Podcasts about Hokkaido

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.Voice Gate is back to discuss Dragongate's big trip to Sapporo, 30 under 30 and a whole lot more. Case and Mike take stock of three shows in Hokkaido including how Dragongate is building towards their giant Korakuen Hall double header, who is in the conversation at Kobe World and their favorite moments from an excellent weekend. After that, they discuss the Dragon System side of VOW's 30 Under 30 poll and Mike gives his elevator pitch for every Dragongate wrestler he has on his ballot!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 Krewe gets an exclusive inside look at Expo 2025 Osaka with Sachiko Yoshimura, the Director General of Public Relations & Promotion! We dive into the massive planning behind the event, Japan's rich history with World Expos, what to expect at the event, best times to travel, & of course... the story behind the viral mascot, Myaku-Myaku! A must-listen for potential Expo-goers!------ 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, Google, 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!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ Past KOJ Travel Episodes ------Checking Out Miyagi ft. Ryotaro Sakurai (Guest Host, William Woods) (S5E5)Explore Matsue ft. Nicholas McCullough (S4E19)Travel Hiroshima ft. Joy Jarman-Walsh (S4E4)Travel Aomori ft. Kay Allen & Megan DeVille (S3E17)Hungry For Travel ft. Shinichi of TabiEats (S3E15)Henro SZN: Shikoku & the 88 Temple Pilgrimage ft. Todd Wassel (S3E12)Border Closures Couldn't Stop These Visas! ft. Rob Dyer & Allan Richarz (S3E11)Natsu Matsuri Mania: Summer Festivals in Japan (S3E3)Off the Beaten Path: Kansai ft. Rob Dyer [Part 2] (S2E12)Off the Beaten Path: Kansai ft. Rob Dyer [Part 1] (S2E11)Japan Travel Destination: Hokkaido ft. Kay Allen (S2E7)Japanese Theme Parks ft. Chris Nilghe of TDR Explorer (S2E4)Navigating Nippon: Where to Go in Japan? ft. Kay Allen of JNTO (S1E11)Matsue & New Orleans: Sister Cities ft. Dr. Samantha Perez (S1E2)------ About Expo 2025 ------Expo 2025 WebsiteExpo 2025 on IG------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Season 6 kicks off with laughter, tradition, and international flair! The Krewe sits down with Katsura Sunshine, a Canadian-born rakugo performer bringing Japan's 400-year-old comedic storytelling art to audiences around the world. In this episode, we explore what makes rakugo so unique, how Sunshine became one of the few non-Japanese rakugo-ka, and how this traditional form of entertainment is finding new life on the global stage. Plus, hear about the possibility of a rakugo event in New Orleans this fall!Whether you're a longtime fan of Japanese culture or just curious about this captivating performance style, this episode is the perfect way to kick off Season 6 of the Krewe of Japan Podcast!------ 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, Google, 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!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ Past KOJ Traditional / Historical Japan Episodes ------The Castles of Japan ft. William de Lange (S5E19)Foreign-Born Samurai: William Adams ft. Nathan Ledbetter (Guest Host, Dr. Samantha Perez) (S5E17)Foreign-Born Samurai: Yasuke ft. Nathan Ledbetter (Guest Host, Dr. Samantha Perez) (S5E16)The Thunderous Sounds of Taiko ft. Takumi Kato (加藤 拓三), World Champion Taiko Drummer (S5E13)Yakuza: Past, Present, Future ft. Jake Adelstein, Author of Tokyo Vice (S5E12)The Real World of Geisha ft. Peter Macintosh (S5E7)Inside Japanese Homes & Architecture ft. Azby Brown (S5E6)Kendo: The Way of the Sword ft. Alexander Bennett, 7th Dan in Kendo (S4E16)The Life of a Sumotori ft. 3-Time Grand Champion Konishiki Yasokichi (S4E10)The Intricate Culture of Kimono ft. Rin of Mainichi Kimono (S4E7)Shamisen: Musical Sounds of Traditional Japan ft. Norm Nakamura of Tokyo Lens (S4E1)Henro SZN: Shikoku & the 88 Temple Pilgrimage ft. Todd Wassel (S3E12)Natsu Matsuri Mania: Summer Festivals in Japan (S3E3)Exploring Enka ft. Jerome White Jr aka ジェロ / Jero (S3E1)The Chrysanthemum Throne ft. Dr. Hiromu Nagahara [Part 2] (S2E18)The Chrysanthemum Throne ft. Dr. Hiromu Nagahara [Part 1] (S2E17)Yokai: The Hauntings of Japan ft. Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt (S2E5)The Age of Lady Samurai ft. Tomoko Kitagawa (S1E12)Talking Sumo ft. Andrew Freud (S1E8)------ About Katsura Sunshine ------Katsura Sunshine on IGRakugo.lol------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Geeta Mehta, author of Japanese Gardens, talks about the beauty, philosophy, and deep cultural roots of Japan's garden traditions. We delve into how these serene landscapes reflect harmony, mindfulness, and a unique dialogue between nature and design. Links Japanese Gardens: Tranquility, Simplicity, Harmony by Geeta Mehta & Kimie Tada  Geeta Mehta on Wikipedia Other episodes if you liked this one: If you liked this week's episode with Geeta Mehta you might also enjoy this one from the archives:  Episode 271: Japanese Maples with Miles Hayward Summary: In this episode, Sarah Wilson speaks with Miles Hayward, an expert in Japanese Maples and founder of Miles Japanese Maples nursery. They delve into the different types of maples, how to grow and care for them, and what makes these trees so iconic in Japanese garden design. Miles also shares insights into how he built his nursery around quality, sustainability, and deep botanical knowledge. Web Link Episode 118: Tokachi Millennium Forest with Dan Pearson & Midori Shintani Summary: Sarah interviews renowned garden designer Dan Pearson and head gardener Midori Shintani about the Tokachi Millennium Forest project in Hokkaido, Japan. The episode explores the forest's design philosophy, the fusion of traditional Japanese landscape principles with ecological awareness, and the challenges of working on a project with a 1,000-year vision. It's a profound conversation about stewardship, beauty, and long-term thinking in garden design. Web Link Please support the podcast on Patreon

Hokuhoku Financial Group Inc. will deploy staff with advanced green transformation knowledge mainly in Hokkaido, northern Japan, President Hiroshi Nakazawa said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

Episodio # 417 del podcast La Hora del Béisbol Japonés, publicado semanalmente por Claudio Rodríguez, director del portal Béisbol Japonés.com (beisboljapones.com). El programa de esta semana habla de nuestro debut como comentarista con One Baseball Network, de los latinos más destacados de los últimos 7 días y de la actuación de los japoneses en las Grandes Ligas. Adicionalmente, habla de las distintas amenidades que ofrece el Es Con Field de Hokkaido y responde a las preguntas de nuestros seguidores. Síganos en: Whatsapp: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaHSDDG3GJP7IA98NJ2S Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571630962993 Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/beisboljapones Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/beisboljapones.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@beisboljapones Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/beisboljapones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beisboljapones/ iVoox: https://www.ivoox.com/en/podcast-hora-del-beisbol-japones_sq_f1383812_1.html Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/cl/podcast/la-hora-del-b%C3%A9isbol-japon%C3%A9s/id1552643757

インタビューに答えるほくほくＦＧの中沢宏社長、２日、富山市北陸銀行と北海道銀行を傘下に持つ、ほくほくフィナンシャルグループの中沢宏社長は１０日までに、時事通信のインタビューに応じた。 Hokuhoku Financial Group Inc. will deploy staff with advanced green transformation knowledge mainly in Hokkaido, northern Japan, President Hiroshi Nakazawa said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

LET THEM COOK! Over the last 5 months, the Krewe has been hard at work cooking up a massive Season 6 line-up. While the main course will begin being served on May 16, how about an appetizer? Just like the carb-loaded instant yakisoba, this preview is CHOU CHOU CHOU Gigamax packed with sneak peeks at what's to come in Season 6. Some snippets include:- Laughing & learning about the world of Rakugo with master storyteller Katsura Sunshine- Prepping for Expo 2025 with Sachiko Yoshimura, Director General of Public Relations & Promotion for Expo 2025- Studying Japanese via language schools with Nihongo enthusiast Langston Hill- Bridging New Orleans & Japan through music with Jazz Trombonist Haruka Kikuchi- Kicking off 2 episodes on Japan's soccer footprint domestically & worldwide with journalist Dan Orlowitz- Exploring vegan cuisine in Japan with Leonore Steffan of ItadakiHealthy- Diving into social media's role in establishing perceptions of Japan - Revisiting Matsue with Sister City Exchange participants Katherine Heller & Wade Trosclair- Brewing up some craft beer with Chris Madere of Baird Brewing & Chris Poel of Shiokaze BrewLab- Restoring some abandoned homes with Akiya enthusiast & YouTuber Anton Wormann of Anton in JapanThis is only HALF of what's to come this season... the 2nd half is top secret! So stay tuned for our season 6 premiere on May 16, 2025 and stick around for the rest of the season to find out what else we have in store on Season 6 of Krewe of Japan Podcast!!------ 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, Google, 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!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Ty & Eric tap into a detailed analysis of the Sapporo factory, the fishy culinary scene in Hokkaido, Subway's excessive presence in South Korea, the origins of Nikka whiskey, reasons to strip down with the boys, ordering the ‘Cucumber 15', freeing enslaved cattle, live streaming the Subway vegetables, and plating beauty standards in Asia vs. North America.If you're struggling, consider therapy with our sponsor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/thinkfresh for a discount on your first month of therapy.-10% Off Think Fresh Merchandise:shop.thinkfreshpodcast.com30% Off Zencastr Pro:zen.ai/thinkfreshFollow Us on Instagram:instagram.com/thinkfreshpodcast

On February 4th 2009, 53 year old Takao Terada was found dead in his home in western Tokyo. Police has initially concluded that this was a suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning; however, when 2 more men are found in May and August of the same year, Police conducted a thorough investigation; reviewing financial records and their internet history. This would eventually lead them to 34 year old Kanae Kijima. But how was a young middle-class girl from Hokkaido, linked to all 3 men? Time Stamps00:00:00 - 00:01:07 - Network ad, theme & intro00:01:07 - 00:06:44 - Background00:06:44 - 00:22:26 - Victims and MO00:22:26 - 00:35:34 - Arrest/charges, trial, appeals and aftermath00:35:34 - 01:09:29 - Next episode announcement, general chat/recommendations *SPOILER WARNING* - Butter by Asako Yuzuki (book based on the case of Kanae Kijima), The Smiley Face Killers, Dexter (TV series), Adolescence, Black Mirror S7, Sinners (no spoilers), Toxic Town, From (S1), Tokyo Ghoul (S1), Closing theme (pop punk AI version)Twitter: @crimeslikeInstagram: @crimesliketheseMusic by: Glitterwolf, Twitter Spotify Check our other podcast on the Black Fur Network!Aah!fter Horror with hosts Paul, Mike, Dan and CheerInstagram: @aahfterhorrorpodcast

Two back to back conversations with two buyers - one looking to start a new life in Japan - the other to run a short term stay hospitality property in Otaru, in Hokkaido's snowy north. What should they be thinking about as they prepare to purchase their dream home?

A local fishing operator in Hokkaido is preparing to hold a shipboard ceremony to remember people involved in the fatal tourist boat sinking off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula in the northernmost Japan prefecture three years ago.

洋上慰霊実現のため、ユーチューブ上で寄付を呼び掛ける桜井憲二さん知床観光船事故の発生当初から、ボランティアで行方不明者の捜索に当たってきた北海道羅臼町の漁師、桜井憲二さんらが、沈没現場付近で献花などを行う洋上慰霊を計画している。 A local fishing operator in Hokkaido is preparing to hold a shipboard ceremony to remember people involved in the fatal tourist boat sinking off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula in the northernmost Japan prefecture three years ago.

My guest this week I spoke with the Wellness Sheriff-  Hokkaido Hank- who is Joshua Hsu - a licensed massage therapist - who when the mustache comes on he's Hank the Wellness Sheriff.We discussed how Josh is wanting to make massage accessible for others and being able to provide a proper adjustment in 10 min targeting vital triggers points along the neck, shoulder and spine. We spoke what led to the character creation of Hokkaido Hank and his decision to pops up at markets, bars and pop-ups offering chair massages.  The importance of treating yourself and trying to build his business.  We also discussed about his family story that was filmed- Starring Jerry as Himself, Where his father stars in the film and is based on true events, where he gets into a crazy situation which involved the whole family. Events transpired in Orlando, shot in Orlando, with all of them playing as themselves. The film swept the Slamdance 2023 awards. It has played around the whole world except for Orlando until now. Its an Orlando movie with several recognizable locations in the Mills area, will be aired on April 17 at Redlight RedlightLunch with Biggie is a podcast about small business and creatives sharing their stories and inspiring you to pursue your passion, with some sandwich talk on the side. Created, edited, and produced in Orlando, FL by Biggie- the owner of the sandwich-themed clothing brand- ⁠⁠Deli Fresh Threads⁠⁠. Hokkaido Hank Social:Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/hokkaidohank/Webpage: https://hokkaidohank.squarespace.com/Biggie's Social: ⁠⁠Deli Fresh Thread's Instagram⁠⁠- ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/delifreshthreads/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Podcast's Instagram⁠⁠- ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lunchwithbiggie/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Podcast's Facebook Group⁠⁠- ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/lunchwithbiggie⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Podcast's Twitter-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/LunchwithBiggie⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Deli Fresh Threads⁠⁠- ⁠⁠ https://DeliFreshThreads.com

Hosts Mitsuaki Sawano, MD, and Nobuhiro Ikemura, MD, welcome Yuichiro Mori, MD, MPH, a physician-scientist at Kyoto University, to discuss his ACC.25 poster presentation on biomarker-based pre-heart failure screening using NT-proBNP, conducted in a rural Japanese city in Hokkaido. Drawing from a screening cohort of 1,585 individuals aged 40–74 in Furano, the study integrated NT-proBNP testing into Japan's routine general health checkups. Dr. Mori shares key takeaways from the study and emphasizes how even single-site efforts, when well-structured and strategically communicated, can gain recognition at major global meetings like ACC.

Singaporeans love travelling to Japan - Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido and more, but have you ever thought about travelling through every prefecture in Japan? ✈That's where Fariqqin Anuar comes in. As a solo traveller, he plans to discover all 47 prefectures in Japan, and has been to 43 already! Hear more about his adventures and what inspired him to visit all of Japan on #TheBIGShowTV!

Hokkaido is one of my favorite places to visit.The food is delicious and the nature is beautiful.In this episode, I talk about the recent trip to Hokkaido with some snow-related vocabulary.Enjoy!

Allora ciccini, mettetevi comodi perché vi porto in un viaggio nei fiocchi di neve più incredibili che possiate immaginare: la leggendaria Japan Powder di Hokkaido! ☃️

【図解】ラピダスを巡る動き先端半導体の国産化を目指すラピダスは４月１日から、北海道千歳市の工場で試作ラインを稼働させる。 Japan's Rapidus Corp. is set to start the operations of a pilot line at its plant for advanced semiconductors in Chitose, Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Tuesday.

Fluent Fiction - Dutch: From Tulips to Cherry Blossoms: A Dance Across Cultures Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/nl/episode/2025-03-27-22-34-02-nl Story Transcript:Nl: In een klein dorp in Hokkaido, Japan, bloeiden de kersenbloesems in de lentezon.En: In a small village in Hokkaido, Japan, the cherry blossoms bloomed in the spring sun.Nl: Het Ainu-dorp was gevuld met traditionele houten huizen, en de mensen bereidden zich voor op een speciale dansvoorstelling.En: The Ainu village was filled with traditional wooden houses, and the people were preparing for a special dance performance.Nl: Casper, een gepassioneerde Nederlandse cultuurenthousiast, was speciaal naar Japan gereisd om meer te leren over de inheemse Ainu-tradities.En: Casper, a passionate Dutch culture enthusiast, had traveled to Japan specifically to learn more about the indigenous Ainu traditions.Nl: Casper liep over het pad dat bedekt was met roze blaadjes.En: Casper walked along the path that was covered with pink petals.Nl: Hij was vol verwachting en een beetje nerveus.En: He was full of anticipation and a bit nervous.Nl: Hij wilde graag deelnemen aan de traditionele Ainu-dans, maar hij kende de stappen en taal nog niet zo goed.En: He wanted to participate in the traditional Ainu dance, but he did not yet know the steps and language very well.Nl: Zijn hart klopte sneller bij het idee dat hij misschien niet kon bijhouden.En: His heart beat faster at the thought that he might not be able to keep up.Nl: Anouk, een ervaren danser, stond elegant in haar kleurrijke kleding bij de oefenplaats.En: Anouk, an experienced dancer, stood elegantly in her colorful clothing at the practice area.Nl: Zij had deze dans al vaak uitgevoerd en haar bewegingen waren sierlijk en precies.En: She had performed this dance many times, and her movements were graceful and precise.Nl: Casper besloot om haar zorgvuldig te observeren.En: Casper decided to observe her carefully.Nl: Hij bleef dichtbij, probeerde haar bewegingen te volgen met zijn ogen.En: He stayed close, trying to follow her movements with his eyes.Nl: Daarnaast zocht Casper hulp bij Sven, een lokale inwoner die een beetje Nederlands sprak.En: Additionally, Casper sought help from Sven, a local resident who spoke a bit of Dutch.Nl: Sven hielp Casper door de danspassen uit te leggen en vertaalde geduldig de instructies van de dansleider.En: Sven helped Casper by explaining the dance steps and patiently translated the dance leader's instructions.Nl: De grote dag van de voorstelling was aangebroken.En: The big day of the performance had arrived.Nl: Het dorpsplein was gevuld met mensen.En: The village square was filled with people.Nl: Iedereen had een plek gevonden om de dansers te zien.En: Everyone had found a place to watch the dancers.Nl: Casper stond in de rij naast Anouk.En: Casper stood in line next to Anouk.Nl: De muziek begon en hij bewoog mee, zich concentrerend op elke stap.En: The music began, and he moved along, concentrating on every step.Nl: Alles ging goed totdat hij plotseling een stap vergat.En: Everything was going well until he suddenly forgot a step.Nl: In een oogwenk improviseerde Casper een vloeiende beweging.En: In an instant, Casper improvised a fluid movement.Nl: Het leek wel alsof het een nieuw onderdeel was van de dans.En: It seemed as if it was a new part of the dance.Nl: De muziek vulde de lucht samen met het geluid van aanmoedigende kreten van het publiek.En: The music filled the air along with the sound of encouraging cheers from the audience.Nl: Casper voelde zijn zenuwen wegvallen en een glimlach verscheen op zijn gezicht.En: Casper felt his nerves fade away, and a smile appeared on his face.Nl: Na de voorstelling bedankten de dorpelingen Casper voor zijn oprechte poging en betrokkenheid.En: After the performance, the villagers thanked Casper for his sincere effort and involvement.Nl: Ze gaven hem een klein, ambachtelijk geschenk, als teken van hun waardering en erkenning.En: They gave him a small, handcrafted gift as a token of their appreciation and recognition.Nl: Het was een houtsnijwerk van een beer, het symbool van kracht en moed in hun cultuur.En: It was a wood carving of a bear, the symbol of strength and courage in their culture.Nl: Casper voelde zich trots en gelukkig.En: Casper felt proud and happy.Nl: Hij had niet alleen een nieuwe cultuur ervaren, maar had ook geleerd hoe belangrijk het is om flexibel te zijn.En: He had not only experienced a new culture but also learned how important it is to be flexible.Nl: Zijn verlangen om zich met andere culturen te verbinden was sterker dan ooit.En: His desire to connect with other cultures was stronger than ever.Nl: De warme ervaring in het Ainu-dorp zou hij nooit vergeten.En: The warm experience in the Ainu village was something he would never forget.Nl: Het landschap van Hokkaido, de geur van kersenbloesems en de klanken van de Ainu-muziek bleven in zijn hart.En: The landscape of Hokkaido, the scent of cherry blossoms, and the sounds of Ainu music remained in his heart. Vocabulary Words:village: dorpcherry blossoms: kersenbloesemsindigenous: inheemseanticipation: verwachtingnervous: nerveusparticipate: deelnemenelegantly: elegantgraceful: sierlijkprecise: preciesobserve: observerenfluid: vloeiendencouraging cheers: aanmoedigende kretensincere: oprechteinvolvement: betrokkenheidhandcrafted: ambachtelijktoken: tekenappreciation: waarderingrecognition: erkenningwood carving: houtsnijwerksymbol: symboolstrength: krachtcourage: moedflexible: flexibeldesire: verlangenconnect: verbindenexperience: ervaringlandscape: landschapscent: geursounds: klankenremained: bleven

Our guest today is Tim Anderson who is a chef and food writer based in London.  Tim's early interest in Japanese food led him to global adventures in L.A., Japan and the U.K.  A bowl of ramen he encountered in L.A. fueled his passion for studying it and he moved to Fukuoka, Japan.  Then he opened his ramen restaurants in the U.K. after winning the popular MasterChef competition on BBC One.  Now he writes and communicates his insight into various aspects of Japanese food culture. It is remarkable and inspiring to see how Tim's life unfolded into consecutive, unexpected lucky events through his interest in Japanese food. In this episode, we will discuss how Tim got into Japanese food, his life in Japan studying ramen and Japanese food culture, how he won the MasterChef competition with his Japanese food knowledge and skills, his excellent books that cover a variety of topics,  including Nanban dishes and Hokkaido food culture and much, much more!!!

大雪に見舞われた北海道帯広市の市街地、２月４日気象庁気象研究所と東京大、京都大の研究チームは１９日までに、２月上旬の北海道十勝地方や東北日本海側・北陸付近の大雪には地球温暖化が影響していたと発表した。 Researchers found global warming helped bring extraordinarily heavy snowfall to the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, and wide areas along the Sea of Japan coast in early February.

Justin Downes returns to The Negotiation podcast to reflect on the recently concluded ski season in China and to discuss his new role in Hokkaido, Japan. With a career dedicated to advancing winter sports in Asia, Justin has been instrumental in the infrastructural development of ski resorts in China, contributing significantly to the country's readiness for the 2022 Winter Olympics. In this episode, Justin provides an overview of the performance of the skiing season in China, talks about the world's largest indoor skiing resort in Shanghai, and compares the ski markets of China and Japan.Discussion Points:Overview of Axis Leisure Management and its impact on skiing in China.Performance insights from the recent ski season in China.Details on the world's largest indoor skiing resort in Shanghai and its significance in the growth of the industry.The influence of the Asian Winter Games on the popularization of winter sports in China and other Asian countries.Assessment of China as a mature or emerging skiing market.Comparisons between the skiing industries in China and Japan, highlighting unique aspects and challenges in both markets.

札幌地裁、札幌市中央区札幌市の繁華街ススキノのホテルで２０２３年７月、男性会社員、当時、が殺害され、頭部を切断された事件で、道具を調達するなどしたとして殺人ほう助などの罪に問われた医師田村修被告の裁判員裁判の判決が１２日、札幌地裁であった。 Sapporo District Court on Wednesday sentenced a 61-year-old man to 16 months in prison, suspended for four years, over alleged murder by his daughter in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido.

We discuss ski touring on Mt Etna in Sicily, the mountains of Catalonia and Borovets in Bulgaria.  Host Iain Martin was joined by guests Becs Miles and Mike Richards. Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code Don't forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter all you need to do is to use the code ‘SKIPODCAST' when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com or simply take this link and your discount will automatically be applied.  SHOW NOTES Becs was last on the show in Episode 209, when she was telling us about Trysil in Norway (0:45) Mike Richards was last on the show as a guest in Episode 226 discussing Hokkaido in Japan (1:15) He has also been on the show discussing Bosnia, Madesimo, Turkey, North Macedonia, Georgia, Montenegro and Wales (1:30) Mike called in from Erciyes in Turkey (2:00) Katja Gaskell reported from Japan (3:30) Alex Armand (Tip Top Ski Coaching) is in Les 2 Alpes (5:40) Jen Tsang (That's LaPlagne) is in La Plagne (6:00) Freddy Carrick-Smith took gold in the GS & Zak Carrick-Smith took bronze in the Slalom at the European Youth Olympic Festival (8:30) In freestyle Sandra Caune won gold in ski Big air and bronze in slopestyle and Emily Rothney won gold in the Snowboard Big Air The Ski Podcast sponsors Team Carrick Smith (9:20) Find out more about Iain's train travel journey to Sicily, using an Interrail from Rail Europe (12:30) The trip involved taking the unique rail ferry from the southern tip of Italy to Messina (13:00) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1ysMVLaA6Jc Iain saw an Italian football match at Empoli on his return journey (16:00) Mirto Monaco is one of three UAIGM guides on Sicily (17:30) Ski touring was on Etna Nord out of Piano Provenzala - Etna's ‘ski resort' (17:45) https://youtu.be/7bkj_m-5d6Y Etna was erupting on the south side of the volcano (19:00) In 2002, both ski resorts were destroyed by eruptions (25:00) Iain hiked up to the source of the current eruption to view the lava flow (25:30) Iain went ski touring in Morrocco in 2019 (27:30) Becs as ‘glamping' in Catalonia at Forest Days (28:30) She did ski touring at the resort of Port del Comte (32:00) You can try cross country sking in Tuixant (32:30) Other activities included truffle hunting (33:00) Becs learned how to search for fire kindling (34:00) Iain recently drove to Courmayeur and Chamonix in an electric car (35:45) Mike travelled to Borovets in Bulgaria (38:30) He stayed at the Hotel Lion (42:15) Take a look at the piste map for Borovets (44:00) Feedback Please send your feedback on the show on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com Matt Sylvestre: "Just wanted to say hello from Pleasant Mountain in Maine, USA. I am obsessed with skiing, kit and technique and enjoyed Episode 235 with Stuart Winchester from the Storm Skiing Podcast.”  Chris Howie: "Loved Episode 235 of the Ski Podcast today as always. It was super to hear more about the Ikon/Epic passes and how the USA model for skiing is completely different from Europe.” Jane Gotts: “Really enjoy listening to the podcast” Anon: “Loving the ski podcast in the car from wet and windy Dublin” Anon: "Great podcast, Iain. I've enjoyed it for ages and attended your talks at The Snow Show. Skiing has generally poor coverage on TV, so podcasts like yours help keep ski enthusiasts like me stoked in between ski trips and seasons. Keep it up!" The winner of our Vallon goggles competition is Dominic Hales: “Loved listening to Episode 237 about the Dolomites. We just got our photos from a trip in Val Gardena and surely can't be a more photogenic place.” There are now 251 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 185 of those were listened to in the last week.  You can find old episodes in our back catalog at theskipodcast.com where you can find your next podcast to listen to.  If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:    1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now  2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify  3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST' or take this link You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. 

みなさんこんにちは、かなこです！今日のシャドーイングは「～というNoun」です。今回のPodcastは、マイケルさんの提供でお送りします。Hi everyone, it's Kanako. Today's shadowing is “～というNoun” It is used to describe the content of the noun. “～という” follows the short form and the Noun can be such as “ニュース・話・ルール”.For instance, if you see the news that the Prime Minister is quitting, you can say…「首相が辞めるというニュースを見ました。」 Before we get started, I want to thank Michael for supporting my show. ありがとうございます! それでは はじめていきましょう！ Let's get started！*****************************************************▼Subscribe to my YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKOYOUTUBE⁠⁠⁠⁠▼Buy me a coffee ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/KANAKO-Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠*****************************************************In Japan, there is a culture of eating rice cakes during the New Year. 日本ではお正月にお餅を食べるという文化があります。In Japan, there is a custom to do major cleaning in December. 日本では12月に大掃除をするという習慣があります。I heard that Hokkaido has the best seafood in Japan. 北海道の海鮮は日本一という話を聞きました。Is it true that Professor Yamashita is going to retire? 山下先生が退職するという話は本当ですか。I saw the news that a typhoon will hit Okinawa tomorrow. 明日沖縄に台風がくるというニュースを見ました。I saw on the news that there was a big earthquake in Japan. 日本で大きな地震があったというニュースを見ました。In Japanese language schools, there is a rule that students are not allowed to speak English. 日本語学校では、英語を話してはいけないというルールがあります。My company has a rule that everyone does cleaning in themorning. 私の会社では朝みんなで掃除するというルールがあります。The manager informed me that he'd be late for a meeting. 部長から会議に遅れるという連絡がありました。Getting cold often means that the immune system is weak. よく風邪をひくのは免疫が弱いということです。Quitting a job means losing income. 仕事を辞めるということは、収入がなくなるということです。 *****************************************************では もう 一度、最初から 全部 いってみましょう。Let's try shadowing the whole thing again from the beginning. 

Our guest is Emily Yuen who is the executive chef at Lingo https://www.lingobk.com/, a unique Japanese American restaurant in Brooklyn, New York.Emily has an impressive culinary background.  She worked at top French restaurants in the world, including Le Gavroche in London, DB Bistro in Singapore and Boulud Sud in New York. She also studied Japanese cuisine at the legendary Shojin restaurant Kajitsu and served as the executive chef at Bessou in New York.At Lingo, with her global knowledge and experience, Emily offers original dishes, such as Hokkaido-style braised beef curry pie and Donabe hotpot with wild mushroom and koji butter.In this episode, we will discuss how Emily's culinary focus shifted from French to Japanese, the essence of Japanese cuisine that she wants to share with her guests, how she naturally merges French techniques and Japanese flavors, the importance of Japanese home cooking in her menu development and much, much more!!!

So, I went to Japan. And if you've ever traveled across the world, you know things don't always go as planned. This episode was actually recorded twice (thanks to a little tech disaster), but maybe that was meant to be—because now, you're getting the unfiltered, full-circle version of my trip.From snowy onsens in Hokkaido to late-night bites in Tokyo, I'm sharing it all:Flying business class vs. the reality of jet lag (because, let's be honest, it hits hard)Hokkaido's magic—skiing, soaking in onsens, and the kind of quiet that makes you exhaleMeals I'll never forget—hidden gems like Somoza and Rakuichi Soba, plus why food is the best way to connect with a placeKyoto's timeless beauty—what it's really like to experience traditional Japanese hospitality. My favorite restaurants Koke and Raiz.Tokyo's electric energy—shopping, eating, and just soaking in the chaos of it allMore than anything, this trip reminded me why I love traveling: the unexpected moments, the little lessons, and the pure joy of saying yes to new experiences. If you're planning a trip to Japan (or just need a little inspiration), I hope this episode gives you something to take with you.Join the World's Your Oysta community!Instagram: @wyo.podTikTok: @wyo.podYoutube: World's Your Oysta PodcastWebsite & Newsletter: WYO PodcastProduced by Peoples Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#139 ホストの2人が暮らしている北海道は、雄大な大自然と良質な雪の降る地域として知られています。実際に、アネちゃんは様々なウィンターアウトドアアクティビティを体験してきたので、今回はそれらのいくつかをご紹介したいと思います！ Hokkaido, where the two hosts are living at, is known for its magnificent wilderness and good snowfall. In fact, Ernest has played with various winter outdoor activities, and we will introduce some of them in this episode! ↓↓番組についての感想や話してほしいトピックがあれば、こちらまで↓↓ Email: ernestnaoya1994@gmail.com ↑↑ Share your thoughts and request to us↑↑ 個人SNS / Personal Social Media AC Ernest's Instagram: @ernest_mkc Naoya's Instagram: @japanese_teacher_n

VOV1 - Nhật Bản đang chuẩn bị đón nhận một đợt rét đậm chưa từng có xảy ra trên một khu vực rộng lớn, kèm theo lượng tuyết lớn kỷ lục và nhiều hiện tượng thời tiết cực đoan nguy hiểm khác. Cơ quan Khí tượng Nhật Bản đã phải đưa ra hàng loạt cảnh báo để đảm bảo an toàn tối đa cho người dân.

This episode we are taking a trip down the Silk Road--or perhaps even the Spice Road--as we investigate references in this reign to individuals from "Tukara" who seem to have arrived in Yamato and stayed for a while. For photos and more, see our podcast webpage:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-119 Rough Transcript   Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  This is episode 119: The Question of “Tukara”   Traveling upon the ocean was never exactly safe.  Squalls and storms could arise at any time, and there was always a chance that high winds and high waves could capsize a vessel.  Most people who found themselves at the mercy of the ocean could do little but hold on and hope that they could ride out whatever adverse conditions they met with.  Many ships were lost without any explanation or understanding of what happened to them.  They simply left the port and never came back home. And so when the people saw the boat pulling up on the shores of Himuka, on the island of Tsukushi, they no doubt empathized with the voyagers' plight.  The crew looked bedraggled, and their clothing was unfamiliar.  There were both men and women, and this didn't look like your average fishing party.  If anything was clear it was this:  These folk weren't from around here. The locals brought out water and food.  Meanwhile, runners were sent with a message:  foreigners had arrived from a distant place.  They then waited to see what the government was going to do.     We are still in the second reign of Takara Hime, aka Saimei Tenno.  Last episode we talked about the palaces constructed in Asuka, as well as some of the stone works that have been found from the period, and which appear to be referenced in the Nihon Shoki—at least tangentially.   The episodes before that, we looked at the expeditions the court sent to the far north of Honshu and even past Honshu to Hokkaido. This episode we'll again be looking past the main islands of the archipelago to lands beyond.  Specifically, we are going to focus on particularly intriguing references to people from a place called “Tukara”.  We'll talk about some of the ideas about where that might be, even if they're a bit  far-fetched. That's because Tukara touches on the state of the larger world that Yamato was a part of, given its situation on the far eastern edge of what we know today as the Silk Road.  And is this just an excuse for me to take a detour into some of the more interesting things going on outside the archipelago?  No comment. The first mention of a man from Tukara actually comes at the end of the reign of Karu, aka Koutoku Tennou.  We are told that in the fourth month of 654 two men and two women of “Tukara” and one woman of “Sha'e” were driven by a storm to Hiuga.  Then, three years later, the story apparently picks up again, though possibly referring to a different group of people.  On the 3rd day of the 7th month of 657, so during the second reign of Takara Hime, we now hear about two men and four women of the Land of Tukara—no mention of Sha'e—who drifted to Tsukushi, aka Kyushu.  The Chronicles mention that these wayfarers first drifted to the island of Amami, and we'll talk about that in a bit, but let's get these puzzle pieces on the table, first.  After those six people show up, the court sent for them by post-horse.  They must have arrived by the 15th of that same month, because we are told that a model of Mt. Sumi was erected and they—the people from Tukara—were entertained, although there is another account that says they were from “Tora”. The next mention is the 10th day of the 3rd month of 659, when a Man of Tukara and his wife, again woman of Sha'e, arrived.  Then, on the 16th day of the 7th month of 660, we are told that the man of Tukara, Kenzuhashi Tatsuna, desired to return home and asked for an escort.  He planned to pay his respects at the Great Country, i.e. the Tang court, and so he left his wife behind, taking tens of men with him. All of these entries might refer to people regularly reaching Yamato from the south, from a place called “Tukara”.  Alternately, this is a single event whose story has gotten distributed over several years, as we've seen happen before with the Chronicles.  .  One of the oddities of these entries is that the terms used are not consistent.  “Tukara” is spelled at least two different ways, suggesting that it wasn't a common placename like Silla or Baekje, or even the Mishihase.  That does seem to suggest that the Chronicles were phonetically trying to find kanji, or the Sinitic characters, to match with the name they were hearing.   I would also note that “Tukara” is given the status of a “kuni”—a land, country, or state—while “sha'e”, where some of the women are said to come from, is just that, “Sha'e”. As for the name of at least one person from Tokara, Kenzuhashi Tatsuna, that certainly sounds like someone trying to fit a non-Japanese name into the orthography of the time.  “Tatsuna” seems plausibly Japanese, but “Kenzuhashi” doesn't fit quite as well into the naming structures we've seen to this point. The location of “Tukara” and “Sha'e” are not clear in any way, and as such there has been a lot of speculation about them.  While today there are placenames that fit those characters, whether or not these were the places being referenced at the time is hard to say. I'll actually start with “Sha'e”, which Aston translates as Shravasti, the capital of the ancient Indian kingdom of Kosala, in modern Uttar Pradesh.  It is also where the Buddha, Siddartha Gautama, is said to have lived most of his life after his enlightenment.  In Japanese this is “Sha'e-jou”, and like many Buddhist terms it likely comes through Sanskrit to Middle Chinese to Japanese.  One—or possibly two—women from Shravasti making the journey to Yamato in the company of a man (or men) from Tukara seems quite the feat.  But then, where is “Tukara”? Well, we have at least three possible locations that I've seen bandied about.  I'll address them from the most distant to the closest option.  These three options were Tokharistan, Dvaravati, and the Tokara islands. We'll start with Tokharistan on the far end of the Silk Road.  And to start, let's define what that “Silk Road” means.  We've talked in past episodes about the “Western Regions”, past the Han-controlled territories of the Yellow River.   The ancient Tang capital of Chang'an was built near to the home of the Qin dynasty, and even today you can go and see both the Tang tombs and the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi and his terracotta warriors, all within a short distance of Xi'an, the modern city built on the site of Chang'an.  That city sits on a tributary of the Yellow River, but the main branch turns north around the border of modern Henan and the similarly sounding provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi.  Following it upstream, the river heads north into modern Mongolia, turns west, and then heads south again, creating what is known as the Ordos loop.  Inside is the Ordos plateau, also known as the Ordos Basin.  Continuing to follow the Yellow river south, on the western edge of the Ordos, you travel through Ningxia and Gansu—home of the Hexi, or Gansu, Corridor.  That route eventually takes to Yumenguan, the Jade Gate, and Dunhuang.  From there roads head north or south along the edge of the Taklamakan desert in the Tarim basin.  The southern route travels along the edge of the Tibetan plateau, while the northern route traversed various oasis cities through Turpan, Kucha, to the city of Kashgar.  Both routes made their way across the Pamirs and the Hindu Kush into South Asia. We've brought up the Tarim Basin and the Silk Road a few times.  This is the path that Buddhism appears to have taken to get to the Yellow River Basin and eventually to the Korean Peninsula and eastward to the Japanese archipelago.  But I want to go a bit more into detail on things here, as there is an interesting side note about “Tukara” that I personally find rather fascinating, and thought this would be a fun time to share. Back in Episode 79 we talked about how the Tarim basin used to be the home to a vast inland sea, which was fed by the meltwater from the Tianshan and Kunlun mountains.  This sea eventually dwindled, though it was still large enough to be known to the Tang as the Puchang Sea.  Today it has largely dried up, and it is mostly just the salt marshes of Lop Nur that remain.  Evidence for this larger sea, however, can be observed in some of the burials found around the Tarim basin.  These burials include the use of boat-shaped structures—a rather curious feature to be found out in the middle of the desert. And it is the desert that was left behind as the waters receded that is key to much of what we know about life in the Tarim basin, as it has proven to be quite excellent at preserving organic material.  This includes bodies, which dried out and naturally turned into mummies, including not only the wool clothing they were wearing, but also features such as hair and even decoration. These “Tarim mummies”, as they have been collectively called, date from as early as 2100 BCE all the way up through the period of time we're currently talking about, and have been found in several desert sites: Xiaohe, the earliest yet discovered; Loulan, near Lop Nur on the east of the Tarim Basin, dating from around 1800 BCE; Cherchen, on the southern edge of the Tarim Basin, dating from roughly 1000 BCE; and too many others to go into in huge detail. The intriguing thing about these burials is that  many of them don't have features typically associated with people of ethnic Han—which is to say traditional Chinese—ancestry, nor do they necessarily have the features associated with the Xiongnu and other steppe nomads.  In addition they have colorful clothing  made from wool and leather, with vivid designs.  Some bodies near Hami, just east of the basin, were reported to have blonde to light brown hair, and their cloth showed radically different patterns from that found at Cherchen and Loulan, with patterns that could reasonably be compared with the plaids now common in places like Scotland and Ireland, and previously found in the Hallstadt salt mine in Central Europe from around 3500 BCE, from which it is thought the Celtic people may have originated. At the same time that people—largely Westerners— were studying these mummies, another discovery in the Tarim basin was also making waves.  This was the discovery of a brand new language.  Actually, it was two languages—or possibly two dialects of a language—in many manuscripts, preserved in Kucha and Turpan.  Once again, the dry desert conditions proved invaluable to maintain these manuscripts, which date from between the late 4th or early 5th century to the 8th century.  They are written with a Brahmic script, similar to that used for Sanskrit, which appears in the Tarim Basin l by about the 2nd century, and we were able to translate them because many of the texts were copies of Buddhist scripture, which greatly helped scholars in deciphering the languages.  These two languages were fascinating because they represented an as-yet undiscovered branch of the Indo-European language family.  Furthermore, when compared to other Indo-European languages, they did not show nearly as much similarity with their neighbors as with languages on the far western end of the Indo-European language family.  That is to say they were thought to be closer to Celtic and Italic languages than something like Indo-Iranian.  And now for a quick diversion within the diversion:  “Centum” and “Satem” are general divisions of the Indo-European language families that was once thought to indicate a geographic divide in the languages.  At its most basic, as Indo-European words changed over time, a labiovelar sound, something like “kw”,  tended to evolve in one of two ways.  In the Celtic and Italic languages, the “kw” went to a hard “k” sound, as represented in the classical pronunciation of the Latin word for 100:  Centum.  That same word, in the Avestan language—of the Indo-Iranian tree—is pronounced as “Satem”, with an “S” sound.  So, you can look at Indo-European languages and divide them generally into “centum” languages, which preserve the hard “k”, or “Satem” languages that preserve the S. With me so far? Getting back to these two newly-found languages in the Tarim Basin, the weird thing is that they were “Centum” languages. Most Centum languages are from pretty far away, though: they are generally found in western Europe or around the Mediterranean, as opposed to the Satem languages, such as Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Armernian, or even Baltic Slavic languages, which are much closer to the Tarim Basin.  So if the theory were true that the “Centum” family of Indo-European languages developed in the West and “Satem” languages developed in the East, then that would seem to indicate that a group of a “Centum” speaking people must have migrated eastward, through the various Satem speaking people, and settled in the Tarim Basin many thousands of years ago. And what evidence do we have of people who look very different from the modern population, living in the Tarim Basin area long before, and wearing clothing similar to what we associated with the progenitors of the Celts?  For many, it seemed to be somewhat obvious, if still incredible, that the speakers of this language were likely the descendants of the mummies who, in the terminology of the time, had been identified as being of Caucasoid ancestry.  A theory developed that these people were an offshoot of a group called the Yamnaya culture, which may have arisen around modern Ukraine as an admixture between the European Hunter Gatherers and the Caucasian Hunter Gatherers, around 3300-2600 BCE.  This was challenged in 2021 when a genetic study was performed on some of the mummies in the Tarim basin, as well as several from the Dzungarian basin, to the northeast.  That study suggested that the people of the Dzungarian basin had genetic ties to the people of the Afanasievo people, from Southern Siberia.  The Afanasievo people are connected to the Yamnayan culture. It should be noted that there has long been a fascination in Western anthropology and related sciences with racial identification—and often not in a healthy way.  As you may recall, the Ainu were identified as “Caucasoid” by some people largely because of things like the men's beards and lighter colored hair, which differ greatly from a large part of the Japanese population.  However, that claim has been repeatedly refuted and debunked. And similarly, the truth is, none of these Tarim mummy burials were in a period of written anything, so we can't conclusively associated them with these fascinating Indo-European languages.  There are thousands of years between the various burials and the manuscripts. These people  left no notes stashed in pockets that give us their life story.   And Language is not Genetics is not Culture.  Any group may adopt a given language for a variety of reasons.  .  Still, given what we know, it is possible that the ancient people of the Tarim basin spoke some form of “Proto-Kuchean”, but it is just as likely that this language was brought in by people from Dzungaria at some point. So why does all this matter to us?  Well, remember how we were talking about someone from Tukara?  The Kuchean language, at least, is referred to in an ancient Turkic source as belonging to “Twgry”, which led several scholars to draw a link between this and the kingdom and people called Tukara and the Tokharoi.  This leads us on another bit of a chase through history. Now if you recall, back in Episode 79, we talked about Zhang Qian.  In 128 BCE, he attempted to cross the Silk Road through the territory of the Xiongnu on a mission for the Han court.  Some fifty years earlier, the Xiongnu had defeated the Yuezhi.  They held territory in the oasis towns along the north of the Taklamakan dessert, from about the Turpan basin west to the Pamirs. The Xiongnu were causing problems for the Han, who thought that if they could contact the remaining Yuezhi they could make common cause with them and harass the Xiongnu from both sides.  Zhang Qian's story is quite remarkable: he started out with an escort of some 99 men and a translator.  Unfortunately, he was captured and enslaved by the Xiongnu during his journey, and he is even said to have had a wife and fathered a child.  He remained a captive for thirteen years, but nonetheless, he was able to escape with his family and he made it to the Great Yuezhi on the far side of the Pamirs, but apparently the Yuezhi weren't interested in a treaty against the Xiongnu.  The Pamirs were apparently enough of a barrier and they were thriving in their new land.  And so Zhang Qian crossed back again through Xiongnu territory, this time taking the southern route around the Tarim basin.  He was still captured by the Xiongnu, who spared his life.  He escaped, again, two years later, returning to the Han court.  Of the original 100 explorers, only two returned: Zhang Qian and his translator.  While he hadn't obtained an alliance, he was able to detail the cultures of the area of the Yuezhi. Many feel that the Kushan Empire, which is generally said to have existed from about 30 to 375 CE,was formed from the Kushana people who were part of the Yuezhi who fled the Xiongnu. In other words, they were originally from further north, around the Tarim Basin, and had been chased out and settled down in regions that included Bactria (as in the Bactrian camel).  Zhang Qian describes reaching the Dayuan Kingdom in the Ferghana valley, then traveling south to an area that was the home of the Great Yuezhi or Da Yuezhi.  And after the Kushan empire fell, we know there was a state in the upper regions of the Oxus river, centered on the city of Balkh, in the former territory of the Kushan empire. known as “Tokara”.  Geographically, this matches up how Zhang Qian described the home of the Da Yuezhi.  Furthermore, some scholars reconstruct the reading of the Sinic characters used for “Yuezhi” as originally having an optional reading of something like “Togwar”, but that is certainly not the most common reconstructed reading of those characters.  Greek sources describe this area as the home of the Tokharoi, or the Tokaran People.  The term “Tukhara” is also found in Sanskrit, and this kingdom  was also said to have sent ambassadors to the Southern Liang and Tang dynasties. We aren't exactly certain of where these Tokharan people came from, but as we've just described, there's a prevailing theory that they were the remnants of the Yuezhi and Kushana people originally from the Tarim Basin.  We know that in the 6th century they came under the rule of the Gokturk Khaganate, which once spanned from the Liao river basin to the Black Sea.  In the 7th and 8th centuries they came under the rule of the Tang Empire, where they were known by very similar characters as those used to write “Tukara” in the Nihon Shoki.  On top of this, we see Tokharans traveling the Silk Road, all the way to the Tang court.  Furthermore, Tokharans that settled in Chang'an took the surname “Zhi” from the ethnonym “Yuezhi”, seemingly laying claim to and giving validation to the identity used back in the Han dynasty.   So, we have a Turkic record describing the Kuchean people (as in, from Kucha in the Tarim Basin) as “Twgry”, and we have a kingdom in Bactria called Tokara and populated (according to the Greeks) by people called Tokharoi.  You can see how this one term has been a fascinating rabbit hole in the study of the Silk Roads and their history.  And some scholars understandably suggested that perhaps the Indo-European languags found in Kucha and Turpan  were actually related to this “Tokhara” – and therefore  should be called “Tocharian”, specifically Tocharian A (Kuchean) or Tocharian B (Turfanian). The problem is that if the Tokharans were speaking “Tocharian” then you wouldn't expect to just see it at Kucha and Turpan, which are about the middle of the road between Tokhara and the Tang dynasty, and which had long been under Gokturk rule.  You would also expect to see it in the areas of Bactria associated with Tokhara.  However, that isn't what we see.  Instead, we see that Bactria was the home of local Bactrian language—an Eastern Iranian language, which, though it is part of the Indo European language family, it is not closely related to Tocharian as far as we can tell. It is possible that the people of Kucha referred to themselves as something similar to “Twgry”, or “Tochari”, but we should also remember that comes from a Turkic source, and it could have been an exonym not related to what they called themselves.  I should also note that language is not people.  It is also possible that a particular ethnonym was maintained separately by two groups that may have been connected politically but which came to speak different languages for whatever reason.   There could be a connection between the names, or it could even be that the same or similar exonym was used for different groups. So, that was a lot and a bit of a ramble, but a lot of things that I find interesting—even if they aren't as connected as they may appear.  We have the Tarim mummies, which are, today, held at a museum in modern Urumqi.  Whether they had any connection with Europe or not, they remain a fascinating study for the wealth of material items found in and around the Tarim basin and similar locations.  And then there is the saga of the Tocharian languages—or perhaps more appropriately the Kuchean-Turfanian languages: Indo-European languages that seem to be well outside of where we would expect to find them. Finally, just past the Pamirs, we get to the land of Tokhara or Tokharistan.  Even without anything else, we know that they had contact with the court.  Perhaps our castaways were from this land?  The name is certainly similar to what we see in the Nihon Shoki, using some of the same characters. All in all, art and other information suggest that the area of the Tarim basin and the Silk Road in general were quite cosmopolitan, with many different people from different regions of the world.  Bactria retained Hellenic influences ever since the conquests of Alexander of Macedonia, aka Alexander the Great, and Sogdian and Persian traders regularly brought their caravans through the region to trade.  And once the Tang dynasty controlled all of the routes, that just made travel that much easier, and many people traveled back and forth. So from that perspective, it is possible that one or more people from Tukhara may have made the crossing from their home all the way to the Tang court, but if they did so, the question still remains: why would they be in a boat? Utilizing overland routes, they would have hit Chang'an or Louyang, the dual capitals of the Tang empire, well before they hit the ocean.  However, the Nihon Shoki says that these voyagers first came ashore at Amami and then later says that they were trying to get to the Tang court. Now there was another “Silk Road” that isn't as often mentioned: the sea route, following the coast of south Asia, around through the Malacca strait and north along the Asian coast.  This route is sometimes viewed more in terms of the “spice” road If these voyagers set out to get to the Tang court by boat, they would have to have traveled south to the Indian Ocean—possibly traveling through Shravasti or Sha'e, depending on the route they chose to take—and then around the Malacca strait—unless they made it on foot all the way to Southeast Asia.  And then they would have taken a boat up the coast. Why do that instead of taking the overland route?  They could likely have traveled directly to the Tang court over the overland silk road.  Even the from Southeast Asia could have traveled up through Yunnan and made their way to the Tang court that way.  In fact, Zhang Qian had wondered something similar when he made it to the site of the new home of the Yuezhi, in Bactria.  Even then, in the 2nd century, he saw products in the marketplace that he identified as coming from around Szechuan.  That would mean south of the Han dynasty, and he couldn't figure out how those trade routes might exist and they weren't already known to the court.  Merchants would have had to traverse the dangerous mountains if they wanted to avoid being caught by the Xiongnu, who controlled the entire region. After returning to the Han court, Zhang Qian actually went out on another expedition to the south, trying to find the southern trade routes, but apparently was not able to do so.  That said, we do see, in later centuries, the trade routes open up between the area of the Sichuan basin and South Asia.  We also see the migrations of people further south, and there may have even been some Roman merchants who traveled up this route to find their way to the Han court, though those accounts are not without their own controversy. In either case, whether by land or sea, these trade routes were not always open.  In some cases, seasonal weather, such as monsoons, might dictate movement back and forth, while political realities were also a factor.  Still, it is worth remembering that even though most people were largely concerned with affairs in their own backyard, the world was still more connected than people give it credit for.  Tang dynasty pottery made its way to the east coast of Africa, and ostriches were brought all the way to Chang'an. As for the travelers from Tukhara and why they would take this long and very round-about method of travel, it is possible that they were just explorers, seeking new routes, or even on some kind of pilgrimage.  Either way, they would have been way off course. But if they did pass through Southeast Asia, that would match up with another theory about what “Tukara” meant: that it actually refers to the Dvaravati kingdom in what is now modern Thailand.  The Dvaravati Kingdom was a Mon political entity that rose up around the 6th century.  It even sent embassies to the Sui and Tang courts.  This is even before the temple complexes in Siem Reap, such as Preah Ko and the more famous Angkor Wat.  And it was during this time that the ethnic Tai people are thought to have started migrating south from Yunnan, possibly due to pressures from the expanding Sui and Tang empires.  Today, most of what remains of the Dvaravati kingdom are the ruins of ancient stone temples, showing a heavy Indic influence, and even early Buddhist practices as well.  “Dvaravati” may not actually be the name of the kingdom but it comes from an inscription on a coin found from about that time.  The Chinese refer to it as  “To-lo-po-ti” in contemporary records.  It may not even have been a kingdom, but  more of a confederation of city-states—it is hard to piece everything together.  That it was well connected, though, is clear from the archaeological record.  In Dvaravati sites, we see coins from as far as Rome, and we even have a lamp found in modern Pong Tuk that appears to match similar examples from the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century.  Note that this doesn't mean it arrived in the 6th century—similarly with the coins—but the Dvaravati state lasted until the 12th century. If that was the case, perhaps there were some women from a place called “Shravasti” or similar, especially given the Indic influence in the region. Now, given the location of the Dvaravati, it wouldn't be so farfetched to think that someone might sail up from the Gulf of Thailand and end up off-course, though it does mean sailing up the entire Ryukyuan chain or really running off course and finding yourself adrift on the East China sea.  And if they were headed to the Tang court, perhaps they did have translators or knew Chinese, since Yamato was unlikely to know the Mon language of Dvaravati and people from Dvaravati probably wouldn't know the Japonic language.  Unless, perhaps, they were communicating through Buddhist priests via Sanskrit. We've now heard two possibilities for Tukara, both pretty far afield: the region of Tokara in Bactria, and the Dvaravati kingdom in Southeast Asia.  That said, the third and simplest explanation—and the one favored by Aston in his translation of the Nihon Shoki—is that Tukara is actually referring to a place in the Ryukyu island chain.  Specifically, there is a “Tokara” archipelago, which spans between Yakushima and Amami-Oshima.  This is part of the Nansei islands, and the closest part of the Ryukyuan island chain to the main Japanese archipelago.  This is the most likely theory, and could account for the entry talking about Amami.  It is easy to see how sailors could end up adrift, too far north, and come to shore in Hyuga, aka Himuka, on the east side of Kyushu.  It certainly would make more sense for them to be from this area of the Ryukyuan archipelago than from anywhere else.  From Yakushima to Amami-Oshima is the closest part of the island chain to Kyushu, and as we see in the entry from the Shoku Nihongi, those three places seem to have been connected as being near to Japan.  So what was going on down there, anyway? Well, first off, let's remember that the Ryukyuan archipelago is not just the island of Okinawa, but a series of islands that go from Kyushu all the way to the island of Taiwan.  Geographically speaking, they are all part of the same volcanic ridge extending southward.  The size of the islands and their distance from each other does vary, however, creating some natural barriers in the form of large stretches of open water, which have shaped how various groups developed on the islands. Humans came to the islands around the same time they were reaching the Japanese mainland.  In fact, some of our only early skeletal remains for early humans in Japan actually come from either the Ryukyuan peninsula in the south or around Hokkaido to the north, and that has to do with the acidity of the soil in much of mainland Japan. Based on genetic studies, we know that at least two groups appear to have inhabited the islands from early times.  One group appears to be related to the Jomon people of Japan, while the other appears to be more related to the indigenous people of Taiwan, who, themselves, appear to have been the ancestors of many Austronesian people.  Just as some groups followed islands to the south of Taiwan, some appear to have headed north.  However, they only made it so far.  As far as I know there is no evidence they made it past Miyakoshima, the northernmost island in the Sakishima islands.  Miyako island is separated from the next large island, Okinawa, by a large strait, known as the Miyako Strait, though sometimes called the Kerama gap in English.  It is a 250km wide stretch of open ocean, which is quite the distance for anyone to travel, even for Austronesian people of Taiwan, who had likely not developed the extraordinary navigational technologies that the people who would become the Pacific Islanders would discover. People on the Ryukyu island chain appear to have been in contact with the people of the Japanese archipelago since at least the Jomon period, and some of the material artifacts demonstrate a cultural connection.  That was likely impacted by the Akahoya eruption, about 3500 years ago, and then re-established at a later date.  We certainly see sea shells and corals trade to the people of the Japanese islands from fairly early on. Unlike the people on the Japanese archipelago, the people of the Ryukyuan archipelago did not really adopt the Yayoi and later Kofun culture.  They weren't building large, mounded tombs, and they retained the character of a hunter-gatherer society, rather than transitioning to a largely agricultural way of life.  The pottery does change in parts of Okinawa, which makes sense given the connections between the regions.  Unfortunately, there is a lot we don't know about life in the islands around this time.  We don't exactly have written records, other than things like the entries in the Nihon Shoki, and those are hardly the most detailed of accounts.  In the reign of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tennou, we see people from Yakushima, which is, along with Tanegashima, one of the largest islands at the northern end of the Ryukyu chain, just before you hit Kagoshima and the Osumi peninsula on the southern tip of Kyushu.  The islands past that would be the Tokara islands, until you hit the large island of Amami. So you can see how it would make sense that the people from “Tokara” would make sense to be from the area between Yakushima and Amami, and in many ways this explanation seems too good to be true.  There are a only a few things that make this a bit peculiar. First, this doesn't really explain the woman from “Sha'e” in any compelling way that I can see.  Second, the name, Kenzuhashi Tatsuna doesn't seem to fit with what we generally know about early Japonic names, and the modern Ryukyuan language certainly is a Japonic language, but there are still plenty of possible explanations.  There is also the connection of Tokara with “Tokan”, which is mentioned in an entry in 699 in the Shoku Nihongi, the Chronicle that follows on, quite literally to the Nihon Shoki.  Why would they call it “Tokan” instead of “Tokara” so soon after?  Also, why would these voyagers go back to their country by way of the Tang court?  Unless, of course, that is where they were headed in the first place.  In which case, did the Man from Tukara intentionally leave his wife in Yamato, or was she something of a hostage while they continued on their mission?   And so those are the theories.  The man from “Tukara” could be from Tokhara, or Tokharistan, at the far end of the Silk Road.  Or it could have been referring to the Dvaravati Kingdom, in modern Thailand.  Still, in the end, Occam's razor suggests that the simplest answer is that these were actually individuals from the Tokara islands in the Ryukyuan archipelago.  It is possible that they were from Amami, not that they drifted there.  More likely, a group from Amami drifted ashore in Kyushu as they were trying to find a route to the Tang court, as they claimed.  Instead they found themselves taking a detour to the court of Yamato, instead. And we could have stuck with that story, but I thought that maybe, just maybe, this would be a good time to reflect once again on how connected everything was.  Because even if they weren't from Dvaravati, that Kingdom was still trading with Rome and with the Tang.  And the Tang controlled the majority of the overland silk road through the Tarim basin.  We even know that someone from Tukhara made it to Chang'an, because they were mentioned on a stele that talked about an Asian sect of Christianity, the “Shining Religion”, that was praised and allowed to set up shop in the Tang capital, along with Persian Manicheans and Zoroastrians.  Regardless of where these specific people may have been from, the world was clearly growing only more connected, and prospering, as well. Next episode we'll continue to look at how things were faring between the archipelago and the continent. Until then thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

Author and Japanese food and cooking expert Tim Anderson @cheftimanderson joins host Janine @missj9 to share recipes and stories from this unique Northern Japanese island.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Highlights of what's new in streaming for the week of February 1, 2025. Hulu The Kardashians, season 6 (Feb. 6) Netflix Celebrity Bear Hunt, season 1 (Feb. 5) Envious, season 2 (Feb. 5) Kinda Pregnant (Feb. 5) Prison Cell 211 (Feb. 5) Sintonia, season 5 (Feb. 5) Apple Cider Vinegar, limited series (Feb. 6) The Åre Murders, season 1 (Feb 6) Cassandra (Feb. 6) Golden Kamuy 2: The Hunt of Prisoners in Hokkaido, season 1 (Feb 6) Sweet Magnolias, season 4 (Feb. 6) Disney+ The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl (Feb. 7) Max The Takedown: American Aryans (Feb. 6) Paramount+ Burden of Guilt (Feb. 4) Death Without Mercy (Feb. 6) Peacock WWE Royal Rumble (Feb. 1) Prime Video Invincible, season 3 (Feb. 6) Clean Slate, season 1 (Feb. 6) Newtopia, season 1 (Feb. 7) Apple TV+ Love You to Death, season 1 (Feb. 5) Tubi The Z-Suite, season 1 (Feb. 6)

#136 ホストの2人は雪がとても多い地域の北海道に住んでいます。雪のある生活は、習慣や注意すべきことももちろんありますが、雪ならではの遊びや景色も楽しめます。今回は、もともと雪が降らない場所から雪がたくさん降る場所に引っ越した2人の経験談から、雪のある生活がおすすめかどうか、聞いてみましょう！ Our two hosts are living in Hokkaido, a place with deep snow. Living with snow offers not only different life style and things to be aware of, but also fun and beautiful scenery that only snow can offer. In this episode, let's hear from us who have moved from a place where usually does not snow to a place where it snows a lot. Based on our experiences, whether they would recommend living with snow or not! ↓↓番組についての感想や話してほしいトピックがあれば、こちらまで↓↓ Email: ernestnaoya1994@gmail.com ↑↑ Share your thoughts and request to us↑↑ 個人SNS / Personal Social Media AC Ernest's Instagram: @ernest_mkc Naoya's Instagram: @japanese_teacher_n

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Finding Courage Under Snowy Skies: Hiroshi's Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-01-10-23-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 雪の降る北海道、伝統的な建物に囲まれた寄宿学校で、忙しい冬の日々が流れていました。En: In Hokkaido, where the snow was falling, busy winter days flowed by at a boarding school surrounded by traditional buildings.Ja: 1月9日、成人の日が近づく中、すべての学生が学校の文化祭の準備に励んでいました。En: As January 9th and the Coming of Age Day approached, all the students were dedicated to preparing for the school culture festival.Ja: 広志はシャイで真面目な高校生でした。En: Hiroshi was a shy and serious high school student.Ja: 彼は文化祭で歌を披露する役割を担っています。En: He had the role of performing a song at the culture festival.Ja: しかし、広志は舞台の上で人前に立つことに不安を感じていました。En: However, Hiroshi felt anxious about standing in front of an audience on stage.Ja: 特に彼は、クラスメートの由紀に良い印象を与えたいと思っていました。En: In particular, he wanted to make a good impression on his classmate, Yuki.Ja: 由紀は活動的で人気者です。En: Yuki was active and popular.Ja: 文化祭のパフォーマンスを統括する役割を持っていました。En: She had the role of overseeing the performances at the culture festival.Ja: 彼女の情熱は感染力があり、学生たちはそれに引っ張られて頑張っていましたが、広志にとってはそのプレッシャーが重荷になっていました。En: Her passion was infectious, and it motivated the students to do their best, but for Hiroshi, that pressure became a burden.Ja: 緑は広志の親友であり、彼女自身も文化祭で踊りの発表をすることになっています。En: Midori was Hiroshi's best friend, and she was also set to perform a dance at the culture festival.Ja: 彼女もまた、少し緊張していましたが、広志にとっては貴重な相談相手でした。En: She too was a little nervous, but she was a valuable confidant for Hiroshi.Ja: 広志は、緑のアドバイスを頼りにし、空いている時間にひっそりと練習を重ねました。En: Relying on Midori's advice, he quietly practiced during his spare time.Ja: 学校の片隅にある小さな練習室は、彼の秘密の場所でした。En: The small practice room in the corner of the school was his secret place.Ja: 文化祭当日が近づくにつれ、学校の雰囲気はますます活気に満ちました。En: As the day of the culture festival approached, the atmosphere at the school became more and more lively.Ja: 教室はアートとパフォーマンスのスペースに変わり、学生たちはそれぞれの出番を待ちわびていました。En: Classrooms transformed into spaces for art and performances, and the students eagerly awaited their turns.Ja: 広志は、その朝、緑からの励ましの言葉を心に刻みました。「やれるよ、広志。みんな君の頑張りを知ってるから。」En: That morning, Hiroshi etched Midori's words of encouragement in his heart: "You can do it, Hiroshi. Everyone knows how hard you've worked."Ja: そして、ついにその瞬間が訪れました。En: Finally, the moment arrived.Ja: 照明が落ち、静まり返った会場に広志の声が響き渡りました。En: As the lights dimmed, Hiroshi's voice resonated through the silent venue.Ja: 緊張で声が震えかけましたが、彼は自分の心を落ち着かせ、歌い始めました。En: His voice nearly trembled with nerves, but he calmed his heart and began to sing.Ja: その歌声は、彼がどんなに一生懸命準備したかを物語っているようでした。En: His singing seemed to tell the story of how hard he had prepared.Ja: 観客の拍手が止むことなく続きました。En: The applause from the audience continued unabated.Ja: 広志は戸惑いながらも、温かな満足感を味わっていました。En: Though bewildered, Hiroshi felt a warm sense of satisfaction.Ja: パフォーマンスが終わった後、由紀が広志に近寄り、彼の手を握りました。En: After the performance ended, Yuki approached Hiroshi and took his hand.Ja: 「素敵だったよ、広志。あなたの努力が本当に伝わったわ。ありがとう。」En: "That was wonderful, Hiroshi. Your effort truly came across. Thank you."Ja: 広志は、自分の自信を取り戻しただけでなく、由紀や緑との友情も深まりました。En: Hiroshi not only regained his confidence but also deepened his friendship with Yuki and Midori.Ja: 雪が静かに降り積もる中、広志はあらためて自分を誇らしく感じ、心の中に新たな勇気を見つけました。En: As the snow quietly accumulated, Hiroshi felt proud of himself anew, finding new courage within his heart.Ja: 成人の日を迎える準備は、彼にとって特別な意味を持つものとなったのです。En: Preparing for the Coming of Age Day held a special significance for him. Vocabulary Words:boarding: 寄宿approached: 近づくdedicated: 励んでいたanxious: 不安impression: 印象overseeing: 統括するinfectious: 感染力motivated: 引っ張られてburden: 重荷confidant: 相談相手etched: 刻みましたresonated: 響き渡りましたunabated: 止むことなくbewildered: 戸惑いsatisfaction: 満足感accumulated: 降り積もるshy: シャイserious: 真面目oversaw: 統括するpassion: 情熱pressure: プレッシャーvaluable: 貴重なencouragement: 励ましdimmed: 落ちnerves: 緊張applause: 拍手trembled: 震えかけregained: 取り戻したcourage: 勇気special significance: 特別な意味

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Healing Snow: Yuma's Journey to Embrace Ainu Traditions Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-01-09-08-38-20-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 雪が静かに降る北海道のアイヌの村。En: In an Ainu village in Hokkaido, snow fell quietly.Ja: 人々は木でできた伝統的な家の中で暖をとっていた。En: The people sought warmth inside their traditional wooden houses.Ja: 冬の空気は冷たく、しかし新たな希望を感じさせる。En: The winter air was cold, yet it brought a sense of new hope.Ja: 村では正月の準備が進んでいた。En: Preparations for the New Year were underway in the village.Ja: 家の中、主役のユマは暖かい毛布にくるまれ、窓の外をぼんやり見ていた。En: Inside one of the houses, the main character Yuma was wrapped in a warm blanket, gazing idly out the window.Ja: 彼女の隣には妹のサクラが座って、心配そうに話しかける。En: Next to her sat her younger sister Sakura, who spoke to her worriedly.Ja: 「お姉ちゃん、早く元気にならないと正月のお祝いに間に合わないよ！」En: "Sister, if you don't get well soon, you won't make it in time for the New Year's celebration!"Ja: ユマは、故郷に戻ったばかりだが、なぞの咳の病気に悩まされている。この病気のために村の人々と再び関わることができず、もどかしい思いを抱えていた。En: Yuma had just returned to her hometown but was plagued by a mysterious cough, which made it frustrating for her not to be able to reconnect with the village people.Ja: そこへ、村の治療師ハルトが訪れた。En: Just then, the village healer Harto visited.Ja: 彼は伝統医学の知識が豊富で、しかしかつての失敗から責任感を感じている。En: He was well-versed in traditional medicine but harbored a sense of responsibility from past failures.Ja: 「ユマ、私は君を手伝いたい。伝統の力を信じてみてはどうかな？」En: "Yuma, I want to help you. Why not believe in the power of tradition?"Ja: ユマはしばらく考える。En: Yuma pondered for a while.Ja: 現代医学に頼ろうか、それともアイヌの伝統に従うか。En: Should she rely on modern medicine, or follow the Ainu traditions?Ja: 最終的に彼女は決めた。En: Ultimately, she made her decision.Ja: 「お願いします、ハルトさん。私はこの村の一部でありたい。」En: "Please, Mr. Harto. I want to be a part of this village."Ja: ハルトは準備を始めた。En: Harto began his preparations.Ja: 彼はユマに特別なハーブを調合し、彼女の心を落ち着かせる歌を歌った。En: He concocted special herbs for Yuma and sang a song to soothe her heart.Ja: ユマは少しずつ、ハルトが伝える言葉に耳を傾けた。En: Yuma gradually started listening to Harto's words.Ja: 儀式が進むうち、ユマは不思議なビジョンを見た。En: As the ritual progressed, Yuma had a mysterious vision.Ja: 彼女は村を離れた自分が、過去の思い出に縛られていることに気づく。En: She realized that she had been bound by memories of the past since leaving the village.Ja: 彼女の心の中には「ここに居場所がないのではないか」という不安があった。En: In her heart, there was an anxiety of "perhaps there's no place for me here."Ja: その瞬間、ユマは涙を流した。En: In that moment, Yuma shed tears.Ja: しかし、その涙は徐々に彼女の心を洗い流し、重かった心が軽くなった。En: However, those tears gradually washed away her fears, and her heavy heart became light.Ja: 儀式が終わると、彼女は普通に呼吸できるようになっていた。En: When the ritual concluded, she found she could breathe normally again.Ja: 新年の朝、ユマは目を覚まし、以前よりも元気だった。En: On New Year's morning, Yuma awoke feeling healthier than before.Ja: 彼女は村の正月のお祝いに参加することができた。En: She was able to partake in the village's New Year celebrations.Ja: サクラと一緒に雪の村中を歩きながら、彼女は強く、そして故郷とのつながりを感じた。En: Walking through the snow-covered village with Sakura, she felt a deep connection to her homeland.Ja: みんなと共に、伝統的な踊りを楽しみながら、ユマはもう一度心の中でつぶやいた。En: Along with everyone else, she enjoyed the traditional dances.Ja: 「ここが私の居場所。この村と共に、私は生きていく。」En: "This is my place. Together with this village, I will live."Ja: ユマは自分を受け入れ、村の一員としての自信を取り戻した。En: Yuma accepted herself and regained her confidence as a member of the village.Ja: この冬の経験は、彼女をさらに強くし、伝統と現代のバランスを学んだのだった。En: This winter experience had strengthened her and taught her the balance between tradition and modernity.Ja: 彼女は誇りを持って再び村へと歩み出した。En: With pride, she stepped forward into the village once again. Vocabulary Words:village: 村quietly: 静かにhometown: 故郷plagued: 悩まされているmysterious: なぞのreconnect: 再び関わるhealer: 治療師well-versed: 知識が豊富でtradition: 伝統pondered: 考えるrely: 頼るconcocted: 調合しsoothe: 落ち着かせるritual: 儀式vision: ビジョンbound: 縛られているanxiety: 不安tears: 涙fears: 恐れpartake: 参加するconnection: つながりaccepted: 受け入れconfidence: 自信member: 一員experience: 経験balance: バランスpride: 誇りstep forward: 歩み出したwooden: 木でできたblanket: 毛布

2024 was a special year for Carnival and the Japan-New Orleans connection! Lafcadio Hearn's life & works inspired the theme for Rex Parade 2024: "The Two Worlds of Lafcadio Hearn - New Orleans & Japan". But why Hearn? What went into the float design? What other ways has Hearn left a lasting impact on both New Orleans & Japan? Find out today with a super-sized special Mardi Gras bonus episode, featuring insights from Rex historian/archivist Will French & historian/archivist emeritus Dr. Stephen Hales, Royal Artists float designer/artistic director Caroline Thomas, Lafcadio Hearn's great grandson Bon Koizumi,  legendary chef John Folse, Captain of the Krewe of Lafcadio John Kelly, JSNO's resident Lafcadio Hearn expert Matthew Smith, and even the Mayor of Matsue Akihito Uesada! Get ready for Mardi Gras 2025 by reflecting on this unique connection between New Orleans & Japan!------ 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, Google, 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!------ Music Credits ------Background music provided by: Royalty Free Music by Giorgio Di Campo for Free Sound Music http://freesoundmusic.eu FreeSoundMusic on Youtube  Link to Original Sound Clip------ Audio Clip Credits ------Thanks to Dominic Massa & everyone at WYES for allowing us to use some of the audio from the below Rex Clips:Segment about Royal Artist & Float DesignFull 2024 Rex Ball Coverage (Krewe of Lafcadio/Nicholls State segment)Thanks to Matsue City Hall & Mayor Akihito Uesada for their video message below:Message from Matsue Mayor Akihito Uesada------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ Past KOJ Hearn/Matsue/History Episodes ------Foreign-Born Samurai: William Adams ft. Nathan Ledbetter (Guest Host, Dr. Samantha Perez) (S5E17)Foreign-Born Samurai: Yasuke ft. Nathan Ledbetter (Guest Host, Dr. Samantha Perez) (S5E16)Explore Matsue ft. Nicholas McCullough (S4E19)Jokichi Takamine: The Earliest Bridge Between New Orleans & Japan ft. Stephen Lyman (S4E13)The Life & Legacy of Lafcadio Hearn ft. Bon & Shoko Koizumi (S1E9)Matsue & New Orleans: Sister Cities ft. Dr. Samantha Perez (S1E2)------ Links about Rex ------2024 Rex Parade/Float PDF with Full DesignsCaroline Thomas's Website------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Happy New Year!  This is our 2025 recap episode.  In this case, we actually are recapping a fair bit more than just the year, going over the previous evolution of the Yamato state up to the period of the Great Change, or Taika, which we covered this past year.  There's a lot more that we expect to get into this next year, and this will hopefully tee us up for what is to come. For more, including a full list of our previous references, check out: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-newyear2025   Rough Transcript Shinnen Akemashite!  Happy New Year and Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is the New Year's Recap episode for 2025! It's that time again:  we are going to look back at what happened in the episodes this year.  That was only episodes 101 to 117—we'll skip the travelogue episodes for the time being.  This covered the years of the early to mid-7th century, from roughly 613 to 659.  That is easily within the lifetime of a single individual, and yet a lot was going on. At the start of this year, we were at the height of Soga power. In 2023, we covered how back in 587, Soga no Umako had wrested power away from the powerful Mononobe clan, defeating Mononobe no Moriya.  As you may recall, the sovereign known to posterity as Jimmu Tennou was the descendant of the Heavenly Grandchild known as Ninigi no Mikoto, at least according to the Nihon Shoki.  The Mononobe clan claimed descent from none other than Nigi Hayahi, the Other Heavenly Grandchild, whose offspring were said to have been defeated by Jimmu. You may recall that scholars generally consider the story of Jimmu, and the nine sovereigns that immediately followed him, as almost certainly a later addition to the story of the royal lineage. So when did the story of Nigi no Hayahi's defeat enter the picture? And was its inclusion perhaps related to the defeat of the Mononobe by the Soga family?  A family that successfully intermarried with the Royal House, themselves, such that all later sovereigns would trace their ancestry back to the Soga house? Of course, under Soga dominance we saw the rise of figures like the Soga descended Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tenno.  During her reign, major reforms were carried out, Buddhism became fully established by the State, and ties with the continent were strengthened.  Politics would continue to be dominated by Soga, even after the death of Soga no Umako and Kashikiya Hime, with Soga no Emishi taking up the mantle of Prime Minister, working closely with his son, Soga no Iruka.  The Soga family was so entwined with the politics of rulership that the main rivals of the Soga were… the Soga.  That is to say different Soga-descended lineages, like that of the Prince Umayado, aka Prince Shotoku. Rather than supporting Umayado's son, Prince Yamashiro no Oe, Soga no Emishi backed another candidate to the throne, Prince Tamura.  , of the royal Okinaga lineage. Tamura came to power as Jomei Tenno, but there is little doubt that Soga no Emishi was the one in control. Later, when Tamura passed away in 641, Yamashiro no Oe continued to be passed over.  In fact, Soga no Emishi supported the ascension of Tamura's wife, Takara hime, over Yamashiro no Oe, and there is evidence that he supported a prince known as Furubito no Oe as the Crown Prince and eventual successor.  All of the evidence—which, to be honest, is rather biased—suggests that the Soga family were setting up a series of puppet rulers who would do their bidding, or at least be pliable to their suggestions. There must have been some pushback, though, especially when one considers how strong the cult of Prince Shotoku, aka Umayado, would eventually become.  One imagines that Prince Yamashiro was another pole around which those who opposed the Soga family could rally.  After all, he was the son of Crown Prince Umayado, and likely had just as much of a claim as Tamura and his children.  And so, to counter this threat, Soga no Emishi's son and successor, Soga no Iruka, took matters into his own hands. In a brazen display of the violence of court politics, Soga no Iruka had Yamashiro no Oe accused of plotting against the throne and took an army to arrest him—no doubt in the hope that the prince would resist.  Eventually they cornered Yamashiro and his family, who committed suicide rather than submit. This attack was likely targeted to take out the rival to the Soga family's preferred Crown Prince, Prince Furubito no Oe, but rather than quell any dissent, the move seems to have enflamed the passions of those who wanted to see an end to the Soga house.  Those passions took particular root in none other than Furubito no Oe's younger brother, Prince Naka no Oe.  Together with the support of his uncle, Prince Karu; the head of the Nakatomi house, Nakatomi no Kamatari; as well as another scion of the Soga house, Soga no Kuroyamada, Prince Naka no Oe staged a coup d'etat.  Using the death of Prince Yamashiro no Oe as an excuse, they engineered a plot to assassinate Soga no Iruka in court, in front of Naka no Oe's own mother, Takara Hime no Oho-kimi.  After Iruka's death, Naka no Oe and his supporters then took the fight to Soga no Emishi, who committed suicide and set his own house on fire in what came to be known as the Isshi Incident. This shocking assassination caused Takara hime to step down.  The Soga-backed Prince Furubito no Oe, rather than stepping up and taking the throne, retreated to a Buddhist temple and took holy orders, effectively retiring and theoretically taking himself out of court politics.  That left Prince Naka no Oe and his uncle, Prince Karu, as possible candidates. We are told that Prince Naka no Oe declined to take the throne himself, instead supporting his uncle, Prince Karu.  Prince Karu took the throne, and is known to us as Kotoku Tenno, today.  Prince Naka no Oe stepped up as the Crown Prince, and with the help of his co-conspirators, such as Nakatomi no Kamatari, Soga no Kurayamada, and others, they began a project to remake the Yamato government, using continental models—specifically the Sui and Tang courts, which were also influencing the governments of the Korean peninsula, such as those of Baekje and Silla. This is known as the Taika, or Great Change, era.    There had been previous movements to adopt some of the continental trends, but nothing to this extent, which culminated in a tremendous palace complex built in Naniwa—modern Ohosaka.  Governors were sent out to the east of the country. The old, decentralized system was being replaced by a centralized bureaucracy. And yet this wasn't entirely a smooth transition.  Early on there was a threat by supporters of the previous Crown Prince, Furubito no Oe.  He was killed to put down any possible revolt.  Later, Naka no Oe was hoodwinked into going after his own co-conspirator, Soga no Kurayamada, resulting in Kurayamada's death and the punishment of his entire family.  A few years later, Naka no Oe moved back to Asuka, taking most of the royal family and the court with him, abandoning the grand government complex that they had built in Naniwa for reasons that remain unclear. Shortly thereafter, Karu, aka Kotoku Tenno, passed away.  But rather than Naka no Oe taking the throne—or even Karu's son, Prince Arima—the throne went back to Naka no Oe's mother, Takara Hime.  This is the only case we have of a single sovereign reigning twice, and the Chroniclers gave her two separate regnal names—Kogyoku Tenno to refer to her first reign and Saimei Tenno to refer to her second. And this is the reign that we are going to start the new year with. Beyond what was going on on the archipelago, there was also plenty that we covered on the continent.  We started the year with the Sui dynasty having consolidated control and working to continue to expand their territory north, south, and west, while also connecting the economic areas of the Yangzi and Yellow rivers. Unfortunately, through their wars and public works projects they overextended themselves, and the dynasty fell, replaced, in 619, with the Tang dynasty.  The Tang continued to expand, taking control of important points on the Silk Road and becoming a hub of trade and commerce.  At the same time, they were contesting their borders with the Goguryeo, who, themselves, had come under the control of Yeon Gaesomun, an infamous noble and anti-Tang hard-liner, who had staged a coup, murdered the Goguryeo king and any who stood against him, and who had installed a puppet king on the throne.  It is little wonder that the Tang dynasty was courting Goguryeo's enemy, Silla, to pressure them from the other side.  This eventually kicked off the Tang-Goguryeo war, with the loosely allied Tang and Silla fighting on and off with Goguryeo and their ally, Baekje, who was also invested in stifling Silla's ambitions on the peninsula. So that's where we are:  The Korean peninsula is currently embroiled in conflict between the three kingdoms on the peninsula and the nearby superpower, the Tang Dynasty.  Meanwhile, Yamato, on the archipelago, is going through a whole… thing.  What that is, we'll try to get into over the next year. Given all of this, let's go over some of the themes from the past year.  To start with, let's talk about expanding Yamato influence. From what we can tell, Yamato's influence in the archipelago had peaked around the 5th century, between the creation of giant Daisen Ryo kofun and the reign of Wakatake no Ohokimi, aka Yuryaku Tenno.  Wakatake no Ohokimi had courtiers from as far away as Kyushu and the Kanto plain.  However, from what I can tell, Yamato's influence appears to have temporarily waned, possibly coinciding with the end of Wakatake's own dynasty, with a new dynasty coming to power in the 6th century. It is possible that Wakatake was simply never quite as powerful as the Chronicles make out, but there are a few other things that make me think that the end of the 5th and early half of the 6th century were a low point in Yamato's power.  For one thing, we see a drop off in interactions with the continent after 479—or at least anything beyond the tip of the Korean peninsula.  In addition, we see smaller rooms built in the region of the Nara Basin and the Kawachi plain, while more “royal” tombs continue to appear elsewhere in the archipelago.  It isn't that they stopped, but the size decreased, suggesting that Yamato didn't have the same labor pool it used to. On top of that, we have the dynastic change.  We are told that the line related to Wakatake died out and they had to bring in someone from Afumi and Koshi, who traced their lineage back to the legendary Homuda-wake, aka Ōjin tennō, some five generations back.  Many scholars suggest that this connection was a later merging of the lineages, suggesting that, in reality, an entirely new branch of sovereigns had come to power. Finally, we can see the Chronicles focusing more and more on the areas near to Yamato, the area known as the Home Provinces, possibly because Yamato only held direct control over these areas, while control beyond that was only nominal.  Local elites in those regions had a lot of autonomy, and if Yamato did not have anything in particular to offer them, they would not have a reason to necessarily go along with Yamato's requests. This may have even been part of the impetus for the so-called “rebellion” by Iwai, in Kyushu.  As you may recall, in the early 6th century Iwai attempted to ally with Silla against Yamato and Baekje, with the idea of cutting off Yamato's access to the continent.  This ultimately failed, and Yamato ended up creating what would become the Dazaifu near modern Fukuoka, but the fact that Iwai could contemplate it and gather such support would suggest that Yamato was at least perceived as vulnerable. Now up to this point, we see several different policies that were used for increasing the court's control.  Early on, this was done by doling out various elite goods.  We also see Yamato soft power in the form of spiritual authority and the expansion of local Yamato cultic practices out into the other lands of the archipelago.  There was also the tradition of monumental tombs, and especially the royal keyhole style tombs, which spread out from Yamato and was likely as much an indication that those regions saw Yamato practices as worthy of emulation, at the least, and perhaps saw Yamato as a cultural nexus on the archipelago. To all of this, they eventually added the “Be” system.  This appears to have been copied from systems being used on the Korean peninsula, and it focused on creating familial units to organize various industries, with family heads responsible for reporting and funneling necessary goods up to the court.  This eventually included the noble “uji” clans, with their power bases in various geographic regions. Yamato extended its influence through a variety of methods, including various public works projects.  These included things like the building of ponds, or reservoirs, which would have been critical to the wet-rice paddy agriculture that was the economic backbone of the Yamato government.  Another means of extending government control was the “miyake”, or Royal Granaries.  Originally we see these set up in the Nara basin, but during the current dynasty they had been extended all the way out to Kyushu. Ostensibly, they were there to collect rice for taxes, but they appear to have acted as government offices, providing a presence for Yamato even out in the hinterlands.  Eventually they would turn the area in Kyushu, the Dazai, into its own, semi-autonomous extension of the Yamato government, as well. In the past year of the podcast, we've seen many of those older forms of government control replaced with a new bureaucratic system.  This included an upgrade to the rank system, which was a way for the government to both organize the bureaucracy while also creating a means to award individuals.  Early rank systems had initially been granted at the family level, but following a continental model meant that the new system was based solely on the individual.  Thus they could hand out rank to various kings and chieftains across the archipelago and entice them into the Yamato orbit, a trick they had been doing previously as well with various types of recognition.  Those that took the titles and rank that Yamato handed out gained a certain amount of legitimacy, locally, but since that legitimacy was tied to the Yamato court, it also helped solidify Yamato's own influence on those areas. That doesn't mean that all expansion was peaceful.  Yamato contested on their eastern and northern border with the people referred to as the Emishi, which eventually included contests as far north as the island of Hokkaido with the Mishihase people. There was another form of soft power used by the court in the way that it supported Buddhism, which was still a new religion at this point, having arrived in the early part of the 6th century.  Patronage of Buddhism would lead to the building of temples and otherwise claiming some authority in the spiritual realm, beyond simply the court's control of the Mt. Miwa site.  Furthermore, the state itself took particular interest in Buddhist institutions, and cracked down heavily on the clergy, ensuring that they reported up to the court, formally solidifying the connection between temples and the State. But then they went a bit further and instituted actual governors.  They were appointed by the Yamato government, and they were particularly installed in the Eastern lands—referred to as provinces.  These governors reported to the court, and appear to have initially been separate from locally recognized elites, who were known as the Kuni no Miyatsuko.  The governors were to take stock of the areas under their authority and report up information such as a summary of the lands and local census information.  This meant that Yamato did not need to rely on local elites to administer an area, they would have greater insight into what was actually going on. This was all combined with the institution of new laws on taxes, corvee labor, and more, while eliminating traditional practices such as the Miyake and even royal tomb-building.  The latter was likely affected by the various public works projects, but also the fact that more work was going into the building of things like Buddhist temples. As we noted back in the previous year, Buddhist temple building appears to have had a hand in the end of the prolific kofun building, at least in Yamato proper.  Kofun were memorials—meant to carry on the memory of an individuals well after their death.  They were ritual sites, and families were set up to care for them. Temples, likewise, were erected with certain memorial qualities.  Donating to build a temple was thought to increase one's karma, and thus do wonders for your next life.  Temple patrons would be remembered, and services were carried out, but temples also had a certain public aspect to them, as well.  On top of that, they were new, and no doubt exotic, with their tiled rooves, intricate carvings, and colorful buildings.  Much of the labor that would have built tombs appears to have been co-opted, instead, to build temples. Some of the temples founded in this period include Asuka dera, aka Hokoji, built on or near the Soga family compound, as well as other Asuka temples, such as Yamadadera, Kawaradera, Toyouradera, and Kudaradera.  There was also Houryuji, erected by Prince Umayado near his house, and the ancient temple of Shitennouji, erected in Naniwa.  Of these, both Horyuji and Shitennoji continue, today, at or near their original with some of the oldest extant buildings in Japan.  Asukadera was moved to its modern site of Gangoji, in Nara city proper, but there is still a smaller Asukadera on the original site, with what may be one of the original images, though the buildings have been rebuilt after numerous fires and disasters over the years. Of course, a big part of all of these foreign ideas, such as Buddhism but also Confucian thought as well, was the growing influence of the continent, whether in the form of Baekje, Silla, Goguryeo, or beyond.  While there had been influence ever since the Yayoi period—and arguably even during the Jomon, in some instances—there seems to have been an acceleration once Yamato began to import Buddhism, which was likely connected with all of the learning and texts that were also being imported around that time.  Then, during the Sui and Tang dynasties—both of which the Chronicles simply label as the “Great Tang”—the court sent several embassies to the Sui and Tang emperors, bringing back individuals with actual experience in the way things were happening outside of the archipelago. And we should not discount the various embassies to and from the Korean peninsula.  Yamato was increasing its involvement in peninsular affairs.  They continued to be concerned with the state of Nimna, also known as Imna or Mimana, which had been assimilated by Silla, along with the rest of Gaya, or Kara, by the early to mid-6th century, with many accounts dealing with attempts to reinstate Nimna as a separate and sovereign entity. Along with this, Yamato continued their relationship with Baekje, who sent Prince Pung to reside at the Yamato court.  This continued a long-standing tradition that is portrayed as a type of diplomatic hostage, though there have been several times that princes at the Yamato court came back to Baekje to rule after the king died or was killed.  All of this to say that not only did ambassadors from Yamato go to these countries, but ambassadors also traveled to Yamato, while various immigrants from these areas of Baekje, Silla, and even Goguryeo occasionally settled in Yamato.  This further increased the number of individuals with knowledge and experience of continental concepts and technology, and we can see their influence in numerous different ways. This was all part of what led to the Yamato government's adoption of Tang style law codes, though it should be noted that the law codes were not taken wholecloth.  Rather, they were adapted specifically to the issues of the archipelago.  This was the beginning of what came to be known as the Ritsuryo system, literally the system of laws and punishments. Under this system, the government went from a single Oho-omi, or great minister, to two Great ministers, one of the left and one of the right.  These would come to be known as the Sadaijin and the Udaijin.  Nakatomi no Kamatari was afforded a special place as the third minister, the minister of the center, or Naidaijin, possibly referring to his responsibilities with the interior of the royal household, while the ministers of the left and right would have had particular ministries beneath them - eight ministries in total, with various departments underneath them.  They would be assigned to report either to the Minister of the Left or the Minister of the Right, each one overseeing, effectively, half of the government portfolio. This system, combined with the governors and the Tomo no Miyatsuko in the provinces, meant that Yamato had much more granular control over the workers and the means of production.  They organized households into villages, and villages into districts.  There were lower level officials who reported up the chain all the way to the great ministers, the Daijin, or Oho-omi.  This meant that they effectively abolished the Be and Uji system, at least as it had been set up.  These familial groups continued to operate as families, or perhaps more appropriately as “clans”, given how the groups had come to be. These officials were granted rank and, more importantly, stipends from the government.  A portion of taxes, which were paid in rice, went to various officials.  This meant that officials not only relied on the government for their status, but for their incomes as well. This went along with an attempt to implement something known as the “equal field system”, imported, again, from the continent.  This determined who would work what fields, and was another way that the government was involved down to the actual labor producing the rice that was the economic engine of the State. And that covers most of what we've been up to this past year.  There have been individual accomplishments that we didn't get into, but there is plenty there if you want to listen to it. So that covers the past year in the podcast—a little over half of the 7th century.  It really was a time of dramatic change—whether or not “Taika” was the name given to part of it, it certainly feels appropriate.  Even though the court eventually moved to Naniwa, this is the height of the Asuka period, and the start of the Ritsuryo state.  It would form the foundations for what was to come, and themes from this period will continue to show up again and again. In this next year, we are going to continue to look at Takara Hime's reign and beyond.  We'll see the resolution of the Tang-Goguryeo war, and the impact of all the continental fighting on the archipelago.  We'll also see continued developments within the archipelago itself, hopefully getting through to the end of the 7th century. We are actually reaching the end of the material in the Nihon Shoki.  This does not mean that we are running out of material, though.  The Chronicles end in 697—less than 40 years out from our current place in the Chronicles.  From there, we have the Shoku Nihongi, which covers 95 years, until 797 CE.  Translation of much of the Shoku Nihongi is available through the work of Dr. Ross Bender, and you can find his work online if you want to get a leg up on the reading, though that is a ways out.  For now, we can still comfortably continue with the Nihon Shoki, at least through the reign of Temmu Tennou. Until then, Happy New Year!  As usual, thank you for listening and for all of your support.  Thanks also to my lovely wife, Ellen, for her continued work at helping to edit these episodes! Remember, 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 Tweet at us at @SengokuPodcast, or reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

20 Questions. 1 Winner. On our last episode for the year Matt tests the wit of Ben & Burke. We look at Japan over the year and talk about the major things that have affected and changed in Japan, plus discussing the main headlines that hit Japan. Join us and thank you to all our listeners. How much do you know about Japan and can you beat their score??Sponsors:MaruMoriThis site has everything you need to learn Japanese! It's an all-in-one, guided, gamified Japanese learning experience with the aim to take you all the way from absolute beginner to language mastery, and the best part is you can start anywhere! https://marumori.io/register?rcode=vijBearfoot BarLocated in downtown Sapporo, walking distance from the subway station. There are a variety of Japanese made local and craft beers, bottled and on tap. 21 different sorts of international beers. A wide range of regular and unique spirits and basic cocktails also available. Burgers and pub style snacks. With friendly English and Japanese speaking staff.  https://www.facebook.com/bearfootbarHokkaido GuideEstablished over 10 years ago, written by locals for locals and international tourists. The guide contains information on all types of businesses and locations around Hokkaido. There's information regarding all things Hokkaido such as sightseeing, nightlife, events, services, food and restaurants, entertainment, outdoor activities, and more. Currently offered in English and Thai, advertising space available. Check out website for everything you need to know about this beautiful prefecture. https://hokkaidoguide.comThe Red House A restaurant located in the heart of Rusutsu Ski Resort, just cross the main road and it's behind the Seicomart Convenience store. The restaurant features western style dishes, including vegetarian dishes. Open winter and summer, 12-3pm for lunch, 5-9pm for dinner.https://theredhouse.jp/Rusutsu LodgesOpen all year round. Located 5 minutes walk to the main Rusutsu Ski Resort Gondola. There are Japanese, Western, and apartment style rooms with breakfast packages available. There's a Japanese sento (public bath), two convenience stores less than a minute walk, ski room and tune up tables, plenty of free parking space, and summer BBQ packages available. Check out the website for more information and availability. http://rusutsulodges.comUse our Buzzsprout affiliate link to start your podcast today! Website:https://www.voicesinjapan.com/Follow us and check out our other content:https://youtube.com/@voicesinjapanpodcasthttps://twitter.com/voicesinjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/voicesinjapan/https://www.instagram.com/voicesinjapan/Get in touch: voicesinjapan@gmail.comHang Out With Your Slang OutWords can be deceptive. Fear not, Matt Dan are here to help. Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

This is the second of two episodes talking about the people in the north of the Japanese archipelago:  The Emishi and the Mishihase.  Last episode we covered things from an archaeological overview, looking at the traces of the Epi-Jomon, Satsumon, and Okhotsk Sea cultures.  This episode focuses more on what was actually written in the Nihon Shoki, including a journey to introduce Emishi to the Tang Emperor himself! For more information, check out our podcast blog at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-117   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 117: The People of the North, Part 2 Abe no Hirafu gazed out at the sea, waiting for his opponents to appear.  He had traveled with a fleet to the far north, into a land that was unlike anything that most of his men had ever seen.  They were far away from the rice fields of their home villages.  Up here, the people made their way by hunting and fishing, and the land was much more wild.  Besides the people, the land was also home to giant bears, much larger than anything back in the Home Provinces.  Giant beasts with paws the size of a man's head.  They were truly incredible, but they were not his target this time. As he watched the waves, he saw his prey emerge.  They rowed their ships around the cape, coming out from the defensive position they had previously established.  Where Hirafu's men flew banners made of silk, his opponents had created flags made of feathers, which they hoisted high in their boats.  They were small in number, but they knew this land and these waters.  They were comfortable traveling in the cold and unforgiving seas, and they no doubt had reinforcements.  Hirafu may have had the upper hand, but he knew he couldn't get too cocky. It was probably too much to hope for that the size of his fleet alone would cause them to submit.  If they could be bought off, then perhaps that was best, but Hirafu knew that was probably unlikely.  This was going to be a fight, and Hirafu and his men were ready for it. Before we jump into the episode proper, a quick thank you to Hakucho for donating to support Sengoku Daimyo.  We always appreciate any support, and there is information at the end of each episode on how to help out if you would like to join them. Last episode we introduced the Emishi and the Mishihase and talked about them and their connections to the Yamato and Japanese state, as well as to the modern Ainu people.  We went over a lot of the archaeological findings, and talked about how the Jomon period, uninterrupted in northern Honshu and Hokkaido, eventually gave way to the Epi-Jomon and Satsumon cultures, while the Ohokotsk Sea Culture is observed from around the 5th to 9th centuries, and we talked about how these existed in the lands we know as being connected to the Emishi and the Mishihase people mentioned in the Chronicles. This episode we are going to rely a lot more on the narrative found in the Nihon Shoki, but I wanted to make sure that we had that discussion about the archaeology, first, so that people would have a background.  If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend going back and giving Part 1 a listen. So let's back up a bit, and let's set the scene on the peninsula and the archipelago, and see what led up to this moment. In 654, the sovereign of Yamato, Karu, aka Kotoku Tennou, had passed away in his palace in Naniwa.  His sister, Takara Hime, and other members of the royal family had gathered once more in Naniwa when they caught word of his illness, but their visit was brief.  Karu passed away on the 1st day of the 10th month, and a little over two months later he was buried.  After that, rather than taking up residence again in Naniwa, the court moved back to the old capital of Asuka, where Takara Hime re-ascended the throne.  It was now the year 655, almost a decade since Crown Prince Naka no Oe had orchestrated the murderous coup that had seen the powerful scions of the Soga family cut down in front of Takara Hime and others, causing her to abdicate.  And now, well, perhaps Naka no Oe was comfortable controlling things from behind the scenes, because Takara Hime was once again the one in power—or at least the one sitting on the throne.  And there's a LOT that would go on during this reign according to the chronicles. On the peninsula at this point, the Tang-Goguryeo war was in full swing, with the Tang dynasty regularly harassing Goguryeo.  Goguryeo was at least nominally allied with Baekje, whose ruling family also claimed descent from a shared Buyeo ancestor, and Baekje was, of course, a long time ally of Yamato.  Meanwhile, Silla had thrown their lot in with the Tang dynasty, though as alliances went it was not exactly an alliance of equals – and most alliances came and went as the political winds changed throughout the peninsula. Over time, we'll see some resolution coming to the situation on the peninsula.  But overall, one of the biggest trends is that during Takara Hime's second reign, Yamato was reaching out to a much wider world than it had in the past.  This included connections to the south—to those on the Ryukyu islands, and possibly beyond.  And there were continued efforts to reach out to the Tang empire, with varying degrees of success.  Those that did go would sit and learn at the feet of some of the most famous scholars in the world, including the Buddhist priest, scholar, and traveler, Xuanzang, someone I cannot wait to get into in a future episode, as he really demonstrates just how connected the world had become at this time in a way that is often hard for us to comprehend, today. But there is also plenty happening in the archipelago, and even just in Asuka.  In fact, regardless of what the Chronicles say, there are a lot of ancient monuments and archaeological finds in the Asuka region that aren't directly mentioned in any historical record, but can be generally traced to this era - reminders of this period that are literally carved in stone.  We still have plenty of questions as to just what was going on, but we're starting to see more and more lasting physical traces. Our first relevant entry in the Nihon Shoki for the topic of this episode comes from the 7th month of 655, the year that Takara Hime had taken the throne.  We are told that 99 Northern Emishi and 99 Eastern Emishi were entertained at the court of Naniwa—presumably using the government facilities built during Karu's time.  At the same time, there were 150 envoys from Baekje who were likewise feted.  Caps of honor, of two grades in each case, were bestowed on nine Emishi of Kikafu and six Emishi of Tsugaru.  This is an interesting record, and let's explore what it means for Yamato's view of itself and its own authority.  First, the Baekje and the Emishi are being streated similarly—they both appear to be groups that are from *outside* Yamato conducting some kind of diplomacy with the court.  That said, it is quite clear from the way that the Chronicles deal with them that Yamato viewed each group as distinctly different.  Baekje was Yamato's continental ally, and their primary means through which they could access the continent and all that it had to offer.  They had helped bring Buddhism to the archipelago, and were clearly seen as a civilized country.  The Emishi, on the other hand, were Yamato's own “barbarians”.  They were outside and Yamato clearly saw them as less civilized.  In many ways Yamato viewed the Emishi similar to how the Tang court likely viewed Yamato.  After all, just as Tang literature talked about the differences between the quote-unquote “civilized” center of the empire and the so-called “barbaric” lands beyond their borders, Yamato could place itself in a similar position, simply by placing the Nara Basin at the “Center” and with the Emishi helping define that which was outside.  So in an odd way, this may have been uplifting for Yamato's own self-image. And just as the Tang court enticed border states into their sphere of influence with the promise of imperial titles, the Yamato court similarly was bestowing rank upon the Emishi, making themselves the granter of prestige and recognition.  By being a part of the system, you were rewarded with recognition of your status, something that likely appealed to many. As to the places referenced – Kikafu and Tsugaru – Aston isn't certain about Kikafu, but Tsugaru seems quite obvious as the northernmost tip of Honshu, in modern Aomori prefecture, where the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido are separated by none other than the Tsugaru strait. The fact that the Chroniclers differentiated between the Eastern and Northern Emishi likewise suggests that this was not a monolithic state.  Yamato saw a difference between the Emishi in one part of the archipelago versus the other. Three years later, in the 4th month of 658, Yamato sent one of the largest expeditions against the northeast.  Abe no Omi—other entries name him as Abe no Omi no Hirafu—took 180 ships up north on an expedition to the Emishi.  We are told that he met with the Emishi in the districts of Aita and Nushiro, believed to be in modern Akita prefecture.  Akita prefecture is on the western side of Tohoku, towards the very northern tip.  It is opposite Iwate prefecture on the east, and just below Aomori prefecture, which, at the time, was known as Tsugaru.  This was on the extreme end of Honshu. Both Aita and Nushiro quickly submitted to the Yamato mission.  Still, Abe drew up his ships in order of battle in the bay of Aita, where an envoy from the Emishi named Omuka came forward and made an oath.  He swore that they had no ill-intentions.  The fact that the Emishi were armed with bows and arrows was not because they were at war, but because up in that area of Tohoku, they were all hunters, and so it was their regular tool.  They swore to the gods of Aita bay that they had not raised arms against Yamato, but they were willing to submit to Yamato rule. For his part, Omuka was granted court rank, and local governors were established at Nushiro and Tsugaru—likely meaning they recognized local chieftains and made them responsible for representing the others.  Finally, they summoned the Emishi of Watari no Shima to the shores of Arima, and a great feast was provided.  After that, they all returned home. The  term “Watari no Shima” seems to almost undoubtedly refer to the island of Hokkaido.  “Watari” means to cross, so referring to the “Emishi of Watari no Shima” likely referred to the Emishi on Hokkaido vice those in the Tohoku region. The entire entry seems a bit suspect.  Abe no Hirafu takes an armed party up north and then they all… just sit down and have tea together?  There seems to be a lot of missing context.  Of course, from Yamato's perspective, they were the civilized center.  Does that mean that any violence they committed was simply swept under the rug of history?  Or did they truly meet with such quick submission that only a show of force was necessary? There is one other entry for 658, relative to all of this. It isn't given a specific date, so it is unclear when, exactly it occurred, but it may shed some light.  That entry states that Abe no Hikida no Omi no Hirafu, warden of the land of Koshi, went on an expedition not against the Emishi, but against the Mishihase, or Su-shen.  He is said to have brought back from this trip two live “white bears”, or “shiguma”. So was his expedition really against the Emishi, or was his actual goal to fight the Mishihase, which means he didn't just stop at the end of Honshu, but he continued on to Hokkaido—Watari no Shima—and up at least to Central Hokkaido, where he would have met with the people of the Okhotsk Sea culture—likely the Mishihase of the Chronicle?  Or was he sailing against both? This also leads to numerous other theories as to just what was going on.  While Yamato was pushing on the Emishi from the south, were these Mishihase likewise encroaching on the Emishi in the north?  Were they pushing them south or absorbing those in the farthest north?  There seems to have clearly been a difference and some conflict between them, as evidenced by later entries, which we'll cover in a bit. Quickly, though, I do want to touch on the idea that they brought back two “white bears”.  “Shiguma” appears to refer to a “white bear”, and at its most simplistic understanding, this would seem to refer to a polar bear, but that seems quite a stretch.  Today, polar bears largely live in the arctic regions, out on the permanent sea ice, where they are able to hunt.  They are considered an aquatic animal, living mainly in the ocean, though they will come ashore to hunt, on occasion.  Still, they are mostly adapted to life on the sea ice. While the climate of the 700s was different, I don't know that the sea ice extended that far south.  It is possible that polar bears had been captured much further north, and then sold to people further south, through the extensive trade networks that ran up through Kamchatka, Siberia, and even across the Aleutian chain, but as far as I can tell, polar bears would not have been living in Hokkaido or even in the Kuril or Sakhalin islands at that time. It is much more likely that the “Shiguma” was one of the Hokkaido brown bears.   They may have been albino, but more likely it was simply an easy designation to distinguish them from the bears of the rest of the archipelago—the Asian black bear.  These are clearly black bears, though their fur can appear lighter in some instances.  Meanwhile, although brown bears can be a very dark brown, their fur can vary to almost a blond, and if you look at many photos you can see how they might be considered “white”, especially compared to the black bear that was the norm in Yamato.  I suspect that this is actually the species that Hirafu brought back, and which would be referenced in later entries, where “shiguma” furs appear to be have been quite plentiful, suggesting it wasn't just a rare mutation. In addition, I can't help but note that the presence of bears, here, seems to also further connect with modern traditions of the Ainu of Hokkaido.  Most notably in their reverence for bears, including the traditional Iyomante ceremony.  There is also evidence of the importance of bears in what we see of the Okhotsk Sea Culture.  It is hard to tell if there is more from this interaction, but it still raises some questions. But I digress.  While there are still a lot of gaps, we can see that the Emishi were being brought into the fold, as it were, while the Mishihase were apparently the threat that Yamato would be fighting.  In fact, I can't help but wonder if the threat posed by the Mishihase didn't help encourage the Emishi to ally themselves with Yamato in an attempt to protect themselves. Whatever happened, the relationship with the Emishi, from that point, seems to place them as subjects of Yamato.  We are told that three months later, over 200 Emishi visited the Yamato court, bringing presents for the sovereign.  These were not just the Emishi of the far reaches of Tohoku, but seems to have included Emishi from several different regions.  We are also told that the entertainment and largess provided by the court was even greater than any time before, no doubt presenting the carrot in contrast to Abe no Hirafu's stick. One of the carrots handed out was court rank,  We are told that two Emishi of the enigmatic Kikafu region each received one grade of rank while Saniguma, the Senior governor of Nushiro, was granted two steps in rank, making him Lower Shou-otsu in the rank system of the time, and he was given the superintendence of the population register—likely meaning he had a charge similar to the other governors dispatched to take a census and let the court know just how many people there were in the region.  His junior governor, Ubasa, received the rank of Kembu, the lowest rank in the system. Meanwhile, Mamu, the Senior governor of Tsugaru was granted the rank of Upper Dai-otsu and Awohiru, the Junior governor of Tsugaru, was granted the rank of Lower Shou-out. At the same time, two ranks were granted on the Miyatsuko of the Tsukisara Barrier and one rank was granted to Inadzumi Ohotomo no Kimi, Miyatsuko of the Nutari Barrier.  These last two appear to have been members of Yamato rather than Emishi, but clearly all related to the issue of the borders and beyond. And so we are given three different locations.  We are not told the names of the Emishi from Kikafu, but we are given the names of the senior and junior governors—likely local chieftains co-opted into the Yamato polity—of Nushiro and Tsugaru.  Together with the name “Omuka” we have some of our earliest attestations to possible Emishi names—though whether these were names, titles, or something else I could not say.  We have Saniguma, Ubasa, Mamu, and Awohiru.  None of these are given with family names, which seems to track with the fact that formal “family” names appear to have been an innovation of the Kofun culture, rather than an indigenous phenomenon. I would also note that I am not sure if these ranks came with any kind of stipend: after all, much of that region wasn't exactly suited to rice-land, so where would the stipend come from?  That said, there were certainly more practical gifts that were laid out for them as well.  The governors of Nushiro and the governors of Tsugaru were each given 20 cuttle-fish flags—likely a banner similar to the koi nobori, or carp banners, in use today—as well as two drums, two sets of bows and arrows, and two suits of armor.  This seems to be one for the Senior and one for the Junior governor.  In addition, Saniguma was commanded to “investigate” the Emishi population as well as what Aston translates as the “captive” population—by which I suspect they mean those living in bondage within the Emishi communities.   It is interesting to me that even though the senior governor of Tsugaru was given a higher rank, this last duty was only given to the governor of Nushiro. And there you have it.  With all of that the Emishi were at least nominally subject to the Yamato court.  They were still, however, cultural outsiders.  It is quite likely that they spoke a different language, and given the number of placenames in Tohoku that seem to correspond with the modern Ainu language, it is quite likely that a language at least related to modern Ainu was spoken in the Emishi controlled areas. A similar pattern to the year 658 took place in the entries for the following year.  Once again, Abe no Hirafu went north with 180 ships on what we are told, at least in Aston's translation, was an expedition against the Emishi.  He assembled a selection of the Emishi of Akita and Nushiro, totaling 241 people, with 31 of their captives, as well as 112 Emishi of Tsugaru with 4 of their captives, and 20 Emishi of Ifurisahe.  Once he had them all at his mercy he then… feasted them and gave them presents.  Is this really what an expedition *against* the Emishi looked like?  It almost sounds more like a diplomatic mission. We are told that after feasting and giving the assembled Emishi presents, Abe no Hirafu made an offering to the local gods of a boat and silk of various colors. He then proceeded to a place called “Shishiriko”, where two Emishi from a place called Tohiu, named Ikashima and Uhona, came forward and told him that Yamato should create an outpost at Shiribeshi, on the west coast of Hokkaido, which would be the seat of local Yamato government.  This sounds not entirely dissimilar from the idea of the Dazai in Kyushu.  Abe no Hirafu agreed and established a district governor there. Relevant to this, between the 7th and 8th centuries, we see clusters of pit dwellings in Hokkaido largely in the areas corresponding to the modern sub-prefectures of Sorachi, Ishikari, and Iburi, with many of them clustered near modern Sapporo, and a very small number near Rumoi, further north along the western coast. Once more it is another account, not the main narrative of the Nihon Shoki, where we might see what was really going on.  That entry claims that Abe no Hirafu went north to fight with the Mishihase and, on his return, he brought back some 49 captives.  So was this what all of this was really about?  Was he going up there to fight the Emishi, or was he perhaps fighting with the Emishi against the Mishihase? When Abe no Hirafu finally returned, it seems that the provincial governors of Michinoku—pretty much the whole of Touhoku—and Koshi, which was also a land known for being home to Emishi, were granted two grades of rank.  Their subordinates, the district governors and administrators, each received one grade of rank. We are also told that on the 17th day of the 3rd month of 659, that a copy of Mt. Meru was constructed on the riverbank east of Amakashi no Oka and that Emishi of Michonoku and Koshi were both entertained there.  Little more is given, and, again, it isn't clear if this is before or after Hirafu's expedition of that year. Mt. Meru—read as Shumisen, today—is the mountain at the center of the world, according to some Buddhist traditions.  Building a copy would have been a statement, creating a copy of the mountain and bringing the center of the universe to you.  This was probably a feature in a garden—at least that is how it was conceived of during the reign of Kashikiya Hime.  This second one may have been made with a pile of stones, and there have even been found some features in Asuka that some think could be remnants of this ancient model of the universe, but they aren't without controversy. In any case, that same year that the Emishi were brought to Asuka to view this Buddhist monument, in 659, a mission was sent to the Tang court.  We'll talk about the mission at some other time, but for now I want to focus on the fact that they brought with them an Emishi man and a woman to show the Tang emperor.  Regrettably, we don't know their names, and we don't know their status in Emishi society.  Were these captives, possibly enslaved?  Or were these volunteers, who had gone willingly with the envoys to see the lands beyond their home.  They likely had heard of the Tang empire from Yamato, and so it wouldn't be so surprising if they decided to go see it for themselves. Where it is of particular interest to us right now is that we have an apparent eyewitness account of the description given to the Tang Emperor about the Emishi by the Yamato envoys.  Be aware that the envoys were not necessarily experts in Emishi culture, and may not have met any other than their travel companions, but the description, given by none other than Yuki no Hakatoko, who was apparently there, at the Tang court, when it happened, gives us invaluable insight into how Yamato viewed the Emishi. The entire thing is a bit of a question and answer session as the Tang Emperor, Tang Gaozong, inquired about the Emishi and who they were.  In response to his questions, the envoys assured him that Yamato and the Emishi were at peace with each other.  They further noted that there were three different groups of Emishi.  Those farthest from Yamato were the Tsugaru Emishi.  Next, slightly closer to Yamato, were the Ara-Emishi.  “Ara” in this case means “soft”, and was probably a reference to the fact that those Emishi closer to Yamato were seen as more compliant.  Finally ,there are the “Nigi-Emishi”, living right on the borders.  “Nigi” in this case seems to refer to them being the “Gentle” or even “Civilized” Emishi.  I suspect that those living closest to Yamato were also the ones doing things like farming, and possibly building burial mounds.  They may have even mixed with some of the border communities, and may have included Wa communities that were outside of Yamato's influence.  After all, it isn't entirely obvious that “Emishi” referred to a single ethnic identity. In providing further answers to the emperor's questioning, we are told that the Emishi, at least according to the Yamato envoys, didn't farm, but instead they sustained themselves through hunting and fishing.  Furthermore, we are told that they didn't live in houses, but instead they dwelt under trees and in the recesses of the mountains.  This one is a little more questionable, after all, we have evidence of pit houses and villages all the way up to Aomori and back to Jomon times.  However, it is quite possible that Yamato was often encountering hunting parties, which very likely may have been using makeshift shelters or utilizing natural features like caves when they were out traveling.  Some of this, though, may have been built around ideas and concepts of how quote-unquote “barbaric” people lived, focusing on the exceptional, exotic, and sensationalist instances rather than on the more mundane day-to-day details.  Finally, the emperor himself commented on the “unusual appearance” of the Emishi.  We know that the Japanese terms for the Emishi refer to them as hairy barbarians, and if they were anything like modern Ainu, they were likely a good deal more hirsute than their Yamato neighbors.  This was no doubt a stereotype, as, again, Emishi may have also included some members of the Wa in their numbers, but they also appear to have included groups of people that were quite physically distinct.  Some DNA evidence also bears this out, and even today many people with deep ancestral ties to the Tohoku region demonstrate closer ties to ancient Jomon populations than to the succeeding Yayoi population that came over from the continent with their rice farming techniques. And so that gives us mostly what we know about the Emishi, except that they seem to have left out the Emishi of Watari no Shima—the Emishi of Hokkaido.  They would have been beyond the Tsugaru Emishi, unless they were considered similar, and painted with the same brush. And speaking of Watari no Shima, we have one more entry before we bring things to a close, and that is from the third month of the year 660.  Once more, Abe no Omi, who must have been getting his frequent sailor miles in by this point—or at least one hopes he had been invited to the Captain's circle at least.  Anyway, Abe no Omi was sent on yet another expedition, this time with 200 ships, and this time quite specifically against the Mishihase.  He made a stop in Michinoku on the way up where he brought some of the Emishi on his own boat—possibly as translators and guides.  They then continued northern until they reached a large river—Aston suggests that it was possibly the Ishikari river, north of modern Sapporo.  There they found a thousand Emishi of Watari no Shima encamped. Upon seeing the Yamato forces, two men came out from the camp to let Hirafu and his men know that the Mishihase had arrived in their own fleet, threatening to kill all of them.  And so they asked permission to cross the river over to Hirafu and join him.  Specifically we are told they asked to “serve the government” suggesting that they were willing to suborn themselves if Hirafu would assist with driving off the Mishihase. Hirafu had the two spokespersons come aboard his ship and then show him where the enemy was concealed.  They showed him where, telling him that the Mishihase had some 20 ships. Hirafu sent for the Mishihase to come and face him, but they refused.  And so instead he tried a different tactic.  He piled up colored silk cloth, weapons, iron, etc., in sight of the Mishihase, hoping that their curiosity and greed would get the better of them.  Sure enough, they drew up in their boats, which were decorated with feathers tied on poles like a flag.  Their vessels were powered with oars, and they brought them to the shallows.  From there, they sent two older men out to inspect the pile.  The men came out, and when they saw what was there, they exchanged their clothes for some from the pile and took some of the silk cloth and then returned to their ship.  After some time, they came back out, took off the exchanged garments and laid them down with the silk.  With that, they then boarded their ship and departed. Aston suggests that this behavior mimics an aspect of something called an “unseen trade” which he claims had been common in the region of Hokkaido until recently.  I hadn't found anything specifically about that, but it does make a kind of sense, especially if groups are possibly hostile and perhaps don't speak the same language. So does that mean that, for all of his military might, Hirafu was basically just buying off the Mishihase? In any case, it seems they did not take it.  They left the garments and the silk, which seems to have indicated that they had no deal, and they departed.  Hirafu pursued the Mishihase, and tried to get them to come out again—presumably looking for a stand up fight between his 200 ships and the MIshihase's 20, but instead the Mishihase headed to the island of Herobe, in another part of Watari no Shima.  After a while of being holed up, the Mishihase did sue for peace, but by that point, Abe no Hirafu was having none of it.  So they took themselves to their palisades and there they tried to hold out against Abe no Hirafu's forces.  Noto no Omi no Mamukatsu was slain in the fighting, as we can only suspect that others were as well, but over time the Yamato forces began to wear them down. Finally, when it seemed there was no way they could win or escape, the MIshihase took the drastic step of killing their own women and children, perhaps fearing what the Yamato soldiers would do to them if they were caught. And with that, it was over.  There are only a few mentions of the Mishihase, or even the Emishi, in the rest of the Nihon Shoki.  Granted, as we will eventually see, the people of Yamato were no doubt pre-occupied with what was going on to the west, where the Baekje-Tang war would be soon coming to a close.  Abe no Hirafu would be called on, once more, in that famous conflict, but we are going to save that for another day. For now, I think we can end things here.  Or just about.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there is a theory that many of these expeditions were actually the same thing, but recorded slightly differently in different ways, with some confusion about the actual dates.  Even if that was the case, it doesn't necessarily discount the overall information provided, and that information seems to at least somewhat conform to what we know about the archaeological record, as far as I can tell.  Granted, this is still the story as told by outsiders.  Since the people labeled “Emishi” didn't leave us with any records of this time, themselves, we don't exactly have their side of things, which is something we should keep in mind. This isn't the last time the Emishi will pop up in Japanese history.  Even if they were being granted rank, the Emishi remained a group apart.  Succeeding generations of Japanese would settle in the Tohoku region, eventually absorbing or pushing out the Emishi, or Ezo, while on Hokkaido, the people we know as the Ainu, who were likely an amalgamation of both Okhotsk Sea people and Epi-Jomon and Satsumon cultures, would eventually become dominant across the island of Hokkaido—at least until the 19th century. But that is for much later episodes.  For now, we'll continue to stick with our small, but active corner of the 7th century.  There is still a lot more to explore in this reign.  Next episode will be our annual New Year's recap, and then we will continue on with more from this episode in the following year. Until then thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Listen to this episode ad free + exclusive episodes and bonus material at https://www.patreon.com/voicesinjapanBurke, Matt, and Ben dive into some of Japan's lesser-known souvenirs that go beyond the usual skincare, tea, and candy. From limited-edition watches and ceramics to iconic sukajan jackets and high-quality nail clippers, we explore unique items that make for unforgettable mementos. Plus, discover hidden gems like exclusive stationary, prescription glasses, and toys. Whether you're a first-time traveler or a seasoned visitor, this episode will inspire you to shop off the beaten path in Japan!Sponsors:MaruMoriThis site has everything you need to learn Japanese! It's an all-in-one, guided, gamified Japanese learning experience with the aim to take you all the way from absolute beginner to language mastery, and the best part is you can start anywhere! https://marumori.io/register?rcode=vijBearfoot BarLocated in downtown Sapporo, walking distance from the subway station. There are a variety of Japanese made local and craft beers, bottled and on tap. 21 different sorts of international beers. A wide range of regular and unique spirits and basic cocktails also available. Burgers and pub style snacks. With friendly English and Japanese speaking staff.  https://www.facebook.com/bearfootbarHokkaido GuideEstablished over 10 years ago, written by locals for locals and international tourists. The guide contains information on all types of businesses and locations around Hokkaido. There's information regarding all things Hokkaido such as sightseeing, nightlife, events, services, food and restaurants, entertainment, outdoor activities, and more. Currently offered in English and Thai, advertising space available. Check out website for everything you need to know about this beautiful prefecture. https://hokkaidoguide.comThe Red House A restaurant located in the heart of Rusutsu Ski Resort, just cross the main road and it's behind the Seicomart Convenience store. The restaurant features western style dishes, including vegetarian dishes. Open winter and summer, 12-3pm for lunch, 5-9pm for dinner.https://theredhouse.jp/Rusutsu LodgesOpen all year round. Located 5 minutes walk to the main Rusutsu Ski Resort Gondola. There are Japanese, Western, and apartment style rooms with breakfast packages available. There's a Japanese sento (public bath), two convenience stores less than a minute walk, ski room and tune up tables, plenty of free parking space, and summer BBQ packages available. Check out the website for more information and availability. http://rusutsulodges.comUse our Buzzsprout affiliate link to start your podcast today!  Website:https://www.voicesinjapan.com/ Follow us and check out our other content:https://youtube.com/@voicesinjapanpodcasthttps://twitter.com/voicesinjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/voicesinjapan/https://www.instagram.com/voicesinjapan/Get in touch: voicesinjapan@gmail.comSupport the show

This season was a long one! The Krewe re-groups to reflect on Season 5 as a whole, and everything that went into it...  with a SPECIAL GUEST! Join us for one last audio journey in Season 5 as we discuss all the milestones, top moments, challenges, & fun anecdotes, in addition to a look ahead to Season 6 & listener feedback! Let's GO!------ 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, Google, 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!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Listen to this episode ad free + exclusive episodes and bonus material at https://www.patreon.com/voicesinjapanOn this episode the lads quickly look at the top Japanese word for 2024! And for the main topic, they look at some of the best open air onsens to visit in Hokkaido. This top ten list takes you all over Hokkaido from the popular areas of Jozankei and Norboribetsu to some more obscure locations around this prefecture! A must listen for those who wish to visit Hokkaido, or for those already living here. Sponsors:MaruMoriThis site has everything you need to learn Japanese! It's an all-in-one, guided, gamified Japanese learning experience with the aim to take you all the way from absolute beginner to language mastery, and the best part is you can start anywhere! https://marumori.io/register?rcode=vijBearfoot BarLocated in downtown Sapporo, walking distance from the subway station. There are a variety of Japanese made local and craft beers, bottled and on tap. 21 different sorts of international beers. A wide range of regular and unique spirits and basic cocktails also available. Burgers and pub style snacks. With friendly English and Japanese speaking staff.  https://www.facebook.com/bearfootbarHokkaido GuideEstablished over 10 years ago, written by locals for locals and international tourists. The guide contains information on all types of businesses and locations around Hokkaido. There's information regarding all things Hokkaido such as sightseeing, nightlife, events, services, food and restaurants, entertainment, outdoor activities, and more. Currently offered in English and Thai, advertising space available. Check out website for everything you need to know about this beautiful prefecture. https://hokkaidoguide.comThe Red House A restaurant located in the heart of Rusutsu Ski Resort. It's just cross from the main road and it's behind the Seicomart Convenience store. This restaurant features some western style dishes, and some Japanese cuisine. The extensive menu includes some vegetarian dishes, ramen, hamburgers, plus some mouth watering desserts and much more. Open winter and summer, 12-3pm for lunch, 5-9pm for dinner.https://theredhouse.jp/Rusutsu LodgesOpen all year round. Located 5 minutes walk to the main Rusutsu Ski Resort Gondola. There are Japanese, Western, and apartment style rooms with breakfast packages available. There's a Japanese sento (public bath), two convenience stores less than a minute walk, ski room and tune up tables, plenty of free parking space, and summer BBQ packages available. Check out the website for more information and availability. http://rusutsulodges.comUse our Buzzsprout affiliate link to start your podcast today!Website:https://www.voicesinjapan.com/Follow us and check out our other content:https://youtube.com/@voicesinjapanpodcasthttps://twitter.com/voicesinjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/voicesinjapan/https://www.instagram.com/voicesinjapan/Get in touch: voicesinjapan@gSupport the showSupport the show

This week: how does the history of Shinto intersect with the colonization of Hokkaido? What role does Shinto's transition from religion to "cultural institution" play in the process that has made that island indisputably a part of Japan itself? Show notes here. 

In 2008, 21-year-old Skye Budnick boarded a one-way flight from Connecticut to Japan without informing anyone of her plans. Upon arriving, she was last seen at an inn in northern Japan. After that, her trail vanished, leaving behind a growing mystery. Why did Skye go to Japan? What happened to her after she arrived? And where is she now? More than 16 years later, her family continues their relentless search for answers. Listen as we dive into Japan, the case of Skye Budnick, and how to stay alive on vacation. Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/ And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcast Listen to this week's podcast recommendation, Luminol On The Wall https://luminolonthewall.buzzsprout.com/ Theme Music by Roger Allen Dexter Sources: https://www.survivingskye.com/https/anchorfm/survivingskye https://www.tiktok.com/@meganlebron https://www.ctinsider.com/recordjournal/article/skye-budnick-southington-missing-gofundme-18694102.php https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13566629/Skye-Budnick-Japan-Missing.html https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4776dfct.html https://ctmissingpeople.substack.com/p/ct-college-student-books-one-way?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web https://www.reddit.com/r/MissingPersons/comments/1bkfole/college_student_skye_budnick_packed_a_few_things/ https://time.com/4646293/japan-missing-people-johatsu-evaporated/ https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4666523&page=1 https://thesuitcasedetective.com/ja/2024/01/28/skye-budnick-missing-woman/ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1wt22xyvrA7QUaz4GZJ8F13lIRgZIMn7G7CytDVAzMjM/htmlview# https://www.gofundme.com/f/getting-answers-for-skye-budnick?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link