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The sovereign, Naka no Oe is dead, and with his death comes an all too familiar tradition: different factions warring for the throne.  And this time it isn't just something we are guessing at, we get a front row seat to the show, with enough details to fill several episodes.  In Part I we will look at what kicked off the war--or at least what we know--and discuss a few of the theories.  We will also go over some of the events that happened while Prince Otomo was the head of state. For more, check out our podcast webpage at https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-129 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is episode 129:   The Jinshin no Ran, Part I: Prologue to War. The long bridge at Uji arched over the river, like a wooden rainbow.  Former Crown Prince Ohoama, his head shaved and wearing the garments of a monk, was carried over the bridge.   This was no simple priestly procession, however: he was accompanied by his entire household. Some on foot, and some on horseback.  Even the kesa, once meant to be a symbol of priestly humility and simplicity, cried out that this was a man of wealth and power and status. The procession made its way across the bridge, headed south, to the ancient Yamato capital and then on to the mountain passes beyond, where the cherry trees would bloom, come the spring.  At the north end of the bridge, the high ministers and nobility of Yamato watched them go.  The ministers of the Left and the Right stood in the cold, winter air, wrapped in their warmest clothing, but it wasn't just the weather that was causing a chill.  To some, this seemed a miracle—a clear sign that the succession would now be an easy one, with Ohoama taking himself off the board.  But to others, they weren't so sure. While many of Yamato's traditions had evolved or changed—or even been outright replaced by continental ideas—many still remembered how things had been.  The bloody politics and power struggles that often accompanied any transition of power.  Naka no Oe had risen to power in just such a fashion.  Now that he was not long for this world, would his legacy be any less violent? Greetings, everyone, and welcome back.  Last episode we took you through the official reign of Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou.  Granted, this reign was only from 668 to 671, but Naka no Oe had already been putting his stamp on the state for over 33 years.  Now, however, he was dead, as were those who had helped him implement his enormous changes, and with his death there was the question:  Who would now ascend to the throne? And that question brings us to today's topic:  The Jinshin no Ran, also known as the Jinshin War.  This was a succession dispute that occurred in the year 672 following the death of Naka no Oe, between Naka no Oe's son Ohotomo and his brother Ohoama.  The name, “Jinshin”, is formed much as the name of the “Isshi” incident, using the sinified Japanese reading of the sexagenary cycle characters used for the year.  672 was a “Mizu-no-e Saru” year, or what we today might just call a “Water Monkey” year.  Read together, these characters can be pronounced “Jinshin”, hence “Jinshin no Ran”. Quick digression:  That word “Ran”, indicating a war or similar martial disturbance, is the same character used as the title of the famous Kurosawa film that took Shakespear's King Lear story and set it in the Warring States period of Japan.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it—definitely a classic.  Not exactly relevant here, but still worth it. But back to the Jinshin War: we're going to likely spend a few episodes on this, not just because it is important, but also because the record is fairly detailed, and I'd like to use it to really help us get an idea of what was going on.  This episode we'll look at the broad picture: some of the causes of the war and where things were, generally speaking, just before the major campaigns kicked off. Of course, this isn't the first succession dispute in the Chronicles, but this one is incredibly detailed, and especially importantbecause it goes to the heart of the legitimacy of the royal family—the imperial family—for at least the next century.  To a certain extent, I would also suggest that it was exactly the kind of thing that the Nihon Shoki was created to address: an official history as propaganda for the Japanese court, telling  the court approved story of the royal family and providing justification as to why they are in power.  Along the way it also props up the lineages of other elites. So let's go over the basic story of the conflict before we get into the details.  I know, I know: spoilers.  But I think it will help to have context for what we are talking about right now.  To try to summarize: Ohoama, Naka no Oe's brother, is mentioned as the Crown Prince throughout Naka no Oe's reign, but just before Naka no Oe's death, Ohoama declined the position and went to Yoshino to become a Buddhist monk.  This allowed Naka no Oe's son, Prince Ohotomo, the current Dajo Daijin, or head of the council of state, to run the government and eventually take the throne.  However, shortly into Prince Ohotomo's reign, Ohoama raised an army and fought with Ohotomo and the court at Ohotsu-kyo, known as the Afumi court.  After a couple of months of intense fighting, Ohoama defeated the Afumi forces and Ohotomo.  Ohoama would go on to take the throne, becoming known as Temmu Tennou.  He is credited with starting the projects that culminated in the creation of the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. On the surface, this could easily look like a simple case of usurpation—especially if you come from a cultural background where sons are expected to inherit from their fathers, as is common in many European monarchies.  However, we have to remind ourselves that this isn't Europe.  For centuries, succession in Yamato had been much more chaotic than that.  Often succession went not to a son or daughter, but first to a brother, and even then it didn't necessarily go to the oldest brother, or to the oldest child.  Even designating an heir wasn't a guarantee that, after a ruler's death, someone else wouldn't come along and change things by force. Of course, the Nihon Shoki appears to lay out various rules for succession.  In most cases, your mother has to be descended—however distantly—from a previous sovereign.  Also, inheritance typically doesn't come at the attainment of adulthood.  It isn't like someone turns 20 and they are suddenly eligible.  We see plenty of reigns that are passed off as regencies—that is, the sovereign is legally just a caretaker for the throne until the true heir comes of age.  Perhaps the most famous of these is Okinaga Tarashi Hime, aka Jingu Tenno, who supposedly held the throne from the death of her husband until their son, Homuda Wake, aka Ojin Tenno, was of age.  But it isn't like she just abdicated.  In fact, I don't think we've seen a single example where a regent has abdicated the throne.  The only real abdication that we see is in 645, when Takara Hime, known as Kogyoku Tenno during her first reign, abdicated after the Isshi Incident.  There are also plenty of examples of possible claimants to the throne who certainly seem like they may have been supremely qualified for the position who end up dying or being killed, sometimes with the specific claim that they were trying to usurp the throne.  The most recent example is Furubito no Oe, who likely was in line to inherit the throne from Takara Hime prior to the Isshi Incident.  It doesn't help that the Chronicle often only calls people by their titles:  so it is the “Crown Prince” who does such and such, or it is “the sovereign”—without explicitly naming who that person is.  Of course, this is sometimes made clear by context, but that can't always be relied upon. This is compounded by the fact that at this time, Wa cultural norms were being overwritten by continental concepts of propriety and morality, with the growth of reading and continental works introducing many people to the discourses of Confucius and others.  Borrowing governmental structures and ideas from a Confucian state meant that Confucian ideals would get pulled along as well, even if those structures and ideas weren't strictly Confucian.  An example is the importance of filial piety, and so-called “Proper” relationships between people.  In some cases Confucian or even Buddhist concepts were used to explain and rationalize existing traditions, and in others they were used to provide a counter-narrative.  Thus the world described by the Nihon Shoki is one that was no doubt much more comprehensible to an 8th century member of court than to someone from the 3rd. I say all that so that we can keep an eye out for the Chroniclers' bias and perhaps give some thought to what might not have gotten written down. The creation of the Ritsuryo state was the culmination of over 33 years of work.  During that time, the Yamato court had centralized their power and control.  The Chronicles, looking back at the end of the process, report this as a good thing, and it is hard to argue that these reforms truly did lead to the country of Japan as we know it, today.  However, it probably wasn't all lollipops and rainbows.   The centralization of authority received pushback, and we see the center flexing its military might as well as legal and moral authority.  The new Ritsuryo state claimed a much greater control over land and resources than any previous government had done or  been able to do.  Even if the 5th century sovereign Wakatakeru no Ohokimi, aka Yuryaku Tenno, had people at his court from Kyushu to Kanto, influence isn't the same as control.  Up until the Ritsuryo reforms, it appears that local administrators had a lot of leeway in terms of what happened in their local domains.  After all, what could Yamato do about it?  As long as “taxes” were paid, then there was no reason for Yamato to otherwise interfere with local events, and even if there were, who would they get to enforce their will? But In the Ritsuryo system, at least conceptually, the State had local governors who reported back to the central authority.  These governors  were set apart from the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the traditional local authority, and their income was tied to the court. Moreover, this system wasn't just tradition and the whims of the elites: it was codified in written laws and punishments.  In fact, the Record of the Fujiwara—the Toushi Kaden—claims that the entire legal code was written down in 668 by their patriarch, Nakatomi no Kamatari, prior to his death.  There are also other references to this compilation, known to us as the “Oumi Code”, referencing the region that the court had moved to:  Afumi, around Lake Biwa.  Unfortunately, we don't have any extant copies of what, exactly, the Code said, other than various laws explicitly noted in the Nihon Shoki.  Still, we can assume that it was probably similar to later codes, which would have been using the Oumi code as a base from which to work from. The new authority for this code descended from the throne, based on continental and even Confucian concepts of the State.  And Naka no Oe had no doubt been the one to help maintain continuity over the past three decades.  Now he was dead, so what came next? Well based on what we have in the Nihon Shoki, that should be obvious:  His brother, the Crown Prince, Ohoama, would take the throne, wouldn't he?  After all, he was the designated Crown Prince, and he had been in that role, promulgating orders, and otherwise acting as we might expect, at least since Naka no Oe had given up the position. And yet, it seems there was some doubt.  After all, while a brother—or sister—inheriting the throne was hardly unheard of, Naka no Oe did have children of his own.  Most importantly, there was his son, Prince Ohotomo.  Ohotomo was only about 23 years old, but he had been made the Dajoudaijin, the head of the Council of State, which one would think would put him in a position of tremendous authority. Naka no Oe apparently had some inkling that there could be a succession dispute upon his death.  And so, two months after he had taken ill, as it became painfully obvious that he might not recover, he called in his brother, Crown Prince Ohoama, and he told him clearly that it was his intention to have his brother succeed him on the throne. Before going much further, I would note that the entries in the Nihon Shoki that speak to this incident are spread across two different books in that chronicle.  Part of it takes part in the chronicle of Tenji Tennou (Naka no Oe), but then the reign of Temmu Tennou (Ohoama) is actually broken up into two books, the first of which is often considered the history of the Jinshin Ran, while the second is really Temmu's reign.  And in some cases we get slightly different versions of the same event.    The Nihon Shoki was written less than 50 years after the events being discussed, so likely by people who had actual memory of what happened, it was also propaganda for the regime in power at the time.  So as we read through the events, we have to be critical about our source and what it is telling us. To that end, I'll mostly start out with the narrative as it appears in the Nihon Shoki, and then we can look back and see what else might be going on if we make some assumptions that the Chroniclers may not be the most reliable of narrators for these events. Anyway, getting back to the story as we have it in the Nihon Shoki:  So the person sent to fetch Prince Ohoama to come see his brother, the sovereign, was a man by the name of Soga no Yasumaru.  And Yasumaru brought not only the summons, but a warning, as well.  He told Prince Ohoama to “think before you speak”.  This suggested to Ohoama that there was some kind of plot afoot. And lest we forget, for all that Naka no Oe is often put up on a pedestal for his role in the Taika reforms and founding the nation—even the posthumous name they gave him was the “Sovereign of Heavenly Wisdom”—that pedestal he stands on is covered in blood.  Naka no Oe's political career starts with the brazen murder of Soga no Iruka in full view of all the gathered nobility, and is immediately followed with him marshalling forces against Soga no Emishi, who set fire to his own house rather than surrender. And then, shortly into the Taika period, Naka no Oe had his own brother, Furubito no Oe, killed so that he wouldn't be a threat.  And later, when he just heard a rumor that Soga no Ishikawa no Maro—his father-in-law, Prime Minister of the Right, and co-conspirator—was having treasonous thoughts, he gathered up forces to have him and his family murdered. And though it may have been a bit less bloody, let's not forget his apparent falling out with his uncle, Karu, where he left the giant palace complex at Naniwa and took the entire royal family to Asuka against his uncle, the sovereign's, wishes. Add to that the note from the Fujiwara family records, the Toushi Kaden, about the party at the “shore pavilion” where Ohoama spiked a spear through a plank of wood which rattled Naka no Oe enough that he was contemplating having him taken out right there.  According to that account, it was only the intervention of Nakatomi no Kamatari that saved Ohoama's life.  Even if it weren't true, it likely illustrates something about how their relationship was viewed by others. Given all of that, I think we can understand how Ohoama might not be entirely trusting of his older brother's intentions.  So when that same brother offered him control of the government, Ohoama was suspicious.  Perhaps it was because he was already the Crown Prince, the expected heir, so why would Naka no Oe be offering him the throne?  Perhaps it was some kind of test of his loyalty? And so Prince Ohoama declined.  He claimed that he had always had bad health, and probably wouldn't be a good choice.  Instead, he put forward that the Queen, Yamatobime, should be given charge, and that Naka no Oe's son, Prince Ohotomo, should be installed as the Crown Prince—the new successor to the throne.  Furthermore, to demonstrate his resolve, he asked to be allowed to renounce the world and become a monk. Indeed, immediately after the audience with his brother, Prince Ohoama went to the Buddhist hall in the palace itself and had his head shaved and took holy orders.  He even gave up any private weapons that he might have—likely meaning not just his personal weapons, but any private forces that might be under his command.  The sovereign himself sent his brother a kesa or clerical garment, apparently approving of—or at least accepting—his decision. Two days later, Prince Ohoama went back to his brother and asked to be allowed to leave for Yoshino to go and practice Buddhism there.  He was given permission and he headed out.  The ministers of the left and right, that is Soga no Akae and Nakatomi no Kane, along with Soga no Hatayasu, a “Dainagon” or Chief Counselor, and others, all traveled with him all the way to Uji, where they saw him off.  By evening he had made it as far as the Shima Palace, which is assumed to have been in Asuka—possibly at or near the site of the old Soga residence.  The following day he was in Yoshino. Arriving at Yoshino with his household, Prince Ohoama gave his servants a choice—those who wished could take orders and stay with him in Yoshino.  Those with ambitions at the court, though, were allowed to return back to Ohotsu, presumably going to work for another family.  At first, none of them wanted to leave his side, but he beseeched them a second time, and half of them decided to stay and become monks with him while half of them left, returning to the court. As we mentioned earlier, another royal prince—and possibly crown prince—had taken a similar option back in the year 645.  That was Prince Furubito no Oe, half-brother to Naka no Oe and Ohoama.  We talked about that back in episode 109.  As with that time, taking Buddhist orders and retiring from the world was meant to demonstrate that the individual was renouncing any claims on the throne and was no longer a threat to the succession. The Nihon Shoki notes, though, that as Prince Ohoama was leaving Uji, some commented that it was like the saying: “Give a tiger wings and let him go.”  The first part of that is no doubt referencing a saying still used in Mandarin, today:  “Rúhǔtiānyì” or “Yǔhǔtiānyì, meaning to “add wings to a tiger”—in other words to take something strong and make it even more powerful.  In this case, the choice to renounce the succession and leave court made Ohoama more powerful and then set him free to do what he wanted. There is a lot of speculation around what actually happened.  Prince Ohotomo had only recently come of age and been given the important position of Dajo Daijin.  Still, he was also only 23 years old.  Now, granted, Naka no Oe hadn't been much older, himself, when he instigated the Isshi Incident, but most sovereigns aren't mentioned as having come to the throne themselves until they were maybe 30 years old or more.  Still, there is at least one theory that suggests that Naka no Oe wanted to have his brother, Ohoama, step aside and let Ohotomo take the throne.  According to that theory, his request for Ohoama to succeed him as ruler eas a ruse to get Ohoama to admit his own ambition, which Naka no Oe could then use as a pretext to get rid of his brother. There is another theory that Naka no Oe wanted Ohoama to step in as effectively regent:  Ohoama would rule, but Ohotomo would then inherit after him. Ohoama's counterproposal is intriguing.  He suggested that the affairs of state should be given to Yamato-bime, Naka no Oe's queen, and that she should rule as regent until Ohotomo was ready.  Of course, we have examples of something like this, most recently from the previous reign.  Takara Hime came to the throne, originally, because her husband, who was the sovereign, passed away and their children were not yet of age to take the throne.  However, there is something interesting, here in the relationship between Yamato Bime and Ohotomo.  Because while Yamato Bime was the queen, and daughter, herself, of Furubito no Oe, Ohotomo was not clearly of the proper parentage.  He was not Yamato Bime's son – she had no children herself - , but  his mother was simply a “palace woman” named “Iga no Uneme no Yakako”.  This suggests that she was an uneme from Iga named Yakako, and we are given no details about her parentage.    She is also listed as the last of Naka no Oe's consorts, suggesting to the reader that she was the lowest in status. For this reason Ohotomo is known as the Iga Royal Prince, Iga no Miko. Of course, there are plenty of reasons why the Chroniclers might not want to give any glory to Prince Ohotomo or his mother.  After all, the story works out best if Ohoama should have just been the sovereign all along.  And this could all be technically true—the best kind of true—while also omitting key details so that the reader draws a certain inference.  The Chroniclers were pulling from lots of different sources, and you didn't have to do a lot of changing things when you could just not put them in in the first place.  In other cases we know that they changed the records, because we see them using anachronistic language that doesn't make sense if drawn from a contemporary record. And so we have at least a couple of theories of what might be going on here, beyond just the straight narrative.   One idea is that Naka no Oe wanted Ohotomo to inherit all along, and perhaps he thought Ohoama could be a regent to help him out once Naka no Oe passed away.  Or maybe he just wanted Ohoama out of the way.  There is also the theory that the Nihon Shoki is, in fact, correct, that Naka no Oe wanted to give the state to Ohoama, but the latter refused, either misunderstanding Naka no Oe's intentions or perhaps gauging the feeling at court—perhaps it wasn't Naka no Oe that Ohoama was worried about, but rather some of the high nobles and officials?   It is probably telling that Ohoama's reported solution was to have Yamato-bime act as regent, with Ohotomo eventually inheriting. Whatever the actual reason, Ohoama declined Ohoama headed off to self-imposed exile in Yoshino. Meanwhile, back in Afumi in the Ohotsu capital, Ohotsu-kyo, Ohotomo was now the de facto Crown Prince.  We are told that on the 23rd day of the 11th month of 671 he took his place in front of the embroidery figure of Buddha in the Western Hall of the Dairi, the royal quarters of the Ohotsu Palace.  He was attended by the Minister of the Left, Soga no Akaye, the Minister of the Right, Nakatomi no Kane, as well as Soga no Hatayasu, Kose no Hito, and Ki no Ushi.  Taking up an incense burner, Ohotomo made a vow that the six of them would obey the sovereign's commands, lest they be punished by the various Buddhist and local deities. These five ministers, along with Ohotomo, are going to show up again and again.   Moving forward, they would manage the government, and would be generally referred to as the Afumi court. And it is clear that the Chroniclers laid the blame for anything that might happen at their feet. The Afumi court would continue court business as usual, and they were immediately thrown into the thick of it.  For instance, they were likely the ones to entertain the Tang envoys that arrived that same month.  You see, the priest Douku (or possibly “Doubun”), along with Tsukushi no Kimi no Satsuyama, Karashima no Suguri no Sasa, and Nunoshi no Obito no Iwa, had finally made it back from their journey to the mainland.  They brought with them Guo Wucong along with an embassy from the Tang court that numbered approximately 600 members, as well as ambassador Sathek Sonteung, of Silla, with his own embassy of about 1400 people. This enormous entourage sailed in 47 ships, and they had anchored at the island of Hijishima.   The Governor of Tsushima, responsible for being the first line of met with them.  Given then number fo ships, they didn't want it to look like it was a hostile invasion, so the governor sent a letter to  Prince Kurikuma, the viceroy of Tsukushi, to let him know what was happening.  Prince Kurikuma had them send Doubun and others ahead to the capital, so that they could let the court know that a massive embassy had arrived, and to prepare the way for them. However, with the sovereign in extremely poor health, and the court otherwise preoccupied with preparations for what might come next, , they kept the embassy at Tsukushi, for the time being.  We are told that that they sent presents on the 29th for the king of Silla, but no indication of them being brought to the court. Enormous foreign embassies aside, the Afumi court had plenty to deal with close to home.  It didn't help that the day after Ohotomo and the ministers had gathered to make their oaths, a fire broke out in the Ohotsu palace, apparently originating with the third storehouse of the treasury.    Several days later, the five ministers, attending the Crown Prince, Ohotomo, made oaths of loyalty in the presence of Naka no Oe, whose condition was only growing worse.  And four days later, on the third day of the fourth month, Naka no Oe passed away.  He was then temporarily interred in what is referred to as the “New Palace”. And contrary to what Ohoama had suggested, there is no indication that Queen Yamato-bime was installed as any kind of regent.  Instead it seems as if Ohotomo was just jumping in and taking the reins.  Granted, he also had the Council of State to lean on, so there's that.  The Chronicles are pretty quiet for a couple of months after Naka no Oe's death, and then we are told that Adzumi no Muraji no Inashiki was sent to Tsukushi to let the Tang ambassador Guo Wucong know the news.  We are told that on the 18th day of the 3rd month, Guo Wucong, I presume having made it to Ohotsu, publicly mourned the late sovereign.  Three days later, on the 21st, he made obeisance at the court, presumably to Ohotomo, and offered up a box with a letter from the Tang emperor and various presents in token of goodwill for the sovereign of Yamato.  A couple of months later, the Afumi court returned the favor, presenting armor, bows, and arrows as well as cloth, floss, and silk.  Later in that same 5th month, Guo Wucong and his people departed for the continent. And here is where we hit one of the big questions of this whole thing:  Had Ohotomo been formally invested as sovereign, yet?  We clearly see that he had his father's ministers on his side, and they were running things.  Then again, it took years after Takara Hime's death before Naka no Oe, himself, formally stepped up. It is quite possible that Ohotomo was not yet invested, and perhaps that was, in part, because there was another person with a claim who was still alive.  It is hard to say. What we do know is that the consensus opinion for centuries was that Ohotomo was never formally invested as sovereign.  He is certainly seen as having inherited the governance of the kingdom, but he was never considered one of the official sovereigns.  That all changed in relatively recent times.  In fact, it wasn't until 1870, the early years of the Meiji period, that Prince Ohotomo was given a posthumous title and regnal name:  Koubun Tennou.  Today, the Imperial Household Agency and some historians consider Ohotomo to have been an official sovereign, but that isn't everyone.  If he was, though, much what we see would have been happening at his court. That same month that Guo Wucong departed, Prince Ohoama got wind that something hinky was afoot.  Ohoama was residing as a monk in Yoshino, but by all accounts he still had half of his household staff, his wives, and family, all with him.  Also, as the former Crown Prince, he clearly had friends and allies.  After all, he was still a member of the royal household. And so it was in the 5th month that he heard from one Yenewi no Muraji no Wogimi that there was something amiss.  For one thing, the Afumi court had called up laborers to build the tomb for Naka no Oe, but word was that they had issued those so-called laborers with weapons rather than tools.  Wogimi seemed worried that they were preparing to do something about Ohoama.  After all, even though he had theoretically retired from the world, as long as he was alive, he still had a claim on the throne, similar to the problem of Prince Furubito no Oe back in 645. Someone else told Ohoama that they noticed pickets were being set up in various places between the Afumi and Yamato—another sign that the Afumi court was apparently expecting some kind of military action.  Furthermore, the guards at the Uji bridge were no longer allowing supplies bound for Yoshino and Ohoama's household. It seemed clear that something was up, and so Ohoama made an announcement:  while he had renounced the royal dignity and retired from the world, it was only because of his poor health and a desire to live a long and happy life.  If that life was being threatened by forces outside of his control, then why would he let himself be taken quietly? From that point, he seems to have started plotting and gathering  forces of his own, in case things came to a head.  Of course, there are those who suggest that, in truth, Ohoama had been plotting and raising forces ever since he started his exile in Yoshino—or at least since his father passed away.  Indeed, once things kick off, you'll notice how quickly people are levying troops, as if spontaneously deciding to support Ohoama's cause, and I would suggest that there was probably lot of back and forth that we just don't see because it was never recorded. Things reached a tipping point on the 22nd day of the 6th month.  That is when Ohoama gave orders to three of his vassals, Murakami no Muraji no Woyori, Wanibe no Omi no Kimide, and Muketsu no Kimi no Hiro.  He claimed that the Afumi Court was plotting against him, so he asked his vassals to go to the land of Mino—modern Gifu prefecture—and to reach out to Oho no Omi no Honeji, the governor of the Ahachima district hot springs—now the area of Anpachi.  Honeji was to levy soldiers and set them out on the Fuwa road—this was the road from Mino to Afumi, and was one of the few ways in and out of Afumi region. As we've mentioned in the past, the benefit of Ohotsu-kyo was its naturally defended position.  Lake Biwa is surrounded on all sides by mountains, and there were only a few ways in and out.  The Fuwa Pass is at the edge of a location that you may have heard of: today we know that region as Sekigahara.  That is because it was one of several seki, or barriers, set up to help check movements across the archipelago.  To the south, one could also use the Suzuka pass, where there would likewise be set up the Suzuka no Seki, or Suzuka barrier.  Suzuka was accessible from Afumi via the regions of Koga and Iga.  There was also the Afusaka no Seki, between Afumi and the area of modern Kyoto, and the Arachi no Seki, between Afumi and Tsuruga, on the Japan Sea—where many of the Goguryeo missions had arrived. Of these, the Afusaka barrier and the Fuwa barrier were probably the most well known and most heavily traveled.  Control of the Fuwa pass would be critical throughout Japan's history, controlling much of the traffic between eastern and western Japan.  Hence why, over 900 years later, another fight would come to a head here, as the battle of Sekigahara would see Tokugawa Ieyasu's eastern forces defeating the western army of Ishida Mitsunari.  That battle is seen as a decisive victory that birthed the Tokugawa shogunate, who would rule Japan for the next 250 years. So for Ohoama, having Honeji and his men take control of the Fuwa barrier was critical, as it would limit the Afumi court's ability to levy forces in the eastern provinces. A few days later, Ohoama was himself about to move out,  but his advisors stopped him.  They were worried about heading east without an army, yet.  Ohoama agreed, and he wished that he hadn't sent Woyori out just yet—Woyori was someone he trusted, militarily.  Instead, however, he had to make do.  And so he had Ohokida no Kimi no Yesaka, Kibumi no Muraji no Ohotomo, and Afu no Omi no Shima go to Prince Takasaka, who was in charge of the Wokamoto Palace in Asuka, and apply for posting bells—the tokens that would allow him and others use the various official post stations to supply them with provisions as they traveled.  Speaking of this palace,  although the court had moved to Ohotsu, a palace was maintained in Asuka.  After all, this was still seen as the “ancient capital” and the home to a lot of powerful families, so it makes sense that the royal family kept the palace in working order.  It also appears to have functioned as the local government headquarters for the region, with Prince Takasaka, or Takasaka no Ou, at its head. Asking for the posting bells was a test by Ohoama.  If he received them, then great, it would give him the ability to travel to the east, where he could presumably raise troops to protect himself.  However, if Prince Takasaka refused, then that would be a sign that the Afumi government had, indeed, sent word that Ohoama was not supposed to go anywhere.  If that was to happen, then Afu no Shima would return to Yoshino to let Ohoama know, while Ohokida no Yesaka would go to Afumi to tell Ohoama's sons, Prince Takechi and Prince Ohotsu, to make haste and meet him in Ise. Sure enough, Prince Takasaka refused the posting bells, and so, on the 24th of the 6th month, Prince Ohoama made the decision to move.  They left quickly—he didn't even let anyone saddle a horse for him or prepare his carriage.  He just started to head out on foot on a journey to the East. That journey would set in motion the coming conflagration.  Ohoama and his allies would quickly gather their forces in an incredibly short period of time, starting with a daring trek across the mountainous path between Yoshino and the land of Ise.  At the same time, the Afumi court would levy their own forces.  It was now a race for people and positions.  And to see how that race progressed, I'll ask you to tune in next episode, when we take a look at the opening moves in the war for the throne of Yamato.Until then, thank you once again 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.

Takayama est une ville japonaise de la préfecture de Gifu, située au cœur des monts Hida dans les Alpes japonaises, sur l'île principale Honshu. De son nom complet Hida-Takayama, cette ancienne cité féodale se confirme comme une destination touristique rurale et historique de plus en plus prisée. Son festival, l'un des trois plus beaux du Japon, est célébré au printemps et en automne. Marjorie, Kelly et Charly vous détaillent tout ce qu'il faut savoir pour y préparer votre visite. 00:00 Introduction02:27 Présentation de Takayama30:43 Top des visites et activités à faire à Takayama47:41 Inclure Takayama dans son voyage au Japon50:08 Conclusion

Tomokazu Matsuyama. Born in 1976 in Gifu, Japan, Matsuyama is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. His work spans painting, sculpture, and installation, organically blending and reimagining diverse elements–such as ancient and modern, figurative and abstract, Eastern and Western. His art reflects both his cross-cultural experiences and the evolving nature of contemporary society in our information-driven world. Major public art projects include the Bowery Mural (New York, USA, 2019), Hanao (JR Shinjuku Station East Square, Tokyo, 2020), and Wheels of Fortune (Meiji Shrine, Tokyo, 2020, part of the Jingu Gaien Art Festival). Recent notable exhibitions include Mythologiques (Venice Biennale, 2024), MATSUYAMA Tomokazu: Fictional Landscape (Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, 2023), and MATSUYAMA Tomokazu: Fictional Landscape (Shanghai Powerlong Museum, 2023). His work was also featured in Pop Forever. Tom Wesselmann &… at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris (2024–2025). Please visit cerebralwomen.com for his expanded bio. Photo credit: Fumihiko Sugino Artist https://matzu.net/ Pen Magazine Taiwan https://www.matzu.net/media/press/pen-4/ GQ https://www.matzu.net/media/press/gq/ FT https://www.matzu.net/media/press/financial-times/ Bazaar https://www.matzu.net/media/press/harpers-bazaar/ Legend https://www.matzu.net/media/press/legend/ Hypebeast https://www.matzu.net/media/press/hypebeast-4/ Hypeart https://www.matzu.net/media/press/hypeart/ Juxtapoz https://www.matzu.net/media/press/juxtapoz/ Galerie https://www.matzu.net/media/press/galerie-magazine/ Artforum https://www.matzu.net/media/press/artforum/ Kinari https://www.matzu.net/media/press/kinari/ Takashimaya-salon https://www.matzu.net/media/press/takashimaya-salon/ Mythologiques https://www.matzu.net/media/tomokazu-matsuyama-mythologiques/ Almine Rech https://www.alminerech.com/artists/7720-tomokazu-matsuyama Kavi Gupta https://kavigupta.com/artists/95-tomokazu-matsuyama/ First Last https://www.tomokazu-matsuyama-firstlast.jp/english/ Wynwood Walls https://thewynwoodwalls.com/artists/tomokazu-matsuyama/ Kotaro Nukaga https://kotaronukaga.com/en/artist/tomokazu_matsuyama/ Avante Arte https://avantarte.com/artists/tomokazu-matsuyama Hidden Champion https://www.matzu.net/media/press/hidden-champion/ BKMag https://www.bkmag.com/2024/08/06/the-art-of-tomokazu-matsuyama-from-the-streets-of-nyc-to-big-shows-in-paris-and-venice/

Se sei già stato in Giappone e stai cercando un itinerario alternativo per la tua seconda volta, questo episodio fa per te! Ti portiamo nel cuore dell'inverno giapponese tra Nagano e Gifu, alla scoperta di onsen da sogno, paesaggi innevati, tradizioni autentiche e distillerie nascoste.

The Japan Branch of the NPO Disabled People' International (DPI), located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, will hold an online rally on the theme of “Prisoners with disabilities and their right to use wheelchairs” on Saturday, April 5, 2025. The rally is being held in response to a ruling handed down in a lawsuit seeking ‘reasonable accommodation' in Gifu, a lawsuit concerning an alleged human rights violation in which an inmate with walking difficulties was denied wheelchair access at Gifu Prison for over 10 years. On October 30, 2024, the Gifu District Court did not recognize the denial of wheelchair access as illegal and ruled against the plaintiff. Episode notes: ‘Disabled People International Japan Branch to Hold ‘Online Rally' on “Prisoners with Disabilities and the Right to Use Wheelchairs” ': https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/02/26/disabled-people-international-japan-branch-to-hold-online-rally-on-prisoners-with-disabilities-and-the-right-to-use-wheelchairs/ DPI Website: https://www.dpi-japan.org/blog/events/disabled-inmates-and-wheelchair-access-rights-rally/

fWotD Episode 2835: Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Friday, 7 February 2025 is Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse.The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, part of which is sometimes called the Battle of the Gifu, took place from 15 December 1942 to 23 January 1943 and was primarily an engagement between United States and Imperial Japanese forces in the hills near the Matanikau River area on Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal campaign. The U. S. forces were under the overall command of Major General Alexander Patch and the Japanese forces were under the overall command of Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake.In the battle, U. S. soldiers and Marines, assisted by native Solomon Islanders, attacked Imperial Japanese Army forces defending well-fortified and entrenched positions on several hills and ridges. The most prominent hills were called Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse by the Americans. The U. S. was attempting to destroy the Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, and the Japanese were trying to hold their defensive positions until reinforcements could arrive.Both sides experienced extreme difficulties in fighting in the thick jungles and tropical environment of the battle area. Many of the American troops were also involved in their first combat operations. The Japanese were mostly cut off from resupply and suffered greatly from malnourishment and lack of medical care. After some difficulty, the U. S. succeeded in taking Mount Austen, in the process reducing a strongly defended position called the Gifu, as well as the Galloping Horse and the Sea Horse. In the meantime, the Japanese decided to abandon Guadalcanal and withdrew to the west coast of the island. From there most of the surviving Japanese troops were successfully evacuated during the first week of February 1943.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:41 UTC on Friday, 7 February 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Joey.

Sortie le 18 décembre 2024 de la quatrième partie de Aruco sur une escapade en train de Nagoya à Takayama dans les montagnes de Gifu avec Mathieu & Nico. Pour soutenir le podcast et accéder à du contenu Bonus et des épisodes répondeur sur Spotify. Abonnez-vous à « Kaiwa podcast japon » ! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kaiwamn/subscribe #voyage #旅 #japon

JTSC host Mike Innes signs off for 2024 with a comprehensive review of all 20 J3 teams, using his pre-season predictions as a guide and putting the teams into five groups of four. Mike starts with Toyama, Matsumoto, Gifu, and Nara (01:20 to 10:30), then Imabari, Osaka, Hachinohe, and Kanazawa (10:30 to 19:55). After that, the focus turns to champions Omiya, Kitakyushu, Sagamihara, and Nagano (19:55 to 29:00), followed by Ryukyu, Sanuki, and bottom two YSCC and Iwate (29:00 to 38:30). Mike rounds out the episode with Fukushima, Numazu, Tottori, and Miyazaki (38:30 to 47:30), and a special announcement at the end.   Thank you for your support of J-Talk: Short Corner over the last 4 years, and for your ongoing support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

Baseball Legend Ichiro Coaches High Schoolers in Central Japan's Gifu Pref.

Dans l'épisode de novembre de Kaiwa, nous vous emmenons à la découverte de Nagoya, une ville au cœur du Japon que beaucoup de voyageurs ignorent à tort. Nico, qui a eu la chance d'y vivre, partagera son expérience et vous fera découvrir la vie résidentielle dans cette ville à la fois moderne et empreinte de traditions. Contrairement à l'agitation de Tokyo ou Osaka, Nagoya propose un mode de vie plus détendu, tout en restant dynamique et accessible. Nous plongerons dans le quotidien de ses habitants, de leurs trajets dans des quartiers à l'ambiance tranquille aux rues commerçantes animées, comme le célèbre shotengai de Osu, où se mêlent boutiques de vêtements rétro, échoppes traditionnelles et temples cachés. Nico parlera de la gastronomie locale, qui mérite à elle seule le détour : vous découvrirez des plats incontournables comme le miso katsu, ce délicieux porc pané recouvert de miso, ou encore les fameuses ailes de poulet tebasaki, spécialité qui met tout le monde d'accord, accompagnée d'une bière bien fraîche dans les izakayas animées de la ville. Mathieu interviendra tout au long de l'épisode pour questionner Nico sur les incontournables à visiter, mais aussi sur les secrets cachés de Nagoya. Ensemble, ils évoqueront des lieux à ne pas manquer, comme le château de Nagoya, témoin de l'histoire des samouraïs, ou encore le très attendu Ghibli Park, récemment ouvert, qui plonge les visiteurs dans l'univers magique des films du Studio Ghibli, avec des répliques grandeur nature des décors emblématiques. Mais l'épisode ne se limite pas seulement à Nagoya. Nico et Mathieu élargiront la discussion à la région de Chubu, dans laquelle Nagoya est située, et vous parleront des trésors que cette région a à offrir. Ils vous emmèneront à Shizuoka, où les plages et la vue sur le Mont Fuji vous couperont le souffle, à Gifu et ses montagnes pittoresques, parfaites pour les amateurs de nature, ainsi qu'à Mie, où se trouve le sanctuaire d'Ise, l'un des lieux les plus sacrés du Japon. Ils évoqueront aussi Aichi, la préfecture industrielle et culturelle où Nagoya est située, et qui regorge de sites à visiter pour les passionnés de technologie et d'histoire. Ensemble, ils discuteront des particularités de chaque lieu, des meilleures façons de découvrir la région, et donneront de nombreux conseils pratiques pour profiter pleinement de la diversité culturelle et naturelle qu'offre Chubu. Cet épisode promet de vous faire découvrir une autre facette du Japon, loin des clichés habituels, avec des conseils précieux pour ceux qui veulent explorer des endroits authentiques et vivre une véritable immersion japonaise. Que vous soyez passionné de gastronomie, de culture, d'histoire ou simplement curieux de découvrir des coins moins touristiques, cet épisode de Kaiwa saura vous captiver. Générique : « tiger & dragon » Crazy Ken Band. Sortie le 8 novembre 2024 #japon #nagoya #名古屋 #中部地方 #名駅 #名城 #赤味噌 #手羽先 #cuisine

Thanks for listening to another episode of English Go podcast!

Thanks for listening to another episode of English Go podcast!

Thanks for listening to another episode of English Go podcast!

Thanks for listening to another episode of English Go podcast!

Hello there!In this episode of The Pet Food Science Podcast Show, Dr. Shofiqur Rahman from EW Nutrition shares exciting new advancements in the use of IgY antibodies in pet food. He explains the special qualities of IgY, how it's being used to treat different diseases in pets, and its potential to reduce the need for antibiotics. Join us to learn how this innovative approach could transform the pet food industry and improve the health of our furry companions."IgY is an antibody from egg yolk found in birds, reptiles, and amphibians, playing a crucial role in immunity by identifying and neutralizing pathogens like bacteria and viruses."Meet the guest: Dr. Shofiqur Rahman holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology (Enzyme Biotechnology) from Gifu University, Japan. With over 33 years of research experience, he has significantly contributed to developing IgY antibodies for human, animal, and environmental health. Currently, as a senior researcher at the Immunology Research Institute in Gifu, Japan, Dr. Rahman focuses on the innovative use of IgY in pet food.What will you learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:38) Introduction(08:34) Unique properties of IgY(13:55) IgY in pet food(18:43) Advantages over other antibodies(25:46) Periodontitis in pets(31:18) Future research directions(32:48) Final QuestionsThe Pet Food Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:EW Nutrition* Kemin* Trouw Nutrition- Alura- Scoular- Corbion- Biorigin- ICC- ProAmpac

Just när Japan och hela Ostasien undsluppit sig en kollektiv suck av besvikelse över att man blev utan pris i naturvetenskaperna kom det glädjande, och kanske lite överraskande, besked från både Stockholm och Oslo. Litteraturpriset till sydkoreanska författaren Han Gang och fredspriset till Nihon Hidankyo en organisation för överlevarna efter atombomberna mot Hiroshima och Nagasaki. Japanpodden går på djupet och sätter prisen i perspektiv. Nihon Hidankyo är en organisation som inte sällan jobbat i motvind i Japan, och det var först 2016 som en amerikansk president tog sig för att besöka Hiroshima. NYHETERValförberedelserna inför valet till parlamentets underhus den 27 oktober är nu i full gång och allas ögon är på hur det Liberaldemokratiska Partiets nye ledare, tillika premiärministern Shigeru Ishiba, ska navigera genom en snårskog av skandaler och splittring inom det egna partiet. Ishiba inledde sin kampanj i staden Iwaki i Fukushima län, alltså det län som drabbades hårdast av kärnkatastrofen och jordbävningen i mars 2011. “Vi måste se till att bygga upp Fukushima efter katastroferna, sade Ishiba och tillade att en återuppbyggnad är helt avgörande för Japans framtid.Samtidigt som Ishiba inlett en intensiv kampanjresa runt om i Japan är det många bedömare som varnar för att hans popularitet dalar efter beslutet att utestänga flera ledande politiker i det egna partiet på grund av deras påstådda inblandning i en skandal kring politiska donationer. Det folkliga stödet för Ishiba och hans regering ligger enligt en opinionsundersökning gjord av nyhetsbyrån Kyodo på 42 procent, vilket är ett tapp på hela 8 procentenheter jämfört med för bara ett par veckor sedan. —--------------Om vi fortsätter på valtemat så är det den här gången rekordmånga kvinnor som ställer upp. Sammanlagt 314 kvinnor kan väljarna lägga sin röst på och det är en ökning sedan senaste valet men fortfarande så är det bara en knapp fjärdel, eller 23,4 % av kandidaterna som är kvinnor vilket ligger långt under målet på 35 % som skulle vara uppnåt till nästa enligt den handlingsplan som regeringen antagit. Flest kvinnliga kandidater ställer Kommunistpartiet upp med, nästa fyra av tio kandidater är kvinnor. Sämst med jämlikheten är det i regeringspartierna LDP och Komeito där bara var sjätte kandidat är kvinna.—------Ekonomi. Medan övriga industriländer nu är i färd med att sänka räntorna efter det att inflation fallit tillbaka så väljer Japan att göra tvärtom. Centralbanken,  Bank of Japan, väntas dock försiktigt fram för att inte äventyra den ekonomiska återhämtning som är på gång och därför väntas styrräntan ligga på 1 % i januari 2026, jämfört med 0,25 procent i dagsläget. Japans problem har länge varit deflation, alltså att priserna går ner, vilket anses hämma konsumtionen då folk avvaktar med att sina inköp i tron att priserna kommer att vara lägre längre fram. Men nu tycks trenden vara på väg att vända, med stigande inflation under de senaste fyra månaderna samtidigt som årets löneökningar ligger på i snitt 2,9 %. —-------------Tokyo Metro som driver nio av tunnelbanelinjerna i den japanska huvudstaden kommer att noteras på Tokyobörsen den 23 oktober efter det ägarna - den japanska staten och Tokyo stad - valt att sälja ut hälften av sina aktier. Intresset för att äga aktier Tokyo Metro uppges ha varit stort både bland allmänheten och större investerare, såväl i Japan som utomlands. 6,5 miljoner passagerare åker med någon av Tokyo Metros linjer varje dag vilket gör företaget till ett av de största lokaltrafikbolagen i världen. Förutom tunnelbanelinjerna så äger Tokyo Metro också fastigheter shoppingarkader. —--------En högt uppsatt medlem i gangstersyndikatet Kodokai i Gifu län har gripts av polis efter anklagelser om att han på falska grunder begärt ersättning för en avkapad fingerled. Enligt polisen ska mannen själv ha kapat yttersta leden på sitt ena lillfinger i en så kallad yubitsume-ritual som görs av gängmedlemmar som ett sätt att sona eventuella fel de begått. Yubitsume är relativt vanligt inom yakuzan - den organiserade brottsligheten, men den här gången valde den nu utpekade gängmedlemmen att uppsöka sjukhus för att få behandling för vad han beskrev som en olyckshändelse, när han i själva verket kapat fingret själv. Därmed undvek han vårdkostnader på motsvarande nära 3 000 kronor - det pris han egentligen skulle betalat då skadan var självförvållad. Enligt polisen är det första gången som en gängmedlem arresteras för den här typen av brott.    —---------   Det klagas titt som tätt på att turisterna börjar bli så många i Japan att de ställer till problem för boende i populära orter som exempelvis Kyoto. Men nu har de styrande i staden tillsammans med ett e-handelsföretag tagit fram en lösning där besökare som donerar en summa pengar kan få ett presentkort och tips på särskilt utvalda, och kanske okända, platser och etablissemang värda att besöka. Tanken är att det ska vara en win-win situation där Kyoto stad får in pengar som kan användas för att bevara och utveckla kulturellt värdefulla platser samtidigt som turisterna kanske känner att de gör en insats och samtidigt belönas för det. Donate & Go heter konceptet och slår det väl ut är tanken att det ska implementeras också på fler platser. Så håll utkik nästa gång du besöker Japan.       This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit japanpodden.substack.com

Vol 99 - Ghost Stories + Interview W/ Michael David WilsonEditorial by Luke Kondor (https://www.lukekondor.com)Produced by Karl Hughes (https://twitter.com/karlhughes))Special featureInterview by Daniel Willcocks (https://www.danielwillcocks.com/))With Michael David Wilson (https://www.michaeldavidwilson.co.uk/)Michael David Wilson is the founder of the popular UK horror website, podcast, and publisher, This Is Horror. He is the author of The Girl in the Video, They're Watching (with Bob Pastorella), and House of Bad Memories. His work has appeared in various publications including The NoSleep Podcast, Dim Shores, Dark Moon Digest, and Hawk & Cleaver's The Other Stories. Michael lives in Gifu, Japan. You can connect with Michael on Twitter @thisishorror. For more information visit www.michaeldavidwilson.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  It's really that hot!? But the beautiful landscapes woven by the mountains and rivers of Gifu, along with the crystal-clear water sparkling in emerald green, healed both body and soul. Staying at the best Ryokan in Gero Onsen made for a wonderful experience, and this is Ryusuke calmly narrating it all in a solo episode! そんなにあついの！？でも岐阜の美しい山と川が織りなす風景、そしてエメラルドグリーに輝く透き通った水に心も体も癒され、下呂温泉で一番の旅館に泊まりとてもいい体験ができた事をリュウスケが一人で淡々と喋るソロエピソードです！ 是非最後までお楽しみ下さい!!Support the showhttps://linktr.ee/Sojapanese

Welcome to a special Mystery Science Theater Themed Birthday Celebration of Lost Without Japan, in which Maurice David and I kick back and enjoy Baby Assasins with you.   Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Ganbatte Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ganbatte.the.photobook?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==  Link to Videos of Today's Episodes YouTube: https://youtu.be/R6oq_tDm91g  Patreon (Just in case) https://www.patreon.com/posts/paying-for-our-4-109129803?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link  Songs: I hate by Peanut Butters:  I hate   (Mike) NOZOMI (のぞみ)  by MONKEY MAJIK https://youtu.be/dawrQnvwMTY?si=HWMAzabhYlQ-PDA2 (David) Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids https://youtu.be/wEdX0veLihM?si=JYuou6M6v8bFX0ki  (Picked for Maurice) Google Form For Voting:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfF_rjy7vE6YqGGy72FmoiIFVA8RN1qkPAtmvomDjWmASxtEw/viewform?usp=sf_link  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon:  As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#

Send us a textJason welcomes back DJ Max in Tokyo for the spectacular Season Three finale: negative influences, funky but not too funky drumbeats, Gifu vs Tokyo, Max's lurid romanntic past, and what might be the very hardest kind of early shit to write. Also, as a special treat for WRTES's loyal listeners, Max unearths one of his early songs: the philosophical 'Everything Is Bullshit.' Unmissable! Join the early sh*t chat at https://www.facebook.com/WRTESpodcast & on Instagram @writersreadtheirearlyshit. Thanks to Wayne Emde for the artwork, Joe Emde for help with the intro, and you, wherever & whoever & however you are, for listening. Support the show

「第４８回全国高校総合文化祭」の総合開会式に出席される秋篠宮ご夫妻と長男悠仁さま、３１日午後、岐阜市秋篠宮ご夫妻と長男悠仁さまは３１日、新幹線で岐阜県入りし、岐阜市で開かれた第４８回全国高校総合文化祭の総合開会式に出席された。 Japan's Prince Hisahito attended the opening ceremony for a national high school culture festival along with his parents--Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko--in the city of Gifu on Wednesday.

慰霊のため手を合わせる遺族、２８日午前、御嶽山頂死者５８人、行方不明者５人を出した御嶽山噴火から９月で１０年となるのを前に、遺族らでつくる「山びこの会」は２８日、慰霊登山を行った。 A group of families of victims of the 2014 Mount Ontake eruption climbed the 3,067-meter mountain, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures in central Japan, ahead of the 10th anniversary in September of the eruption, which left 58 people dead and five missing.

Grab your bachi and join the Krewe as they sit down with Takumi Kato (加藤 拓三), world champion taiko drummer, to explore the sounds of taiko, his personal experiences and approaches to taiko, & his current adventure across the United States performing 1,000 times in all 50 states.------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode (timestamps [hh:mm:ss] where you can find the code)!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  (00:26:27)------ Past KOJ Episodes on Music ------The Japanese Pop Music Scene ft. Patrick St. Michel (S5E10)Shamisen: Musical Sounds of Traditional Japan ft. Norm Nakamura of Tokyo Lens (S4E1)City Pop & Yu ft. Yu Hayami (S3E14)Exploring Enka ft. Jerome White Jr aka ジェロ / Jero (S3E1)------ Links about Takumi Kato & Peaceful Forest ------Takumi Kato's Homepage (ENG)Donate to Support Takumi's Taiko InitiativeNHK World Program about Takumi Kato & "Peaceful Forest"Performance Here in New OrleansTakumi Kato on IGPeaceful Forest on IGTakumi on FacebookTakumi Kato on YouTube------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event Calendar

Resort in a Canyon Karuizawa Day 2 Trip Within Nagano Japan LWJ Season 3 Ep 25 TimeStamp for the start of our talk on Karuizawa is 13:30 Follow the link to share your story of Japan or our show for this summer's three-year celebration :). Link available on my story and in the show's resource document :). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdP0PK6DsDTo3HFXxxlICFsEF91c-Wr10CeKeREdrqWjg9BrA/viewform?usp=sf_link    Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Google Shared Maps For This Episode:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/s5GwP24Cos2qqdLh9  Budget Car Rental Japan:  https://www.budgetrentacar.co.jp/en/reserve/ :   Dormy Club Karuizawa: https://www.dormy-karuizawa.jp/ Pastis キッチン＆カフェ パスティス (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/karuizawa.Pastis  Tablelog for Pastis: https://tabelog.com/nagano/A2003/A200301/20020079/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1YA7FP6jW5_xk4_Zj_M38_ZZMh2hV_kL3f4eJf36HcNuf6g79JjYequys_aem_-YLoTFRJSYKhQoO2oz3tqw  Karuizawa Sengataki Hot Spring 軽井沢千ケ滝温泉:https://maps.app.goo.gl/sYBwYH3SjLaGtQDn7 Karuizawa Sengataki Hot Spring 軽井沢千ケ滝温泉 tickets: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/sengataki/hours/  Karuizawa Wild Bird Sanctuary: https://picchio.co.jp/facility/wildforest/  Shiraito Waterfall 白糸の滝: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XSNmYTUkiyCdbu1E9  Shiraito Waterfall 白糸の滝 official website: https://www.town.karuizawa.lg.jp/www/contents/1001000000697/index.html  Tasaki Museum of Art 田崎美術館: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kf3qdyj9oCNy9sLR9  Tasaki Museum of Art 田崎美術館 Official Site: https://tasaki-museum.org/  Onioshidashi Volcanic Park in Jōshinetsu Highlands National Park: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RBDTYve3Zze6yvb67  Sonmin-Shokudo:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/8xj2JDsJqDhkqfvD9  Sonmin-Shokudo Official Site:  https://www.hoshino-area.jp/sonmin-shokudo/#usage-guide  Kawakami-An Sekireibasi Branch 川上庵 せきれい橋店 Soba Shop:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/UcraFiMVfaTXU5gu9  Kawakami-An Sekireibasi Branch 川上庵 せきれい橋店 Soba Shop: Official Site: https://www.kawakamian.com/shops/karuizawa2.php  The Cowboy House Steakhouse: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zJNfaQRP9BbeBiyN6  軽井沢星野エリア Karuizawa Hoshino Area Guide: https://www.hoshino-area.jp/  Hoshinoya Karuizawa Valley Resort 星のや軽井沢: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cByNcNdzSB9fbdaF8   Hoshinoya Karuizawa Valley Resort Official Webpage 星のや軽井沢: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/hoshinoyakaruizawa/  Song of the Show:  For our song of the show to take us out today, I will share Forget It by Yorushika, which has been stuck on repeat for me lately. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTcjpGnuNJs  The link to Google Doc that includes Google Maps for all cities covered on Lost Without Japan, as well as the link to Amazon for travel purchase recommendations and other helpful information for your travel to Japan, can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit?usp=sharing   

Making Your Own Blown Art Glass In Karuizawa Japan in Nagano:  Lost Without Japan Season 3 Episode 22 TimeStamp for the start of our talk on Karuizawa is 6:20 Follow the link to share your story of Japan or our show for this summer's three-year celebration :). Link available on my story and in the show's resource document :). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdP0PK6DsDTo3HFXxxlICFsEF91c-Wr10CeKeREdrqWjg9BrA/viewform?usp=sf_link    Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Google Shared Maps For This Episode:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/s5GwP24Cos2qqdLh9  Budget Car Rental Japan:  https://www.budgetrentacar.co.jp/en/reserve/ :   ALPHA COFFEE アルファ コーヒー https://maps.app.goo.gl/NdnZE93c4DcBqxFA7  Karuizawa Glass Studio:  https://www.karuizawaglassstudio.com/  Prince Grand Resort Karuizawa:  https://www.princehotels.co.jp/karuizawa-area/ 軽井沢バーベキュー カフェ コラージュ (Karuizawa BBQ Cafe Collage):  http://www.karuizawa-arms.com/collage/bbq.html  NITAKIYA https://maps.app.goo.gl/zjaJBfAohGcjXWTF9  Suītsuranberuseスイーツランベルセ (Sweets Store): https://renverser.net/  Food Court Sun and Green Kitchen フードコート 太陽と緑のキッチン:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/2FsW4kQsjXUhE9AY9  Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza 軽井沢・プリンスショッピングプラザ https://maps.app.goo.gl/gGBCfHkm48xpjsoE7  Song of the Show:  Taeko Ohnuki performing Tokai in Karuizawa at EPOCHS back in 2023. https://youtu.be/2x4XyNEvY64?si=XtoZJhEhzU552Fet  The link to Google Doc that includes Google Maps for all cities covered on Lost Without Japan, as well as the link to Amazon for travel purchase recommendations and other helpful information for your travel to Japan, can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit?usp=sharing   

Welcome to a very special episode of Lost Without Japan, where we sit down with Toto from Megijima Island Guest House and Cafe Megino as we discuss what services are offered to you, the Lost Without Japan Listener. Website: http://megijima-megino.com/  Address:   4531-2 Megicho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 760-0092, Japan Email: megijima.guesthouse@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megijima.guesthouse/  Tripadvisor:  https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g298232-d16797657-Reviews-Megijima_Guesthouse_Cafe_Megino-Takamatsu_Kagawa_Prefecture_Shikoku.html Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Megino.Megijimaislandguesthouse Song Of The Show: One Piece Opening 1~Die Legende~(Deutsch-German) https://youtu.be/A1Xw31qQRGo?si=WtavIu6by2IAc4NE  As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#  Lost Without Japan Email:  lostwithoutjapan@gmail.com Instagram For Lost Without Japan:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/   

Interview With Ido Gabay from Hokkaido Nature Tours : Lost Without Japan Podcast    Welcome to a very special episode of Lost Without Japan, where we sit down with Ido  from Hokkaido Nature Tours as we discuss what services his site could offer to the Lost Without Japan Listener. Website: https://www.hokkaidonaturetours.com/  Email: hokkaidonaturetours@gmail.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hokkaidonaturetours   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hokkaidonaturetours/  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL6lcy_QuGzj2Z62GV9_KqA   Tripadvisor:  https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298560-d9717749-Reviews-Hokkaido_Nature_Tours-Sapporo_Hokkaido.html  Follow the link to share your own story of Japan or our show for the three year celebration this summer :). Link available on my story and in the show's resource document :). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdP0PK6DsDTo3HFXxxlICFsEF91c-Wr10CeKeREdrqWjg9BrA/viewform?usp=sf_link    Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#   

Brett & Joel record from seperate locations this week as Joel's sickness lingers longer than expected. Brett heads to the track for his Tuesday workout and fits in a 10 hour video shoot in his training week. Unfortunately Joel returns to running too early and is struck down with a fever. We hear about Brett's final preparation and his expectations at this weekend's Gifu half marathon before closing out the episode with TWHSOITWTWATSA. SIGN UP TO OUR PATREON TODAY: www.patreon.com/forthekudos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forthekudos Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forthekudos TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forthekudos Brett: https://www.instagram.com/brett_robinson23 Joel: https://www.instagram.com/joeltobinblack

Good Times Bar David Maurice and I Season 3 Ep 18 Welcome to a very special episode of Lost Without Japan, where Maurice David and I kick back at Good Times and discuss Japan.   Follow the link to share your own story of Japan or our show for the three year celebration this summer :). Link available on my story and in the show's resource document :). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdP0PK6DsDTo3HFXxxlICFsEF91c-Wr10CeKeREdrqWjg9BrA/viewform?usp=sf_link    Follow the link to share your own story of Japan or our show for the three year celebration this summer :). Link available on my story and in the show's resource document :). Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Ganbatte Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ganbatte.the.photobook?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==  KG Plus Photobook Fair: https://www.instagram.com/kg_plus_photobookfair/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator https://soranews24.com/2024/04/05/cashiers-given-chairs-as-japanese-companies-reconsider-if-its-ok-for-workers-to-sit-during-their-shifts/  https://soranews24.com/2024/04/04/this-stylish-turd-from-two-japanese-companies-will-really-tie-your-room-together/ https://soranews24.com/2024/04/02/the-fake-burger-really-returns-to-burger-king-japan/ https://soranews24.com/2024/04/02/the-fake-burger-really-returns-to-burger-king-japan/ As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.OTVG opens up this week discussing Dragongate's last weekend of February in Gifu, Hiroshima & Kobe including Yoshiki Kato's injury in Gifu and how that relates to the big Osaka weekend, and the last build to the doubleheader in Osaka! From there Case and Mike preview Saturday's Gate of Nostalgia including breaking down the reunions. Due to some weather, Mike closes out the show solo previewing each match of Champion Gate 2024 including Luis Mante defending the Dream Gate against Susumu Mochizuki, The Vacant Triangle Gate Decision Match, Hyo vs Kanda and a whole lot more!Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open the Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The TWTT Podcast team is back for a new year after a 2 month break. In this episode Julian, Maki and Simone are kicking-off the TWTT Podcast for 2024 with a casual chat about what each of them have been doing since they last caught up in December last year. It's been a busy start to the year with sake events already in full swing for 2024, not only in Japan, (where Julian and Maki are based) but also in Australia, (where Simone is based and has recently been hosting some fun sake focused events to kick off the new year). Julian talks a little about his visit to Shoryaku-ji Temple, known as the 'birth-place' of modern sake. Maki shares her experiences from some recent Tokyo-based sake events and Simone chats about her January visit to Sydney, where she was involved in a number of events with special guest from Tokyo, Marie Chiba. It's a short and sweet episode from us this time round. We're a little rusty, after the 2 month hiatus, but it was great to get back together via our laptops and have an enjoyable chat about some fun sake events and hear what each of us has been up to.  When we look back to when the whole TWTT Project & concept began - in the depth of COVID, lockdowns and border closures - it's wonderful to see sake events in Japan, and other parts of the globe, back in full swing. We hope you enjoy listening to our sake banter, and wherever you are in the world, we hope there is a fun sake event headed your way soon! This episode was recorded on 14 Feb 2024 A huge thank you to our subscribers at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More information about Taste with the Toji - The Project can be found on our website: https://tastewiththetoji.com/ Music by: Kazuyoshi Sato (Koikawa Shuzo) Useful links from this episode: * Donate to Noto Peninsula Earthquake Relief * Shoryaku-ji Temple * Bodaisen Bodaimoto * Bringing Sake to the Table * Australian Sake Festival * Eukeka! Tokyo (Instagram) * Gashue Sake Pub, Tokyo * Ikkon no Keifu, (documentary) * Miwa Shuzo, Gifu

This show focuses on a couple aspects of the rune Gifu that opened up to me after reading for years. Aspects of giving, receiving, as well as balance for oneself and others are all addressed.

聖地（せいち）巡礼（じゅんれい）」という単語（たんご）を知（し）っていますか？英語（えいご）だとHolly Pilgrimageですが、日本人（にほんじん）が使（つか）う意味（いみ）は、アニメに出（で）てきた場所（ばしょ）や映画（えいが）やMVの撮（と）られた場所、好（す）きなバンドやアイドル、推し（おし）の生誕（せいたん）の地（ち）や活動（かつどう）してきた場所などを訪（おとず）れることを「聖地巡礼」といいます。今回（こんかい）、私（わたし）が好きなロックバンドの故郷（こきょう）である天草（あまくさ）に旅行（りょこう）してきました。天草といえば、今やそのバンドの聖地として有名（ゆうめい）ですが、実（じつ）はキリスト教（きりすときょう）が禁止（きんし）されていた時代（じだい）に、キリスト教徒（きりすときょうと）が隠（かく）れていた場所として歴史的（れきしてき）に有名で、世界遺産（せかいいさん）にもなっています。今回は聖地と世界遺産という２つの目線（めせん）から見（み）た天草について話（はな）しています。 Have you ever come across the Japanese term '聖地巡礼 (seichi junrei),' which translates to 'Holy Pilgrimage' in English? In Japan, this phrase has a unique nuance. It refers to visiting locations featured in beloved anime, such as the iconic Shibuya crossing and Takayama town in Gifu, well-known from the globally acclaimed anime movie 'Your Name.' It's not limited to anime sites; it also encompasses visiting the birthplaces or significant locations related to your favorite rock stars, idols, or biases. In this episode, I discuss my visit to Amakusa Island, the birthplace of my favorite band. While Amakusa is now renowned as a sacred site for fans of this band, it also holds historical significance as a refuge for Christians during the period when Christianity was banned in Japan. Amakusa is now recognized as a World Cultural Heritage site. We explore Amakusa from the dual perspectives of a 'holy pilgrimage' and its status as a world heritage site. The script is available here: https://www.makiko-japanese.com/ Youtube of this episode: (I will update it as soon as possible!!) Subscribe to our youtube channel: ⁠www.youtube.com/channel/UChu8-tNd_4RyWo-iE5cr-Ow⁠ email, comments, and requests: toranomaki.nihongo@gmail.com Please follow our Instagram, @toranomaki.nihongo --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/toranomaki-japanese/message

In this Halloween week episode, we chat with Japan-based writer Phillip Jackson. He talks about his new books, Paranormal Japan as well as Tengu and Other Stories. Phillip shares some tales from his latest book including ones about the Gifu Poltergeist and the haunted Sendagaya Tunnel in Tokyo. Kevin and Phillip also discuss other Japanese folklore as well as some of their favorite spooky podcasts such as the Uncanny Podcast, The Battersea Poltergeist, The Witch Farm, Morbid Podcast, and the Nighttime Podcast.Check out Phillip's Books on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Phillip-Jackson/author/B07K4YHPZB?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueHidden Paths Kyoto:https://www.hiddenpathskyoto.com/LIKE and Follow the Supernatural Japan Facebook Page:⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551918404228&mibextid=LQQJ4d⁠Instagram:⁠⁠http://instagram.com/supernaturaljapan⁠⁠Email me with questions, comments, ideas, and stories:⁠supernaturaljapan@gmail.com⁠Follow Kevin on “X” - Twitter:⁠⁠https://twitter.com/MadForMaple⁠

We finally made it for my return trip plus my sons first visit to Japan.  Although the audio is far from great I am sure you will enjoy hearing our reactions as we share about our time in Japan.  Thank you all so much for helping make season 3 of the show a reality.  Your continued support meamns the world.  There are some sporadic explitives in this episode with the bulk of them in our final reflextion sometime after the 1 hour and 30 minute mark. Buy the show a Ko-Fi :) (:   https://ko-fi.com/lostwithoutjapan Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Link to Google Doc that includes Google maps for all cities covered on Lost Without Japan, as well as the link to Amazon for travel purchase recommendations and other useful information for your travel to Japan can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit?usp=sharing  Link to Google Doc that includes Google maps for all cities covered on Lost Without Japan, as well as the link to Amazon for travel purchase recommendations and other useful information for your travel to Japan can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit?usp=sharing  INSTA 360 X3 Show Link:  If you would like to help support the show and you're looking to purchase an Insta360 X3 please consider using our affiliate link. https://www.insta360.com/sal/x3?insrc=INRHVML

My Recommended One-Week Central Japan Itinerary with Amateur Traveler Podcast Learn more about Hikone and Gifu on Amateur Traveler Free Resource: ⁠T⁠⁠⁠⁠he Complete Japan Travel Guide: the 7 steps to creating your unique immersive experience⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Work with me: ⁠The 1:1 Japan Travel Program⁠ that helps create a personalised Japan travel itinerary in just 6 weeks ⁠The Uniquely Japan Tours⁠ through which I'll personally show you around the best of central Japan Connect with me: Join our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JAPAN EXPERTS COMMUNITY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get practical travel advice from locals and experienced travellers Follow me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Japan travel inspiration

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.And then there were five wrestlers remaining in Dragongate's King of Gate 2023 tournament, and Open The Voice Gate returns to talk about how we got here. It's quarterfinal action in Kobe (7/22) and Gifu (7/23) last week with Shimizu vs Susumu, Kikuta vs Kondo and the big hometown Yoshioka vs Minoura matches. As well, Case and Mike talk about in depth the very special Gifu show, available in full on the Dragongate Network as well as partially on YouTube, as well as a very ominous Toryumon X network upload!Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open the Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegateSave time, eat well, and stay on track to reaching your goals with Factor!Visit factormeals.com/vownetwork50 and use promo code "VOWNetwork50" to get 50% off your next Factor meal delivery.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hear about travel to Hikone and Gifu in Central Japan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Miyuki Seguchi from the Japan Experts Podcast about he home region of Japan where she is a tour guide. Why should you visit Central Japan? Miyuki says, "A lot of travelers from North America or the West when they travel to Japan, they will stay in Japan for two to three weeks, and they usually travel from the eastern part of Japan to the western part of Japan or vice versa, but most of them do not stop off at the central region especially the southern part of Gifu to the eastern part of Shiga. So this part of Japan is simply not as well known as major tourist destinations, but there are a lot of places to visit, and these places are usually less busy and easy to access by public transport. If you want to explore some unique local areas with hidden gems that give you a great idea of authentic local life." The journey begins with a visit to Hikone, a city located in the Chubu region, home to the well-preserved Hikone Castle, one of Japan's five national treasure castles. Visitors can also enjoy a boat ride on the moat surrounding the castle and explore the beautiful gardens. Additionally, Miyuki recommends a boat trip to Chikubu Island on Lake Biwa to experience the coexistence of Shinto and Buddhism. Next, the itinerary takes travelers to Sekigahara, a town known for the historic Battle of Sekigahara which changed Japan's history. Here, they can visit the Battlefield Memorial Museum to learn about the battle. Moving west, the tour arrives in Gifu City, the largest city in Gifu Prefecture. A unique highlight here is the Ukai Cormorant Fishing, a tradition dating back over 1,300 years. This fishing method involves trained cormorant birds catching fish. The fishermen have an honorary position delivering fish to the Japanese imperial family. The Nagaragawa Ukai is famous for preserving this tradition, and visitors can experience it between May and October. There's also the opportunity to visit the Ukai Cormorant Fishing Museum for deeper insights into this cultural practice. Go out at night on a boat to watch this spectacle. For accommodations, staying in a traditional ryokan is recommended, where you can try the high-quality multi-course Japanese meal called kaiseki ryori. Don't miss the chance to visit a hot spring or onsen. The next day, explore the Kawaramachi district, a historic area with traditional merchant houses. The Nagaragawa River, one of Japan's cleanest rivers, has contributed to the development of craft-making, particularly Japanese paper called washi. Climb Mt. Kinka to get a panoramic view of the region, including the Japan Alps and the city of Nagoya. The summit can be reached by cable car or a one-hour hike. In the north of Gifu, you can explore Mino and Seki cities. Seki is renowned for its sword and knife-making tradition, offering the chance to witness skilled craftsmanship. Mino is also famous for its washi paper production, and you can visit the Washinary shop for various washi products. Overall, Gifu Prefecture offers a blend of traditional culture, scenic beauty, and unique experiences. If you travel between Tokyo and Kyoto, you will pass right by. show notes - https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-hikone-and-gifu-japan/

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.It's a jam packed second week of King of Gate 2023! Case and Mike lead off this week with their spoiler free recommendations, then talk about who to keep an eye on through the rest of the tournament and on the road to Dangerous Gate! From there, they review the action from Aichi, Kyoto, Kanazawa and Saitama before looking ahead to the quarterfinals and this weekend in Kobe and Gifu!Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open the Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.---Save time, eat well, and stay on track to reaching your goals with Factor!Visit factormeals.com/vownetwork50 and use promo code "VOWNetwork50" to get 50% off your next Factor meal delivery. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Our Interview With The Kamakura Gardener Robert Jefferson - Lost Without Japan Welcome to a very special episode of Lost Without Japan, where we sit down with Robert Jefferson the Kamakura Gardener :) Buy the show a Ko-Fi :) (:   https://ko-fi.com/lostwithoutjapan Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Kamakura Gardener Patreon :  https://www.patreon.com/TheKamakuraGardener  Kamakura Gardener on Rumble:  https://rumble.com/c/c-1708335  Kamakura Gardener on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TheKamakuraGardener:9  Kamakura Gardener on Brighteon: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/robert619  Social Media:  ? INSTA 360 X3 Show Link:  If you would like to help support the show and you're looking to purchase an Insta360 X3 please consider using our affiliate link. https://www.insta360.com/sal/x3?insrc=INRHVML  As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#   

Welcome to our talk on Tajimi City in Gifu LWJ Season 2 Ep 21.  TimeStamp for start of our talk on Tajimi is: 4:51   Buy the show a Ko-Fi :) (:   https://ko-fi.com/lostwithoutjapan Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Link to Google Doc that includes Google maps for all cities covered on Lost Without Japan, as well as the link to Amazon for travel purchase recommendations and other useful information for your travel to Japan can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit?usp=sharing  Google Shared Maps For This Episode:  https://goo.gl/maps/pkMfuLxbDDraRp329  Highwaybus.com:  https://www.highwaybus.com/gp/inbound/inbRouteList?rrefNameCd=113&arefNameCd=123#routeSearch   Cafe Restaurant Ueno Breakfast Option: http://j47.jp/ueno/  Pottery Museum and Shopping 陶都創造館:  https://www.toutokan.jp/  Honmachi Oribe Street Ideas:  https://www.oribe-street.com/  Komeda's Coffee: https://www.komeda.co.jp/menu/category.html?cat=1-2&s=180  Mosaic Tile Museum:  https://www.mosaictile-museum.jp/activities/ French Oguchi:  https://www.frenchoguchi.com/home  Song of the Show:  MUG-MO - Wonder by Wonder | "Let's Make a Mug Too" Opening Theme Song, https://youtu.be/jl4fMl9EhBE  Link to Google Doc that includes Google maps for all cities covered on Lost Without Japan, as well as the link to Amazon for travel purchase recommendations and other useful information for your travel to Japan can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit?usp=sharing  INSTA 360 X3 Show Link:  If you would like to help support the show and you're looking to purchase an Insta360 X3 please consider using our affiliate link. https://www.insta360.com/sal/x3?insrc=INRHVML

This week we talk to Brian's friend Lauren about what it's like to be a white girl living in Gifu Japan, how to pick up a teppanyaki chef, what "love hotel" to go to and what those last two things even mean?! Join the Patreon for the rest of the conversation! patreon.com/brianmccarthy  

Andrew Dewar was born in Toronto in 1961, and has degrees in Journalism, Japanese Studies, and Library Science. He has lived in Japan since 1988. Since completing his Ph.D. studies at Keio University in Tokyo, he has taught at several colleges, and for the past decade has been principal of Tokai Daiichi Kindergarten as well as professor and Library Director at Tokai Gakuin University in Gifu, Japan. Soon after arriving in Japan, he rediscovered his childhood love of paper airplanes, and has been flying, designing, and publishing for more than three decades. He also teaches papercraft at schools, community centers, and museums around the country. He has more than 40 publications in English and Japanese.

This week Seth and Bill welcome back historian Dave Holland to talk about the last few weeks on Guadalcanal as the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Raider Battalion and US Army attempt to wipe out the remaining Japanese on the island. The trio discusses the Long Patrol, Gifu, Sea Horse and Galloping GHorse as the campaign ashore winds mercifully down to a finale.

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.It's the first Rey de Parejas in 20 years and Open The Voice Gate returns to talk all about it. It's a big day for Dragongate as clap rules have been lifted and Case and Mike are on the moon talking about how great the kickoff was in Korakuen (2/3) with the return of DoiYAMA versus the Double Dragons, Madoka Kikuta's big night and more! They then continue with the round robin matches in Shizuoka (2/4) and the wrestling capital of Japan, Gifu (2/5) to close out the week!(Production note: I had gremlins while recording, the audio is entirely listenable and will have it fixed on future episodes. My apologizes -Mike)Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open the Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open the Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Last time we spoke about General Patchs campaign to finally rid Guadalcanal of the Japanese menace. The Sea Horse, Galloping Horse and Gifu were neutralized and now the hybrid force of US Soldiers and Marines were marching west. The newly created CAM division seized Kokumbona in astonishing speed, greatly hindering the future Operation KE. At the same time, all of the Japanese activity related to preparing Operation KE was prompting responses from the Americans. One of those responses was sending Rear Admiral Richard Giffen  to Cape Chunter to rendezvous with Captain Robert Briscoe. Giffen was stubborn about making his rendezvous and this led him to make some very poor tactical decisions leading to the sinking of the USS Chicago during the battle of Rennell Island. Despite the sinking of the cruisers, the Japanese now had to push back Operation KE until February the 1st, would this setback ruin everything? This episode is Operation KE: the Evacuation of Guadalcanal Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.    Last week we spoke about the rather small battle of Rennell Island. Perhaps small in scale, but the consequences of the battle were far reaching. Operation KE had to be postponed until February 1st. Alongside this there was some shuffling about for who was to command the Reinforcement unit, and eventually it landed in the hands of Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto, with Rear Admiral Koyanagi in a reserve capacity. The 11th air fleet and the 6th air division were tasked with maintaining the CAP over the reinforcement unit during the day, while the R Area air force would cover them during the night. Now the skirmish at Rennell Islands gave the IJA and IJN a dose of anxiety, because the islands had a critical role in Operation KE. Basically if the destroyers failed to evacuate the 17th army on Guadalcanal, the backup was to be landing crafts via Russell Island. Many staff officers also sought to create a temporary garrison and base in the Russells to be a feint. Thus on January 28th, 6 destroyers bearing 328 men went to the Russells and were attacked by 33 aircraft from the cactus airforce, leading to 17 casualties, but no warship damage. The day for Operation KE to commence had finally come and it was to begin with a short battle over the air. 9 B-17's with their fighter escort bombed Shortland at 8:45. They were unable to damage or delay Operation KE very much and lost 3 B-17's for their efforts. Likewise the Cactus air force lost 2 dauntless attacking Munda while the 6th air division tossed 23 Oscars and 6 Lilies at Guadalcanal. On February 2nd, General Patch concluded that with the seizure of Kokumbona, this must mean the Japanese were all but finished on guadalcanal, unless more reinforcements came. He presumed they would prolong the struggle by making a fighting withdrawal to the southern coast, so to thwart this possibility he decided to land a battalion in a blocking position. Lt Colonel George commanding the 132nd infantry assembled a task force at Lunga using his 2nd battalion with various other units, one of which was a howitzer company of the 10th marines. The men loading up in some Landing Craft Tanks aboard the destroyer transport Stringham. Captain Briscoe's Cactus striking force escorted the group as they traveled to Nugu point, but when they were unloading they received news of nearby enemy activity, thus an emergency unloading was made 1.5 miles north at Verahue. An IJA reconnaissance pilot saw this and misidentified the destroyers as cruisers and reported this giving the Japanese the idea the Americans were about to challenge their first Reinforcement Unit run. Thus to clear a path for Operation KE's first run, a group of 13 vals and 40 zeros was launched from Buin to take out the threat. At 2:43, guadalcanal issued a condition red alert, and this led to a grievous mistake. The destroyers DeHaen and Nicholas had shepherded the remaining landing craft tanks 2 miles southeast of Savo, but the fighter director scrambled all the wildcats to go protect the other destroyers of the Cactus striking force. Thus DeHaven and Nicholas were dangerously exposed without aircover when some of the Vals found them. 6 vals attacked DeHaven, with the first bomb hitting her at 2:53 amidships on her port side. An eye witness said it “caused tremendous burst of flame to envelop the central part of the ship.” A second bomb hit just aft of her bridge and a third exploded her forward magazine. The Dehaven jackknifed and disappeared under the waves claiming 167 men and officers with her. Over on the Nicholas, Lt commander Andrew Hill barely managed to evade the bombs taking his ship 32 knots. One bomb exploded near his ships hull killing 2 men and injurying 7, but the Nicholas returned the favor by taking down 3 aircraft while some Wildcats came to the scene eventually claiming a dozen kills. The actual Japanese losses would be 5 vals and 3 zeros. As this was going down, Admiral Hashimoto left Shortland with his Cruisers and 21 destroyers sprinting down the slot. A coast watch saw Hashimoto's reinforcement unit just due north of Vella LaVella around 1pm, prompting the Cactus air force to toss up 92 aircraft in 2 waves. The first wave consisted of 17 avengers, 17 dauntless, 4 P-39's, 4 P-38s, 4 p-40s and 5 Wildcats. The second wave consisted of 11 avengers, 10 dauntless, and 20 wildcats. The first group claimed the sunk a destroyer and 7 zeros while the second claimed they landed 2 bomb hits on destroyers and took down 10 zeros. During the actual attack, Hashimoto's flagship the Makinami received a near miss, while Koyanagi took charge of the flotilla. Hashimoto was forced to move his flag to Shirayuki and gradually reigned back command. The shuffling set back the force 30 minutes and at 8pm the screening ships began peeling off to conduct a sweep ahead. While this was happening 11 PT boats from Tulagi came in groups of 2 and 3 from Savo, Cape Esperance and Doma Cove to hit the reinforcement unit.  Meanwhile on Guadalcanal, Generals Miyazaki and Sano had reached their boarding point at Cape Esperance around 8pm. Thousands of their men were making the grueling trek up muddy trails through the night. Miyazaki was frustrated by the man wandering from the designated area and making too much noise, then both he and Sano heard a single rifle shot. A staff officer was sent to investigate and he came back reporting a soldier of the 229th infantry had reached the area supported on the shoulders by 2 comrades. He was unable to move any further, and his comrades were exhausted, thus he received his comrades assistance to commit suicide. The reinforcement unit was set to arrive for 9pm, but minutes were passing by 9pm without a ship in sight. Then the Japanese began hearing gunfire and saw fires emerge seward. The reinforcement unit were pulling 30knots when PT boat 48 and 111 found them around 10:10pm launching 4 torpedoes. Lt Lester Gamble, the most successful PT skipper of the Guadalcanal Campaign managed to scurry his PT 48 away, fleeing to Savo, while Lt John Clagett aboard PT 111 took a direct hit from the Kawakaze at 10:54 killing 2 men. Off of cape esperance, Japanese float planes strafed PT 59, 115 and 37. PT 115 launched 4 torpedoes at the destroyers. PT 37 also fired 4 torpedoes, but was fired upon killing all but a single man aboard. PT 124 and 123 moved in to attack south of Savo. A Pete of the R Area air force managed to plant a bomb on PT 123 killing 4 and sinking the boat, an amazing hit. PT 124 fired 3 torpedoes claiming hit, bringing the American loses at 3 PT boats and 15 dead sailors.  The R Area air force Petes began to drop flares over the Cactus striking force which now was just 3 destroyers trying to harass 18 IJN destroyers. The Pete flares thwarted any chance of surprise. 6 transport destroyors reached Cape Esperance at 10:40 and at 12am, Kamimbo began to launch their boats. Admiral Koyanagi described the sight of the evacuees as such; “[They] wore only the remains of clothes [that were] so soiled their physical deterioration was extreme. Probably they were happy but [they] showed no expression. All had dengue or malaria [and their] diarrhea sent them to the heads. Their digestive organs were so completely destroyed, [we] couldn't give them good food, only porridge.  A report informed Admiral Yamamoto that the evacuees . . . were so undernourished that their beards, nails and hair had all stopped growing, their joints looked pitifully large. Their buttocks were so emaciated that their anuses were completely exposed, and on the destroyers that picked them up they suffered from constant and uncontrolled diarrhea.” By 1:53am the last man board at Kamimbo and 5 minutes later over at Esperance. Because of all the delays, 1270 men were stuck on the beach at Cape Esperance and 300 over at Kamimbo. The Destroyer Makikumo was chasing away one of the PT boats when she was ordered to help at Cape Esperance. When she was heading over a large explosion suddenly occurred in her hull at 1:45am. It could have been a mine, or perhaps one of the PT torpedoes had finally hit its mark. Regardless, the Makikumo was dead in the water and forced to be scuttled by a sister destroyer, the Yugumo. The 11th air fleet launched 8 Betty's over Guadalcanal during the night to keep the Cactus air force grounded, but 6 Dauntless managed to get up around midnight. Despite the enemy being illuminated well, the dauntless did not manage to score any hits. At 8am the Cactus air force made another go trying to hit the enemy destroyers, but failed to score any hits. By noon the reinforcement unit successfully landed 4935 men at Bougainville, including General Sano.  The first run was a large success and helped boost morale for the 17th army HQ, as they were quite frankly fearing the worst. As a deception, they had the soldiers over at Cape Esperance ignite campfires and move them gradually south towards Tassafaronga over the course of 2 nights. Meanwhile the 2nd division began to march in the opposite direction towards their own disembarkment points. On February 3rd, the 8th area army ordered the next run to have soldiers and sailors wait offshore in boats rather than on the beach. Despite the success of the first run, the 17th Army was still skeptical about the IJN making 3 runs. This led them to dispatch orders to Colonel Matsuda incharge of the rear guard, warning him it may be likely that he would have to make his own way out with a landing craft.  The Japanese high command was also gravely concerned with a growing situation at Marovovo. Lt Colonel Georges battalion had successfully departed from Verahue and around 9:10am one of their patrols ran into a pair of Japanese staff officers and 140 soldiers near Titi. There was a brief skirmish and the Japanese captured 2 of Georges men who were interrogated, revealing that around 600 of their comrades were marching around Marovovo. On the morning of February the 3rd, Matsuda's rear guard of 350 troops of the Yano battalion were holding a position about half a mile west of Bonegi, alongside 60 survivors of the 124th infantry. His main force consisting of the remnants of the Ichiki detachment, which is simply incredible that any of them still exist at all at this point, alongside the 124th regiment were holding the right bank of the Segilau river. Fortunately for Matsuda the Americans were limiting their actions mostly patrolling for the day and he used the time to plan out the evacuation of his rear guard. His general plan was to lead his forces to Kamimbo and disembark to the Russells by boat.  The next day General Patch ordered his 161st infantry to relieve the 147th infantry, taking their job of advancing to Cape Esperance. The 147th would head west to an area between Bonegi and the Umasani rivers to clear out the area. 128 men under first Lt Miyano were ordered to hold the eastern bank of the Segilau river and Major Yano was ordered to leave a rear guard of 70 men to the west of Bonegi before he took the rest of his command to advance on Marovovo. Major Yano strongly objected to performing actions at Marovovo and that his units would be better served remaining with the rear guard. Basically Matsuda was ordering Yano to leave men to die at Bonego and Yano began to argue all his men should make a stand if so. So Matsuda caved in a bit and allowed Yano to leave only those unable to walk at Bonegi while he took everyone else to Segilau at 3pm. For those poor men left at Bonegi, each was given 2 tablets of mercury bichloride. From February 2-4th around 15 Bettys hunted the sea around guadalcanal and they reported very strong American naval presence, including carriers. Each day saw more bettys failing to return home, one of which carried Lt Commander Genichi Mihara the leader of the 705th air group. Despite the presence of many american naval units, on February 3rd the second run of Operation KE was approved to go. Admiral Yamamoto ordered the Asagumo and Samidare to replace the lost Makikumo and Makinami and on february the 4th, Hashimoto readied his cruisers and 20 destroyers to dare another run. His reinforcement unit left Shortland at 11:30 and at 3:50 his CAP of 29 Zeros clashed with 33 dauntless and avenger alongside 41 assorted fighters in two waves trying to take out his destroyer. The Americans lost 11 aircraft while the Japanese lost 2. A near miss crippled the Maikaze, forcing the Nagatsuki to tow her back to shortland and yet again Hashimoto was forced to change flag as the Shirayuki's engines failed and thus he jumped onto the Kawakaze. Over on Guadalcanal 7 Bettys emerged at night dropped flares and bombs over Henderson field while IJN reconnaissance planes hunting PT boats. The embarkations proceeded smoothly, in 2 hours 3921 men were loaded off. General Hyakutake and his staff boarded the Isokaze, Maruyama and his staff got aboard the Hamakaze and both transport groups left with their screens completely unmolested up the slot, reaching Bougainville by 12:50 on february 5th. Miyazaki recounted seeing countless soldiers aboard the Isokaze sun bathing, as they had been long denied such a pleasure. There was nowhere to walk about the destroyers decks. He also found a soldier holding a corpse of a friend aboard, insisting the man was still alive. On Bougainville, Lt General Moritake Tanabe, the deputy chief of stuff of the IJA's section of the Imperial General HQ met the evacuees. Miyazaki exchanged a wordless salute with the man, then as Tanabe approached him, he blurted out with tears, his desire for an appointment that would give him a death in battle. Tanabe was quite overcome by this and stated “Everything about this is the responsibility of Imperial Headquarters.” As Operation KE was whisked away men, the Yano unit withdrew from Bonegi to the Segilau river. Colonel Matsuda now took charge of the forces left on Guadalcanal as he took his men from Segilau over to Kamimbo. He ordered the Oneda Unit, consisting of the remnants of the 3rd battalion, 230th infantry to head west of Cape Esperance to block any american advances from Marovovo. Now Matsuda pondered how he was going to evacuate his rear guard. Lt Colonel Sakuji Matsuyama gave his very pessimistic view, the American air forces would whittle down the amount of boats available to them to most likely just a handful. They also received word from a tapped signal to the IJN on Rabaul that they were looking to use at minimum 3 or 4 destroyers with an adequate number of boats to be detailed for the final run. Thus Matsuda figured any attempt to evacuate the rear guard to the russells by boat would be suicidal. Matsuda wrote in his diary that night he doubted any destroyers would come, from his perspective, the sacrifice of 2000 men would be less than that of a single destroyer. Over on the American side, Colonel George's men reached Titi on the 4th and would remain there for 2 days. Because of the smaller size of his command and not fully knowing the Japanese composition forced George to act cautiously. All of the Japanese activity had really confused the American's and they presumed there was a major offensive afoot, there was of course just not what the Americans were thinking. Over on the west coast the 161st infantry advanced to the Umasani river by February 6th. Despite the apparent American inactivity, Matsuda feared that if they decided to make a thrust from the southern coast this would cut him off from Kamimbo and thus an embarkation spot. To keep this option open, he sent 100 men to move down the west coast to hold a position about 3.5 miles due east of Cape Esperance. He ordered them to march during daylight and to light cooking fires as a deception. Later that afternoon he received the demoralizing report that the IJN might only be able to pick up men already waiting in boats, those on the land would have to find their own way to new Georgia. The 17th army estimated that Matsuda had a 50% chance of getting the men out. On the 6th, senior IJA and IJN commanders met over the issue. The chief of staff of the 8th fleet said he doubted the third run of operation KE would be possible because there were reports of American carriers near guadalcanal. Admiral Mikawa assured the IJA, the IJN would do its best to meet the enemy. Colonel Konuma went to see Admiral Hashimoto to fish out his views, and Hashimoto asserted regardless of the orders or desires of the chief of staff of the 8th fleet, he would personally see to it that they evacuated all the men. Konuma requested to accompany the 3rd run personally. Hashimoto said to this it would be a stain on the IJN's record if it was said they only made a run because an Army officers presence aboard their ships was the causation.  On the 7th, General Patch reported his belief that the Tokyo Express had made to successful runs, landing another regiment with supplies. Though in the same report he also acknowledged they may have extracted the HQ of some depleted units as well. Over on the west coast, 161st tossed patrols near the Tambalego river, 9 miles away from Cape Esperance. That day Colonel George had to hand command of his task force over to Lt Colonel Ferry after injuring his leg. Upon taking command, it was Ferry's judgment that the Japanese were withdrawing to Cape Esperance or perhaps evacuating guadalcanal. Their native guides began reporting to them that the Japanese had just abandoned Marovovo, so the task force marched upon it. At 12:40, the units assigned to guard Marovovo did abandon it stating they had been subjected to severe artillery bombardment, earning anger from Matsuda who demanded they go back to prolong the american advance. They rushed back just in time to fire their machineguns at the Americans who were advancing 2000 yards north of Marovovo by 3:30pm. Meeting resistance, Ferry told the men to dig in for the night.  February 7th was a day of decision making for Matsuda. Ever hour brought him more stress, the severe shelling that was reported to him at Marovovo could be heard alongside American machine gun fire at Kamimbo. Then at sundown, 26 land craft still remained operational, it was a miracle american air forces had not destroyed them all! Compared to the experiences of the entire guadalcanal campaign, it really did seem a miracle. Matsuda set to work organizing his boarding plan to provide for 4 units of 500 men each. In a very tense 45 minutes starting at 9:30pm, the remaining movable Japanese survivors of guadalcanal got onto the boats as American artillery could be heard smashing Segilau. On the boats many Japanese prayed, the rendezvous time of 11pm passed, greatly demoralizing them. Then they saw the blue recognition lights of approaching destroyers.  The second run of operation KE went off very well compared to the first. But Admiral Yamamoto suspected the third would see major american naval forces that were lurked around just outside their search plan range waiting to pounce. The submarine forces combed the area without success as the Advance force was ordered to come within 550 miles of Guadalcanal to be ready to support the Reinforcement unit. Hashimoto would have 18 destroyers this time, grabbing men from two points, Kamimbo and the Russells. Despite reported sighting of American carriers and other naval units just due south of San Cristobal, Hashimoto departed Shortland and made one last sprint to save the men of starvation island. 15 Dauntless, 20 wildcats and a single F5A bore down upon the reinforcement unit after a search plane tipped them off. 17 out of 49 zeros sent by the 11th air fleet intercepted them. At 5:55 the Isokaze was hit by 2 bombs to her deck and around her forward gun mount killing 10 men and starting fires. She limped away with the help of the Kawakaze as the Urakaze took a near miss doing slight damage. One zero and the F5A failed to return home.  Over on Guadalcanal, the men in their boats climbed aboard the destroyers. By 12:04am, on the 8th, Matsuda received word that the boarding was complete. To honor Hashimoto's pledge, the sailors had even rowed boats along the shore waters calling out again to make sure no one was left behind on the beaches. By 1:32am, the boats returned and the destroyers began to depart. It was to be the last time the Rising Sun fluttered from a surface ship near the blood soaked shores of Guadalcanal. On the way Matsuda signaled the 17th army  “With the help of 20,000 souls the recovery of 1,972 men from Guadalcanal is reported complete.” When Matsuda reached Bougainville at 10am, he reported to General Hyakutake the end of his special mission, adding thanks for the 17th army's efforts to guarantee the last run made it. Hyakutake praised Matsuda's command as the rear guard. As Matsuda and Hyakutake pointed out and so will I here, the first unit to fight on Guadalcanal was the Ichiki detachment and they were amongst the last to leave on the third run of Operation KE, simply incredible. Operation KE was an enormous feat, over 10652 men were evacuated with 4935 on the first run, 3921 on the second and 1796 on the third. For naval units they had lost the Makikumo and major damage was dealt to the Makinami, Maikaze and Isokaze. They sank the Chicago, DeHaven and 3 PT boats, while also heavily damaging the LaVallette. For the air war, between January 25th to February the 9th the Japanese lost around 56 aircraft while taking down 53 American. Needless to say, Operation KE was a major success from a figures point of view. The Japanese attributed the success of Operation KE to the careful planning by the combined fleet and to those men who sacrificed their lives prolonging the American pursuers on the ground. After receiving word that the Reinforcement unit returned on the morning of the 8th, Admiral Yamamoto commanded all units involved.  The American forces at Marovovo after observing the sea littered with small boats and debris from the nights activities set off in hot pursuit, reaching Kamimbo at 5pm. During these hours over on the western coast the 161st pushed towards Cape Esperance where they ran into sporadic skirmishes with the Japanese, but the enemy they skirmished with were in extremely poor condition, mostly wounded men unable to walk. Based on the condition of the enemy, Colonel Dalton of the 161st sent a report that he believed the enemy was not defending nor delaying, but actually fleeing. General Patch concurred with this and advised Hasley that be believed the last Tokyo Express runs were not reinforcements but rather evacuations. On the morning of the 9th, the 1st battalion, 161st infantry met up with the 2nd battalion of the 132nd at the village of Tenaro. Colonel Dalton shooks hands with Major Butler of the 132nd at 4:50, then General Patch announced to the men “Total and complete defeat of Japanese forces on Guadalcanal effected 1625 today. . . . [the] Tokyo Express no longer has a terminus on Guadalcanal.” Now there were of course Japanese left behind on Guadalcanal, but organized resistance was all but over by the 9th. Encountered with some isolated pockets and stragglers occurred for the next few days. Some stragglers would go on to live within the interior with the last known survivor surrendering in October of 1947. Given the vast disparity in fire power between the two sides on guadalcanal and likewise the severity of how debilitated the 17th army was compared to General Patchs soldiers and marines, the failure of the Americans to annihilate Hyakutakes men was strange. Hyakutake believed that if the Americans had focused on marching towards Cape Esperance, they would have completely destroyed his army. The failure to do so was because of 2 major reasons. The first was the relatively small size of the forces engaged in the pincer attack against Cape Esperance. After January 25th, the American forces typically involved no more than a regiment on the western coast. After February 1st this was supplemented by an additional battalion on the southern coast. The second reason was the pace of the advance of those forces which was hindered by a combination of logistical factors, rough terrain and the Americans thinking an offensive was about to kick off any moment. The logical way the Americans could have foiled operation KE would have been something Vandegrift repeatedly had done, amphibious hooks. General Patch considered this often in mid January, but again, all the indications from the Japanese activity was a major offensive was about to occur, and you simply don't toss units into the abyss. Admiral Nimitz confessed in his report  “Until the last moment it appeared that the Japanese were attempting a major reinforcement effort. Only skill in keeping their plans disguised and bold celerity in carrying them out enabled the Japanese to withdraw the remnants of the Guadalcanal garrison. Not until all organized forces had been evacuated on 8 February did we realize the purpose of their air and naval dispositions. “ It has been 6 months of blood sweat and tears over 2500 square miles of jungle that was called Guadalcanal. She was in American hands, the great prize being her airfield capabilities. Both the Japanese and Americans knew her worth and both sides evaluated the costs and returns of trying to hold her. Now I have said it quite a few times, when it comes to turning points or quote en quote “the turning point” of the pacific war, a lot of people generally fall victim to the allure of the battle of midway. Sure thing the battle of midway was a turning point, but in comparisons to Guadalcanal it is arguably not as important. Midway halted the Japanese from further major operations in the Central Pacific. It thwarted Yamamoto's attempt to create more favorable conditions militarily and diplomatically to bring American to the negotiating table. Midway also caused severe losses to the IJN, but did the Japanese go on the defensive? No they did not, in fact they immediately tossed a large scale operation against Port Moresby. Given the Japanese took Port Moresby, the course of the war would have dramatically changed, it was a pivotal place to hold. The Japanese were not simply on the defensive footing awaiting counter attacks from the enemy after midway, they still held the initiative. If you look at what the Japanese military high command was thinking directly after Midway, you find they all believed, falsely mind you, that the allied counterattack would commence no earlier than 1943, probably even later. This was not a stupid conclusion by the way, if we look at the situation in Europe, it did not seem possibly a nation like America could allocate that many resources to the pacific at the time. General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral King aggressively pushed for offensives in the south pacific, albeit for differing reasons. MacArthur wanted to leap to Rabaul, which was obviously insane and the Navy rightfully pushed back against this. Kings proposal was much more realistic and won the day in the end. Its incredible given hindsight, that the American offensive in the south pacific began when it did. They had little in land based or carrier based aircraft, not to mention limited amphibious shipping. Yet Kings insistence produced great reward, they achieved tactic surprise and a strategic surprise of great magnitude. The Marines on guadalcanal reaped the benefits of the surprise for a long time. Given what the Japanese were capable of doing, their response to the landings on Guadalcanal was a terrible miscalculation. It took the Japanese far too long to figure out Guadalcanal was potentially the decisive battle they sought. Operation WatchTower held countless flaws that could have been exploited by the Japanese to produce a major victory. The American navy in the pacific could not hope to challenge the Japanese even after Midway, so much of their strength lay in the battle over the Atlantic, but Guadcanal offered them a unique chance to boost their ground and aerial forces in the Pacific, dramatically compensating for the lack of carriers. With the victory over Guadalcanal, the Americans would develop it and Tulagi in major bases to support the allied offensive up the Solomons. Extensive airfields, naval ports and other logistical facilities would be built up. The Japanese had lost the initiative for the Pacific War, now they were on the defensive in the Pacific. The fall of Guadalcanal went hand in hand with the campaign in New Guinea, Japan kept juggling both campaigns and each suffered because of the other. The IJA and IJN were not beaten of course, but now the allies were in the driving seat for once. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The allies had finally seized guadalcanal and now the Japanese were on a defensive footing, they had lost the initiative for the pacific war. Things were going to dramatically change for the empire of the rising sun who now would look to a new strategy, that of bleeding the allies dry.  

Last time we spoke about the offensive against the Gifu. The estimation of the Gifu defenses proved to be greatly underestimated and it was only after the Sea Horse was taken and the Gifu was severely isolated that its defenders began to crumble. At the last minute 100 Japanese came out screaming, tossing grenades and bullets, but ultimately the Gifu was taken and now the American forces on Guadalcanal could focus on pursuing the Japanese fleeing west. We also finished up the Buna-Gona campaign with the fall of Sanananda. The Japanese fought bitterly tooth and nail to retain their last toehold from their failed Port Moresby campaign. The evacuation was a disaster leading countless wounded and ill Japanese to commit suicide while their comrades fled for their lives trying to break through the allied lines. Those lucky enough to get past the gauntlet of fire went to Salamaua and Lae, where they would have to continue the fight over New Guinea. This episode is the battle of Rennell Island Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Last time we saw the conclusion to one of the bloodiest battles fought in New Guinea, let alone the Pacific War. The battle of Buna-Gona took the lives of countless Americans, Australians, Japanese and native Papuans whose misery almost never gets spoken about. We also saw a ton of action over on Starvation Island. The Sea Horse was captured, thus greatly isolating the fortified Gifu. When the Gifu's defenders realized they were cut off from the rest of the army, they made one last hurray into oblivion. 100 or so screaming Japanese stormed out of the Gifu with rifles, pistols, swords and grenades in hand to hurt the Americans as much as they could. After their suicidal charge, the Gifu had finally fallen and now the Americans could focus their attention west.  By January 17th the first phase of the 14th corps western offensive had ended. The 25th division reduced 3 pockets of Japanese that emerged 2 days prior and the 2nd marine division smashed the Japanese around Hill's 83/84. On the 12th, the 27th infantry had captured the Horse's Head, cutting off Major Nishiyama's units then numbering 200 survivors out of an original 600. He was forced to make a last stand. He smoked his last cigarette with tears in his eyes as he had to look his men in the eyes and tell them all to prepare to die, he wrote in his diary that their calm acceptance to this moved him greatly. For the next 2 days he and the men looked for an area they could best serve to give up their lives, to make it meaningful. While Nishiyama kept a strong face for the men, following the orders to make a final stand, privately in his diary he debated with himself if he should try to withdraw the men on his own authority and as he wrote it “even at the expense of my honor”. He knew very well he could make a cover story to save face, some sort of false pretext to save the men from annihilation. But to do so did not only mean dishonoring himself, it meant to dishonor the whole unit. Over the course of those 2 days he sent a runner to the division HQ and General Ito sanctioned a withdrawal and thus Nishiyama and his 200 men escaped annihilation with their honor intact. It was very fortunate for them as General Patchs next phase of the offensive was set to begin on January 16th. The 14th corps next objective was a line from Hill 87 going northeast to the beach. This would contain Hills 87, 88 and 89. The 6th marines of the 2nd marine division and the 182 infantry would secure the right side and the 25th division would advance in the southern portion seizing hills 87, 88 and 89. 4 infantry regiments of the 147th infantry would be held back to guard the airfields. The 27th infantry of the 25th division would advance astride a narrow ridge called the snake to assault Hill 87 from the east, which the Americans assumed would be heavily fortified. The 161st infantry would perform a deep envelopment from the Galloping Horse to the southwest capturing Hills X,Y and Z then perform a flanking maneuver to seize Hills 88 and 89. The 25th infantry would protect the southern flank of the 161st and would continue to exterminate pockets of Japanese in the area.  Exterminate by the way is a very cruel and fitting term for the way they were going about the business, for many of these so-called pockets were nothing more than abandoned, starving Japanese. By the 21st, Hills X and Y were taken by the 161st with relatively minor resistance. Then the 161st planned to deploy the 1st battalion to guard the southern flank while the 2nd and 3rd battalions got off Hill 7 to march towards Hill 87 when circumstances changed.  On January the 21st, the 27th infantry was advancing on the narrow front with the 1st battalion as their spearhead, and behind them were the 3rd and 2nd battalions. The next morning at 6:30am, the 25th divisions artillery began tossing over 3654 shells upon Hills 87,88 and 89. At that point the 1st battalion advanced down the “snake's back” where they took out 3 Japanese machine gun nests trying to block their advance to the snakes tail. By 9:10am the 1st battalion was on its way to assault Hill 87. It looked from afar that Hill 87 held light opposition. After the 1st battalion seized the hill at 9:40, the 161st infantry was ordered to cross Hill Y to Z while the rest of the regiment turned north to follow along the snake behind the 27th infantry. Now while this was occurring, Brigadier General Robert Spragins was sent by General Patch to give General Collins leading the 25th authority to have them advance upon Kokumbona as rapidly as possible. The 25th's boundaries were extended to Hills 91, 98 and 99 which were like stepping stones towards Kokumbona. Without pause the 1st battalion took Hill 88 and then 89 by 11am. Then at 2pm it received the orders to seize Hill 90. By the time night was coming on, Hills 90 and 91 would be seized and this all tossed the Japanese defensive plans into chaos. During the night of January 22nd, the 17th Army HQ marched to Cape Esperance and the 38th division began to extract all the units it still was in contact with. But the huge thrusts made by the 27th infantry were pinching off the 2nd divisions flank and the Yano battalion. The 2nd division had orders to hold its position until sundown of january 23rd, but with the enemy advancing so much, Maruyama had ordered his men to pull back at 5am. Most of the 2nd division succeeded to pull back, but the Nitto Battalion of about 50 men all died holding their position. When the 17th army found out they were very angered by Maruyama. However unbeknownst to them, Maruyama pretty much saved countless Japanese lives as on January 23rd, the 27th infantry performed a 2 pronged. The 3rd battalion hit Hills 98 and 99 while the 1st battalion marched for Kokumbona. By 3:30 Kokumbona was captured, this was all done in astonishingly quick time, they could have overrun and annihilated Maruyama's men had he not pulled out. Overall between January 10th to the 27th, the 27th infantry had suffered 66 deaths including 7 officers. Now taking Kokumbona caused major changes for both the Americans and Japanese. For the Japanese the obvious change was many units were withdrawing while others who did not receive the orders to pull out would be smashed by the americans now thrust along the coast. The 6th marines were assaulting Japanese forces who had failed to withdraw and by January 24th the remnants of the 27th regiment were annihilated just a bit due east of Kokumbona. Now the 25th had made it to the area, joining CAM divisions consisting of the 147th, 182nd and 6th marines to advance further west. From the American perspective it looked like the Japanese might be aiming to perform a counteroffensive, so General Patch retained at least one division at the Lunga airfield incase. This of course was not the case as the 17th army was now hyper mobilizing its withdrawal and to do so it organized new coast defense units, made up of the ill and wounded. Men of the 38th and 2nd divisions were sent to Cape Esperance and Kamimbo, while the Yano battalion was deployed along the Marmura river by the 25th. Colonel Konuma in charge of rear guard duty took his men to the Bonegi river where he hoped to make a stand on its eastern bank to regain time lost because of 27th's incredible advances. On January 24th and 25th his men scattered into independent groups hindering the enemy's advance short of the Poha river.  The CAM division ran into the Yano Battalion at around 1pm on January 26th which the marines said gave them heavy resistance. Major Yano's forces were gradually pushed back half a mile west of the Maruma by the 28th and the next day they had to withdraw across the Bonegi leaving the battered 2nd infantry group to face the American advance. On the 30th the 147th infantry got hit by the American vanguard. 1000 men crossed the Bonegi, but were quickly chased back to the east bank. The next day the 147th performed an envelopment maneuver using 2 companies which crossed the Bonegi. This resulted in what the Japanese called “considerable losses”, leading them to extract their forces away from Bonegi. By February the 1st the 147th fled for their lives as the Destroyer Wilson began bombarding the Bonegi area.  Now we have to take a pause about the ground offensive going on to talk a bit about the air and sea. American intelligence found the Vila-Stanmore area on Kolombangara to be associated with radio traffic directing aviation units on Ballale. They sent reconnaissance to go look and found a nascent air base and began to suspect it was a staging area for barges and other small vessels trying to smuggle supplies to Munda. This prompted Admiral Halsey to plan an attack upon Vila-Stanmore to destroy the Munda air strength. Halsey gave Admiral Aisnworth the assignment of bombarding, he would come from the Kula Gulf while Munda would be hit by aerial bombardment. Ainsworth had task force 67 consisting of 4 light cruisers and 7 destroyers.  Japanese search planes located Ainsworth on the afternoon of January 23rd, prompting them to launch Betty's from the 701st and 705st air groups. Ainsworth managed to slip by them during the night, and at 2am his cruisers and destroyers fire over 2000 6 inch shells and 1500 4 inch shells in 30 minutes. According to the Japanese over in Kolombangara, they sustained heavy material damage that delayed construction efforts, killed 5 men and wounded 20. Meanwhile the 30 Betty's hunting down Ainsworth finally caught a glimpse of his force because of the muzzle flashes. Before the Betty's could toss torpedoes, Ainsworth pulled the ships into rain squalls and used radar directed 5 inch antiaircraft fire to hit the enemy. Around 8am 24 dauntless, 17 avengers and 18 Wildcats from Saratoga delivered 23 tons of bombs upon Munda. Neither Munda nor Vila-Stanmore played a crucial role in Operation KE fortunately for the Japanese.  On January 25th, 54 Zeros and 18 Betty's left Rabaul to perform a live-bait role. Another 24 Zeros left Buin to join this but weather prevented 18 of them. The air force reached Guadalcanal at 1:40pm as the Cactus airforce tossed 18 Wildcats and 6 P-38's to meet them. 4 zeros were shot down with another 6 heavily damaged. A second raid was made by the IJA's 6th air division. 9 Kawasaki KI-48 Lily bombers, 74 Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar fighters and 2 Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah's departed Buka and Shortland at around 9am on January 27th. The Cactus airforce tossed up a dozen wildcats, 6 P-38s and 10 P-40s over Lunga to battle them all the way towards the Russels. 6 Oscars were downed as the Lily's bombed the Matanikau for little effect. A third raid set for January 29th had to be postponed because something big was cooking up around Rennell Island. The campaign to claim air superiority had fallen short of its goals, prompting the southeast area fleet to request Operation KE be postponed, but the 8th area army adamantly insisted the evacuation must proceed as fast as possible. Now the IJN had sent some submarine supply missions to the 17th army in late december and on January 8th, American intelligence began to look closely at their radio traffic. They managed to decipher some signals predicting  submarine transport runs set for January 26, 27 and 29. On the 29th the Kiwi and Moa, 2 out of 4 new zealand corvettes operating from Tulagi were hunting off the coast of Kamimbo when Lt Commander Bridson of Kiwi sighted the I-1 at 9:05. He dropped 2 depth charges forcing the submarine to surface and an eruption of 4 inch gunfire began. The skipper of the Kiwi ordered full speed and to ran the submarine drawing protest from Kiwi's chief engineer, but Lt Commander Bridson said “shut up! There's a weekend's leave in Auckland dead ahead of us”. Thus Kiwi smashed into the submarines port side, causing a breach in her and send troops aboard her to start jumping overboard. As Kiwi backed away she began firing upon the landing barges strapped to the submarine. Then Brison yelled “hit her again! It'll be a weeks leave! Once more for a fortnight!”. The Kiwi smashed into her again causing diesel oil to spout everywhere. After this rather hilarious battle that went on for 90 minutes, Bridson withdraw allowing the Moa to hold the fight. Aboard the I-1, captain Lt Commander Eichi Sakamoto had been operating the periscope when the depth charges hit the submarine. He scrambled her to the surface and her gun crew managed to fire 2 salvos at the Kiwi before fusillade fire from Kiwi cut the gunners and Sakamoto down. This prompted the submarines navigator to rush down the ladder screaming “swords!swords!”. The navigator, apparently a famous swordsman remerged topside, sword in hand and tried to jump aboard the Kiwi during her ramming venture. He grabbed onto one of her rails as riflemen on top I-1 tried firing at her. After being rammed for the third time, 47 soldiers jumped overboard swimming to shore as the Moa captured the navigator, that must have been a funny sight. The I-1 lay twisted in the water as the Japanese desperately tried to scuttle her. Later in february, Australian divers would manage to loot the submarine finding 200,000 pages of secret documents providing cryptographic materials and valuable JN-25 code information. In mid to late January, Admiral Nimitz and Halsey both regarded the dramatic accumulation of IJN shipping, vigorous air activity and all the radio chatter to be pointing towards some sort of new offensive in the southern solomons. They were looking at this anxiously because the projected withdrawal of the 2nd marine division was coming up. They had procrastinated the last removal of the marines for quite some time. So, in order to shield the movement of troop transports and counter possible IJN surface ship threats, Halsey deployed the kitchen sink in the south pacific. On January 29th, a carrier group built around Enterprise rendevouzed with Saratoga's task force. Task force 67 consisting of 4 cruisers and 4 destroyers joined up with Admiral Lee's task force 64 consisting of 3 battleships and 4 destroyers. They escorted Task force 62.8 consisting of 4 transports and 4 destroyers maintaining a course 100 miles to Lunga Point through the Lengo Channel. Close by the cover this was also task force 18 consisting of 6 cruisers and 6 destroyers sailing due south of Guadalcanal. Yes there are going to be a lot of task forces, growing exponentially henceforth. Rear Admiral Richard Giffen commanded task force 18, a new face to the pacific, he had spent the war thus far in the atlantic and mediterranean sea and was a favorite of Admiral King's. He was tasked by Halsey to rendezvous with Captain Robert Briscoe who was commanding the Cactus striking force consisting of 4 destroyers off Cape Chunter. Once they met up, Giffen was to lead them on a daylight sweep up the Slot as the transports unloaded at Lunga on the 30th. Now Giffen needed to meet up with Briscoe for 9pm and in order to make the deadline he detached his escort carriers Suewanna and Chenango with 2 destroyers so the rest of his force could pull up to 24knots. During the afternoon, unidentified aircraft began lighting up his task force 18's radar. His escort carriers began tossing up groups of wildcats and radar equipped avengers to get a clearer picture, but poor weather was hindering their efforts and Giffen refused to break radio silence as were his orders. In the mid afternoon 32 Betty's of the 701st and 705st air groups took off from Rabaul with the intent to perform night aerial torpedo attacks. Around twilight, task force 18 was set up in a column formation spaced out around 2500 yard apart arranged perfectly to face off against another surface fleet, but in quite a terrible position for anti-aircraft maneuvers. By 7:00 his flagship Cruiser Wichita's radar began showing what looked like a Japanese hornet nest of bombers. The Japanese airwave came from the west circling around the task force to gain the darker backdrop of the eastern sky for their approach. At 7:19 16 Betty's from the 705th commenced their attack. Anti-aircraft fire began to spurt, but Giffen remained hell-bent on making his rendezvous so the kept the speed going and ceased having his formation perform zigzagging maneuvers. This obviously aided the Japanese pilots who began dropping white flares along each side of the task force column to help guide the bombers torpedo runs. At 7:38 Lt Commander Joji Higai took his force of 15 Betty's from the 701sy and began their runs. At 9:40 a torpedo hit Chicago on her starboard side, followed 2 minutes later by another, halting Chicago. Another torpedo hit Witchita, but it was a dud. Still Giffen did not feel the need to change course nor lower speed. To decrease their visibility from the enemy he ordered the gunners to cease any firing unless they had an absolute target. Chicago's crews had stopped her flooding, leaving her listing 11 degrees. Chicago's engineers were trying to crank her engines to keep her up to speed, but it simply was not in the cards, so Giffen deployed the Louisville to tow the injured Chicago to safety.  On January 30th, Chicago was limping behind Louisville at 3knots while Giffens task force 18 continued. Halsey dispatched the destroyer transports Sands and tug Navajo to relieve Louisville so she could rejoin the task force. From the early morning to 2pm, task force 18's radar screens displaying multiple Japanese reconnaissance aircraft coming from Rabaul. Admiral Kusaka was greatly relieved to find out Task force 18 was dealt an injury thus preventing it from threatening the first run of Operation KE. Kusaka predicted the Chicago would slip beyond the radius of her fighter cover from guadalcanal so he sent another air strike to attack the vulnerable ship. However unbeknownst to him, the escort carriers Suwannee, Chenango and Enterprise were shuttling wildcats to protect Chicago.  Another group of 11 Bettys from the 751st air group lifted off at 12:05. A coast watcher warned Chicago and Enterprise of the threat around 3:05 allowing the carrier to launch fighters to intercept shortly after 4pm. Admiral Nimitz advised Giffen alongside the Japanese aircraft there were also 10 enemy submarines deployed south and southeast of guadalcanal. But Halsey ordered Giffen to change course for Efate with the battle worthy cruisers at 3pm, thus task force 18 divided, leaving the Chicago stripped of her shield of anti-aircraft batteries as the fighters were heading off with the rest of the force. Chicago would have only 4 wildcats running cap over her and at 3:40 the Betty's began to emerge. When enterprise understood the plight of the Chicago she sent force 6 more Wildcats to intercept, prompting the Betty's to rush for Chicago. Only 2 Wildcats managed to attack the Betty's before they released their loads. In all but a minute the Japanese desperately tried to toss their fish into the sea as the American pilots downed 3 Betty's likewise into the sea. Chicago tried its best to put up anti-aircraft fire, with her gunners claiming to down 4 Bettys as they attacked. 5 torpedo wakes emerged all converging upon Chicago. At 4:24 one torpedo hit her forward, followed seconds later by 3 others which ripped open Chicago's midship. The catastrophic damage prompted Captain Davis to immediately order abandon ship. As Davis recounted “Chicago rolled slowly over her starboard side and settled by the stern, with colors flying”. 56 men, including 6 officers died aboard Chicago leaving 1069 survivors. The Japanese pilots also came across the destroyer LaVallette which had valiantly turned back at the last minute to help chicago. 3 Betty's surged at her with one dropping a torpedo at just 300 yards away. The torpedo hit LaVallette's port side abreast her forward engine room. 21 of her crew were killed, but her engineers managed to get her back to fighting condition quickly and she pulled away. 12 Betty's had been lost that day, including Lt Commander Higai, one of their best Betty pilots for the IJN. The sinking of Chicago greatly frustrated Admiral Nimitz. In his official report of the event to King he wrote “especially regrettable because it might have been prevented.” Yeah Nimitz was frankly pretty pissed off. There was a long list of errors that led to the Chicago's fate. For one, Giffen was obsessed with keeping his rendezvous time and this led him to not consider the formation of his force, the amount of aerial support and to be blunt it was a tactical disaster. To make matters worse, some of his warships were carrying the super secret at the time VT proximity fuze. Nimitz vented his anger at his staff threatening to shoot anyone who announced the loss of the Chicago.  During the afternoon of January 31st, american intelligence decyphered a dispatch stating Kondo's advance force had departed Truk 2 days early and this triggered Nimitz to alert his subordinates in the south pacific to expect a major Japanese operation was about to begin. The little battle of Rennell island had taken out the Chicago, but it also postponed the beginning of Operation KE now being slated for February 1st. The reinforcement Unit which was responsible for the evacuation was gathering its cruisers and over 21 destroyers at Shortland. Army officers were assured that the nominated commander of the Reinforcement unit for operation KE, Rear Admiral Satsuma Kimura led the finest flotilla in the IJN, destroyer squadron 10. But on January 19th, Kimura was injured when the submarine Nautilus damaged his flagship Akizuki near Shortland, prompting his replacement for Rear Admiral Koyanagi. At the same time, Admiral Kusaka secured the appointment of Rear Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto as commander of the Reinforcement Unit, prompting Koyanami to be held in reserve capacity. The 11th air fleet and 6th air division were responsible for maintaining the daylight CAP over the reinforcement units runs, but at night it would be the R Area air force. the 60 float planes of the R Area air force would sweep ahead of the reinforcement unit trying to shield them from the troublesome american PT boats.  Operation KE relied heavily on some plans revolving around the Russell islands, if the destroyers failed to extract the 17th army it would fall upon landing craft from the Russell islands. Many army officers also hoped to install a temporary garrison and base in the Russells to work as a feint. Thus on January 28th, 6 destroyers bearing 328 men went to the Russells. And so soon, the grand operation would be unleashed. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The hybrid force of US soldiers and Marines seized Kokumbona, greatly hindering Operation KE's timetable. Alongside this the battle of Rennell Island also added to hinder Operation KE's, to add further misery to its future success. Could the IJA/IJN work together to pull it all off, time will tell!   

Last time we spoke about the crazy scramble between the Japanese and Americans as a result of preparation for Operation KE. The American intelligence network was working overtime trying to figure out what the Japanese were cooking up, while the Japanese did their best to feint and hide their intentions. Then we spoke about the enormous offensive performed by the US Army and 2nd Marine division on Guadalcanal. The Americans continued to advance west of the Matanikau and south against the Gifu. The Galloping Horse and Sea Horse would prove to be quite difficult to advance upon, costing countless lives. Like ants crawling up a hill the Americans seized hill after hill, gradually neutralizing the Japanese presence in the mount Austen area. But today we are going to come to the conclusion of the last remaining toehold of the failed Port Moresby campaign, Sanananda.

Last time we spoke about the grueling battle for Buna-Gona. The villages of Buna and Gona had been captured, but the Americans and Australians had a lot more ground to take before their job was done. By Christmas day American companies were marching upon the Buna government station while the Australians were marching in the direction of Giruwa. Then over on starvation island the situation was so dire for the Japanese, they had to perform a feint to draw the American Army's attention away from their coastal lines. They chose to mount a feint from Mount Austen to draw the Americans there and the feint worked. Now the Americans would be marching upon the Seahorse and Galloping horse to face the brutal defenses of the Gifu to claim Mount Austen's peak. But today we are going to venture back to the Burma front where a new offensive is commencing.