1392–1897 Korean kingdom
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Send us a textIn this episode of The Fall of Joseon, we dive into the political turmoil and military invasions that rocked Joseon Korea in the 17th century. Join us as we explore the first Qing invasion of 1627, the devastating effects of political factionalism, and the lasting consequences for Joseon's political landscape. From King Injo's chaotic rise to power and the internal conflicts of the West Faction to the tragic death of Crown Prince Sohyeon, we uncover the bitter struggles that shaped Korea's history. Tune in for a gripping look at how these invasions and factional battles altered the course of Joseon Korea. Top Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerMackenzie MooreMinseok LeeHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordStarting at just $5/month, get a lot of great extra content by going to our Patreon Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreMinseok LeeHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram
#TodosSomosChingus Hoy con nuestro chingu Oppa Kim llegamos a esas pláticas incómodas que se deben hablar para concientizar los problemas, llegar a soluciones y tener buenas relaciones, dentro de la industria y comunidad kpoper, y en nuestra propia vida. - Comparte este episodio con tus chingus y recuerda que si tienes preguntas o curiosidad acerca de este tema o algo más ¡cuéntanos chingu! * Te compartimos las redes y canal de nuestro chingu: IG: https://www.instagram.com/oppakimpop/ Canal: https://www.youtube.com/@SeTeDijoPodcast *Síguenos en redes sociales: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrechingus X: https://x.com/entre_chingus Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrechingus * Y no olvides visitar el restaurante Joseon, para comer y disfrutar un momento entre chingus. https://www.instagram.com/joseoncdmx
아름둘 라디오 - Joseon Tailor with Ezobbe 03.17.25 | VISLA FM by VISLA
Fluent Fiction - Korean: Blossoms and Lenses: A New Creative Awakening at Gyeongbokgung Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-03-01-23-34-01-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 봄바람이 불어오는 경복궁.En: The spring breeze blows through Gyeongbokgung.Ko: 따뜻한 햇살 아래 벚꽃이 화사하게 피어난다.En: Under the warm sunlight, the cherry blossoms bloom brilliantly.Ko: 경복궁은 조선 시대의 중심이었던 왕궁으로, 그 역사와 아름다움이 여전히 살아 숨쉰다.En: Gyeongbokgung was the royal palace at the center of the Joseon era, and its history and beauty are still alive and well.Ko: 봄이 되면 이곳은 더욱 특별한 매력을 지닌다.En: In spring, this place holds an even more special charm.Ko: 지수는 경복궁을 자주 찾는다.En: Jisoo often visits Gyeongbokgung.Ko: 그는 프리랜서 사진작가이다.En: He is a freelance photographer.Ko: 최근 들어, 지수는 창의력이 고갈된 것처럼 느꼈다.En: Recently, Jisoo felt as if his creativity had run dry.Ko: 사진을 찍어도 마음에 들지 않았다.En: Even when taking photos, he wasn't satisfied.Ko: 그러나 오늘은 달랐다.En: But today was different.Ko: 삼일절이었다.En: It was Independence Movement Day.Ko: 독립운동을 기념하는 날, 마음속에서 작은 불씨가 일어났다.En: A small spark ignited within him.Ko: 지수는 벚꽃을 더 잘 찍기 위해 카메라를 들고 경복궁으로 향했다.En: Jisoo headed to Gyeongbokgung with his camera to capture the cherry blossoms better.Ko: 사람들은 모두 기념사진을 찍느라 분주했다.En: Everyone was busy taking commemorative photos.Ko: 그때, 한 남자가 사진을 찍고 있는 모습을 보았다.En: At that moment, he saw a man taking photos.Ko: 그는 다른 사람들과 달리 고궁의 건축을 깊이 있게 카메라에 담고 있었다.En: Unlike others, this man was capturing the architecture of the palace in depth with his camera.Ko: 그 남자는 민준이었다.En: That man was Minjun.Ko: 민준은 아마추어 사진작가였다.En: Minjun was an amateur photographer.Ko: 역사적인 건축을 사랑했다.En: He loved historical architecture.Ko: 그 열정이 지수의 마음을 움직였다.En: His passion touched Jisoo's heart.Ko: 두 사람은 우연히 눈을 마주쳤다.En: The two accidentally made eye contact.Ko: 민준이 먼저 말을 걸었다.En: Minjun spoke first.Ko: "안녕하세요, 여기 자주 오세요?"En: "Hello, do you come here often?"Ko: 지수는 고개를 끄덕이며 답했다.En: Jisoo nodded and replied.Ko: "네, 자주 와요. 오늘 사진은 어떻게 찍었나요?"En: "Yes, I come often. How did your photos turn out today?"Ko: 그렇게 시작된 대화는 예상치 못하게 길어졌다.En: What started as a conversation unexpectedly lengthened.Ko: 민준은 경복궁의 역사와 아름다움에 대해 끊임없이 이야기했다.En: Minjun talked endlessly about the history and beauty of Gyeongbokgung.Ko: 지수는 뜻밖에 그 이야기가 흥미로웠다.En: Surprisingly, Jisoo found the conversation interesting.Ko: 둘은 카메라를 들고 경복궁 안을 함께 돌아다니기로 했다.En: They decided to walk around inside Gyeongbokgung together with their cameras.Ko: 벚꽃 아래에서 두 사람은 사진을 찍었다.En: Under the cherry blossoms, the two took photos.Ko: 민준의 열정은 지수의 마음속에서 묻혀 있던 불꽃을 다시 피어나게 했다.En: Minjun's passion rekindled the spark hidden in Jisoo's heart.Ko: 지수는 사진을 찍으며 오래간만에 느꼈던 창의력의 흐름을 느꼈다.En: While taking pictures, Jisoo felt the flow of creativity he hadn't felt in a long time.Ko: 그는 미소를 지었다.En: He smiled.Ko: 자신감이 생겼다.En: Confidence grew within him.Ko: 그리고 지수는 민준에게 고맙다고 말했다.En: And Jisoo thanked Minjun.Ko: "너무 좋네요. 사진 찍는 게 이렇게 즐거웠던 적이 있었나 싶어요."En: "This is great. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed taking photos this much."Ko: 민준도 웃으며 말했다. "나도요. 다음 주에 사진전이 있는데, 같이 가고 싶어요?"En: Minjun also smiled and said, "Me too. I'm having a photo exhibition next week, would you like to come with me?"Ko: 지수는 잠시 망설였지만 고개를 끄덕였다.En: Jisoo hesitated for a moment but nodded.Ko: "왜 안 되겠어요? 같이 가죠."En: "Why not? Let's go together."Ko: 경복궁에서의 시간이 흐르고 해가 지기 시작했다.En: Time passed at Gyeongbokgung and the sun began to set.Ko: 지수와 민준은 집으로 돌아가기 전 연락처를 교환했다.En: Before heading back home, Jisoo and Minjun exchanged contact information.Ko: "앞으로도 사진 많이 찍어요." 민준이 말했다.En: "Keep taking a lot of photos," Minjun said.Ko: 지수는 새로운 친구와 새로운 기회를 얻었다는 생각에 마음이 따뜻해졌다.En: Jisoo felt his heart warm with the thought of gaining a new friend and new opportunity.Ko: 지수는 느렸다. 자신의 작업이 여전히 가치가 있음을 깨달았다.En: Jisoo realized that his work still had value.Ko: 그리고 새로운 친구들과 함께라면 더 많은 영감을 얻을 수 있음을 알았다.En: And he understood that with new friends, he could gain even more inspiration.Ko: 앞으로 그는 더 많은 모험을 기대했다.En: He looked forward to more adventures in the future.Ko: 봄의 경복궁은 새로운 시작을 알렸다.En: Spring at Gyeongbokgung marked a new beginning.Ko: 지수는 미소 지으며 민준에게 작별을 고하고 집으로 향했다.En: Smiling, Jisoo bade farewell to Minjun and headed home. Vocabulary Words:breeze: 바람blossoms: 벚꽃brilliantly: 화사하게royal: 왕궁era: 시대freelance: 프리랜서creativity: 창의력commemorative: 기념spark: 불씨architecture: 건축depth: 깊이 있게amateur: 아마추어rekindled: 다시 피어나다confidence: 자신감exhibition: 사진전hesitated: 망설이다contact: 연락처opportunity: 기회adventures: 모험farewell: 작별warm: 따뜻하다gaining: 얻다realized: 깨닫다marked: 알리다passion: 열정endlessly: 끊임없이creativity: 창의력ignited: 일어나다flow: 흐름spark: 불씨
Send us a textKing Injo: Factionalism, Rebellion, Factionalism | Fall of Joseon, Part 12 delves into the turbulent reign of King Injo, who ascended to the throne following the downfall of Gwanghae-gun. Amidst the chaos of factional strife, his reign became defined by rebellion, power struggles, and intense political maneuvering. With Joseon deeply divided, Injo fought for legitimacy and control over the court, leading to bloody purges and widespread opposition. This episode explores Injo's efforts to stabilize his rule, the growing influence of the West Faction, and the public unrest that culminated in the 1631 student strike, a defining moment in the history of Joseon's political landscape.Join our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comCreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerMackenzie MooreMinseok LeeHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMitchy BrewerMackenzie MooreMinseok LeeHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasAshley WrightGeorge IrionKwang Ja MoonEdward BradfordStarting at just $5/month, get a lot of great extra content by going to our Patreon Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreMinseok LeeHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram
아름둘 라디오 - Joseon Tailor With Sanghyunma 02.03.25 | VISLA FM by VISLA
Happy January Chingu Chat, everyone! This segment is a special one at Ya Girl's KDrama Podcast where Maddie & Christina talk about Korean-related things (like JK & Joshua for example). Grab your coffee, tea, or soju and come laugh with us! ….. Time Stamps ….. If you're new to YA GIRL, we're so glad you're here!! I truly hope you enjoy listening to this podcast! Also check out THE K.DROP [A KPop Podcast] if that's your thing. ….. Before you do anything else, FOLLOW YA GIRL ON INSTAGRAM! For real, please come and say hey to us over the socials! @yagirl_kdrama pod (https://www.instagram.com/yagirl_kdramapod?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr) ..... Wanna support YA GIRL? Go and become a Patron! www.patreon.com/yagirlmaddiepod?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator ….. Finally, jump on YA GIRL's Discord!! It's where all the friends of YA GIRL gather and talk about hot Korean men. You really don't wanna miss it. https://discord.gg/UeZuyftp
After the Russo-Japanese War, the Meiji government moved quickly to solidify their control of Korea, gradually chipping away at the sovereignty of its government until annexation became the only logical next step.Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Fluent Fiction - Korean: Seollal Serenity: A Guide's Heartfelt Journey to Home Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-01-12-23-34-02-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 겨울의 경복궁은 마치 하얀 도화지 위에 그려진 그림 같았다.En: Winter at Gyeongbokgung was like a painting drawn on a white canvas.Ko: 새하얀 눈이 궁궐을 덮었고, 전통 건축물의 오색은 더욱 빛났다.En: The pure white snow covered the palace, and the colors of the traditional architecture shone brighter.Ko: 지호는 여러 명의 관광객들과 함께 궁궐을 걷고 있었다.En: Jiho was walking through the palace with many tourists.Ko: 그는 항상 관광객들에게 한국의 역사와 문화를 공유하는 것을 즐겼다.En: He always enjoyed sharing Korean history and culture with tourists.Ko: 지호는 열정적인 가이드였다.En: Jiho was a passionate guide.Ko: 하지만 오늘은 마음 한구석이 쓸쓸했다.En: But today, part of his heart felt lonely.Ko: 오늘은 설날이었다.En: Today was Seollal, the Korean New Year.Ko: 그의 가족들은 모두 모여 조상님께 차례를 드리고 있었다. 그러나 그는 일을 해야 해서, 가족과 함께 있지 못했다.En: His family was gathered to perform ancestral rites, but he had to work, so he couldn't be with them.Ko: "여기 경복궁은 조선 시대의 가장 큰 궁궐 중 하나입니다.En: "Here, Gyeongbokgung is one of the largest palaces of the Joseon era.Ko: 근정전에서 왕이 정사를 보았고, 지금도 그 기운을 느낄 수 있습니다." 지호가 설명했다.En: The king conducted affairs of state at Geunjeongjeon, and you can still feel that energy today," Jiho explained.Ko: 관광객들은 그의 말에 깊은 관심을 보였다.En: The tourists showed deep interest in his words.Ko: 그러나 그의 마음은 여전히 무거웠다.En: However, his heart remained heavy.Ko: 관광객 중 수진과 민석이 있었다.En: Among the tourists were Sujin and Minseok.Ko: 그들은 한국의 명절에 대해 궁금해 했다.En: They were curious about Korean holidays.Ko: "설날에는 가족끼리 무엇을 하나요?" 민석이 물었다.En: "What do families do during Seollal?" Minseok asked.Ko: 지호는 잠시 생각에 잠겼다. 그리고 개인적인 이야기를 시작했다.En: Jiho paused in thought, then began to share a personal story.Ko: "설날에는 가족들이 모여 함께 음식을 나누고 좋은 말씀을 나눕니다.En: "During Seollal, families gather together, share food, and exchange good words.Ko: 새해에는 서로에게 건강과 행복을 빌어줍니다." 지호의 목소리는 따뜻했다.En: On the new year, we wish health and happiness to each other." Jiho's voice was warm.Ko: "그리운 시간이네요. 가족들과 함께 있는 시간이 가장 소중하죠."En: "It's a time I miss. Time with family is the most precious."Ko: 관광객들은 지호의 이야기에 감동했다.En: The tourists were touched by Jiho's story.Ko: 그들은 문화 이상의 무언가를 느꼈다.En: They felt something beyond just culture.Ko: 그리고 지호도 그것을 깨달았다.En: And Jiho realized it too.Ko: "일이 중요하지만," 그는 속으로 생각했다.En: "Work is important," he thought to himself.Ko: "가족과 함께 하는 시간은 돈으로 살 수 없는 소중한 것이구나."En: "But time with family is invaluable and cannot be bought."Ko: 관광이 끝날 무렵, 관광객들은 지호에게 많은 칭찬의 말을 남겼다.En: As the tour came to an end, the tourists left many words of praise for Jiho.Ko: 그들은 그의 이야기에 깊은 감명을 받았다고 했다.En: They said they were deeply moved by his story.Ko: 지호는 미소를 지으며 그들을 배웅했다.En: Jiho smiled as he bid them farewell.Ko: 관광객들이 떠난 후, 지호는 결심했다.En: After the tourists left, Jiho made a decision.Ko: 그는 집으로 갈 계획을 세웠다.En: He planned to go home.Ko: 빠르게 짐을 싸고 기차역으로 향했다.En: He quickly packed his things and headed to the train station.Ko: 그는 설날이라도 가족과 함께 보내고 싶었다.En: He wanted to spend Seollal with his family.Ko: 서울에서의 시간이 짧았지만, 그해의 설날은 기억에 남는 날이 되었다.En: Although his time in Seoul was short, that year's Seollal became a memorable day.Ko: 지호는 가족과 함께 웃음과 행복을 나눴다.En: Jiho shared laughter and happiness with his family.Ko: 그 순간이 그의 마음에 영원히 새겨졌다.En: That moment was forever imprinted on his heart.Ko: 그 후, 지호는 가족과의 시간을 더 소중히 여기게 되었다.En: Afterward, Jiho cherished his time with his family even more.Ko: 그는 일과 개인적인 삶의 균형을 맞추는 법을 배웠다.En: He learned how to balance work and personal life.Ko: 그리고 무엇보다도, 그는 가장 중요한 것이 무엇인지 알게 되었다.En: And above all, he discovered what is most important. Vocabulary Words:canvas: 도화지pure: 새하얀architecture: 건축물tourists: 관광객passionate: 열정적인rites: 차례affairs: 정사energy: 기운lonely: 쓸쓸했다tradition: 전통gather: 모이다exchange: 나누다praise: 칭찬farewell: 배웅memorable: 기억에 남는laughter: 웃음imprinted: 새겨지다cherished: 소중히 여기다balance: 균형personal: 개인적인discover: 깨닫다precious: 소중한guide: 가이드genuine: 진정한conducted: 보았다perform: 하시다beyond: 이상의realized: 깨달았다decision: 결심planned: 계획
아름둘 라디오 - Joseon Tailor With Stigmacrane 12.30.24 | VISLA FM by VISLA
Glossy reporters Lexy Lebsack, Sara Spruch-Feiner and Emma Sandler welcomed dozens of guests onto the Glossy Beauty Podcast in 2024. This included top executives at L'Oréal Group and Kendo Brands; longtime industry leaders from Retrouvé and Versed; and breakout indie brand founders from Flamingo Estate and Fazit. But it was the six interviews highlighted below that best capture the ways in which the beauty industry changed in 2024. In today's special end-of-year podcast episode, Lebsack and Spruch-Feiner walk through six can't-miss clips. In the clips ahead, Estée Lauder VP Chloe Green-Vamos discusses how the conglomerate is utilizing AI to better the business while longtime beauty exec Sarah Creal muses about reaching women over 40 with her new namesake line — two massive trends that swept the industry this year. This special 2024 episode also highlights an important change in retail's role in business, as heard in a clip from Black Girl Sunscreen founder Shontay Lundy's September episode. Speaking of sunscreen, Beauty of Joseon founder Sumin Lee joined the pod this month to discuss entering the U.S. market with the TikTok-famous brand. In another clip, Beachwaver's Sarah Potempa shares the secret behind her knockdown success live-selling business on TikTok. And finally, in Glossy's Tweens Talk Beauty episode, three Gen Alpha tween shoppers discuss the role beauty plays in their lives. The Glossy Beauty Podcast will be back next week with another special episode looking ahead at 2025 and will return on January 9 with our regular episodes.
As we approach the endgame of Chicken Nugget, episode 8 answers some of the show's mysteries while also serving us the biggest flashback yet, taking us all the way back to the Joseon era for some period piece action. Episode 8: Baekjung and his group set out to find their long-lost machine and find Sun-man and Baek-joong confronting Dr. Yoo and Tae-man.Watch it now on Netflix--Follow us on twitter at @koreandramapodSubscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or copy our RSS Feed into your favorite podcast player!Korean Drama Podcast is a part of the Potluck Podcast CollectiveProduced by HappyEcstatic MediaMentioned in this episode:Listen to Inheriting from LAist & NPR"Inheriting" is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families, which explores how one event in history can ripple through generations. In doing so, the show seeks to break apart the AAPI monolith and tell a fuller story of these communities. In each episode, NPR's Emily Kwong sits down with one family and facilitates deeply emotional conversations between their loved ones, exploring how their most personal, private moments are an integral part of history. Through these stories, we show how the past is personal and how to live with the legacies we're constantly inheriting. New episodes premiere every Thursday. Subscribe to “Inheriting” on your app of choiceListen to Inheriting now!
Although Japan had seemingly won influence over Korea as a war prize from the Chinese, Joseon itself was still an independent state. Because of the actions of one inexperienced Japanese diplomat, that independence was about to be asserted in an undeniable way.Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Today, we'll be discussing Episode 6, the finale, of Season 2 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryon as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:How we appreciated the listeners who sent in their recommendations for Season 10 by sending us voice recordings, and sending us emails or messages.How the Crown Prince showed himself to be a different kind of leader when he refused to sacrifice the soldiers to save himself.The plan to lure the zombies to the lake by the rear garden is a risky one because the timing has to be just right. In the end, the Crown Prince pounds on the ice with his hands and then uses the zombie giant to finally break the ice.The miracle that allowed the Crown Prince and a few of his men to be saved when they fell in the water.The amazing Seo-bi, who manages to escape the main hall with the baby prince by using fire and her wits.When the Crown Prince and his men open up the palace gates, the Head Scholar says the baby prince must be found and killed so there won't be chaos in the country.When the Crown Prince finds Seo-bi and the baby, Seo-bi assures him that the baby won't turn into a monster. The prince makes the important decision to save the baby, name him the legitimate heir, and erase himself from the history books. We discuss WHEN and WHY the Crown Prince decides to do this.The amazing cinematography during the battle at the lake and when the Crown Prince walks away from the throne.In the future, we see that the country is freed from zombies once Spring comes, and the young king is being prepared by his wise teachers and guides.The Joseon Dynasty annals, which are so detailed, and from which so many historical K Dramas draw inspiration from.The Crown Prince, now just Lee Chang, along with Seo-bi and a few soldiers, continue to look for the origins of the resurrection plant. They come across the plant in other parts of the country, and then find zombies! Who is behind the continuing spread of this plague?The ending of the show shows the mysterious figure of a woman and a worm snaking across the young king's face.The K Drama elements we saw in this episode, including crying, and protecting someone at personal cost to yourself.The addition of two elements to our list: a water scene and asking someone to speak casually to you.Mapping Kingdom to the stages of the Hero's Journey framework. Turns out the show is quite true to the framework!Our final thoughts about this amazing K Drama!The decision-making process that went into the show that we will recap and analyze in Season 10 of K Drama Chat! (You have to listen to find out the show!).Listeners, we want to know what you think of our choice for Season 10! Please comment on the blog at KDramaChat.com!ReferencesRoyal Portraits in the Late Joseon PeriodJeonju During the Joseon DynastyVeritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty - WikipediaCLOY: The Real Ending
If you've scrolled TikTok lately, perhaps you've come across a sunscreen from K-beauty brand Beauty of Joseon. On the app, it's somewhat ubiquitous. Sumin Lee is part of a team that acquired the brand and totally reinvented it, introducing the version today's U.S. consumers know in 2019. In the five years since, it's become a hit, particularly for its sunscreens, including the Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh: Rice + B5 (SPF50+ PA++++). It not only uses advanced SPF filters that were previously unavailable in the U.S., but it's also relatively affordable, at $18. The brand has taken off not only on TikTok Shop but also on Amazon. Lee credits the sunscreen's success to both its super-lightweight texture and TikTok itself. The brand is formulated around "hanbang" ingredients, meaning the formulas feature traditional Korean herbs as key ingredients. On this week's episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, founder Sumin Lee discusses the brand's exceptional popularity in the states, especially compared to Korea, its upcoming retail expansion in the U.S. and its strategy for combatting counterfeiters.
With its new constitutional structure in place, the Japanese government began to take on a more permanent political shape. However, war with China over the future of Korea lurked on the horizon.Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
아름둘 라디오 - Joseon Tailor with Justino.hahm 12.02.24 | VISLA FM by VISLA
By the mid-1800s, the Joseon Kingdom had become an isolated polity which was famously hostile to unwelcome visitors. Nevertheless, imperial powers vied to force the nation to open to international trade, offer paths toward modernization, and jealously eyed the strategic and economic value of Korea's many ports.Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Comment on this week's episode by visiting our blog at KDramaChat.com!Today, we'll be discussing Episode 4 of Season 2 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:We learn the story behind the beef pancakes and how the Crown Prince asked for Mu Yeong's loyalty to the very end in return for allowing Mu Yeong to steal from the royal meals.How the amazing Seo bi saves Cho Hak ju by figuring out that the zombies are afraid of water.The meaning of the tolling of bells in Korean culture.The Crown Prince makes it to Naeseonjae and saves Mu Yeong's wife. Later, Young shin guides Seo bi to the Scholarly Institute to care for Mu Yeong's wife. Cho Hak ju visits his daughter, the Queen Consort, and asks Seo bi to check the Queen's pulse. Seo bi confirms that the Queen did not deliver the baby boy in her arms.Cho Hak ju says the Queen must die for her treachery against the Haewon Cho clan and the nation, but the Queen has other plans because she poisoned her father and he dies!We learn that the Queen and Cheo Bom Il conspired to fake the Queen's pregnancy when she miscarried. They vowed to keep the fake pregnancy a secret from their father.Turns out the Queen is the scariest person in the palace! The Queen throws Seo bi into the palace dungeon and tells her to keep studying the zombies.The Crown Prince visits his uncle on Ganghwa Island and asks Young shin why he continues to be loyal to him, the Crown Prince.We have a new K Drama element: when a character asks another character to stay with them. In this episode, the Crown Prince asks Mu Yeong to stay with him until the end, and the Queen asks Cho Beom Pal to stay with her and her baby boy.The different types of palace guards, their training, and how they were picked.We're looking for suggestions for Season 10 of K Drama Chat!ReferencesJoseon Army - Wikipedia.Wanggung Sumunjang - Wikipedia
Listeners, we apologize that Joanna's audio is not as good as normal. She was traveling and had to record this episode on her phone.Today, we'll be discussing Episode 3 of Season 2 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:The timeline of the queen's evil plan to get a baby boy. We have differing opinions about when it all began!We also disagree about when we think Mu Yeong started spying on the Crown Prince for Cho Beom Il.What happened three years ago when Cho Hak ju asked Lord Ahn to take the patients in the Sumang Village leper colony, kill them, and turn them into zombies to fight the Japanese army. Lord Ahn agreed to the plan but he has regretted it ever since.How this show is an exploration of the lines that we cross and don't dare cross to protect our families, communities, and nation.Whether or not Young shin knew the truth about what happened to his brother in Sumang Village.The Crown Prince's impassioned speech to the soldiers at Mungyeong Saejae, whose loyalty he wants.The Crown Prince's commitment to save the people trapped in the citadel of Sangju by delivering food to them.We now know that Mu Yeong is the traitor because he has taken Cho Hak ju and is rushing him to Hanyang.Seo bi's suspicion that something is very wrong with the Queen and her pregnancy because the Queen had Cho Beom Pal bring her sappanwood from Japan. Sappanwood is known to stop bleeding after a miscarriage.The soldiers who take Cho Hak ju and kill Mu Yeong.The Crown Prince's grief over losing Mu Yeong. When Young shin asks the Crown Prince why he did nothing about Mu Yeong's betrayal, the Crown Prince said he didn't want to lose someone else. By the end of this episode, the Crown Prince has lost the three most important men in his life: his father, Lord Ahn, and Mu Yeong AND beheaded two of these men.How the head of the Royal Commandery Division is arrested and punished for daring to barge into the Royal Delivery area.Mu Yeong's motivations in betraying the Crown Prince.Why Young shin continues to stay with the Crown Prince.The filming locations for Kingdom.ReferencesKingdom Filming LocationsVisit Changdeokgung, the Filming Site of Netflix's KingdomNetflix's Kingdom: Where Was the Korean Show Filmed?Changdeokgung - WikipediaChanggyeonggung - WikipediaLeprosy on Wikipedia
Today, we'll be discussing Episode 2 of Season 2 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:How this episode is full of betrayal: someone betrayed the Crown Prince, Cho Hak ju betrays Lord Ahn, and the Queen Consort betrays her father and the rest of the Haewon Cho clanHow Seo-bi violated our rule of never opening mysterious chests without knowing that what's inside is a friendly person or a cute, furry animal.How the Crown Prince must kill his zombie father, thereby honoring his father's words to him from so long ago: Stay alive!We learn more about what happened three years ago and we learn that Lord Ahn has deeply regretted his decision to create zombies ever since.Cho Hak ju had Lord Ahn killed, something that the soldiers do with hesitation, given that Lord Ahn is a national war hero. So now, the Crown Prince's mentor and guide has left him.Lord Ahn makes himself a weapon against Cho Hak ju when he asks the Crown Prince to turn him into a zombie.Back at Hanyang, the Minister of War orders the queen's residence searched and the soldiers discover the bodies of seven mothers and babies. Curiously, the baby boy died of natural causes, while the baby girls were strangled to death.The court officials debate the line of succession in light of the king's death when the head eunuch announces that the Queen Consort has gone into labor.The Queen, of course, is not in labor, but waiting for a baby boy to be born.The ID tags that all men over the age of 18 carried around during the Joseon dynasty.The desire for revenge by Young shin and Lord Ahn's men, which leads them to try and take down Cho Hak ju when they are taken out of their jail cell to be transported to Hanyang.We wonder where Mu Yeong is.The crazy ending where the zombie Lord Ahn takes a chunk out of Cho Hak ju's left cheek!The K Drama elements in this episode, including the Crown Prince sinking to the ground with great emotion, and the queen's amazing abs in episode 1 of season 2.The enduring popularity of zombies, from around the world!How Korean zombies are different from Western dramas in that they often focus on the relationships between the humans and the zombies.ReferencesWorn Identity, or information about the ID tags worn by people during the Joseon dynastyKing Cheoljong and his family, who were banished to Ganghwa Island30 Zombie TV Shows Ranked by TomatometerThe Last Of Us: A Closer Look at the Zombie Genre
아름둘 라디오 - Joseon Tailor with 0geul 11.04.24 | VISLA FM by VISLA
Today, we'll be discussing Episode 1 of Season 2 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:The Kingdom wiki that Joanna discovered!How we start to learn what happened in Sangju three years earlier and the roles that Cho Hak ju and Lord Ahn played. We wonder if Lord Ahn has regrets over his decisions at the time.Deok Sung's act of sacrifice and how Young shin gave him his dignity by killing him.The Crown Prince's suspicion that Mu Young is the traitor working for Cho Hak ju.The moral dilemmas in this show that ask us just how far we'll go to save our loved ones.How Seo bi and Cho Beom Pal make it to Mungyeong Saejae and are given shelter because Cho Beom Pal is a member of the Haewo Cho clan. We also find out that Cho Beom Pal is now the heir to the clan.The palace guards are on to the Queen's evil plot to get a baby boy, but she's counting on her baby boy to protect her.How the Crown Prince has decided to travel to Mungyeong Saejae and kill Cho Hak ju. Cho Hak ju is in Sangju to kill the Crown Prince.How extreme crisis can push people to do extreme things they didn't know was possible.The actress Kim Hye-jun, who plays the Queen Consort.ReferencesKingdom wikiCrash Landing On You wikiJapanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) - WikipediaAbout - Aftermath of the East Asian War of 1592-1598
Today, we'll be discussing Episode 5 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:K Drama Chat is featured in this month's episode of Asian American Life from CUNY-TV! Check us out at the 10:30 mark (see link below).The Korean concept of Han, which is uniquely Korean and represents a emotion that is a form of resentment and hatred.The geography of Joseon so that we can understand the context of this episode. The Crown Prince starts in Dongnae, which was in the southeast corner of Gyeongsang Province. He was traveling to Sangju, which was in the northwestern corner of Gyeongsang. Dongnae is located in what is now Busan.How the Five Armies closed the gates of the mountain garrison of Mungyeong Saejae, aka Joryeong.How the Crown Prince wanted to be different from those who abandoned the weak. He blames himself for the deaths of the villagers, but Seo bi and Mu Young see a brave and noble prince who is risking his life for ordinary people.How Lord Ahn and his men show up at the pivotal moment when the Crown Prince and his crew are attacked by the village men AND the zombies.We learn that Lord Ahn was the prince's teacher when he was young. Lord Ahn taught him and supported him, but also told him that he had to fend for himself AND fight injustice. Lord Ahn means so much to the prince!We learn more about Youngshin and his background. He is probably a member of the chakho, or the elite group that hunts tigers. He used to live in Sangju, but left during the Imjin War and even left his little brother behind.The evil Cho Hak ju is conducting experiments on prisoners and a mysterious noble has taken in pregnant, peasant women and is giving them shelter and food! The group includes Mu Young's wife!The Queen Consort declares herself Regent, but we know that Cho Hak ju is now running the country.Ryu Seung-ryong, the actor who plays Cho Hak ju.ReferencesAsian American Life episode featuring K Drama Chat at the 10:30 mark8 Provinces of Korea during the Joseon dynasty on Wikipedia8 Provinces of Korea, including where Sangju and Hanyang are locatedCrash Landing On You to be remade with Netflix USAMungyeong Saejae - WikipediaThere's a uniquely Korean word for rage and regret. So why had I never heard of it?Han (cultural) - WikipediaSexagenary cycle - Wikipedia.
En este episodio, Paloma y Elena se sumergen en la vida y carrera del actor Jung Haein, un talento que ha capturado corazones en Corea y más allá. Exploran su vida personal, incluidas sus fascinantes raíces familiares que se remontan a la Dinastía Joseon
Today, we'll be discussing Episode 4 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:Recent comments from our listeners, including Shine, who has attended many K Drama star meet and greets in Manila. Shine says it's common for fans to walk up on stage to say hello to stars at the end of these events.The Hero's Journey framework, which was researched and popularized by writer Joseph Campbell, who researched thousands of myths, stories and legends from around the world. He came up with what he called the monomyth or the Hero's Journey, which he says is basically the template for so many of our myths and legends.How exciting it is to map Kingdom to the Hero's Journey. We think the Call to Adventure has happenedThe Crown Prince at first tried to refuse the callMu Young is clearly his guideThe Crown Prince is being tested; witness the people who died by the arrows of the palace guardsBut the Crown Prince is also gaining allies in Seo bi and Young shinThe Crown Prince is also an orphan. We see a lot of orphans in hero's journey movies and shows: Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Frodo BagginsIn this episode, it seems everyone is headed to Sangju.How Cho Hak ju had the messenger who delivered his son's head killed on the spot, which means he killed the messenger. We discuss the origins of the phrase, “don't shoot the messenger.”The beacon fires used to alert the country, or bongsu. In Lord of the Rings, there are beacon fires used to alert the Kingdom of Gondor in the event of an attack.How Cho Hak ju shows the court officials that the king is a monster and proclaims him still alive and still king.The Crown Prince's continued evolution. In the previous episode, he was mostly looking out for himself. In this episode, the people are looking to him for what to do next.The samo, or the hat that the court officials wear when they wear their court attire, or the dallyeongKim Sang-ho, the actor who plays Mu Young.ReferencesBeacon Towers during the Joseon DynastyLord of the Rings: Warning Beacons of GondorWhy So Many Superheroes are OrphansPodcast: D-Day: The Tide TurnsPodcast: History's Secret Heroes
Fluent Fiction - Korean: Jinhee's Bold Poetry: Defying Tradition in Joseon's Garden Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/jinhees-bold-poetry-defying-tradition-in-joseons-garden Story Transcript:Ko: 조선의 가을은 아름다웠습니다.En: Autumn in Joseon was beautiful.Ko: 왕궁의 정원에는 금빛 잎들이 바람에 날아다니고, 학자들은 마지막으로 시를 적으려고 집중하고 있었습니다.En: In the garden of the royal palace, golden leaves fluttered in the wind, and scholars concentrated on writing poems one last time.Ko: 한글날을 기념하기 위해 열린 시낭송 대회가 곧 시작될 것이었습니다.En: A poetry recitation contest held to commemorate Hangeul Day was about to begin.Ko: 진희는 그곳에 서 있었습니다.En: Jinhee stood there.Ko: 그녀는 욕심이 많고 야심에 찬 젊은 학자였습니다.En: She was an ambitious and aspiring young scholar.Ko: 이번 대회에서 우승하여 자신의 가치를 증명하고 싶었습니다.En: She wanted to win this contest to prove her worth.Ko: 진희의 스승, 민준은 그녀를 도와주었지만, 그녀의 능력을 의심했습니다.En: Jinhee's mentor, Minjun, helped her but doubted her abilities.Ko: "너무 무리하지 마라, 진희," 그는 말했습니다.En: "Don't overexert yourself, Jinhee," he said.Ko: 그러나 진희는 결심했습니다.En: However, Jinhee was determined.Ko: 그녀는 다른 사람들과는 다른, 대담한 시를 준비했습니다.En: She prepared a bold poem that was different from others.Ko: 그녀의 목표는 여자 학자들의 인정을 끌어내는 것이었습니다.En: Her goal was to gain recognition from female scholars.Ko: 수영은 진희의 친구이자 경쟁자였습니다.En: Suyeong was both Jinhee's friend and rival.Ko: 그녀는 재능이 있었지만, 주요 관심사는 궁중 관리들의 호감을 얻는 것이었습니다.En: She was talented, but her main interest was gaining favor with court officials.Ko: "진희, 전통적인 주제를 선택하는 것이 더 안전하지 않을까?En: "Jinhee, wouldn't it be safer to choose a traditional theme?"Ko: " 수영이 물었습니다.En: Suyeong asked.Ko: 하지만 진희는 고개를 저었습니다.En: But Jinhee shook her head.Ko: "나는 한글의 중요성을 이야기하고 싶어," 진희는 단호히 대답했습니다.En: "I want to talk about the importance of Hangeul," Jinhee replied firmly.Ko: 드디어 시낭송 대회의 날이 왔습니다.En: The day of the poetry recitation contest finally arrived.Ko: 정원은 사람들로 가득 찼고, 긴장감이 감돌았습니다.En: The garden was filled with people, and tension hung in the air.Ko: 드디어 진희의 차례가 되었을 때, 그녀는 무대에 올라갔습니다.En: When it was Jinhee's turn, she stepped onto the stage.Ko: 그녀는 깊은 숨을 내쉬고 시를 낭송했습니다.En: She took a deep breath and recited her poem.Ko: "한글이야말로 우리 모두를 잇는 다리입니다," 그녀의 목소리는 떨렸지만 강했습니다.En: "Hangeul is the bridge that connects us all," her voice trembled but was strong.Ko: 관중들은 조용히 듣고, 그녀의 열정에 감동했습니다.En: The audience listened quietly, moved by her passion.Ko: 심사위원들도 주의를 기울였습니다.En: The judges paid attention as well.Ko: 진희는 그녀의 고백이자 선언문인 시를 마쳤습니다.En: Jinhee finished her poem, both a confession and a declaration.Ko: 박수가 터져 나왔습니다.En: Applause erupted.Ko: 비록 그녀가 1등은 아니었지만, 그녀는 큰 영향을 남겼습니다.En: Although she didn't win first place, she made a significant impact.Ko: 진희는 여전히 미소를 지었습니다.En: Jinhee still smiled.Ko: 그녀는 자신의 능력에 대한 확신을 얻었고, 이제는 학당에서 더 포용적인 정책을 주장하기 시작했습니다.En: She gained confidence in her abilities and began to advocate for more inclusive policies at the academy.Ko: 진희의 용기는 미래의 여성 학자들에게 새로운 길을 열어주었습니다.En: Jinhee's courage paved a new path for future female scholars.Ko: 왕궁의 가을은 그렇게 더욱 빛났습니다.En: The autumn in the royal palace shone even brighter because of it. Vocabulary Words:fluttered: 날아다니고recitation: 시낭송ambitious: 욕심이 많고 야심에 찬commemorate: 기념하기mentor: 스승overexert: 무리하지determine: 결심했습니다bold: 대담한recognition: 인정rival: 경쟁자inclusive: 포용적인advocate: 주장하기aspiring: 야심에 찬contest: 대회impact: 영향concentrate: 집중하고significance: 중요성tension: 긴장감confession: 고백declaration: 선언문trembled: 떨렸지만scholars: 학자policies: 정책paved: 열어주었습니다main interest: 주요 관심사court officials: 궁중 관리들step onto: 올라갔습니다erupted: 터져 나왔습니다path: 길worth: 가치
Listeners, we need your help! If you are enjoying K Drama Chat, please encourage a friend to listen! And would you please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? Thank you!Today, we'll be discussing Episode 3 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:The Seo In Guk Meet and Greet in Washington, DC that Joanna attended! It was amazing!The enduring appeal of zombies!How the opening sequence of the show describes exactly how the king was revived using the resurrection plant, as described in Lee Seung Hui's medical journal. Although this scene is quite horrific, it is beautifully filmed!How Cho Hak Ju and the Queen Consort keep the king chained and how they feed him unwitting court ladies. Who are the real monsters in the palace?The head scholar and Minister of War are suspicious about all the dead bodies in the palace. They want Lord Ahn Hyeon to ally with them, but Cho Hak Ju is confident that Lord Ahn will never oppose the Cho clan.How Youngshin is doing everything he can to save people from the zombies and Seo bi comes to his defense when Cho Beom Pal and the head clerk accused him of crimes.How we are seeing a different Crown Prince in this episode. HE tried to climb the barracks wall, and he took charge at the magistrate's office when Cho Beom Pal and the head clerk came up with a ridiculous plan re: the zombie bodies.We now know of a few ways to stop the zombies: burn them, cut off their heads, drown them.Cho Beom Pal is clearly the comic relief in the show, especially in this episode when Seo bi diagnosed him as having gonorrhea.The Crown Prince now knows what happened to the king, how he died, and was brought back to life by Lee Seung Hui using the resurrection plan. He is now mourning the death of his father.How the king somehow foresaw that his son would be in danger. The king urged his son to stay alive!The officials, nobles and soldiers use the one remaining ship to sail to Sangju, stranding all the villagers on the dock.How Joseon was a tremendously classist society. Although society has flattened a great deal today, you can still see the emphasis on hierarchy in modern day language and culture.We wonder what happened three years ago that clearly involved Cho Hak Ju, Lord Ahn Hyeon, and Lee Seung Hui.The amazing and beautiful Bae Doona, the actress who plays Seo bi.ReferencesA rare look at Joseon king's funeralAnyone know the korean name of or more info on the way they wrap the body in the opening sequence? : r/NetflixKingdom.Unidentified artist | Dragon and Carp | Korea | Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) | The Metropolitan Museum of Art왕의 죽음에서 왕릉의 건설까지Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pulse Diagnosis Quantification | IntechOpen
아름둘 라디오 - Joseon Tailor With Nunes 09.30.24 | VISLA FM by VISLA
Today, we'll be discussing Episode 2 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryon as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:We're learning about how the zombie outbreak started in the first place, that it started in Hanyang when physician Lee Seung Hui brought the king back to life with the resurrection plant and then attacked Dan i. The prince now knows that his father has become one of the zombies.How the Crown Prince makes some important decisions that almost seem out of character:Despite the horrible scene at Jihulyeon, the prince decides to go to the Frozen Valley to find Seo bi and learn more about what happened to his father.When Seo bi explains that the people aren't dead, the prince tells Mu Yeong to go back to the magistrate's office with Seo bi, while he will go back alone to Jihulyeon to find physician Lee Seung Hui's medical journals.We wonder why Seo bi and Young shin didn't burn the bodies and we think it's because Seo bi believed she could save the people, AND it was considered immoral to burn the bodies of the deceased.The epic fight scene between the prince and Cho Beom il; Cho Beom il now knows that the prince knows what happened to the king.The flashback that shows the king being pronounced dead by Lee Seung Hui, but Cho Hak ju and the Queen consort tell the physician he must do what he did three years ago.The mysterious dead bodies being dropped in the lake, which we believe are victims of the king.Young shin and Seo bi try to convince the magistrate that the dead people aren't dead but nobody believes them, and they are both jailed.In the last scene, the prince escapes the zombies, runs through the forest, runs toward the water's edge and sees Dong Nae burning in the distance.The amazing Ju Ji hoon, including his education, acting success, and how he wasn't the first choice for the part of the Crown Prince!ReferencesSungkyunkwan - WikipediaTrend of cremation for Korea's deceased
Send us a textThe Emmy Award winning TV series and novel Shogun took place right after the Imjin Wars. What was happening in Korea and Japan during this period?Join our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comCreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreMinseok LeeHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge IrionThank you to our patrons! Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiShaaron CullenDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshMitchy Brewer Eva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasEmily UmbaughJosephine RydbergDavid WeatherlyJanice SongDevin BuchananAshley Wright Facebook Page | Instagram
Welcome to Season 9 of K Drama Chat! In this season, we'll be recapping and analyzing Kingdom, the zombie historical from 2019. Kingdom is the first original series K Drama on Netflix, produced by AStory. Kingdom stars Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryon as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss:Our enduring love for Crash Landing On You, and how we're finding it tough to move on.How we can't seem to find much information on the music composer from Kingdom, Mok Yeong Jin.How Kingdom is set at the start of the 17th century, three years after the end of the Imjin War against Japan. Although Kingdom is entirely fictional, the Sunjo Annals describe a plague that swept through Korea in the early 1800s. Other annals report on a famine between 1670 and 1671 that resulted in mass famine.The main characters: Crown Prince Lee Chang, physician Seo-bi, Chief State Councilor Cho Hak ju, the Crown Prince's body Mu Young, the mysterious peasant Young shin, and the Queen Consort.The mystery behind the king's illness and disappearance from public life.Court hierarchy and how the Crown Prince, as the son of a concubine, is in danger because the Queen Consort is pregnant. If she bears a son, that son will be the Crown Prince, unless the king dies before the child is born.The Crown Prince's audacious decision to leave the palace, search for physician Lee Seung hui, and travel the great distance to Dong Nae.The Crown Prince's confession to Mu Young that it was HE who committed treason by writing the letter and getting the other scholars to sign it.Young shin's decision to take Dan I and turn him into soup, which ultimately leads all of the patients at the clinic to turn into monsters.ReferencesIs Kingdom historically accurate? The smallpox epidemic in the US during the 1700sASTORY websiteVeritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty - Wikipedia
아름둘 라디오 - Joseon Tailor 09.02.24 | VISLA FM by VISLA
We interrupt all of this amazing SDCC coverage to give a recap on the amazing Flame Con held in NYC recently. Jimmy attended and gives his thoughts on it all. Exhibitors, guests, cosplay, atmosphere, crowd, etc. Always a fantastic show. He also had a chance to catch up w/ his friend Robin Ha to discuss her most recent graphic novel THE FOX MAIDENS. An incredible retelling of the classic Korean mythological tale of the 9 tailed fox. They talked about the comic, gumihos, the fantastic clothing from the Joseon period in Korea, music, food, Korean dramas, what's next and more! Also, get a hold of us! Thanks for listening!
Trevor is joined by Cody Reynolds of the Accidentally on Purpose network (https://linktr.ee/aopnetwork), the Imperfect Men Podcast (@imperifectmenpod), and We Effed Up (@WeEffedUp) to discuss how Americans desperately tried to force the Korean Kingdom of Joseon to trade in the 1800s. Tomb raiding, stupid battles, and sword fights ensue.Visit https://hopfulmedia.com.co to subscribe, donate, or buy podcast merch!Duvernay - Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and KoreaLong - Gold Braid and Foreign Relations: Diplomatic Activities of U.S. Naval Officers…Chung - General's Flag Returns Home From USEckert, et al. - Korea Old and New: A HistoryGlobalSecurity - SS General Sherman IncidentHamilton - Korea, (224-225)Howe - The Forgotten “Weekend War” A Comprehensive Account of the 1871 Korean ExpeditionHwang - American campaigns for flag's returnIRFA - Stanislas FéronNeff - The tiger huntersOppert - A Forbidden Land: Voyages to the CoreaShields - US' 1871 invasion of Ganghwa IslandTyson - Marine Amphibious Landing in Korea, 1871US Army - Korean Campaign 1870, Full-Text Citations
Joseon Tailor 08.12.24 | VISLA FM by VISLA
In this emotional episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack talk about funerals and the loss of a loved one. Transcript: 00:00:00JackHey, A is the English podcast listeners. It's Jack here and we just want to announce that we are now on WeChat. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast that is A-Z English podcast, one word all lowercase.00:00:17JackAnd if you.00:00:18JackJoin the group. You will be able to talk with me. You'll be able to.00:00:22JackTalk with social.00:00:23JackAnd we can answer your questions. We can read your comments on the podcast. So we'd love for you to join us and be active in our we chat group. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast. Thanks. See you on the app.00:00:48JackWelcome to the Ages English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my co-host social. And I'm going to let social introduce today's topic. So social, what would you like to talk about today?00:01:02XochitlJack, I kind of want to talk about funeral traditions in different cultures. So I was going.00:01:08XochitlTo talk about, you know.00:01:10XochitlMexican traditions because I just went through that with my grandfather passing, I guess he passed.00:01:17XochitlLet's like a week ago now, maybe or a little less than a week ago, so.00:01:24XochitlYeah, I don't know. And I've been, uh, I guess I can just get into it.00:01:30XochitlSure.00:01:34XochitlI don't know how to kick this off actually.00:01:36JackOhh no, that's alright. Maybe start with the just just the process is in. In American culture there's a I guess there's kind of two, two aspects to it, right. There's the funeral and the.00:01:52JackWake.00:01:54XochitlHmm.00:01:55JackAnd the wake is more like a.00:01:59JackA gathering where people get together and there's maybe some. Sometimes there's food, I think is if I'm not mistaken, yeah.00:02:07XochitlYeah, that's true.00:02:09JackYeah. So and I think the interesting thing about that in American culture and maybe this is true in, in every culture.00:02:18JackIt seems odd to be eating at that time. You know what, I.00:02:22XochitlBut yeah.00:02:22JackMean like no one?00:02:23JackHas an appetite that people are grieving, they're upset. But I feel like maybe the food preparation is a distraction.00:02:36JackIt's it's, it's focusing on our executive function of our brain, the the part that is just very analytical and just doing things. And I think that is a distraction from the pain and the grief would.00:02:52JackYou agree with that?00:02:54XochitlI think so I I think.00:02:59XochitlThat also it's because a lot of people who aren't, like, super close family come and so they're like, you know, they're they're kind of there to help in certain in a certain way or just to, you know, for emotional support. But they're they're probably going to be hungry because I don't think they're mourning.00:03:21XochitlAnd really like the same way you know on, I mean they're they're sad, I'm sure, but it's like a little different. So I think it's like it's kind of a way for the family to say thank you in Mexican tradition that happened.00:03:22JackRight, right.00:03:34JackYeah.00:03:37XochitlThat happens too, but it's like a two day.00:03:40XochitlAffair where you have to be like awake all night.00:03:45XochitlYou're like, up for 48 hours straight basically because you can't leave the body alone.00:03:49JackOh, OK, OK. Because that's different than American culture, where the the body is.00:03:58JackIs is in the caskets.00:04:02JackBut you don't have to stay up all night with with the body.00:04:08JackHmm.00:04:09XochitlYeah, this the body was in the casket. But we do have to stay with the body because.00:04:15발표자It's.00:04:16XochitlIt's like I don't know. I guess it's to prevent bad spirits, like in old, in old mythology or whatever, to prevent bad spirits from like latching on to the soul of the body. So you have to stay there like 48 hours.00:04:33XochitlAnd it's really hard. My sister and I kind of were with my mom.00:04:36XochitlAnd shift. So I would like stay up.00:04:39XochitlThe whole time and then I would go to sleep.00:04:41XochitlThen she would stay up.00:04:42JackOK.00:04:43XochitlUhm, so we didn't have to do the whole 48 hours thing. I did have to stay up.00:04:50XochitlMore than my sister because she traveled.00:04:53XochitlPlus, she's in that school. So she was like sleeping for a lot large portion of it.00:04:58XochitlBut when she finally woke up, she was she stayed with the body and then I went to sleep and I woke up and so.00:05:08XochitlAnd with the his like sisters and nieces and nephews, they kind of did shifts as well. So like, one day, I think my aunt was my great aunt was there. And the other day my.00:05:23XochitlCousin, I guess was there and it's like their family just kind of did shifts, I guess.00:05:29JackBut it sounds like.00:05:30JackYou didn't get much sleep, though. You. You sound exhausted. Yeah.00:05:32XochitlNo. Yeah, it was very tiring and very hard because you're, like, dealing with a lot of grief. And on top of that, you're, like, serving people food and running around with serving people like.00:05:48XochitlDrinks, not alcoholic drinks, but just regular drinks. But you still you're you're running around serving people with soft drinks and food, and it's just only something like you have to make these two giant. You have to make.00:06:00XochitlLike.00:06:01XochitlWe had cinnamon tea and coffee and then.00:06:03XochitlSweet bread like.00:06:06XochitlUh, like pastries at night the first night, and then the next morning. We have, like, breakfast and we had.00:06:14XochitlLike we also had pastries, coffee and cinnamon tea, and then we had, like Morley, which is like a, it's a chocolate based like sauce, you know. And I've tried my.00:06:26JackYeah.00:06:28JackNo, but I I you've mentioned it before in the podcast, I think.00:06:32XochitlYes, I have. It's kind of different. One of the yeah, it's different because it's not. It's just like it's a completely different dish. I don't know why they share the same name, but more like the paste is like a different dish.00:06:44XochitlAnd there's a there's like seven different types of molis. This one is like a black mullet, which is kind of sweet, a little bit sweet and spicy, and is very thick.00:06:58XochitlIt has a bunch of ingredients like chocolate, chilies, charred tortilla, peanuts, I think, and different things like that. So and we ate that with rice and chicken, and then the next day after the funeral, we also or.00:07:13XochitlBefore the funeral, I think.00:07:15XochitlOr after I can't remember we served. No, it was after the funeral. We served eggs and salsa Verde and black beans. But it's like kind of crazy because you're, like, running on no sleep and making all these meals for people. So it's kind of like.00:07:34XochitlAnd it was kind of wild. And then, like the family, like my mom, I think was up like the whole 48 hours.00:07:41JackOhh wow.00:07:42XochitlI thought I sleep once and it was for like 15 minutes.00:07:45JackRight, right. Is she? And and you know, for her, this is both of her parents have passed in the within a very short period of time.00:07:56XochitlYeah. Within four months from each other because my grandmother passed at the end of February, my grandfather passed at the very.00:08:03XochitlEnd of June.00:08:05JackYeah.00:08:06JackYes.00:08:06XochitlSo yeah.00:08:10XochitlChoose up the whole night and serving people food and soft drinks and it just seemed like a really stressful night time for her and I feel really terrible for her because she's she's like in charge. She's also the executor of the world.00:08:26JackOK.00:08:27XochitlWhich means she has she has a lot of work to do.00:08:30JackRight. A lot of lot of documents that have to be signed and.00:08:35JackYeah. Yeah. A lot of responsibility in that in that respect, you know.00:08:40XochitlYeah. So that's very difficult. So, yeah, I think it's just interesting. I think, I think it's it's kind of cool and very interesting how people are up for like for there's always people at your house for the whole 48 hours and it's kind of interesting. But I I just felt so suffocated like I wished it was just us.00:09:01XochitlLike his closest family, so I could just pull an address out and sleep on the floor, close to the buddy. But I just. I just kind of like.00:09:06JackYeah, or or just cry, you know, like.00:09:11JackIf you feel a little bit, maybe and I'm I'm just making an assumption here, but do you feel like you, you're you let you, you can't be vulnerable when there are people who you don't know very closely around is it is.00:09:29XochitlYeah, it was definitely hard. But like when I first saw it, when like when I first got in there and saw like, yeah, I just wailed anyway because it was just so.00:09:36XochitlSo intense.00:09:38JackYeah.00:09:40XochitlIt was like it was different because with my grandmother, it's like I didn't really cry. I didn't. I I cried a little bit with my grandfather. I cried a little bit with my grandmother, but with this grandfather, I cried a lot more, I think.00:09:51XochitlIt's just like.00:09:53XochitlAll the compound of them all lying so close together and then.00:09:59XochitlIt was just.00:09:59XochitlSadder because I felt like we didn't really get to say goodbye, cause the Mexican hospital system is really a mess. Yeah, and uh, with my grand, with my paternal grand grandfather, he was UM.00:10:12XochitlHe had like dementia, so we kind of got to say slow goodbye.00:10:16XochitlTo him.00:10:16JackYeah.00:10:18XochitlSo it was different and then he passed. But it's like, you know, he was, he was really suffering. It was a it was a slow burn kind of goodbye. And so it kind of felt like he was ready to go.00:10:29XochitlYou know with my.00:10:31JackYeah, this one was more sudden. It was.00:10:34XochitlYeah. Well, like with my maternal grandmother who passed before my maternal grandfather.00:10:39XochitlI I was living.00:10:40XochitlWith her at the time. So I, like, saw her decline in real time.00:10:44JackYeah.00:10:45XochitlUM and I and we were there with her every step of the way. In the hospital we were. We also stayed at the ICU for like the whole week, basically. But we got to see her every single day and hear about, you know, what's going.00:10:59XochitlOn.00:11:00XochitlSo with this one it was just kind of a shock because.00:11:04XochitlLike, only one person could go in, I think per day and it would only be like 30 minutes for 30 minutes and.00:11:15XochitlIt was very restricted and they didn't really keep you updated on anything.00:11:20XochitlSo the last couple of days we thought he was stable and he was getting better, so.00:11:25XochitlI was like.00:11:27XochitlI was kind of slowly planning my way to get over there, if that makes sense.00:11:32JackYeah, makes perfect sense.00:11:33XochitlBut I was like he, he'll. He'll be fine. That's what we were understanding. So for me it was like ohh. Like I'm gonna. I'll. I'll plan my I'll just I have to get it together to plan with my aunt about when I'm going to Mexico City and when her and I are going to head to the US.00:11:52XochitlAnd and so we were. I was just looking at flights when I got the call. Uh, from my aunt that he had passed. And I was just like.00:12:00XochitlIt really shocked me, you know? And so I was like, I really wasn't expecting it. And my my mom and aunt didn't even get to say goodbye. He had already passed so.00:12:03JackYeah.00:12:11JackYeah.00:12:12XochitlIt's just, yeah, it's very hard. I think when there's less closure like that.00:12:19JackMHM.00:12:20XochitlAnd you think someones gonna get better and they don't. And it's just very like.00:12:25XochitlConfusing and.00:12:28XochitlVery hard on you. So yeah, with this one I I did cry. Even though there are people there, of course, I didn't feel like as comfortable.00:12:35XochitlUM, but I just broke down anyway. It's like I couldn't help it.00:12:40JackOh no. And people are are very sympathetic to to that. I'm I I think we.00:12:48JackIn in, in, in Mexican culture you you mentioned before in other podcasts that it's a kind of a masculine culture.00:13:00XochitlYes, be careful.00:13:01JackSo kind of suffocating, pushing down your feelings in in public, you know, trying to be stoic, you stoic means like, you know, trying to be strong. And. And I I feel like we that's also part of the United States culture when it comes to these things.00:13:21JackIs like, you know, don't breakdown and I wish we could be more vulnerable with each other. And in those situations and and just really let our true emotions come out. And it sounds like you. You did that and it probably was healthier to.00:13:36XochitlNow.00:13:39JackDad.00:13:40XochitlYeah, I pretty much was beyond giving a crap about whatever anyone around me thought. You know what I mean? So I I wrote down. So yeah, it was. It was very hard. And then, you know, we had the funeral procession kind of thing. And I carried the casket and.00:13:46JackYeah, yeah.00:13:57XochitlWe.00:13:58XochitlSit around watching him get lowered into the.00:14:01XochitlLike the brave and kind of different in Mexico, the Mexico City is huge. So there's like one small lot and it kind of looks like a house from outside, like a small house like A1 room house or.00:14:16XochitlOhh OK yeah, it has doors locked and like a window and like a roof and everything. And it's like kind of like a really tiny mausoleum. But like, a really tiny one. But not it doesn't look like a mausoleum. It just looks like a little tiny.00:14:25JackYeah.00:14:32XochitlHouse like A1 room house so.00:14:35XochitlWe opened it and then they like, pulled the concrete signs out and there's like 10.00:14:42XochitlIt's like a.00:14:44XochitlLike a 15 foot hole or a 12 foot hole like and it's like 10 slabs that you could bury different people and on both sides.00:14:52JackOK. Is this a family plot here then?00:14:55XochitlYeah, it's a family plot.00:14:56JackOK.00:14:58XochitlSo.00:14:58JackI I think that if I'm, you know, I'm I I don't mean to be.00:15:04JackTo diminish this or anything, but I I remember seeing a little house like that in the movie Coco.00:15:12XochitlOhh yeah.00:15:13JackAnd.00:15:14XochitlYes, that's kind of how it's like, yeah.00:15:16JackOK.00:15:17XochitlYeah. Yeah, it is like that. And UM, so we we, uh, lowered him down and then they put my grandmother's ashes with him actually in the same casket that was that was a, a, A. That was a moment of anger for all of us because his freaking sister, my grandfather's sister.00:15:29JackOh, that's sweet.00:15:37XochitlHe's been going on said. If we wanted to put the ashes in with him, we could put her.00:15:41XochitlAshes at his feet.00:15:43JackOh.00:15:44XochitlLike why would?00:15:45XochitlYou even say that you know what I mean? I wasn't there when you said that or I would have been so mad. But, you know, we just put them.00:15:47JackThen.00:15:53XochitlThey were like next to his arm, I guess.00:15:56JackYeah. You you want holding each other? Not. Yeah, yeah, you know.00:16:00XochitlYes.00:16:03XochitlNot one like beneath the other one. It's like, you know, but.00:16:07발표자Yeah.00:16:07발표자So then.00:16:08XochitlUnless you get lured in the slab and then they like bricked him in. Basically they have to brick people in because they don't want them like stealing the body or like stealing anything that can't. That the body was buried with.00:16:19JackLike grave, grave robbers kind of situation.00:16:21XochitlYeah, yeah. A great rubber situation. So they, like, break him in.00:16:26JackYeah.00:16:27XochitlTo his slab in the grave. So it was kind of a very interesting process. And and I I was getting very like light headed and nauseous and they everyone thought I was going to faint. And my great one of my other great aunts hold a lip lock bag and it had a white onion cut into quarters.00:16:47XochitlAnd she took the 1/4 of a white onion and sprayed it with rubbing alcohol that she had in a little spray bottle in her purse. And she handed it to me to, like, sniff. So that was supposed to help me not pass out. And it did help. Weirdly, I felt way better.00:17:04JackReally. OK. I was. I would have thought maybe the smell of onion would make it worse, but.00:17:10XochitlI definitely. It's like interesting because like, you don't really smell the onion that much because your face is like, right up against it and has rubbing alcohol in it.00:17:18XochitlSo the only thing that the onion does is like it gets the juices from the onion, make the rubbing alcohol more mild so they like, burn your nose when it comes up, they like react together somehow. So like you can still smell the strong smell like alcohol, but it doesn't like burn your nostrils.00:17:27JackOK.00:17:34JackYeah.00:17:35XochitlAnd so that was interesting. And my boyfriend and my sister said that the onion, like the smell of the onion, was kind of making them nauseous. But I didn't notice and they didn't tell me until after the.00:17:47XochitlNo, because I guess they were further away so that, like, smelled weird to them. Yeah. And then my aunt really made me laugh because she kind of right next to me and she, but she didn't see she look right.00:17:58XochitlKind.00:17:58XochitlOf in front of me. And so since she didn't see my onion she she was like, why does it smell guacamole?00:18:08XochitlAnd I'm like, huh?00:18:10JackThat's. That's funny. Yeah, that's.00:18:12XochitlYeah, that's a good moment of humor in all of it. So that really that.00:18:15JackRight, a little levity was probably what everyone needed in that.00:18:20발표자Thanks.00:18:21XochitlYeah. So you know, we had to laugh about that then it was. Yeah. There was some moments where definitely we had a couple laughs and then yeah, we went back home and and that was.00:18:31XochitlKind of it.00:18:32XochitlThere was some certain things you do with the body. Like I got to see his body and it was different because my grand, the way my grandmother passed her body.00:18:41XochitlLooked very different and then when my grandfather passed, when they put him in the casket, it just looked like he was sleeping.00:18:48XochitlAnd and they put like coins in his pocket for his passage and shoe. Special shoes. Like what? I took, just like on him, which are traditional shoes.00:18:58XochitlSo and different things and and my sister and I said we why didn't we didn't give any of this to.00:19:03XochitlMy grandmother and.00:19:06XochitlAnd so we just we gave him extra money to pay for our passage because we thought she might be waiting. Since no one gave her any money to pay for her passage.00:19:16JackYeah.00:19:18JackYou.00:19:19JackThat's interesting. It sounds like there's like a lot of little little things that you have to to do.00:19:19XochitlAnd.00:19:25XochitlYeah, like a lot of little.00:19:26XochitlThings you have to remember.00:19:27JackYeah.00:19:29JackYeah.00:19:30XochitlBig things, yeah.00:19:31XochitlHow how are?00:19:32XochitlKorean funerals. Jack, I'm curious about that. I've never been to one. I've seen them in, like, catering those and movies. But I've never like.00:19:39XochitlBeen to one.00:19:40JackYeah. So the.00:19:42JackKorean funerals are interesting. They're they're very different. It's.00:19:46JackThe my my wife's grandmother passed. Probably going on. Oh gosh, 10 or or.00:19:55Jack12 years ago, something like that.00:19:58JackAnd what happens is there's there's kind of an extra wing of of a hospitals that are kind of set up for funerals.00:20:10JackAnd what happens is.00:20:13JackThe the body is is cremated for the most part in Korea. That's the the tradition. I think it probably comes down to the size of the country land is.00:20:28XochitlPopulation.00:20:30JackYeah, exactly. It's it's it's, it's it's rare to to bury a body.00:20:38JackAnd so the body is, is prepared and and cremated at the at that facility that is attached to the hospital I believe. And then in the hospital you get like a A room.00:20:54JackAnd it's it's a large room with an eating area, and then there's a a nice a very nice photograph of the deceased person.00:21:06JackAnd kind of like almost like a shrine kind of set up.00:21:11JackYou know, flowers and things like that.00:21:14JackAnd outside, when you when you enter this this large room.00:21:22JackThe.00:21:24JackLike your your the company you work for will always send flowers and it's the flower. Arrangements are always these kind of tall.00:21:34JackFlower arrangements with a big ribbon expressing condolences. And so I think the the more.00:21:45JackThe more influential you were, or the more people you know, you knew, the more flowers are sent. You know, so it it can it. It's very important, I think, to to have a lot of those outside, outside the door. When people enter, when you when you.00:22:05JackEnter the room, people. You will give some money. And so there was one family member that's sitting there collecting an envelope of of money.00:22:18JackThat goes to the family to pay for the fuel costs and whatever other things that need to be paid for.00:22:32JackMm-hmm.00:22:32JackAnd and then there's there's some food where you can you sit, they invite you to, to sit down and have a meal. And there is no, there is no like, formal kind of ceremony thing in in that in, in that at that time you but what what happens is you have this this room.00:22:52JackThis large room for three days.00:22:56JackSo and that's what's so interesting to me is that the family stays there for three days, so there's like a I believe there's a bathroom and a shower and. And, you know, you can you sleep there and and, you know, people will get up at different hours and people will arrive at all.00:23:16JackKinds of different hours.00:23:19JackAnd I think it goes back to maybe the older times during the.00:23:27JackThe the Joseon dynasty, the the one before the the last dynasty in Korea.00:23:35JackAnd at those times, you know, if you were to hear about the passing of a relative, you would you would start your trek.00:23:44JackTo that location. And so I think they three days is enough time for most people to make it there. Now. Nowadays it seems a little bit unnecessary or we could say antiquated, which just means like it's an older tradition that that no longer.00:24:06JackIs it still followed but it's it's not necessarily necessary because people can get there very quickly within, you know, a day you can get to the to the hospital and go to that special wing of the hospital where the.00:24:25JackI I guess the the.00:24:28JackThe.00:24:29JackPaying respects to the.00:24:31JackNormally occurs and then there's an urn. An urn is is a a container, kind of a beautiful, ornate container that has the ashes inside of it. And that's also, I believe, up there with the photograph and.00:24:51JackPeople will, you know, come and and, you know, give their condolences to the fans.00:24:56JackMe, but that three day waiting period was kind of interesting to me and not waiting period. But the three day period of time where the family is stays together in that one place.00:25:13JackKind of reminds me of what you were talking about of like staying awake with the body for of 48 hours.00:25:22JackUM.00:25:24JackThere's there's something about that, and I I know there's another in the Jewish tradition, there's something called Sitting Shiva and Shiva is where?00:25:34JackThe body is.00:25:36JackUM, sometimes it's in in a person's house and they sit with the body for.00:25:44JackI I don't remember exactly how many days, but people will come and they will sit down and they.00:25:51JackWill mourn with the family and then they will leave and other people will come and and come and go and it it's kind of interesting how some of these traditions seem to overlap.00:26:06JackA little bit like there's something about, maybe there's something.00:26:12JackImportant about just sitting in your grief.00:26:17JackWith your loved one who's past and.00:26:21JackAnd kind of getting a collective hug from all the people that knew that person and loved that person and you know, coming and sitting it with the family. I feel like in in American culture it's, you know, the the most we get is like.00:26:38JackYou know someone will come up at the wake or or the funeral and say I'm sorry for your loss and then that's that's kind of it. You know, there isn't like a a longer it's kind of like this is uncomfortable. I want this to be over as quickly as possible and it seems like in Mexican culture and.00:26:46JackMHM.00:26:56XochitlRight.00:26:58JackKorean culture and and Judaism.00:27:02JackJewish culture. There's something about.00:27:05JackFighting through that discomfort and getting to a much more honest place where you can act, cry together, mourn together, laugh together sometimes there you know it. It's not always mournful. Sometimes they're happy.00:27:25JackMemories and and share they share stories and things like that. And so I thought it was. It was really beautiful. And there's one other aspect of Korean.00:27:37JackFunerals that are that are interesting and and that is the.00:27:41JackClose friends and family will do almost a a performative kind of weeping.00:27:49JackAnd now sometimes it's it's genuine. I'm, I'm sure. But I did see this happen and the woman was wailing and and and crying and and, you know, and I I don't understand Korean very well, but I, you know, it sounded like she's saying no, how can this be this is, you know.00:28:10JackUnfair and.00:28:11JackAnd then after she was done weeping all of a sudden, her face changed right back to normal.00:28:18JackAnd so I realized ohh this is a performative thing out out of, you know, paying respect to the person who's passed that, you know, showing how how much.00:28:19XochitlThat's crazy.00:28:33JackYou've stirred up my emotions internally, but it was interesting how she she kind of came out of it really quickly. And so I was, I was. I was really intrigued by by that aspect of it as well.00:28:47XochitlYeah, I don't feel like a catharsis. I think as well, where, like, it's like, you get to let out all your mourning and wail as loudly as you want and everything. And then after it's over, you kind of just, like, empty, you know?00:28:59JackYeah. Yeah, that's probably that's exactly what it is. I think that's what it is, because I I know that.00:29:07JackSome people were were a little bit uncomfortable with it or or I I noticed that maybe they because I'm a I'm a foreigner. They they were like ohh this. You know maybe I I don't know. If they were embarrassed a little bit or something of of this.00:29:27JackHappening, but I was just, you know, I didn't know. My wife's grandmother very closely. So for me.00:29:38JackKind of being there was kind of an out of body experience. You know, I I felt like very much an observer kind of in a in a in a very foreign situation. And so almost like an anthropologist, I was kind of documenting all of this. The things that were occurring and kind of viewing it that way.00:29:57JackYeah.00:29:58XochitlHmm.00:29:58JackAnd yeah.00:30:00XochitlLike, just like it's it's funny, like. And they they come to our culture and they see, like, my mom was really shocked and cause actually in Mexican culture. Uh, I think it's normal to, you know, to cry like that to a little bit at least. And and American culture is really not we're kind of more cool than rigid. And so I remember when my mom.00:30:20XochitlCame to.00:30:24XochitlThe US and had to attend a funeral. She thought it was so weird. How, like even the closest family wasn't like breaking down?00:30:32발표자Yeah.00:30:33XochitlShe saw it as like very strange. And it's funny because they have like a completely opposite experience when they come to our culture as well. And for me, it was fun. It was like such a moment of being by cultural because, like, when at the funeral going the casket, I.00:30:52XochitlAnd I thought I was going to think.00:30:55XochitlUMI was talking about it on the way back in the car.00:30:59XochitlOn the way back to from Mexico City to Oaxaca, I met. So was my dad and my aunt and my mom there. And, you know, so driving back and.00:31:09XochitlI was like, oh, yeah, I I thought I was going to think, but I've never seen anyone pull out the like a bag of onions before, but it it really helped. And my mom said, yeah, it's a really common thing to take when you're bearing your body, at least in Mexico City, because it's like it's thought to help protect against people fainting.00:31:29JackYeah.00:31:30XochitlAnd my dad said, why would? Why would you faint like he asked me that?00:31:35XochitlAnd my mom rolled her eye.00:31:41XochitlShe looks so annoyed. It was very funny because it's kind of like I get.00:31:45JackThe answer is.00:31:45XochitlWhere what? He called me.00:31:47XochitlYeah, they're, like, totally different.00:31:48JackSorry, the answer is so obvious, it's just such a a funny question. You know it's like.00:31:56JackBe because you know my close, you know, relative has just passed. And of course, you know, that's why.00:32:04JackThe in American culture, the the idea of Stoicism is, is so strong, it's like we almost respect it right when they don't cry, because they'll, they'll, you know, in the car ride home, they'll say, oh, look how brave she was. Look how brave he was. Those are things I've heard.00:32:24JackYou know, my parents say before, after a funeral, and it's like, why do we need to be brave at this time? Shouldn't we be totally raw and vulnerable and just, you know, exposed to nerve?00:32:27XochitlRight.00:32:38JackAnd and and just. You know what it? Why does it have to be so clean and and and and and, dare I say cold? Yeah. Polished. Yeah.00:32:47발표자Polished.00:32:50XochitlIt's like a.00:32:50XochitlIt's a performance as well. Just how it's funny, like just how you know, we might see other cultures performing grief and and like a vulnerable outward fashion. They probably see us performing. Stoicism is very like bizarre behavior.00:33:09발표자Right.00:33:10JackRight when you because it's the because the actions don't match the gravity of the situation.00:33:16JackIt's like.00:33:17XochitlRight.00:33:18JackThe yeah, they're they're almost. It's almost like, uhm, you're accessing all this willpower to just not feel something.00:33:28XochitlThank you.00:33:30JackAnd and and then and then when people get home and then they're alone, they completely break down.00:33:38JackBecause they've been suppressing all of these emotions for the last couple days so.00:33:45JackI I don't know. I'm I I I really like the Korean funeral. If I if I got to choose, I would be OK with a a Korean funeral.00:33:58JackThat'd be OK with me.00:34:00XochitlHey I think I want a mix of both.00:34:01XochitlCultures. For me, I like.00:34:03XochitlI don't want people to have to, like, sit in the hospital and watch me suffer to death, you know? But you know, it ultimately the funerals for.00:34:10XochitlThe people who loved you during your life and If however they need to grieve, I think that's OK.00:34:17XochitlWith me, you know.00:34:18JackYeah, yeah, I absolutely, absolutely. And in the Korean funeral, there's, you know, there's soju, which is an alcoholic drink is served pretty.00:34:31JackShould I say liberally? Yeah, that's what I was trying to say. And I think that maybe helps suppress some of the emotions, but.00:34:32발표자No problem.00:34:45JackYeah. Ultimately I I, I I found it to be a beautiful experience, even though it was a a tragic one, but.00:34:54JackYeah. I I yeah, maybe maybe there's something we can take away from each culture and, you know, put all the good parts together and and and have do it that way. You know, so.00:35:11JackYeah.00:35:12XochitlYou still have to let us know what few traditions are like in your home country. I'm really curious because I know there are some other cultures that also have extended like lakes and yeah, I'm just really curious to know how you guys celebrate the life of those who passed on or how you mourn. So make sure we just comment.00:35:30XochitlAnd below at A-Z englishpodcast.com shoot us an e-mail at at English podcast.00:35:34XochitlAt gmail.com.00:35:36XochitlAnd make sure to join the we chat on.00:35:40XochitlWhatsApp groups.00:35:41XochitlRemember the Jack and I are also having an English corner. Now that we do Monday to Friday and that is for one hour in the morning for me and in the evening Jack's time. So you'll have to message Jack directly to get the details.00:35:56XochitlBut yeah, it's only $10 USD a month and you get 20 classes, so that's pretty good. $0.50 a class. Yeah, and it's just really great. You get to converse and we we have topics like these that we talk about and it's just really nice environment friendly environment in there.00:36:04JackYeah.00:36:14JackYeah, very friendly, yeah.00:36:17XochitlAll right. See you. Thank you. Bye. Bye, bye.00:36:18발표자Bye.00:36:19JackOK.Podcast Website:Social Media:WeChat: atozenglishpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/671098974684413/Tik Tok: @atozenglish1Instagram: @atozenglish22Twitter: @atozenglish22A to Z Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/theatozenglishpodcastCheck out our You Tube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCds7JR-5dbarBfas4Ve4h8ABecome a member of Podchaser and leave a positive review!https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-a-to-z-english-podcast-4779670Join our Whatsapp group: https://forms.gle/zKCS8y1t9jwv2KTn7Intro/Outro Music: Debora by Jangwahttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Dilating_Times/single/debora/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Send us a Text Message.Prince Sado's tale has been told through TV and film. Living in the 1700s, he got away with many killings and cruel acts. Yet there are others who say he himself was a victim. Listen as we delve into the life and legends of one of Korea's most notorious royal members and how his death marked the beginning of the end of the Joseon dynasty.Join our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comCreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiShaaron CullenDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshMitchy Brewer Eva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasEmily UmbaughJosephine RydbergDavid WeatherlyJanice SongDevin BuchananAshley WrightKorea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the Show.Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiShaaron CullenDevon HiphnerMinseok LeeGabi PalominoSteve MarshMitchy Brewer Ron ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasEmily UmbaughJosephine RydbergDavid WeatherlyJanice SongDevin Buchanan Facebook Page | Instagram
Moving on with our third part of the Gishiwajinden Tour, we head to the old area of Matsuro, which, for us, means modern Karatsu. Here we have some of the oldest rice paddies in all of Japan, but Karatsu is so much more. It was part of Matsura, where the Matsura family (aka league, factions, or pirates, depending on how you saw it) arose. It is also a short hop from Nagoya, which briefly became the capital of Japan; Nagaoka-kyo gets a mention in the histories, but Nagoya rarely merits it, since it was just the Taiko and every actually important person minus the Tenno. For more photos and others such things, check out: https://www.sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/matsuro-koku/ Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is Gishiwajinden Tour, Part Four: Matsuro-koku So far on this tour through the locations listed in the Weizhi's Wa Record, the Gishiwajinden, following the route to Queen Himiko of Wa, we've hit the area of Gaya, or Gara; Tsushima—or Tuma-koku; Iki, aka Iki-koku; and now we are arriving at Karatsu, thought to be the location of Maturo-koku. Now before we go any further, let's talk about the name. After all, up to this point in the account, the names haven't been too far off. Well, Tsushima was recorded as something like Tuma in the Chinese record, which seems reasonable, and “Iki” was actually recorded as something like “I-dai”, though we are pretty sure that was a transcription error based on other evidence. But Karatsu and Maturo, really don't seem related. Also, didn't we earlier equate Matsuro with Matsuura, Matsura? But if you look for Matsuura on a map it is quite some distance away from Karatsu—in fact, it is in modern Nagasaki prefecture as opposed to Karatsu, which is in modern Saga prefecture. First off, Karatsu is a later name for the city, not the area. It literally means “Tang Port”, and that name seems to appear in the 15th century in the form of Karatsu Jinja, or Karatsu Shrine. So no, the names Karatsu and Matsuro are not related. Prior to being called Karatsu, though, it was part of a larger area called Matsura. It sits at the head of the Matsura River, which spills out into what is now called Karatsu Bay. In ancient times this seems to have been the heart of the area known as Matsura or Matsuro. Over time it was incorporated into the larger area known as Hi no Kuni, and when Hi no Kuni was divided up by the Ritsuryo state into Hizen and Higo, we see the Matsura district, or Matsura-gun, is a part, along the coast. The fact that it is spelled as “Matsu” and “Ura”, meaning “pine beach”, might hint at the original name of the place or could be a false etymology, imposed by the need to record the location in kanji, the Sinitic characters used at the time. Fun fact time: Hizen refers to the area of the land of Hi that was closer to Yamato, while Higo refers to the area of the land of Hi that was further away. If you look at a modern map of where these two ancient provinces were, however, you'll notice that by a slight technicality, Higo is actually closer, as the crow flies. But remember, people are not crows, at least not in this life, and in all likelihood, most of the travel to and from Yamato would have been via sea routes. So Hizen is closer to Yamato from that perspective, as you would have to sail from Higo, around Hizen, or take the long way south around Kagoshima. But where were we? So Matsura district in Hizen started at Matsura-gawa and the area around Karatsu bay, and included modern areas of Hirado all the way out to the Goto islands. That was a pretty large area. It later got further subdivided into East, West, North, and South Matsura subdistricts, with Karatsu in the Eastern subdistrict, and some portion of the west. Eventually, Karatsu city became its own administrative district, in modern Saga prefecture, and so did Hirado city, in what was the old Northern Matsura sub-district, joining Nagasaki prefecture. The western sub-district went to Karatsu or incorporated as Imari, known for their Imari-ware pottery. And that left a small portion of the northern sub-district. The incorporated villages and islands eventually came together as Matsuura city, in Nagasaki prefecture, which is what you'll see, today. And that is why, looking at a modern map, “Matsura” and modern “Matsuura” are not precisely in the same place. That history also helps demonstrate the historical connections between Karatsu, Hirado, Iki, and Tsushima—as well as the Goto islands. This region was where the Matsura clan arose, which controlled at least out to Iki, Hirado, and the Goto archipelago, and it was known for its strong navy, among other things. For our trip, heading to Karatsu was originally borne out of convenience: Our goal was to take the ferry so that we could travel along the ocean routes. We had traveled the route from Izuhara, on Tsushima, to Ashibe port, on Iki island. During that trip it was interesting to watch as Tsushima disappeared and then eventually Iki appeared on the horizon, but it wasn't immediate, and I suspect you would have wanted an experienced crew who knew the route and knew what to look for. Conversely, from Indoji port, on Iki, to Karatsu I felt like we were constantly in sight of one island or another, or at least could see the mountains of Kyushu to get our bearings. There wasn't really a time that felt like we were that far out from land. Even so, it would still have been a treacherous crossing back in the day. Coming in to Karatsu from the ferry, the first thing you will notice is the castle. Karatsu castle, also known as Maizuru Castle, is a reconstructed castle, but it really does provide a clear view of what one would have seen. The original was abandoned in the Meiji period and sold off in 1871. The main keep was later demolished and made into a park. In 1966 they built a new, 5-storey keep on the original base, and from 1989 onward have continued to make improvements to various parts of the castle moats and walls. You can still see the layout of the Ninomaru and honmaru sections of the castle, encompassing the old samurai districts of the jokamachi, or castle town, of Karatsu during the Edo period. Our primary goal in Karatsu, however, was not castle focused. We wanted to go back to an earlier time – the Yayoi period, to be precise - and Karatsu and the Matsuro-kan did not disappoint. While not quite as extensive as the reconstruction at other Yayoi sites like Harunotsuji or Yoshinogari, the site at the Matsuro-kan is still impressive in its own right. What is the Matsuro-kan, you might ask? It is the building and grounds of what is also known as the Nabatake site. In 1980, construction workers were excavating for a road through the Nabatake section of Karatsu when they noticed they were pulling up artifacts. An investigation between 1980 to 1981 determined that the artifacts were from the late Jomon to middle Yayoi period. Further investigation discovered the presence of old rice paddies. In 1983 the site was designated as a national historic site, further excavations were carried out, and the Matsurokan was built to house the artifacts and also provide some reconstructions of what the rice paddies would have looked like. For context these are some of the oldest rice paddies found in Japan, along with the nearby Itazuke rice paddies, in neighboring Fukuoka prefecture, and are key for giving us insights into what we know about early rice field cultivation. Here I should point out that these fields were in use through the middle Yayoi period, while the mission to Yamato—or Yamatai—recorded in the Weizhi would have been in the late Yayoi or early Kofun period, so likely several hundred years later. There are other Yayoi settlement remains found up and around the peninsula, and there are Kofun in the area, especially along the banks of the Matsura river. Given how built up much of the area is, it is possible that any large scale settlement may have been destroyed by subsequent settlements, or is somewhere that there just hasn't been a good reason for a full excavation. Still, who knows what we might eventually find. The Matsurokan appears to stick with the dating of the Yayoi period from about 300 BCE. This is based largely on assumptions regarding the development of different pottery styles. Recent research has suggested that this should be pushed back to about 800 or even 1000 BCE, suggesting a more gradual development. For our purposes, it is enough to note that this site appears to cover from the final Jomon era in Kyushu to the coming of wet rice agriculture with the advancing Yayoi culture. Based on what was found at the site, the wet rice paddies were created in what at least one scholar has suggested as a “primitive” wet rice paddy. The paddies themselves appear to have been placed in a naturally swampy area, irrigated by a natural stream. This would have made flooding the fields relatively simple, without the large ponds or waterworks required to cover a more extensive area. This may have sufficed for a small village, possibly only a handful of families living together and working the land. Besides the impressions of the paddies themselves, various tools, pottery, and more were also found at the site. Stone harvesting knives were plentiful—a semicircular stone knife that was held in the fingers of one hand, allowing a harvester to grasp the stalks and cut them quickly. This was the standard method of harvesting prior to the arrival of the sickle, or kama, and is still in use in some parts of China and Southeast Asia. It is more labor intensive than the sickle, but provides some benefits in the consistency and lack of waste product. The Matsurokan demonstrates how a lot of the Yayoi tools are, in fact, still in use in one form or another in different cultures that also absorbed rice cultivation, showing how widespread it became. In addition, there are artifacts such as shards of pottery showing what looks to be the imprint of a woven fabric, and various equipment for weaving and sewing. We have some beams and posts from buildings, which give us something at least try to guess at how things were put together. There are bones of various animals as well as stone arrowheads. There are also fish and even dugong bones, suggesting they also made a living from the nearby sea. And there are various bits of jewelry, including magatama, and what appears to be a shark's tooth with holes drilled in so it could be worn on a cord. There are also carbonized rice grains found at the site, likely grown there. We don't have any ancient strains of rice that can be proven to come from these fields, but in their reconstruction, outside the museum, they have rebuilt some of the rice fields and grow old rice variants in them. This is used, in part, to teach local schoolchildren about rice cultivation – in fact, local schools are allocated individual paddies each growing season. Besides the rice paddies, the Matsurokan also boasts several reconstructed dwellings. These are similar to ones you might find elsewhere depicting what life was like back in the Yayoi period. As the Yayoi period gave way to the kofun, we do see some mounded tombs in the area, though not quite as many as in others. Matsura appears to be rather rural. Around the Heian period, we see the rise of a local group that comes to be known as the Matsura group, or Matsura-tou, which eventually consolidated into the Matsura family. There are several lineages claiming that the Matsura family descended from the Minamoto or Abe clans or through branch families thereof. Matsura-to itself is sometimes called the 48 factions of Matsura. It wasn't as much a family as an alliance of local warriors, each with their own base of operations. I can't quite tell if the lineage of the later Matsura clan, as they were known, were meant to represent a single lineage or the various lineages that came together. For all we know, they may have married into official families or otherwise concocted lineages to help legitimize them as much as anything else—this far out from the center, in the 11th century, there wasn't necessarily as much oversight. Early in the 11th century they also had a chance to prove themselves with the Toi invasion – that was the Jurchen invasion we mentioned last couple episodes. After the Toi invaders attacked Tsushima and Iki, they set their sites on Hakata Bay, which was the closest landing to the Dazaifu, the Yamato government in Kyushu. They were chased off and headed down the coast. Minamoto Tomo is said to have led the forces that repelled the Toi invaders, who finally departed altogether, striking one more time on Tsushima before heading back to wherever they came from. Minamoto Tomo is said, at least in some stories, to have been the founder of the Matsura clan, or at least the leader of the 48 factions, which then coalesced into the Matsura clan, which eventually would run the Hirado domain. Over two hundred and fifty years after the Toi Invasion would come the Mongols. If the Toi were bad, the Mongols were much worse. The Toi were a band of marauders, who caused a lot of havoc, but do not appear to have had state backing. The Mongols were perhaps more appropriately the Yuan empire, who had already conquered the Yellow river valley and were working on the Song dynasty along the Yangzi. While the Toi had brought with them Goryeo warriors as well—who may or may not have joined up willingly—the Mongols had huge armies from all over that they could throw at a problem. As we talked about in the past two episodes, the Mongols swept through Tsushima and Iki and then headed straight for Hakata, the closest landing zone to the Dazaifu, the government outpost in Kyushu. Even during the height of the Kamakura shogunate, this was still an important administrative center, and would have given the Mongols a huge advantage on holding territory and eventually sweeping up the archipelago. Fortunately, they were stopped. Whether it was the gumption, skill, and downright stubbornness of their samurai foes or the divine wind that swept up from the ocean, the Mongols were turned back, twice. During each of these invasions, the Matsura clan and others rushed to the defense of the nation, but unlike with the Toi invasions, there do not appear to have been any serious battles along the Matsuura coastline—not that I can make out, anyway. After the Mongol invasion, Kyushu was not left out of the troubles that would follow, including the downfall of the Hojo, the rise of the Ashikaga, and the eventual breakdown of the shogunal system into the period known as the Warring States period. Through it all the Matsura continued to ply the seas and encourage the trade from which they and others, like the Sou of Tsushima, came to depend on. They also allied with other entrepreneurial seafarers, known to others as pirates, and they started trading with a group of weird looking people with hairy beards and pale skin, who came to be known as the Nanban, the southern barbarians—known to us, primarily, as the Portuguese. One faction of the Matsura were the Hata—no relation to the Hata that set up in what would become the Kyoto region in the early periods of Yamato state formation. The Hata ruled the area that would become Karatsu, but eventually they were taken over by the Ryuzoji, who were allied with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi's interest in the Karatsu and Matsura area had to do with its easy access to the continent. And so Hideyoshi began to pay attention to Nagoya, at the end of the peninsula down from Karatsu. And no, not *that* Nagoya. If you hear Nagoya, today, you are probably talking about the bustling metropolis in Aichi, which was where Toyotomi himself got his start, growing up and going to work for the local warlord, named Oda Nobunaga. Due to a quirk of Japanese names and how they read particular characters, this is a different Nagoya. The Kyushu Nagoya had been one of the Matsura trading posts, run by a sub-branch of the Hata family, who had built a castle on the site. Hideyoshi had much grander plans for the area. In 1591 he began work on a massive castle and associated castle town. This castle was to be his new headquarters, and he moved his entire retinue there from Osaka, with an expectation that all of the daimyo would follow him. Sure enough, they showed up with their own vassals, setting up camps around the peninsula and in the new city-to-be. The castle was the base of operations from which Hideyoshi coordinated the invasions of Korea. It was a massive undertaking, and extremely impressive. The city itself sprung up, and although the wood was still new, and the buildings somewhat hastily put together, it was soon a bustling metropolis and briefly became the center of art and culture in the entire archipelago. Hideyoshi himself had a teahouse built within the confines of the castle, where he apparently spent most of his days, even when receiving reports on how things were going across the sea on the archipelago. The city had a Noh theater, as well. It must have been a sight to see. As for the castle itself, based on the remains, it was massive. It appears to use the contours of the hill upon which it sits. It seems there was a previous castle there of some kind, and it is unclear how much this was merely expanded, but Hideyoshi's new castle was truly monumental, with a labyrinth of gates to get in -- similar to Himeji Castle, for anyone who has been there, but with a serious vertical incline as well. Nagoya Castle was second only to Osaka castle, and yet it was erected quickly—only 8 months. I guess that's what you can do when you can mobilize all of the daimyo across Japan. Even today, ruined as it is, the walls tower over you, and you can spend hours wandering the grounds. For all that it was impressive, the good times at Nagoya Castle lasted only for a brief seven years—when Hideyoshi passed away, the council of regents moved back to Osaka, and Nagoya castle was deliberately destroyed, stones removed from the walls such that it could never survive a true siege. This was a sign to the Korean peninsula – the Joseon court - that, with the death of the taiko, Japan had given up any pretext of conquering the peninsula. Today, only the stones and earthworks remain of the briefly thriving city, but on the grounds is a wonderful museum that catalogs this particular slice of Medieval life. The Nagoya Castle Museum of Saga prefecture is off the beaten path—there is no train, so you'll need to take a bus or private car to get there—but it is well worth it. The museum itself is dedicated to Japanese and Korean cross-strait relations, which feels a bit like atonement given that the castle was built with conquest in mind. Of course, the centerpiece of the Museum is the castle, but it also does a good job telling the story of relations between the peninsula and the archipelago. It starts in the ancient times, talking about how, even during the Jomon period, there were commonalities in fishhooks and similar equipment found from Kyushu up through the Korean peninsula. From there, of course, trade continued, as we've seen in our journey through the Chronicles. It talks about some of the shared cultural items found from the Yayoi through the Kofun, and also demonstrates how some of the earliest Buddhist statues have clear similarities to those found in Silla. It goes over the various missions back and forth, and even gives a map of the Toi Invasion that we talked about hitting Tsushima and Iki. The Mongol invasion is also heavily talked about, but not nearly so much as the invasion of Korea. There is another reproduction of the letter of King Sejeong, with the faked seal from the Sou clan in Tsushima. This of course, was the period when they built Nagoya-jo into a castle and city of at least 100,000 people, almost overnight. Even the Nanban were there, trading in the city while supplies from across the country were gathered and shipped off to keep troops fed on the invasion of Korea. There are plenty of images from this time—from a Ming envoy to Nagoya castle to images of the invasion from the Korean perspective, with Koreanized samurai manning the walls of the castles they had taken. They don't exactly lionize the samurai, but they don't accentuate some of the more horrific things, either, like the piles of ears taken from those killed because taking their heads, as was standard practice in older days, was too cumbersome. There is also some discussion of relations afterwards—of the Joseon embassies, though those went through Hakata, Nagoya-jo having long been abandoned at that point. For reasons one can probably understand, it doesn't go into the post-Edo relations, as that is much more modern history. After the destruction of Nagoya castle, the area was largely abandoned, but the city of Karatsu proper really thrived during the Edo period. Karatsu was also a castle town, as we've mentioned, but a bit out of the way. As sailing ships were now more sturdy and able to handle longer sea crossings, it was now often Hakata, in Fukuoka, that received much of the trade, and the Dutch traders who had replaced the Portuguese, were limited to Dejima, in Nagasaki. When Hideyoshi swept through, the Hata were not exactly considered trustworthy, and were placed under the Nabeshima, a branch of their rivals, the Ryuzouji. During the invasion of Korea, the Hata rebelled, and were destroyed for it in 1593. Their territory was given to Terazawa Hirotaka, who had been put in charge of the construction of Nagoya castle and later put in charge of the logistics for the invasion effort from the Kyushu side. As a result, he was granted the lands formerly controlled by the Hata, including Karatsu, and what would become the Karatsu domain. Hirotaka could see which way the wind blew—in more ways than one. After Hideyoshi's death, he supported Tokugawa Ieyasu, allowing him to keep and even expand his fief. He redirected the Matsura river—then known as the Hata river—to its present course, and he built a pine grove along the northern beach that is the third largest such grove in all of Japan. Known as the “Niji no Matsubara”, or the ”Rainbow Pine Forest” for its shape, it was erected as a windbreak to protect the precious farmland just on the other side. It is still there today, still managed, and quite famous. You can drive through the pine trees or stop and walk through them, even out to the beach. And there is even a fantastic burger truck that parks along the main road through the pine grove, so you can enjoy a lovely picnic among the trees. The Terazawa would not remain in place for very long. During the Shimabara rebellion of the early 17th century—a rebellion based on either taxes or Christianity, depending on whom you ask—the Terazawa line was extinguished. Terazawa Katataka, then ruler of the Karatsu domain, was held liable for mismanagement of the domain and loss of a castle to the rebels. He had land confiscated and he felt publicly humiliated, and so he took his own life while he was in Edo. As he had no heir, the Terazawa line died out. Karatsu domain went through a variety of hands after that. Its value fluctuated, but it is generally thought that the real value of the domain, thanks to the ability to trade, was well beyond what it was assessed to produce. As such it was a lucrative position, and also held sway as a check against Nagasaki, watching the trade there with the Dutch merchants. Because of all of this, the lord of Karatsu was also banned from holding certain government positions, so as not to distract from their duties, making the position something of a blessing and a curse. Through the years, Karatsu thrived. They were and are still known for a type of traditional pottery, known as Karatsumono, or Karatsuware, and they maintain elaborate festivals. One of the festivals, the Karatsu Kunchi, is considered a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.The Karatsu Kunchi is an annual parade where neighborhood associations carry giant floats through the city from Karatsu Shrine down to the shore. It was inspired, in the early 19th century, by the famous Gion Matsuri of Kyoto—a wealthy merchant saw that and donated the first lion-head float to Karatsu Shrine. Later, others would create their own floats. These floats, known as “Hikiyama” or “pulled mountains” can be five or six meters high and weigh anywhere from two to five tons. There appear to be 14 hikiyama, currently, though there used to be 15—a black lion is currently missing. The floats have gone through a few iterations, but are largely the same, and often have some relationship to the neighborhoods sponsoring them. From Matsura, aka Matsuro-koku, we went north along the coast of Kyushu to Itoshima, thought to the be old country of Ito-koku, and beyond that, the Na-koku of Fukuoka. We'll cover both of those in our next and final installment of our Gishiwajinden tour. If you like what we are doing, 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 us at 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.
This is Part 3 of our Gishiwajinden Tour--following the route of the Wei embassy through the land of Wa and looking at the various locations along the way. So far we've looked at the old land of Gaya, as represented at Gimhae, the site of the old Geumgwan Gaya, and the island of Tsushima, on the border. This episode we look at the next island: Iki. It might be easy to overlook Iki--it was neither the center nor exactly the periphery. From the point of view of those in the court or those outside it was rather "mid", in a literal sense. However, it was certainly at the center of its own vibrant history, which was certainly important to everyone there, and hosted a thriving community. It is also a great place to visit in the modern day: something of a hidden gem for anyone looking for a slightly more out of the way place to visit, with a slower pace than cities like Tokyo. For more, see our blog page: https://www.sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/iki-koku Rough Translation: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is Gishiwajinden Tour Part 3: Iki-koku. As regular listeners know, we are currently taking a break from the Chronicles. With the Isshi Incident of 645—see Episode 107—we are about to get into the time known as “Taika” or “Great Change”. Spoiler alert: This is the rise of Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou; Nakatomi Kamako, aka Nakatomi Kamatari, the progenitor of the Fujiwara family; and more. It is the beginning of what is known as the Ritsuryo System, the idea of a state governed by laws and punishments similar to what we see on the continent, based largely on Confucian principles, but mixed with a healthy dose of local tradition. There is a lot there, and I want to do it justice. And so for now I have a little bonus content for you. Earlier this year, Ellen and I took a trip based on the account in the Gishiwajinden, the Wa section of the Weizhi, the section in the Wei Chronicles regarding the trip to visit Queen Himiko of Wa. In Part 1 we talked about our trip to Gimhae, formerly known as Geumgwan Gaya, a part of the old Gaya—or Kara—confederacy, with close ties to the archipelago. Part 2 we talked about our next stop, the island of Tsushima. But we didn't just talk about it in the 3rd century, because if you visit there is so much more to see from an historical perspective. This episode we are talking about the island of Iki, aka Ikijima, though in the Weizhi it is known as its own country: Iki-koku. Relative to Tsushima, Iki island is much smaller—about one fifth the overall landmass. However, it is much flatter as well—the highest point is only 212 meters above sea level, compared to Tsushima, which rises to about 649 meters at Mt. Yatate. This makes Iki an island with a lot of flat land or rolling hills—perfect for the kind of wet rice paddy agriculture that created the population boom in the Yayoi period, which we will talk about here in a minute. However, I will note that even today the population of Iki is similar to that of Tsushima despite having much less space. The flora and fauna of the island is much closer to that of the rest of the archipelago—in fact, it is nearly identical to what you would find in southwest Kyushu. This is not surprising given how close it is. For reference, Hitakatsu, on Tsushima is under 50km from Busan, Korea, and about 147 km to Hakata port in Fukuoka, or 138 km if you depart from Izuhara port instead. Comparatively, it is about 76 km from Hakata to Iki, and even less—just about 42km—from Iki to Karatsu, south of Fukuoka, and these routes are dotted with islands along the way. At its closest point, Iki is probably only 20km from Kyushu, but the ferries only stop at certain ports. Tsushima to Iki, on the other hand, is around 68 km, from Izuhara to Iki. Iki is about as close to Karatsu as Tsushima is to Pusan, and they are both further away from each other than from their respective larger landmasses. That makes this leg – Tsushima to Iki - the longest leg in the trip, realistically. Today, both Iki and Tsushima, along with the Goto islands to the south, are all part of Nagasaki prefecture, despite the fact that they are both closer to Saga and Fukuoka prefectures. This is in part because Iki came under the jurisdiction of the Hirado domain, which also was heavily involved with foreign trade through Nagasaki. Today, Iki is broken up into roughly four areas. This includes Katsumoto, Ashibe, Indoji, and Gonoura, based around the four main port towns on the island. Three of these ports, Ashibe, Indoji, and Gonoura, have ferries that regularly travel to either Tsushima or Kyushu. And all of them have various boats to take people out the islands around Iki, one of the major draws for many people coming to the island being to see the natural beauty of its coastline and surrounding waters. There is also a small airport. Although Iki is small—you can drive from one end to the other in 40 minutes or less—I highly recommend renting a car, much like Tsushima. This will be helpful to get to various sites, although be aware that while the main roads are well cared for, there are plenty of roads where it is better to go on foot rather than get stopped by fallen trees and branches in a less well maintained area. Taxis can be had, but aren't always convenient, and that adds cost and time. A car will give you much more freedom to get around. Iki is a popular tourist destination, with more people coming during the summer months. We were there in the off-season, which was somewhat nice, but also meant that many restaurants and the like were closed. Also, similar to Tsushima, there isn't a konbini—a convenience store—on every street corner. You can certainly find them, but just be aware. That said, we never really had a problem finding what we needed. Iki is known for several things. One, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the squid, and you can see the squid boats in the harbor or out at night. They have arrays of lights set up, to help draw the squid to the surface, a common technique around the world that makes squid fishing quite distinctive. In addition, Iki island is quite proud of its beef, a much more recent addition. The flat land allows them to raise cattle, and the Iki raised wagyu cattle, known as Iki-gyu, is highly prized. You can find several yakiniku restaurants around the island, that particular Japanese style of Korean barbecue where you grill up thinly sliced beef on a hot skillet or even an open grill at your table. An older product is the barley shochu. Iki island is said to be the birthplace of barley shochu, developing it in the 17th century. Back then, taxes from the island had to be paid in rice, and there wasn't enough left to make much alcohol, such as traditional sake. As such, the local farmers started using barley and koji, instead, to make the base alcohol that they then distilled into shochu. Shochu itself goes back to at least the 16th century, as distilling techniques reached southern Japan via either the Ryukyu kingdom or via the Korean peninsula—records are unclear, as these techniques reached both places before Japan, and Kyushu had connections to each. That said, early shochu was made with rice, and later it would be made with cheaper ingredients, such as barley, in the case of Iki, or sweet potato, in Satsuma, modern Kagoshima. These methods spread to other parts of Japan. There are plenty of other food options available on the island as well, and I don't think we had a bad meal anywhere we went. And so we left Izuhara port, on Tsushima, early in the morning and arrived at Ashibe port around lunchtime. We had arranged a car to meet us at the port, and after grabbing a bite at a locally renowned yakinikuya, we decided to start getting our historical bearings on the island. Our main objective on Iki island was to see the Yayoi site of Harunotsuji and the Iki-koku Museum, the museum of the country of Iki. Quick note for anyone looking this up: The “Haru” in “Harunotsuji” is typically pronounced “Hara” outside of Kyushu and Okinawa. This affects a lot of placenames in Kyushu, including Iki, and likely comes from remnants of an old dialect of Japanese spoken in this area. Whatever the reason, if you look up the site in Japanese you may want to type “Hara-no-tsuji” to help find the right kanji. Harunotsuji site is an incredible find in regards to the Yayoi period. It was a large settlement built on flat land in the interior of the island. Today it is surrounded by rice fields, and fortunately nobody else seems to have built up on the raised hills where the settlement once stood, allowing the site to remain for us to find years later. This is one of the better preserved sites from the Yayoi period, and is often touted as the likely center of activity in Iki during that period. Of course, as with other sites, like Yoshinogari, we can only see those sites that were preserved—those that were built upon in later generations may not have left any trace. However, in this case there's clear evidence that there was a thriving community here. And because of that, and the tremendous effort they've put into reconstructing the site, as well as the excellent museum, we wanted to make sure that we gave Iki a visit. There aren't many museums on Iki island, but the Iki-koku museum ranks up there with some of the best we've visited. The building itself is built to blend into the landscape, and from the observation tower you can look out over the Harunotsuji site. The museum provides an automated introduction to the area, with a small film depicting what they believe life was probably like back in the Yayoi period. From there you travel down a hallway that takes you through the history of Iki, but eventually deposits you in a room focused on the Yayoi period. Here they show a reconstructed boat, as well as a large diorama of the Harunotsuji site. One of the major finds at Harunotsuji is what appears to be a dock, reinforced with rocks, similar to what they find on the continent. This dock was at a small stream that was once larger, and was likely used to ferry goods and people from Harunotsuji to a settlement or outpost on the shore. It gives greater insight into what trade and life looked like. Speaking of which, props to the museum for their excellent use of often comical figures in their diorama, which is clearly made to appeal to young and old alike. They help humanize the figures, and each part of the layout that they created of the site tells a story about what was going on. In addition to the diorama of the site, and what it may have looked like, there were also actual Yayoi era pots that were there which you could pick up and handle yourself. I have to admit that I did this with some trepidation, even knowing that these were not particularly special, and that there are many pots and shards that are found at sites like these. Still, it was something to actually handle a pot that was made back in that time—something that was made by an actual person living back then and used for whatever purpose before it was discarded or lost, only to be found centuries later. Besides the room on the site, there is another side to the museum in that it is a working archaeological center. You can see the lab where people are working, and they also have a room where you can see the stacks—the giant shelves with all of the historical and archaeological bits and bobs that weren't on display for one reason or another. That is something that many people don't always appreciate: For many museums, only a portion of their collection is actually on display. It was really great to see all of that out in the open. The museum also has a café and some function rooms, as well as a giant observation tower, from which it feels like you can see the entire island, and beyond. You could definitely look down and see the site, but you could also see some of the more distant islands as well. From the museum we went down to see the actual Harunotsuji site. There is another museum there, which was a little less impressive but still quite informative, and it was where you park and then walk over to the site itself. And here I admit that it was getting late, so we came back to it another day, but it doesn't really take that long to see the site itself. Most of the site sits on a rise of land that sits just a little higher than the surrounding fields, with a gentle slope to it. It is oddly shaped, likely because they used the natural contours of the land rather than explicitly building up a terrace. There is another rise towards one end of the settlement, with what may have been a fence around the area, indicating that the buildings in that area were set aside as special. There are also ditches that appear to have been purposefully dug to separate a part of the rise from the area of the settlement, as buildings were apparently found on one side but not the other. What was found was a small area surrounded by a moat, generally thought to have been used for some kind of ritual. At the site today are reconstructed buildings of multiple kinds, based on the archeological findings. There are pit buildings, buildings sitting flush on the ground, as well as raised buildings, all based likely on the arrangements and size of post-holes and the like. There also appears to have been some kind of gate or barrier structure, also based on postholes, which they have physically reconstructed. It is always tricky to interpret what a building looked like other than guessing at its general shape and size. Extremely large post-holes likely held larger posts, which would make particular sense if they were for a tall structure, like a watchtower, but exact architectural features such as doorways, roof structure, etc. are derived based on other examples as well as Shinto shrine architecture, which seems to originate from some of the early Yayoi buildings. There were also some finds in the surrounding areas, including what appears to have been a stone-lined dock for boats to pull up, some kind of guard post to inspect people entering or leaving the settlement, and moats, which likely surrounded the settlement as well. Harunotsuji is not the only Yayoi site that has been excavated on Iki island, but nothing else is quite so large. Put in context with other archaeological sites from the same time period, Harunotsuji is thought to have been the most powerful, and therefore where the ruler, or the quote-unquote “King”, of Iki would have lived. Here I'd note that the interpretation of Harunotsuji as a kingly capital is quite prevalent in the local literature, but what exactly was a “king” in this sense isn't fully explored. As we talked about two episodes back with Gimhae and the quote-unquote “Kingdom” of Gaya, Iki-koku probably better fits the English term of a large chiefdom, rather than a kingdom. However, that would also likely apply to Queen Himiko, as well—even if her chiefdom dwarfed Iki-koku by comparison. That said, there certainly appears to be a social stratification of some kind going on at the site, especially with a special area clearly set aside at one end of the settlement. Was that where a shaman-king—or queen—similar to Himiko carried out private, arcane rites on behalf of the entire settlement? Perhaps the entire island? Or is it something else? Unfortunately, we can't really know, at least not right now. However, we do know that it was an important part of the trade routes from the continent out to the archipelago. This isn't just because of the Weizhi, or the common sense that this is the clearest route between the two, but also because of artifacts found at the site, which include abundant goods from the continent. In addition we found evidence of dogs, armor, shields, and various pots. One thing I didn't see evidence of was a large funkyubo, like at Yoshinogari, where they buried people in pots on a large, communal cemetery mound. Here the highest elevations appear to have been used for living structures. There were graves discovered, and some of these were the pot-style burials found at Yoshinogari and the continent, and others were rectangular, stone-lined coffins, similar to those used on the Tsushima kofun: they are lined with large, flat slabs that define a rectangle, into which the body is placed, and then flat slabs of stone are used to cover it back up. Harunotsuji shows signs of habitation from the start of the Yayoi period to the beginning of the Kofun period. After that, though, the trail grows a bit cold. We do know, however, that people were still living on Iki through the Kofun period—we assume they didn't just pack up their bags and leave—and that is thanks to the many kofun found across the island. There are some 280 kofun preserved today, and Edo period accounts had that number at more like 340. Indeed, Iki has one of the largest and best preserved collection of kofun of all of Kyushu. Many are smaller kofun, but there are plenty of groups of large kingly kofun. A group of the larger kingly kofun can be found in the border area between Katsumoto-cho and Ashibe-cho, due west of Ashibe port. This includes the large Soroku Kofun, Oni-no-iwaya Kofun, the Sasazuka Kofun, as well as the Kakegi kofun and the Yurihata Kofun-gun. Soroku kofun, a large, keyhole shaped tomb, boasts a length of 91 meters, making it not only the largest on the island, but the largest in all of Nagasaki prefecture. Kofun culture on the island differed slightly from elsewhere. For instance, there is evidence of multiple burials in the same tomb, suggesting that they were viewed more like family mausoleums than simply a single tomb structure. The earliest kofun found on Iki so far can be dated to about the latter half of the 5th century, with most of them being built in the 6th to 7th centuries. Many are stone chambers with a horizontal entryway, which in the case of the Kakegi and Sasazuka kofun, are open to those who want to get in and explore. Be aware, though, as many signs tell you, various local residents have also made these tombs their homes, including bats, centipedes, snakes, and more. Most of them are relatively harmless, but it is always good to know what you are getting into. With the earliest kofun on the island dating to about the 5th century, this does pose a slight question yet to be answered by the archaeological record: Where were people living in the century between the end of Harunotsuji and the start of the kofun building period? Heck, where were people living on the island at all? We certainly know where the dead were buried. Looking at a map, one probably assumes that many of the kingly kofun would have been built somewhat near a population center. After all, you don't build giant burial mounds just to hide them—these would have likely been visible to people in some way, shape, or form. I would note that modern roads, likely built on earlier pathways, wind in between the kofun, even today. Personally, I can't help but notice that the Iki Kokubunji temple, the Provincial temple built in the 8th century, was quite close to some of the kingly kofun in Katsumoto. It is said that this temple was originally built as the family temple of the Iki clan. As one might guess from the name, the Iki were the traditional rulers of Iki, officially appointed by Yamato as the “Agata-nushi” or district lord, and later as “Shima no Miyatsuko”—the island equivalent of a “Kuni no Miyatsuko”. Various biographies trace the Iki back to various lineages close to or intertwined with the Nakatomi. However, this is not without some debate, and it is entirely possible that any such ties were fabricated to give the Iki clan greater clout and stature. It is possible, and even likely, that the Iki clan grew out of the ruling elite on Iki island. In addition, we have the old Tsukiyomi Jinja, said to be the oldest on the island, and the Kunikatanushi shrine built right next to the Kokubunji site. The Tsukiyomi shrine is dedicated to the moon god, who is said to be the god of navigation, among other things, and this is the clan shrine of the Iki clan. It is unclear, but seems plausible that the center of the Iki polity may have shifted north, to the modern Kokubun area. If so, and if this continued to be the area of the regional government headquarters through the Nara period and beyond, then it is possible that any earlier settlements would have simply been covered up and even erased by later buildings and structures. I don't think we'll ever truly know, though, unless something significant is uncovered. We do have some historical records of later Iki, quite understandable as it was where many of the envoys and expeditions to and from the mainland would have stopped. In the 11th century, Iki, along with Tsushima, was attacked by pirates from the mainland, thought to be of Jurchen descent, in an event called the Toi Invasion, which caused quite a bit of destruction. After that we see the rise of the Matsura clan. They arose in the Matsura area of Hizen province, just a little ways over from Karatsu. That name may be related to “Matsuro”, but we'll talk more about that when we get to Karatsu. The Matsura largely came to power thanks to their navy—which was a navy to some and pirates to others. They ended up gaining a foothold in Iki island. Whatever plans they had, however, met with a giant setback in 1274. As we discussed last episode, that was when the first Mongol invasion hit Japan, and after steamrolling through Tsushima they began a bloody conquest of Iki. The video game, Ghosts of Tsushima, which we talked about fairly extensively last episode for, well, obvious reasons, actually has an expanded Iki island area for those who want to try fighting off this invasion for themselves. There are numerous reminders across the island of the invasions, both in 1274 and 1281. The death toll was catastrophic, and even today parents will often tell their children that if they don't behave the Mongols will come back and take them away. In 1338, soon afer the Ashikaga shogun came to power, Ashikaga Takauji and his brother, Tadayoshi, directed the erection of temples in all 66 provinces, including Iki, to pray for the repose of those who died in battle during turbulent times, including the Mongol invasions and the later civil war. That temple is still there, just a little ways north from the Harunotsuji site. The temple building itself only dates from the Edo period, as it burned down multiple times, but it is still said that it is the oldest extant temple building on the island. There is a large cedar tree thought to be over a thousand years old, which may have even been there during the Toi and Mongol invasions. There are also signs of Christian activity in some of the artwork, if you know what to look for. When Europeans arrived in Japan in the 16th century, they brought not only guns, but also a new religion: Christianity. Priests were given permission to set up churches and convert people. Some daimyo converted—whether out of true faith or simply to get more lucrative trading deals with Europeans—and they often made their entire fief convert as well. When Christianity was eventually outlawed, many Christian communities went underground, becoming known as “Hidden Christians.” A lot of these communities continued, especially in the Iki and Goto islands, which were a little further away from shogunal authority. They continued despite the lack of priests and Bibles, often using iconography that could be plausibly passed off as Buddhist or Shinto in nature. Many remained in hiding throughout the Edo period, only revealing themselves after the Meiji government came in and issued a law protecting the freedom of religion, including Christianity. Around Iki you will occasionally find little hints of such communities' existence. The 16th century saw more than just European traders and new religions. The Matsura clan retained control over the island from their base in Hirado, even during the tumultuous era of Warring States. Last episode we talked about how Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the new Taiko, came out of that time and declared war on the Joseon court, in Korea. To start with he built Nagoya castle on Kyushu and moved himself and all of his retainers out to it. And before you ask, no, this probably isn't the Nagoya castle you are thinking of. Similar name, but different kanji characters Anyway, from Nagoya on the coast of Kyushu, supply lines were run out to Tsushima, and then across to Busan. To defend against a counterattack by Joseon forces, they built castles along the way as well. In Iki, this meant building several, including Katsumoto-jo, at the northern end of the island, under the command of Matsura Shigenobu. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu, eager to restore good will with the peninsula, would have the castles intentionally ruined, often by removing key stones so that they could no longer be considered defensible. Today you can climb up to the Katsumoto-jo castle site and see the stones of the main gate and get a tremendous view from the observation platform. Katsumoto Castle isn't the only thing in Katsumoto that still remains from that time. There is a local shrine, the Shomogu Shrine, which has a gate donated by Kato Kiyomasa, one of the generals who led troops on the invasion of Korea. They also hold a cup that he is said to have donated. This shrine is certainly interesting and worth a visit. Traditionally, they say that it was built on the site where Jingu Tennou departed from Iki during her legendary conquest of the Korean peninsula. According to at least one source, at that time she called the place Kazamoto, the place where the wind comes from, and when she returned she changed it to Katsumoto, the place where her victory came from. Of course, as we know, that whole narrative is rather suspect. It is possible that the area was known as Kazamoto and that changed to Katsumoto. It also doesn't help that this is also where the Mongol army came ashore back in the 13th century, and I suspect that not much remained from before. Still, there is a stone that is said to have the print of Jingu's horse's foot as she left, and it was at least connected to the ocean, given its location. There is a contention that this shrine may have once been known as “Nakatsu” shrine, literally “Middle port” shrine, one of the shrines listed in the Engi Shiki. However, there is another Nakatsu shrine that also claims this distinction, also in Katsumoto-cho. The Shomogu shrine theory holds that this was a branch shrine of Shomogu shrine, then known as Nakatsu. This makes some sense as the current Nakatsu shrine is more inland, not exactly lending itself to being the “Middle Port” Shrine. Then again, it would have referred to “Nakatsumiya”, meaning the “middle shrine” or “middle palace”, which puts us back at square one. More important than the actual history of this shrine, at least in the 16th century, is the fact that those generals heading off to conquer the Korean peninsula definitely would have appreciated praying to the spirit of Jingu Tennou before heading off to try it a second time. Shomogu Shrine clearly had a link with her by then. By the way, slight side note, the “Shomo” of “Shomogu” literally means “Holy Mother”. In this case it is referencing the “Holy Mother” Jingu Tenno, who was pregnant when she left Japan and didn't give birth until she came back—not quite a virgin birth. “Shomo” was also the term that Christians, particularly hidden Christians, used to reference the Virgin Mary. While I cannot find any evidence that Shomogu Shrine was connected with Christianity—its existence and worship there predates that religion coming to the archipelago by some time—it is still one of those things that the Hidden Christians could have used to their advantage, hiding their worship of the Virgin Mary and her holy child behind the name for Jingu Tenno. Now the town of Katsumoto, although only briefly a castle town, was still quite important through the Edo period, and the main street certainly recalls a time long past. We stayed in a ryokan there that was over 100 years old, and there is both a sake brewery, and a craft beer brewery inside an old sake brewery, just down the street. It isn't a big town, but it has character. In the Edo period, many of the Joseon envoys stopped in Katsumoto on their way to or from the archipelago. These envoys typically had around 400 to 450 of their own people from Korea, but by the time they reached Iki they were joined by about 800 quote-unquote “guides” from Tsushima who were there to help them with whatever they needed. Technically it was up to the Matsura daimyo, in Hirado, to provide for their needs, but it seems that more often than not that role more immediately fell to the wealthiest family on the island, the Toi family. The Toi family—not to be confused with the Toi invasion—made their money from capturing whales; a lucrative but dangerous enterprise, especially given the state of the boats at the time. The stone wall of their mansion can still be seen in Katsumoto, though it is now wedged in between other buildings, as the mansion itself is otherwise long gone. They may not have been daimyo, but they were apparently the rough equivalent for the people of Iki, and certainly Katsumoto. The envoys ended up calling at Katsumoto about 19 times between 1607 and 1811—11 times on the outbound trip and 8 times going the other direction. For one mission, in the 18th century, we are even provided the amount of food that they required, which included 1500 sweet potatoes, 15,000 eggs, 7 and a half tons of abalone, 3 tons of squid, 7 and a half tons of rice, and 15 koku of sake, equaling about 1500 standard bottles, today. A drawing of the 1748 envoy showed parts of Katsumoto that you can still visit, today, including the old boat launch, the Shomogu shrine and nearby streets, Shigayama, and what is today “Itsukushima Shrine”, related to the worship of Susano'o's three daughters, as are the Munakata shrines and the Itsukushima shrine on Miyajima with the famous torii in the water. Besides the historical sites, Iki island offers a plethora of other activities and attractions. The famous monkey rock, or Saruiwa, is a famed natural feature, as are many others. There are also beaches that people appear to enjoy—though we were there in the winter, so not great—or just getting out in a boat and seeing the natural beauty of the island. There are also many more shrines and temples to visit; Iki has its own 88 temple pilgrimage based on the 88 temple pilgrimage of places like Shikoku. You can also do a pilgrimage of the many Shinto shrines, some of which are mentioned in historical documents like the Engi Shiki and others that are more modern. While many of the buildings are often newer, and things have of course changed over the centuries, these sites often still contain connections to history, and may even have historical treasures in their storehouses or on the grounds. We only had a limited time, so tried to keep our trip focused on more of the Yayoi and Kofun era stuff. We both agreed we would gladly go back again in a heartbeat. Next up, we caught the ferry from Indoji on Iki over to Karatsu port on Kyushu, what is thought to be the site of the old Matsuro kingdom. While others might point to the modern Matsuura city area, this region is may be more likely, and we'll talk about that next episode. In addition, we'll talk about Karatsu, which literally means “Chinese port”, and about the nearby castle ruins of Nagoya castle—an area that was, for about seven brief years, in the late 16th century the de facto capital of Japan. But that will be next time. Until then, thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, 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 us at 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.
In this two-part episode our hosts, Cayla, Nathan and Courtney take a look at two cases of intrigueBrave Little Hunter and Friends: Courtney tells us about the orca calf that became orphaned on Vancouver Island and how a community came together to take care of it. Then she talks about the exciting new classification of another species of orcaThe Yeongno (영노): The yeongno is a character from Korean masked dances, a creature supposedly fallen from heaven that will only return once it has eaten 100 yangban, the noble elite of the Joseon era Pt.2The Yeongno (영노) pt.2 https://www.thehumanexception.com/l/file-0129-0130-eat-the-rich/
This is Part 2 of our special Gishiwajinden Tour from Gaya to Tsushima, Iki, Matsuro, Ito, and Na--aka Gimhae and Busan to Tsushima, Iki, Karatsu, Itoshima, and Fukuoka. This time we talk about the island of Tsushima, the border island between Japan and Korea. While itself a difficult place to make a living, it has long been the border--a place for foreign ambassadors, invadors, and pirates alike. For photos and more, check out our blogpost: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/tsushima Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is Gishiwajinden Tour Stop 2: Tsushima. As I mentioned last episode, we are taking a break right now from the workings of the Chronicles while I prep a bit more research on the Taika reform. As we do so, I'm taking you through a recent trip we took trying to follow the ancient sea routes from Gaya, on the Korean peninsula, across the islands to Na, in modern Fukuoka. This may have been first described in the Wei Chronicles, the Weizhi, but it was the pathway that many visitors to the archipelago took up through the famous Mongol invasion, and even later missions from the Joseon kingdom on the Korean peninsula. Last episode, we talked about our start at Gimhae and Pusan. Gimhae is the old Geumgwan Gaya, as far as we can tell, and had close connections with the archipelago as evidenced by the common items of material culture found on both sides of the strait. From the coast of the Korean peninsula, ships would then sail for the island of Tsushima, the nearest of the islands between the mainland and the Japanese archipelago. Today, ships still sail from Korea to Japan, but most leave out of the port of Pusan. This includes regular cruise ships as well as specialty cruises and ferries. For those who want, there are some popular trips between Pusan and Fukuoka or Pusan all the way to Osaka, through the Seto Inland Sea. For us, however, we were looking at the shortest ferries, those to Tsushima. Tsushima is a large island situated in the strait between Korea and Japan. Technically it is actually three islands, as channels were dug in the 20th century to allow ships stationed around the island to quickly pass through rather than going all the way around. Tsushima is the closest Japanese island to Korea, actually closer to Korea than to the rest of Japan, which makes it a fun day trip from Pusan, so they get a lot of Korean tourists. There are two ports that the ferries run to, generally speaking. In the north is Hitakatsu, which is mainly a port for people coming from Korea. Further south is Izuhara, which is the old castle town, where the So family once administered the island and relations with the continent, and where you can get a ferry to Iki from. Unfortunately for us, as I mentioned last episode, it turned out that the kami of the waves thwarted us in our plans to sail from Busan to Tsushima. And so we ended up flying into Tsushima Airport, instead, which actually required us to take an international flight over to Fukuoka and then a short domestic flight back to Tsushima. On the one hand, this was a lot of time out of our way, but on the other they were nice short flights with a break in the Fukuoka airport, which has great restaurants in the domestic terminal. Furthermore, since we came into the centrally-located Tsushima airport, this route also gave us relatively easy access to local rental car agencies, which was helpful because although there is a bus service that runs up and down the islands, if you really want to explore Tsushima it is best to have a car. Note that also means having an International Driver's Permit, at least in most cases, unless you have a valid Japanese drivers' license. As for why you need a car: There is a bus route from north to south, but for many of the places you will likely want to go will take a bit more to get to. If you speak Japanese and have a phone there are several taxi companies you can call, and you can try a taxi app, though make sure it works on the island. In the end, having a car is extremely convenient. Tsushima is also quite mountainous, without a lot of flat land, and there are numerous bays and inlets in which ships can hide and shelter from bad weather—or worse. Tsushima is renowned for its natural beauty. Flora and fauna are shared with continent and the archipelago. There are local subspecies of otter and deer found on the islands, but also the Yamaneko, or Mountain Cat, a subspecies of the Eurasian leopard cat that is only found in Japan on Tsushima and on Iriomote, in the southern Okinawan island chain. They also have their own breed of horse, as well, related to the ancient horses bred there since at least the 8th century. Tsushima is clearly an important part of Japan, and the early stories of the creation of the archipelago often include Tsushima as one of the original eight islands mentioned in the creation story. That suggests it has been considered an ancient part of the archipelago since at least the 8th century, and likely much earlier. Humans likely first came to Tsushima on their crossing from what is now the Korean peninsula over to the archipelago at the end of the Pleistocene era, when sea levels were much lower. However, we don't have clear evidence of humans until later, and this is likely because the terrain made it difficult to cultivate the land, and most of the activity was focused on making a livelihood out of the ocean. Currently we have clear evidence of humans on the island from at least the Jomon period, including remnants such as shellmounds, though we don't have any clear sign of habitation. It is possible that fishermen and others came to the islands during certain seasons, setting up fish camps and the like, and then departed, but it could be that there were more permanent settlements and we just haven't found them yet. Most of the Jomon sites appear to be on the northern part of Tsushima, what is now the “upper island”, though, again, lack of evidence should not be taken as evidence of lack, and there could be more we just haven't found yet. After all, sites like Izuhara, which was quite populated in later periods, may have disturbed any underlying layers that we could otherwise hope to find there, and perhaps we will one day stumble on something more that will change our understanding. Things change a bit in the Yayoi period, and we see clear evidence of settlements, pit buildings, graves, and grave goods at various sites up through the Kofun period. Unsurprisingly, the assembly of goods found include both archipelagic and continental material, which fits with its position in between the various cultures. Understandably, most of these archeological sites were investigated and then either covered back up for preservation or replaced by construction – so in many cases there isn't anything to see now, besides the artifacts in the museum. But some of the earliest clear evidence that you can still go see today are the several kofun, ancient tumuli, scattered around the island at different points. Most of the kofun on the island appear to be similar, and overall fairly small. These are not the most impressive kofun—not the giant mounds found in places like Nara, Osaka, Kibi, or even up in Izumo. However, to students of the era they are still very cool to see as monuments of that ancient time. One example of this that we visited was the Niso-kofungun, or the Niso Kofun group. The Niso Kofungun is not like what you might expect in the Nara basin or the Osaka area. First, you drive out to the end of the road in a small fishing community, and from there go on a small hike to see the kofun themselves. Today the mounds are mostly hidden from view by trees, though there are signs put up to mark each one. Some of them have a more well defined shape than others, too, with at least one demonstrating what appears to be a long, thin keyhole shape, taking advantage of the local terrain. Most of these were pit style burials, where slabs of local sedimentary rock were used to form rectangular coffins in the ground, in which the individuals were presumably buried. On one of the keyhole shaped mounds there was also what appears to be a secondary burial at the neck of the keyhole, where the round and trapezoidal sections meet. However, we don't know who or even what was buried there in some instances, as most of the bones are no longer extant. Besides the distinctively keyhole shaped tomb, two more kofun in the Niso group caught my attention. One, which is thought to have been a round tomb, had what appeared to be a small stone chamber, perhaps the last of the kofun in this group to be built, as that is generally a feature of later period kofun. There was also one that was higher up on the hill, which may also have been a keyhole shaped tomb. That one struck me, as it would likely have been particularly visible from sea before the current overgrown forest appeared. There are also plenty of other kofun to go searching for, though some might be a little more impressive than others. In the next episode, when we talk about the island of Iki, we'll explore that ancient kingdom's much larger collection of kofun. After the mention of Tsushima in the Weizhi in the third century, there is a later story, from about the 6th century, involving Tsushima in the transmission of Buddhism. This story isn't in the Nihon Shoki and was actually written down much later, so take that as you will. According to this account, the Baekje envoys who transmitted the first Buddha image to Japan stopped for a while on Tsushima before proceeding on to the Yamato court. While they were there, the monks who were looking after the image built a small building in which to conduct their daily rituals, effectively building the first Buddhist place of worship in the archipelago. A temple was later said to have been built on that spot, and in the mid-15th century it was named Bairinji. While the narrative is highly suspect, there is some evidence that the area around Bairinji was indeed an important point on the island. Prior to the digging of the two channels to connect the east and west coasts, the area near Bairinji, known as Kofunakoshi, or the small boat portage, was the narrowest part of Tsushima, right near the middle, where Aso Bay and Mitsuura Bay almost meet. We know that at least in the 9th century this is where envoys would disembark from one ship which had brought them from the archipelago, and embark onto another which would take them to the continent, and vice versa. Likewise, their goods would be carried across the narrow strip of land. This was like a natural barrier and an ideal location for an official checkpoint, and in later years Bairinji temple served as this administrative point, providing the necessary paperwork for crews coming to and from Japan, including the various Joseon dynasty missions in the Edo period. Why this system of portage and changing ships, instead of just sailing around? Such a system was practical for several reasons. For one, it was relatively easy to find Tsushima from the mainland. Experienced ships could sail there, transfer cargo to ships experienced with the archipelago and the Seto Inland Sea, and then return swiftly to Korea. Furthermore, this system gave Yamato and Japan forewarning, particularly of incoming diplomatic missions. No chance mistaking ships for an invasion or pirates of some kind, as word could be sent ahead and everything could be arranged in preparation for the incoming mission. These are details that are often frustratingly left out of many of the early accounts, but there must have been some logistics to take care of things like this. Whether or not Bairinji's history actually goes back to 538, it does have claim to some rather ancient artifacts, including a 9th century Buddha image from the Unified, or Later, Silla period as well as 579 chapters of the Dai Hannya Haramitta Kyo, or the Greater Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, from a 14th century copy. These were actually stolen from the temple in 2014, but later recovered. Other statues were stolen two years previously from other temples on Tsushima, which speaks to some of the tensions that still exist between Korea and Japan. Claims were made that the statues had originally been stolen by Japanese pirates, or wakou, from Korea and brought to Japan, so the modern-day thieves were simply righting an old wrong. However, Korean courts eventually found that the items should be returned to Japan, though there were those who disagreed with the ruling. This is an example of the ongoing tensions that can sometimes make study of inter-strait history a bit complex. More concrete than the possible location of a theoretical early worship structure are the earthworks of Kaneda fortress. This is a mid-7th century fort, created by Yamato to defend itself from a presumed continental invasion. We even have mention of it in the Nihon Shoki. It appears to have been repaired in the late 7th century, and then continued to be used until some time in the 8th century, when it was abandoned, seeing as how the invasion had never materialized, and no doubt maintaining the defenses on top of a mountain all the way out on Tsushima would have been a costly endeavor. Over time the name “Kaneda” was forgotten, though the stone and earthworks on the mountain gave the site the name “Shiroyama”, or Castle Mountain, at least by the 15th century. In the Edo period, scholars set out trying to find the Kaneda fortress mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, and at one point identified this with an area known as Kanedahara, or Kaneda Fields, in the modern Sasu district, on the southwest coast of Tsushima. However, a scholar named Suyama Don'ou identified the current mountaintop site, which has generally been accepted as accurate. The earthworks do appear to show the kind of Baekje-style fortifications that Yamato built at this time, which took advantage of the natural features of the terrain. These fortresses, or castles, were more like fortified positions—long walls that could give troops a secure place to entrench themselves. They would not have had the impressive donjon, or tenshukaku, that is the most notable feature of of later Japanese and even European castles. Most of the Baekje style castles in Japan are primarily earthworks—for example the Demon's castle in modern Okayama. Kaneda is unique, though, with about 2.8 kilometers of stone walls, most of which are reportedly in quite good condition. There were three main gates and remains of various buildings have been determined from post-holes uncovered on the site. There is a name for the top of the mountain, Houtateguma, suggesting that there may have once been some kind of beacon tower placed there with a light that could presumably be used to signal to others, but no remains have been found. The defensive nature of the position is also attested to in modern times. During the early 20th century, the Japanese military placed batteries on the fortress, and an auxiliary fort nearby. These constructions damaged some of the ancient walls, but this still demonstrates Tsushima's place at the edge of Japan and the continent, even into modern times. For all that it is impressive, I have to say that we regrettably did not make it to the fortress, as it is a hike to see everything, and our time was limited. If you do go, be prepared for some trekking, as this really is a fortress on a mountain, and you need to park and take the Kaneda fortress trail up. Moving on from the 8th century, we have evidence of Tsushima in written records throughout the next several centuries, but there isn't a lot clearly remaining on the island from that period—at least not extant buildings. In the records we can see that there were clearly things going on, and quite often it wasn't great for the island. For instance, there was the Toi Invasion in the 11th century, when pirates—possibly Tungusic speaking Jurchen from the area of Manchuria—invaded without warning, killing and taking people away as slaves. It was horrific, but relatively short-lived, as it seems that the invaders weren't intent on staying. Perhaps a more lasting impression was made by the invasions of the Mongols in the 13th century. This is an event that has been hugely impactful on Japan and Japanese history. The first invasion in 1274, the Mongols used their vassal state of Goryeo to build a fleet of ships and attempted to cross the strait to invade Japan. The typical narrative talks about how they came ashore at Hakata Bay, in modern Fukuoka, and the Kamakura government called up soldiers from across the country to their defense. Not only that, but monks and priests prayed for divine intervention to protect Japan. According to the most common narrative, a kamikaze, or divine wind, arose in the form of a typhoon that blew into Hakata Bay and sank much of the Mongol fleet. That event would have ripple effects throughout Japanese society. On the one hand, the Mongols brought new weapons in the form of explosives, and we see changes in the arms of the samurai as their swords got noticeably beefier, presumably to do better against similarly armored foes. The government also fortified Hakata Bay, which saw another attack in 1281, which similarly failed. Though neither attempted invasion succeeded, both were extremely costly. Samurai who fought for their country expected to get rewarded afterwards, and not just with high praise. Typically when samurai fought they would be richly rewarded by their lord with gifts taken from the losing side, to include land and property. In the case of the Mongols, however, there was no land or property to give out. This left the Kamakura government in a bit of a pickle, and the discontent fomented by lack of payment is often cited as one of the key contributors to bringing down the Kamakura government and leading to the start of the Muromachi period in the 14th century. The invasions didn't just appear at Hakata though. In 1274, after the Mongol fleet first left Goryeo on the Korean Peninsula, they landed first at Tsushima and then Iki, following the traditional trade routes and killing and pillaging as they went. In Tsushima, the Mongol armies arrived in the south, landing at Komoda beach near Sasuura. Lookouts saw them coming and the So clan hastily gathered up a defense, but it was no use. The Mongol army established a beachhead and proceeded to spend the next week securing the island. From there they moved on to Iki, the next island in the chain, and on our journey. Countless men and women were killed or taken prisoner, and when the Mongols retreated after the storm, they brought numerous prisoners back with them. Although the Mongols had been defeated, they were not finished with their plans to annex Japan into their growing empire. They launched another invasion in 1281, this time with reinforcements drawn from the area of the Yangtze river, where they had defeated the ethnic Han Song dynasty two years prior. Again, they landed at Tsushima, but met fierce resistance—the government had been preparing for this fight ever since the last one. Unfortunately, Tsushima again fell under Mongol control, but not without putting up a fight. When the Mongols were again defeated, they left the island once again, this time never to return. If you want to read up more on the events of the Mongol Invasion, I would recommend Dr. Thomas Conlan's book, “No Need for Divine Intervention”. It goes into much more detail than I can here. These traumatic events have been seared into the memories of Tsushima and the nearby island of Iki. Even though both islands have long since rebuilt, memories of the invasion are embedded in the landscape of both islands, and it is easy to find associated historical sites or even take a dedicated tour. In 2020, the events of the invasion of Tsushima were fictionalized into a game that you may have heard of called Ghost of Tsushima. I won't get into a review of the game—I haven't played it myself—but many of the locations in the game were drawn on actual locations in Tsushima. Most, like Kaneda Castle, are fictionalized to a large extent, but it did bring awareness to the island, and attracted a large fan base. Indeed, when we picked up our rental car, the helpful staff offered us a map with Ghost of Tsushima game locations in case we wanted to see them for ourselves. As I noted, many of the places mentioned in the game are highly fictionalized, as are many of the individuals and groups—after all, the goal is to play through and actually defeat the enemies, and just getting slaughtered by Mongols and waiting for them to leave wouldn't exactly make for great gameplay. Shrines offer “charms” to the user and so finding and visiting all of the shrines in the in-game world becomes a player goal. And so when fans of the game learned that the torii gate of Watatsumi Shrine, one of the real-life iconic shrines in Tsushima, was destroyed by a typhoon in September of 2020, about a month after the game was released, they came to its aid and raised over 27 million yen to help restore the torii gates. A tremendous outpouring from the community. And while you cannot visit all of the locations in the game, you can visit Watazumi Shrine, with its restored torii gates that extend into the water. Watatsumi Shrine itself has some interesting, if somewhat confusing, history. It is one of two shrines on Tsushima that claim to be the shrine listed in the 10th-century Engi Shiki as “Watatsumi Shrine”. This is believed to have been the shrine to the God of the Sea, whose palace Hiko Hoho-demi traveled down to in order to find his brother's fishhook—a story noted in the Nihon Shoki and which we covered in episode 23. Notwithstanding that most of that story claims it was happening on the eastern side of Kyushu, there is a local belief that Tsushima is actually the place where that story originated. The popular shrine that had its torii repaired is popularly known as Watatsumi Shrine, today. The other one is known as Kaijin Shrine, literally translating to the Shrine of the Sea God, and it is also known as Tsushima no kuni no Ichinomiya; That is to say the first, or primary, shrine of Tsushima. Some of the confusion may come as it appears that Kaijin shrine was, indeed, the more important of the two for some time. It was known as the main Hachiman shrine in Tsushima, and may have been connected with a local temple as well. It carries important historical records that help to chart some of the powerful families of Tsushima, and also claims ownership of an ancient Buddhist image from Silla that was later stolen. In the 19th century it was identified as the Watatsumi Shrine mentioned in the Engi Shiki, and made Toyotama Hime and Hikohohodemi the primary deities worshipped at the shrine, replacing the previous worship of Hachiman. Shrines and temples can be fascinating to study, but can also be somewhat tricky to understand, historically. Given their religious nature, the founding stories of such institutions can sometimes be rather fantastical, and since they typically aren't written down until much later, it is hard to tell what part of the story is original and what part has been influenced by later stories, like those in the Nihon Shoki or the Kojiki. Another interesting example of a somewhat unclear history is that of the Buddhist temple, Kokubun-ji. Kokubunji are provincial temples, originally set up inthe decree of 741 that had them erected across the archipelago, one in each province at the time, in an attempt to protect the country from harm, Knowing the location of a Kokubunji can therefore often tell you something about where the Nara era provincial administration sat, as it would likely have been nearby. In many cases, these were probably connected to the local elite, as well. This is not quite as simple with Tsushima Kokubun-ji. While it was originally designated in the decree of 741, a later decree in 745 stated that the expenses for these temples would come directly out of tax revenues in the provinces, and at that time Tsushima was excluded. Moreover, the Kokubunji on nearby Iki island was funded by taxes from Hizen province. So it isn't until 855 that we have clear evidence of an early provincial temple for Tsushima, in this case known as a Tobunji, or Island Temple, rather than a Kokubunji. The location of that early temple is unknown, and it burned down only two years later when Tsushima was attacked by forces from Kyushu. It is unclear what happened to it in the following centures, but by the 14th or 15th century it was apparently situated in Izuhara town, near the site of what would become Kaneishi Castle. It was later rebuilt in its current location, on the other side of Izuhara town. It burned down in the Edo period—all except the gate, which was built in 1807. This gate is at least locally famous for its age and history. It was also the site of the guesthouses for the 1811 diplomatic mission from Joseon—the dynasty that followed Koryeo. Those missions are another rather famous part of the history of Tsushima, which, as we've seen, has long been a gateway between the archipelago and the peninsula. In the Edo period, there were numerous diplomatic missions from the Joseon dynasty to the Tokugawa shogunate, and these grand affairs are often touted in the history of Tsushima, with many locations specifically calling out the island's deep involvement in cross-strait relations. Relations which, to really understand, we need to probably start with a look at the famous (or perhaps even infamous) Sou clan. The Sou clan became particularly influential in Tsushima in the 13th century. The local officials, the Abiru clan, who had long been in charge of the island, were declared to be in rebellion against the Dazaifu, and so Koremune Shigehisa was sent to quell them. In return, he was made Jito, or land steward, under the Shoni clan, who were the Shugo of Chikuzen and Hizen, including the island of Tsushima. The Sou clan, descendents of the Koremune, ruled Tsushima ever since, first as vassals of the Shoni , but eventually they ran things outright. Thus, Sou Sukekuni was in charge when the Mongols invaded in 1274. Despite having only 80 or so mounted warriors under his charge, he attempted to defend the island, dying in battle. Nonetheless, when the Mongols retreated, the Sou family retained their position. Later, they supported the Ashikaga in their bid to become shogun, and were eventually named the Shugo of Tsushima, a title they kept until the Meiji period. As we've mentioned, despite its size, Tsushima is not the most hospitable of locations. It is mountainous, with many bays and inlets, making both cross-land travel and agriculture relatively difficult. And thus the Sou clan came to rely on trade with the continent for their wealth and support. Although, “trade” might be a bit negotiable. Remember how the early Japanese regularly raided the coast of the peninsula? It was frequent enough that a term arose—the Wakou, the Japanese invaders, or Japanese pirates. In fact, the term “wakou” became so synonymous with piracy that almost any pirate group could be labeled as “wakou”, whether Japanese or not. Some of them that we know about were downright cosmopolitan, with very diverse crews from a variety of different cultures. Given its position, the rough terrain, and myriad bays that could easily hide ships and other such things, Tsushima made a great base for fishermen-slash-pirates to launch from. Particularly in harsh times, desperate individuals from Tsushima and other islands might take their chances to go and raid the mainland. In the early 15th century, the new Joseon dynasty had had enough. They sent an expeditionary force to Tsushima to put an end to the wakou. The expedition came in 1419. The year before, the head of the Sou clan, Sou Sadashige, had died. His son, Sou Sadamori, took his place, but had not yet come of age, leaving actual power in the hands of Souda Saemontarou, leader of the Wakou pirates. Eventually the Joseon forces were defeated by the forces of Tsushima, including the wakou. The Joseon court considered sending another punitive expedition, but it never materialized. What did eventually happen, though, was, oddly, closer ties between the peninsula and Tsushima. Sou Sadamori, who grew up in that tumultuous time, worked to repair relationships with the Joseon court, concluding a treaty that that allowed the Sou clan to basically monopolize trade with the Korean peninsula. Treaty ports on the peninsula began to attract permanent settlements of Japanese merchants, and these “wakan”, or Japanese districts, came nominally under the jurisdiction of the Sou of Tsushima. The Sou clan maintained their place as the intermediaries with the Joseon state through the 16th century. Messages sent from the Japanese court to Joseon would be sent to the Sou, who would deliver them to the Joseon court, and in turn handle all replies from the peninsula back to the Japanese mainland. And this over time led them to develop some, shall we say, special techniques to make sure these exchanges were as fruitful as possible. You see, the treaties with the Joseon court only allowed fifty ships a year from Tsushima to trade with the peninsula. But since all of the documents flowed through the Sou, they had plenty of time to study the seals of both courts—those of the Joseon kingdom and those of Japan – and have fake seals created for their own ends. In part through the use of these fake seals, the Sou clan were able to pretend their ships were coming from other people—real or fake—and thus get around the 50 ship per year limit. They also used them in other ways to try and maintain their position between the two countries. All of this came to a head when the Taikou, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, began to dream of continental conquest. Hideyoshi, at this point the undeniable ruler of all of Japan, had a bit of an ego—not exactly undeserved, mind you. His letter to the Joseon king Seongjo, demanding submission, was quite inflammatory, and the Sou clan realized immediately that it would be taken as an insult. Not only could it jeopardize relations with the continent, it could also jeopardize their own unique status. Which is why they decided to modify it using what in modern computer hacker terms might be called a man-in-the-middle attack – which, with their fake seal game, they had plenty of experience with. The Sou were able to modify the language in each missive to make the language more acceptable to either side. They also dragged their feet in the whole matter, delaying things for at least two years But Hideyoshi's mind was set on conquest. Specifically, he had ambitions of displacing the Ming dynasty itself, and he demanded that the Joseon court submit and allow the Japanese forces through to face the Ming dynasty. The Joseon refused to grant his request, and eventually Hideyoshi had enough. He threatened an invasion of Korea if the Joseon dynasty didn't capitulate to his requests. Throughout this process, the Sou attempted to smooth things over as best they could. However, even they couldn't forge the words presented by a face-to-face envoy, nor could they put off Hideyoshi's anger forever. And thus Tsushima became one of the launching off points for the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592 and again in 1597. Tsushima, along with nearby Iki, would have various castles built to help supply the invading forces. One such castle was the Shimizuyama-jo, overlooking the town of Izuhara. Some of the walls and earthworks can still be seen up on the mountain overlooking the town, and there are trails up from the site of Kaneishi castle, down below. Both of these invasions ultimately failed, though not without a huge loss of life and destruction on the peninsula—a loss that is still felt, even today. The second and final invasion ended in 1598. Both sides were exhausted and the Japanese were losing ground, but the true catalyst, unbeknownst to those on the continent, was the death of Hideyoshi. The Council of Regents, a group of five daimyo appointed to rule until Hideyoshi's son, Hideyori, came of age kept Hideyoshi's death a secret to maintain morale until they could withdraw from the continent. With the war over, the Sou clan took the lead in peace negotiations with the Joseon court, partly in an attempt to reestablish their position and their trade. In 1607, after Tokugawa had established himself and his family as the new shogunal line, the Sou continued to fake documents to the Joseon court, and then to fake documents right back to the newly established bakufu so that their previous forgeries wouldn't be uncovered. This got them in a tight spot. In the early 1600s, one Yanagawa Shigeoki had a grudge to settle with Sou Yoshinari, and so he went and told the Bakufu about the diplomatic forgeries that the Sou had committed, going back years. Yoshinari was summoned to Edo, where he was made to answer the allegations by Shigeoki. Sure enough, it was proven that the Sou had, indeed, been forging seals and letters, but after examination, Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun, decided that they had not caused any great harm—in fact, some of their meddling had actually helped, since they knew the diplomatic situation with the Joseon court better than just about anyone else, and they clearly were incentivized to see positive relations between Japan and Korea. As such, despite the fact that he was right, Yanagawa Shigeoki was exiled, while the Sou clan was given a slap on the wrist and allowed to continue operating as the intermediaries with the Joseon court. There was one caveat, however: The Sou clan would no longer be unsupervised. Educated monks from the most prestigious Zen temples in Kyoto, accredited as experts in diplomacy, would be dispatched to Tsushima to oversee the creation of diplomatic documents and other such matters, bringing the Sou clan's forgeries to a halt. Despite that, the Sou clan continued to facilitate relations with the peninsula, including some twelve diplomatic missions from Korea: the Joseon Tsuushinshi. The first was in 1607, to Tokugawa Hidetada, and these were lavish affairs, even more elaborate than the annual daimyo pilgrimages for the sankin-kotai, or alternate attendance at Edo. The embassies brought almost 500 people, including acrobats and other forms of entertainment. Combined with their foreign dress and styles, it was a real event for people whenever they went. Today, these Tsuushinshi are a big draw for Korean tourists, and just about anywhere you go—though especially around Izuhara town—you will find signs in Japanese, Korean, and English about locations specifically associated with these missions. And in years past, they've even reenacted some of the processions and ceremonies. Speaking of Izuhara, this was the castle town from which the Sou administered Tsushima. Banshoin temple was the Sou family temple, and contains the graves of many members of the Sou family. In 1528, the Sou built a fortified residence in front of Banshoin, and eventually that grew into the castle from which they ruled Tsushima. Today, only the garden and some of the stone walls remain. The yagura atop the main gate has been rebuilt, but mostly it is in ruins. The Tsushima Museum sits on the site as well. Nearby there is also a special museum specifically dedicated to the Tsuushinshi missions. Izuhara town itself is an interesting place. Much of what you see harkens back to the Edo period. Much like Edo itself, the densely packed wood and paper houses were a constant fire hazard, and there were several times where the entire town burned to the ground. As such they began to institute firebreaks in the form of stone walls which were placed around the town to help prevent fire from too quickly spreading from one house to the next. This is something that was instituted elsewhere, including Edo, but I've never seen so many extant firewalls before, and pretty soon after you start looking for them, you will see them everywhere. The area closest to the harbor was an area mostly for merchants and similar working class people, and even today this can be seen in some of the older buildings and property layouts. There are also a fair number of izakaya and various other establishments in the area. Further inland you can find the old samurai district, across from the Hachiman shrine. The houses and the gates in that area are just a little bit nicer. While many modern buildings have gone up in the town, you can still find traces of the older buildings back from the days of the Sou clan and the Korean envoys. Today, Izuhara is perhaps the largest town on Tsushima, but that isn't saying much—the population of the entire island is around 31,000 people, only slightly larger than that of nearby Iki, which is only about one fifth the size of Tsushuma in land area. From Izuhara, you can catch a ferry to Iki or all the way to Hakata, in Fukuoka. You can also always take a plane as well. Before leaving Tsushima, I'd like to mention one more thing—the leopard cat of Tsushima, the Yamaneko. This has become something of a symbol in Tsushima, but unfortunately it is critically endangered, at least on the island itself. It is all but gone from the southern part of Tsushima—human encroachment on its habitat has been part of the issue, but so has the introduction of domesticated cats. The yamaneko itself is about the size of a typical housecat, and might be mistaken for one, though it has a very distinctive spotted appearance. Domesticated cats have been shown to outcompete their wild cousins, while also passing on harmful diseases, which also affect the population. Just about everywhere you go you'll see signs and evidence of this special cat. There is also a breeding program in the north if you want to see them for yourself. Even the small Tsushima Airport is named Yamaneko Airport, and the single baggage claim features a whole diorama of little plush leopard cats wearing traditional clothing and waving hello to new arrivals. If you like rugged coastlines, fascinating scenery, and the odd bit of history thrown in, might I suggest taking a look at Tsushima, the border island between Japan and Korea. We only had a few days, but it was a truly wonderful experience. Next up we caught the ferry to Iki island, the site of the ancient Iki-koku, possibly represented by the Yayoi era Harunotsuji site. Of all the places I've been so far, this is second only to Yoshinogari in the work and reconstruction they've done. They've even discovered what they believe to be an ancient dock or boat launch. But we'll cover that next week, as we continue on our self-guided Gishiwajinden tour. Until then, thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, 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 us at 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.
In this two-part episode our hosts, Cayla, Nathan and Courtney take a look at two cases of intrigueBrave Little Hunter and Friends: Courtney tells us about the orca calf that became orphaned on Vancouver Island and how a community came together to take care of it. Then she talks about the exciting new classification of another species of orcaThe Yeongno (영노): The yeongno is a character from Korean masked dances, a creature supposedly fallen from heaven that will only return once it has eaten 100 yangban, the noble elite of the Joseon era https://www.thehumanexception.com/l/file-0129-0130-eat-the-rich/Pt.1Brave Little Hunter and FriendsThe Yeongno (영노) pt.1
An account of our recent tour of the sites mentioned in the Gishiwajinden, which is to say the Japanese portion of the Weizhi. This episode we talk about our visit to Gimhae, site of ancient Geumgwan Gaya. For more see our podcast blog: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcasts/episode-geumgwangaya Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is Gishiwajinden Self-Guided Tour: Geumgwan Gaya. For the next several episodes we are taking a bit of a detour from the narrative of the Chronicles. After all, with the coup of 645 that we covered a couple of episodes ago, we are about to dive into the period known as “Taika” or “Great Change”. Prince Naka no Oe and Nakatomi no Kamako were not just assassins—they had plans that went beyond just cutting the head off the powerful Soga house. It's an eventful time, with a lot of changes, though some of those would take time to really come to fruition and before I get into all of that there is a bit more research that I want to do to figure out the best way to lay that out for you. And so I figured we would take a little detour for a few episodes, to share with you a special trip that Ellen and I recently took, reproducing – in a modern way – some of the earliest accounts we have about crossing over to the archipelago: the Gishiwajinden, the Japanese section of the Weizhi. We talked about this chronicle back in episode 11: it describes all the places one would stop when leaving the continent, from kingdoms on the peninsula and across the smaller islands of the archipelago before landing in what we currently call Kyushu. And Ellen and I did just that: we sailed across the Korean straits, from the site of the ancient kingdom of Gaya in modern Gimhae, to the islands of Tsushima and Iki, then on to modern Karatsu and Fukuoka, passing through what is thought to be the ancient lands of Matsuro, Ito, and Na. It was an incredibly rewarding journey, and includes plenty of archaeological sites spanning the Yayoi to Kofun periods—as well as other sites of historical interest. It also gets you out to some areas of Japan and Korea that aren't always on people's list, but probably should be. So for this first episode about our “Gishiwajinden Jido Toua” – our Gishiwajinden Self-Guided Tour – we'll talk about the historical sites in Gimhae, the site of ancient Geumgwan Gaya, but also some of the more modern considerations for visiting, especially on your own. By the way, a big thank you to one of our listeners, Chad, who helped inspire this trip. He was living on Iki for a time and it really made me think about what's out there. This episode I'll be focusing on the first place our journey took us, Gimhae, South Korea. Gimhae is a city on the outskirts of modern Pusan, and home to Pusan's international airport, which was quite convenient. This is thought to be the seat of the ancient kingdom of Gaya, also known as “Kara” in the old records. In the Weizhi we are told of a “Guyahan”, often assumed to be “Gaya Han”, which is to say the Han—one of the countries of the peninsula—known as Guya or Gaya. This is assumed to mean Gaya, aka Kara or Garak, and at that time it wasn't so much a kingdom as it was a confederation of multiple polities that shared a similar material culture and locations around the Nakdong river. This is the area that we believe was also referenced as “Byeonhan” in some of the earliest discussions of the Korean peninsula. By the way, while I generally believe this area was referred to as “Kara”, “Gara”, or even “Garak”, originally, the modern Korean reading of the characters used is “Gaya”, and since that is what someone will be looking for, that's what I'll go with. History of the Korean peninsula often talks about the “Three Kingdoms” period, referencing the kingdoms of Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo. However, that is a very simplistic view of the ancient history of the archipelago. Numerous small polities existed without a clear, persistent overlord outside of those three larger polities, and even they were not always quite as grand as the later histories would like to make them out to be. Gaya is often referred to as the “Gaya Confederacy” by modern historians, at least for most of its existence, and refers to a number of polities including Daegaya, Ara, etc., and may also include “Nimna”, though where exactly that was is a topic of great debate, with some claiming that it was just another name for what later was known as Geumgwan Gaya, and other suggestions that it was its own polity, elsewhere on the coast. This isn't helped by the nationalist Japanese view that “Nimna” was also the “Mimana Nihonfu”, or the Mimana controlled by Japan, noted in the Nihon Shoki, and used as the pretext for so many of the aggressions perpetrated on the continent by Japan. These all appear to have been individual polities, like small city-states, which were otherwise joined by a common culture. Although the Samguk Yusa mentions “King Suro” coming in 42 CE, for most of its history there wasn't really a single Gaya state as far as we can tell. It is possible that towards the 5th and early 6th centuries, Geumgwan Gaya had reached a certain level of social complexity and stratification that it would classify as a “kingdom”, but these definitions are the kinds of things that social scientists would argue about endlessly. Evidence for a “Kingdom” comes in part from the way that Geumgwan Gaya is referenced in the Samguk Sagi and other histories, particularly in how its ruling elite is referred to as the royal ancestors of the Gimhae Kim clan. Proponents also point to the elaborate graves, a large palace site (currently under excavation and renovation), the rich grave goods found in the tombs thought to be those of the royal elites, etc. Other scholars are not so sure, however, and even if there was a nominal kingdom, it likely did not last very long before coming under the rule of Silla in the 6th century. Unlike the other kingdoms—Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo; the “Samguk”, or three countries, of the “Samguk Sagi”—Gaya does not have its own record in the histories. The Samguk Yusa, which is of interest but also problematic in that it was clearly more about telling the miraculous tales of Buddhism than a strictly factual history, does have a bit about Gaya. The author of the Samguk Yusa, the monk Ilyeon, claimed that the information there was pulled from a no longer extant record called the Gayakgukki, or Record of the Gaya Kingdom, but the actual stories are not enough to tell us everything that happened. Most of what we know comes from members of the Gaya Confederacy popping up in the records of other nations, including Baekje, Silla, Goguryeo, and Yamato. For example, there are references in the Gwangaetto Stele from the 5th century, as well as plenty of references in the Nihon Shoki and the records in the Samguk Sagi. This is a little bit better than some of the other groups mentioned as being on the Korean peninsula that are often referred to only one time before being completely forgotten. For us, the importance of Gaya is its links with Yamato. Although it would seem that Nimna, in particular, had close ties with Yamato it is noteworthy that the Japanese word for the continent and things that would come from there—including the later Tang dynasty—is “Kara”. “Kara-fu” generally refers to something that comes from China, but only because those things originally came through the peninsula and through Kara, or Gaya. The port on Kyushu where the goods likely arrived before continuing up to modern Fukuoka is even today known as “Karatsu”, or “Kara Port”. This lends credence to the idea that Nimna was likely at least a member of the Gaya confederacy. There are also deep similarities in many material items found in the peninsula and in the area of the Nakdong peninsula, including pottery, armor, horse gear, etc. At the very least this indicates a close trading relationship, and combined with the account in the Weizhi, emphasizes the idea that this was likely the jumping off point for missions to the archipelago and vice versa. Perhaps more controversial is the idea that at least some members of the Gaya Confederacy, or the Byeonhan cultural group before it, may have been speakers of some kind of proto-Japonic. There are also some that suggest there may have been ethnic Wa on the peninsula at an early point as well. However, I would note that the Weizhi refers to this area specifically as being part of the “Han”, and that it was the jumping off point to find the lands of the Wa and eventually the lands of Yamato (or Yamatai), so make of that what you will. All of this is well after the introduction of rice cultivation in Japan, focusing on the 3rd century onward, roughly corresponding to what we think of as the Kofun Period in Japan, and which was also a period of ancient mound-building on the Korean peninsula as well. All that aside, it is clear that Gaya was an important part of the makeup of the early Korean peninsula, and that much of that history is on display in modern Gimhae. Gimhae is one of plenty of places on the Korean peninsula for anyone with an interest in ancient history. Besides the various museums, like the National Museum in Seoul, there are sites like Gyeongju, the home of the tombs of the Silla kings and the ancient Silla capital, and much more. Gimhae itself is home to the Royal Gaya Tombs, as well as archaeological remnants of an ancient settlement that was probably at least one of the early Gaya polities. As I noted, Gimhae is more accurately the site of what is known in later historical entries as Geumgwan Gaya. The earliest record of the Weizhi just says something like “Gü-lja-han” which likely means “Gaya Han”, or Gaya of Korea, referring at the time to the three Han of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan. That may or may not have referred to this particular place, as there are other Gaya sites along the coast and in the upper reaches of the Nakdong river. However, given its placement on the shore, the site at Gimhae seems to have a good claim to be the point mentioned in the Wei Chronicles, which is why we also chose it as the first site on our journey. The characters for “Gimhae” translate into something like “Gold Sea”, but it seems to go back to the old name: Geumgwan, as in Geumgwan Gaya. It is part of the old Silla capital region. “Geum” uses the same character as “Kim”, meaning “Gold” or “Metal”. This is also used in the popular name “Kim”, which is used by several different lineage groups even today. The “Sea” or “Ocean” character may refer to Gimhae's position near the ocean, though I don't know how relevant that was when the name “Gimhae” came into common usage. The museums and attractions around Gimhae largely focus on the royal tombs of the Geumgwan Gaya kingdom, which in 2023 were placed, along with seven other Gaya tomb sites, on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites. Since they're so newly added, we did not see the kind of omnipresent UNESCO branding that we are used to seeing elsewhere, such as Nikko Toshogu or Angkor Wat, but taxi drivers certainly knew the UNESCO site and museum. For anyone interested in these tombs and in Gaya's early history, there are two museums you likely want to visit. First off is the National Museum, which covers a wide swath of history, with tons of artifacts, well laid out to take you through the history of the Gaya Confederacy, from early pre-history times through at least the 7th century. There is also a separate museum that specifically covers the Daeseong-dong tombs, which lay upon a prominent ridge on the western side of the city, north of a Gaya era settlement with a huge shell midden found at Bonghwang-dong, to the south, nearby an ongoing excavation of a potential palace site. These museums have some excellent displays, including pottery, metalwork, horse gear, armor, and even parts of an ancient boat. As I noted earlier, these show a lot of similarity to items across the strait in the archipelago, though it is clear that Gaya had a lot more iron than their neighbors —in fact, they had so much that they would often line the bottom of tombs with iron ingots. The displays emphasize that Gaya was really seen as a kind of ironworking center for the region, both the peninsula and the archipelago. The tombs, likewise, have some similarity to those in the archipelago—though not in the distinctive, keyhole shape. Early tombs, from the 1st to 2nd century, were simply wooden coffins dug in a pit with a mound on top. This became a wooden lined pit, where bodies and grave goods could be laid out, and then, in the 3rd century, they added subordinate pits just for the various grave goods. In the 5th century this transitioned to stone-lined pit burial, and in the 6th century they changed to the horizontal entry style stone chamber tomb, before they finally stopped building them. These seem to be similar to what we see in Silla, with wooden chamber tombs giving way to the horizontal entry style around the 5th and 6th centuries. Meanwhile, Baekje and Goguryeo appear to have had horizontal style tombs for some time, and that may have been linked to Han dynasty style tombs in the area of the old Han commanderies—which I suspect might have spread with the old families of Han scribes and officials that were absorbed into various polities. It is interesting to see both the similarities and differences between Gaya and Wa tombs in this period, particularly the transition to the horizontal entry style tombs, which I suspect indicates an outside cultural influence, like that of Silla—something that would also influence the burials in the archipelago. At first, in the 4th to 5th centuries, we just see these style tombs starting to show up in Kyushu, particularly in the area of modern Fukuoka—one of the areas that we will hit at the end of this journey from the peninsula to the archipelago. That may be from contact with Baekje or Goguryeo, or even from some other point, it is hard to tell. By the 6th century, though, just as Silla and Gaya were doing, it seems that all of the archipelago was on board with this style of internal tomb structure. Another tomb style you can find in Gimhae is the dolmen. These are megalithic—or giant rock—structures where typically a roof stone is held up by two or more other large stones. In some cases these may have been meant as an above-ground monument, much like a structure such as Stonehenge. On the other hand, in some cases they are the remains of a mound, where the mound itself has worn away. Unfortunately, there was not as much information on them—it seems that dolmens were originally used before the mounded tomb period, but just what was a free-standing dolmen and what was an internal mound structure exposed by the elements I'm not sure I could say. If you visit the Daeseong-dong tombs, one of the things you may notice is the apparent lack of a tomb mound. The attached museum explains much of this, though, in that over time the wooden pit-style tombs would often collapse in on themselves. That, plus erosion and continued human activity in an area would often mean that, without upkeep, there would eventually be no mound left, especially if it wasn't particularly tall to start with. In an example where something like this might have happened, there is at least one tomb in the group that was clearly dug down into a previous burial chamber. The excavators must have realized they were digging into another tomb, given that they would have pulled up numerous artifacts based on what was later found at the site, but they still carried on with the new tomb, apparently not having any concern for the previous one. After all, there was only so much room up on the ridge for burials, at least towards the later periods. This pair of “interlocking” tombs is housed inside a building with a viewing gallery, so you can see their layout and how the grave goods would have been arranged in period. One tomb that apparently kept a mound of some kind would appear to be that attributed to King Suro. King Suro is the legendary founder of Geumgwan Gaya, mentioned in the 13th century Samguk Yusa, which was using an older record of the Gaya Kingdom as their source. The area where the tomb is found is said to match up with the description in the Samguk Yusa, but I could find no definitive evidence of a previous tomb or what style it was—let alone the question of whether or not it was the tomb of King Suro of Geumgwan Gaya. It was still a very impressive compound, though it seems most of the buildings are likely from a much more recent era. I suspect that King Suro remained an important story for the Gimhae Kim clan. That clan, as mentioned earlier, claimed descent from the Kings of Geumgwan Gaya, of whom King Suro was supposedly the first. It is noteworthy that the Kim family of Geumgwan Gaya, known as the Gimhae Kim clan, was granted a high rank in Silla because they claimed descent from the “Kings” of Geumgwan Gaya. As such Munmyeong, the sister of Kim Yusin, the general who helped Silla take over the peninsula, was apparently considered an appropriate consort to King Muyeol, and her son would become King Munmu. This brought the Gimhae Kim clan into the Gyeongju Kim clan of Silla. Kim Busik, who put together the Samguk Sagi, was a member of the Gyeongju Kim clan, which claimed descent from those same kings. He had plenty of reason to make sure that the Silla Kings looked good, and may have also had reason to prop up the leaders of Geumgwan Gaya as well, given the familial connections. That said, there do seem to be some impressive tombs with rich grave goods, so there is that. In 1580 we are told that Governor Kim Heo-su, who counted himself a descendant of the Gimhae Kim clan, found the tomb of King Suro and repaired it, building a stone altar, a stone platform, and a tomb mound. It is unclear from what I can find, though, just what he “found” and how it was identified with what was in the Samguk Yusa. Even if there was something there, how had *that* been identified? There seems to be plenty of speculation that this is not the actual resting place of the legendary king, Kim Suro, but it is certainly the place where he is worshipped. The tomb was apparently expanded upon in later centuries, and today it is quite the facility, though much of it seems relatively recent, and hard to connect with the actual past. More important for that is probably what was found at Bonghwang-dong. On this ridge, south of the tomb ridge, were found traces of buildings including pit style dwellings along with post-holes, indicating raised structures of some sort. Today you can go and see interpreted reconstructions, based in part on some pottery models that had also been found from around that period. Reconstructed buildings sit on either side of a hill, which is the main feature of a modern park. It is a good place to get a sense of what was around that area, and you can hike to the top of the hill, which isn't that difficult a journey. The trees do obstruct the view, somewhat, but you get a great sense for what a community there might have been like. As I mentioned before, there is also a large excavation being carried out on what is believed to be some kind of royal palace structure, but unfortunately we likely won't know much more until later. Also next to the settlement is a giant shell mound. We are talking over a football field long and several stories high of shells and bone, along with discarded pottery and other such things. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the contents of the shell mound appear to have been mixed at various stages, but it is still impressive, and they have an excellent display where you can see the mound cut away to demonstrate what a shell mound might look like. The shell mound apparently existed from the 1st to the 4th centuries. This feels odd to me, given that I normally think of shell mounds as more connected to Jomon and similar sites, but it also makes sense that a community—particularly one with easy access to the sea—would have a lot of shells and it isn't like they had trash collectors coming to take away their garbage. Which brings me to another point: Back in its heyday, Geumgwan Gaya was clearly on or very near the sea. In modern times you can certainly see islands off the coast from the tops of some of these hills—and from the top of a mountain one might even make out Tsushima on a clear day. However, today that ocean is several miles out. Back in the time of the Geumgwan Gaya, however, things were likely different. The Nakdong river would have emptied out to the east into a large bay, with Geumgwan Gaya sitting comfortably at its head, with mountains on three sides and the ocean on the fourth. This would have made it a great as a port town, as it not only had access to the Korean straits and the Pacific Ocean, but it also sat at the head of the river that connected many of the sites believed to be related to the ancient Gaya confederacy. Over time, however, the bay silted up, and/or sea levels dropped, and the area that would become the heart of modern Gimhae would find itself farther and farther away from the ocean, through no fault of their own. That must have put a damper on their trade relationships, and I can't help but wonder if that was one of the reasons they eventually gave in to Silla and joined them. With its place at the head of the Nakdong river, Silla's control of Geumgwan Gaya likely made the rest of the Gaya polities' absorption much more likely, as most of the Gaya polities appear to have been laid out around the Nakdong river. That would have been their lifeline to the ocean and maritime trade routes. Without a cohesive state, they may not have been able to resist the more organized and coordinated armies of groups like Silla and Baekje, eventually falling under Silla's domain. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much online in English about Gimhae beyond the ancient connection to Geumgwan Gaya. Specifically, I didn't find a lot of clear historical information about the city after coming under Silla rule. It was apparently one of the “capitals” of the Silla region under Later or Unified Silla. Though Silla tried to form the people of the three Han of Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla into a unified state, its central authority would eventually break down. Baekje and Goguryeo would be briefly reconstituted before the Later Goguryeo throne was usurped by a man who would be known as Taejo, from Gaesong. He would lead the first fully successful unification effort, and from the 10th century until the 14th the state was known as “Goryeo”, from which we get the modern name of “Korea”. Goryeo started in Gaesong, but also rebuilt the ancient Goguryeo capital at Pyongyang, both up in what is today North Korea. It eventually came under the thumb of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and when that dynasty was overthrown by the Ming, Goryeo experienced its own instability, resulting in the Joseon dynasty, which moved the capital to the area of modern Seoul. Given modern tensions between North and South Korea, I suspect that there is a fair bit of politics still wrapped up in the historiography of these periods, especially with each modern state having as their capitals one of the ancient capital city sites. As for Gimhae, I have very little information about the city during the Goryeo period. Towards the end of the 14th century, we do see signs of possible conflict, though: There was a fortress built on the nearby hill, called Bunsanseong, in about 1377, though some claim that an older structure was there since the time of the old Gaya kingdom, which would make sense, strategically. This fortress was severely damaged during Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea in the late 16th century—a not uncommon theme for many historical sites on the peninsula, unfortunately—and repaired in 1871. The walls can still be seen from the city below. Stone walls were placed around the city in 1434 and improved in 1451. Excavations on the wall were carried out in 2006 and the north gate, which was first renovated in 1666, was restored in 2008. You can still visit it, north of the international markets, which includes a wet market along with various restaurants offering specialties from around Northeast Asia, including places like Harbin, in China. Near the north gate there is also a Confucian school, or hyanggyo. The first iteration was probably built during the Goryeo dynasty, but whatever was there in the 16th century was also destroyed during Hideyoshi's invasion. It would later be rebuilt in 1688 and relocated to the east until it burned down in 1769. The following year it was rebuilt in its current location, north of the city gate. The school contains examples of the classrooms along with a central Confucian shrine, and there are some similarities with similar Edo period institutions in Japan, which also based themselves off of a Confucian model. For those interested in more recent history, you may want to check out the Gimhae Folk Life Museum. This covers some of the more recent folk traditions, clothing, and tools and home goods used up until quite recent times. It may not be as focused on the ancient history of the area, but it certainly provides some insight into the recent history of the people of Gimhae. Today, Gimhae is a bustling city. Not quite as big and bustling as Pusan or Seoul, but still quite modern. You can easily get there by train from Busan or Gimhae International Airport, and there are plenty of options to stay around the city such that you can walk to many of the historical sites. For those used to traveling in Japan, there are both similarities and differences. Alongside the ubiquitous Seven Eleven chains are the CU chain, formerly known as FamilyMart, and GS25, along with a few others. Trains are fairly easy to navigate if you know where you want to go, as well – there's a convenient metro line that connects the airport to Gimhae city proper, and has stops right by the museums. The KTX, the Korean Train eXpress, the high-speed rail, includes a line from Seoul to Busan. And don't worry, from our experience there are no zombies on the train to- or from- Busan. Of course, in Korea they use Hangul, the phonetic Korean alphabet. It may look like kanji to those not familiar with the language but it is entirely phonetic. Modern Korean rarely uses kanji—or hanja, as they call it—though you may see some signs in Japanese or Chinese that will use it here and there. In general, though, expect things to be in Korean, and there may or may not be English signs. However, most of the historical sites we visited had decent enough signage that we only occasionally had to pull out the phone for translation assistance, and the museums are quite modern and have translation apps readily available with QR codes you can scan to get an English interpretation. Speaking of phones, make sure that you have one that will work in Korea or consider getting a SIM card when you get in, as you will likely want it for multiple reasons. That said, a lot of things that travelers rely on won't work in Korea unless you have the Korean version. For instance, Google Maps will show you where things are but it can't typically navigate beyond walking and public transit directions. For something more you'll want the Korean app, Naver. We did okay, for the most part, on Google Maps, but Naver is specifically designed for South Korea. Likewise, hailing a cab can be a bit of a chore. Don't expect your Uber or Lyft apps to work—you'll need to get a Korean taxi app if you want to call a taxi or you'll need to do it the old fashioned way—call someone up on the telephone or hail one on the streets, which can be a tricky business depending on where you are. On the topic of streets: In Gimhae, many of the streets we were walking on did not have sidewalks, so be prepared to walk along the side of the road. We didn't have much trouble, but we were very conscious of the traffic. Another note in Gimhae is the food. Korea is host to a wide variety of foods, and Gimhae can have many options, depending on what you are looking for. Near our hotel there were traditional Korean restaurants as well as places advertising pizza, Thai, and burgers. Up in the main market area, you can find a wide variety of food from around Asia. Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Nepal, and many more were represented, as well as Russian and Chinese cuisines. That said, our breakfast options were not so bountiful. Our hotel, which gave us our own private hot tub, like a private onsen, did not serve breakfast, but there were a few cafes around where you could get a drink and a light meal in the morning, and there were some pork Gukbab places, where you would put cooked rice in a pork bone broth for a hearty and delicious morning meal. That said, if you waited a little later, there is a Krispy Kreme for those craving donuts, and a few French-inspired Korean bakeries, such as the chain, Tous les Jours, which is always a tasty go-to spot. If you prefer a wider variety of food you can choose to stay in Busan proper, instead. It isn't that far, and you can take the train over to Gimhae in the morning. However, I would recommend at least two days to see most of the Gaya related sites, and maybe a third or fourth if you want to chase down everything in the city. There is also an interesting amusement park that we did not get the chance to experience but may be of interest: the Gimhae Gaya Theme Park. This appears to be a series of interpretations of different Gaya buildings along with a theme park for kids and adults, including rope bridges, light shows, and some cultural performances. It looked like it might be fun, but since we had limited time we decided to give it a pass this time around. In Busan, there are many other things to do, including museums, folk villages, and an aquarium along the beach. Busan station is also conveniently located next to the cruise port, where ships depart daily for Japan. This includes typical cruise ships, as well as various ferries. For instance, there is a ferry to Hakata, in Fukuoka city, as well as an overnight ferry that takes you through the Seto Inland sea all the way to Osaka. For us, however, we had booked the jetfoil to Hitakatsu, on the northern tip of Tsushima island – a very modern version of the Gishiwajinden account of setting sail in a rickety ship. Unfortunately, as we were preparing for our journey, disaster struck—the kind of thing that no doubt befell many who would dare the crossing across the waters. Strong winds out in the strait were making the water choppy, and it was so bad that they decided to cancel all of the ferries for that day and the next. It made me think of the old days, when ships would wait at dock as experienced seamen kept their eye on the weather, trying to predict when it would be fair enough to safely make the crossing. This was not always an accurate prediction, though, since on the open ocean, squalls can blow up suddenly. In some cases people might wait months to make the crossing. Since we didn't have months, and had a lot to see in Tsushuma, we opted for another, very modern route: we booked airplane tickets and left from Gimhae airport to Fukuoka, where we transitioned to a local prop plane for Tsushima. You might say: why not just fly to Tsushima? But Tsushima doesn't have an international airport, and only serves Japanese domestic destinations. Hence the detour to Fukuoka, where we went through Japanese immigration and had a very nice lunch while we waited for our second, short flight. Even that was almost cancelled due to the winds at Tsushima, with a disclaimer that the plane might have to turn around if the weather was too bad. Fortunately, we were able to make it, though coming into Tsushima airport was more than a little hair-raising as the small plane came in over the water and cliffs and dodged some pretty substantial updrafts before touching down on a tiny airstrip. And with that, we made our crossing to Tsushima island. Or perhaps it is better to call them “islands” now, since several channels have been dug separating the north and south parts of Tsushima. It wasn't quite how we had planned to get there, but we made it – and that kind of adaptability is very much in keeping with how you had to travel in the old days! One more comment here about the Korean Peninsula and Tsushima: while we never had a day clear enough, it seems obvious that from a high enough vantage point in Gimhae or Gaya, one could see Tsushima on a clear day. This is something I had speculated, but as we traveled it became clear. Tsushima is actually closer to the Korean Peninsula than to Kyushu, a fact that they point out. And so it was likely visible enough to people who knew what they were looking for. And yet, I imagine being on a small boat, trying to make the journey, it must have been something. You hopefully had a good navigator, because if you went off in the wrong direction you could end up in the East Sea—known in Japan as the Japan Sea—or worse. If you kept going you would probably eventually reach the Japanese archipelago, but who knows what might have happened in the meantime. It is little wonder that ships for the longest time decided to use Tsushima and Iki as stepping stones between the archipelago and the continent. And with that, I think we'll leave it. From Gimhae and Pusan, we traveled across to Tsushima, which has long been the first point of entry into the archipelago from the continent, often living a kind of dual life on the border. Tsushima has gotten famous recently for the “Ghost of Tsushima” video game, set on the island during the Mongol Invasion – we haven't played it, but we understand a lot of the landscape was reproduced pretty faithfully. From there we (and the ancient chroniclers) sailed to Iki. While smaller than Tsushuma, Iki was likely much more hospitable to the Yayoi style of rice farming, and the Harunotsuji site is pretty remarkable. Modern Karatsu, the next stop, is literally the Kara Port, indicating that the area has deep connections to the continent. It is also the site of some of the oldest rice paddies found on the archipelago, as well as its own fascinating place in later history. Continuing north along the coast of Kyushu is another area with evidence of ancient Yayoi and Kofun communities in Itoshima, thought to be the ancient country of Ito. Here you can find some burial mounds, as well as the site where archaeologists found one of the largest bronze mirrors of the ancient archipelago. Finally, we ended up in Fukuoka, where the seal of the King of Na of Wa was found. We ended our trip in Fukuoka, but the historical trail from Na, or Fukuoka, to quote-unquote “Yamatai” then goes a bit hazy. As we discussed in an earlier episode, there are different theories about where Yamatai actually was. There is the Kyushu theory, which suggests that Yamatai is somewhere on Kyushu, with many trying to point to the Yayoi period site of Yoshinogari, though there are plenty of reasons why that particular site is not exactly a good candidate. Then there are various paths taking you to Honshu, and on to Yamato. Those are much more controversial, but the path to at least Na seems mostly agreed on, especially since that was largely the path that individuals would follow for centuries onwards, including missions to and from the Tang dynasty, the Mongols during their attempted invasion, and even the various missions from the Joseon dynasty during the Edo period. Today, modern transportation, such as the airplane, means that most people just go directly to their destination, but there are still plenty of reasons to visit these locations. It was a lot of fun to sail from place to place and see the next island – or kingdom – emerging on the horizon. Next episode we will talk about Tsushima and give you an idea of what that island has in store for visitors; especially those with an interest in Japanese history. Until then, thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts. If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to Tweet at us at @SengokuPodcast, or reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page. You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com. 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.
Throughout the 1700s, after a series of political purges and national instability, the Joseon kingdom experienced a cultural flowering.Support the Show.
Japan mounts its second invasion of Joseon Korea. Will the king again abandon his people? I think we already know the answer.Media recommendationSamuel Hawley's Youtube series on the Imjin War (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piOuF02ijdQ)Join our Patreon to get more stuffhttps://patreon.com/darksideofseoulBook a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.comCreditsProduced by Joe McPherson and Shawn MorrisseyMusic by SoraksanTop Tier PatronsAngel EarlJoel BonominiShaaron CullenDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshMitchy Brewer Ron ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasEmily UmbaughJosephine RydbergDavid WeatherlyJanice SongDevin BuchananKorea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the Show.Join our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiShaaron CullenDevon HiphnerMinseok LeeGabi PalominoSteve MarshMitchy Brewer Ron ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasEmily UmbaughJosephine RydbergDavid WeatherlyJanice SongDevin Buchanan Facebook Page | Instagram
May 13, 2024 - To save her sister, a teen girl becomes entangled in a political conspiracy with an enigmatic prince in this fiery new YA novel. June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, returns with a devastating and pulse-pounding tale based on a true story from Korean history. A Crane Among Wolves is set in 1506 Joseon, where people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings. Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom's turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king's latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king's power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death. Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul's family connections and Daehyun's royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever seen. In her conversation with Ellen Oh, June Hur discusses her new novel and writing YA novels based on lives and stories from Korean history. For more information, please visit the link below: https://koreasociety.org/arts-culture/item/1824-june-hur-a-crane-among-wolves-with-ellen-oh
Today's guest, June Hur, is the author of historical novels that read like K-dramas. Her latest, A Crane Among Wolves, is set in Joseon-era Korea during the reign of tyrant King Yeonsan. Learn more about June and her books at junehur.com Buy a copy of A Crane Among Wolves from bookshop.org ---- Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at common.era.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout -- Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) -- Support Vulgar History on Patreon -- Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hi. This week, James is back from his honeymoon, and he's bringing us the bloodcurdling tale of Crown Prince Sado, the 18th-century heir to the throne of the Joseon dynasty in what is now South Korea. Enjoy! Brought to you By: The Sonar Network https://thesonarnetwork.com/
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