good enough to join the Royal family. To find out why this marriage has been so controversial, and what it tells us about the state of gender equality in Japan, The Quicky speaks to an expert in Japanese culture and history as we consider why the couple have been dubbed 'the new Harry and Meghan'. CREDITS Host/Producer: Claire Murphy Executive Producer: Siobhán Moran-McFarlane Audio Producer: Ian Camilleri Guest: Dr Thomas Baudinette - Cultural Anthropologist and Senior Lecturer in International Studies with a special focus on Japan at Macquarie University. Subscribe to The Quicky at... https://mamamia.com.au/the-quicky/ CONTACT US Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Send us an email at thequicky@mamamia.com.au Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
*) NATO diplomat says Kabul evacuation continuing on war footing Evacuations at Kabul airport are taking place on a "war footing", NATO says as foreign forces try to meet an August 31 deadline to leave Afghanistan. Taliban officials have been briefed about the evacuation and logistics at the airport, a NATO official said. The official stated better crowd management was still required even though the situation outside Kabul airport was relatively calmer. *) Tunisia's president extends suspension of parliament Tunisia's President Kais Saied has extended the suspension of parliament until further notice, a month after granting himself greater powers in what activists have called a "purge". Saied also extended the suspension of parliamentary immunity, justifying his intervention as necessary to save Tunisia from collapse. The Tunisian president has not yet appointed a new prime minister or announced a roadmap demanded by allies and key players. *) Harris rebukes China in major speech on Indo-Pacific US Vice President Kamala Harris has accused Beijing of continuing to "coerce" and "intimidate" in the South China Sea during her trip to Singapore. She also pledged Washington would pursue a free and open Indo Pacific. The area has growing importance to the Biden administration, which has made countering China's influence globally a centrepiece of its foreign policy. *) California firefighters battle a dozen large wildfires More than 13,500 firefighters are working to contain a dozen large California wildfires that have forced thousands of people to flee to safety. After an extensive review of fire damage, Governor Gavin Newsom requested a presidential major disaster declaration for eight counties. The Caldor Fire, just 9 percent contained, has become the nation's number one priority for firefighting resources. And finally ... * ) Tokyo Paralympics to open as Japan battles virus surge Tokyo's Paralympic Games will open as Japan battles a surge in Covid-19 cases. The Games will officially be declared open on Tuesday evening by Japan's Emperor Naruhito but virus rules mean most of the stadium will be empty. As a “sign of solidarity," Afghanistan's flag will be displayed at the opening ceremony even though the country's athletes were not able to get to Tokyo.
The planned marriage between Princess Mako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, and Kei Komuro has been postponed for over three years since they became informally engaged in September 2017. In February 2018, allegations surfaced that a ¥4 million loan to Komuro's mother from her former fiancé had not been paid back. In April 2021, Komuro expressed his family's intent to offer a settlement payment, despite releasing a 24-page document a few days before detailing that the money in question, including his educational expenses, was provided by the former fiancé as “a gift.” Our resident news anchor discusses what the Komuro family money dispute is about and why it has attracted heated speculation in the Japanese media. - Summary 小室圭さん金銭トラブルOP - What is the background of the money dispute between Kei Komuro's mother and her former fiancé? 金銭トラブルの経緯 - What is the Japanese koushitsu (Imperial Household)? 皇室とは - The Japanese public's response to the issue国民も関心をよせている Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here! http://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-nzFuj3_FGuI --- This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online. 元婚約者「突然の提案に戸惑い」 小室圭さん 解決金渡す意向 https://youtu.be/nzFuj3_FGuI FNN Prime Online YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/FNNnewsCH Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/
In this episode, we discuss Emperor Naruhito's unconventional, personal statement regarding the Olympics and the Japanese Government's new guidelines to make 4-day working weeks the new normal.Word of the Week: ペアルック (Pair Look)This episode was recorded on June 25th, 2021 in Akasaka, TokyoSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thisweekinjapan)
photo shoot, market crash, Japan royal family, House Windsor, Thai king
February 23rd is another glorious holiday coming up and we want to tell you why! Emperor Naruhito turns 2 years old!! JK but on the throne he does. He actually turns 61 this year but sadly won't be celebrating with the public (again, womp :/). Listen in as we talk a lil history, a lil processions, and a lotta former Emperor Akihito! A love letter from Zack
New Year's Eve is the most important time of the year for family in any countries. This year, perhaps the most iconic crossing, Shibuya crossing was packed with people celebrating the beginning of another year of pandemic. According to NHK's report, there were 4,520 people confirmed for COVID-19 on New Year's Eve, which marked the highest number of daily cases since the beginning of pandemic. Hospitals are under the dire situation, which holds 681 severe cases nation widely. Following the health advices, the imperial Household Agency has announced the cancelation of the event. Emperor Naruhito appealed to the public to work together through the pandemic in a prerecorded video released on Friday. "In the past year, we have been faced with various difficulties and challenges due to the spread of a new coronavirus, an unknown virus on a scale that most of us living in this age have never experienced before. Many people around the world and in Japan have lost their lives, and I can only imagine the grief of the families who have lost their loved ones."
Eleni Psaltis presents Japan in Focus, a weekly program that takes a close look at significant political and social developments out of Japan and the region.
Eleni Psaltis presents Japan in Focus, a weekly program that takes a close look at significant political and social developments out of Japan and the region.
Novinky z Japonska do dvou minut. Jednou týdně. Výběr je na mně, poslech na vás. Vítám vás u pátého dílu. Odkazy na zprávy najdete v popisku. O čem to tentokrát bylo? ----- Císař Naruhito usedl na trůn: https://japantoday.com/category/national/Emperor-Naruhito-proclaims-ascendancy-to-the-throne-pledging-to-fulfill-his-duty-as-symbol-of-the-state Princezna Mako oslavila 28. narozeniny: https://japantoday.com/category/national/princess-mako-niece-of-emperor-naruhito-turns-28 Na hoře Fudži je první sníh: http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201910230026.html Konbini testují kratší otevírací dobu: https://japantoday.com/category/business/seven-eleven-japan-to-end-some-24-hour-operations-amid-labor-crunch Šibuja zakazuje venkovní pití během Halloweenu: https://japantoday.com/category/national/shibuya-bans-public-drinking-for-halloween-in-some-areas 7 nejděsivějších japonských strašidel: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/7-scariest-japanese-ghosts-and-ghouls-to-haunt-your-dreams/ Více o Japonsku si můžete přečíst na mém webu www.yatta.cz.
Emperor Naruhito became Japan's 126th emperor at an enthronement ceremony on Oct. 22, 2019. Japan Times politics reporter Sakura Murakami joins Oscar Boyd to dicuss. Read/see more: Deep Dive podcast on the abdication of Emperor-Emeritus Akihito (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/podcast/episode-12-old-emperor-new/#.XbAE9i2B124) Sakura Murakami's article on Emperor Naruhito's enthronement (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/22/national/japanese-emperor-begins-ceremonies-proclaim-enthronement-world/#.XbAEQy2B124) Sakura Murakami's background explainer on the enthronement ceremony (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/18/reference/what-to-expect-emperor-naruhitos-enthronement/#.XbAEYi2B124) Masumi Koizumi's article on Emperor Akihito's enthronement ceremony in 1990 (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/22/national/emperor-naruhito-enthronement-free-of-tensions-that-surrounded-his-fathers-ceremony/#.XbARdi2B124) Official video of the enthronement ceremony (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZWHMQRIIlg) Sakura Murakami on Twitter (https://twitter.com/sakmurakami) Oscar Boyd on Twitter (https://twitter.com/omhboyd?lang=en) Deep Dive on Twitter (https://twitter.com/JapanDeepDive?lang=en) Help out the show! Rate, review and subscribe to Deep Dive on whichever platform you use. Fill out Deep Dive's listener survey at http://jtimes.jp/dd. Podtsukaresama
Emperor Naruhito Completes his ascension to acient Chrysanthemum throne in ritual- bond ceremony
Japan’s story is a geopolitical roller coaster. Entering the 21st century, the land of the rising sun found itself in deep political and economic malaise, and China was positioned to displace it. But the country has embarked on a major comeback, thanks in large part to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s “Abenomics.” Matthew Goodman, senior vice president and senior adviser for Asian economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), joins Altamar to discuss Japan’s return to relevance, President Trump’s state visit under the new Emperor Naruhito, and what we can expect from Japan in the coming years. More at https://altamar.us/japan-a-return-to-relevance/ Follow us on Twitter and Facebook ----- Produced by Simpler Media
Legendary Manga Translator Fred Schodt honours us by becoming our first major guest to do the Roundtable in this special sit down taped last Saturday afternoon at Anime North We begin with Fred and Mike looking back on his first visit to Anime North back in 1998 (the second one), and a panel they did together about History in Anime and Manga. And how Mike first told him about Rurouni Kenshin during that panel (3:30) Then Fred talks a little bit about the honours he has received from the Japanese Emperor (Order of the Rising Sun: Gold Rays and Rosette) and the Japan Foundation, and how in receiving the latter he ended up meeting now Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako a year and a half ago, and how he was a fan of Astroboy (9:05) We then start to talk about two of his Anime North panels, first about his friendship with Astroboy’s creator, Osamu Tezuka relaying a few stories about him (17:35) Then we talk about his panel about the Four Immigrants Manga which he published in 1998 (around the time of his first AN appearance). Fred gives a quick biography of Henry Kiyama, how he came across his work, and how he became very close friends with the Kiyama family. Also we talk about the recent musical adaptation of the book (24:50). In the process of the conversation Mike recalls some stories of his own grandfather (34:27) We then give a preview of Fred’s final panel about his own thoughts on manga translation, the history, and where it stands today. Which we’ll talk about in episode 12 (38:32). Mike then brings up Fred’s lecture at the Japan Foundation after AN ’98 on the actual manga culture in Japan then, and what it might be like today in light of digital consumption (40:21) The conversation ends off with Fred’s reaction to seeing Anime North 21 years later as we watched con goers pass by the AN Office’s Display room (52:00). And Mike gives a final thank you by telling Fred about another story as he gave him a stamp commemorating the Vancouver Asahi baseball team, which we mentioned back in episode 8 (58:10) Mike Nicolas and James Austin. With Special Guest Frederik L Schodt Web: animeroundtable.com Email: animeroundtable@gmail.com Twitter: @animeroundtable Check out our webpage for full show notes and links https://animeroundtable.wordpress.com/2019/06/02/6ixtalk-anime-roundtable-presents-a-conversation-with-frederik-l-schodt-may-25-2019/
Suspicious Drone There was a mysterious drone sighting, suspiciously close to the Imperial Palace just a day after Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne on Wednesday. There were several witnesses saying they saw red and white flashing lights. Currently, drones are prohibited from flying in the central city, and police are still looking into the situation.
MONEY FM 89.3 - Prime Time with Howie Lim, Bernard Lim & Finance Presenter JP Ong
What would the dawn of the Reiwa era mean for the international community and for businesses hoping to expand or venture into Japan? Dr Lim Tai Wei, Senior Lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences weighs in. He also reflects the key highlights of Emperor Emeritus Akihito’s reign and how Japan’s international image has evolved under his reign.
Emperor Naruhito; Polarization of Americans; Climate Change Lawsuits; Rap Reiplinger Biography
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 Maduro says coup attempt quashed, and it's labour day. This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Wednesday, May 1st. Maduro says coup attempt quashed Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has declared victory over the people he accuses of plotting a coup. Self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido moved to topple Maduro on Tuesday. The support of the military has been key in the struggle between the president and opposition leader. Akihito's son Naruhito becomes emperor in Japan Japan has officially entered a new imperial era. Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne at midnight local time with the abdication of his father Emperor Akihito. Naruhito is Japan's 126th emperor, in a line that goes back more than 2,000 years. Sudan protesters call mass rally as tensions rise Protest leaders in Sudan are calling for more demonstrations. They say the transitional military council is not serious about handing power back to civilians. The military ousted long-time president Omar al Bashir in a coup on April 11. Now it's haggling with protesters about the make-up of a new government. UN says Libya is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis The UN is warning of a looming humanitarian crisis in Libya. The UN wants safe corridors out of the capital Tripoli so civilians can leave. Already more than 40,000 people have been displaced. The current crisis erupted when the army of an eastern-based general marched against the UN-backed government in Tripoli. May 1 is International Labour Day And finally, May 1 is International Labour Day, or May Day as it's known. It started in the US in the 19th century when workers tried to organise for better pay and conditions. Now it's global. And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World... For more, head to TRTWorld.com.