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In this third installment of our series on the Jinshin no Ran, we are covering the battles that took place in the Nara basin.   Of course, while the fighting focuses on the generals, most of it was done by conscripts--farmers and other common people called up to fight. For more, check out of podcast webpage:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-131   Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is episode 131: The Jinshin no Ran, Part 3: Fighting in the Nara Basin   Maro stood under the tsuki tree and gazed at the walls of the great temple.  The gates and tiled roof were truly an incredible sight.  Maro's home wasn't that far away, but until he'd been called up for service to the government, he hadn't thought much beyond the valley where he and his family tilled the land.  Their life had been largely spent in the village, tucked up in the valley, farming rice, hunting in the mountains, and gathering firewood.   He remembered how, years ago, his brothers had been the ones to go and do their service.  They had been called up to build some kind of giant fortress on the top of a mountain.  The stories they  brought back were incredible—it was one thing to hear tales of the outside world from merchants and itinerant priests, but it was different to hear them from someone you actually knew.  Now, it was Maro's turn.  But he hadn't been called up for labor—he was going to have to fight.  He tried to psych himself up.  Many of the men and, frankly, young boys who were there with him were in a similar boat.  Some were old hands, having served multiple times.  Others were new and, like Maro, there for the first time.  None of them were professional soldiers, though you wouldn't know that by the way some of them swaggered through the camp.  They had been called up quickly, with only a little information.  Apparently Prince Ohoama, they were told, had rebelled against the government.  He and his men were gathering in the east and at any moment they could attack the capital in Ohotsu, and from there they would swing down and attack the ancient capital.  So here they were, several hundred conscripts, pulled from households around the ancient capital, gathered and waiting for their weapons and armor so that they could then get their marching orders—quite literally. Suddenly, Maro heard a commotion in the north.  He couldn't see what was happening, but the murmurs turned to shouting.  Prince Takechi, the son of the demonic rebel, Ohoama, was here, coming from the north with hundreds of expert soldiers on horseback!  Panic set in, and even though a few of the officers tried to quell the disturbance, it wasn't enough.  Afraid for what might come, Maro and those like him broke ranks and fled.  Maro gave little thought to what might happen to his family and friends if he deserted—he was no longer thinking rationally.  Along with his compatriots—his would-be brothers-in-arms if they had been given any—he hoped that he could hide, and that, if he survived, maybe, just maybe, he could somehow make it back home in one piece.   Welcome back.  Content warning for this episode—we are going to be talking about war, including death, fighting, and suicide. As I noted at the start, this is part three of our look at the Jinshin no Ran, the Jinshin War—sometimes translated as a “Disturbance” or a “Rebellion”.  This was the war between the supporters of Prince Ohoama, also known as Temmu, and Prince Ohotomo, aka Koubun.  Ohoama's side is sometimes called the Yoshino or even the Yamato court, as he had quote-unquote “retired” from the world and become a monk at a temple in Yoshino, south of Asuka, in the old area of Yamato.  Meanwhile, Ohotomo's supporters were the Afumi court—including most of the ministers running the state from the capital in Ohotsu, on the shores of lake Biwa, the area known as Afumi.  So let's take a look at what has happened so far, and then we can get into the events we are talking about today: a look at the soldiers who were fighting, their gear, and then some of the fighting that went on—specifically the fighting that happened in the Nara Basin.  I'll do my best to organize things based on the rough timeline that they seem to have occurred. Now previously, we had covered how Ohoama, brother to Naka no Oe aka Tenchi Tennou, had given up his title as Crown Prince and retired, supposedly to prevent any concerns that he might rebel and try to take the throne, but this wasn't enough for Ohotomo and the Court, who had begun to raise forces against him.  And so Ohoama and his supporters had just made a desperate dash eastwards, across the mountain roads to Ise.  From there they secured the Fuwa and Suzuka passes, two of the main routes to the East Countries.  Ohoama had then sent out requests for assistance to those same countries, hoping to find allies who would support him against the apparently legitimate government in Ohotsu. We are told that Ohoama was joined at this time by two of his sons: Prince Takechi and Prince Ohotsu. And here I want to pause to note something that I didn't point out last episode: These princes were not quite as old as you might think from the way they are portrayed in the Chronicle.  Prince Takechi, who had been given command of the troops at Fuwa Barrier, was only 19 years old.  Granted, that is only 4 years younger than their rival, Prince Ohotomo, and only a couple of years younger than the famous Minamoto Yoshitsune would be when he joined his brother in the Genpei Wars, over 500 years later.  Prince Ohotsu, however, was a bit younger, as he is believed to have been about 10 years old at this time, which likely explains why he is not so prominent in the narrative.  I mention this because the Nihon Shoki often omits details like age and can make it seem like these were all seasoned adult men and women, when it may have been that they were simply of high enough status to be mentioned, even though others were likely running their affairs for them.  In Prince Takechi's case, while he was likely old enough to take charge of the forces at Fuwa, it is also clear that his father was nearby and overseeing things, so everything didn't rest solely on his son's shoulders. Meanwhile, the Afumi court was raising its own soldiers.  While their delegation to the East was stopped at the captured Fuwa Pass, they also had sent word to the west.  Kibi and Tsukushi are specifically mentioned, but we know that they were raising troops elsewhere, including in the home province regions of Yamato and Kawachi. Here it should be noted that the Nihon Shoki is pretty clearly pro-Temmu, in other words pro-Ohoama.  There is some evidence from textual analysis, however, that the Temmu portions of the narrative differ from the Tenchi portions.  Torquil Duthie, in his book, “Man'yōshū and the Imperial Imagination in Early Japan”, recounts how scholarship has identified at least two—possibly three—different groups of compilers who managed different reigns.  The Tenchi narrative is more neutral, while the Temmu narrative provides a bit more of an accusatory tone, and both narratives provide slightly different accounts of the same events—notably the death of Naka no Oe, Prince Ohoama taking vows, and Prince Ohotomo succeeding his father.  On the other side, Duthie mentions  the Kaifusou, a collection of Sinitic style poetry created in 751, just 31 years after the Nihon Shoki, where in the introduction, the author seems to be much more sympathetic to Prince Ohotomo and his cause, implying that Oama was the one rising up against the legitimate government. I mention this just to help us remember that our primary source is not exactly neutral about all of this, and we should keep that in mind as we are trying to sort out what was going on.  The narrative also often makes it seem as though the outcome was inevitable, but we should remember that at the time all of these events were going down, the people involved couldn't have known how they were going to turn out— in the moment, anything could have happened, especially in times of war. Speaking of which, we know that the two sides were raising troops, so let's talk about what we know about those troops and what combat may have looked like at this time.  While we don't exactly have detailed accounts, there is a lot we can piece together through the archaeological record and other sources.  To that end we have evidence of armor and weapons, as well as shields, and we can also look at haniwa through the 6th and even early 7th century to give us an idea of local armor styles.  Let's first look back on how soldiers were conscripted.  Each household seems to have been responsible for supplying a soldier, when required.  They were also to supply their equipment.  This included a sword, armor, bows and arrows, as well as a flag and drum. In historical parades, today, we often see row upon row of soldiers kitted out in matching clothing, appearing relatively cohesive and well-regimented.  In truth it is hard to know just how similar any one group might have been.  Based on later historical examples, it is safe to assume that many of the soldiers may not have had much armor, if any, and even if they did it might have been made of wood or leather, which were unlikely to survive to the modern day. Of course, I would also question just how often they were able to afford everything mentioned.  And since we are told that as the government was gathering soldiers it was also opening up storehouses of weapons and armor, I suspect that indicates that not everyone had their own.  And even if they did, it may have been of questionable quality. That said, if a warrior did have armor, it was likely one of two types, variations of which were both found on the continent. The first type is characterized by a solid, circular cuirass, often called a “tankou”, or short armor.  These were made of strips of iron that were shaped on a wooden form and then riveted or tied together into a solid cuirass, which is why it is also called a type of “plate” armor.  One side of the armor was hinged and could open so that the wearer could get in.  There are some tankou with a hanging skirt of tassets that flare out as well, protecting the legs, and even examples of pieces that also go around the neck, shoulder guards, and arm guards.  The tankou seems to date from at least the 3rd or 4th century, with changes in design over time, and we know that it continued through at least the 6th century. Compare this to the keikou, or hanging armor.  Keikou was a kind of lamellar armor, made of individual scales, later known as “sane”.  These metal scales, also known as lamellae, were held together with lacing, and made for a much more flexible, and presumably comfortable, armor.  The tradeoff for this comfort was that keikou likely took a lot more labor to make, and thus were considered a more elite armor, possibly used by men on horseback or at least by those leading the troops.  Looking into the future a bit, we know that in the 8th century there were “tankou” and “keikou” being donated to the Shousouin repository at Toudaiji.  However, it isn't clear that “tankou” and “keikou” in the 8th century referred to exactly this kind of armor, and we may have been dealing with something else entirely, because there is a lacuna in our understanding of armor on the archipelago between the end of the Asuka period and the appearance of the more familiar yoroi in the Heian period comes about.  There are conjectured transitional armors, based on continental models, which are thought to have been used.  Still, at this very point in time, when Ohoama is mounting his rebellion against Ohotomo, the Keikou and Tankou are generally thought to have still been in use, and this is generally how you will see the two sides represented. As for weapons, perhaps the most common that we see is the bow and arrow.  Archery is extremely practical, not only for its ability to be used from a distance, but also because in times of peace people can use the same bows to hunt, thus making hunting prowess a kind of stand-in for military prowess.  The way of the bow—in fact the way of the horse and bow, or Kyuuba no Michi—would be the main pillar of martial prowess in the archipelago for centuries.  The iconic sword, while important—it was, after all, one of the three sacred regalia—was more of a side-arm, deployed in close quarters combat.  It was still important, as it could be easily carried with you.  However, it is more likely that massed troops might have had spears and various types of polearms, providing reach.  Those are harder to just casually carry around, however, especially if you are mainly using a bow.  Perhaps that is part of the reason that we don't hear as much about such weapons, and most of the focus seems to be on the archers and on swords. There were also at this time shields.  We know that the Hayato of southern Kyushu were particularly known for them, but there evidence that they were more widely used.  After all, a shield made of wood would have made an important defense against a rain of arrows coming from the enemy. As for the horses, some of them may have even had their own barding, or armor, though I suspect, again, that was rare, and reserved for elites.  All of this together gives us some idea of what it may have looked like when Ohoama and Ohotomo's forces engaged in battle, though it is still conjecture.  We know that they had spears, and swords, and bows.  We know that some of the first men that Prince Ohoama picked up on his journey was to conscript archers to his service, who then were pressed into taking a government post station.    We also don't necessarily see a lot of individual fighting described in the records, though there are exceptions. Later on, there was a tradition of individual warriors calling out challenges in the midst of battle, that became an accepted practice in the early culture of the bushi, or samurai, but we don't see that in the Chronicles.    Certainly we see moments of individual valor which are remembered, likely because of the benefits that the hero's descendants could then claim for themselves.   But for the most part it seems that the people actually doing the fighting were groups of conscripted soldiers, not the hired warriors of later periods.  Even among groups like the Mononobe, the Be of the Warriors, it isn't clear that they would have been the ones on the front lines—not if they could help it, anyway.  Most of these were farmers and similar commoners, who were called up to fight as necessary.  Some of them may have seen action over on the Korean peninsula, or even in local skirmishes.  Others would have been fresh out of the fields, joining the ranks for the first time.  They were not exactly volunteers, but also didn't have much of a choice.  It was the draft on steroids. I also suspect that the act of conscription, where a soldier was offered up by a household, or family,, meant that desertion would mean that their family would be punished. While the elite generals providing the men were no doubt gauging how this would affect their own political and economic fortunes, I imagine that the average soldier had much less agency and could look forward to many fewer rewards.  In fact, I suspect his main goal would have been one of survival.  Perhaps if one fought well, they could earn something more for themselves, and perhaps there were cultural concepts of loyalty to one's local elites and leadership.  And maybe there were leaders who inspired them to do great things.  However, works like the Nihon Shoki were rarely concerned with the lives of the common people, except when it shined a light on the sovereigns and their court.   It was much more concerned with how this affected the upper caste of society. There is also the question about just what kind of fighting this system led to.  Again, these are not the bushi—a warrior class who prided themselves on their martial prowess.  And neither were they standing armies.  While there were likely some who regularly served and trained and found they had a skill at war, how many were simple farmers who were now holding a spear instead of a spade?  These are things to keep in mind as we follow along with tales of glorious victory or ignoble defeat. So, that's a glimpse at who was actually doing the fighting.  As for the timeline of the battle, let's get into it.  But first, a caveat:  as we should be used to by now, the exact chronology of the events listed in the Nihon Shoki is not entirely clear.  The Nihon Shoki provides a narrative, but often it includes actions that took several days or even weeks on a single date where the events apparently culminated.  Using cues, such as “one day later” or such things, we can piece together a narrative, but I may not have it 100% accurate.  It doesn't help that the Nihon Shoki seems to focus on different campaigns separately, even though much of it was happening at the same time.  That's compounded by the fact that all of this was being recorded much later, and so there is also a great possibility that even some of the seemingly clear dates were also wrong, or were adjusted to make for a better flow in the narrative.  So I'm going to do my best to piece together what I roughly feel was the chronological order, but just be aware that dates may not be all that precise.    In the coming conflict we see several main arenas.  First, there is the area around Lake Biwa, from the Fuwa pass towards Ohotsu.  This was Ohoama's main path to try and put an end to this whole affair—to make his way to Ohotsu, the capital, and cut off the head of the snake.  To do that he would have to leave his defensive position and venture out around the lake, where Afumi forces no doubt lay in wait.  At the same time, there was also fierce fighting in the Nara Basin, with Yoshino and Afumi forces clashing there across the plains.  And we cannot forget the Kafuka, or Kouka, pass over to Suzuka.  If the Afumi forces could push through to Suzuka, then they could march along the coastal plains of Mie up through Owari and come at Ohoama's forces from behind. In previous episodes we covered the leadup to this part of the conflict, and while there had been some fighting at the post stations on the road to Suzuka, as well as captured envoys at Fuwa Pass, so far we haven't seen any major fighting.  If the timeline in the Nihon Shoki is to be believed, the first serious clashes seem to have occurred in the Yamato region and the Nara basin. In general, however, there seems to have been two main campaigns.  There was the fighting in the Nara Basin, and then there was the fighting along the shores of Lake Biwa. Everything started off at the end of the 6th month with Ohoama's mad dash to capture the passes at Suzuka and Fuwa, where he waited while he gathered up men from the Eastern countries.  While that was happening, the Afumi court was out recruiting men for their own war.  This would lead to some of the earliest formal battles between the two sides taking place in the Nara Basin, originally a recruitment center, it turned into a battle zone.  Yoshino aligned forces would push north, only to be blocked by armies coming down from the capital at Ohotsu, as well as forces coming through the gap between Yamato and Kawachi, where the Yamato river leaves the basin through the western mountains.  The fighting happened largely over the course of a week or so.  It started around the 29th day of the 6th month, and seems to have ended between the 4th or 6th day of the 7th month.  So keep that in mind. As you may recall from last episode, two brothers, Ohotomo no Muraji no Makuda and Ohotomo no Muraji no Fukei, upon hearing that Ohoama was rising up, both feigned illness, using that as an excuse to leave the court at Ohotsu and return to their family compounds in the Yamato region.  From there, Makuda made haste to catch up with Ohoama and his men, but his brother, Fukei, stayed behind to see what he could do in Yamato. Originally, Fukei's success was limited.  He started calling various allied families together and tried to drum up support for Ohoama, but he could only gather a few tens of men.  Not the hundreds, let alone thousands, that would be needed.  At the same time, the Afumi court was conscripting men of the Yamato region into service.  This was being organized by Hodzumi no Obito no Momotari and his younger brother, Hodzumi no Obito no Ihoye, along with Mononobe no Obito no Hiuga, who had all been sent to Yamato on the orders of the Afumi court, apparently arriving shortly after Fukei.  This group set up their base of operations at the Wokamoto palace—it was, after all, the official government presence and they were the official government representatives —and they used the grounds west of Houkouji, aka Asukadera, as their assembly grounds. Ohotomo no Fukei knew that something would have to be done.  If those conscripted Yamato soldiers were formed into a proper army and sent out, it could cause a lot of trouble for Ohoama and his men.  And fortunately, Fukei had a man on the inside: apparent ally, Sakanouhe no Atahe no Kumage, the officer in charge of the Wokamoto Palace, working for Prince Takazaka who resided there.  And so Fukei had a plan—he would impersonate the Royal Prince Takechi, son of Ohoama, and pretend to lead a force of cavalry to attack the camp at Asukadera.  To strengthen the illusion, Fukei would come in from the north, which is where Prince Takechi and his men would presumably be coming from.  Now remember, Fukei only had tens of people that were actually on his side at this point, and the camp was presumably much larger.  If they didn't fall for his ruse, Fukei would be marching straight to his death. Fukei marshalled his troops at the house of Kudara, which is to say “Baekje”, and then left out of the south gate.  He then had an accomplice, Hada no Miyatsuko no Kuma, dressed in nothing but a loincloth, mount a horse and gallop as fast as he could towards the camp.  You can imagine the confusion in the camp as this wild, naked man gallops up to them in a panic and starts telling them that Prince Takechi and his men were on their way with a huge force. When the conscripted soldiers heard this, they panicked.  While the men were gathered, it seems that they hadn't yet been outfitted with weapons and armor, so the entire camp broke and fled.  And so Fukei was able to waltz in with his tens of men and take the camp at Asukadera, capturing Prince Takazaka and those sent from Ohotsu to levy troops.  Fukei's ally, Kumage, the man on the inside, helped with this, along with the soldiers under the command of him and the Aya no Atahe.  And so they were able to disperse the conscripted Yamato forces before they were even assembled.  However, it turned out that someone was missing.  Hodzumi no Omi no Momotari, who had been appointed leader of the operation, was not at Asukadera.  It turns out that he was over at the Woharida Palace, where he was reviewing the armory, taking out the weapons and armor for the troops that he thought were still over at Asukadera. And so Fukei continued the ruse: he sent a messenger to summon Momotari, claiming to be a summons from Prince Takechi himself. Momotari, hearing this, likely knew that he had lost, but he apparently maintained his dignity.  He didn't run away or rush to the camp.  Instead he approached on horseback in a leisurely fashion.  When he reached the encampment, now under Fukei's command, one of the soldiers shouted at Momotari to get off his horse, but Momotari, likely trying to keep what remained of his dignity, was slow in doing so.  The men around him didn't care one whit for his dignity, however.  They grabbed his collar and pulled him off of the horse, dragging him to the ground.  He was shot with an arrow and then a man drew his sword and struck him and killed him.  We aren't even told who did this deed, just how it was done. As for the others, Momonatari's brother, Hodzumi no Ihoye and Mononobe no Hiuga were bound, but eventually they were released amongst the troops, where they were no doubt watched carefully.  Princes Takazaka no Ou and Wakasa no Ou, the representatives of the Afumi court in Asuka, were made to follow behind the army.  With this victory under his belt, Ohotomo no Fukei sent messengers to Prince Ohoama, at the Fuwa pass, to let him know what had happened.  When the messengers finally reached Ohoama we are told that he was quite pleased with the result.  After all, it meant that his rearguard was that much more secure. We are told that these events took place on or about the 29th day of the 6th month, around the same time that Ohoama was overseeing the troops at Wazami, only a few days after he and the real Prince Takechi had made their way to that camp.  Things were evolving quickly.  Fukei's success drew others to his banner.  Miwa no Kimi no Takechimaro, Kamo no Kimi no Yemishi, and othes all joined Fukei's forces, “like an echo”.  With a now more sizeable force, it seems that Fukei believed he was ready to take the fight to the Afumi court.  He and his advisors drew up plans for invading Afumi, selecting men to be deputy commanders and military commanders, providing a hierarchy and some organization.  From there, a few days later, he began to march north from Asuka, towards Nara. Now Nara at this point was just a name for the northwest area of the basin—they probably didn't even think of it as the Nara basin back then.  But it was along the road that led north, through the mountains, and from there through Yamashiro and eventually on to Afumi.  As Fukei was headed north, however,  he received word that there was another force coming from the Kawachi in the west.  And so he split his forces.  Sakamoto no Omi no Takara and others were sent with some 300 troops to take a defensive position at Tatsuta.  Sami no Kimi no Sukunamaro was also sent with another several hundred men to Ohosaka… no, not that Ohosaka.  Afusaka in modern Kashiba, in western Nara Basin.  This area would have been a strategic defensive point for any troops taking the road from Kawachi, so if anyone got past Sakamoto no Takara, Sukunamaro and his troops would be waiting. The now General Fukei also sent Kamo no Yemishi with another several hundred men to guard the Iwate road, to defend that approach as well.  Now Sakamoto no Takara, who had been sent to engage the troops coming from Kawachi, reached the area of Hiraishi when he heard that Afumi forces were occupying the nearby castle of Takayasu mountain.  You may recall that Takayasu was one of the Korean style fortresses that had been built in anticipation of a possible invasion from the continent, and it had even been repaired a few times.  Now it was being used not against an outside enemy, but in an internal conflict. Takara and his men marched up the mountain, intending to attack the castle, and here we should probably give a better idea of just what this castle was like.  If you think of a modern Japanese castle the thing that likely stands out, no pun intended, is the Tenshukaku, or donjon; the multi-storied tower located somewhere inside the walls and moats of the castle proper.  This would be an ideal location to spy over the walls and see where the enemy were, as well as an area from which one could make a last ditch stand. The castles of the Asuka period were not like this.  They were built off of a continental model, and their defining feature was not the donjon—though they likely did have gate and guard towers set up so that one could see attacking forces.  No, the defining feature was really the walls.  Long, compacted-earth walls, possibly lined with stone, which snaked around the top of a mountain.  This castle style leveraged the natural contours of existing mountain tops to provide its defense.  It didn't hurt that they also provided clear views of what was happening on the plains below, and required attacking troops to march up a steep mountain climb and then attack uphill.  The tradeoff was that these weren't the kind of places that people would live, when most of the infrastructure of the state was in the fertile plains and surrounding areas.  So these castles had granaries to keep troops fed, and perhaps some basic buildings erected within the walls, but they were largely a practical design. You can still go see the Takayasu ruins, today, and you don't have to hike up the mountain as Takara and his men did.  Instead you can take a cable car up to the top, or even a regular car on the roads that drive up to the old castle site, though how much you can see I'm not sure.  There are also other castle ruins and even old kofun on the mountain, as its prominence has been recognized as important in many different centuries. There likely weren't a lot of troops manning the castle, certainly not enough that they felt they had much chance of defending it.  So when Takara and his men made it up to the top, they Afumi forces burned the granaries, so as to deny him any supplies, and then took off, discretion being the better part of valor.  Takara and his men spent the evening at the castle, no doubt recovering from their hike up.  Remember, this wasn't just a leisurely stroll—they were no doubt fully kitted out for war.  When they woke the next morning they looked out over the surrounding countryside, of which they now had fantastic views, and   Takara noticed a large army coming down along the Ohotsu-Tajihi road.  They carried flags, which I don't know how Takara could have seen at that point, which identified them as being the enemy - troops of the Afumi general, Iki no Fubito no Karakuni. And so Takara and his men descended from Takayasu, crossed the Ega River—now known as the Ishi river, and engaged Karakuni's army.  They were only 300 men, however, and Karakuni had a much larger forcem so  Takara was unable to maintain a defense.  And so they made a strategic withdrawal—in other words retreated—back to Kashikosaka, apparently a part of Afusaka, where Ki no Omi no Oho'oto had been set to guard.  So Ohotomo and the Afumi court finally scored a win. Besides his victory against Takara and his men, we are also told that Karakuni had come upon Kume no Omi no Shihoko, the governor of Kawachi.  Shihoko had been gathering troops to go fight for Ohoama, but he was found out by Karakuni.  Karakuni captured him and was going to execute him, but before he could, Shihoko took his own life, instead. As Takara was retreating and setting up a new defensive position, Fukei had his own problems to worry about.  As he was camped with his troops on Mt. Narayama, one of his men, Aradawo no Atahe no Akamaro, addressed him and suggested that they should make sure to fortify Asuka, just in case.  Fukei agreed, and sent Akamaro as well as Imbe no Kobito to guard the Okamoto Palace in Asuka.  They also made sure to remove the planks from any bridges, using them to setup fortifications along the road.  Now any army that wished to cross would either have to swim or they would need to come across the narrow beams that were all that was left of the bridges.  This was not ideal at the best of times, but you can imagine doing it as troops on the other side were shooting arrows at you.  And yet this has become a near classic trope in Japanese war stories and it won't be the only time it comes up in various historical contexts.  It wouldn't even be the only time it shows up in this current conflict. A day later, Fukei found himself engaged with an Afumi general, Ohono no Kimi no Hatayasu, on Mt. Narayama itself.  Despite Fukei having had time to set up a defensive position, the Afumi forces overwhelmed Fukei's men.  They were defeated and Fukei himself barely escaped with his life.  Fukei fled south with only one or two men, also on horseback, with Hatayasu hot on his heels, only stopping when they reached Hatta and the Yamato river.  At that point the fortifications were in place, and Hatayasu likely knew that any trying to cross the river after Fukei would likely not go nearly as well as it did at Narayama. As for General Fukei he kept going all the way until he reached Sumizaka, which appears to be in Uda.  There he fell in with Okizome no Muraji no Usagi, at the head of several tens of thousands of men.  Usagi had been with Ohoama , but upon hearing of the fighting in Yamato, Ohoama had sent him  and others to go back through the Suzuka pass to provide reinforcements.  One can only imagine how happy Fukei was at this point to see Usagi and all of thise men.  Fukei turned back around and encamped at Kanatsunawi—possibly modern Imai-cho, Kashihara city.  There he was able to gather many of the dispersed troops back into a force once again. About this time, Fukei heard that the Afumi forces were also approaching along the Afusaka road.  So now they were approaching from both the north and the west.  They were also taking several different roads—inside the largely flat area of the Nara Basin, they likely had several choices.  Takara and Oho-oto had been unable to meet the enemy and had kept retreating, likely seeking a defensible position.  As they did this, Fukei came from the east with his reinforcements.  He made it to where the roads branched at Tahema—modern Taima—where he fought with Iki no Karakuni nearby Ashi-kie pond, possibly somewhere near modern Chimata.  During the battle, one of Fukei's men, a brave warrior known to us only as “Kume”, drew his sword and rushed straight into the midst of the enemy army.  Of course one lone man wasn't likely to do much, but he inspired a cavalry charge, and men on horseback followed closely at his heels.  Seeing this force bearing quickly down on them, the Afumi troops broke, and soon it was a rout.  Fukei's men pursued, cutting down the Afumi soldiers as they fled, until Fukei finally reined them in. At this point, Fukei then admonished his troops that their goal was to take out the ringleaders, not to just indiscriminately murder the common people.  Remember, which side of the battlefield you ended up fighting on was largely a function of who had conscripted you, and Fukei evidently knew this.  As the men were still retreating, though, Fukei noticed that the Afumi general, Karakuni – one of those ringleaders - had gotten himself separated from his men.  Fukei ordered Kume—presumably the same one who had charged the army in the first place—to shoot at him, but Kume's arrow missed, and Karakuni made his escape.  Rather than pursuing, Fukei returned back to his headquarters. Once there, Fukei now learned that there were enemy forces approaching from the East, as well.  So Fukei took the army and divided it into three, defending the Upper, Middle, and Lower roads, and he took personal charge of the forces on the middle road, likely so that he could easily keep in touch with the other forces.  He was also waiting for the next challenge, and he didn't have to wait for long: the Afumi general Inukai no Muraji no Isogimi approached along the Middle Road.  He halted at Muraya, but his deputy commander, Ihoriwi no Miyatsuko no Kujira, attacked Fukei's camp with 200 specially picked soldiers.  Now it turns out that when they reached the camp, there were only a few people actually there at the time, including one Tokumaro, described as a slave of Ohowidera temple, and four “people following the army” – in other words, these might not have been actual soldiers.  .  Nevertheless, together this small group rallied, formed an advance guard and went forward, shooting arrows at Kujira's forces.  Kujira, not knowing that Fukei's camp was all but empty, halted his advance. Meanwhile, over on the Upper Road, Miwa no Takechimaro and Okizome no Usagi, who had been sent by Ohoama from Fuwa, fought with the Afumi army at the Hashi Misasagi—which is assumed to be the Hashihaka kofun, and they overwhelmingly defeated the Afumi army there, such that they was able to pivot from there and swing their forces over to the Middle road.  There they slammed into the flank of Kujira's army, who had stopped to trade blows with Fukei's camp.  Many of the common soldiers were killed, and the general, Kujira, ran off, mounted on a white horse.  Unfortunately for him, the horse took a misstep and tumbled into a muddy-rice field. Kujira was bogged down in the mud and having trouble getting out.  General Fukei, seeing this, sent a brave soldier of Kahi to shoot at Kujira, but as the soldier came up to the edge of the rice paddy, Kujira whipped his horse vigorously, and got it to extricate itself and Kujira, who galloped off and escaped.  Fukei, for his part, returned again to his headquarters and camped with his men there.  Though they were ready for another conflict, nothing ever came.  The Afumi forces had withdrawn.  The battle for the Nara basin was over, and the Yoshino forces were victorious. General Fukei, however, was anything but finished.  Remember, he had planned to take the fight to the Afumi court, and so, having subdued the enemy forces in Yamato—which is to say the Nara basin—Fukei marched out through Afusaka to Naniwa, and then marched on Yamazaki, where he set up camp.  From there, he sent messengers to all the governors of the Western Provinces.  He forced them to give up their keys, their posting-bells, and their posting tallies—basically he had them formally submit to the Yoshino faction, and thus to Ohoama. Meanwhile, Ohoama had his own campaign to conduct, and it kicked off in the middle of Fukei's defense of the Yamato Home Province.  He also would engage various generals in battle, but we'll save that campaign for Part Four. But before we go I do want to point out, once again: this wasn't a simple and straightforward matter of attack and defense.  Notice that generals on both sides sometimes were victorious and sometimes had to flee.  You can only imagine how, after the defeat at Narayama, General Fukei must have felt that all hope was lost, only to run into a force ten thousand strong come to relive him and his paltry troops.  But it could just as easily have been that he didn't make it.  In fact, how many warriors died?  Heroically, perhaps, but still died.  And if there were no descendants to carry on their name and remember their deeds, then who knows how many people just didn't get written about at all.  And then there are all of those common soldiers.  Individuals without any recorded name, but who nonetheless were there and who fought. They may not have been the people that later authors cared to write about, and yet they were all someone's child, and possibly their sibling or parent.  They loved and laughed, and certainly died.  All to determine who would sit next upon the Yamato throne.  One has to wonder if winning or losing really changed anything for them, or perhaps they won simply by surviving. And on that cheerful thought, I'll take my leave.  Until next time, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

A 1.3-meter-high tsunami was observed Wednesday at a port in Kuji, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, after a massive earthquake occurred near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula the same day, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

This episode we continue with the Jinshin War.  This episode we follow Prince Oama on his dramatic escape to the east:  From Yoshino he dashed through the mountains, through Iga and over to Ise.  In so doing he secured both Suzuka and Fuwa--areas that would be important chokepoints throughout Japan's history.   For more information, check out our blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-130 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 130: Jinshin no Ran, Part II:  Gathering Stormclouds.   The soldier on watch was doing his best to keep alert.  The night shift was never pleasant duty, and it was even less pleasant out here in the mountains.  There were plenty of sounds in the night—birds and animals out in the darkness—but rarely was there much actual action.  At least the sky was clear, with only the occasional cloud. Guarding a post station was hardly the worst duty in the world. There was a decent amount of traffic: after all, they were along one of the major routes between Ise and Yamato.  But at night, well, who wanted to try and navigate the mountain roads?  That was a great way to fall into a river and drown, or get lost in the woods, unable to find your way back to civilization. It must have been a shock when he saw a light in the distance.  There were almost always a few fires somewhere in the village, but most of them were out or covered at this time of night, with the exception of the odd torch.  But this was something more.  At first the guard thought it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.  And then he wondered if it was some kind of mountain spirit—he'd heard of ghost parades that could come and take people in the night.  He shivered, and instinctively checked his own torch to ensure that it was burning well and bright.  Indeed it was. It took him a little time for his eyes to adjust again to the darkness, but now, sure enough, he saw the torches coming—and not just one, many of them, and he could now hear the faint metallic clank of metal on metal.  He then heard a faint sound like a tight rope being suddenly plucked.  It only just started to dawn on him what was happening when the first arrows started to rain down on his position. They were under attack!   Welcome back.  This episode we are continuing with our coverage of the Jinshin no Ran—the Jinshin War of 672—and if you haven't already, I highly recommend you start with episode 129, where we talk about some of the background for what was happening.  That said, let's do a quick recap to bring us up to speed on where we are.  And then we'll dive into an account of an absolutely unbelievable journey, which is impressive for multiple reasons, but mostly for the speed at which it was able to take place. So as you may recall, Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, passed away at the end of 671 after months of illness.  After falling ill, the Chronicles tell us that he offered the state to his younger brother, the Crown Prince, Prince Ohoama, but Ohoama was warned that it was a trap, and as such, he turned down the offer.  Instead, he retired from his position to become a monk, and left for Yoshino, taking half of his household with him.  With Ohoama retired, Naka no Oe's son, the 23 year old Prince Ohotomo, took the throne. After Naka no Oe's death, Ohotomo effectively ruled Yamato from the Ohotsu palace in Afumi, running things along with the ministers of the left and right, Soga no Akaye and Nakatomi no Kane, and other high ministers.  Though the Nihon Shoki does not acknowledge it, Ohotomo is thought to have been a formal sovereign, in deed if not in name, at this point.  Much later, he would be given the posthumous name of “Koubun Tennou”. It would seem that Ohotomo and the Afumi court had misgivings about Prince Ohoama's promise to retire from the world and not challenge the throne.  The Nihon Shoki recounts that they began to make subtle preparations for a conflict, including levying men to build Naka no Oe's tomb, but issuing them weapons instead of tools.  They also set up checkpoints along the road from the court in Ohotsu down to Asuka—the main route to where Ohoama was residing in Yoshino.  And then, finally, someone told Ohoama that they were no longer allowing Prince Ohoama's people to cross the Uji bridge to bring him and his household supplies. Prince Ohoama was not going to sit idly by while the Afumi court gathered up enough forces to claim he was doing something treasonous and then march on him in Yoshino.  And so he sent one of his trusted vassals to the east to seek support.  Meanwhile, he himself was making ready to move.  There was just one more thing before setting out:  seeing if he could get posting bells.  This was sparked by the words of one of his advisors, who suggested that they should be careful.  They did not have many soldiers in Yoshino, and they had already sent out a general like Woyori to start raising troops in the East.  At the same time, if the Afumi Court was also maneuvering, it was likely that they would have sent words to the various post stations to bar the roads and prevent any movement. As such, Prince Ohoama decided to send several messengers to ask for Posting Bells, so that Ohoama and his men could make use of the official horses at the various post stations, allowing them to travel much more quickly and freely.  However, it was not clear if such orders had come and, if they had, where the local government officiallys might place their loyalty. Of particular importance was the case of Prince Takasaka, who was in charge of the Okamoto Palace, and thus the governance of the ancient capital. He would be the one to grant posting bells if they were to receive them.  If he provided the bells, then Ohoama and his party could assume they would have little to no trouble making their way East. And so Prince Ohoama sent his evnoys to the Okamoto palace.The messengers requested posting bells, but Prince Takasaka refused to issue them.  This sent a clear message to Prince Ohoama:  the Afumi court had no intention of letting him and his household have free access to the roads, and the local officials in Asuka were not going to provide any support.  In fact, Prince Takasaka now knew that Ohoama planned to travel, and if he wanted to, Takasaka could likely raise troops to try and stop Ohoama from leaving.  At the very least he would no doubt be sending a swift horse to Ohotsu to inform the Afumi court.  Ohoama and his followers would have to hurry if they wanted to do anything. And so, on the 24th of the 6th month, the same day that he got word back about the posting bells,  Prince Ohoama made the decision to move.  He and his entourage left quickly—he didn't even let anyone saddle a horse for him or prepare his carriage.  He just started to head out on foot on a journey to the East – and keep in mind that everything I'm going to describe in the next few minutes happened over the course of one night, truly an epic journey for Ohoama and all of those with him..  The Chronicles lists about 20 men and over ten women who originally set out with Ohoama from Yoshino, including his wife, the Royal Princess Uno no Sarara, daughter of Naka no Oe.  She wasn't walking, however—she followed a little behind in a palanquin, or litter, carried on poles.  I do wonder if those carrying the palanquin are among those mentioned, or were they servants or even enslaved persons who weren't considered worthy of note. The path they traveled wound its way through the mountains.  Streams and rivers had carved channels and valleys into these mountains.  People had settled these areas, and created paths through the wilderness.  Now, the valleys were fairly well populated, with roads connecting the communities that had grown up in the nooks and hollers. These facilitated trade through the mountain communities and between the eastern and western sides of the Kii peninsula, but even still, it was difficult terrain.  Unlike roads in the flat plains, the width of the roads in the mountains would have been constrained by steep mountainsides and the natural twists and turns of the valleys.  There may have been rope or wooden bridges that they had to cross, as streams constantly flow down the hill sides to the river below.  This route would make it much easier to avoid any official Afumi forces that might have been sent out, as those would likely be sticking to the main roads, but there were still government outposts along the way.  If these outposts proved loyal to the Afumi court, they could raise the alarm and send a messenger on horseback, who could likely flee much more quickly than Ohoama's men could follow.  And if Afumi learned that Ohoama was on the move, they could quickly mobilize their forces, secure key strategic points, and Ohoama's mad rush would be for naught.   The path Ohoama chose would lead from Yoshino, through the valleys, up through Iga, and then over to Suzuka, in Ise—modern Mie prefecture.  The journey was long and it wasn't going to be easy, but they needed to move quickly. Speaking of which, since Ohoama was traveling on foot, one of his men, Agata no Inukahi no Ohotomo, gave Prince Ohoama his own horse to ride.  Oh, and in case you are wondering: There are a lot of people named “Ohotomo” in the narrative, not just the Prince, Ohoama's nephew and rival for the throne.  Sorry, it was apparently a somewhat popular name AND it was also a clan, or uji, name as well.  I'll try to distinguish some of them in the podcast blog page. The party hadn't traveled far when Ohoama's own carriage—or possibly a palanquin, like his wife's—showed up for him, so I assume Ohotomo got his horse back, but they were still constrained to the speed of their slowest member, and I doubt that the mountain roads were all that wide and flat—most likely just the opposite. The group journeyed upstream along the Tsuburo river and eventually made it to Aki, in the area of Uda, due east of Sakurai and Mt. Miwa.  Here they were overtaken by two men, known as Ohotomo no Muraji no Makuda and Kibumi no Muraji no Ohotomo, both hurrying on from the Yoshino Palace. Makuda had been at the Afumi court, but word was starting to spread there that there was going to be some kind of move against Prince Ohoama, so he and his brother, Ohotomo no Fukei, had feigned illness and returned to their home in the Asuka region.  Once there, Makuda had made straightaway for Yoshino, only to find that Ohoama was already on the move.  Ohotomo no Fukei, on the other hand, chose to stay in the area of Asuka and see what he could do there.  He was looking to see what kind of forces he could raise in the ancient capital region.  We'll learn more about him, later. It was also in Aki, apparently, where they met Hashi no Muraji no Mate, who was from the Department of the official rice fields.  Even though he was a government official, he was a supporter of Ohoama and his cause, and so he supplied Ohoama and his people with food for their journey. Just north of the Aki fields they came upon Kammura—thought to be near modern Kaguraoka—where the Yoshino forces conscripted 20 hunters into service, almost doubling their numbers, and now they at least had some weapons with them.  Prince Mino, and presumably his men, also joined forces with Ohoama and his party—their ranks were starting to grow. In Uda, they were no doubt glad of any assistance, and at the government offices in the village of Uda itself, they were also warmly welcomed.  There they found 50 pack-horses that were laden down with rice meant for the hot baths at Ise.  The rice was discarded and Ohoama commandeered the pack animals so that his forces could ride, rather than walk.  Nonetheless, it was still a long way to go.  Indeed, night was approaching by the time they reached Ohono—likely the modern area of Muro-ohono and Ohonoji, along the Uda river.  They didn't want to stop, but it could be treacherous trying to navigate in the mountains in the dark.  What they needed was a light source.  And so we are told that they pulled down some of the fences of nearby houses and created makeshift torches to light their way.  Thus they were able to continue on until they reached the town of Nabari at approximately midnight. Nabari was not quite so friendly.  It was the home of a post-station, which had a duty to report things to the Afumi court.  Ohoama and his men arrived with their torches and in the middle of the night they attacked and set fire to the post station.  One can only imagine how surprised those manning the station must have been.  Presumably Ohoama's party took any horses and provisions, both for their own use and so that they couldn't be used against them.  To those members of the village that were woken up and who came out to see what was going on, Ohoama's entourage proclaimed that Prince Ohoama was heading east and that people should join them.  More specifically we are told that he said that the “Sumera no Mikoto” was on his way to the East Country. I want to pause here a moment, because there are some that say that this was the first use of the term “Sumera no Mikoto”, or, as we more commonly read the characters today, “Tennou”.  At the very least we believe that the term “Tennou” may have first used in this time period—though I do wonder about it being used in this particular instance.  I'll come back to this at the end, but for now, let's get back to the story.  So Ohoama announced to the people that he, the sovereign—for he had declared himself as such—was heading to the Eastern lands, and he invited anyone who wished to join him.  Nobody took him up on his offer, however.  It must have sounded crazy.  Ohoama had swept in at midnight, his forces carrying torches, and had attacked the post station, the symbol of the government in their midst.  I imagine that the people wanted little to nothing to do with any further conflict if they could help it. Continuing on in the darkness, Ohoama and his party came to a river—probably the Nabari River.  The Chronicle refers to it as “Yokokawa”, a term that shows up multiple times, and means something like “side river” and I suspect it was just the name for a river that ran alongside the fields or something similar.  As they were crossing, a dark cloud spread across the night sky for over 10 rods—about 100 feet.  Ohoama kindled a light and took a look at a geomantic rule to determine what it could mean.  This “rule” was possibly a type of stick or even a kind of compass-like device with a square bottom and round top, indicating the heavens and the earth.  He announced to everyone that the cloud was an omen that the country would be divided into two parts but, ultimately, their side would win out. One can only imagine how tired and worn out everyone was at this point, but apparently this urged them onward.  They reached Iga, where once again, they attacked and set fire to the posting station. Now getting through Iga must have had Ohoama's head on a swivel.  After all, Prince Ohotomo's mother was apparently from that region – he was the Iga Royal Prince, after all - so it would be understandable if people were loyal to him.  Fortunately, for Ohoama, he had his local supporters as well.  In fact, Joan Piggot points out in “The Emergence of Japanese Kingship” that Ohoama may have had a surprising amount of support from the various local elites.  Remember that the policies that Naka no Oe and the court had put into place had given power to court appointed officials at the expense of the traditional local elites.  So it may have been that those traditional local elites were more inclined to assist Ohoama against the Afumi Court, while those appointed officials, such as those who were managing the post stations, were more likely to swing the other way, since their positions and their stipends were directly reliant on the court's good graces.  This seems to have been the case in this instance, around Nakayama, in Iga, where we are told that they met with local district governors who had heard that Ohoama was on the move and who had raised several hundred men in support of his cause.  Now their ranks really had grown—compared with the relatively small group that had first set out from Yoshino the previous day, there were now hundreds of men on the march. Ohoama's forces finally arrived at the plain of Tara, or Tarano, by dawn, and with the sun coming over the mountains they briefly stopped for a moment to catch their breath and eat something.  They had just marched through the night—a distance of approximately 70 kilometers, or 43 and a half miles.  That included stops to attack and set fire to two post stations along the way, and much of the journey early on was done on foot.  During that march, their ranks had grown tremendously.  This is an incredible feat, especially with much of it being accomplished at night. Let's also quickly discuss those extra troops that had come to his banner.  Remember that prior to this, Prince Ohoama had sent messengers ahead to Mino and Owari to try and raise forces in those areas.  They had likely traveled these same roadways, and told  any allies they had to prepare.  So while the forces were raised quickly, there were no doubt some logistics that went into it. After a brief rest, the army was back on their feet, heading to Yamaguchi—modern Tsuge city.  Here Ohoama was greeted by his son, Prince Takechi, who had come from Afumi down through Kafuka—modern Kouka, aka Kouga.  He had brought several other men of his own, and presumably soldiers as well. The entire party crossed Mt. Miyama and into Suzuka, in Ise, where they were joined by the provincial governor, Miyake no Muraji no Iwatoko; Deputy Governor, Miwa no Kimi no Kobuto, and the magistrate of the famous hot baths, Tanaka no Omi no Tarumaro, among others.  That same morning, they set a troop of 500 soldiers to guard the pass.  After all, it would do them no good to have a government force suddenly appear behind them.  Also, you may recall that Ohoama's request to his allies in Mino was to take the Fuwa pass, in the north—the area more popularly known today as Sekigahara.  So now, with both the Suzuka and Fuwa passes under Ohoama's control, his forces controlled access to the Eastern countries.  The only other viable route, at least if you didn't want to get lost in the mountains, was to take the road to the north, through Koshi, and that was going to be a slog around or over the Japan Alps. So a garrison was left as a rear guard, but the troops who were not staying to guard the pass continued, turning northwards.  By sunset on the 25th day of the 6th month of 672, they had reached the foot of Kahawa Hill.  Here, Ohoama's consort, Princess Uno no Sarara, asked if they could take a break.  She was not exactly used to this kind of travel, and even riding on a palanquin, she was exhausted and fatigued.  As they looked to the sky, though, it was clear that dark clouds were gathering.  So they cut their rest short and pushed on, hoping to make it to the government offices at Mie—likely meaning modern day Yokkaichi city. Sure enough, as they continued to march, the heavens opened with a thunderstorm pouring down on them.  The entire army was soaked to the bone.  Cold and wet, when they did get to the government center or Mie district, they deliberately set fire to an entire building just so that the troops could try to warm themselves a bit.  Those who had set out from Yoshino had marched over 122km, or 75 miles, including over 700 meters of elevation up and 800 meters down.  Checking a map of the route, it suggests that a person walking it, today, without any breaks, would take around 28 hours to complete the trip, and indeed, Ohoama's took roughly one and a half days.  That includes time for their assaults on the various post stations, and a brief rest at the Tara fields.  Now, granted, they had procured horses for parts of that, and many of the soldiers had not necessarily been there since the beginning, but it is still an incredible feat, when you think about it.  I'm honestly surprised that it doesn't get more of a mention in various historical contexts.  Then again, we are still well before the age of the Samurai, which is the period most martial historians typically examine. So that night, as they were settling in at the Mie government center following their amazing dash across the mountains, word came from forces at Suzuka:  Prince Yamabe and Prince Ishikawa had apparently come to offer their allegiance to Ohoama.  However, as they weren't known to the men, they were held at the Suzuka barrier until someone could verify.  Ohoama sent Michi no Atahe no Masubito to go fetch them and bring them to him. The following morning, Ohoama worshipped towards Amaterasu on the banks of a river in the district of Asake.  Thinking about it, I'm not sure if they meant that he worshipped south, in the direction of Ise Shrine, or if he worshipped east, the direction of the rising sun.  The exact direction doesn't entirely matter, but I think we will come back to this, as it would have consequences later on. Later, Masubito returned from his errand, catching back up to the army, which was continuing on its way.  It turns out that it was not Princes Yamabe and Ishikawa that Masubito had found at Suzuka, but instead  Ohoama's own son, Ohotsu, who had come along to join his father.  I presume he had been traveling under a false name in case he ran into men loyal to the Afumi court.  He was followed by a number of others, including a list of names which I am not going to go over here because it wouldn't mean all that much.  Suffice it to say that the Chroniclers were doing their best to make sure that various families were remembered for what they did. Now just as Prince Ohotsu was joining the main force, Murakami no Woyori arrived with word that 3,000 Mino troops were mobilized and currently blocking the Fuwa Road.  You may recall that Woyori was the one that Ohoama had sent to Mino for just that purpose, scouting out the lay of the land. Ohoama sent Prince Takechi ahead to Fuwa to organize the forces there.  Then he sent two others to mobilize troops along the Tokaido region, and two others were sent into the mountains to levy soldiers from the Tousando region.  As a quick reminder: the Tokaido was the eastern sea highway, while the Tousando, the Eastern Mountain Road, went through the middle of eastern Honshu, through the more mountainous regions.  Together, these two routes would have pulled from the most populous regions of the east. As for Ohoama, he took up residence at the government center in Kuwana, where he spent some time resting for a bit. Now just as Ohoama was building up his forces, so, too, was the Afumi court.  As soon as word made it to the capital that Ohoama was on the move, chaos ensued.  Many people fled the capital, some heading to the East, perhaps to join Ohoama, while others went to hide in the mountains and marshes until all the chaos was over and the dust settled.  The young Prince Ohotomo asked the ministers what he should do, and they recommended that he immediately set out with cavalry to pursue Ohoama and catch him before he could assemble too many troops.  However, he decided not to heed their advice, instead opting to assemble an army of his own, to add to the soldiers that had already been levied.  He sent Ina no Iwasuki, Fumi no Kusuri, and Wosaka no Ohomaro to the East country, while Hodzumi no Momotari, his younger brother, Ihoye, and Mononobe no Hiuga headed to the Yamato capital—which is to say Asuka.  Ohotomo also sent Saheki no Wotoko to Tsukushi and Kusu no Iwate to Kibi, all with orders to levy troops.  He gave Wotoko and Iwate special instructions, since there was some concern that neither Tsukushi nor Kibi would be compliant, as they both had been supported by Ohoama and may feel ties to him.  So if the leaders of either of those areas were to resist, Wotoko and Iwate were authorized to execute them for treason. As Iwasuki, Kusuri, and Ohomaro headed east, they traveled around Lake Biwa and were headed to the Fuwa pass, not knowing that it was already controlled by Ohoama's forces.  Iwasuki, however, was cautious.  He realized that they might be ambushed, and so he held back from the main group.  Sure enough, he was right:  Kusuri and Ohomaro were ambushed and captured, at which point Iwasuki fled, barely escaping. The following day, Prince Takechi sent a note to his father asking him to move closer to Fuwa, so that they could better communicate with the front line.  Ohoama headed out, but left Princess Uno in Kuwana, which was well situated between Fuwa and Suzuka, and was likely far enough from the front lines to ensure that it wouldn't be disrupted by skirmishes at the passes.  As Ohoama then traveled through Wohari, the governor, Chihisakobe no Muraji no Sabichi, also joined him with a force of 20,000 men.  Ohoama had them divided up and set them on roads to various places as needed. Ohoama finally reached Nogami, just on the eastern edge of modern Sekigahara.  This is near where Tokugawa Ieyasu would eventually make his first camp as well, at his fateful battle here just under a thousand years later.  At Nogami, Ohoama would set up his headquarters, Nogami no Miya, or the Nogami Palace.  Meanwhile, Prince Takechi would handle the troops in the main part of the area near the pass, known as Wazami.  As Ohoama reached Nogami, Takechi came to conference with him.  He noted that there had already been an altercation—they had taken prisoners, who claimed that they were actually headed east to raise troops for Ohoama, but given that they didn't know who they were AND that Iwasuki had fled back towards Ohotsu-kyo suggested that this was not exactly the case. Following that incident, and a fair amount of speechifying, Ohoama eventually placed Prince Takechi formally in charge of the army, presenting him the gift of a saddle-horse.  Takechi went back to his camp at Wazami.  That night, a severe thunderstorm broke out.  Ohoama prayed that if the kami favored his case, they would make the storm abate, and immediately the thunder and lightning stopped. The next day, on the 28th, Ohoama traveled over to Wazami to review the troops and check on the military arrangements, before returning back to Nogami.  He likewise went out the following day, issuing commands through Prince Takechi, and then returned again to Nogami. At this point, soldiers were likely on their way from the Eastern provinces and elsewhere.  On the one hand, they wanted to wait and make sure that they had all the troops they needed.  But on the other hand, they didn't want to wait too long.  The Afumi court was likewise building up its forces, and the longer they waited, the greater the chance that they could dig in and entrench themselves.  Something would have to happen, soon. But that something will have to wait for the next episode.    Before we finish, though, I do want to come back to something:  the title “Tenno”, or “Sumera no Mikoto”.  Up to this point, evidence suggests that the term used for the sovereign of Yamato was not “Tennou” as we know it today, but instead was the term “Oho-kimi”.  “Oho-kimi”, or basically the “Big Kimi”—something like the primary lord—was the one lord of lords of Yamato.  But that was probably something based on local concepts of governance.  With the introduction of new ideas of governance, many based on the Han and Tang dynasty models, we see a shift in the terminology. There are poems that come from the era of Naka no Oe—Tenji Tennou—that use terms like “Huang” (皇) and “Di” (帝)—“Kou” and “Tei” in Japanese.  These are imperial terms from the continent.  At some point, however, we see that they use “Tian” (天) and “Huang” (皇).  “Tianhuang” becomes “Tennou” (天皇) when read in Japanese, and it critically utilizes the character “Tian” for Heaven.  Interestingly, this does not appear to be a term that was ever commonly used for rulers in the area of modern China.  I seem to recall that it was used here and there, but not with any frequency.  There is some thought that it may have been pulled from a term for the north star, or pole star, which sometimes used the term, I suspect referring to that star as the Heavenly Ruler—the star that the heavens themselves were focused on. For a variety of reasons, we see a particular emphasis on Heaven, and on Amaterasu, in the decades following 672, and it is thought that this is all connected.  And so it is generally from some time here, in the late 7th century, that we can probably start to refer to the sovereigns as “Tennou”. Although, it is unclear to me if the authors of the Nihon Shoki pronounced it like this or not, later glosses given for the characters in Japanese is “Sumera no Mikoto”, the kun'yomi, or Japanese reading.  The problem is that the Nihon Shoki projects this term back to the very beginning of the narrative, with “Jimmu Tennou” being the first.  However, we have some evidence that the earlier term was, as as I said before, “Ohokimi”.  For many years, there was an idea that the term “Sumera no Mikoto” first appeared in the era of Toyomike Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tennou, probably because that is when Buddhism and continental studies really seem to kick off.  However, there really is no evidence of its use then, and it seems that more scholars today place its use in the late 7th or early 8th century. So there is the possibility that this title was first used by Ohoama, as some claim, when he declared that the “Sumera no Mikoto” or “Tennou” was heading to the Eastern countries.  Of course, that could also just be dramatic license by the Chroniclers, who were less concerned with what, exactly, he said and more concerned with the meaning of it all.  We've also known them to swap out older terms for those in use in the 8th century, updating the narrative. Regardless, I think that about this time we can start to refer to the sovereigns of Yamato—and eventually Japan, or Nihon, another somewhat controversial term—as “Tennou”, or “Sumera no Mikoto”, from about this period.  I'll probably still use the term “sovereign” in general, and I'll try to avoid the term “imperial” for anything prior to the 19th century, when it became a standard English translation.  After all, Empires were the rage—Chinese, Ottoman, British, Austrian, French, Spanish, you name it.  Everyone had an empire, and so Japan, following that model, must also have been an “empire”.  Even today, it is officially the “Imperial Household” and that is the official translation. However, I want to be cautious about using that translation too early, however.  The institution of “Tennou”, while modeled on the Tang dynasty, took on its own character.  As such, I think that it is best to avoid the term for now, because it really was its own thing, and I don't want to conflate too many foreign concepts of “emperor” with the idea of the Japanese ruler. As for the term “Sumera no Mikoto”—it does not appear to me that the etymology of this term is clearly known.  One explanation is that “Sumera” is related to the word “Suberu”, to rule.  “Sumera” is also defined as meaning something precious, though I'm not sure if that meaning existed before its use to refer to the sovereign.  “Mikoto” is simply an honorific referring to the sovereign, meaning “royal” or “imperial”.  I suspect that the term “Tennou” came over first, and later it became glossed as “Sumera no Mikoto”, which may have been an earlier term, but we don't have any clear evidence.  Variations do appear in the Man'yoshu, the collection of ancient poems, so the concept was clearly around by the 8th century. Anyway, I think that's enough.  We'll probably talk about it more when we get to the rise of the worship of Amaterasu.  Until then, let's continue with our series on the Jinshin War. Next episode we will kick off with some of the actual fighting and campaigns in Afumi, Iga, and in Yamato.  Until then, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

The Japanese language is truly rich in diversity. Let's learn the Morioka dialect with SBS Japanese Sydney team. The instructor is Kazuyo Kitada originally from Iwate prefecture, Japan - 日本語は本当に豊か。SBS日本語放送シドニーチーム、岩手県出身の北田和代先生から盛岡弁を学んでみましょう！大阪弁マスターの番外編としてお届けします。

The Japanese language is truly rich in diversity. Let's learn the Morioka dialect with SBS Japanese Sydney team. The instructor is Kazuyo Kitada originally from Iwate prefecture, Japan - 日本語は本当に豊か。SBS日本語放送シドニーチーム、岩手県出身の北田和代先生から盛岡弁を学んでみましょう！大阪弁マスターの番外編としてお届けします。

In this episode, farmer Brian Sakurada of Shiwa Green Farm in Iwate, Japan shares a unique and interesting way to package and label their produce, especially their more exotic varieties.   Subscribe for more content on sustainable farming, market farming tips, and business insights!   Get market farming tools, seeds, and supplies at Modern Grower. Follow Modern Grower:  Instagram  Instagram Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:  Carrot Cashflow  Farm Small Farm Smart  Farm Small Farm Smart Daily  The Growing Microgreens Podcast  The Urban Farmer Podcast  The Rookie Farmer Podcast  In Search of Soil Podcast Check out Diego's books:  Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon   Ready Farmer One on Amazon **** Modern Grower and Diego Footer participate in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

L'actualité japonaise de mars 2025 par Gael et Charly : Introduction Rubrique TOURISME : 02:48 Augmentation des taxes au Japon (aérien, hébergement) 07:51 Floraison tardive des sakura 12:35 Moins de Japonais dans les sites touristiques de Kyoto 17:30 Pénuries d'eau dans les onsen 19:39 nouveautés du Shinkansen : cabines privatives, nouveau design, retard à Sapporo 25:09 Record des dépenses des touristes étrangers au Japon 26:36 L'aéroport Hello Kitty 28:45 Tokyo la ville aux parcs + Le plus petit parc du monde 32:16 Incendies ravageurs à Iwate, Ehime et Okayama 35:18 Fermeture du Studio Alta à Shinjuku 39:00 Dîner à 50 mètres de hauteur dans la baie de Tokyo Rubrique SOCIÉTÉ : 41:33 Réduction des émissions carbone au Japon ? 45:19 Visa long terme non accessible aux époux homosexuels 47:07 Catégorie non-binaire au marathon de Tokyo 49:10 Assassinat d'une streameuse en live 52:57 Record d'argent liquide perdu et rapporté 54:35 Japon, 3ème pire pays pour la place des femmes au travail 56:38 Fin des jupes pour les policières 58:08 Contrôles au faciès au Japon 01:00:16 Seul 1 Japonais sur 6 possède un passeport 01:02:21 Augmentation du nombre de résidents étrangers au Japon 01:03:31 Les chiffres de la pilule abortive 01:04:58 Chute toujours accélérée de la démographie japonaise 01:07:03 Plus assez de candidats aux concours d'entrée des lycées Rubrique POLITIQUE et ÉCONOMIE : 01:08:57 Scandale des chèques offerts par le Premier ministre Ishiba 01:11:07 Pacte de sécurité États-Unis / Japon et réarmement 01:13:37 Conséquences des droits de douane imposés par la Maison Blanche 01:16:12 Le Japon renforce ses alliances économiques avec d'autres pays 01:18:46 Commande ANA d'avions Boeing 01:20:05 Accroissement des exportations de riz japonais Rubrique POP CULTURE : 01:22:27 Polémiques du jeu Assassin's Creed Shadows au gouvernement japonais 01:26:15 Notre avis sur Assassin's Creed Shadows 01:40:39 Le sanctuaire de Tsushima interdit aux touristes à cause de mauvais comportements 01:44:04 Le box office du cinéma japonais en 2024 01:46:07 Ventes record de manga au Japon 01:47:19 Un plat dévalisé à Tokyo grâce à Monster Hunter 01:49:52 L'Agence des affaires culturelles récompense Gosho Aoyama et Masahiro Sakurai 01:51:57 Pokémon Go racheté par le gouvernement Saoudien + les vraies motos Pokémon 01:56:51 Ressortie du film Battle Royale au cinéma 02:01:12 Succès fou des visuels "Ghibli-fiés" par Open AI 02:06:31 Crossover animé entre la ligue de baseball et Demon Slayer 02:08:41 Le film "Sidonie au Japon" par Marjorie 02:17:15 Visites du musée Nintendo, parc Donkey Kong et Legoland par Gael Nos RÉCURRENTS : 02:25:49 Le Yen toujours faible Les articles Kanpai du mois passé Les podcasts Kanpai du mois passé et du mois prochain Conclusion

Idag har kan podden stoltsera med att vara första nordiska media med att ha beskådat den nordiska paviljongen vid den stundande världsutställningen i Osaka.Vi har varit på Yumeshima - Drömmarnas ö - som ligger i Osakabukten ungefär en halvtimmes resa med tåg från centrala Osaka.Den här upplagan av Japanpodden finns i en särskild Youtubeversion där det finns bilder och videomaterial från världsutställningen. Kolla in Japanpoddens Youtubekanal nu!NYHETERI ett försök att komma till rätta med de skenande priserna på ris - Japans basföda - inleddes den här veckan en auktion på 150 000 ton ris från det beredskapslager på en miljon ton som staten har.Riset i butik kostar i nuläget dubbelt så mycket som för ett år sedan och många hushåll har därför dragit ned på användandet eller ersatt det med nudlar av olika slag.I ett första skede är det alltså 150 000 ton som läggs ut på auktion och ytterligare 60 000 ton kan tillkomma senare. De som lägger högst bud vinner och riset ska därefter ut i butikerna, med förhoppningen att priset för konsumenterna ska kunna hållas nere.Orsaken till prisrusningen uppges vara en dålig skörd 2023 i kombination med spekulativ handel från vissa handlare.—------------De kraftiga bränder som rasat i Iwate län i norra Japan är nu under kontroll efter nära tre veckors släckningsarbete. Alla evakueringsorders har hävts då brandmyndigheterna bedömer att det inte längre finns någon risk att elden ska börja sprida sig igen.I staden Ofunato som var hårt drabbat brann ett 70-tal hus ned och en person påträffades senare död, medan närmare 5 000 tvingades lämna sina hem.Total brann ett område på 2 900 hektar företrädelsevis skogsmark, men elden hotade också flera byar och mindre städer.Perioden februari till april är normalt den mest brandfarliga eftersom det är mycket torrt i skog och mark. I år har det dock ovanligt många bränder, något som vissa bedömare menar kan bero på klimatförändringarna med kortare och torrare vintrar.—------------Med anledning av årsdagen av den stora Tohokujordbävningen den 11 mars 2011 har de styrande i staden Minami-sanriku avtäckt en minnessten över de sammanlagt 37 kommunanställda som miste livet i katastrofen. De flesta av de omkomna drunknade när en jättelik flodvåg drog in över kustsamhällena längs norra Japans stillahavskust.Sammanlagt omkom mer än 18 000 personer i katastrofen och mer än 2 000 saknas fortfarande. Gällande situationen vid det havererade kärnkraftverket Fukushima Dai-Ichi pågår saneringsarbetet alltjämt och väntas ta åtminstone ytterligare 30 till 50 år. Det ansvariga kraftbolaget Tepco har lovat att hela området ska saneras. Ännu har man dock inte kunnat ta sig in i de havererade reaktorerna på grund av den extremt höga radioaktiviteten.—------------Nordkorea testsköt i måndags flera ballistiska robotar, oklart hur många, bara timmar efter det att landet i kraftfulla ordalag fördömt en gemensam amerikansk-sydkoreansk militärövning som inleddes samma dag.Övningen som går under namnet Freedom Shield ska pågå fram till den 20 mars.Samtidigt kom under måndagen nya uppgifter om en incident i förra veckan då två stridsplan från det sydkoreanska flygvapnet av misstag bombade en by nära gränsen mot Nordkorea. Närmare 30 personer boende i byn ska ha kommit till skada och chefen för det sydkoreanska flygvapnet Lee Young-suu framförde en offentlig ursäkt och lovade göra allt han kan för att förhindra liknande misstag begås i framtiden.—---------Kvinnokläder saknar ofta fickor. Detta gör att kvinnor löper större risk att råka ut för jobbiga situationer än män. Men nu är kanske en förändring på gång som ska råda bot på ojämlikheten.En kvinna som intervjuas i dagstidningen Japan Times har dragit igång en namninsamling för att förmå tillverkarna att se till att kvinnors kläder utrustas med fickor i större utsträckning än vad som nu är fallet.Kvinnan som själv irriterat sig på att hon inte har några fickor att förvara sina visitkort i när hon går på möten.Droppen var när hon läste om en flygolycka där männen ombord lyckades få med sig en del värdesaker när de flydde ur det brinnande planet medan de kvinnor som lyckades rädda sig var tvungna att lämna samtliga personliga ägodelar ombord på det brinnande planet.Företrädare för klädmärket Uniqlo säger i en kommentar att de omgående tänker se till att också deras kläder för kvinnor utrustas med fickor utom när det inte är möjligt av estetiska eller andra skäl.—------I den stundande turneringen i sumobrottning som inleds i Osaka nu på söndag är allas ögon riktade på hur den nye stormästaren - mongolen Hoshoryu ska klara sin debut som stormästare - yokozuna.Med sina 25 år är Hoshoryu relativt ung för att utses till sportens högsta rang och får han vara skadefri tros han ha framtiden för sig. Det ska dock understrykas att en stormästare är under stor press att leverera resultat, i varje turnering. Den dag han inte lever upp till förväntningarna är det kutym att han drar sig tillbaka och blir coach eller stallchef.En annan brottare som levererat goda resultat är japanen Onosato som i Osaka ställer upp som Ozeki - den nästa högsta rankingen.Onosatos framgångar har gjort att sumointresset i Japan formligen exploderat och turneringen i Osaka som pågår i 15 dagar är mer eller mindre redan utsåld. Sporten har under flera år dominerats av utländska brottare - de flesta från Mongoliet, vilket gjort att intresset bland japaner svalnat betänkligt. Men med Onosatos framgångar har sporten snabbt vunnit nya anhängare. Om Onosato gör ett bra resultat i Osaka, och då ska han helst vinna hela turneringen, är det ett första steg mot att även han utnämns till stormästare. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit japanpodden.substack.com

東日本大震災の追悼式で、献花する石破茂首相、１１日午後、福島市東日本大震災から１４年となった１１日、岩手、宮城、福島３県で追悼式が行われ、地震発生時刻の午後２時４６分に黙とうがささげられた。 Ceremonies were held Tuesday to mark the 14th anniversary of the 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami at the three hardest-hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima in northeastern Japan.

東日本大震災の発生から１４年を迎え、海岸で朝日を見る人たち、１１日午前、仙台市若林区東日本大震災の発生から１４年を迎えた１１日、津波で甚大な被害を受けた岩手、宮城、福島各県の沿岸部では、早朝から犠牲者を追悼する人々の姿が見られた。 Prayers were offered from early Tuesday morning for victims of the devastating tsunami that hit coastal areas in the northeastern Japan prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima 14 years ago.

Prayers were offered from early Tuesday morning for victims of the devastating tsunami that hit coastal areas in the northeastern Japan prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima 14 years ago.

Ceremonies were held Tuesday to mark the 14th anniversary of the 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami at the three hardest-hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima in northeastern Japan.

I staden Hirosaki i Aomori län längst upp i norr på den japanska huvudön Honshu bor sedan mer än trettio år tillbaka en svensk kom dit för att träna kampsporten Taido i ett halvår, men sedan blev kvar.Alvar Hugosson heter han och du möter honom i dagens upplaga av Japanpodden. NyheterDe kraftiga skogsbränder som rasar i Iwate län i norra Japan fortsätter att sprida sig över ett allt större område och har hittills krävt minst ett människoliv och lett till mer än 2 000 personer tvångsevakuerats till skolor och gymnastiksalar. Brandkårer från flera län deltar i släckningsarbetet och myndigheterna uppmanar boende i närheten att vara beredda att evakuera med kort varsel.Perioden februari till april är normalt den mest brandfarliga eftersom det är mycket torrt i skog och mark. I år har det dock ovanligt många bränder, något som vissa bedömare menar kan bero på klimatförändringarna med kortare och torrare vintrar.Det är sex gånger vanligare att utlänningar blir stoppade och utfrågade av polisen i Japan. Det visar en undersökning som gjorts på uppdrag av en grupp advokater i Tokyo.Enligt undersökningen som refereras av bland andra dagstidningen Japan Times har två av tre utlänningar råkat ut för polismaktens opåkallade uppvaktning, medan bara en av åtta japaner råkat ut för samma sak. I de flesta fall handlade det om att man cyklat utan lyse eller haft på sig hörlurar och tittat på sin mobil samtidigt som man cyklade - något som inte är tillåtet i Japan.Poliser som intervjuades anonymt av advokaterna uppgav att de regelbundet beordras av sina chefer att ha särskilt uppsikt över personer som “ser utländska ut” och att de varje månad måste uppfylla en särskild utlänningskvot.Födelsetalen nådde en ny bottennotering under fjolåret och totalt föddes bara 720 000 bebisar, vilket var en minskning med hela 5 procent jämfört med året innan och dessutom det nionde året på raken med fallande födelsetal. Samma trend syns bland annat i Sydkorea, Frankrike och Kina där allt färre väljer att skaffa barn.I Japan minskar befolkningen som helhet och fortsätter trenden som hittills kommer det i Japan bara att finnas ett enda barn någonstans runt år 2 700.Innan det går så långt hoppas regeringen kunna vända trenden och premiärminister Shigeru Ishiba har aviserat ett mångmiljardprogram som bland annat innefattar fler daghem och lägre skolavgifter.Årets löneförhandlingar ser ut att slå rekord. Den japanska Metallarbetarunionen som representerar två miljoner anställda i verkstadsindustrin har aviserat att den kommer att kräva löneökningar på motsvarande drygt ett tusen svenska kronor per månad, vilket är det högsta kravet sedan 2014.Anledningen är inte minst att den japanska centralbanken Bank of Japan nu övergett nollräntepolitiken vilket lett till en inflationen börjat röra sig uppåt för första gången på många år. Till detta kommer stigande priser på mat och boende. Särskilt grönsaker och den japanska stapelvaran ris har gått upp kraftigt. Så mycket har priserna stigit att japanska media rapporterar om att matbutikerna har börjat vitkål och salladskål delade i fjärdedelar eftersom kunderna annars drar sig för att handla.Jätteaffären kring jourbutikkedjan Seven-Eleven har satts på paus sedan handelshuset Itochu dragit sig ur en finansieringplan som innebar att man skulle skjuta till motsvarande drygt 600 miljarder svenska kronor för att den nuvarande ledningen tillsammans med grundarna skulle kunna köpa ut moderbolaget Seven and I Holdings från börsen.Nu riktas återigen sökarljuset mot den kanadensiska kedjan Couche-Tard som bland annat driver Circle K bensinmackar runt om i världen, bland annat i Sverige.Det kanadensiska bolaget har tidigare varit aktuellt som köpare men det bud man lade ansågs vara för lågt.Seven-Eleven är världens största jourbutikkedja. Den grundades i USA, men växte starkast i Japan. Så stark att det japanska dotterbolaget till sist köpte ut sina amerikanska grundare. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit japanpodden.substack.com

VOV1 - Mặc dù đã qua 6 ngày, nhưng đám cháy rừng nghiêm trọng bùng phát tại tỉnh I-oa-tê (Iwate) - Đông Bắc Nhật Bản từ hôm 19/2 vẫn tiếp tục lan rộng, đe dọa các khu dân cư phụ cận.

Send us a textEpisode 45 transports us to Tohoku in the north-east of Japan's main island of Honshu. Tohoku is a large region comprised of six prefectures – Fukushima, Yamagata, Akita, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori – known for its open and striking landscapes and distinct local traditions. Leading us on this exploration is photographer Alfonso Calero. With more than 20 years of experience as a professional photographer, Alfonso leads small photography tours to Japan each year, including his 10-day autumn tour in Tohoku.Alfonso's tour focuses on the natural landscapes of Tohoku including the mountains, forests, lakes and rivers of Towada-Hachimantai National Park and rugged rock formations of the Sanriku Coast. The tour balances its focus on landscape with cultural destinations including Towada Art Center and the samurai district of Kakunodate. Full details of the tour can be found on Alfonso's website and you can also follow him on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. I hope that this episode piques your interest in Alfonso's photography and tours and Tohoku as a destination. Easily accessible thanks to Japan's Shinkansen / Bullet Train network, Tohoku is in every other sense a world away from the congestion, neon and hum of Tokyo. Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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

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

Jordan has returned from his trip to Iwate and talks all about what Japanese PR gets wrong. David talks about the Pokemon X Kogei Exhibit happening now in Tokyo. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord invite⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Contact Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: @tokyofreshpod Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tokyofreshpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@afroinjapan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@zyrell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MERCH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JPN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠USA/EU/WORLD⁠⁠⁠

KC, Joe, Damon and Ryan explore the beautiful Iwate prefecture and discuss UFO's and the supernatural, while Joe recounts the recent Asian Amateur in Gotemba, before delving into the Japan open and its ridonculous rough- Adam Scott is not a fan having miss the cut by 11! Today's Podcast is in association with Titleist:https://golf-in-japan.com/titleist-fitting-experienceFeatured: Iwate prefecture:https://golf-in-japan.com/courses/iwate

Brian Sakurada of Shiwa Green Farm in Iwate, Japan joins host Diego to share his interesting farming journey and how he began selling organic produce not just in his local area but all over Japan. He also talks about the differences between farming in the US and farming in Japan, as well as the reality of organic farming in Japan.  Click here to learn more about Brian Sakurada and Shiwa Green Farm!  Get time and labor-saving farm tools at shop.modern grower.co Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network: Farm Small, Farm Smart Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily The Growing Microgreens Podcast Check out Diego's book, Sell Everything You Grow, which is only $0.99 on  Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

Yuko Kaneko is Director and Corporate Counsel of the Business Legal Department at Renesas Electronic Corporation. Yuko discusses her career journey, starting as an attorney at Nishimura Asahi before transitioning to in-house roles. A career can span many years and so we discuss career longevity, the importance of continuous learning, and balancing professional and personal life. If you are looking for a role model of how to do a legal career in Japan then please listen to Yuko's story. If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we'd love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we'd love it if you would leave us a message here! In this episode you'll hear: How Yuko left Iwate for Tokyo and found her way to a legal career Her tips for lawyers transitioning from private practice to in-house How she spends her time and makes exercising a priority even with a family Her favourite saying and other fun facts  About Yuko Yuko Kaneko is Director & Corporate Counsel, Business Legal Department of Renesas Electronic Corporation. She graduated from Tokyo University, and after attending the Legal Training Research Institute of the Supreme Court as a Legal Trainee, she started her career as an attorney-at-law at Nishimura & Asahi in 2000. In June 2010, Yuko changed her career path and switched to become an in-house legal counsel. She served as the Manager of Legal Affairs Office at Nippon Otis Elevator Company for over five and a half years. Thereafter, she moved to Alconix Corporation, where she served as the General Manager of the Legal and Compliance Department for just under 6 years. Yuko obtained an L.L.M. from the Florida Coastal School of Law through e-learning while raising three daughters. Yuko is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and volunteers for the Executive Board of Women in Law Japan. In her spare time she loves to get involved in her hobbies, which are golf, running, skiing and playing the koto. Connect with Yuko  LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuko-kaneko-019188132/  Links Hakone Pola Art Museum: https://www.polamuseum.or.jp/en/  Connect with Catherine  Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lawyeronair 

ジェニのピカピカ日本語へようこそ。 今日は、私たちのウェブカフェでご紹介した日本のローカルフードについてご紹介します。 まずは、北海道の「いくら」、岩手県の「わんこそば」、京都の「やつはし」をご紹介します。 お楽しみください。 Welcome to Jeni's Pika Pika Japanese. Today, I would like to introduce you to some Japanese local foods that we have introduced in our webcafe. First, we will introduce “ikura” (salmon roe) from Hokkaido, “wanko soba” from Iwate, and “yatsuhashi” from Kyoto. Enjoy! Bienvenidos a Jeni's Pika Pika Japanese. Hoy me gustaría presentarles algunas comidas japonesas locales que hemos introducido en nuestro cibercafé. Empezamos con huevas de salmón de Hokkaido, wanko soba de la prefectura de Iwate y yatsuhashi de Kioto. ¡Que aproveche!

With less than a week to go before the biggest show in Marigold's short history, Matt and Rob are here to give you the lowdown to everything you need to know!They review the last two nights of the Grand Opening Wars Tour in Sendai and Iwate, as well as the opening night of the Summer Gold Shine tour in Osaka before going on to preview everything to do with Summer Destiny 2024 in Ryogoku Kokugikan on Saturday!Subscribe to our PATREON: https://patreon.com/TheStardomCastThe Stardom Cast website: https://www.thestardomcast.comSubscribe to the Podcast: https://linktr.ee/TheStardomCastJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bbDcAwcTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/marigoldpodcastBuy our Merch: https://teespring.com/en-GB/stores/podmania-podcasting-networkYouTube: https://tinyurl.com/2s4zrf3rBuy Rob's NEW Stardom Book - Chasing the Dream: 50 of Stardom's Greatest Matches Right Here: https://tinyurl.com/2eemszmtAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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The ugly Nike and Fanatics baseball jerseys are released at the same time as New York Fashion Week; and Special Guest Professor Joan Waugh, Professor of History at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), talks Gilded Age and LA Dodgers. Drink: Baeren Hyakunen Bakushu Classic from Baeren Brewery Co in Kitayama, Morioka, Iwate, Japan Prof. Waugh's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joan-Waugh/author/B001HO6QR4?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1708293891&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Last Call Baseball Instagram: Last Call Baseball Last Call Baseball Twitter: @LastCall4040 Intro and Outro Music: DeCarlo Podcast Logo Artist Instagram: regan_vasconcellos

ふんどし姿の男衆が護符の入った麻袋を激しく奪い合う「蘇民袋争奪戦」、１７日午後、岩手県奥州市ふんどし姿の男衆が護符の入った麻袋を奪い合う奇祭「蘇民祭」が１７日、岩手県奥州市の黒石寺で開かれた。 The major Somin-sai festival with a history of over 1,000 years was held for the last time at a Buddhist temple in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate on Saturday.

The major Somin-sai festival with a history of over 1,000 years was held for the last time at a Buddhist temple in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate on Saturday.

Eftersom Lars och Tommy har fastnat i deadline-träsket den här månaden så måste vi flytta vårt ordinarie avsnitt till nästa månad. Men som plåster på såren kommer här en liten julklapp från oss, i formen av avsnittet om Kappa från patreonserien Hela världens folktro.   Tack så väldigt mycket för att ni lyssnar och tipsar våra vänner om podden! Låter det intressant med folktro från resten av världen, så kan vi varmt tipsa om att stödja oss på Patreon. Där vi just nu har över ett 30-tal olika bonusavsnitt att lyssna på, bland annat serien om Fornnordisk mytologi och många andra avsnitt och inlästa berättelser: https://www.patreon.com/narmantalaromtrollen   God jul och ett gott nytt år!   BONUSAVSNITT - Kappa | Hela världens folktro Den här gången tar vi oss till Japan och möter där kappa! Den är en av den japanska folklorens mesta berömda väsen, eller yokai som man säger där. En typisk beskrivning av kappa är att den är liten, grönaktig till färgen och påminner om en människoliknande groda, sköldpadda eller apa. Dess rygg täcks ofta av en ryggsköld, ungefär som hos en sköldpadda. Dess ansikte har i regel skarpa drag med en näbbliknande mun. Mellan fingrarna och tårna har den simhud. På hjässan har kappa ofta en skålformad hålighet, fylld med vatten eller en speciell vätska. Kappas kropp kan vara täckt av hår eller helt sakna kroppsbehåring och då kan dess hud vara täckt av fjäll. Det berättas ofta att den luktar som en fisk. Sägner om kappa har berättats över hela Japan, från norr till söder. Lokala ritualer eller mindre festivaler som hedrar kappa förekommer årligen på olika håll i Japan. Dessutom finns det sushi som är namngiven efter kappa. Bara en sån sak! I avsnittet berättar Tommy om sina resor till Japan, där han bland annat sett en mumifierad kappahand, besökt flera helgedomar till kappa, pratat med personer som delgett sägner om kappa, besökt ett yokai-museum i Miyoshi och där han rest runt i Tono i Iwate prefektur i spåren efter kappa. Vi har även en kort genomgång av vad yokai egentligen är i den japanska folktron samt varför kappa har en förkärlek att peta ouppmärksamma pigor och simmare i rumpan.

Last time we spoke about the failure of diplomacy between the Empires of Russian and Japan as well as the Yellow Peril. The Russians said they would demobilize and pull out of Manchuria, but when the time actually came to do so, they suddenly had a change of heart. Japan felt threated, but extended the hand of diplomacy trying to thwart beginning a war against a great power. Tsar Nicholas II was being egged on by his cousin Kaiser Wilhelm II, who utilized  Yellow Peril rhetory to push Russia into a war with Japan. The Russians did not put up a serious effort when it came to diplomacy, basically insulting Japan. Japan could only swallow so much, until she would take violent actions. The entire world was in for quite a shock, because a Sun was about to rise and a Bear was about to tumble.    #74 The Russo-Japanese War Part 1: The Surprise attack on Port Arthur   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On January 13th of 1904, Japan proposed to Russia that she would recognize Russia's sphere of influence over Manchuria if Russia would respect her's over Korea. It was a generous offer to maintain the peace, but Russia counter proposed that Japan respect her sphere of influence over Manchuria, and that Korea was basically open grounds. It was to be frank, an insult. It seemed clear to the Japanese the Russians were not serious about diplomacy, in fact they were biding time to build up their military strength in Asia. In February of 1904, Prime Minister Katsura's cabinet decided for war. You really have to take a step back and look at what a colossal decision that was. Russia was a great power, Japan was considered an emerging regional power. Japan had defeated the Qing dynasty, yes, but in the minds of the great powers, this was nothing more than two lesser nations battling it out. A lot of the attitudes of the day were as you can imagine, racist. The idea of a non white nation going to war against a white nation let alone a great power, was ridiculous. So how did Japan think she was going to defeat a larger empire like Russia? For Japan the prospect of victory would rely on a pre-emptive strike against her fleet anchored at Port Arthur, sound a bit familiar? Yes in many ways you can think of this as a Pearl Harbor prequel. The idea similar to Pearl Harbor was to deliver a surprise attack and then issue the formal declaration of war. In the Pacific the Russian Far East fleet consisted of 7 battleships, 6 cruisers and 13 destroyers at Port Arthur. At Vladivostok there were 4 first class cruisers, with a number of torpedo boats. At Chemulpo in Korea were the protected cruisers Varya and gunboat Koreyetz. A crucial component of the conflict would be commanding the sea ways. Both nations recognized this fact all too well. The Russian far east fleet was constrained from year the round training by being icebound in Vladivostok for 3 months of the year. Her fleet was also a ragtag bunch with different armaments, speed, armor and flexibility. Russia was dependent on foreign built ships, though she was fully capable of building her own. Russia had ships built from Britain, Germany, France and the US. The Russian navy was based on conscription at 7 years with 3 years of reserve.  The IJN combined fleet consisted of 6 battleships, 10 cruisers, 40 destroyers and 40 smaller vessels, led by Vice Admiral Heihachiro Togo. The Russian ships were a hotchpotch of differing types, armaments and speeds, with a varied amount of armor protection. The Japanese ships were nearly all British built, uniform and faster. Alcohol excess amongst Russian crews was a serious problem. Baltic crews spent the 6 months of winter ashore because the gulf of Finland froze and because of bureaucratic demand for uniformity. So did the crews of the Black Sea fleet. Thus, Russian sailors spent less time at sea and less time training. The Japanese navy under British instruction spent more time at sea, and trained intensively. Japanese sailors were literate, while most Russian sailors were not. These variables would come out to play when dealing with steam-driven warships, the most technologically advanced weapons of the day.   Japan held an advantage over the Russians: an intricate spy network run by Baron Akashi Motojiro. He was sent as a roaming military attache all over Europe and, by 1902, moved to Saint Petersburg, setting up a network using locally-based Japanese merchants, workers and others sympathetic to Japan, making sure to pay more than the Russians did. He gathered valuable information on troop movements and naval development, and began to support Russian extremists such as Litvinoff, Orlovsky and Lenin. It is alleged he recruited the famous spy Sidney Reilly, who went to Manchuria and Port Arthur secretly gathering intelligence and, if it is to be believed, alongside his acquaintance Ho Liang Shung, stole the Port Arthur harbor defense plans and sold it to the IJN. Allegedly, Vice-Admiral Togo was given some false information from Reilly and other spies around Port Arthur about the garrison there being on full alert. This led him to not want to risk his capital ships against a well-prepared enemy. He thus elected to send a destroyer force to surprise-attack Port Arthur. To prepare for the war, the Japanese had troopships prepared in predetermined positions, already loaded with provisions and munitions. Aboard his flagship, Admiral Togo read to his admirals a message from Emperor Meiji before all of them lifted a glass of champagne and gave a few bonzai's. The Japanese press were forced into utmost secrecy, everything possible was concealed. As the combined fleet departed on the morning of February the 7th, they had an agreement, whether at Port Arthur or if the Russian fleet found them first, the Japanese would fire first.  The IJN combined fleet made a rendezvous south of Chemulpo around Lindsay island. They were met by the Akashi who had been tasked with surveying the Russian navy's movements in the region. The Akashi reported the Russian naval forces had not departed Port Arthur, everyone sighed with relief. The Russian naval forces outside Port Arthur were the unprotected cruisers Varyag and an old gunboat called the Koreyetz, both at anchor in Chemulpo. Chemulpo was a designated landing spot for the IJA, three troopships carrying 2500 troops detached from the combined fleet escorted by the armored cruisers Asama, Takachiho, Nanussa, unarmored cruisers Suma and Akashi and two torpedo boats. Commanding the small detachment was Rear Admiral Uriu. The Japanese intelligence indicated, alongside the two Russian warships there was numerous warships from other nations. The HMS Talbot, USS Vicksburg, Italy's Elba, Frances Pascal and Japans protected cruiser Chiyoda were anchored there. Chiyoda slipped out of the port to meet up with the incoming Uriu who forwarded the information on the international presence. Uriu worried about the political consequences of attacking the Russians in the harbor next to international warships which was against international law. If they could lure the Russians out of the harbor it would be much better politically.   Meanwhile the Russians were in a bit of an awkward state. Many believed hostilities could break out at any moment, but did not have orders to attack first. The commander of the Koreyetz was quite nervous and wanted to receive an update from Port Arthur on the political situation so he departed from the harbor during the early afternoon. Unluckily for the Koreyetz she came across the incoming Japanese. Upon discovering the incoming ships were Japanese, the Koreyetz turned around, but some of her gunners were too trigger happy and fired two ineffectual shots.   The Koreyetz fled back to her anchorage beside the Varyag and Russian steamer Sungari. The 3 captains quickly met watching the Japanese warships also anchor within the harbor. Soon they could see the Japanese troopships unloaded troops and provisions around 6pm on February 8th. The Japanese troops went to work occupying the city and by 3am on the 9th, four IJA battalions of the 12th division had unloaded without incident. Rear admiral Uriu sent a letter to the senior Russian commander, Captain Stefanov advising him that hostilities existed between their two nations and that the Russian ships must leave the neutral port of Chemulpo. He also indicated he spoke to the other nationalities captains warning them to stay clear if a fire fight broke out in the harbor. The Russians had until noon to comply, if they stayed at 4pm, Uriu would attack.   Captain Stefanov ran over to the HMS Talbot to plead with her British captain to get the international ships to restrain the Japanese or help escort them out to sea. Captain Denis Bagly of the Talbot went out to meet Uriu with a letter signed by the other captains protesting the violation of a neutral port. Bagly had no illusions it was a useless gesture and he bid farewell to Stefanov, advising the man he should try to escape or surrender. Stefanov spoke with his fellow captains and they agreed surrender was not an option. At 11am, outgunned and outnumbered the two Russian warships departed the anchorage in front of numerous spectators. Varyags band played ‘god save the Tsar” as the sailors sang the anthem. They sailed directly at the awaiting Japanese fleet.    Upon seeing the Russians come out, the Asama trained her 8 inch guns on the Varyag and at a range of 4 miles opened fire. The new Shimose shells began to hit Varyag and soon Chiyoda added her guns to the duel. Eye witness, reporter Thomas Cowen had this to say of the scene “Her decks were being torn and riven, and men were dashed down in mangled heaps all round each gun, for the guns had no shields to protect their crews. Like the furious windsqualls in the height of a hurricane came the bursting of terrible explosives all the length of the ship, shattering and burning and sweeping away men and pieces of machinery indiscriminately”   The Varyag's crew literally ran out of men to carry away the wounded on deck. A shell smashed into the bridge to the left of the captain killing his runner. Another shell hit to the captains right killing his bugler and taking some of the side of his face. Most of Varyags guns were silenced, she took a hit below the waterline and was listing to port. Despite all of this, the able men kept to their duty, trying to maneuver the ship by the propellers after her steering gear had been shot off. With no way to fight the enemy the captain ordered them to return to port and the maneuver left Koreyetz exposed to fire for the first time. Koreyetz could not even fire upon the enemy because her range was too limited and soon the Chiyoda began to fire upon her. Koreyetz captain decided to simply follow the crippled and on fire Varyag. Suddenly the gunfire ceased, the Japanese went back to where they anchored before and the two Russian warships did the same. Varyags superstructures were flattened, two of her four funnels were blown off and her masts as well. The Russian survivors were quickly taken aboard the Talbot, Elba and Pascal. The Russian captains had decided to scuttle the three ships. As the explosives went off, the band aboard the Elba played the Russian anthem. The Japanese sailors all bowed in a salute. Later within Chemulpo some of the Russian sailors would be treated by Japanese medical staff and all were permitted to return to Russia on parole, so that they would not take up arms again during the war.    Admiral Togo took the rest of the fleet to another rendezvous point, this time at Elliot island, some 65 miles east of Port Arthur. Togo's fleet was divided into three divisions. The 1st division consisted of the 6 battleships, Asahi, Hatsuse, Shikishima, Yashima, Fuji and Togo's flagship Mikasa. They had an overall speed of 18 knots and a displacement of 12300-15000 tons with broadsides weighing some 4000 lbs. The 2nd division consisted of armored cruisers, the Yagumo, Izumo, Iwate, Azuma and Tokiwa with an average speed of 24 knots. The third division consisted of unarmored cruisers Chitose, Takasago, Yoshino and Kasagi. Additionally 15 destroyers armed with the brand new Whitehead torpedo capable of 30 knots and 20 torpedo boats would take up the role of picquet.  Over in Port Arthur's harbor the inner line consisted of 5 Russian battleships, Sevastopol, Petropavlovsk, Peresvyet, Pobieda and Poltava. In the middle line were the battleships Tsarevitch and Retvizan, alongside 3 cruisers. In the southernmost line were 3 other cruisers along with the duty ship Pallada. Patroling outside the harbor were destroyers Rastoropni and Bezstrashni around 20 miles out. The commander of the Russian Far Eastern Fleet was Vice Admiral Oscar Victorovitch Stark. It just so happened on February 8th he had planned a large birthday party for his wife. The guests would include Viceroy and Supreme Commander Admiral Alexeiev, his chief of staff Vice Admiral Witgeft, Starks deputy Rear admiral Uktomski and a plethora of other commanders and their wives. Stark actually suspected the Japanese would attack, most likely utilizing torpedoes in a surprise, but the Viceroy refused to allow him to prepare the fleet for war. None the less Stark ordered his captains to prepare to repel torpedo attacks. He ordered all ships to put out anti-torpedo nets and be prepared for action. However, several ships did not carry out these orders and did not take the situation seriously despite multiple night alarms. Many main battery guns were unloaded, many nets uncast, entire crews lay asleep in hammocks, and the two patrolling destroyers were told not to fire if they saw anything, but instead to report it to the CIC. This was because the Tsar had instructed his far Eastern forces, for political reasons, that if war should occur, Japan must be seen to have started it. Alongside this, the majority of the officer corps would be celebrating on the shore and at a party hosted by Admiral Starck for the birthday of his wife on the deck of his flagship, the Petropavlovsk. The celebrating crowd would in fact mistake explosions as cannon salutes for her birthday party. At 7pm Togo released his destroyers, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd flotillas had orders to proceed to Port Arthur while the 4th and 5th would try to ambush any Russian ships sailing around Dalny. 10 destroyers were enroute to Port Arthur, each warship held crews of around 50 men, armed with two 12 pounder guns, 4 6 pounders and two torpedoes.  The 1st Flotilla consisted of the destroyers : Shirakumo, Asashio, Kasumi, Akatsuki; 2nd Flotilla: Inazuma, Oboro, Ikazuchi; 3rd Flotilla: Usugumo, Shinonome, Sazanami. They used stearch lights, went towards Liau-ti-chan, allegedly using stolen plans from Sidney Reilly to navigate through the Russian minefield protecting the harbor. At 10:50pm, the 1st flotilla came across the two Russian destroyers on patrol, the Rastoropni and Bezstrashni. This prompted the 1st squadron to douse their lights, trying to avoid detection and slip past. During the process, the Japanese destroyer Oboro collided with the Ikazuchi, disabling her and blocking the path of the Inazuma. This in turn led the flotillas to become separated and were forced to act independently, with the Inazuma becoming lost and the Oboro limping slowly. 20 minutes after midnight, the 1st flotilla arrived, seeing Russian warship searchlights. Approaching closer they saw 3 ranks of ships and then the cruisers Pallada saw the Japanese destroyers, but presumed they were the returning Rastoropni and Bezstrashni. The Rastoropni and Bezstrashni had no radios and were rushing back to try and report the incoming Japanese. At 11:50pm Captain Asai Shojero aboard the Shiragumo gave the attack signal. The four destroyers turned to port and increased their speed to 30 knots before releasing two torpedoes each and turning southwards.  The Shiragumo fired the first two torpedoes, followed by two from the Asashio. Because the Pallada was more active, she received more attention than the rest. Pallada was hit amidship, caught fire and began to keel over. Retvizan was hit next at her bow creating a hole large enough for a car to pass through. Tsesarevitch's steering gear was hit. When the explosion of the hit against Pallada was heard many of the Russian ships began firing wildly. The Kasumi fired her two torpedoes, followed by the Akatsuki. Ikazuhi acting alone, came to the scene and fired a single torpedo before fleeing south as well. The 3rd flotilla attracted by the explosions rushed to the scene, finding some lights approaching them, they doused their lights and stopped their engines. It turned out to be the Inazuma who had got lost and requested to join them. They continued finding the Russians ships in a wild disarray. Usugumo was the first to fire, followed by Shinonime and Inazuma before they made their escape south. Meanwhile the Sazanami had been separated from all the others since 11 pm, but had managed to slip past the two russian destroyers around 1:25am and came in to fire a single torpedo before also departing south. The last ship was the damaged Oboro who attempted to repair herself before limping towards the enemy. At 1:45am she fired a torpedo and made her escape. The Russians had been caught completely by surprise. Their skeleton crews aboard the battleships had no idea what was occurring. Many men tumbled out of their bunks awaiting orders, orders that never came. To further explain, when a ship is in action each individual has his own designated tasks, but when an attack comes unexpectedly and a large number of the crew are absent, orders have to be given on the spur of the moment. The explosions were heard by many in the city of Port Arthur, but countless assumed it to be fireworks for celebration. The Russians wild attempts at firing back upon the enemy were useless. The Norvik was the only ship to give chase to the enemy. The torpedo attack killed two officers, 29 sailors and wounded 8 others. Pallada was grounded under the western battery in the harbor; Retvizan was grounded on a ledge near the entrance passage and Tsesarevitch was grounded close to Retvizan. Out of a total of 16 torpedoes launched, only 3 found targets. A major reason for this was luckily due to the few crews who had deployed anti torpedo nets as suggested by Starck. By the way if you would like to see a visual representation of the attack, there is a fantastic Japanese series on the Russo Japanese war called “Saka no Ue no Kumo” narrated by the legendary Ken Watanabe. On my personal channel the pacific war channel one of my most popular episodes is on the Russo-Japanese war, and I used a lot of footage from the series. I will admit I embarrasingly messed up the episode by speeding up the narration somewhat because it was simply too long, but its still ok. By the time this podcast comes out I hope its alright to say, I have been writing a 10 part Russo Japanese War series for Kings and Generals and the animation will look awesome. But back to the story. Starcks staff briefed him on what had occurred and he immediately reported it to the Viceroy in a manner of “i told you so”. Starck most likely hoped the Viceroy would shoulder the blame alongside him, but instead rumors were spread to exaggerate the fact he was having a party for his wife during the event. None the less the two admirals quickly began to plan their next steps as they both assumed the IJN combined fleet was about to come in an attack them. The viceroy sent a message appealing for everyone to stay calm in the city while Starck ordered the fleet to be made ready for sea immeidately. Countless officers and sailors scrambled to get to their ships. Following the attack, at 8am, Togo dispatched Vice Admiral Dewa Shigeto with the four cruisers of the 3rd flottila to investigate Port Arthur and, if possible, lure them out south of Encounter Rock. At 9am, Dewa observed 9 Russian warships getting ready for sea, with 3 aground. The smaller vessels, such as gunboats, torpedo boats and mine planters were outside the harbor looking to be in disarray. Dewa approached within 7500 yards of the harbor, but no one fired upon him. This prompted Dewa to believe the Russians were completely paralyzed. Dewa wireless-messaged Togo that the Russians seemed to be paralyzed, the time was ripe to attack. Togo had wanted to lure the Russians away from Port Arthur's shore batteries, but the report prompted him to order an immediate attack. The Russian formation was quite all over the place. Askold was to the east, Bayan in the center, Novik was far to the west having attempted to chase the enemy, many of the other ships were still at anchor. Togo devised his 3 divisions to form a column coming in one after the other, each ship was to fire starboard. The Japanese approached the harbor at 11:55am. Port Arthur was tossed into pure chaos. Warships moved quickly to jettison inflammable material while coolies in sampans paddled through the jetsam. Captains lept about demanding status reports of their ships while all they could see was dakr smudges on the horizon. At a range of 8500 meters, the Mikasa was the first to fire her guns.  After firing her 12inch forward gun, she turned and opened fire with her starboard broadside, the other ships followed in same fashion. The Russian shore batteries erupted firing back on the Japanese causing a duel between the warships 12 inch guns aimed at the shore batteries while their 8 and 6 inch guns targetted the Russia nwarships. The Mikasa took a full 20 minutes to form her pass and was followed by Asahi, Fuji, Yashima, Shikishima and Hatsuse.  Asahi targeted a Peresviet type, Fuji & Yashima fired upon cruiser Bayan, Shikishima fired on a ship in the center and Hatsuse dueled the enemy nearest to her. With the exception of Novik, the Russian moved like ants around a nest beneath their fort guns, trying not to make themselves stationary targets. The Novik charged out of the harbor to meet the enemy and received a hell of a mauling for it. The Russian flagship Petropavlosvk flying Starcks flag was battered; Poltava took a hit and cruisers Diana and Askold were severely damaged. The damage was not a one way street however, Mikasa, Shikishima, Fuji, Hatsuse and Iwate took hits. The shore batteries were becoming increasingly effective. When the 2nd and 3rd divisions were making their turn, everything had become like a barrom brawl. Within just 5 minutes of the dueling, Mikasa had taken a 10 inch shell to her starboard side which ricocheted and exploded under her mainmast. Her chief engineer, a staff officer, a paymaster, one midshipman and 3 crew members were wounded, and part of her aft bridge was carried away. The Fuji received a shell through her forward casing, smashing a stack and exploding, killing a turret officer and wounding many. Shikishima then received a hit to her forward stack causing it to explode.   By 12:20, Admiral Togo realized that Dewa was incorrect in his assessment - the enemy was not paralyzed - thus he motioned the fleet to withdraw. After just a single run of it, Togo had decided to back out and rendezvous with Uriu at Chemulpo. The departing maneuver exposed Togo's entire fleet to the full brunt of the Russian shore batteries. The Hatsuse, Fuji, Shikishima and Mikasa would take the lionshare of the damage, around 7 hits distributed amongst them. As the fleet made its turning point, the IJN cruisers took several hits. Within the 2nd Division: Azuma fired upon Novik, Iwate fired upon Askold, Iwaki fired upon Askold and then Bayan. As the cruisers turned to port to follow the 1st division Azuma was hit by three shells, one to her battle flag, the other off the water of her starboard quarter exploding, the third to her after turret. Yakumo was hit twice one to her forward main top and midshipman. Novik received many hits and fired torpedoes at Iwate missing.  Within the 3rd Division: Chitose (flag of admiral Dewa) fired on center, Takasago fired on Bayan, Kasagi fired upon a Sevastopol type, Takumo fired on nearest enemy ship. Takasago and Chitose then fired on Askold which alone came closer to them, a shell his Askolds second stack, another her forward stack. Chitose then attack Novik and Takasgo attacked Bayan. As they turned to withdraw they received no major hits. The IJN cruisers also launched salvos of torpedoes. The Novik trying to engage them closer evaded the torpedoes, but took several shells below her waterline. The Japanese finally got out of range of the dreaded batteries of Port Arthur, lucky to not have any ships sunk. The casualties were quite balanced for the engagement. The Russians had 150, the Japanese betwene 90 and 130. Neither had any warships sunk, but many were severely damaged. For the Japanese this was not a major issue, their damaged ships returned to Sasebo for immediate repairs, however for the Russians this was a major issue. Port Arthur held limited capabilities, they had only one small dry dock and another incomplete. This meant some of the larger Russian warships could not receive proper repairs, and now they were blockaded. Many 12 inch shells had fallen into the city. The Russo-Chinese bank was hit causing the employees to frantically burn the currency and prepare coins to be transported away. Lumps of coal littered the city grounds like confetti. Many Chinese grabbed their belongings and fled the city aboard steamers. Many buildings were damaged, civilian casualties were light. When the news of the surprise attack reached Tsar Nicholas II he was stunned. He could not believe the Japanese would initiate a warlike actions without formally declaring war first. His advisers had assured him the Japanese had been bluffing and would not dare attack. The first secretary of the British embassy, Cecil Spring Rice went on the record to state the Tsar was left “almost incredulous”.  Japan issued their declaration of war 3 hours after the surprise attack. Russia went on a war footing on the 10th and a few days later submitted their official declaration of war after stating to the international community Japans actions were dishonorable. In response Japan referenced the Russian attack on Sweden in 1808, which they did without declaring war first as a justification somewhat for their own actions.  The international community were mixed in their favor, but many did sympathize with the Japanese. Notably President Theodore Roosevelt held sympathetic views for the Japanese and the Japanese would take a strong notice to this. Admiral Togo was dissapointed in his lack of success with the surprise torpedo attack. But for now Japan had won command of the sea, the Russian navy was trapped. From Chemulpo, Togo sailed his damaged ships back to Sasebo for repairs, but would go on the record to state “He felt he failed to take the opportunity as Nelson would have done, to deal a blow to the Russian fleet from which they would not recover”. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Admiral Togo had delivered the very first blow of the Russo-Japanese war. His surprise attack upon Port Arthur was a bold and terrific strategy, but had he done enough to give Japan the upper hand in the battles to come?

I'm not alone in finding Japanese museums about earthquakes and tsunamis interesting and impactful; I know my friend Catherine who travelled with me in Tohoku last month is the same. This episode will test out whether it's just the two of us, or if more of you share this feeling - a yearning to understand more about these kinds of disasters, to get to know more about the human stories behind them, and a keen desire to share in the "hope tourism" equation of the scenario. In this episode, I talk about three parts of my recent trip to Japan that fit under this idea of "hope tourism" - and not "dark tourism". As well as visiting the "Kaze no Denwa", we spent many hours at two new museums in northern Japan: the Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum in Rikuzentakata, Iwate, and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum in Futaba, Fukushima. We both found these visits so impactful, and I'm still mulling over a lot of what I saw and learnt there to this day. Links: “Really Long Distance” - This American Life episode about the Wind Phone - https://www.thisamericanlife.org/597/one-last-thing-before-i-go-2016/act-one  Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum - https://iwate-tsunami-memorial.jp/en/visit.html The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum - https://www.fipo.or.jp/lore/en  Hope Tourism - https://www.hopetourism.jp/en/  Walk Japan - our hike - Episode 308 - https://notaballerina.com/308  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/310 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Record Rainfall in Iwate and Typhoon 7 Approaching Kansai and Tokai, & more… English news from Japan for August 14th, 2023. Transcription available at https://japandailynews.com/2023/08/14/news.html

Typhoon 7 Approaching Japan, Record Rainfall in Iwate, & more… English news from Japan for August 12th, 2023. Transcription available at https://japandailynews.com/2023/08/12/news.html

With the new J3 season kicking off on March 4th, it's time to start previewing the 20 clubs that will be battling it out in Japan's third tier in 2023.  In a 'J-Talk: Short Corner' takeover, Mike 'The Magic' Innes will be running the rule over the division in a series of 4 preview mini-pods, taking a forensic look at 5 teams in each episode. In Part A, it's Hachinohe, Iwate, Fukushima, YSCC, & Sagamihara that find themselves under the Mike-roscope (I'm bringing this pun back for increased validation that it's actually funny and clever).  Hope everyone enjoys the episode - the remaining 3 parts are on the way! Timecodes: 01:00 to 04:30 - Vanraure Hachinohe 04:30 to 07:50 - Iwate Grulla Morioka 07:50 to 11:20 - Fukushima United 11:20 to 14:40 - YSCC 14:40 to 18:00 - SC Sagamihara

James Taylor and Jon Steele got together for the final time this year to discuss how the teams finishing from 16th to 22nd in J2 fared. They were joined by Matt Bruce (@MatthewDBruce) to cover Tochigi, Steve Fryer (@ardija01talk) to talk about Omiya, and James Gallagher (@FLManInJapan) to review Ryukyu. James and Jon discussed Yamaguchi, Kofu, Gunma, and Iwate, before closing the episode with a question from @akakichnoeleven.   00:00-05:57 Renofa Yamaguchi (James and Jon) 05:58-15:42 Tochigi SC (Matt Bruce) 15:43-21:52 Ventforet Kofu (James and Jon) 21:53-54:25 Omiya Ardija (Steve Fryer in conversation with Jon) 54:26-1:00:56 Thespakusatsu Gunma (James and Jon) 1:00:57-1:21:12 FC Ryukyu (James Gallagher) 1:21:13-end Iwate Grulla Morioka and listener question (James and Jon)   Stats were courtesy of jleague.jp, transfermarkt.com, football-lab.jp, sporteria.jp, and @Data_Swan.   Thanks again to our contributors for their analysis, and to Patreon subscribers for their ongoing support. And of course, thank you to everyone who listened throughout the year. See you in pre-season!

"Suzuki Zenkō prime minister of Japan Suzuki Zenkō, (born January 11, 1911, Yamada, Iwate prefecture, Japan—died July 19, 2004, Tokyo), prime minister of Japan (1980–82), who worked closely with the United States and other Western countries. The son of a fisherman, Suzuki attended the former Imperi" "--START AD- #TheMummichogblogOfMalta Amazon Top and Flash Deals(Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://amzn.to/3CqsdJH Compare all the top travel sites in just one search to find the best hotel deals at HotelsCombined - awarded world's best hotel price comparison site. (Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://www.hotelscombined.com/?a_aid=20558 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."""" #Jesus #Catholic. Smooth Radio Malta is Malta's number one digital radio station, playing Your Relaxing Favourites - Smooth provides a ‘clutter free' mix, appealing to a core 35-59 audience offering soft adult contemporary classics. We operate a playlist of popular tracks which is updated on a regular basis. https://smooth.com.mt/listen/ Follow on Telegram: https://t.me/themummichogblogdotcom END AD---" "al Fisheries Institute and joined the Japan Fisheries Association. At the second postwar general election, in 1947, Suzuki won a seat in the lower house of the Diet (parliament) as a socialist. Two years later he switched to the conservative Liberal Party, forerunner of the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP), and he won reelection 12 times, during which period he held several cabinet posts. His abilities as a mediator brought him the chairmanship of the LDP's executive council a record 10 times, but he was virtually unknown abroad when elected prime minister on July 17, 1980. When his predecessor, Ōhira Masayoshi, unexpectedly died 10 days before an election, a three-week battle for succession resulted within the LDP. Suzuki, a loyal and longtime party worker, was the dark-horse winner of the LDP presidency, which assured him the prime ministership. Close-up of terracotta Soldiers in trenches, Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China BRITANNICA QUIZ History: Fact or Fiction? Get hooked on history as this quiz sorts out the past. Find out who really invented movable type, who Winston Churchill called ""Mum,"" and when the first sonic boom was heard. In office Suzuki upheld his political slogan, “politics of harmony,” while stressing moderate internationalism. In 1981 he attended a summit with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in which the two countries' relationship was defined as an “alliance.” The following year, however, Suzuki drew criticism for Japan's struggling economy and for his handling of the controversy that ensued after Japanese textbooks were revised to downplay the country's aggression against China during World War II. Suzuki lost support within the LDP, and in 1982 he decided not to seek reelection as the party's leader and thereby relinquished the post of prime minister. He retained his seat in the Diet, however, and continued to lead a sizable faction of the LDP. Suzuki remained active in politics until his retirement in 1990. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Suzuki-Zenko?utm_medium=email&utm_source=otd&utm_content=more-events&utm_campaign=otd2022-11-26 "

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... the Krewe is back full steam ahead on a travel train (plane?) and this time we are taking a more prefecture-specific approach like past seasons!  Joined by returning guests Kay Allen of Japan National Tourism Organization  & Megan DeVille of JETAA USA , we explore the prefecture of Aomori and everything it has to offer. From Hirosaki Castle & Nebuta Matsuri to apple cidre, Tsuruga Jamisen restaurants, & the tomb of Jesus Christ (what?), there's so much to learn and love about this prefecture! Bring your notebook, because this episode is jam-packed with ideas and travel tips for your next trip to Japan!------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ More Info on JNTO ------Japan National Travel Organizaiton's WebsiteJNTO on InstagramJNTO on YouTubeJNTO on TwitterTohoku Kanko Website------ More Info on JET Program ------JET Program Website (Application Page)JETAA (JET Program Alumni Association) USA WebsiteUSJETAA Website

This week on JTET, Jon and James collaborated on a full review of all of the  big J2 news from the last seven days. They began with a chat about Kofu's incredible penalty shoot-out win over Hiroshima in the Emperor's Cup Final, then segued into discussing Okayama's home defeat against Akita that clinched the J2 title for Niigata, and promotion for Yokohama FC. The boys then review Yokohama FC's thrilling home defeat against Kanazawa, before turning their eyes to Gunma's 5-1 drubbing of Iwate (a result that sealed Gunma's J2 survival, and confirmed relegation for Iwate and Ryukyu). Jon then reviews the rest of the J2 action solo, before getting help from James to preview all of the games coming up on the final day of the regular season this Sunday. After that, Mike 'The Magic' Innes is in position to cover all of the latest J3 events in 'J-Talk: Short Corner'. This episode was recorded before the horrible news of Miyazaki striker Masato Kudo's untimely passing at just 32 years old, so apologies if the tone of the episode seems 'off' this time.  We will do our best to give Kudo-san a full and proper tribute next week.  Rest In Peace, Masato. Thank you for all the memories.

Check out the video podcast on Spotify or our YouTube. For the best place on the internet to find your next job in Japan, go to JobsinJapan.com. Some websites you can check out to support relief for Tohoku: 東北ライブハウス大作戦 (Tohoku Live House Daisakusen) Sapporo Klub Counter Action Miyako Klub Counter Action Blue Resistance Freaks Slang Miyako Iwate Orgs Safecast Atlantic Pacific Blue Compass Playground of Hope Photohoku Matt's Features about 3.11 Alma Mater Hobart & William Smith Japan Times Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Medium Soundcloud

"Chagu Chagu Umakko," a traditional horse festival in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate, joined a parade on Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris Sunday.

１８日、パリのシャンゼリゼ通りで行われたパレードに参加した「チャグチャグ馬コ」の馬【パリ時事】パリのシャンゼリゼ通りで１８日、日本の無形民俗文化財に指定されている岩手県の伝統行事「チャグチャグ馬コ」がパレードに参加した。 "Chagu Chagu Umakko," a traditional horse festival in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate, joined a parade on Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris Sunday.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, hope its new robot named Nyokkey will help compensate for labor shortages in the face of Japan's declining population. Japanese marine biologists managed to reach a record depth of 9,801 metres while studying the ocean floor. And in Iwate, the independent sake brewery Kiku-zakari, founded in 1894 and rebuilt following the 2011 earthquake, was named with a renewed sense of purpose in mind, determined to press ahead no matter what happens. Its two best brands of Junmai-shu sake, “Taxi Driver” and “Ya-kyoku”, look to Scorsese and folk songs for further inspiration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Verlander talks about the incredible experience he had traveling on a bullet train to Shohei Ohtani's childhood home, Iwate, Japan. He also recaps Day 3 of his journey in Japan. Next, Verlander shares his experience visiting Shohei Ohtani's former high school baseball team, Hanamaki Higashi High School, and his former little league team, Mizusawa Little Leaguers. Ben shows his appreciation and love that he has for the fans and for Shohei Ohtani for making this experience possible. Finally, Ben shares his favorite moments from the first Flippin Bats Meet & Greet in Japan!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Ben Verlander as he travels on a bullet train to visit Shohei Ohtani's childhood home, Iwate, Japan. Verlander talks about his experience at the Tokyo Dome, meeting Flippin Bats fans, and his favorite moments from Day 2 in Japan. He also introduces a new segment "So Important, it made it to Japan!" where he discusses hot topics in MLB; the New York Yankees falling apart, Tony La Russa issuing another intentional walk and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Morioka Sansa Odori summer festival in Iwate prefecture taking place along with Sendai's Tanabata festival in Miyagi prefecture, traditions from both of these festival converge on this week's Aomori Nebuta, a festival of giant mobile lanterns in Aomori city committed to bidding old spirits farewell and ideas of "sleep" passed along 6 generations of Nebuta-shi craftsmen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 114. With the recent heatwave, there was one kind of sake that kept grabbing our attention.  Not just cold sake, but super-chilled "Mizore" sake.  Mizore means sleet in Japanese, and this word describes perfectly the sake slushies we made ourselves for this week's episode.  Sake slushies are made by freezing one cup sake or a small bottle to about 25 degrees F without letting it freeze solid.  When the sake is then agitated, it transforms by magic into an icy, cool and super refreshing sake sorbet-like treat.  Listen in as John and Tim get super chill and enjoy their first homemade Mizore Sake slushies.  #SakeRevolutionSupport the show

James Taylor and Jon Steele convened to discuss the latest J2 action, focusing on Sendai v Yokohama FC, Yamagata v Kofu and Iwate v Tokushima. James reviewed the rest of the games from the weekend and last Wednesday's rearranged match, before previewing round 23 with Jon. Then, Mike Innes reviewed the action from J3 and previewed the upcoming league fixtures.   00:00-10:09 Sendai v Yokohama FC 10:10-16:08 Yamagata v Kofu 16:09-24:12 Iwate v Tokushima 24:13 to 36:04 J2 MD22 roundup (plus rearranged MD16 game) 36:05 to 42:20 J2 MD23 preview 42:21 to 1:05:09 J3 MD13 review (plus rearranged MD8 game) 1:05:10 to end J3 MD14 preview

Seiko is the owner of Seiko's Auto Service Inc in Monrovia CA since January 2014. The shop specializes in providing exceptional customer service along with high quality automotive service and repairs for Toyota, Lexus, Subaru, Honda and Acura vehicles. Seiko is a SGV native and was born and raised in Monterey Park. He attended El Repetto K-8 and Mark Keppel High School. He considers himself lucky to have attended Mark Keppel that still had automotive technology available as a class. This is where his passion for automobiles was ignited. Since then, he has worked at multiple locations throughout his career as an automobile technician. Two years of which he was able to train in Iwate, Japan. Since becoming a business owner, Seiko has realized that not only growing the business is important but also the next generation. The company has sponsor local middle school and high school Robotics teams and is open to training and growing future automotive technicians. Website: Seikosauto.comEmail: Seiko@seikosauto.comPhone: 626-359-0589Address: 804 E Huntington Dr. Ste A Monrovia CA 91016__________MusicPodcast Intro and OutroEveryday, Jason Farnhmam, YouTube Audio LibraryPodcast AdvertisementI love you, Vibe Tracks, YouTube Audio LibrarySour Tennessee Red (Sting), John Dewey and the 41 Players, YouTube Audio LibraryDewey, Cheedham, and Howe (Sting), John Dewey and the 41 Players, YouTube Audio LibraryFilm Project Countdown.flac Copyright 2013 Iwan Gabovitch, CC-BY3 license

Once again, the JTET crew swing into action to look back on all of the latest J2 and J3 news. This week, Jon Steele and James Taylor take an in-depth check on the situation at the foot of the J2 table, with a special focus on Iwate, Ryukyu and Omiya.  After that, Jon rounds up all the rest of the weekend J2 action, before reconvening with James to preview the upcoming Round 20 matches. As if that wasn't enough, Mike 'The Magic' Innes is in control of the 'J-Talk: Short Corner' segment, reviewing all of last week's third-tier games, and looking ahead to both the midweek Emperor's Cup ties involving J3 sides (as well as the next slate of league fixtures coming up on Saturday and Sunday). Hope everyone enjoys the show - it's a packed one this week!

James Taylor rounds up all of the J2 matchday 17 action from the weekend, plus the rearranged round 15 match between Omiya and Iwate from last Wednesday, and takes a quick look at this Wednesday's fixtures. Then, Mike Innes reviews rescheduled J3 games from last week and J3 teams' matches in the Emperor's Cup first round, and looks ahead to this weekend's league action.   00:00-11:12 J2 MD17 roundup (and Omiya v Iwate) 11:13-12:15 J2 MD18 preview 12:16-17:54 J3 review 17:55 to 29:23 Emperor's Cup roundup 29:24 to end J3 MD 10 preview

How on earth does a young woman from Edinburgh find her way to Iwate Prefecture, in the depths of Tohoku to become a successful sculptor? A sculptor of gigantic stone public art you see in front of buildings all over the world. You are about to hear the Legend of Kate Thomson.  If you are an artist at heart, that did something else like I did, you will love this episode and I hope it inspires you to bring yourself back to your art. If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we'd love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to https://podcasts.apple.com/jp/podcast/legends-interview-series-presented-by-sarah-furuya/id1524551512?l=en (Apple Podcasts) to leave a review and we'd love it if you would come and say hi over on @sarafuruyacoaching on Instagram. In this episode you'll hear: How Kate almost didn't become an artist, thinking she could only be a restorer Developing her skills in community and public art in the Gorbals of Glasgow How Kate avoided meeting the man who would “turn her life upside down” What it was like to live in rural Iwate, and wake up with snow on your futon The similarities between Celtic and Ainu patterns that influenced her sculptures How Kate created a travelling installation to help with the healing process in post earthquake ravaged Tohoku About Kate Kate was born in St. Alban's England and grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, surrounded by artists, musicians, and actors. Her father was a television director and producer, and her mother an interior designer. She loved playing with clay since she was a child and spent every holiday with their parents, siblings, and cousins in the countryside of the Scottish borders or surrounded by the sea on her visits to her grandparents on the island of Guernsey. She went on to study fine arts at university, and then onto become an artist in earnest while a student. She also experimented with life performance, stage lighting and costume design, and formed a dance company with her friends to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival, Fringe and other festivals. After graduating, she worked as a community artist in Glasgow for three years, introducing locals to the joy of art. She was then a founding director at the Glasgow Sculpture Studios. Wanting to learn how to carve, she won a place as an assistant for the Scottish sculpture workshops, International Stone Carving Symposium in 1988. There she met Hironori Katagiri. Kate has completed many large-scale site-specific public sculptures in Scotland, Europe, Lebanon, America in Japan.  Connect with Kate  Ukishima Sculpture Studio web site https://ukishima.net/en/ (https://ukishima.net/en/)     Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ukishimasculpturestudio/ (https://www.instagram.com/ukishimasculpturestudio/) Ukishima Sculpture Studio YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfnIviDE_rk108Twnt3ww4A (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfnIviDE_rk108Twnt3ww4A)  Links Kate Thomson  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsma8W2aBr0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsma8W2aBr0) Hironori Katagiri https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OVgMc-6IiE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OVgMc-6IiE) Photohoku : https://www.facebook.com/photohoku (https://www.facebook.com/photohoku)  Connect with Sarah Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sarah-furuya-coaching/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/sarah-furuya-coaching/)  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahfuruyacoaching/ (https://www.instagram.com/sarahfuruyacoaching/)  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahfuruyacoaching (https://www.facebook.com/sarahfuruyacoaching)  Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahfuruya (https://twitter.com/sarahfuruya)  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsuS_yVT9fMHjhAylVy8-w (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsuS_yVT9fMHjhAylVy8-w) 

Discover the travel word "sakura" cherry blossoms: types & timings, events, food (✔ vegan ✔ Muslim-friendly), cruises, Tokyo (✔ wheelchair ✔ pushchair), Japanese countryside, Yoshino famous area, sakura hot springs, climate change… Thanks to the guests plus Steve Gerecke, Josh Grisdale and Bryan Baier for wheelchair/onsen tips! Host: Sébastien Duval, community director for Japan Travel KK. Guests in order of appearance: Luca De Pasquale, ex-cruise staff. Jessica Paje, ex-Kanagawa resident. Alena Eckelmann, Kansai resident. Malcome Larcens, Iwate resident. Bonson Lam, aviation & Hokkaido expert.

I denne episode møder du Trine fra Iwate i Japan. Kom med ind til til en spændende snak om arbejdsuger på +80 timer, jordskælv, hvordan du flytter til Japan og derudover alt fra HC Andersens hus til spørgsmålet om hvorfor kvaliteten af håndværk overordnet set er så mærkværdig dårlig i udlandet sammenlignet med DK. Lyt med nu.

J2 is back! James Taylor was joined by Stuart Smith to discuss the opening weekend of the 2022 J2 season. In part 1, Stuart analysed Nagasaki v Tokyo Verdy (to 18:10) and JEF v Iwate (18:10 to 28:56) in detail. Then, in part 2 James summarised the rest of the action (29:00 to 35:51). In Part 3, Stuart returned to preview the matchday 2 fixtures (35:55 to end).

With the brand new J.League season almost upon us, Jon Steele was joined by James Taylor to run the rule over eight more of the sides comprising this year's J2 roster. Part 1 begins with the gents analyzing newly-promoted Kumamoto and Iwate, before covering Gunma. Then Jon let James off the leash to bring us up to date on all of Kanazawa's winter transfer business. In Part 2, we run the rule over four teams from lower mid-table in 2021: Akita, Tochigi, Yamaguchi and Omiya. Hope everyone enjoys the show - look out for Part 3 before the big kick-off at the weekend!

16 years later Masamune Date, heir to the Date clan in Iwate province of northeastern Japan catches up with his best friend Tensha Fuma to request a very special birthday present and vent about the health of his grandfather. Voice actors: Narrator: Lalani Richmond Masamune Date: Jeff Girmus @jeffgirmus Asagao: Aomikazuki on Fiverr Tensha Fuma, Kosa: JLee Youtube @A Noticing Senpai IG: pro_black_af https://www.patreon.com/thefollowingpath All donations go into making the show better such as hiring voice actors, upgrading equipment, future giveaways, etc.

To get 2022 started with a bang, Jon Steele and Mike Innes look back over the 2021 J3 season in a 3-part special. In this episode (Part 1), Jon quizzed Mike on the third-tier season's top 5 finishers, including promoted Kumamoto and Iwate, high-flying debutants Miyazaki, an ultimately disappointing Toyama, and much-improved Fukushima. Enjoy the show, and Happy New Year!

Calling upon the expertise of Paul Christie, CEO of trailblazing tour operator Walk Japan, we'll be spotlighting the Japanese prefectures you (probably) haven't heard of but should be making tracks to, his top Japanese travel tips and why Japan is leading the way for slow travel. Plus, Paul shares his insider guide to the Kunisaki Peninsula in Kyushu, a bucolic hidden paradise that he calls home. Our travel editors also share their go-to guide to Iwate, an under-the-radar prefecture filled with blissful beaches, snow-sure mountains and soothing hot springs, and deep-dive into how wellness is key to unlocking Japanese culture. We want to know where in Japan you've set your sights on. Want to hit the ski slopes? Soaking in onsen hot springs more your scene? Or how about slurping soba noodles in Iwate? Share with us your Japan travel plans to be in with the chance of winning a collector's bundle of SUITCASE Magazine, worth over £100. Simply fill in this survey.Start planning your trip to Japan with the Japan National Tourism Organisation here.Our Go-to Guide to Iwate, JapanTo stay:For relaxing hot springs and beautifully situated boltholes, bed down in one of these hotels: Hotel Senshūkaku, Hotel Hanamaki or Hotel Kōyōkan. To eat:For the noodle-lovers out there, we recommend heading full-steam ahead to Pairon Honten in Morioka – a local hole-in-the-wall loved for what is arguably the region's best jajamen (udon noodles topped with cucumbers, garlic, chilli oil and a sweet miso sauce).To do:Sun-seekers should absolutely head to Jodogahama Beach, while skiers should make a beeline for Appi Kogen Ski Resort. How to get there:Simply hop on a fast train from Tokyo and in just over two hours you'll be greeted by the epic scenery and standout food of Iwate. Need some Japan travel inspiration? Check out these articles on suitcasemag.comhttps://suitcasemag.com/articles/less-visited-japanhttps://suitcasemag.com/articles/diamond-route-japanhttps://suitcasemag.com/articles/mitsuboshi-kaidou-three-star-road-japanhttps://suitcasemag.com/articles/Ishikawa-and-gifu-prefectureshttps://suitcasemag.com/articles/pilgrimage-shonai-japanhttps://suitcasemag.com/articles/hachinohe       

Remembering the earthquake and tsunami which devastated Japan and triggered a nuclear emergency in 2011. Max Pearson, who reported from Japan at the time, presents eyewitness accounts of the disaster which left thousands dead and led to many questioning the future of the country's nuclear industry. Photo: Tsunami smashes into the city of Miyako in Iwate prefecture shortly after an earthquake hit the region of northern Japan, 11th March 2011 (JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images)

Alex and Dylan return for episode 44 of Stardom Quest. In this episode, they review Stardom's events in Shiga, Shizuoka, Iwate, and Aomori including discussions on Oedo Tai's direction and evil Starlight Kid. They then preview Stardom's upcoming shows in Aomori and Hokkaido. Follow Dylan on twitter: @XXIchiban Follow Alex: @LWOSPWAlexR or @LWOProWrestling Amazing show art courtesy of @KHsNotebook Also listen to Dylan and Alex's other podcast @VTGPod which is all about the legendary All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling which is also available on the Dragon Suplex Podcasting Network

monk: Light and Shadow on the Philosopher's PathBy Yoshihiro Imai Intro: Welcome to the number one cookbook podcast, Cookery By the Book with Suzy Chase. She's just a home cook in New York City, sitting at her dining room table, talking to cookbook authors.Emmy Reis: My name is Emmy Reis. I am one of the translators along with Naomi Reis who translated Chef Yoshihiro Imai's monk: Light and Shadow on The Philosopher's Path.Suzy Chase: Emmy, you live in Brooklyn, but you're originally from Kyoto. How do you know Chef Imai, and how were you involved with this book?Emmy Reis: Sure. It's actually a funny story. Chef Imai and I met at a very random bar in the pub district in Kyoto. We were each meeting work clients and then they happened to be going to this very random hole-in-the-wall bar. We just happened to sit next to each other at this bar. We were both feeling very awkward, and then we got talking and he talked about his first book, Circle, which he was carrying in his bag. Right off the bat, I don't know, we connected. So yeah, we've been good friends. He's had this vision of this book for a really long time, and so yeah, I was really happy to be involved in the translation of it.Suzy Chase: Monk is the story of your 14-seat, seasonally inspired restaurant. I want to kick things off talking about the word path.Emmy Reis: I think the motif of a path is a really big theme for monk, and of course the book in many ways. It's also in the subtitle, Light and Shadow on the Philosopher's Path. The Philosopher's Path is the actual name of the small path where monk is located. It's such a perfect name because it's named after the various philosophers and writers that are said to have walked on this path to ruminate about life, et cetera. The vibe of the path hasn't changed much today. It's still a quiet, tranquil pass along a small canal. It's very calming and meditative to walk this path.Emmy Reis: I think this image of philosopher walking on a path day after day connects to this idea in Chef Imai's work, where each day is this meditation, repetition and accumulation of a communion with nature and the ingredients that it provides. It sums up to the larger picture, which is a journey and an exploration, as you said, and one that is ongoing.Emmy Reis: His daily ritual of traveling up north, out of Kyoto city to the countryside of Ohara, where he gathers his vegetables, herbs, and flowers of the day. It's definitely a practical ritual in the sense that he gets his ingredients, but it's definitely much more than that. It's about feeling the energy and the breath of the natural environment, and then bringing that back with the ingredients and keeping that intact in the dishes that he makes so that it can be shared and felt by the guests as well.Emmy Reis: His approach is very much about being receptive to nature, and so going to the farms and fields where he can feel that is an essential part of his practice. That's basically what guides his path.Suzy Chase: Chef Imai seems to epitomize the definition of creativity, although he's uncomfortable using the word, how come?Emmy Reis: I think, well, he's expressed that he's always surprised and deeply moved by the beauty and wonder of nature, which is created by nature itself and the elements within that. We can't create anything without that ourselves, or even exist. I think that in the course of his life, he felt and understood this idea in very visceral ways, both in specific moments and over time. You can get a sense of that through the essays and stories he tells in the book.Emmy Reis: After that, once he have that realization, he says he almost felt ashamed to use that word, not because the word creative or using the word creative is inherently bad in any way, but because of the way it's been used in certain contexts in a maybe entitled or capitalistic ways. I think it just doesn't feel right to him within his relationship with nature, as a chef and as a person, to put it that way. He prefers just being with nature with deep respect, and that's monk in a nutshell. This also means the dishes reflect seasonality and sense of space, sense of place, and the environment and the changes that come with each day and moment. That's the most important thing, and the menu and dishes evolve each day because of that.Suzy Chase: For those of us who don't have a garden, we're here in New York City, or we can't forage, we go to the grocery store. Does he think there's a way for us to tap into the awe and respect that bubbles up for him every morning on his commute to the farmer's market?Emmy Reis: Yeah, definitely, there's still a way to tap into that. He suggests going to the grocery store or farmer's market without deciding what you're making beforehand. Just go there with a neutral mind and open your eyes and your heart to what they have and see what ingredients speak to you or seem most vital. Think about what's in season right now. Even in a grocery store in the city, there should be a larger stock of seasonal things that are perhaps less expensive and are pure, fresh and vital. Once you have one or two, or maybe many ingredients if you're lucky like that, from there, you can think about what you're going to make. That's kind of the same thing as what he does in the farmer's market and out in the fields every morning.Suzy Chase: Chef Imai's primary aim is for his guests to enjoy a delicious and pleasurable time at monk. What is his deeper takeaway for his guests?Emmy Reis: It's a really huge pleasure for him to see the guests have a delicious and fun time, but he also hopes to resonate with someone's heart on a really deep level, in a way that remains imprinted in their memory, not just in the mind, but of course, in a way that's connected to the senses and the body. What he's always thinking about and talking about with his staff is to imagine what type of feeling the guests would be taking home after dinner. If you have a clear sense of that, you can have a strong sense of what to do and how. Restaurants have many elements, like interior design, flowers, music, lighting, conversations that happen, and the food's just one of those elements. He's always thinking about what the guests might feel and the whole experience of the restaurant and how that might reverberate for them as they return back to their daily lives.Suzy Chase: I'd love to hear about his search for the perfect spot for monk that's situated on the Philosopher's Path.Emmy Reis: Yeah. it took him a long time to find the right place, I think he said almost eight months. He had a really clear vision of a location close to nature and ideally next to a river or stream, running water. He told some real estate companies, but they didn't get his image really, or they just didn't have anything like that. But he also didn't want to settle, so he just kept trying. Finally, one company that got his vision got back to him four months after he brought this up and they told him about this place. It was right at the foot of the mountains, kind of away from the city, next to flowing water, so it was perfect. There was a really special energy. It feels very protected and secluded and closer to nature. But the building itself was super old, so he was a little unsure when he walked in, but something about the vibe just clicked so he went with it.Suzy Chase: His work at Monk is a direct reflection of how he lives everyday life. I would love to hear about that.Emmy Reis: Yeah. I think that when someone does this kind of work, daily life and work become almost seamless. First of all, you're working very closely with your senses, your intuition, your philosophy, and you can't turn that off. The two have to meet in sync. Then secondly, the work of a restaurant is around the clock. It starts very early in the morning and goes into late night, so definitely the condition of the body and soul is very important. He always says if that's out of balance, you can't move someone's heart. He's very dedicated to keeping himself healthy and happy and making sure he can spend time with his family doing some light yoga on his breaks and stuff like that. That's part of his work as well. By the way, his wife, Ena, is a really amazing yoga instructor. They use the second floor above the restaurant as her studio.Emmy Reis: The dishes come to life because of his routine of going to the farmer's market and the farm, so it's very important what he sees and feels there. He says it sometimes almost feels like the dishes are a diary that he's writing.Suzy Chase: I'm so interested to hear about the connection between music style and taste.Emmy Reis: Yeah. He would say there's definitely a connection between music style and taste in the ways they're structured and also in the ways they might make you feel. Like maybe the rich and textured sounds of the symphony might compare to the atmosphere and labor-intensive techniques of classic old cuisine in a French restaurant, and then maybe the way pop music is embellished with different kinds of sounds or synthesized in certain ways can be compared to contemporary gastronomy.Emmy Reis: Chef Imai himself enjoys a wide variety, both in music and in cooking. I know he listens to a lot of hip hop, Japanese hip hop, and jazz when he's driving, but the type of music he really resonates with on a deeper level is pretty simple, like solo piano performances or minimalistic combinations of vocals and acoustic guitar. I think this really shows in his approach to cooking as well.Suzy Chase: While attending university, Chef Imai would travel around alone on his breaks, like backpacking across Asia and Europe. One particular winter in Canada, he had a home stay experience where the mother of the family made pizza at home. Can you talk a little bit about that?Emmy Reis: He talks about this memory as something that has been deeply imprinted in his mind and how, looking back, it's one of the pivotal moments for sure that connects in this line with where he is now, because pizza was a chance meaning for him and this was definitely one of those things that pulled him in that direction.Suzy Chase: Almost all the cooking at monk is done in a wood-fired oven, imported from Italy. That's the heartbeat of the restaurant. First, I'd love for you to describe how the open flame takes to vegetables.Emmy Reis: The infrared heat of the oven can gently cook the vegetables in a way that really encapsulates their essence and goodness. He really believes this is the best way to eat vegetables, and especially seasonal vegetables, and capture that umami. The assorted grilled vegetable dish is always part of the omakase course, and it's a major highlight of the meal. It seems really simple, and it is simple, but because of that simplicity, it also involves a lot of craft and skill because the vegetables have to be cut, grilled and salted very precisely so that they really shine. It's also about, I think, the experience of seeing the flames cook the ingredients right before your eyes and the way that connects with something very primal within us.Suzy Chase: Then I'm so curious about the tasting menu that starts and ends with pizza.Emmy Reis: The first course is a simple combination of a seasonal vegetable potage soup and grilled pizza crust, which Chef Imai calls suyaki, su meaning as is or natural, and yaki meaning grilled. It's just grilled really quick in the oven and topped with olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The idea is to deliver the bare essence of the restaurant, and it's inspired by traditional Cha-kaiseki cuisine, or also known as tea ceremony kaiseki, where the course starts with a simple soup and just small bite of cooked rice.Emmy Reis: Then the meal moves on to series of small appetizer-sized dishes, using daily vegetables combined with dairy or seafood. These have a lot of freedom and really shift with the ingredients of the day. They're often accentuated with fresh herbs or fermented foods. The fifth dish after that is one of the highlights, which we talked about, the assorted roasted vegetables, followed by a meat dish. Then the second highlight of course is a pizza that comes after the meat dish.Emmy Reis: In Japanese cuisine, there's a concept we call shūryō which means end or close, and it refers to a warm and filling very wholesome meal, most often carb-based, so it will probably be something like noodles or rice. So ending with pizza connects to this idea of shūryō. It made sense to Chef Imai to close the meal on this happy and wholesome way. Lastly, of course, is the dessert, which usually features herbs or grilled seasonal fruit, so the night can end on a really bright, light, uplifting and refreshing note.Suzy Chase: Why pizza?Emmy Reis: Yeah, this is a really great question and something that also comes up in the book, because of course everyone is so curious and asking him that all the time. In fact, there is a essay in the book with that exact title, Why Pizza? There are many reasons, which the book reveals more about as it unfolds, but this is something Chef Imai himself has thought about a lot, as would anyone who has dedicated so much of their life to a specific craft. I think there's always a philosophical, maybe even existential, question of why am I doing this specific thing?Emmy Reis: In the essay, Chef Imai talks about how maybe it could have been architecture or music or something else instead of pizza, but this idea of path comes up again. On the specific path he happened to be on, pizza was what showed up for him in a very profound way in his early twenties. This experience of eating it at that moment was a very visceral thing that spoke to the core of his being. In that moment, he just knew that he wanted to replicate that for others and that was kind of it. Pizza also just happens to be this wonderful template in which he can both play homage to traditional Japanese cuisine and local ingredients and the changing seasons, while also opening a space that is flexible, playful and experimental and not bound to conventions or certain expectations.Suzy Chase: There are three pizzas in the book that I would love for you to describe. The first is the fresh nori pizza.Emmy Reis: Yeah, the fresh nori pizza is a very simple combination of fresh nori, mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The nori here is not the sheet nori that you think about when you hear nori. It's a raw variety of seaweed called aosa lettuce. It's got a paste-like consistency, and it comes out in the very beginning of the spring. This is a dish to celebrate the arrival of spring. It has a really nice minerally, salty flavor, so it's best to keep it simple in this way.Suzy Chase: The next one is the eggplant pizza.Emmy Reis: Ayu and Kamo-nasu eggplant pizza.Suzy Chase: Yes.Emmy Reis: Yep. This one is a half-and-half pizza with a traditional Kyoto variety eggplant called Kamo-nasu, it's very meaty and juicy, and ayu, which is a summer freshwater river fish known for a very pleasant, bitter flavor. These are ingredients that signal the beginning of summer. The ayu is prepared as a confit and the liver is made into a sauce to add a deep accent to the flavor. The eggplant is roasted in the wood-fired oven and pureed.Suzy Chase: God, that sounds great.Emmy Reis: It is.Suzy Chase: Then the next is the kōtake mushroom pizza.Emmy Reis: This is a pizza that is very close conceptually to sushi. It's the minimal combination of a carbohydrate and an ingredient, and this really allows the seasonal mushrooms to shine. The mushrooms are foraged by his forager friend, Mr. Sasaki, who lives up north in Iwate. They're quite special and this is a really nice way to enjoy them.Suzy Chase: Monk is housed in an old 100-year-old residence with traditional blue roof tiles. Would you please describe the interior? I am dying to go here, by the way.Emmy Reis: Yeah. It's a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian modern, simple but refined, and yet also very warm, inviting, and comfortable. It's minimal in a way that isn't uptight and it just soothes and relaxes your eyes and heart. The beams and pillars are the original wood and the dome-shaped window with cast iron frames looks out onto the tree-lined Philosopher's Path.Emmy Reis: The pizza oven and counter is the first thing you see when you come into the dining space. The floor is one level throughout and the kitchen counter, where all the food prep happens, is right there. That, and the warm lighting, make it feel very intimate. The vegetables and flowers picked fresh in the morning and the farms adorn the kitchen counter and stove top spaces, and that brings you a sense of the vital energy from nature that morning.Suzy Chase: Chef Imai seems to approach everything in his life with an artist's eye, even down to how the firewood is stacked. Could you please tell me the story of the cover and the physical design of this cookbook?Emmy Reis: The photographer, Yuka Yanazume, who did all the photography is a high school friend of Chef Imai. They've worked on an independent book project together before this. Her photos are just stunning, so Chef Imai knew from the beginning he wanted to with her. She really did a fantastic job of capturing the vibrance of the dishes and the nature. The designer, Julia Hasting, also did such an amazing job. The design of the book really speaks to the aesthetics of the restaurant. It's dynamic and tranquil all at the same time, in a way that evokes not just Monk, but also the vibe of Japan, and specifically Kyoto, but in a really refreshing and just genuine and natural way.Emmy Reis: It was really important that the book didn't cater to some kind of pre-existing or packaged idea of Japan or Kyoto and maybe conventional imagery or narrative within that. This book really needed to be its own thing, free to express what Monk embodies, and Julia really allowed that to come through, which is so amazing.Emmy Reis: Another important thing is the theme of light and shadow, which is in the subtitle of this book. It's definitely expressed in the design, layout and photos throughout the book, which is organized by the four seasons, beginning with spring. In terms of the theme of light and shadow in this book, there's an ongoing play between smaller moments of tension and contrast between light and shadow, like in the individual photos, and then there's a larger cycle that happens over the course of a year and the seasons, starting with this rising bright energy of spring that's full of light and vibrant colors and then ending with a certain darkness or quietness, deeper tones of color, which gives the book closure, but also a sense of renewal and rebirth beyond that.Emmy Reis: The cover was rendered from a photo taken by Yuka, in which the leaves from the trees on the Philosopher's Path were casting these beautiful moving shadows on the Monk exterior wall. It gives a really tactile sense of that warmth and carries that theme of light and shadow. It was a really beautiful and perfect cover for this book. It also has this feeling that those shadows could move or change at any moment, and that's also something that pulls you in deeper. So yeah.Suzy Chase: Where can we find Monk on the web and social media?Emmy Reis: You can find his website at restaurant-monk.com, and also on Instagram, his handle is yoshihiroimai. There's also a recording of the online release event, I think you can find it on his Instagram. It's one of the newest posts. That's a really great way to get a sense of the book as well.Suzy Chase: This cookbook is truly a work of art. Thank you so much, Emmy, for coming on Cookery by the Book Podcast for Chef Imai. This is certainly something I've never done before and I loved talking to you.Emmy Reis: Thank you so much, Suzy. This was a total pleasure and I'm so excited to be talking with you.Outro: Follow Cookery by the Book on Instagram, and thanks for listening to the number one cookbook podcast, Cookery by the Book.

The JTET team are back & banging with another roundup of the latest J2 & J3 action. To look back on Round 14 of the J2 season, Jon Steele was joined by Sagacious Sean Carroll. For the latest J3 & Emperor's Cup info, Magic Mike Innes returns with 'J-Talk: Short Corner', with a brief (but very welcome) cameo from Super Stuart Smith to discuss the big Iwate v Gifu match. Enjoy the show!

Episode 55. Few sake personalities shine as bright as Mr. Kosuke Kuji, the 5th generation President of the Nanbu Bijin Sake Brewery.  Known as "Mr. Sunshine" of the sake industry, Kuji-san has been a tireless booster of the sake while promoting his Nanbu Bijin brand literally around the world.  We were honored for Mr. Kuji to take time to talk to us. After a bit of introduction to his brewery, we finally learn the answer to a question that has long puzzled sake fans far and wide! Why is "Nanbu Bijin" a.k.a. "Southern Beauty", located in the northern prefecture of Iwate?  You'll need to tune in to find out!  And also, we get Kuji-san's take on the growing industry of sake brewing outside Japan.  While learning the art of sake brewing on Youtube alone may not be the answer, listen in to find out why we need sake producers all around the world and not just in Japan.   We also taste Kuji-san's much loved Shinpaku Junmai Daiginjo - it's velvety and alluring. Listen in on this fun, interesting and enlightening talk with this well known Kuramoto! 

Timothy Connor, Managing Director of Synnovate Advisory has been a veteran of Japanese business, having worked in Japan for over 30 years. He originally came to Japan under the MEF program (currently known as JET, a program that provides opportunities for internationals to teach English in Japan) and lived in Morioka City in the Iwate prefecture where he quickly learned Japanese.   While teaching in the evenings, Mr. Connor studied fashion design at Esmod Japon and eventually began his own apparel brand still in his 20s. He specialized in making clothes for Japanese and international clients who were either very tall or small, so did not fit standard sizes. He calls the experience “great fun” and made various outfits including a wedding dress. After four years, Mr. Connor transitioned into the more promotional aspect of the creative business and began marketing for other artists and designers. As this was the 80s, Mr. Connor recalls enjoying the boom time in Japan like eating gold speckled sushi. Mr. Connor then moved on to importing artists work and promoting them in Japan, acting as the marketing arm for boutique designers.   Mr. Connor then began working in a corporate environment in a senior strategy and marketing role in a firm of 25 staff within a large Japanese conglomerate in the printing industry. Stepping into a corporate leadership position for the first time, Mr. Connor found it challenging to lead a diverse group of Japanese and non-Japanese employees in a company with a traditional age-based culture. Mr. Connor was careful in finding the right balance between being part of a team but also maintaining a certain degree of distance as this is what was expected from leaders in the company. Having led a diverse number of teams in various industries, Mr. Connor also noted the difficulty in setting goals and targets with people from different backgrounds and set of expectations. Mr. Connor claims: “one of the tricky balancing roles and balancing challenges was to paint the right picture of where we're trying to go. But give people enough roadmaps so that they knew where they should go. What are their actual targets and what are my expectations to them?” Having worked with a number of salespeople, Mr. Connor also mentored and trained his staff to be able to close the sales instead of being too relationship focused with the client.   After the firm closed down due to the economic downturn of the 90s, Mr. Connor worked with the parent company's president for a few years. Mr. Connor then took a leave and pursued his MBA at Duke University. Upon his return, Mr. Connor was released from his company and began his own management consulting business. Mr. Connor mainly consulted startup type clients and maximized his general manager skills he had acquired working in a large Japanese company. Mr. Connor eventually joined one of his client's company that sold online coupons to be used in restaurants as their general manager. After realizing the infrastructure for the marketing not being present, Mr. Connor joined the parent company that provided face-to-face marketing and sales and event marketing services to consumer products. There he worked as a managing director looking after three divisions of the company in sales, retail products, and legal, as well as HR when in need.   On team engagement, Mr. Connor tries to maintain a balance between setting expectations as the leader but also ensuring his employees enjoy their work. Mr. Connor states: “What I discovered was we had people doing things and I wouldn't say they were struggling, but it seemed to me that they could shine doing something else. And so I would move people around from time to time doing different things. And when people are doing things that they're good at, they just stayed to automatically grow into it. That was a great discovery just to see that actually people do progress and grow and do things much, much better if they enjoy what they're doing.”   On innovation, Mr. Connor encourages people to come up with their own ideas by being patient and having open communication while asking leading questions. He also uses this style of communication to finding commonalities and gain trust, while noting the importance of “reading the air.” Mr. Connor also finds that showing and communicating that you trust someone further enhances the relationship.   For newcomers leading Japan, Mr. Connor advises to learn the language and understand work and home life are different for Japanese people although this is changing for the younger generation. “I think there is a lot of change happening…also, there there's a lot more openness now about people having stress-related issues. The ability to actually go to the boss and say, I'm feeling stressed out…It's a different world now [from the showa era].”

JSC PODCAST l #19 Diez años despues del Gran Terremoto 9.2 Diez años despues deñ Gran Terremoto de Tohoku(Sendai), el Tsunami en Iwate y el accidente nuclear de Fukushima... Japon Sin Censura Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdUyUHBS3QS3QlPNfuIPVCw Nakahodo Photographe Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFbrEwDrZklpUafaopp_qaQ Primer video de Paseos en Japon: https://youtu.be/_cXjpMc0NP4 En Conduccion: Juanjo Nakahodo FaceBook: 仲程 じゅあん Twitter: @RyuZaKi2809 Instagram: Nakahodo_Photographer Contactados en Twitter @JaponSinCensura FaceBook JaponSinCensura YouTube #JaponSinCensura

In Folge 119 von unserem #Podcast geht es um den neusten Skandal in der japanischen Regierung, den Klimanotstand in Iwate, das #Japan Cybermobbing schneller rechtliche bekämpfen will, veraltete Schultoiletten und dass die Arcadehallen langsam aussterben.

In Folge 119 von unserem #Podcast geht es um den neusten Skandal in der japanischen Regierung, den Klimanotstand in Iwate, das #Japan Cybermobbing schneller rechtliche bekämpfen will, veraltete Schultoiletten und dass die Arcadehallen langsam aussterben.

Season 1. Episode 40. Today we focus on another "Sake Spotlight" - this time it is the far north prefecture of Iwate. This is a rural and and sparsely populated part of the country with a total of approximately 20 sake breweries total. Lots of snow and agriculture, too. Despite it's remote location, sakes from Iwate have made their way around the world and Tim and John will taste two stellar examples of Iwate sake in this spotlight. We explore two well known Iwate brands - Nanbu Bijin and Tsukinowa. If you need a break from sake for any reason, be sure to try the gently competitive "Wanko Soba" challenge which is native to Iwate. Sake and Soba have ever had a better pairing! Join us as we dive deep into all things Iwate!

This podcast is about Kenji Miyazawa, who was a Japanese novelist and poet of children's literature from Hanamaki, Iwate. The story in the podcast is "Gauche the Cellist". Apologies for the errors made.

PRIMER SEGMENTO Anner Mejía conversa con Mauricio Alvarez y Sergio Herrarte acerca del libro EL JUEGO INFINITO de SIMON SINEK. SEGUNDO SEGMENTO Protagonistas del Futuro Experto: César Pérez Abstract: Ing. en ciencias y sistemas por la Universidad de Iwate, Japón. Master por U. Cadiz y Salamanca. Estudios de Gobernabilidad y Tecnologia Syracuse University EEUU (Fulbright), estudios en India, Corea y Alemania. Miembro de Singularity University Guatemala Chapter. Consultor en gestión de proyectos para cooperación del gobierno de EEUU, Canadá y Holanda en C.A., México, Colombia y Argentina, voluntario de Naciones Unidas. Tema: ¿Cómo evitar el fracaso en proyectos para 2021? TRENDS 2021 Luis Fernando Aguilar conversa con Anner Mejía acerca de la tendencia satélites, basura espacial y de la tendencia de los "wereables". TERCER SEGMENTO Julissa Sanchez, Ginny Castillo y Walter Maeda conversan acerca de Tendencias 2021. Tendencias en Inteligencia Artificial, Juguetes y Scoarings.

On today's show, Ben and Burke discuss the GoTo Travel campaign that the government has introduced to encourage domestic travel and help boost local businesses due to the Corona virus pandemic. The Japanese government will provide subsidies of up to 50 percent on costs for hotels, transportations, restaurants, shopping, and tourist attractions within Japan. The guys also talk about butchered English slogans, just like “GoTo Travel”, Burke taking advantage of the campaign during the long 4-day weekend at the end of July, Tokyo being excluded from the campaign, Iwate prefecture angry about outsiders visiting, Ben's favourite places to travel in Hokkaido, Burke’s experience of hiking Mt Fuji, and much much more. Enjoy the show!Support the showUse our Buzzsprout affiliate link to start your podcast today!Website:https://www.voicesinjapan.com/Follow us and check out our other content:https://twitter.com/voicesinjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/voicesinjapan/https://www.instagram.com/voicesinjapan/Get in touch: voicesinjapan@gmail.com

trable v Iwate a dáma s nadváhou

Dean is originally from America and has been in Japan for over 16 years years. The whole time living in Iwate prefecture. Dean is a teacher, outdoor sports and being a part of the local community in his town. In this episode Dean really helps us dive deep into what makes his prefecture great and why he has been there for so long. In depth and highly educational conversation.

Nick and Stephen, two hombres with little expertise but lots of passion, are back and recording remotely to bring you the tale of the Matagi Bear Hunters, a quickly vanishing group of Japanese woodsmen in the rural north!     “Red spots of blood flower in the virgin snow as the bear’s dead body is dragged to a nearby plain to be gutted and dismembered using a traditional Matagi knife. Part of the bear’s intestines are left as an offering to the mountain goddess.“. They cut off the bear’s paws before gutting and skinning the rest of its body.  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/11/matagi-hunting-tradition-japan/   Currently there are still some Matagi communities in the Tōhoku region (Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Niigata and Nagano).  There are no more full time Matagi hunters anymore because of hunting restrictions so most of the remaining Matagi are elderly farmers or foresters in the offseason. There is a Matagi museum in Akita.  https://visitakita.com/en/sightseeing/history-culture/213/   Matagi Documentary on NHK WORLD: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/3016051/

Season 1, Episode 6. Who doesn’t love a potluck? Well, I think lots of people don’t if you end up with three different jello salads, but we lucked out with our potluck: Three fantastic sakes to taste and profile. How did we get so, em, lucky? It must be the good luck brought in by our very first sake interview guest! Today we’ll be talking with sake pro and talented sake brewer Mr. Ben Bell. Ben is well known in the sake industry for having worked for two years at Nanbu Bijin Sake Brewery in Iwate, Japan. Getting access to work at a Japanese sake brewery is a rare opportunity for foreigners, so we talk to Ben about how that came about and his overall path in the world of sake. Tasting three unique and vibrant sakes round out our episode.

Anthony is joined by his new co-host Vinnie from Tell Your Time. Vinnie has made guest appearances on the show before and most memorable for the 36mm vs 39mm Rolex Explorer conversation. Also joining today is JP of jp_melbs on IG. We take a trip down memory lane with some of JP's earliest pieces. Talk about how tastes and collecting mindset evolve over time.  Then we go into battle. TO SELL, OR NOT TO SELL? That was the question. We go deep into the mind of one guy who sold his Rolex BLNR and one who kept his. It was an epic conversation and very topical for the times right now. I can't thank JP enough for taking to time to speak with us and bring all his passion to the table.  People to go follow on instagram: Tell Your Time - aquanautt Defining_Time - springdriven JP_melbs - tyalexanderphotography Favourite Review from the Fifth Wrist website - Grand Seiko GMT – Flying the Mt. Iwate all the way from Japan We hope you enjoy it!!!! Cheers from Tell Your Time and Defining Time.

Have you ever been sleeping and had a bout of kanashibari (sleep paralysis)? Then during that surreal -- most likely frightening -- experience, have you ever had what feels like a ghost child crawling on top of you? Or maybe late one night when you're all alone, you've heard an unseen child giggling. Perhaps you've heard tiny footsteps running across the floor, or found little footprints on your floor or handprints on the wall. If so, you've probably just experienced a have you ever had what feels like a ghost child crawling on top of you? Or maybe late one night when you're all alone, you've heard an unseen child giggling. Perhaps you've heard tiny footsteps running across the floor, or found little footprints on your floor or handprints on the wall. If so, you've probably just experienced a zashiki warashi (a guest room child). But don't worry, they're not bad news. In fact, they're the bringer of good luck and fortune.zashiki warashi (a guest room child). But don't worry, they're not bad news. In fact, they're the bringer of good luck and fortune. Listen to me talk about this and more on episode 47 of Uncanny Japan. You can also find me on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/UncannyJapan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncannyjapan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thersamatsuura Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncannyjapan/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqAtoUS51HDi2d96_aLv95w Website: https://www.uncannyjapan.com/ Notes: Intro/Outro and music bed by Julyan Ray Matsuura. Here and here. And here. Transcript: Hey hey, everyone, I did it. I got two episodes of Uncanny Japan out in February. The weather even cooperated and became all nice and rainy and dreary. That’s not sarcasm. I really mean it. I love this weather. So today’s topic is a continuation on the last one, episode 46. Remember we were talking about kanashibari, or sleep paralysis? Well, there is something that is often associated with kanashibari. At least I think so, because of this thing that happened to me ages ago. I was newly married and living in this old Japanese house we were renting. I had no friends. I mean, I had friends, but they were all living in the States or my friends from university in Japan, had all graduated and gone back to their respective countries. So I had just moved into this house in this small town, in this very old fashioned neighborhood, and I didn’t know anyone my own age. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times, this was a few years before the Internet began being used in homes, so, yeah, I was feeling pretty isolated. I wasn’t sad though, I spent my days hanging out with my mother-in-law or the elderly women who lived nearby. I also spent a lot of time translating and cooking recipes from this giant cookbook I bought at a local bookstore. When I got tired of that, I watched a bunch of Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro, Hisatsu Shigotonin and Hokuto no Ken. Anyway, one night for no reason I can think of, I got kanashibari, which was fine. I was kind of used to it. I had learned that if I tried to call out or thrash about, nothing happened and it made it scarier. If, though, I could concentrate on moving a finger or toe, then that tiny movement usually snapped me out of it. Well, that wasn’t working this time. Another odd thing was I couldn’t see, but it felt like someone was in the room. Not my sleeping husband. Someone awake. And then just as soon as I had that thought, someone or something began to climb on me. It was really painful. It felt like something small and heavy was purposefully digging its sharp elbows and knees into my stomach and chest and moving around. The next day I mentioned the episode to my mother-in-law. She clapped her hands in delight and told me how wonderful that was to hear. I had to reiterate how much it had hurt and how scared I’d been. But she said, no, it wasn’t scary. What had climbed on me last night was a zashiki warashi. A little ghostie thing that looks like a child and visits people at night, sometimes while they sleep. It just wanted to play, she said. It was bringing me good luck. The vibe I got wasn’t good luck. It was more that painting The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli. You know the one of a woman sleeping, arms thrown back over her head, while crouched on her chest and looking straight at the you, is small demonlike figure. Yeah, that’s what it felt like. Anyway, she begged to differ and that’s when I first heard about the zashiki warashi, sometimes called in English the ‘guest room child’.  I’ve since learned they go by zashiki warabe, zashiki bokko, and zashiki kozou as well. There are reports of them all across Japan, with the Tohoku or northeastern area being most famous for them. You’ll find lots of stories about zashiki warashi visitations in Iwate, Aomori, Akita, and Miyagi Prefectures. Especially Iwate. First off, what does a zashiki warashi look like? Just in case you run across one. Or one runs across you. In general, they look like children, usually thought to be about five or six-years old, although there are reports of both younger and older ones. They can be male or female, or no gender at all, alone or in pairs. It’s also said they have a red face and sport a bob haircut with straight bangs. This in Japanese is sometimes called an okappa cut. They’ll be wearing these old fashioned clothes, like a chanchanko, a kind of Japanese jacket, or kimono, either formal or informal. They’re clothes are usually dark colored or perhaps red. Sometimes even an old fashioned design or striped. You can find images of them looking super cute or super scary. You might have heard of them from anime and manga. Zashiki warashi have made appearance in titles from Yokai Watch and Onmyoji, to Mononoke and Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro. Although I read through some of the episodes involving them and even though these were written by Japanese authors, some seem ot have taken a few liberties with the original legends. So I’ll stick to the original stories here. Zashiki warashi are associated with a place, not a person. And not every place has one, but if you do live in a house and one or two or more decide to settle there, it’s considered very good luck for you. It’s thought with them comes prosperity, fortune and happiness. But you have to be careful because they won’t necessarily stay. If you don’t give them the respect they deserve, they’ll leave. Or if you pay too much attention to them, they’ll leave, and if a zashiki warashi leaves your home, you’ll find your luck and wealth will both suddenly decline. So what else do they do? They pranksters mostly. Remember we talked about the makura gaeshi last time? Well, I’ve read that sometimes the zashiki warashi will also do the pillow switching trick. Sneaking it from under your head while you sleep and placing it at your feet. They’ve been known to leave tiny footsprints in scattered ash or handprints on windows and doors. You might hear them giggle and run across the tatami mat floor. You might hear music or see white orbs floating about the room. All these things are the work of a zashiki warashi. Now not all zashiki warashi are created equal. There are some different different kinds. One is called the choupirako, these beautiful glowing apparitions are also luck and wealth bringers. They’re thought to be the spirits of deceased children of more well off families. For example imagine a wealthy family with only one child. If that child passes away at a young age, an entire room could be dedicated to the deceased boy or girl, a room filled with gifts and toys and kept pristine. A very perfect environment for the choupirako to appear. They are a little high maintenance, though, so you must give them more attention than a regular zashiki warashi. Another kind is called the hoso te (skinny arms) or the hosote nagate (skinny arms, long arms). When sleeping, during the night, these long red slender child’s arms come out to wake you.  I found two totally different versions of the myth behind these youkai. One, that they use their long arms to warn you against a disaster, say a flood of tsunami. On another site, however, in Japanese, and what looked to be an old text was a story about the hosote, skinny arms and how they bring bad luck. It was as story about how up north a man was staying in an inn when a pair of long, skinny arms came out from the back of the room, beckoning him. Nothing happened at the time but shortly after he lost his wife in a tsunami. In the same town the arms appeared again in another house, they were attached to a child of three or four and reached out like vines across the room. Later that man’s house was washed away by a flood. There are also a type of zashiki warashi that inhabit the dirt floor in an old home. They’re called notabariko or usutsuriko, or kometsuki, warashi. These little guys aren’t necessarily the happy type. Let’s get dark for a moment. As in most cultures, way back in the day, some times, some people did this thing called infantacide. One name for it in Japanese was called usugoro. Usu is a mortar and goro means to kill. Now I’ve usually heard this called mabiki. Mabiki is what you do when you plant seeds and a bunch sprout, but since they’re so crowded together, you need to pull out a bunch and let the strong ones thrive. Anyway, usugoro. An usu, a mortar is big and made of wood or stone. The story goes, that was used to get rid of perhaps sickly newborns, or whatever. The story also goes that sometimes they were buried under the dirt floor in a house. These restless spirits would walk around on rainy days (see I told you the weather cooperated today) and bother people. For example, the notabariko would crawl out from the dirt floor and crawl around, while the usutsuriko would make the sound of a mortar grinding something. Now, another zashiki warashi story.  There is an inn called Ryokufusoo, in Iwate Prefecture that is quite famous for having one or more zashiki warashi living there. I remember watching TV shows about people who had spent the night there and the experiences they’d had. Hearing sounds, seeing things usually white floating orbs, or feeling things. I also remember thinking, wouldn’t it be cool to make a reservation and spend the night there, just to see what happens. But the waiting list was two years long. And also, the area where the zashiki warashi was supposed to appear was a little spooky. There were hundreds of dolls, toys, especially stuffed animals piled up along the walls, and in the tokonoma alcove, some of them quite old and creepy looking. It’s said that most of the strange occurrences often happened in a room called the Enju no ma. One legend is that back in the 1300s, during the Nanboku Era, a boy who lived there fell sick. On his death bed he promised to protect his household forever. The zashiki warashi is thought to be his spirit, still protecting. Although sometimes they’re referred to in the plural, so maybe he has since invited some friends. Anyway, still it was always in the back of my head, Ryokufusou was a place I wanted to visit someday. Then suddenly on the night of October 4th, 2009 the entire inn burned down. Which to me was kind of creepy. I mean, weren’t these little ghosties supposed to be protecting the place? But listening to interviews with the thirty or so people who were staying at the inn that night, they said that everyone escaped unharmed and not only that but the nearby shrine that was dedicated to the zashiki warashi was also completely unharmed. They believe it was the zashiki warashi that helped protect the people, then escaped themselves to the shrine, living there, while the inn was being rebuilt. Once Ryokufusou reopened the zashiki warashi returned. The place is quite gorgeous now and still having otherworldly activity happening. So there you have it, next time you’re hanging out at home, late at night, all by yourself, and you hear a child giggling in the next room, perhaps running up behind you, or maybe your asleep unable to move, and some curious creature crawls on top of you and pushes and pulls, begging you to play; don’t be afraid. It’s just a zashiki warashi there to increase your fortune and luck. Then again it could be hosote nagate trying to warn you about something. Or something even more insidious. I say trust your gut on this one. Thank you everyone for listening, supporting me on Patreon, and leaving such lovely reviews. I wanted to mention that this month’s Patreon-only Bedtime Story is called Gonbei the Duck Hunter. Come listen and find out why Gonbei is a jerk. Also, I’ll be putting up a karaage fried chicken recipe soon, too. Have a wonderful day, wash your hands, stay safe,  

En este nuevo episodio viajaremos a la prefectura de Iwate, para conocer un curioso festival de invierno: Sominsai. Revisamos la vida de Fred Rogers con el documental Won't You Be My Neighbor y la película A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood. Finalmente, conoceremos a Cristopher Watts, un asesino que acabó con la vida de su familia. Todo en un solo y maravilloso episodo de Nope FM. No tenemos redes aún, pero pueden mandarnos un correo a nopefm.pod@gmail.com

On this week's episode, Zach Weiss and I are joined by another Zach, Zach Kazan, our most recent contributor to Worn & Wound and who's been killing it with some great content on the site. Some weeks back, Zach attended the Jones & Horan spring auction to witness the sale of a really important timepiece — the Howard, Davis & Dennison #3 pocket watch. He wrote an excellent article for us about the watch (which you can read here), its fascinating history, and the auction itself, and I thought it'd be great to have him on the podcast for a deeper dive into the story. This week's episode is brought to you by Bulova and their collection of Automatic Timepieces. For the Fall season, Bulova is introducing more than 15 new automatic timepieces. Some highlights include the new Regatta collection, which is based on a vintage Bulova style, and features two automatic pieces with a slim automatic movement, and nods to the original design with unique angled lugs. Another style coming this fall is the new Wilton featuring a 40-hour power reserve with power reserve indicator on the dial. The timepiece features a stainless steel case and dials in either silver white, deep blue, or grey, perfect for every day wear or an evening event. To learn more about Bulova and their new Automatic timepieces, head to bulova.com. SHOW NOTES Zach K's wrist check - Rolex Explorer II Ref. 16570 "polar" dial Zach W's wrist check- Farer Lander chronograph Ilya's wrist check - vintage Fortis Cosmonauts chronograph  Zach K's Grand Seiko GMT ref. SBGJ203 (with Mt. Iwate dial) USA-exclusive Grand Seiko Seasons collection Grand Seiko's Joe Kirk on The Worn & Wound Podcast Jones & Horan auction house Auction Report Jones & Horan To Sell The Howard Davis & Dennison No. 3 Pocket Watch via Hodinkee How Watches Are Made: Vortic (Fort Collins, Colorado) Paul Newman's "Paul Newman" Daytona Speedy "Holy Grail" ChronoMaddox.com

Nocturnal Symphony (Ultrasound). Bats of Ryusendo Cave, Iwate, Japan. (15 min)

I've been waiting to do this episode. Episode 32 of the Young Lion's Perspective is back and giving you a review of the World Tag League 2018 Finals show from this past Sunday in Iwate, Japan. I break down every single match on the card including the NEVER Openweight Championship #1 Contender's Match between the returning Will Ospreay and Taichi, the NEVER Openweight Championship match between Hirooki Goto and Kota Ibushi, and the main event between Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, the Guerilla of Destiny, and LIJ's EVIL and Sanada to determine who is the best tag team in New Japan. Follow me on: Twitter - @suedesenatorWWI Instagram - @young_lions_perspective --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/younglionsperspective/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/younglionsperspective/support

Think you can eat 50 bowls of noodles? What about 100? This week, The Feast explores the tradition of wanko soba from Iwate, Japan, where families and friends compete to see who can slurp the most noodles in a single sitting. But what makes soba, or buckwheat, the preferred noodle for this centuries-old food contest? We'll dig into the celebrated history of food competitions in pre-modern Japan where writers depicted epic battles waged amongst favorite foods. Forget tiger versus shark; what about steamed eggplant versus shrimp tempura? From these early fanciful food battles, we trace a line to modern food manga, an ever-growing Japanese comic book genre that has inspired some of the most popular food shows on television today. Iron Chef, anyone? Join us as we talk about the serious business of noodle-slurping with food scholars Dr. Greg de St. Maurice, Dr. Eric Rath, and Dr. Lori Brau on this history-packed soba seminar.  Cover photo by Takekazu Omi. The Feast is brought to your Care/Of, a new kind of vitamin company. Enter the promo code "FEAST" & receive 50% off your first month's supply of vitamins and supplements. Learn more at www.takecareof.com The Feast is also brought to you by CastBox, the fastest growing podcast app around with over 9 million downloads in just 18 months. Learn more at www.castbox.fm    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

W sierpniu 1992 roku w nadbrzeżnej wsi Kuji w japońskiej prefekturze Iwate pewnego ranka para ludzi wyszła na swoje pole fasoli i zastała nietypowy widok. Poprzez pole, pośród traw, biegła wydeptana ścieżka dziwnych śladów, i ciągnęła się aż do podszycia. Ślady nie przypominały niczego, co widzieli wcześniej ludzie, którzy całe swoje życie mieszkali w tej okolicy. Dziwne tropy ciągnęły się przez ponad 20 metrów i znikały w otaczającym pole lesie...

W sierpniu 1992 roku w nadbrzeżnej wsi Kuji w japońskiej prefekturze Iwate pewnego ranka para ludzi wyszła na swoje pole fasoli i zastała nietypowy widok. Poprzez pole, pośród traw, biegła wydeptana ścieżka dziwnych śladów, i ciągnęła się aż do podszycia. Ślady nie przypominały niczego, co widzieli wcześniej ludzie, którzy całe swoje życie mieszkali w tej okolicy. Dziwne tropy ciągnęły się przez ponad 20 metrów i znikały w otaczającym pole lesie...

New Japan held shows in Sendai and Iwate on Tuesday and Wednesday for Nights 10 & 11 of the G1 Climax 25 tournament. Both Blocks were in action and Sean has the low down on everything that happened. Due to an error found in the video for Night 10, New Japan didn't upload it to NJPW World until really late last night. So, this is why I'm having to combine both nights again. Night 10 in Sendai featured Block B action with mostly good matches, but with only one standout match.Night 11 in Iwate featured Block A action with a few stinkers, a pretty good match, and a great main event. Remember you can check out all my other recaps of the G1 Climax 25 tournament right here. You can also read my written reviews here: http://lastwordonsports.com/category/lwosxtra/pro-wrestling/

New Japan held shows in Sendai and Iwate on Tuesday and Wednesday for Nights 10 & 11 of the G1 Climax 25 tournament. Both Blocks were in action and Sean has the low down on everything that happened. Due to an error found in the video for Night 10, New Japan didn't upload it to NJPW World until really late last night. So, this is why I'm having to combine both nights again. Night 10 in Sendai featured Block B action with mostly good matches, but with only one standout match.Night 11 in Iwate featured Block A action with a few stinkers, a pretty good match, and a great main event. Remember you can check out all my other recaps of the G1 Climax 25 tournament right here. You can also read my written reviews here: http://lastwordonsports.com/category/lwosxtra/pro-wrestling/

TOTEM PODCAST Episode 09 :with Sakiko Osawa iTunes Music Podcast https://geo.itunes.apple.com/jp/podcast/totem-podcast-dj-mix-show/id895801332?mt=2&uo=6&at=1l3vt8g Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/totemtraxx/sets/dj-mix-show-totem-podcasts Mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/totem-traxx/ Official Page http://totemtraxx.com/main.php/mixies Youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeMDa2QH4Xwve9rg8qzKuxshh_nWi4LCk -Sakiko Osawa PLAY LIST- 01.Fullmoon feat.斎藤ネコ (Laungage Slow Sunset Remix ? Club Edit- ) Sakiko Osawa 02.Orbit (Original Mix) - Iori Wakasa 03.Where Do We Go feat. Casey K. (ME & her Remix) - Crom & Thanh 04.Airhead (Original Mix) - Pedro Aguiar 05.FUSE (Original Mix) - Satoshi Imano 06.On Off (Sebastien Leger Remix) - Cirez D 07.Sixth Sense (WHYT NOYZ Remix) - Kaiserdisco 08.Junkyard Tool (Original Mix) - Seth Troxler 09.In Search Of Ethnic Dimension feat. Sinsuke Fujieda (DO SHOCK BOOZE Remix) - Koyasu 10.Girl One (Cosimic Boys Remix) - Marc Houle 11.Burn (Original Mix) - Jimmy Edgar 12.Lemonade (Secret Cinema Remix) - Citizen Kain, Phuture Traxx 13.Go Down Street (Original Mix) - Satoshi Imano 14.Pocket Piano (Breakbeat Mix) - KiNK -Sakiko Osawa's Profile- Sakiko Osawa is a exciting and sought after music creator, producer and a DJ, based in Shibuya, Tokyo. By the produce of “Oiran Music”, she released her first EP “Tokyo Disco Beat” from 7Stars Music (Amsterdam) on February 2014. She was born in Iwate prefecture and started her music career by playing Violin at the age of 3. However, once she discovered a world of Rock in the school days, she formed a mixture rock and punk band and played bass-guitar. She did not take time to choose her career; she entered one of a top art college in Tokyo, Nihon University College of Art, and majored Music and studied Music Information, Acoustics, Recordings, and Media-Art. She researched her own surround sound system which differs from the standard but uses eight speakers at once. Since rave culture attracted Sakiko’s interest when she was 20, she has approached music using various inspirations from wide range of un-musical sources. She entered one of the top visual production company and acquired knowledge and skill of projection mapping, visual directing, and interactive broadcast system. Her interest expands to fashion as well, she wears “Triangle” motif clothing and accessories and expands her creativity in music. Sakiko played her live set at “Shibuya Oiran”, one of the famous warm-up bar in Shibuya and met with a DJ, lyricist, and producer of Shibuya Oiran, Venus Kawamura Yuki and scouted to play at her dance music specialized internet radio “block FM”, which is considered as a BBC radio1 in Japan. Sakiko’s thrilling and solid character has become one of the essences of new Japanese beauty and her one-of-a-kind sound is considered as the future for the next generation. Sakiko Osawa is a exciting and sought after music creator, producer and a DJ, based in Shibuya, Tokyo. By the produce of “Oiran Music”, she released her first EP “Tokyo Disco Beat” from 7Stars Music (Amsterdam) on February 2014 and hit Top2 in the electronics chart on iTunes. http://oiranmusic.com/sakikoosawa https://soundcloud.com/sakikoosawa Stay Tuned! #totempodcast

Ep163 Got Faded Japan Podcast Johnny and Shank get the smack-down from special guest Lady Beard! Be sure to go to ladybeard.com or Ladybeard on Facebook for more! Man arrested for cutting off woman's underwear while she sleeps and Iwate cracks down on upskirts. The Got Faded Japan Podcast gives listeners a glimpse of the seedy side of Japan's news, culture, politics, parties, and all around mischief and mayhem. Hosted by Johnny and Shank who add their own opinions and otherwise drunken bullshit to the mix.  Send us an email on FB/twitter/instagram @ Got Faded Japan, gotfadedjapan@gmail.com or go to gotfadedjapan.com to buy a t-shirt to support the show. Or hell man, just tell a friend & post a link to keep this pod rolllin' Fader! Kanpai mofos!  

Ep143 Got Faded Japan Podcast Johnny's takes a drunken taxi tour while Shank dons a beer helmet. Man rams police station and sets it aflame, mummified corpse found in Iwate restaurant, knife-wielding intruder busted at JR High School, teacher mounts camera in prepubescent potty, man punches schoolchildren outside station, 26 motorcycle members go berserk on rival gang, and Tokyo pimp gives up the gold for girly pics. Got Faded Japan is sponsored by Main Pursuit, which is the best way to find the sickest places when you travel to other cities around the world, we HIGHLY recommend to check them out and to support the show: http://www.mainpursuit.com/gotfadedjapan Also, you might just win a free iPAD The Got Faded Japan Podcast gives listeners a glimpse of the seedy side of Japan's news, culture, politics, parties, and all around mischief and mayhem. Hosted by Johnny and Shank who add their own opinions and otherwise drunken bullshit to the mix.  Send us an email on FB/twitter/instagram @ Got Faded Japan, gotfadedjapan@yahoo.co.jp or go to gotfadedjapan.com to buy a t-shirt to support the show. Or hell man, just tell a friend & post a link to keep this pod rolllin' Fader! Kanpai mofos!

Terrific food safety interview w/Kimberly Roberson of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network and Mary Beth Brangan of Ecological Awareness Network. Learn what you can do to boost your health and resist the effects of our increasingly radioactive food chain. Plus radiation in Fukushima #2 too hot for even the robots; Japanese politicians furious that Sapporo mayor refuses radioactive waste from Miyagi and Iwate; Former Prime Minister Kan now an anti-nuke activist!; San Onofre slammed into shutdown by NRC; NRC licenses 2 new nukes in South Carolina; radioactive kelp in southern California; Japan to provide canned radioactive fish to Cambodia for school lunches w/United Nations approval. INSANE!; and Friends of Earth produce a TV ad to keep San Onofre shut -- Jon Stewart, when will it be on The Daily Show?

Terrific food safety interview w/Kimberly Roberson of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network and Mary Beth Brangan of Ecological Awareness Network. Learn what you can do to boost your health and resist the effects of our increasingly radioactive food chain. Plus radiation in Fukushima #2 too hot for even the robots; Japanese politicians furious that Sapporo mayor refuses radioactive waste from Miyagi and Iwate; Former Prime Minister Kan now an anti-nuke activist!; San Onofre slammed into shutdown by NRC; NRC licenses 2 new nukes in South Carolina; radioactive kelp in southern California; Japan to provide canned radioactive fish to Cambodia for school lunches w/United Nations approval. INSANE!; and Friends of Earth produce a TV ad to keep San Onofre shut -- Jon Stewart, when will it be on The Daily Show?

Terrific food safety interview w/Kimberly Roberson of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network and Mary Beth Brangan of Ecological Awareness Network. Learn what you can do to boost your health and resist the effects of our increasingly radioactive food chain. Plus radiation in Fukushima #2 too hot for even the robots; Japanese politicians furious that Sapporo mayor refuses radioactive waste from Miyagi and Iwate; Former Prime Minister Kan now an anti-nuke activist!; San Onofre slammed into shutdown by NRC; NRC licenses 2 new nukes in South Carolina; radioactive kelp in southern California; Japan to provide canned radioactive fish to Cambodia for school lunches w/United Nations approval. INSANE!; and Friends of Earth produce a TV ad to keep San Onofre shut -- Jon Stewart, when will it be on The Daily Show?

Ep88 Got Faded Japan Podcast Johnny gets maddened by movie mosaic while Shank gets stoked on Spocha. AKB48 member's mother popped for diddling 15 year old boy, pop groups targeted by otaku "seamen handshakes", Osaka cop forges police IDs, Iwate cop uploads nude photos of woman, murdered and buried baby corpse, woman hit by three cars, and man hides mother's corpse in vacuum bag and slits wrists. The Got Faded Japan Podcast gives listeners a glimpse of the seedy side of Japan's news, culture, politics, parties, and all around mischief and mayhem. Hosted by Johnny and Shank who add their own opinions and otherwise drunken bullshit to the mix.  Send us an email on FB/twitter Got Faded Japan, to gotfadedjapan@yahoo.co.jp or go to gotfadedjapan.com to buy a t-shirt to support the show. Or just tell a friend or post a link to keep this pod rolllin' Fader! Kanpai mofos!

今回の話題は「地震とハリケーン」です。東北地方で起こった地震の話をきっかけに、広島で起こった芸予地震や、アメリカのハリケーンについて話します。アメリカではハリケーンに名前をつけるのが慣例ですが、これはどのようにして起こったのでしょうか。 今回は、Hiroshima University's English Podcastが始まってから長い間司会をつとめてくれたJuriさんが出演する最後の回となります。 今回お借りした素材 Hurricane Katrina：Wikipedia Download MP3 （15:04　8.7MB　初級～中級）*** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:45-04:45 (Natural speed) 9:35-11:15 Earthquakes and Hurricanes M: Hey, Miki! Did you see the news about the big earthquake in Tohoku this morning? I was sooo surprised! W: Yeah, I did. I was really worried about my friend because he lives in Iwate. That was awful! M: Really? Is your friend OK? W: Yeah, I e-mailed him and he answered that he's fine. But he said that the earthquake was the worst one he'd ever had. M: Are there earthquakes here in Hiroshima? W: Yeah, we've had some, but not much, and not so big like that. M: Really? I've never been in an earthquake. What are they like? W: Hmm. The last one I had in Hiroshima was, maybe 7 or 8 years ago, I think. Because I remember that I was in elementary school. It was big, and was called the Geiyo earthquake. It's because this area is called the Geiyo area. A big earthquake is usually named after the area that had the earthquake. M: Hmm. That's interesting. In the States, we often have tornadoes and hurricanes. Especially to hurricanes, we usually give a woman's or a man's name, like Katrina, Jeanne, or Andrew. W: Yeah, I've heard about that. Katrina is very famous, right? But why do you give a person's name? M: Ahh, I heard that people started to name hurricanes from around World War II. Whether true or not, I heard that it was first a kind of American humor, like hurricanes were similar to women, and they were difficult to calm down. So in the beginning, hurricanes were named only after women. But in the late of 1970's, they started to give man's names to hurricanes, you know, to be politically correct. W: Wow! That's interesting! But I just feel sorry for the person who has the same name as a hurricane, such as Katrina. They might not feel good about their name when it's used for a hurricane. M: Oh, I don't think they care! (Written by Saori Nakanishi)

今回の話題は「地震とハリケーン」です。東北地方で起こった地震の話をきっかけに、広島で起こった芸予地震や、アメリカのハリケーンについて話します。アメリカではハリケーンに名前をつけるのが慣例ですが、これはどのようにして起こったのでしょうか。 今回は、Hiroshima University's English Podcastが始まってから長い間司会をつとめてくれたJuriさんが出演する最後の回となります。 今回お借りした素材 Hurricane Katrina：Wikipedia Download MP3 （15:04　8.7MB　初級～中級）*** Script *** (Slow speed) 02:45-04:45 (Natural speed) 9:35-11:15 Earthquakes and Hurricanes M: Hey, Miki! Did you see the news about the big earthquake in Tohoku this morning? I was sooo surprised! W: Yeah, I did. I was really worried about my friend because he lives in Iwate. That was awful! M: Really? Is your friend OK? W: Yeah, I e-mailed him and he answered that he's fine. But he said that the earthquake was the worst one he'd ever had. M: Are there earthquakes here in Hiroshima? W: Yeah, we've had some, but not much, and not so big like that. M: Really? I've never been in an earthquake. What are they like? W: Hmm. The last one I had in Hiroshima was, maybe 7 or 8 years ago, I think. Because I remember that I was in elementary school. It was big, and was called the Geiyo earthquake. It's because this area is called the Geiyo area. A big earthquake is usually named after the area that had the earthquake. M: Hmm. That's interesting. In the States, we often have tornadoes and hurricanes. Especially to hurricanes, we usually give a woman's or a man's name, like Katrina, Jeanne, or Andrew. W: Yeah, I've heard about that. Katrina is very famous, right? But why do you give a person's name? M: Ahh, I heard that people started to name hurricanes from around World War II. Whether true or not, I heard that it was first a kind of American humor, like hurricanes were similar to women, and they were difficult to calm down. So in the beginning, hurricanes were named only after women. But in the late of 1970's, they started to give man's names to hurricanes, you know, to be politically correct. W: Wow! That's interesting! But I just feel sorry for the person who has the same name as a hurricane, such as Katrina. They might not feel good about their name when it's used for a hurricane. M: Oh, I don't think they care! (Written by Saori Nakanishi)

​In this week's edition of the New Japan Purocast, we review Kizuna Road 2016 from 7/3 in Iwate. Plus, we discuss the official A and B blocks for the G1 Climax 26.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/super-j-cast/donationsWant to advertise on this podcast? Go to https://redcircle.com/brands and sign up.