Podcasts about Hokkaido

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Satoru's Journey: Choosing Between Dreams and Roots Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-12-22-23-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: サトルは東京から雪の降る北海道の小さな町に戻ってきました。En: Satoru returned to a small town in Hokkaido where it was snowing, from Tokyo.Ja: 彼は、父親の突然の他界により、この地に戻ってきたのです。En: He came back to this place due to the sudden passing of his father.Ja: 新年が近づいており、町はお正月の準備でにぎわっています。En: With the New Year approaching, the town was bustling with preparations for Oshogatsu.Ja: 町の風景はとても美しいです。En: The town's scenery was incredibly beautiful.Ja: 白い雪が辺り一面を覆い、木造の家々からは暖かい光が漏れています。En: The white snow covered everything in sight, and warm light spilled out from the wooden houses.Ja: 冬の冷たい空気には松の香りが漂い、遠くからは新年を祝う人々の楽しげな声が聞こえてきます。En: The cold winter air was filled with the scent of pine, and from afar, you could hear the joyful voices of people celebrating the New Year.Ja: サトルは、父の古い家に戻ると、過去の記憶が次々と思い返されます。En: When Satoru returned to his father's old house, memories of the past flooded his mind.Ja: 父が残したものを見つめながら、彼は自分の進むべき道を考え始めます。En: As he gazed at what his father had left behind, he began to consider the path he should take.Ja: 東京での生活を続けるか、それともこの町で父の仕事を引き継ぐか、心は揺れています。En: Should he continue his life in Tokyo, or should he take over his father's work in this town? His heart was wavering.Ja: そんな中、彼の幼馴染であるユミコと再会しました。En: In the midst of all this, he reunited with his childhood friend Yumiko.Ja: ユミコは家族の旅館を手伝いながら、この町に残り続けていました。En: Yumiko had continued to stay in the town, helping with her family's inn.Ja: 彼女の笑顔は、サトルにとって心を落ち着かせるものでした。En: Her smile was something that brought Satoru peace of mind.Ja: 「サトル、お正月の準備を手伝わない？」ユミコは声をかけてきました。En: "Satoru, won't you help with the New Year preparations?" Yumiko asked.Ja: サトルは少し戸惑いながらも、自分のルーツに触れる機会になると考え、手伝うことにしました。En: Though a bit hesitant, Satoru thought it would be an opportunity to connect with his roots, and decided to help.Ja: かまくらを作り、大根を切り、そして餅つきをしました。En: They made kamakura, cut radishes, and pounded mochi.Ja: これらの活動を通じて、彼は子供の頃の思い出を思い出します。En: Through these activities, he remembered his childhood memories.Ja: お正月の日、サトルとユミコは神社に参拝に行きました。En: On New Year's Day, Satoru and Yumiko went to offer their prayers at the shrine.Ja: 静かな雪の中、二人はゆっくりと歩き、サトルはユミコに心の内を打ち明けました。En: Amidst the quiet snow, the two walked slowly, and Satoru confided in Yumiko about his inner feelings.Ja: 「父が何を望んでいたのかわからないけど、この町の人たちを見ていると、彼の思いが少しわかる気がする。」En: "I don't know what my father wished for, but seeing the people of this town, I feel like I understand his thoughts a little."Ja: ユミコは優しく微笑みました。En: Yumiko smiled gently.Ja: 「サトル、ここには君の居場所があるよ。En: "Satoru, you have a place here.Ja: 東京の夢も大事だけど、ここでの生活も考えてみて。」En: Your dreams in Tokyo are important, but consider life here as well."Ja: その言葉に、サトルは心が温かくなるのを感じました。En: Hearing those words, Satoru felt warmth fill his heart.Ja: そして彼は決心しました。En: He made a decision.Ja: 「しばらくここで過ごしてみるよ。En: "I'll try spending some time here.Ja: もっと町のこと、父のこと、そのすべてを知りたい。」En: I want to learn more about the town, about my father, about everything."Ja: そう言って、サトルは新たな一年を迎える準備をしました。En: With that resolved, Satoru prepared to welcome a new year.Ja: 彼は自分のルーツに新たな価値を見出し、ここでの生活も自分の夢と共にしていけるかもしれないと考え始めました。En: He began to see new value in his roots and thought that maybe he could blend his life here with his dreams.Ja: 町には新しい風が吹き、サトルは静かで満足げな笑顔を浮かべながら、新しい一歩を踏み出しました。En: A new breeze blew through the town, and with a quiet, contented smile, Satoru took a new step forward. Vocabulary Words:bustling: にぎわっているscenery: 風景air: 空気scent: 香りgazed: 見つめたconsider: 考えるwavering: 揺れているreunited: 再会したhesitant: 戸惑いinn: 旅館kamakura: かまくらradishes: 大根pounded: 打ったconfided: 打ち明けたinner: 内wished: 望んでいたthoughts: 思いgentle: 優しくsmiled: 微笑んだwarmth: 温かさresolved: 決心したvalue: 価値roots: ルーツblend: 共にするbreeze: 風contented: 満足げなstep: 一歩return: 戻るapproaching: 近づいているchildhood: 子供の頃の

Schneegekrönte Berge, tropische Wälder, ausgedehnte Seenlandschaften und dazu moderne Städte - Japan fasziniert Outdoorer wie Kulturinteressierte gleichermaßen. In der aktuellen Folge hörst du, wie du dort einen dreiwöchigen Wander-Urlaub am besten angehst, welche Wege ganz automatisch zu Tempeln führen und wo die wildesten Nationalparks auf dich warten. Und du erfährst, ob der Fuji-Gipfel wirklich unbedingt auf die Bucket List gehört.

The last time Yamato was heavily involved on the continent, they were defeated militarily, and they returned to fortify their islands.  So how are things looking, now? This episode we will talk about some of what has been going on with Tang and Silla, but also touch on the Mishihase, the Hayato, the people of Tamna and Tanegashima, and more! For more information and references, check out:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-140   Rough Transcript   Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 140: Improving Diplomatic Ties Garyang Jyeongsan and Gim Hongsye looked out from the deck of their ship, tossing and turning in the sea.  The waves were high, and the winds lashed at the ship, which rocked uncomfortably beneath their feet.  Ocean spray struck them from below while rain pelted from above. Through the torrential and unstable conditions, they looked out for their sister ship.  It was their job to escort them, but in these rough seas, bobbing up and down, they were at the mercy of the elements.  One minute they could see them, and then next it was nothing but a wall of water.  Each time they caught a glimpse the other ship seemed further and further away.  They tried calling out, but it was no use—even if they could normally have raised them, the fierce winds simply carried their voices out into the watery void.  Eventually, they lost sight of them altogether. When the winds died down and the seas settled, they looked for their companions, but they saw nothing, not even hints of wreckage on the ocean.  They could only hope that their fellow pilots knew where they were going.  As long as they could still sail, they should be able to make it to land—either to the islands  to which they were headed, or back to the safety of the peninsula. And so the escort ship continued on, even without a formal envoy to escort.  They would hope for the best, or else they would explain what would happen,  and hope that the Yamato court would understand. The seas were anything but predictable, and diplomacy was certainly not for the faint of heart.   We are going through the period of the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou.  It started in 672, with the death of his brother, Naka no Oe, remembered as the sovereign Tenji Tenno, when Temmu took the throne from his nephew, Ohotomo, aka Kobun Tenno, in what would become known as the Jinshin no Ran.  From that point, Ohoama continued the work of his brother in creating a government based on a continental model of laws and punishments—the Ritsuryo system.  He accomplished this with assistance from his wife, Uno, and other members of the royal family—his own sons, but also nephews and other princes of the time.  And so far most of our focus has been on the local goings on within the archipelago. However, there was still plenty going on in the rest of the world, and though Yamato's focus may have been on more local affairs, it was still engaged with the rest of the world—or at least with the polities of the Korean Peninsula and the Tang Dynasty.  This episode we are going to look at Yamato's foreign relations, and how they were changing, especially as things changed on the continent. Up to this point, much of what had been happening in Yamato had been heavily influenced by the mainland in one way or another.  And to begin our discussion, we really should backtrack a bit—all the way to the Battle of Baekgang in 663, which we discussed in Episode 124.  That defeat would lead to the fall of Baekje, at the hands of the Silla-Tang alliance.  The loss of their ally on the peninsula sent Yamato into a flurry of defensive activity.  They erected fortresses on Tsushima, Kyushu, and along the Seto Inland Sea.  They also moved the capital up to Ohotsu, a more easily defended point on the shores of Lake Biwa, and likewise reinforced various strategic points in the Home Provinces as well.  These fortresses were built in the style and under the direction of many of the Baekje refugees now resettled in Yamato. For years, the archipelago braced for an invasion by the Silla-Tang alliance.  After all, with all that Yamato had done to support Baekje, it only made sense, from their perspective, for Silla and Tang to next come after them.  Sure, there was still Goguryeo, but with the death of Yeon Gaesomun, Goguryeo would not last that long.  With a unified peninsula, then why wouldn't they next look to the archipelago? And yet, the attack never came.  While Yamato was building up its defenses, it seems that the alliance between Silla and Tang was not quite as strong as their victories on the battlefield may have made it seem.  This is hardly surprising—the Tang and Silla were hardly operating on the same scale.  That said, the Tang's immense size, while bringing it great resources, also meant that it had an extremely large border to defend.  They often utilized alliances with other states to achieve their ends.  In fact, it seems fairly common for the Tang to seek alliances with states just beyond their borders against those states that were directly on their borders.  In other words, they would effectively create a pincer maneuver by befriending the enemy of their enemy.  Of course.  Once they had defeated said enemy well, wouldn't you know it, their former ally was now their newest bordering state. In the case of the Silla-Tang alliance, it appears that at the start of the alliance, back in the days of Tang Taizong, the agreement, at least from Silla's perspective, was that they would help each other against Goguryeo and Baekje, and then the Tang dynasty would leave the Korean peninsula to Silla.  However, things didn't go quite that smoothly.  The fighting against Goguryeo and Baekje can be traced back to the 640s, but Tang Taizong passed away in 649, leaving the throne to his heir, Tang Gaozong.  The Tang forces eventually helped Silla to take Baekje after the battle of Baekgang River in 663, and then Goguryeo fell in 668, but the Tang forces didn't leave the peninsula.  They remained in the former territories of Baekje and in Goguryeo, despite any former agreements.  Ostensibly they were no doubt pointing to the continuing revolts and rebellions in both regions.  While neither kingdom would fully reassert itself, it didn't mean that there weren't those who were trying.  In fact, the first revolt in Goguryeo was in 669.  There was also a revolt each year until 673.  The last one had some staying power, as the Goguryeo rebels continued to hold out for about four years. It is probably worth reminding ourselves that the Tang dynasty, during this time, had reached out on several occasions to Yamato, sending diplomatic missions, as had Silla.  While the Yamato court may have been preparing for a Tang invasion, the Tang perspective seems different.  They were preoccupied with the various revolts going on, and they had other problems.  On their western border, they were having to contend with the kingdom of Tibet, for example.  The Tibetan kingdom had a powerful influence on the southern route around the Taklamakan desert, which abuts the Tibetan plateau.   The Tang court would have had to divert resources to defend their holdings in the western regions, and it is unlikely that they had any immediate designs on the archipelago, which I suspect was considered something of a backwater to them, at the time.  In fact, Yamato would have been much more useful to the Tang as an ally to help maintain some pressure against Silla, with whom their relationship, no longer directed at a common enemy, was becoming somewhat tense. In fact, just before Ohoama came to the throne, several events had occurred that would affect the Silla-Tang alliance. The first event is more indirect—in 670, the Tibetan kingdom attacked the Tang empire.  The fighting was intense, and required serious resources from both sides.  Eventually the Tibetan forces were victorious, but not without a heavy toll on the Tibetan kingdom, which some attribute to the latter's eventual demise.  Their pyrrhic victory, however, was a defeat for the Tang, who also lost troops and resources in the fighting.  Then, in 671, the Tang empire would suffer another loss as Silla would drive the Tang forces out of the territory of the former kingdom of Baekje. With the Baekje territory under their control, it appears that Silla was also working to encourage some of rebellions in Goguryeo.  This more than irked the Tang court, currently under the formal control of Tang Gaozong and the informal—but quite considerable—control of his wife, Wu Zetian, who some claim was the one actually calling most of the shots in the court at this point in time.  Silla encouragement of restoration efforts in Goguryeo reached the Tang court in 674, in and in 675 we see that the Tang forces were sent to take back their foothold in the former Baekje territory.  Tang defeated Silla at Gyeonggi, and Silla's king, Munmu, sent a tribute mission to the Tang court, apologizing for their past behavior. However, the Tang control could not be maintained, as they had to once again withdraw most of their troops from the peninsula to send them against the Tibetan kingdom once more.  As soon as they did so, Silla once again renewed their attacks on Tang forces on the peninsula.  And so, a year later, in 676, the Tang forces were back.  They crossed the Yellow Sea to try and take back the Tang territories on the lower peninsula, but they were unsuccessful.  Tang forces were defeated by Silla at Maeso Fortress in modern day Yeoncheon.  After a bit more fighting, Silla ended up in control of all territory south of the Taedong River, which runs through Pyongyang, one of the ancient capitals of Goguryeo and the capital of modern North Korea.  This meant that the Tang dynasty still held much of the territory of Goguryeo under their control. With everything that was going on, perhaps that explains some of the apparently defensive measures that Yamato continued to take.  For example, the second lunar month of 675, we know that Ohoama proceeded to Takayasu castle, likely as a kind of formal inspection.  Then, in the 10th lunar month of 675 Ohoama commanded that everyone from the Princes down to the lowest rank were to provide the government with weapons.  A year later, in the 9th month of 676, the Princes and Ministers sent agents to the capital and the Home Provinces and gave out weapons to each man.  Similar edicts would be issued throughout the reign.  So in 679 the court announced that in two years time, which is to say the year 681, there would be a review of the weapons and horses belonging to the Princes of the Blood, Ministers, and any public functionaries.  And in that same year, barrier were erected for the first time on Mt. Tatsta and Mt. Afusaka, along with an outer line of fortifications at Naniwa. While some of that no doubt also helped to control internal movements, it also would have been useful to prepare for the possibility of future invasions.  And the work continued.  In 683  we see a royal command to all of the various provinces to engage in military training.  And in 684 it was decreed at that there would be an inspection in the 9th month of the following year—685—and they laid out the ceremonial rules, such as who would stand where, what the official clothing was to look like, etc.  Furthermore, there was also an edict that all civil and military officials should practice the use of arms and riding horses.  They were expected to supply their own horses, weapons, and anything they would wear into battle. If they owned horses, they would be considered cavalry soldiers, while those who did not have their own horse would be trained as infantry.  Either way, they would each receive training, and the court was determined to remove any obstacles and excuses that might arise.   Anyone who didn't comply would be punished.  Non compliance could mean refusing to train, but it could also just mean that they did not provide the proper horses or equipment, or they let their equipment fall into a state of disrepair.  Punishments could range from fines to outright flogging, should they be found guilty.  On the other hand, those who practiced well would have any punishments against them for other crimes reduced by two degrees, even if it was for a capital crime.  This only applied to previous crimes, however—if it seemed like you were trying to take advantage of this as a loophole to be able to get away with doing your own thing than the pardon itself would be considered null and void. A year later, the aforementioned inspection was carried out by Princes Miyatokoro, Hirose, Naniwa, Takeda, and Mino.  Two months later, the court issued another edict demanding that military equipment—specifically objects such as large or small horns, drums, flutes, flags, large bows, or catapults—should be stored at the government district house and not kept in private arsenals.  The "large bow" in this case may be something like a ballista, though Aston translates it to crossbow—unfortunately, it isn't exactly clear, and we don't necessarily have a plethora of extant examples to point to regarding what they meant.  Still, these seem to be focused on things that would be used by armies—especially the banners, large bows, and catapults.  The musical instruments may seem odd, though music was often an important part of Tang dynasty military maneuvers.  It was used to coordinate troops, raise morale, provide a marching rhythm, and more.  Granted, much of this feels like something more continental, and it is unclear if music was regularly used in the archipelago.  This could be more of Yamato trying to emulate the Tang dynasty rather than something that was commonplace on the archipelago.  That might also explain the reference to the Ohoyumi and the catapults, or rock throwers. All of this language having to do with military preparations could just be more of the same as far as the Sinicization of the Yamato government is concerned; attempts to further emulate what they understood of the civilized governments on the mainland—or at least their conception of those governments based on the various written works that they had imported.  Still, I think it is relevant that there was a lot of uncertainty regarding the position of various polities and the potential for conflict.  Each year could bring new changes to the political dynamic that could see military intervention make its way across the straits.  And of course, there was always the possibility that Yamato itself might decide to raise a force of its own. Throughout all of this, there was continued contact with the peninsula and other lands.  Of course, Silla and Goguryeo were both represented when Ohoama came to the throne—though only the Silla ambassador made it to the ceremony, apparently.  In the 7th lunar month of 675, Ohotomo no Muraji no Kunimaro was sent to Silla as the Chief envoy, along with Miyake no Kishi no Irishi.  They likely got a chance to witness first-hand the tensions between Silla and the Tang court.  The mission would return in the second lunar month of the following year, 676.  Eight months later, Mononobe no Muarji no Maro and Yamashiro no Atahe no Momotari were both sent.  That embassy also returned in the 2nd lunar month of the following year. Meanwhile, it wasn't just Yamato traveling to Silla—there were also envoys coming the other way.  For example, in the 2nd lunar month of 675 we are told that Silla sent Prince Chyungweon as an ambassador.  His retinue was apparently detained on Tsukushi while the actual envoy team went on to the Yamato capital.  It took them about two months to get there, and then they stayed until the 8th lunar month, so about four months in total. At the same time, in the third month, Goguryeo and Silla both sent "tribute" to Yamato.  And in the 8th month, Prince Kumaki, from Tamna, arrived at Tsukushi as well.  Tamna, as you may recall, refers to nation on the island known today as Jeju.  The late Alexander Vovin suggested that the name originated from a proto-Japonic cognate with "Tanimura", and many of the names seem to also bear out a possible Japonic influence on the island nation. Although they only somewhat recently show up in the Chronicles from our perspective, archaeological evidence suggests that they had trade with Yayoi Japan and Baekje since at least the first century.  With the fall of Baekje, and the expansion of Yamato authority to more of the archipelago, we've seen a notable uptick in the communication between Tamna and Yamato noted in the record.  A month after the arrival of Prince Kumaki in Tsukushi, aka Kyushu, it is noted that a Prince Koyo of Tamna arrived at Naniwa.  The Tamna guests would stick around for almost a year, during which time they were presented with a ship and eventually returned in the 7th lunar month of the following year, 676.   Tamna envoys, who had also shown up in 673, continued to be an annual presence at the Yamato court through the year 679, after which there is an apparent break in contact, picking back up in 684 and 685. 676 also saw a continuation of Silla representatives coming to the Yamato court, arriving in the 11th lunar month.  That means they probably passed by the Yamato envoys heading the other way.  Silla, under King Mumnu, now had complete control of the Korean peninsula south of the Taedong river.  In the same month we also see another mission from Goguryeo, but the Chronicle also points out that the Goguryeo envoys had a Silla escort, indicating the alliance between Silla and those attempting to restore Goguryeo—or at least the area of Goguryeo under Tang control.  The Tang, for their part, had pulled back their commandary to Liaodong, just west of the modern border between China and North Korea, today.  Goguryeo would not go quietly, and the people of that ancient kingdom—one of the oldest on the peninsula—would continue to rise up and assert their independence for years to come. The chronicles also record envoys from the somewhat mysterious northern Mishihase, or Sushen, thought to be people of the Okhotsk Sea culture from the Sakhalin islands.  There were 11 of them, and they came with the Silla envoys, possibly indicating their influence on the continent and through the Amur river region.  Previously, most of the contact had been through the regions of Koshi and the Emishi in modern Tohoku and Hokkaido.  This seems to be their only major envoy to the Yamato court recorded in this reign. Speaking of outside groups, in the 2nd lunar month of 677 we are told that there was an entertainment given to men of Tanegashima under the famous Tsuki tree west of Asukadera.  Many people may know Tanegashima from the role it played in the Sengoku Period, when Europeans made contact and Tanegashima became a major hub of Sengoku era firearm manufacturing.  At this point, however, it seems that it was still a largely independent island in the archipelago off the southern coast of Kyushu.  Even southern Kyushu appears to have retained some significant cultural differences at this time, with the "Hayato" people being referenced in regards to southern Kyushu—we'll talk about them in a bit as they showed up at the capital in 682.  Tanegashima is actually closer to Yakushima, another island considered to be separate, culturally, from Yamato, and could be considered the start of the chain of islands leading south to Amami Ohoshima and the other Ryukyuan islands.  That said, Tanegashima and Yakushima are much closer to the main islands of the archipelago and show considerable influence, including Yayoi and Kofun cultural artifacts, connecting them more closely to those cultures, even if Yamato initially saw them as distinct in some way. A formal Yamato envoy would head down to Tanegashima two years later, in the 11th lunar month of 679.  It was headed up by Yamato no Umakahibe no Miyatsuko no Tsura and Kami no Sukuri no Koukan.  The next reference to the mission comes in 681, when the envoys returned and presented a map of the island.  They claimed that it was in the middle of the ocean, and that rice was always abundant. With a single sowing of rice it was said that they could get two harvests.  Other products specifically mentioned were cape jasmine and bulrushes, though they then note that there were also many other products that they didn't bother to list.  This must have been considered quite the success, as the Yamato envoys were each awarded a grade of rank for their efforts.   They also appear to have returned with some of the locals, as they were entertained again in Asuka—this time on the riverbank west of Asukadera, where various kinds of music were performed for them. Tanegashima and Yakushima would be brought formally under Yamato hegemony in 702 with the creation of Tane province, but for now it was still considered separate.  This was probably just the first part of the efforts to bring them into Yamato, proper. Getting back to the Silla envoys who had arrived in 676, they appear to have remained for several months.  In the third lunar month of 677 we are told that they, along with guests of lower rank—thirteen persons all told—were invited to the capital.  Meanwhile, the escort envoys and others who had not been invited to the capital were entertained in Tsukushi and returned from there. While this was going on, weather out in the straits drove a Silla boat to the island of Chikashima.  Aboard was a Silla man accompanined by three attendants and three Buddhist priests.  We aren't told where they were going, but they were given shelter and when the Silla envoy, Kim Chyeonpyeong, returned home he left with those who had been driven ashore, as well. The following year, 678, was not a great one for the Silla envoys.  Garyang Jyeongsan and Gim Hongsye arrived at Tsukushi, but they were just the escorts.  The actual envoys had been separated by a storm at sea and never arrived.  In their place, the escort envoys were sent to the capital, probably to at least carry through with the rituals of diplomacy.  This was in the first month of the following year, 679, and given when envoys had previously arrived, it suggests to me that they waited a few months, probably to see if the envoys' ship eventually appeared and to give the court time to figure out what to do.  A month later, the Goguryeo envoys arrived, still being accompanied by Silla escorts, also arrived. Fortunately the Yamato envoys to Silla and elsewhere fared better.  That year, 679, the envoys returned successfully from Silla, Goguryeo, and Tamna.  Overall, though, I think it demonstrates that this wasn't just a pleasure cruise.  There was a very real possibility that one could get lost at sea.  At the same time, one needed people of sufficient status to be able to carry diplomatic messages and appropriately represent the court in foreign lands.  We often seen envoys later taking on greater positions of responsibility in the court, and so you didn't have to go far to find those willing to take the risk for later rewards. That same year, another tribute mission from Silla did manage to make the crossing successfully.  And in this mission we are given more details, for they brought gold, silver, iron, sacrificial cauldrons with three feet, brocade, cloth, hides, horses, dogs, mules, and camels.  And those were just the official gifts to the court.  Silla also sent distinct presents for the sovereign, the queen, and the crown prince, namely gold, silver, swords, flags, and things of that nature. This appears to demonstrate increasingly close ties between Silla and Yamato. All of that arrived in the 10th lunar month of 679, and they stayed through the 6th lunar month of 680—about 7 to 9 months all told, depending on if there were any intercalary months that year.  In addition to entertaining the Silla envoys in Tsukushi—it is not mentioned if they made it to the capital—we are also told that in the 2nd lunar month, halfway through the envoys' visit, eight labourers from Silla were sent back to their own country with gifts appropriate to their station. Here I have to pause and wonder what exactly is meant by this.  "Labourer" seems somewhat innocuous.  I suspect that their presence in Yamato may have been less than voluntary, and I wonder if these were captured prisoners of war who could have been in Yamato now for over a decade.  If so, this could have been a gesture indicating that the two sides were putting all of that nastiness with Baekje behind them, and Yamato was accepting Silla's new role on the peninsula.  Or maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it does seem to imply that Silla and Yamato were growing closer, something that Yamato would need if it wanted to have easy access, again, to the wider world. Speaking of returning people, that seems to have been something of a common thread for this year, 680, as another mission from Goguryeo saw 19 Goguryeo men also returned to their country.  These were condolence envoys who had come to mourn the death of Takara Hime—aka Saimei Tennou.  They must have arrived in the midst of all that was happening peninsula, and as such they were detained.  Their detention is somewhat interesting, when you think about it, since technically Baekje and Goguryeo—and thus Yamato—would have been on the same side against the Silla-Tang alliance.  But perhaps it was just considered too dangerous to send them home, initially, and then the Tang had taken control of their home.  It is unclear to me how much they were being held by Yamato and how much they were just men without a country for a time.  This may reflect how things on the mainland were stabilizing again, at least from Yamato's perspective.  However, as we'll discuss a bit later, it may have also been another attempt at restoring the Goguryeo kingdom by bringing back refugees, especially if they had connections with the old court.  The Goguryeo envoys—both the recent mission and those who had been detained—would remain until the 5th lunar month of 681, when they finally took their leave.  That year, there were numerous mission both from and to Silla and Goguryeo, and in the latter part of the year, Gim Chyungpyeong came once again, once more bearing gives of gold, silver, copper, iron, brocade, thin silk, deerskins, and fine cloth.  They also brought gold, silver, flags of a rosy-colored brocade and skins for the sovereign, his queen, and the crown prince. That said, the 681 envoys also brought grave news:  King Munmu of Silla was dead.  Munmu had reigned since 661, so he had overseen the conquest of Silla and Goguryeo.  His regnal name in Japanese might be read as Monmu, or even "Bunbu", referencing the blending of literary and cultural achievements seen as the pinnacle of noble attainment.  He is known as Munmu the Great for unifying the peninsula under a single ruler—though much of the Goguryeo territory was still out of reach.  Indeed he saw warfare and the betterment of his people, and it is no doubt significant that his death is recorded in the official records of the archipelago.   He was succeeded by his son, who would reign as King Sinmun, though the succession wasn't exactly smooth. We are told that Munmu, knowing his time was short, requested that his son, the Crown Prince, be named king before they attended to Munmu's own funerary arrangements, claiming that the throne should not sit vacant.  This may have been prescient, as the same year Munmu died and Sinmun ascended to the throne there was a revolt, led by none other than Sinmun's own father-in-law, Kim Heumdol.  Heumdol may, himselve, have been more of a figurehead for other political factions in the court and military.  Nonetheless, the attempted coup of 681 was quickly put down—the envoys in Yamato would likely only learn about everything after the dust had settled upon their return. The following year, 682, we see another interesting note about kings, this time in regards to the Goguryeo envoys, whom we are told were sent by the King of Goguryeo.  Ever since moving the commandery to Liaodong, the Tang empire had claimed dominion over the lands of Goguryeo north of the Taedong river.  Originally they had administered it militarily, but in 677 they crowned a local, Bojang as the "King of Joseon", using the old name for the region, and put him in charge of the Liaodong commandery.  However, he was removed in 681, and sent into exile in Sichuan, because rather than suppressing revolt, he had actually encouraged restoration attempts, inviting back Goguryeo refugees, like those who had been detained in Yamato.  Although Bojang himself was sent into exile, his descendants continued to claim sovereignty, so it may have been one of them that was making the claim to the "King of Goguryeo", possibly with Silla's blessing. Later that year, 682, we see Hayato from Ohosumi and Ata—possibly meaning Satsuma—the southernmost point of Kyushu coming to the court in 682.  They brought tribute and representatives of Ohosumi and Ata wrestled, with the Ohosumi wrestler emerging victorious.  They were entertained west of Asukadera, and various kinds of music was performed and gifts were given. They were apparently quite the sight, as Buddhist priests and laiety all came out to watch. Little is known for certain about the Hayato.  We have shields that are attributed to them, but their association may have more to do with the fact that they were employed as ceremonial guards for a time at the palace.  We do know that Southern Kyushu had various groups that were seen as culturally distinct from Yamato, although there is a lot of overlap in material culture.  We also see early reports of the Kumaso, possibly two different groups, the Kuma and So, in earlier records, and the relationship between the Kumaso and the Hayato is not clearly defined. What we do know is that southern Kyushu, for all that it shared with Yamato certain aspects of culture through the kofun period, for example, they also had their own traditions. For example, there is a particular burial tradition of underground kofun that is distinct to southern Kyushu.  A great example of this can be found at the Saitobaru Kofun cluster in Miyazaki, which contains these unique southern Kyushu style burials along with more Yamato style keyhole shaped and circular type kofun.  Miyazaki sits just north of the Ohosumi peninsula, in what was formerly the land of Hyuga, aka  Himuka.  This is also where a lot of the founding stories of the Heavenly grandchild were placed, and even today there is a shrine there to the Heavenly Rock Cave.  In other words there are a lot of connections with Southern Kyushu, and given that the Chronicles were being written in the later 7th and early 8th centuries, it is an area of intense interest when trying to understand the origins of Yamato and Japanese history. Unfortunately, nothing clearly tells us exactly how the Hayato were separate, but in the coming century they would both come under Yamato hegemony and rebel against it, time and again.  This isn't the first time they are mentioned, but it may be the first time that we see them as an actual people, in a factual entry as earlier references in the Chronicles are suspect. Continuing on with our look at diplomacy during this period, the year 683 we see a continuation of the same patterns, with nothing too out of the ordinary.  Same with most of 684 until the 12th lunar month.  It is then that we see a Silla ship arrive with Hashi no Sukune no Wohi and Shirawi no Fubito no Hozen.  They had both, previously been to the Tang empire to study, though we don't have a record of them leaving for that or any other purpose.  They are accompanied by Witsukahi no Muraji no Kobito and Tsukushi no Miyake no Muraji no Tokuko, both of whom had apparently been captured and taken by the Tang dynasty during the Baekje campaign.  Apparently they had all traveled back from the Tang empire together to Silla, who then provided them passage to Yamato. The timing of this suggests it may have had something to do with the changes going on in the Tang empire—changes that I desperately want to get into, but given that we are already a good ways into this current episode, I think I will leave it for later.  But I will note this:  Emperor Gaozong had passed away and his wife, Empress Wu Zetian, was now ruling as regent for her sons.  Wu Zetian is probably the most famous empress in all of Chinese history, and while she held de facto power as a co-regent during her husband's reign and as a regent during her sons' reigns, she would actually ascend the throne herself in 690.  Her reign as a woman during a time of heightened patriarchal tradition is particularly of note, and it leads us to wonder about the vilification that she received by the men who followed her rule.  And I really want to get into all of that but, thematically, I think it better to wait.  Those of you reading ahead in the syllabus—which is to say the Chronicles—probably know why.  So let us just leave it there and say that the Tang was going through a few things, and that may explain why students were returning back in the company of former war captives. A few months later, the Silla escort, Gim Mulyu, was sent home along with 7 people from Silla who had been washed ashore—presumably during a storm or other such event, again illustrating the dangers of taking to the ocean at this time.  Perhaps related to that theme is the entry only a month later, which merely stated that Gim Jusan of Silla returned home.  Gim Jusan was an envoy sent to Yamato in the 11th lunar month of 683.  He was entertained in Tsukushi, and we are told that he returned to his own country on the 3rd month of 684.  Now we are seeing an entry in the 4th month of 685 that this same person apparently returned home. It is possible that something got mixed up, and that the Chroniclers were dealing with a typo in the records that made it seem like this took place a year later than it did.  This was certainly an issue at this time, given all the math one had to do just to figure out what day it was.  There is also the possibility that he returned on another embassy, but just wasn't mentioned for some reason.  The last possible explanation is that he somehow got lost and it took him a year to find his way back.  Not entirely impossible back then, though I am a bit skeptical.  Among other things, why would that note have found its way into the Chronicles in Yamato?  While they were certainly using some continental sources, this seems like something they were talking about as far as him leaving the archipelago, rather than discussion of something happening elsewhere. Speaking of happening elsewhere, I'm wondering about another event that happened around this time as well.  In fact, it was while Gim Mulyu was still in the archipelago.  For some reason the Yamato court granted rank to 147 individuals from Tang, Baekje, and Goguryeo.  Interestingly, they don't mention Silla.  Furthermore, there is no real mention of any Tang envoys during this reign.  In fact, there is hardly mention of the Tang dynasty at all.  There is a mention of some 30 Tang men—captives, presumably—being sent to the Yamato court from Tsukushi.  Those men were settled in Toutoumi, so there were men of Tang in the archipelago.  But beyond that, there are only three other mentions of the Tang dynasty.  One was when the students and war captives came back.  Another was this note about giving rank to 147 individuals.  Finally there is a similar record in 686, at the very end of the reign, where it is 34 persons who were given rank.  This time it was to carpenters, diviners, physicians, students from Tang—possibly those who had just come back a year or so earlier.  So if there weren't envoys from Tang, Goguryeo, and Baekje, who were these people and why were they being granted Yamato court rank?  My assumption is that it was foreigners living in the archipelago, and being incorporated into the Yamato court system.  Still, it is interesting that after the overtures by the Tang in the previous reign we have heard virtually nothing since then.  Again, that is likely largely due to the conflicts between Tang and Silla, though now, things seem to be changing.  The conflicts have settled down, and new rulers are in place, so we'll see how things go. Speaking of which, let's finish up with the diplomatic exchanges in this reign.  I'm only hitting some of the highlights here.  First is the return from Silla, in the 5th month of 685, of Takamuku no Asomi no Maro and Tsuno no Asomi no Ushikahi.  They had traveled to Silla in 684, and they did not come back emptyhanded.  The new King of Silla presented them with gifts, including 2 horses, 3 dogs, 2 parrots, and 2 magpies.  They also brought back the novice monks Kanjou and Ryoukan.  Not bad, overall. Then, 6 months later, another tribute mission came, but this one has an interesting—if somewhat questionable—note attached to it.  It is said that the envoys Gim Jisyang and Gim Geonhun were sent to request "governance" and to bring tribute.  This certainly go the court's attention.  They didn't bring the envoys all the way to the capital, but they did send to them, in Tsukushi, Prince Kawachi, Ohotomo no Sukune no Yasumaro, Fujiwara no Asomi no Ohoshima, and Hodzumi no Asomi no Mushimaro. About three months later they send the musical performers from Kawaradera to provide entertainment during a banquet for the Silla envoy, and in payment some 5,000 bundles of rice rom the private lands attached to the queen's palace were granted to the temple in gratitude. The Silla tribute was then brought to the capital from Tsukushi.  This time it was more than 100 items, including one fine horse, one mule, two dogs, a gold container inlaid with some kind of design, gold, silver, faint brocade, silk gauze, tiger and leopard skins, and a variety of medicines.  In addition, as was now common, the envoys, Gim Jisyang and Gim Geonhun, apparently had personal gifts to give in the form of gold, silver, faint brocade, silk gauze, gold containers, screens, saddle hides, silk cloth, and more medicine.  There were also gifts specifically for the sovereign, the queen, the Crown Prince, and for the various princes of the blood. The court returned this favor with gifts to the envoys, presented at a banquet just for them, before sending them on their way. A couple of notes.  First off, it is interesting that they are entertained at Tsukushi rather than being invited to the capital, and I wonder if this was because the sovereign, Ohoama, wasn't doing so well.  This was all happening in 685 and 686, and the sovereign would pass away shortly afterwards.  So it is possible that Ohoama just was not up to entertaining visitors at this time.  Of course, the Chronicles often don't tell us exactly why a given decision was made, only that it was.  And sometimes not even that. The other thing that seems curious is the mention of a request for governance.  That almost sounds like Silla was asking to come under Yamato hegemony, which I seriously doubt.  It may be that they were asking something along the lines of an alliance, but it is also possible that the scribes recording things for Yamato heard what they wanted to hear and so wrote it down in the light most favorable to Yamato laying claim to the peninsula. Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding exactly what they were asking for.  Maybe "governance" here means something else—perhaps just some kind of better relationship. And with that, we'll leave it for now.  There is more developing in the next reign, but I think we want to wait until we get there.  There are still a lot more things to cover in this reign before we move on—we haven't even touched on the establishment of the new capital, on the various court events, not to mention some of the laws and punishments that this period is named for.  And there is the minor issue of a rebellion.  All of that will be dealt with.  And then, after that, we get to the final reign of the Chronicles: the reign of Jitou Tennou.  From there?  Who knows. It is the winter holiday season, so I hope everyone is enjoying themselves.  Next episode will be the New Year's recap, and then we should finish with this reign probably in January or early February. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

熊 xióng – bear襲擊 xíjí – attack; assault創下歷史新高 chuàng xià lìshǐ xīngāo – set a historical record high北海道 Běihǎidào – Hokkaido棕熊 zōngxióng – brown bear本州 Běnzhōu – Honshu四國 Sìguó – Shikoku九州 Jiǔzhōu – Kyushu恐慌 kǒnghuāng – panic; fear衝突 chōngtú – conflict; clash捕殺 bǔshā – capture and kill欠收 qiànshōu – poor harvest; crop failure堅果 jiānguǒ – nuts囤 tún – store up; stockpile脂肪 zhīfáng – fat; lipid冬眠 dōngmián – hibernation冒險 màoxiǎn – to take risks; adventure森林 sēnlín – forest覆蓋率 fùgàilǜ – coverage rate針葉林 zhēnyèlín – coniferous forest棲地 qīdì – habitat氣候變遷 qìhòu biànqiān – climate change乾脆 gāncuì – simply; just; might as well飢餓 jī'è – hunger; starving不安 bù'ān – uneasy; anxious四處亂跑 sìchù luànpǎo – run around everywhere出沒 chūmò – appear and disappear; frequent (an area)偏鄉 piānxiāng – remote area; rural area生活圈 shēnghuó quān – living area; community痕跡 hénjì – trace; mark熊爪印 xióng zhuǎyìn – bear paw print足跡 zújì – footprint; track單獨行動 dāndú xíngdòng – act alone; solo action噪音 zàoyīn – noise噴霧 pēnwù – spray; mist尖叫 jiānjiào – scream; shriek裝死 zhuāngsǐ – play dead脖子 bózi – neckFollow me on Instagram: fangfang.chineselearning !

The Krewe is joined by Atsuko Mori of Camellia Tea Ceremony in Kyoto for a deep dive into the Japanese tea ceremony. Together, they explore the experience itself, the tools and etiquette involved, what guests can expect, and why preserving this centuries-old tradition still matters today.------ 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, Threads: @kreweofjapanpodcast & 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 Japan Episodes ------Rakugo: Comedy of a Cushion ft. Katsura Sunshine (S6E1)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)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)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 Camellia Tea Ceremony ------Camellia Tea Ceremony WebsiteCamellia on X/TwitterCamellia on InstagramCamellia on BlueSkyCamellia on YouTube------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

#177 日本では、最近「熊の出没」や「熊による被害」などのケースが多く取り上げられています。実際、ホストの2人はヒグマが多く生息している北海道に暮らしています。今回は、私たちが日常生活での熊との生活感や熊対策などをお話します。In Japan, there have been many recent reports of “bear sightings” and “damage and injuries caused by bears.” In fact, our 2 hosts live in Hokkaido, where brown bears are abundant. In this episode, we'll share our experiences of living alongside bears in daily life and discuss bear countermeasures.↓↓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 ACErnest's Instagram: @ernest_mkcNaoya's Instagram: @japanese_teacher_n

経済産業省、東京都千代田区経済産業省は１２日、同省所管の産業技術総合研究所が、北海道千歳市に最先端半導体の研究開発拠点を整備すると発表した。 Japan's industry ministry said Friday that its affiliated National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, or AIST, will establish a research and development base for advanced semiconductors in Chitose, Hokkaido, northernmost Japan.

【図解】青森東方沖で最大震度４１２日午前１１時４４分ごろ、青森県東方沖を震源とする地震があり、最大震度４の揺れが北海道函館市や青森県八戸市、盛岡市、宮城県登米市、秋田県北秋田市など５道県３８市町村で広く観測された。 Japan issued tsunami advisories for the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures from northern to northeastern Japan after another offshore earthquake shook the regions late Friday morning.

Around 11:44 a.m. on Friday December 12th, a quake with an estimated magnitude of 6.7 occurred off Aomori, logging 4 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in 38 municipalities in five prefectures, including Hokkaido's Hakodate, Aomori's Hachinohe and Iwate's Morioka. The intensity was the sixth-highest level on the 10-point scale. All the advisories were lifted at 2:05 p.m. after minor tsunami waves were observed in some municipalities, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Japan issued tsunami advisories for the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures from northern to northeastern Japan after another offshore earthquake shook the regions late Friday morning.

Japan's industry ministry said Friday that its affiliated National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, or AIST, will establish a research and development base for advanced semiconductors in Chitose, Hokkaido, northernmost Japan.

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Snowy Legends Brew: A Journalist's Journey to Inspiration Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-12-11-08-38-20-ja Story Transcript:Ja: リナとあいこと健太の物語が始まるのは、北北海道の雪に包まれた冬のことでした。En: The story of Rina, Aiko, and Kenta begins in the winter, wrapped in the snow of northern Hokkaido.Ja: リナはきびしい締切に追われるジャーナリストです。En: Rina is a journalist chasing a tight deadline.Ja: ここ、山道を越える旅の途中で、二人は風情あるコーヒー焙煎所に立ち寄りました。En: During their journey over the mountain road, they stopped by a charming coffee roasting shop.Ja: 焙煎所の中は、焙煎されたての豆の温かい香りが漂い、吊るされたランタンの柔らかな光が木製の家具を照らしていました。En: Inside the roasting shop, the warm aroma of freshly roasted beans filled the air, and the soft glow of hanging lanterns illuminated the wooden furniture.Ja: この場所で働くのは、コーヒーに情熱を持つバリスタの健太です。En: Working there was Kenta, a barista with a passion for coffee.Ja: 彼は来る客に地元の伝説を語るのが好きでした。En: He enjoyed telling local legends to the customers who visited.Ja: リナとあいこが店に入ると、健太は楽しそうに話し始めます。En: When Rina and Aiko entered the shop, Kenta began to speak cheerfully.Ja: 「この山には、古い神話がたくさんあるんだ。」彼の話に、リナは興味をそそられます。En: "There are many old myths about this mountain." His story piqued Rina's interest.Ja: リナは記事のために特別なストーリーを集めたがっていましたが、急ぐ必要もありました。En: Rina wanted to gather a special story for her article but was also in a hurry.Ja: しかし、雪は徐々に強くなり、道を塞いでいきます。En: However, the snow gradually grew stronger, blocking the road.Ja: あいこも「この雪じゃ、進むのは無理かもしれないね。ひとまず、健太さんの物語を聞こうよ。」と提案しました。En: Aiko suggested, "With this snow, it might be impossible to move forward. For now, let's listen to Kenta's story."Ja: その夜、しんしんと雪が降る焙煎所で、健太は一つの神話を熱心に語ります。En: That night, with the snow falling silently at the roasting shop, Kenta enthusiastically shared one of the myths.Ja: 昔、この山には巨大なフクロウが住んでいて、雪が降るたびに現れると言われています。En: Long ago, a giant owl was said to live on this mountain, appearing every time it snowed.Ja: この話に、リナはクリエイティブな刺激を受けました。En: This story gave Rina the creative inspiration she needed.Ja: それはまさに彼女が求めていた特別なストーリーでした。En: It was precisely the special story she had been seeking.Ja: リナは心のままに記事を書き、翌朝には雪が止むことを期待せずに、焙煎所で一晩を過ごすことにしました。En: Rina wrote her article as her heart guided her and decided to spend the night at the roasting shop, without expecting the snow to stop by morning.Ja: 焙煎所の温かさと、健太の語った伝説に助けられ、リナは記事を完成させました。En: Thanks to the warmth of the roasting shop and the legends told by Kenta, Rina was able to complete the article.Ja: 雪が止んだ時、リナは締切に遅れそうでしたが、焙煎所でのひと時がもたらした豊かなストーリーに大満足でした。En: When the snow stopped, Rina was almost late for her deadline, but she was very satisfied with the rich story that her time at the roasting shop had brought her.Ja: 結果、記事はかなりの反響を呼び、リナはストーリーの深みとタイミングの柔軟性を大切にすることの重要性を学びました。En: As a result, the article garnered quite a response, and Rina learned the importance of valuing the depth of the story and flexibility in timing.Ja: この旅を通じて、リナは物語の力を改めて感じ、日々の中での小さな冒険の価値を噛みしめるようになったのでした。En: Through this journey, Rina once again felt the power of stories and came to appreciate the value of small adventures in everyday life. Vocabulary Words:wrapped: 包まれたdeadline: 締切journey: 旅aroma: 香りilluminated: 照らしてbarista: バリスタpassion: 情熱legends: 伝説myths: 神話piqued: 興味をそそられgradually: 徐々にsuggested: 提案しましたenthusiastically: 熱心にgiant: 巨大なowl: フクロウinspiration: 刺激creative: クリエイティブなguided: 心のままにcomplete: 完成させましたsatisfied: 大満足garnered: 呼びresponse: 反響importance: 重要性valuing: 大切にするdepth: 深みflexibility: 柔軟性adventures: 冒険appreciate: 噛みしめるvalue: 価値everyday: 日々

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.Mike is back solo with a look at Dragongate's busiest week of the year - the Okinawa and Hokkaido week. He discusses the end of King of Gate 2025, its winner and the 12/3 Korakuen Hall show along with the three days in Sapporo (12/5-7) kicking off the Triangle Gate League!Case's article on Gianni Valletta can be read at: https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2025/12/08/gianni-vallettas-improbable-journey-to-dragongates-king-of-gate-2025/  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

Wilayah Aomori mengalami kerusakan hebat setelah gempa bermagnitudo 7,5 mengguncang pada Senin malam. Gempa berpusat di Samudra Pasifik sekitar 80 kilometer dari pantai Aomori, menyebabkan sedikitnya 33 orang terluka serta merusak bangunan dan infrastruktur. Sekitar 800 rumah mengalami pemadaman listrik, layanan transportasi umum dihentikan, dan ratusan warga dievakuasi ke Pangkalan Udara Hachinohe. Sebanyak 18 helikopter militer dikerahkan untuk membantu proses penyelamatan. Asosiasi media Jepang memperingatkan potensi gempa susulan yang dapat mencapai magnitudo 8 disertai ancaman tsunami di wilayah timur Tokyo hingga Hokkaido.

'n Kragtige aardbewing wat 7,6 op die Richterskaal gemeet het, het in die see naby die noord-oostelike streke van Japan net na 11-uur Maandagaand voorgekom. Tsunami-waarskuwings en ontruimingsbevele is uitgestuur vir inwoners van die Aomori-, Iwati- en Hokkaido-prefekture. Skuddings is in Tokio en bykans die hele Japan gevoel, en beserings is aangemeld. Kernkragsentrales in die omgewing het veiligheidstoetse gedoen. Die waarskuwing is in Engels op die televisiekanaal NHK World-Japan uitgesaai:

Kia ora,Welcome to Tuesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news long term bond yields are on the move higher again with the UST 10yr at a 4 month high, but the Japanese yen is now at a 27 year high. The Australian equivalent is at a 2 year high and threatening a 14 year benchmark, while the NZGB 10 year is at a 5 month high.In the US, the top-line survey of inflation expectations seems stable at a highish 3.2% for the year ahead, 3.0% for 5 years ahead. But within that are some signals that have garnered attention. Expectations for food rose to 5.9%, petrol climbed to 4.1%, medical care surged to 10.1% (the highest since January 2014), college education increased to 8.4%, and rent jumped to 8.3%. The main reason the overall lid remained is that house price expectations fell. The survey indicated that consumers expect a worsening financial situation.The failure of the Trump Administration to get a deal out of China for agricultural exports is seeing them scrambling to support their farmers with direct subsidies.There was another US Treasury auction today, the ever-popular 3 year Note. But offer volumes fell more than -7% for this event. It delivered a median yield of 3.57%, little-changed from the 3.54% at the prior equivalent event a month ago.In Japan, a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck northeastern Japan late Monday night, with aaa a tsunami warning for coastal areas of Hokkaido issued.Japan's GDP contracted -0.6% in Q3 2025 from Q2, a larger fall than the flash estimate of a -0.4% decline and market forecasts for a -0.5% drop. The latest figure followed a downwardly revised -0.5% growth in Q2 and marked the first quarterly contraction since Q1 2024, with business spending slipping for the first time in three quarters.In China, they released November trade data overnight and their exports rose by +5.9% from a year ago to an eleven-month high, much better than the expected +3.8% rise and recovering from the -1.1% fall in October. There was a notable surge in exports to non-US markets. A lower than expected rise in imports delivered at trade balance exceeding +US$110 for the month and extending their rise that started with the Trump challenge in late 2024. Separation from the US has delivered a rising export dividend for China. For the eleven months of 2025 so far, the Chinese trade surplus has now exceeded US$1 tln.Over all of 2025 to the US, their exports fell -18% and their imports fell -13%. To Australia, China's exports are up +8% while imports are down -8%. To New Zealand, China's exports are up +4% while their imports are up +10%.As good as these export numbers are for China, they are also going into debt at an equally impressive rates. China's central government will likely issue more than CNY12 tln (US$1.7 tln) of new debt in 2026, with a fiscal deficit ratio of at least 4%. There is alarm in some quarters as the expansionist policies get the official tick..In Europe, German industrial production rose +1.8% in October from September, sharply outperforming market expectations for a -0.4% decline. It was the strongest monthly gain since March. Year on year it is up +0.8%. The Germans measure this metric in real, inflation-adjusted terms.The UST 10yr yield is now at 4.17%, up another +3 bps from this time yesterday. The price of gold will start today at US$4191/oz, and down -US$6 from yesterday.American oil prices are down -US$1 at just over US$59/bbl, while the international Brent price is just under US$63/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is marginally softer from yesterday, now at just under 57.7 USc, down -10 bps. Against the Aussie though we are up +10 bps at just on 87.1 AUc. Against the euro we are unchanged at 49.6 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at 61.9, and little-changed from yesterday.The bitcoin price starts today at US$89,846 and up +0.4% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest, at just over +/- 1.6%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.

The Krewe sits down with Chris Madere (Baird Brewing) & Chris Poel (Shiokaze BrewLab) to explore Japan's growing craft beer scene. They discuss how Japan's drinking culture evolved beyond the big-name breweries, what daily life is like behind the brewhouse doors, the challenges small and foreign brewers face, and the innovations shaping the future of Japanese craft beer. A fun, informative look at the people driving Japan's craft beer boom.------ 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, Threads: @kreweofjapanpodcast & 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 Food & Beverage Episodes ------Shochu 101 ft. Christopher Pelligrini (S6E7)Craving Ramen ft. Shinichi Mine of TabiEats (S4E11)Hungry For Travel ft. Shinichi of TabiEats (S3E15)Sippin' Sake ft. Brian Ashcraft (S1E19)Talking Konbini: Irasshaimase! (S1E3)------ About Christopher & Honkaku Spirits ------Baird Brewing WebsiteBaird Brewing on IGBaird Brewing on FBShiokaze BrewLab (Nobuto) on IGShiokaze BrewLab Stand on IG------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Drop us a message with any questions you may have :)INTRORob clocks Dom's Skoggles.“What on earth are you wearing?”SPONSOR PRE-ROLLThanks to Ski Independence, tailor-made ski holidays built by people who actually ski the places they sell.NEWS ROUND UPRhydycar West Snow Centre moves closer, £300m, 400m indoor slope, 800+ jobs, final call sits with council 2026.Avalanche hit Stubai, Slope 9 shut, 250+ rescue team, 8 skiers caught, all recovered alive, four minor injuries, two to hospital.Kirsty Muir wins Big Air World Cup in China, 174.50 points, first Big Air victory. Troy Podmilsak takes men's win with 185.50.Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is back. 24th in Super-G, 1.25 seconds off Odermatt, and that start gate moment was the real headline.SNOW & WEATHERAlps opening early, 100+ areas already spinning lifts.France high wins up top (Val Thorens, Tignes, Les 2 Alpes).Austria/Switzerland both open inside and outside glacier zones.Italy warming then topping up.Scandi open on tamer terrain, holding with cold nights.North America Banff solid, USA turning colder with snow ahead.Hokkaido looking tasty, Japan Sea side forecast above average.GEAR TIME (brought to you by Ellis Brigham)Nordica Multipista incoming.Atomic Maverick 88 CTi & Maven 88 CTi remain chargers.Salomon QST 100 still the do-it-all pick.Dual BOA spreading. Head Kaliber 110 worth a look.K2 Cortex, Nordica Sportmachine, Tecnica Mach1 LV getting dials.ZipFit and ZipFit liners: heel hold heroes without new shells.Helly Hansen keeps the Ski Free deal live.Descente, Roarsome, POC, Dragon all tweaking fit, magnets, MIPS, comms, heat.Thermic insoles still king of warm feet. Cardo comms keep the gang talking or vibing.DESTINATION SPOTLIGHTPark City tease: 41 lifts, 331 runs, 3k+ elevation, 355 inches snow a year.Shannon Happe joinsDom is buzzing for winter there. Rob happily agrees, it's Utah, it's vast, it's memory-making.OUTROThanks for tuning in.Hit subscribe.Search The Whiteout Podcast for the full video on YouTube.See you on the mountain.Support the showIn the meantime Enjoy the mountains :) And Please do leave a review as it's the only way other like minded travellers get to find us! And don't forget to check us out on the following channels inthesnow.cominstagram.com/inthesnowTikTok@inthesnowmag youtube.com/inthesnowmagfacebook.com/inthesnowTo contact us with your suggestions for further episodes at dom@InTheSnow.com / robert@ski-press.com

VOV1 - Đúng dự báo của giới chuyên môn, Nhật Bản đang đón một mùa đông rất khắc nghiệt.Cơ quan Khí tượng Nhật Bản cho biết do ảnh hưởng của một đợt khí áp mùa đông sớm chưa từng có và không khí lạnh tăng cường, toàn bộ các địa phương phía Bắc và Đông Bắc nước này đang đang phải hứng chịu nhưng đợt tuyết dày kỷ lục. Tính đến 17h chiều nay, theo giờ địa phương, lượng tuyết tại tỉnh Aomori đã lên tới 96cm, Fukushima 56cm và nơi có lượng tuyết thấp nhất cũng lên tới 35cm.Bên cạnh đó, nền nhiệt tại nhiều địa phương cũng xuống thấp chưa từng có. Đặc biệt, nhiệt độ tại Hokkaido đã xuống tới -13,5°C. Nhiều địa phương vốn có khí hậu ấm áp cũng đang phải chịu những đợt rét kỷ lục, trong đó Hiroshima – miền Nam Nhật Bản, là -0,6 °C, Osaca 3,2 °C và Tokyo là 4,5 °C.Cơ quan khí tượng Nhật Bản cũng dự báo đợt rét kỷ lục này sẽ kéo dài ít nhất đến hết ngày mai (5/12), đồng thời cảnh báo về những nguy cơ như lốc xoáy, cuồng phong, bão tuyết, tuyết lở, sập nhà, đứt dây điện và đổ cột điện do tuyết, băng rơi từ trên cao…Trước đó, từ cuối tháng 9 vừa qua, các chuyên gia khí tượng Nhật Bản đã dự báo mùa thu năm 2025 có khả năng sẽ ngắn hơn thông lệ, đồng thời, mùa đông sẽ đến sớm và nhiệt độ tại các khu vực cực Nam và phía Tây nước này trong khoảng thời gian từ tháng 12/2025 đến tháng 2/2026 sẽ thấp hơn so với mọi năm và hiện nay, các dự báo nêu trên đang trở thành sự thật./.Lượng tuyết năm nay có khả năng sẽ vượt qua kỷ lục của mùa đông trước (ảnh Jiji Press)

In dieser Folge nehme ich Sie mit auf eine außergewöhnliche Expeditionsreise, die ich gemeinsam mit Kapitän Ulf Wolter erlebt habe – von Japans quirligem Städten und der malerischen Insel Hokkaido über die geheimnisvollen Aleuten bis in die unberührte Wildnis Alaskas.Kapitän Ulf Wolter erzählt von seinen ganz persönlichen Highlights: von den ersten Tagen in der vibrierenden Kultur Japans, von eindrucksvollen Walbeobachtungen auf dem offenen Pazifik und vom Kreuzen zwischen Vulkaninseln, Seeadlern und einsamen Buchten. Er berichtet von neuen Wasserstraßen, die er auf dieser Route erstmals befahren hat, und von den besonderen Momenten, in denen sich Naturgewalt und Stille begegnen – etwa bei den Bärenbeobachtungen.Ein Gespräch über nautische Präzision, Entdeckergeist und die Faszination einer Reise, die Asien und Alaska auf einzigartige Weise verbindet – voller Emotion, Weite und echter Expeditionsmagie.

A blizzard has erased the highways of Hokkaido, trapping a diverse group of travelers in a roadside station on Christmas Eve. There is a businessman with a deadline, a crying toddler, and a truck driver named Kenji hauling a perishable cargo of sunshine—mandarin oranges. As the power flickers and the vending machines die, the tension in the room rises. With the road closed and hunger setting in, Kenji looks at his sealed cargo and faces a choice: follow the rules of the logbook, or break the seal to feed the strangers stranded with him. If these moments of quiet connection and hope resonated with you, we're thrilled to tell you that the full collection, When the Bells Don't Ring by Danny Ballan, is now available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Get Danny's book When the Bells Stop Ringing for yourself or as a gift for your loved ones this Christmas. Buy the paperback from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G34NWXDV Support Danny on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyballan

In this new Tasting Talk session, Dan and Dave dig into a compelling bottle from Bainbridge Organic Distillers: the Battle Point Wheat Whiskey finished in Hokkaido Mizunara Casks.They explore how Bainbridge takes its organic wheat whiskey and finishes it in Hokkaido-grown Mizunara oak, creating a whiskey that blends tropical warmth with the famed incense-spice character of Japanese Mizunara. Expect them to break down:​Aromas: vanilla cream soda, and that signature Mizunara temple incense​Palate: sandalwood , toasted coconut from the Mizunara influence, and big creamy vanilla notes​Finish: long, viscous, warming, with lingering oak spice​Overall impressions: Does this Bainbridge expression push the Battle Point line into new territory?Dan and Dave compare tasting notes, debate the dominant flavors, and deliver their verdict on whether this bottle earns a spot on your shelf. They also talk about how the western U.S. is churning out exceptional single grain whiskeys. Hint: because a lot of it's grown in the west!

日本製鉄本社が入るビル、東京都千代田区１日午前０時５０分ごろ、北海道室蘭市仲町の日本製鉄北日本製鉄所の近隣住民から「家が振動するような感じがあり、構内で火事があったようだ」と１１９番があった。 A fire has occurred at Nippon Steel Corp.'s North Nippon Works in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido.

A fire has occurred at Nippon Steel Corp.'s North Nippon Works in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido.

Zaszywamy się w sercu pokrytego śniegiem Hokkaido, by dogłębnie przeanalizować Ghost of Yōtei! Wspólnie z Bartkiem bierzemy na warsztat wszystko, co dotyczy nowej przygody Sucker Punch: pierwsze Wrażenia z regionu wokół góry Yōtei oraz Ewolucję Eksploracji w porównaniu do Tsushimy. Szczegółowo oceniamy Historię Atsu i jej motywację zemsty na „Szóstce z Yōtei”. Która z fascynujących postaci drugoplanowych (Jubei, Oyuki, Saito, Kiku) zapadła nam w pamięć? Analizujemy System Walki (shinobi czy ronin?) oraz immersyjne wykorzystanie Dual Sense. Dyskutujemy o zwrotach akcji. Nie pomijamy kontrowersji: Czy gra słusznie spotkała się z krytyką jako „tylko dodatek”? Odpowiadamy też na zmasowany internetowy hejt dotyczący wyglądu głównej bohaterki.⚠️ UWAGA: Ten odcinek jest w 100% zdominowany przez SPOILERY! Upewnij się, że ukończyłeś grę, zanim go posłuchasz!------------

Japan's tourism sector is bracing for a deepening chill this winter in the wake of erroneous remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.日本首相高市早苗的失言事件后，日本旅游业正为今年冬季持续降温的局面做准备。As its travel market cools, rival destinations across Asia are moving swiftly to cater to Chinese travelers who had previously planned to visit Japan.随着日本旅游市场遇冷，亚洲各地的竞争对手正迅速行动，以吸引那些原本计划赴日旅游的中国游客。"Since last week, inquiries for Malaysia, Singapore and winter favorites such as Phu Quoc in Vietnam and Bali in Indonesia have increased by 20 to 30 percent week-on-week," said Li Mengran, marketing manager of Beijing-based travel agency Utour.北京优途旅行社市场经理李梦然表示：“上周以来，马来西亚、新加坡以及越南富国岛、印度尼西亚巴厘岛等冬季度假胜地的咨询量较前一周增长了20%至30%。”"These destinations benefit from visa-free policies, diverse tourism resources, abundant flights and flexible tour products suited for families and smaller groups."这些目的地因免签政策、丰富的旅游资源、充足的航班以及适合家庭和小团体游客的灵活旅游产品而备受青睐。Thailand moved quickly to capitalize on the shifting sentiment.泰国借势把握市场情绪变化带来的机遇。On Wednesday, the Beijing office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand emphasized that Thailand "always welcomes visitors from around the world, especially Chinese friends", announcing Chinese-specific New Year promotions and safety standards.周三，泰国旅游局北京办事处强调，泰国“始终欢迎世界各地的游客，特别是中国朋友”，并宣布推出针对中国游客的新春促销活动及安全标准。Beyond Southeast Asia, Russia is also seeking to attract Chinese tourists.除东南亚地区外，俄罗斯也在积极吸引中国游客。Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Nov 18 that visa-free travel for Chinese citizens would be introduced "in the very near future", according to Russian media reports.据俄罗斯媒体报道，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京11月18日表示，俄方将在“不久的将来”对中国公民实施免签政策。Data from Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency, show that the ranking of top outbound destinations has shifted significantly.北京在线旅游平台去哪儿网的数据显示，热门出境旅游目的地的排名已发生显著变化。On Nov 15 and 16, South Korea overtook Japan as the most-booked outbound market, with Seoul becoming the most searched international destination by Nov 17. The surge has been helped by South Korea's visa-free trial program for Chinese tour groups of three or more, effective from Sept 29 through June 30 next year.11月15日至16日，韩国超越日本成为预订量最高的出境旅游市场，首尔更在11月17日跃居最受搜索的国际目的地。此轮增长得益于韩国自9月29日起实施的免签试点政策——针对三人及以上中国旅行团的免签政策将持续至明年6月30日。"From now through the end of 2025, off-peak outbound demand will remain strong," said Yang Han, a researcher at Qunar. "Japan's change has pushed travelers toward more diversified destinations, South Korea now leads, followed by China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions nearby, and costeffective Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia."去哪儿网研究员杨涵表示：“从现在到2025年底，淡季出境游需求将持续强劲。日本市场的变化促使游客转向更多元化的目的地，韩国目前位居首位，其次是邻近的中国香港、澳门特别行政区，以及泰国、越南、马来西亚等性价比高的东南亚国家。”Domestic destinations are absorbing some redirected traffic as well. Flight bookings to southern provinces from Nov 19 to Dec 31 had exceeded 4.72 million as of Nov 18, up about 13 percent year-on-year, according to data from aviation service app Umetrip.国内目的地也吸纳了部分转移的客流。据航空服务应用程序航旅纵横数据显示，截至11月18日，11月19日至12月31日期间飞往南方省份的航班预订量已突破472万次，同比增长约13%。The ongoing downturn in Chinese outbound travel to Japan accelerated after multiple Chinese ministries issued travel alerts, reminding Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near term. Major Chinese airlines have subsequently announced free refunds or rescheduling for Japan routes booked before Dec 31. According to a report by China Central Television on Thursday, more than 540,000 flight tickets to Japan have been canceled since Nov 15.中国赴日出境游持续低迷，在多个中国政府部门发布旅行提示、提醒公民近期避免赴日后，这一趋势进一步加速。中国主要航空公司随后宣布，对12月31日前预订的日本航线提供免费退票或改签服务。据中央电视台周四报道，自11月15日以来，已有超过54万张赴日机票被取消。Wu Liyun, professor of the China Academy of Culture and Tourism at Beijing International Studies University, said travelers now increasingly prioritize safety, emotional comfort and geopolitical stability.北京外国语大学中国文化旅游研究院教授吴丽云指出，如今旅客越来越重视安全保障、情感舒适度和地缘政治稳定性。"People want to feel relaxed and happy when traveling. Government attitudes and how locals treat foreign visitors directly shape emotional experience," she said. When safety or political stability weakens, she added, travelers naturally turn elsewhere. "Southeast Asia, Central Asia and many regional destinations offer strong alternatives. Safety and certainty have become crucial, long-term considerations."吴丽云表示：“人们旅行时渴望放松身心、享受快乐。政府态度和当地居民对待外国游客的方式，直接影响着游客的情感体验。”她补充道，当安全或政治稳定性下降时，游客自然会另寻他处。“东南亚、中亚及众多地区性目的地提供了强有力的替代选择。安全与确定性已成为至关重要的长期考量因素”。China is Japan's largest and highest-spending inbound visitor source. In 2024, Chinese mainland tourists accounted for 21.3 percent of all foreign tourist expenditure, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Combined visitors from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong made up 30 percent of Japan's total inbound arrivals between January and September this year.中国是日本最大的入境游客来源地，且消费水平最高。日本国家旅游局数据显示，2024年中国大陆游客支出占日本外国游客总支出的21.3%。今年1月至9月，中国大陆与香港游客合计占日本入境游客总量的30%。The impact is already being felt in Japan's northernmost prefecture. Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki said at a news conference on Friday that cancellations have appeared across local hotels and flight tickets. "As the winter travel season approaches, the concerns continue to grow."这种影响已在日本最北端的县有所显现。日本北海道知事鈴木直道周五在记者会上表示，当地酒店和机票出现大量取消预订的情况，“随着冬季旅游旺季临近，担忧情绪持续加剧”。Sapporo Stream Hotel in Hokkaido, which normally receives around 3,000 Chinese guests each month, has recorded 70 cancellations since the travel alert. Tour operators in Nagoya and Tokyo report similar losses. One Nagoya-based charter operator said all December bookings from Chinese groups had been canceled. A Tokyo river cruise company that usually serves up to 2,000 Chinese tourists annually saw about 240 people cancel in recent days.位于北海道的札幌溪流酒店每月通常接待约3000名中国游客，自发布旅行警示以来已收到70份取消预订通知。名古屋和东京的旅行社也报告了类似损失。一家名古屋包机运营商表示，12月所有中国团队预订均已取消。一家东京游船公司通常每年接待约2000名中国游客，近日已有约240人取消行程。Japan's Nomura Research Institute estimated that the decline in Chinese tourists could reduce Japan's GDP by 0.36 percent.日本野村综合研究所估计，中国游客的减少可能使日本国内生产总值下降0.36%。Tourism is Japan's second-largest source of foreign exchange, after vehicle exports, Wu of the China Academy of Culture and Tourism added.吴丽云补充道，旅游业是日本第二大外汇来源，仅次于汽车出口。"If Chinese travelers significantly reduce or halt travel to Japan, that consumption disappears," she said. "This will have a huge impact on Japan's foreign-exchange revenue, GDP growth and employment across accommodation, dining, retail and entertainment."吴丽云表示：“如果中国游客大幅减少或停止赴日旅行，这些消费就会消失。这将对日本的外汇收入、GDP增长以及住宿、餐饮、零售和娱乐行业的就业产生巨大影响。”outbound travel出境游visa-free trial program免签试点政策

This week, the Krewe is joined by Loretta Scott (aka KemushiChan on YouTube Channel) for a personal, insightful, and often funny look at what it's like raising kids in Japan as an American parent. We dig into birth experiences, cultural differences from the U.S., unexpected parenting moments, and tips for families living in or visiting Japan. Curious about family life abroad or considering a trip to Japan with the munchkins? This episode is packed with helpful insight just for you!------ 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!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ Links for Tobias Harris ------Loretta on InstagramKemushiChan YouTube Channel------ Past Language Learning Episodes ------Inside Japanese Language Schools ft. Langston Hill (S6E3)Japanese Self-Study Strategies ft. Walden Perry (S5E4)Learn the Kansai Dialect ft. Tyson of Nihongo Hongo (S4E14)Heisig Method ft. Dr. James Heisig (S4E5)Prepping for the JLPT ft. Loretta of KemushiCan (S3E16)Language Through Video Games ft. Matt of Game Gengo (S3E4)Pitch Accent (Part 2) ft. Dogen (S2E15)Pitch Accent (Part 1) ft. Dogen (S2E14)Language through Literature ft. Daniel Morales (S2E8)Immersion Learning ft. MattvsJapan (S1E10)Japanese Language Journeys ft. Saeko-Sensei (S1E4)------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Dancing Between Memories: Lina's Heartfelt Festival Homecoming Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-11-15-23-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 色とりどりの提灯が揺れる北海度の小さな村、秋祭りの夜。En: A small village in Hokkaido on the night of the autumn festival, where colorful lanterns sway.Ja: 空気は冷たく、焼き栗の香りが漂っている。En: The air is cold, and the scent of roasted chestnuts drifts in the air.Ja: リナは人ごみの中を歩きながら、懐かしい村の光景を思い出していた。En: Lina was walking through the crowd, reminiscing about the nostalgic scenes of her village.Ja: 村を離れてから数年が経ったが、今日のシチゴサンの祭りを機に訪れることにした。En: Several years had passed since she left the village, but she decided to visit today for the Shichigosan festival.Ja: リナは幼い頃からの親友タケシと再会するのを楽しみにしていた。En: Lina was looking forward to reuniting with her childhood friend Takeshi.Ja: タケシは村から一度も離れたことがなく、穏やかな性格で村の生活を楽しんでいた。En: Takeshi had never left the village and enjoyed the peaceful village life.Ja: 「リナ！久しぶりだね」と、タケシの声が聞こえた。En: "Lina! It's been a while," came Takeshi's voice.Ja: 人ごみの中、リナの胸が躍った。En: Among the crowd, Lina's heart leaped.Ja: タケシは、祭りの広場を案内しながら話し続けた。En: Takeshi continued talking while guiding her through the festival plaza.Ja: 「ここ、変わってないね！」と、リナは懐かしそうに呟いた。En: "It hasn't changed here, has it?" Lina murmured nostalgically.Ja: 提灯の下で浮かぶタケシの顔は、昔と変わらない優しさに満ちていた。En: Under the lantern light, Takeshi's face was filled with the same kindness as in the past.Ja: リナは村の温かさを感じながらも、自分の将来について考えていた。En: While feeling the warmth of the village, Lina was also contemplating her future.Ja: 都会の生活は刺激的だが、どこか虚無感もあった。En: Life in the city was exciting, but there was a sense of emptiness as well.Ja: ここでのシンプルな生活は、心の安らぎを与えてくれる。En: The simple life here offered peace of mind.Ja: しかし、再び都会に戻る決断をしたかった。En: However, she wanted to make the decision to return to the city once more.Ja: 日が暮れると、村の人々が集まり、祭りのクライマックスである伝統舞踊が始まった。En: As night fell, the villagers gathered, and the traditional dance, which was the climax of the festival, began.Ja: タケシがリナに手を差し出した。En: Takeshi extended his hand to Lina.Ja: 「一緒に踊ろうよ。」En: "Let's dance together."Ja: リナは迷った。En: Lina hesitated.Ja: ここで踊ることは、彼女の心に過去を取り戻すことを意味する。En: Dancing here meant reclaiming her past in her heart.Ja: しかし、リナは勇気を出してタケシの手を取り、輪の中に入った。En: However, Lina gathered her courage, took Takeshi's hand, and joined the circle.Ja: 村の音楽と共に、一歩一歩軽やかに踊り出した。En: Along with the village music, she started dancing lightly, step by step.Ja: リナの心は穏やかになった。En: Lina's heart became calm.Ja: 彼女は気づいた。過去と今を別々に考える必要はない。En: She realized she didn't need to think of the past and now as separate.Ja: 両方を受け入れ、新しい一歩を踏み出せばいいのだ。En: She could embrace both and take a new step forward.Ja: 祭りの終わりを迎え、リナは微笑んだ。En: As the festival came to an end, Lina smiled.Ja: 村の温もりを胸に抱き、未来を見据えていくことを決心したのだ。En: She had decided to embrace the warmth of the village and look toward the future.Ja: これからは、過去も今も大切にしながら生活をしていこうと、リナは心に誓った。En: Lina vowed to herself to cherish both her past and present as she moves forward in life. Vocabulary Words:lantern: 提灯sway: 揺れるfestival: 祭りdrift: 漂うnostalgic: 懐かしいreminiscing: 思い出していたanticipating: 楽しみにするpeaceful: 穏やかなreuniting: 再会するguiding: 案内murmured: 呟いたcontemplating: 考えるemptiness: 虚無感reclaiming: 取り戻すclimax: クライマックスdance: 舞踊embrace: 抱くchestnuts: 焼き栗decision: 決断hesitated: 迷ったcircle: 輪cherish: 大切にするvowed: 誓ったlightly: 軽やかにgathered: 集まりfuture: 未来nostalgia: 懐かしさkindness: 優しさcalm: 穏やかstep: 一歩

Japan's political scene is changing—from new parties rising in visibility to historic moments in national leadership—so the Krewe is bringing you a timely crash course. Political analyst Tobias Harris (Founder & Principal of Japan Foresight) joins the pod to break down the foundations of Japan's government system, how it compares to the U.S., and why voters view politics the way they do. We explore the major and emerging parties shaping the landscape, the issues driving debate today, and how international pressures and global events influence domestic policy. Tobias also sheds light on the media's role in shaping public perception and political accountability.------ 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!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ Links for Tobias Harris ------Japan ForesightObserving Japan on SubstackThe Iconoclast on AmazonTobias Harris on BlueSky------ Past History/Society 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)Change in Urban & Rural Japanese Communities ft. Azby Brown (S5E15)Inside Japanese Homes & Architecture ft. Azby Brown (S5E6)Kendo: The Way of the Sword ft. Alexander Bennett, 7th Dan in Kendo (S4E16)Jokichi Takamine: The Earliest Bridge Between New Orleans & Japan ft. Stephen Lyman (S4E13)The Chrysanthemum Throne ft. Dr. Hiromu Nagahara [Part 2] (S2E18)The Chrysanthemum Throne ft. Dr. Hiromu Nagahara [Part 1] (S2E17)The Age of Lady Samurai ft. Tomoko Kitagawa (S1E12)------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Our guest is Bruce Gutlove, who is an American-born winemaker based in Hokkaido, Japan. The Japanese wine industry has been flourishing, particularly in the last two decades or so, thanks to the rapid increase in talented winemakers who are willing to conquer the challenges of the country's unique terroir. Bruce has greatly contributed to shaping the modern Japanese wine-making culture. Since 1989, he has worked in vineyards and wineries in Japan to bring out the potential of the Japanese climate and soil. Most notably, he led the COCO Farm & Winery https://cocowine.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cocofaw-pr-eng.pdf in Tochigi Prefecture, which is owned and operated by people with intellectual disabilities, to become an award-winning wine producer. Now, as the owner of 10R Winery https://www.10rwinery.jp/ in Hokkaido, he keeps fostering successful winemakers and helps solidify Japan's unique wine industry. In this episode, we will discuss how Bruce got involved in wine consulting in Japan when the industry just about to start developing, the uniqueness of the wine-making environment in Japan, the exciting grape varieties that make Japanese wine stand out in the global market, Bruce's personal observation of Japan and why he has spent over 35 years in the country and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Crafting Bonds: Discovering Ainu Culture through Artistry Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-11-13-23-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 秋の美しい日でした。En: It was a beautiful autumn day.Ja: 北海道のアイヌ村は、色とりどりの葉で飾られていました。En: The Ainu village in Hokkaido was adorned with leaves of various colors.Ja: アキラは初めて村を訪れました。En: Akira visited the village for the first time.Ja: アキラは若い女性で、アイヌ文化にとても興味がありました。En: Akira is a young woman who was very interested in Ainu culture.Ja: 彼女は妹のためにシチゴサンの特別な贈り物を探していました。En: She was looking for a special gift for Shichigosan for her younger sister.Ja: アキラには案内人がいました。En: Akira had a guide.Ja: 彼女の名前はユキです。En: Her name was Yuki.Ja: ユキは誇りを持って村とその伝統を紹介しました。En: Yuki proudly introduced the village and its traditions.Ja: 「ここの市場はとても特別です」とユキは言いました。En: "The market here is very special," Yuki said.Ja: 「多くの地元の職人がここで作品を売っています。En: "Many local artisans sell their works here."Ja: 」市場には多くの店があり、それぞれに色鮮やかな手工芸品が飾られていました。En: The market had many shops, each adorned with vividly colored handicrafts.Ja: 木製の建物からは美味しそうな食べ物の香りが漂っていました。En: From the wooden buildings, the aroma of delicious food wafted through the air.Ja: アキラは歩き回りながら、どれもとても興味深そうに見ました。En: Akira walked around, and everything looked very intriguing to her.Ja: その中で、アキラはハルトの店に立ち寄りました。En: Among them, Akira stopped by Harto's shop.Ja: ハルトは控えめな職人でしたが、とても美しい作品を作っていました。En: Harto was a modest artisan, but he made very beautiful works.Ja: しかしハルトは自分の作品の話をするのが少し苦手でした。En: However, Harto was a bit shy when it came to talking about his creations.Ja: アキラは店に近づき、「このペンダントはとても素敵ですね」とハルトに言いました。En: Akira approached the shop and said to Harto, "This pendant is very lovely."Ja: ハルトは少し驚いていましたが、アキラの笑顔を見て話し始めました。En: Harto was a bit surprised but began to speak after seeing Akira's smile.Ja: 「これは子供を守るためのペンダントです。En: "This is a pendant to protect children.Ja: 古くからの物語があります。En: There is an old story behind it."Ja: 」アキラは興味津々で、「その話を教えてください」と頼みました。En: Akira, full of curiosity, asked, "Please tell me that story."Ja: ハルトは少し照れながらも、ペンダントの物語を話し始めました。En: Harto, though slightly embarrassed, began to share the story of the pendant.Ja: それは子供を守るための象徴で、愛と勇気の意味も持っていると言いました。En: He said it was a symbol for protecting children and also held meanings of love and courage.Ja: アキラはその物語に心を打たれました。En: Akira was deeply moved by the story.Ja: 「これを妹に贈ります」と言いました。En: "I will give this to my sister," she said.Ja: 「彼女を守る意味があるなんて素晴らしいです。En: "It's wonderful that it has the meaning of protection for her."Ja: 」ハルトは微笑みました。En: Harto smiled.Ja: 彼は、自分の作品を通じて人々に喜びを与えることに、少し自信を持ち始めました。En: He started to gain a bit of confidence in giving joy to people through his works.Ja: アキラはペンダントを購入し、市場を後にしました。En: Akira purchased the pendant and left the market.Ja: その日、彼女はアイヌ文化への深い感謝を抱きながら帰りました。En: That day, she returned home with a deep appreciation for Ainu culture.Ja: ハルトもまた、自分の物語を人々に伝えることの価値を感じました。En: Harto also felt the value of sharing his stories with others.Ja: 市場を去るとき、アキラとハルトの心に新しいつながりが生まれていました。En: As they left the market, a new connection was born in the hearts of Akira and Harto.Ja: そして秋の空が深まる中、彼らはそれぞれの道を歩み始めました。En: With the autumn sky deepening, they each began their own paths. Vocabulary Words:adorned: 飾られていましたartisans: 職人vividly: 色鮮やかにhandicrafts: 手工芸品wafted: 漂っていましたintriguing: 興味深そうにmodest: 控えめなcuriosity: 興味津々pendant: ペンダントsymbol: 象徴courage: 勇気appreciation: 感謝traditions: 伝統shy: 苦手confidence: 自信stories: 物語connection: つながりembarrassed: 照れながらproudly: 誇りを持ってdelicious: 美味しそうmarket: 市場lovely: 素敵なintroduced: 紹介しましたdeeply: 深いmeaning: 意味protection: 守るappreciation: 感謝village: 村autumn: 秋younger: 若い

Thanks for finding our podcast! We are a family of 5 who does most of our travel using credit card points and miles and we share how we leverage credit card offers to earn a ton of points/miles so we can afford travel as a larger family.Follow us on Instagram @TravelPartyof5These are all the experiences we booked in Japan using Viator:Our Fave Japan ExperiencesThis episode wraps up our Japan series with a practical Q&A:  From eSIM setup and Suica hacks to Shinkansen tradeoffs and Japanese toilets, we share what worked, what didn't, and what we'd do differently next time.• choosing eSIMs over pocket Wi‑Fi for simple, low‑cost data• adding Suica to Apple Wallet and getting physical child IC cards• booking Shinkansen on short notice and budgeting for higher fares• reserving luggage space vs overhead racks for carry‑ons• live navigation with Google or Apple Maps and using Google Translate• Borderless vs Planets and why early time slots matter• views of Shibuya Crossing without paying tower fees• packing light with airline weight limits and carry‑on tips• paying with cards, IC cards at vending, and minimal cash needs• eating etiquette, where to sit, and the lack of public bins• clean, ubiquitous bidet toilets and what to expect• no‑tipping norms and rare cases we tipped• long flights with kids: downloads, snacks, and clear expectations• future wishlist: Fuji, Hokkaido, Okinawa, Kyoto's new TeamLabSend me a DM on Instagram @travelpartyof5 if you have further questions! 

Step into the world of tokusatsu with Ultraman Max director Takeshi Yagi! The Krewe chats with Yagi-san about the artistry, imagination, and behind-the-scenes magic that bring Ultraman and Japan's iconic heroes & monsters to life. Discover how tokusatsu continues to inspire fans around the world.------ 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!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ Links for Takeshi Yagi ------Takeshi Yagi on InstagramTakeshi Yagi on X/TwitterTakeshi Yagi's WebsiteTakeshi Yagi's Blog (JP)Takeshi Yagi's New Book (Releasing Nov 19, 2025)Wikizilla Page on AKARI------ Past Tokusatsu/Pop Culture Episodes ------Enjoying Shojo Anime & Manga ft. Taryn of Manga Lela (S5E18)Akira Toriyama: Legacy of a Legend ft. Matt Alt (S5E3)The History & Evolution of Godzilla ft. Dr. William (Bill) Tsutsui (S5E1)Thoughts on Godzilla Minus One ft. Dr. William (Bill) Tsutsui (S4Bonus)The History of Nintendo ft. Matt Alt (S4E18)Japanese Mascot Mania ft. Chris Carlier of Mondo Mascots (S4E8)Tokusatsu Talk with a Super Sentai ft. Sotaro Yasuda aka GekiChopper (S4E6)The Evolution of PokéMania ft Daniel Dockery [Part 2] (S4E3)The Evolution of PokéMania ft Daniel Dockery [Part 1] (S4E2)Japanese Independent Film Industry ft. Award Winning Director Eiji Uchida (S3E18)How Marvel Comics Changed Tokusatsu & Japan Forever ft Gene & Ted Pelc (Guest Host, Matt Alt) (S3E13)Talking Shonen Anime Series ft. Kyle Hebert (S3E10)Japanese Arcades (S2E16)How to Watch Anime: Subbed vs. Dubbed ft. Dan Woren (S2E9)Manga: Literature & An Art Form ft. Danica Davidson (S2E3)The Fantastical World of Studio Ghibli ft. Steve Alpert (S2E1)The Greatest Anime of All Time Pt. 3: Modern Day Anime  (2010's-Present) (S1E18)The Greatest Anime of All Time Pt. 2: The Golden Age  (1990's-2010's) (S1E16)The Greatest Anime of All Time Pt. 1: Nostalgia (60's-80's) (S1E5)We Love Pokemon: Celebrating 25 Years (S1E3)Why Japan ft. Matt Alt (S1E1)------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

In this episode of Unpacking Japan, we sit down with Malachi, a stadium MC born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan, who shares what it was like growing up as a foreign-looking local in Japan. Malachi talks about finding his identity, navigating life in Japan, and how he eventually ended up as an MC at major sporting events across the country. We also dive into his experience on The Bachelorette Japan, and how it changed his life.Follow Malachi:https://malachievans.com/https://www.instagram.com/bigmalachihttps://localdream.jp/archives/3312Follow Us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

In episode 19 of (Pop) Cultural Marxism, Isi and Ajay are joined by fellow BISR faculty Joseph Earl Thomas to discuss Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punch Productions' much-anticipated sequel to Ghost of Tsushima. To kick off the episode, Isi and Ajay chat about recent cultural news and highlights, from the Japanese government calling on OpenAI to refrain from using anime and manga as training data, to the #SwiftiesAgainstAI campaign, to Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another (2025). Turning to Ghost of Yotei, Isi, Ajay, and Joseph consider where the game succeeds (its strong start, visual beauty, sharp soundtrack, and the satisfying chunkiness and texture of its combat scenes) and where it doesn't (its loadout system, simplistic puzzles, dearth of opportunities for stealth mode, and social and political quandaries its narrative and design raise). They explore the films and television shows that influenced Yotei—from Lady Snowblood and Samurai Champloo to the films of Takashi Miike, Akira Kurosawa, and Sergio Leone) and ask whether and where the game successfully incorporates cinematic techniques and conventions into its storyline. Along the way, they discuss the game's dicey depiction of the Ainu and the colonization of Hokkaido, consider whether the pleasure of open-world gaming has diminished or transformed in the years between Yotei and Tsushima, and interrogate the shape of the game's revenge plot. (Pop) Cultural Marxism is produced by Ryan Lentini. Learn more about upcoming courses on our website. Follow Brooklyn Institute for Social Research on Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Bluesky. Show notes On Japan and OpenAI: https://www.ign.com/articles/japanese-government-calls-on-sora-2-maker-openai-to-refrain-from-copyright-infringement-says-characters-from-manga-and-anime-are-irreplaceable-treasures-that-japan-boasts-to-the-world One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) Other Paul Thomas Anderson films mentioned: Phantom Thread (2017), Inherent Vice (2014), The Master (2012), There Will Be Blood (2007) Ghost of Yotei (Sucker Punch Productions, 2025) Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions, 2020) Way of the Samurai (Acquire, 2002) Tenchu (Acquire/K2/FromSoftware, 1998-2009) Samurai Champloo (2004) Forspoken (Luminous Productions, 2023) South of Midnight (Compulsion Games, 2025) Infamous (Sucker Punch Productions, 2009-2014) Blue Eye Samurai (2023) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo, 1998) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004) Parul Sehgal, "The Case Against the Trauma Plot" (2021): https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/01/03/the-case-against-the-trauma-plot Kuroneko, directed by Kaneto Shindo (1968) Lady Snowblood, directed by Toshiya Fujita (1973) Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance, directed by Toshiya Fujita (1974) The Samurai Trilogy, directed by Hiroshi Inagaki (1954-1956)

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Bardstown Bourbon Co. Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Barrel Finish Whiskey. This 9-18 year old whiskey is is 109.3 proof and $100 MSRP (375 ml). Let us know what you think. Cheers!DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reach out on Instagram @weebandcazhCheck out Unholy VibesAfter an 18-month hiatus, Rex and Alex reunite for a wild, unfiltered episode of the Weeb & Cash podcast! Join Rex as he recounts his six-week solo adventure across Japan—from cherry blossoms in Hokkaido and deer in Nara to awkward maid cafes, burning Airbnbs, and the realities of Japanese culture. The duo dives into anime tangents, cultural shocks, culinary highs (and gluten-free lows), and the honest truth about what it's really like to visit (and maybe not live in) Japan. Plus, updates on life, side projects, and a call for listeners to help pick future episode topics. Touch grass, stay hydrated, and enjoy the ride!Be sure to check out Unholy Vibes, a new true horror podcast created by Alex the Cazh.

In Indigenizing Japan: Ainu Past, Present, and Future (University of Arizona Press, 2025), archaeologist Joe E. Watkins provides a comprehensive look at the rich history and cultural resilience of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido, Japan, tracing their journey from ancient times to their contemporary struggles for recognition. Relaying the deep history of the islands of Japan, Watkins tells the archaeological story from the earliest arrivals some 40,000 years ago to 16,000 years ago when local cultures began utilizing pottery and stone tools. About 2,300 years ago, another group of people immigrated from the Korean peninsula into the Japanese archipelago, bringing wet rice agriculture with them. They intermarried with the people who were there, forming the basis of the contemporary Japanese majority culture. As the Japanese state developed on the central Islands of Honshu, Ryukyu, and Shikoku, the people of Hokkaido continued developing along a different trajectory with minimal interaction with the mainland until colonization in the mid-nineteenth century, when the people known as the Ainu came under Japanese governmental policy. Watkins's insightful analysis highlights the Ainu's enduring spirit and their resurgence as part of the global Indigenous movement. Key events such as the 1997 Nibutani Dam case and the 2007 recognition of the Ainu as Japan's Indigenous people are explored in depth, showcasing the Ainu's ongoing fight for cultural preservation and self-determination. By situating the Ainu's experiences within broader global colonial histories, Indigenizing Japan underscores the shared struggles and resilience of Indigenous communities worldwide. Joe E. Watkins is a senior consultant for Archaeological and Cultural Education Consultants (ACE Consultants), based in Tucson, Arizona. His study interests concern the ethical practice of anthropology and anthropology's relationships with descendant communities and populations on a global scale. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network