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Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan
The Buddha Comes to Japan

Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2023 38:23


This episode we talk about the first recorded instance of Buddhism--or at least the worship of the Buddha--in Japan, and we look at some of the politics and issues surrounding its adoption, as well as some of the problems in the story we have from the Chronicles.  We also look at what legend says happened to the oldest Buddhist image and where you can find it, today.  Hint: It is in a place that once hosted the Winter Olympics! For more check out our podcast website:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-85 Rough Transcript:   Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 85: The Buddha Comes to Japan. Last couple episodes we've talked about Buddhism.  We talked about its origins in the Indian subcontinent, with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, aka Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, and how those teachings spread out from India to Gandhara, and then followed the trade routes across the harsh deserts of the Tarim Basin, through the Gansu corridor, and into the Yellow and Yangzi River Valleys.  From there the teachings made it all the way to the Korean peninsula, and to the country of Baekje, Yamato's chief ally on the peninsula. This episode we'll look at how Buddhism came to the archipelago and its initial reception there.  For some of this we may need to span several reigns, as we'll be looking at events from early to late 6th century.  This is also about more than just religion, and so we may need to dive back into some of the politics we've covered up to this point as well.  Hopefully we can bring it all together in the end, but if it is a bit of a bumpy ride, just hang with me for a bit. So let's start with the official account in the Nihon Shoki, which we already mentioned two episodes ago: the first mention of Buddhism in the Chronicles.  The year was 552, or the 13th year in the reign of Ame Kunioshi, aka Kimmei Tennou.  That winter, during the 10th month—which was probably closer to December or January on a modern calendar—King Seongmyeong of Baekje had a special gift for his counterpart, the sovereign of Yamato.  By this time there are numerous accounts of gifts to Yamato, generally in conjunction with the Baekje-Yamato alliance and Baekje's requests for military support in their endeavors on the peninsula, generally framed in the Yamato sources as centering on the situation of the country of Nimna. In this case, the gift was a gilt-bronze image of Shakyamuni Buddha, several flags and umbrellas, and a number of volumes of Buddhist sutras.  King Seongmyeong sent a memorial explaining his intent:  “This doctrine” (aka Buddhism) “is amongst all doctrines the most excellent.  But it is hard to explain, and hard to comprehend.  Even the Duke of Zhou and Confucius had not attained to a knowledge of it.  This doctrine can create religious merit and retribution with appreciation of the highest wisdom.  Imagine a man in possession of treasures to his heart's content, so that he might satisfy all his wishes in proportion as he used them.  Thus it is with the treasure of this wonderful doctrine.  Every prayer is fulfilled and naught is wanting.  Moreover, from distant India it has extended hither to the three Han, where there are none who do not receive it with reverence as it is preached to them. “Thy servant, therefore, Myeong, King of Baekje, has humbly dispatched his retainer, Nuri Sacchi, to transmit it to the Imperial Country, and to diffuse it abroad throughout the home provinces, so as to fulfil the recorded saying of Buddha: ‘My law shall spread to the East.' “ Upon receiving all of these things and hearing the memorial, we are told that the sovereign, Ame Kunioshi, literally leapt for joy.  He thanked the envoys, but then put the question to his ministers as to how they should proceed.  Soga no Iname no Sukune, holding the position of Oho-omi, recommended that they should worship the statue of the Buddha.  After all, if all of the “Western Frontier lands” were worshipping it, then should Yamato really be left out? On the other side of the argument were Mononobe no Okoshi as well as Nakatomi no Kamako.  They argued against stopping the traditional worship of the 180 kami of Heaven and Earth and replacing it with worship of some foreign religion. With this split decision, Ame Kunioshi decided to have Soga no Iname experiment, first.  He told him to go ahead and worship the image and see what happens. And so Soga set it up at his house in Oharida, purified it, and, per Buddhist tradition, retired from the world.  He had another house, in nearby Mukuhara, purified and made into a temple.  Here he began to worship the Buddha. Around that same time, there was a pestilence—a disease—that was in the land.  People were getting sick and some were dying.  This was likely not unprecedented.  Healthcare was not exactly up to our modern standards, and while many good things traveled the trade routes, infection and disease likely used them as pathways as well.  So diseases would pop up, on occasion.  In this instance, though, Mononobe no Okoshi and Nakatomi no Kamako seized on it as their opportunity.  They went to Ame Kunioshi and they blamed Soga no Iname and his worship of the Buddha for the plague. Accordingly, the court removed the statue of the Buddha and tossed it into the canal at Naniwa, and then they burned down Soga no Iname's temple—which, as you may recall, was basically his house.  As soon as they did that, though, Ame Kunioshi's own Great Hall burst into flames, seemingly out of nowhere, as it was otherwise a clear day. Little more is said about these events, but that summer there were reports from Kawachi of Buddhist chants booming out of the sea of Chinu near the area of Idzumi.  Unate no Atahe was sent to investigate and found an entire log of camphorwood that was quote-unquote “Shining Brightly”.  So he gave it to the court, where we are told they used it to have two Buddha images made, which later were installed in a temple in Yoshino; presumably at a much later date. And then the Chronicles go quiet for the next couple decades, at least on the subject of Buddhism, but this is the first official account of it coming over, and there is quite a bit to unpack.  For one thing, the memorials and speeches once again seem like something that the Chroniclers added because it fit with their understanding of the narrative, including their insistence that Yamato was a fully fledged imperial state, and there is some fairly good evidence that King Seongmyeong's memorial is clearly anachronistic.  But there are a few other things, and conflicting records on things such as dates and similar. So first off, let's acknowledge that there are too many things in the main narrative in the Chronicles that are just questionable, such as the sovereign “leaping with joy” at the chance to hear about Buddhism, and the fact that King Seongmyeong's memorial apparently quotes a part of the sutra of the Sovereign Kings of Golden Light, known in Japanese as the Konkoumyou-saishou-ou-kyou, but that translation wasn't done until 703, during the Tang dynasty, by the monk Yijing in the city of Chang'an.  While it would have been known to knowledgable monks like Doji, who may have been helping put the narrative together in 720, it is unlikely that it was in use during the 6th century, when the memorial is said to have been written. In addition, there is question about the date that all of this supposedly happened.  The Nihon Shoki has this event taking place in 552, well into the reign of Ame Kunioshi.  However, there are at least two 8th century sources, roughly contemporary with the writing of the Nihon Shoki, the Gangoji Garan Engi and the Jouguuki, and both of these put the date at 538, a good fourteen years earlier, and in the era of Ame Kunioshi's predecessor, Takewo Hiro Kunioshi, aka Senka Tenno.  The first of these, the Gangoji Garan Engi, is a record of the founding of the first permanent temple in Japan, Gangoji, aka Hokoji or, informally, Asukadera, which was founded by Soga no Iname's heir, Soga no Umako.  More on the temple itself, later, but for now we want to focus on the historical aspects of this account, which mostly corroborate the story, talking about Soga no Iname's role in receiving the image and enshrining it, as well as the early conflict between the Soga clan and their rivals.  The other source, the Joguki, focuses on the life of Shotoku Taishi, aka Prince Umayado, who will become a major subject of our narrative at the end of the 6th and early 7th centuries.  Not only is he considered the father of Japanese Buddhism, but he had strong connections to the Soga family.  Today, most scholars accept the 538 date over the 552 date when talking about Buddhism's initial arrival into the islands   If the Chroniclers did move the event from 538 to 552, one has to wonder why.  This isn't a simple matter of being off by 60 years, and thus attributable to a mistake in the calendrical sexagenary zodiac cycle of stems and branches, so there must have been something else.  One suggestion is that the date conflicted with the chronology that had already been set for the sovereigns.  538 is during the reign of Takewo no Ohokimi, aka Senka Tenno, but what if succession was not quite as cut and dried as all that?  What if Ame Kunioshi no Ohokimi had his own court and was in some way ruling at the same time as his half-brothers, Magari no Ohine and Takewo no Ohokimi? They were from different mothers, and thus different factions at court.  Ame Kunioshi was young, so it was possible that there were rival lineages attempting to rule, or even some kind of co-ruler deal hearkening back to more ancient precedent.  Some even theorize that Magari no Ohine and Takewo Hiro Kunioshi were simply fictional inserts to help span the period between Wohodo and Ame Kunioshi. Whatever the reason, this theory suggests that it would not have happened in the 13th year of Ame Kunioshi's reign, but that his reign started in 526, rather than 540.  An intriguing hypothesis, but one that begs the question of whether everything in the reign would then need to be shifted to account for that.  Given that there are a few attributable events noted that fit with outside sources as well, that doesn't seem quite as plausible without some very conscious efforts to change the timeline. Another thought is that the compilers weren't sure exactly when this event happened, but given Ame Kunioshi's reputation and long reign, they chose his reign to place it in because it just fit.  I suspect that this happened more than once, with people more likely attributing past events to well-remembered sovereigns.  If this is the case, then when searching for a date they may have just chosen one that seemed auspicious.  In this case, 552 CE was, in some reckonings, an important year in Buddhist history, as there were those who say it as the beginning of the age of “mappou”, the “End of the Law” or perhaps the “Latter days of the Law”. This definitely is an intriguing theory, and resonates strongly.  For most of Japanese history, the idea that we are in this period of “mappo” has had a strong influence, and to a certain extent it is kind of an apocalyptic view of things.  The idea of mappo is that while the Buddha was alive, his teachings were fresh and available to all living things.  However, after his death, his teachings had to be remembered and passed on.  Even with the advent of writing, the meaning and understanding of his teachings, and thus an understanding of dharma, would also atrophy.  Different translations, changes in meaning, and just bits and pieces lost to time would mean that for the first 500 to 1,000 years, the Buddha's disciples would keep things well and the meaning would be protected, but in the next 500 to 1,000 years things would decline, but still be pretty close to the truth.  Then – and this is when the period of “mappo” starts - things would really start to decline, until finally, about 5,000 to 10,000 years later—or about 1,000 to 12,000 years after the time of the historical Buddha—things would break down, factions would be fighting one another, and eventually everyone would have forgotten the dharma entirely.  It was only then that there would come a new Buddha, Miroku or Maitreya, who would once again teach about the dharma and how to escape suffering, and the whole cycle would start again. The year 552 would have coincided, according to some estimates, with 1,000 years since the time of Siddhartha Gautama, and so it would have had particular significance to the people of that time, particularly if you counted each of the first two Ages as 500 years each, meaning that the word of the Buddha, that his teachings would spread to the East, would have been completed just as we entered the latter days of the Law. Regardless of the time—and, as I said earlier, 538 is the more accepted date—the general events described – the statue, the offer of Soga to experiment, and the resulting events - are usually agreed to, although even here we must pause, slightly and ask a few questions. First off, was this truly the first time that Buddhism had ever shown up in Japan?  The answer to that is probably not.  There had been many waves of immigrants that had come over to Japan from the peninsula, and even if only a small handful of them had adopted the new religion before coming over it is likely that there were pockets of worshippers.  Later, we will see that there are people in Japan who are said to have had prior experience as a monk, or who had their own Buddhist images.  These images were probably used by people in their homes—there is no evidence of any particular temples that had been built, privately or otherwise, and so there is no evidence that we have any active monks or nuns in the archipelago, but who knows what was going on in communities outside of the elite core?  There were plenty of things that were never commented on if it wasn't directly relevant to the court. Furthermore, with all of the envoys that had been to Baekje, surely some of them had experience with Buddhism.  And then there were the envoys *from* Baekje, who no doubt brought Buddhist practices with them.  So there was likely some kind of familiarity with the religion's existence, even if it wasn't necessarily fully understood. The second point that many people bring up is the role of the sovereign, Ame Kunioshi, or whomever was in charge at the time that the first image came over.  While the Nihon Shoki attempts to portray a strong central government with the sovereign at its head, we've already seen how different households had arisen and taken some measure of power for themselves.  At the end of the 5th and into the early 6th century, the Ohotomo and Mononobe houses were preeminent, with Ohotomo Kanamura taking on actions such as negotiating dealings with the continent and even manuevering around the Crown Prince.  The Mononobe wielded considerable authority through their military resources, and now, the Soga appeared to ascendant.  It is quite possible that the idea of the sovereign giving any sort of permission or order to worship Buddhism is simply a political fig leaf added by the Chroniclers.  The Soga may have been much more independent in their views and dealings.  To better understand this, let's take a look at the uji family system and the Soga family in particular. Now the Nihon Shoki paints a picture as though these noble uji families were organic, and simply part of the landscape, descending from the kami in the legendary age, with lineages leading down to the present day, although there is some acknowledgment that the earliest ancestors did not necessarily use the family names until a later date.  For much of Japanese history, the concept that these family, or uji, were one of the core building blocks of ancient Japanese political and cultural spheres is taken as a matter of course.  However, in more modern studies, this view has been questioned, and now the prevailing view is that these families are somewhat different.  In fact, the uji are likely just as much an artificial construct as the corporate -Be family labor groups. According to this theory, early on people were associated with local groups and places.  Outside of the immediate family, groups were likely held together by their regional ties as much as anything else.  Names appear to be locatives, with ancient titles indicating the -hiko or -hime of this or that area. Some time in the 5th century, Yamato—and possibly elsewhere in the peninsula—began to adopt the concept of -Be corporate groups from Baekje.  We talked about this back in Episode 63, using the Hata as a prime example of how these groups were brought together.  More importantly, though, was that each of these -Be groups reported to someone in the court, sometimes with a different surname.  These were the uji, created along with the -Be to help administer the labor and work of running the state.  They were essentially arms of the state itself, in many ways.  The kabane system of titles emphasizes this, with different families having different ranks depending on what they did, whether locally, regionally, or at the central court.  Some of these titles, like -Omi and -Kimi, were likely once actual jobs, but eventually it came to represent something more akin to a social ranking. There have been some questions and emails asking for a bit more in depth on this, and I'd really like to, but I'm afraid that would be too much for now.  At the moment I want to focus more on the uji, particularly on those at the top - the uji with the kabane of either Omi or Muraji, as these are the ones most likely to be helping to directly run the government.  They even had their own geographical areas within the Nara basin, and elsewhere, that were uji strongholds.  The Hata had areas near modern Kyoto, the Mononobe clearly had claims to land around Isonokami, in modern Tenri, and the Soga clan had their holdings in the area of modern Asuka and Kashihara city.  At the very least, that is where Soga no Iname's house was—in Mukuhara and Oharida, both located in the modern area of Asuka, which will become important in the future. It wasn't just the landholdings that were important, though.  Each uji had some part to play in the functioning of the government.  In many cases it was the production or control of a particular service, such as the Hata and silk weaving, or the Mononobe and their affinity with all things military.  For the Soga, they appear to have had a rather interesting portfolio. Traditionally, the Soga family is said to trace its lineage back to Takechi no Sukune, the first Oho-omi back in the time of Okinaga no Tarashi Hime and Homuda Wake no Ohokimi—see episode 46 for more on him.  That lineage is likely fabricated, however, and the earliest actual evidence for the family may be from the Kogoshui, where we are told that Soga no Machi was put in charge of the Three Treasuries.  These were the Imikura, or sacred treasury; the Uchikura, or royal household treasury; and the Ohokura, the government treasury.  This seems like quite the position of responsibility, and it would fit with some of what we see later as the Soga are involved in helping set up Miyake, the various royal storehouses across the land that acted as Yamato court administrative centers for the purposes of collecting goods and funneling them to the court, as well as keeping an eye on the local regions.  Although here I feel I would be remiss if I didn't also note that the “Three Treasuries”, or “Sanzou” is one way to translate the Tripitaka, and given the Soga's role, I don't think I can entirely ignore that point. So the Soga family had experience with administration, and specifically they were dealing with a variety of different goods produced in different regions.  If that is the case, then their authority did not necessarily derive from the standard uji-be constructed familial connections, but rather they were deriving positional authority from the central government itself.  This may seem like common sense to us, but in the world of ancient Yamato, where family connections were everything, this may have been something new and innovative—and very in keeping with various continental models of administration.  It is quite likely that the Soga were dealing with some of the latest innovations in government and political authority, which would also have opened them up to the possibility of new ideas. In addition, their position meant they likely had wide-ranging contacts across the archipelago and even onto the peninsula.  The Soga themselves have connections to the peninsula in the names of some of their members, such as Soga no Karako, where “Karako” can be translated as a “Son of Kara” or a “Son of Gaya”, possibly referring to their origins, and Soga no Kouma, where “Kouma” is a general term for Goguryeo, and so quite possibly indicates a connection with them as well.  On top of that, there is a now-out-of-favor theory that once suggested that Soga no Machi might be the same as Moku Machi, an important Baekje official in the late 5th century.  While that has been largely discredited, the fact that “Machi” is possibly of Baekje origin cannot be entirely overlooked. Then there are a series of notes in the Nihon Shoki, particularly surrounding the area of Shirai, in the land of Kibi.  These start in 553, just one year after Soga no Iname's failed attempt to launch a Buddhist temple, at least according to the Nihon Shoki's record of events.  It is a relatively simple note, but it mentions how Soga no Iname made a man by the name of Wang Jinnie the “Funa no Fubito”, or “Recorder of Ships”, and put him in charge of the shipping tax—all at the behest of the sovereign, of course. Later, in 555, Soga no Iname went with Hozumi no Iwayumi no Omi to Kibi, where they consolidated five districts, or agata, under the administration of a single administrative Miyake in Shirawi.  Later, in 556, he would go back to Kibi and establish a Miyake in Kojima, putting in place Katsuraki no Yamada as the Tazukai, or “rural rice field governor”.  That same year he and others went to the Takachi district in Yamato and established the Miyake of Ohomusa, or “Great Musa”, for immigrants from Baekje and then Womusa, or “Small Musa”, for immigrants from Goguryeo. In 569, the person that Soga no Iname had put in charge of recording the ships, Wang Jinnie, had a nephew, Itsu—or possibly Danchin, depending on how you read it—go out to Shirawi to take a census.  This is the same Shirawi that Soga no Iname had helped establish in 555.  Itsu becomes the Shirawi no Obito, and in 574 we see Soga no Umako, Iname's heir, heading out to Shirawi with an updated register for Itsu. So, in short, the Soga family clearly is doing a lot of government administration, and particularly of the Miyake, which is the extension of the court authority into the rest of the archipelago.  On top of that, look at how often the names that are coming up in conjunction with what they are doing are referencing immigrant groups.  Even the Hozumi family are known at this point for their work on the peninsula, and we see the Soga heavily involved with the Wang family and their fortunes, not to mention Greater and Lesser Musa and the Baekje and Goguryeo individuals there.  Wang Jinnie will have even more of a part to play, but we'll hold onto that for later. Given everything we can see about how they are operating, is it any surprise that the Soga would advocate in favor of Buddhism?  I'd also note that, while other clans have clear connections to heavenly ancestors and kami whom they worshipped, it is unclear to me if the Soga had anything similar.  There is mention in the 7th century of the creation of a shrine to their titular ancestors, Takeuchi no Sukune and Ishikawa no Sukune, and today there is a shrine that is dedicated to Soga tsu Hiko and Soga tsu Hime—Basically just lord and lady Soga.  But there isn't anything like the spirit of Futsunushi or Ohomononushi, let alone an Amaterasu or Susano'o. Why is that important?  Well, prior to the 6th century, a lot of clans claimed authority from the ritual power they were perceived to wield, often related to the prestige of their kami.  One of the ways that Yamato influence had spread was through the extension of the Miwa cult across the archipelago, and there were even members of the Himatsuribe and the Hioki-be, basically groups of ritualists focused on sun worship, which upheld the royal house.  The Mononobe controlled Isonokami shrine, where they worshipped their Ujigami, Futsu-mitama, the spirit of the sound of the sword.  And then there were the Nakatomi, who haven't had much to do in the narrative so far, but we know that they were court ritualists, responsible for ensuring that proper rituals were carried out by the court for the kami to help keep balance in the land. The dispute between the Soga and the Mononobe and Nakatomi is presented as a struggle between a foreign religion and the native kami of Japan—leaving aside any discussion, for now, about just how “native” said kami actually were.  This is, in fact, the primary story that gets told again and again, that the Mononobe and Nakatomi were simply standing up for their beliefs, sincerely believing that if too many people started worshipping foreign gods then it would supplant the worship already present in the islands. And that may have been a genuine fear at the time, but I would suggest that it was only a small one.  What seems more apparent is that we are really looking at just an old fashioned power struggle.  Because what all of the information we have about the Soga distills down to is: they were the new kid on the block.  The Soga were the up and coming nobility.  They had connections with the continent and various immigrant groups.  That gave them access to new ideas and new forms of resources.  The Mononobe were built on a more traditionalist line.  They had been around, ever since at least Wakatake no Ohokimi, playing a significant role in things, alongside the Ohotomo.  The Mononobe were at their apex, claiming descent through their own Heavenly Grandson, and having held sway at court through numerous reigns at this point.   They represent, in many ways, the old guard. Worship of a fancy new religious icon—effectively a new kami—threatened to give the Soga even more power and sway.  They already had control of the three treasuries, if the Kogoshui is to be believed, and likely had a rather impressive administrative apparatus.  Soga no Iname had also ended up successfully marrying off two of his daughters to Ame Kunioshi, making him father-in-law to the current sovereign.  If he added to that a spiritual focus that people came to believe in, that would only enhance the Soga's power and place in the hierarchy. And what better way to taint all of that, and neutralize these upstarts, than to blame this new god for the plague and pestilence that was killing people.  We see it all too often, even today—when people are scared and when there are problems, the easiest people to scapegoat are the foreigners and the outsiders.  Those whom we do not see as “us”.  It was probably easy to turn the court against Buddhism, at least initially.  They threw the image in the canal and burned down the temple, and no doubt they were pleased with themselves. But that was merely the opening salvo, and as we'll see in the coming years, the Soga family were hardly done with Buddhism.  One can argue whether they were truly devout or if this was merely for political gain, but the Soga family tied themselves to this new foreign religion, for good or for ill, and they wouldn't be pushed around forever. When next we touch base on this topic we'll look at Soga no Iname's heir, Soga no Umako, and his attempts to start up where his father left off.  He would again clash with the Mononobe, and the outcome of that conflict would set the path for the next half a century.  It would also see Buddhism become firmly enmeshed with the apparatus of the state.  As this happens , we'll also see the character of Buddhist worship in the archipelago change.  Initially, the Buddha was treated little differently from any other kami, and based on the way it is described, probably worshiped in a very similar manner.  However, as more sutras came to light and as more people studied and learned about the religion—and as more immigrants were brought in to help explain how things were supposed to work—Buddhism grew in the islands to be its own distinct entity.  In fact the growth of Buddhism would even see the eventual definition of “Shinto”, the “Way of the Gods”, a term that was never really needed until there was another concept for native practices to be compared against. Before we leave off, there is one other story I'd like to mention.  It is tangential to our immediate discussion of Buddhism and the Soga, but I think you may find it of interest, nonetheless.  This is the story of just what happened—supposedly—to that first Buddhist icon that was tossed into the Naniwa canal. Because you see, according to tradition, that gilt-bronze icon did not stay stuck in the mud and muck of the canal, nor did it just disappear.  Instead there is a tradition that it was found almost a century later.  The person who retrieved it was named Honda no Yoshimitsu, and from Naniwa he traveled all the way to Shinano, to the area of modern Nagano, and there he would found a temple in 642.  Another reading of his name, Yoshimitsu, is Zenko, and so the temple is named Zenkoji, and you can still go and visit it today.  In fact, the main hall of Zenkoji is considered a national treasure, and it was featured prominently during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.  It is a popular attraction for tourist both in Japan and from abroad, and if you get a chance I highly recommend going to see it.  On the street leading up to the temple entrance are many traditional shops that still sell various foods and traditional arts and crafts, and there are many intriguring features.  For example, there is a narrow walkway underneath the main temple that is completely dark, where you are meant to feel along the wall to try to find the key to enlightenment, a kind of physical metaphor of Buddhist teaching. And of course there is the icon that Honda Yoshimitsu is said to have fished out of the canal. According to the temple, the icon still exists, and many worshippers believe it to be the oldest extant Buddhist icon in Japan, even older than the icons at Horyuji.  However, there is one catch—nobody is allowed to see it.  Shortly after it was installed in the temple, the statue was hidden in a special container, or zushi, and it became what is known as a hidden Buddha.  This is a tradition particularly prevalent in Japan, where some Buddhas are hidden away and only brought out on very special occasions.  Some cynics might note that those occasions are often when the temple needs to raise funds.  As for this hidden Buddha, however, it has not been seen more than a handful of times since it was locked away in the 7th century. Despite that, we know what it looks like—or at least what it is supposed to look like.  The image is said to be a triad, and though the Nihon Shoki claims it was an image of Shakyamuni, the central figure of the Zenkoji triad is actually the figure of Amida, aka Amithabha, as in the Pure Land sect of Buddhism.  Amida Nyorai is flanked by two attendants.  We know all of this because a copy of the Zenkoji image was made in the Kamakura period, and that image, said to be a faithful recreation of the original is also kept at Zenkoji.  While the original is kept hidden in the back, the replica, which is thought to have all of the miraculous powers of the original, sits in front, and is therefore called the Maedachi Honzon, basically the image standing in front, vice the original, the Gohonzon, the main image. Except it gets even better, because the replica is *also* kept hidden away most of the time, and only revealed on special occasions, known as Gokaicho, or “opening of the curtain”, which occurs once every seven years. The Zenkoji triad became extremely important in later centuries, and copies were made and installed in sub-temples throughout Japan.  Even today you may find a Zenkoji-style triad here or there, each one considered to have a spiritual tie back to the original, and some of them even have inscriptions confirming that they are, indeed, Zenkoji style triads Of course, the big question remains: does the original image actually still exist, and is there any chance that it actually is as old as it claims to be?  There really is no good way of knowing.  Zenkoji is not offering to open up the zushi any time soon.  We do know a few things, however.  We know that the temple has burned down at least 11 times over the years, and the Gohonzon was rescued each time, or so they say.  There are some who claim that it still exists, but perhaps it is damaged.  If that is the case, how did they make the replica, though? There was an inspection during the Edo period.  There was a rumor that it had been stolen, and so an Edo official was sent to check on the status.  They reported that it was still there, but crucially they never described actually laying eyes on the statue.  In one account where a monk did open the box it is said that their was a blinding light—kind of like the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones but just overwhelming; no faces were melted, at least none that were reported. The monks of Zenkoji, when asked how they know the image is still there, will point to the weight of the container, which, when lifted, is apparently considerable.  They say that is how they know it is still there.  Of course, a melted lump of metal might be the same weight as it was when it was full statue, as long as it didn't lose any actual mass, so it is hard to tell if it is still in good condition. Even with all of that, there is the question about the veracity of the original objects lineage to begin with.  Did Honda Yoshimitsu really just find *the* original statue?  And even if he did, how would he have known what it was?  Was there an inscription:  To Yamato, from Baekje, hugs and kisses? I've yet to see anyone directly compare the purported replica with other statues, but I suspect that would be the route to at least check the age, but nobody seems to be saying that the style of the replica is blatantly wrong for a 6th or 7th century icon from the peninsula or by peninsular craftsmen.  Then again, there were plenty of local immigrants in the Naniwa area who could have potentially crafted an image.  Indeed, the area around modern Nagano even has traces of Goguryeo style burial cairns, possibly from immigrants settled out there to help with early horse cultivation, and so there is even the possibility that there were locals with the connections and skills to craft something. If you really want to know more, there is an entire work by Donald McCallum, titled “Zenkoji and Its Icon”, on not just the icon but the entire worship that sprang up around it and caused copies to spread throughout the archipelago. And that's where we will leave off for this episode.  In the next couple of episodes I want to finish up some of the secular history of this reign, and look a little bit outside of Yamato and the evidence in the Chronicles as well. 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.  And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

La ContraCrónica
Yolanda Díaz y la agonía de Podemos

La ContraCrónica

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2023 47:46


El domingo de ramos, a modo de premonición del calvario que está por venir para sus antiguos compañeros de Podemos, Yolanda Díaz presentó en el polideportivo Magariños de Madrid su candidatura a la presidencia del Gobierno para las próximas elecciones generales, que se celebrarán en el último trimestre del año. La plataforma que la hoy vicepresidenta segunda creo hace unos meses para propulsar sus propias aspiraciones políticas se llama Sumar. A lo largo del último año ha ido recorriendo toda la geografía española organizando encuentros con simpatizantes en lo que su equipo de comunicación denominó “proceso de escucha”. La escucha acaba de terminar y, por lo que pudimos ver hace una semana en Magariños, a Yolanda Díaz le han dicho que debe ponerse por su cuenta y lanzarse a por todas, pero carece de partido propio. Yolanda Díaz, militante de Izquierda Unida durante muchos años, coqueteó primero con el nacionalismo gallego y luego, ya con la irrupción de Podemos, se arrimó al entorno de Pablo Iglesias. Con Podemos consiguió un escaño en el Congreso de los Diputados por la provincia de Pontevedra y fue una de las elegidas para recibir una cartera ministerial tras el pacto entre PSOE y Podemos de finales de 2019. Desde entonces ha ido con mimo y paciencia labrándose su propia fortuna política. Es una de las ministras mejor valoradas por la opinión pública y la favorita de la prensa afín al Ejecutivo. El desafío que tiene por delante es aglutinar de nuevo en torno a una sola lista a todo el espacio político que ocupó Podemos durante sus mejores años. Las cosas, sin embargo, son ahora muy distintas a como estaban en aquel entonces. Podemos sigue ahí, exangüe y medio acabado cierto es, pero aún con vida. Las confluencias regionales le abandonaron hace ya tiempo y esas mismas confluencias son las que quiere atraerse ahora Yolanda Díaz. Esta OPA hostil contra su antiguo partido ha hecho estallar una guerra a muerte en la extrema izquierda. De un lado Yolanda Díaz y su personalísimo proyecto, del otro Pablo Iglesias y lo que queda de Podemos. Iglesias está desde hace dos años retirado de la política, pero desde los medios de comunicación en los que colabora y, especialmente, desde su nueva televisión influye de forma decisiva en los votantes de esa parte del espectro ideológico. Para Pedro Sánchez, entretanto, que Yolanda Díaz se salga con la suya y sustituya a Podemos es de vital importancia para su supervivencia política. Sin una formación fuerte a su izquierda no podrá ni plantearse seguir en la Moncloa. Sus socios están muy desgastados, tanto como él mismo, por lo que urge un lavado de cara que rejuvenezca la marca y movilice a su electorado. Las elecciones generales son dentro de unos meses, pero para las municipales y autonómicas del 28 de mayo falta poco más de mes y medio. Esa será la prueba de fuego de este experimento que Yolanda Díaz ha puesto en marcha. De cómo salga Podemos de ese brete dependerá que pueda darles la puntilla. Para hablar de este tema nos acompaña hoy en La ContraCrónica Luca Costantini, que no sólo es uno de los periodistas que mejor conocen Podemos, se trata también de todo un experto sobre Yolanda Díaz, a quien ha dedicado su último libro “Yolanda Díaz, la seducción del poder”, publicado por La Esfera de los libros y disponible en todas las librerías desde hace unos días. El libro de Luca Costantini: "Yolanda Díaz, la seducción del poder" - https://amzn.to/3UBqcSJ Y recuerda, BP Ultimate con tecnología Active, hasta 56 kilómetros más por cada depósito. Infórmate en https://www.bp.com · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #yolandadíaz #podemos Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

La Brújula
El cuaderno de Chapu: En lo de Magariños se ve que el hombre es el único animal que tropieza dos veces con el mismo pelazo

La Brújula

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2023 2:11


El cuaderno de Chapu Apaolaza con sus notas políticas del día

Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan
Politics of the Early Yamato Court

Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2023 29:03


This episode we start our look at the reign of Ame Kunioshi Hiraki Niha, aka Kinmei Tennō. We'll start off with a look at his ascension to the throne and some of the politics that we can see going on in the court. We'll also discuss some of the theories regarding this reign, particularly its chronological placement in the Chronicles, which may not be exactly as it seems. Still, we are in what many consider to be the historical period, meaning that the records the Chroniclers were working from are assumed to be more accurate—they were likely using more written material, including books we no longer have extant. However, that doesn't mean everything is factual, and it is clear there are still some lacunae in the texts and some additional massaging by the Chroniclers themselves. For more information, check out https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-81   Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 81, the Politics of the Early Yamato Court. Last episode, before our Nara tour interlude, we covered the life of Takewo Hiro Kunioshi Tate, aka Senka Tennō.  He picked up where his brother, Magari no Ohine, aka Ankan Tennō, had[EB1]  left off, and is said to have reigned for about two and a half years, from 536 to 539.  During that time we see more of the rise of the family of Soga no Omi but we also see the Ōtomo no Muraji and the Mononobe going quite strong.  The sons of Ōtomo no Kanamura ended up involved with the government in Tsukushi, aka Kyuushuu, as well as the war efforts across the straits, mainly focused on Nimna and the surrounding areas.  Indeed, as we talked about last episode—episode 80—it is said that Ohtomo no Sadehiko went to Nimna and restored peace there, before lending aid to Baekje[EB2] .  This preoccupation with Nimna and events on the Korean peninsula are going to dominate our narrative moving forward, at least initially.  Much of the next reign focuses on events on the peninsula, rather than on the archipelago.  Oddly, this preoccupation isn't found everywhere.  In the Sendai Kuji Hongi—and other copies of the same work—there appears only a brief mention of Nimna, aka Mimana, in the record, which otherwise simply talks about inheritance and similar issues. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before we dive into all of that, to include all of the peninsular goodness that we have coming our way, let's briefly talk about some of the things a little closer to home.  Mainly, let's talk about the succession and who our next sovereign appears to be. So first off, his name is given as Ame Kunioshi Hiraki Hiro Niha, and he is posthumously known to us as Kimmei Tennō.  For my part, rather than repeating the whole thing, I'm going to refer to him simply as Ame Kunioshi, though I'm honestly not sure if the best way to parse his name, assuming it isn't just another type of royal title.  He is said to have been the son of Wohodo no Ōkimi, aka Keitai Tennō, and his queen, Tashiraga, a sister to Wohatsuse Wakasazaki, aka Buretsu Tennō. This would all seem pretty straightforward if it weren't for the fact that two of his half-brothers had taken the throne before him.  Prince Magari and his brother, Takewo, were descended through another line, that of Menoko, daughter of Owari no Muraji no Kusaka.  Menoko did not appear to meet the Nihon Shoki's Chroniclers' strict requirements for being named queen—namely, they don't bother to trace her lineage back to the royal line in some way, shape, or form.  As such, the Nihon Shoki tries to pass off the reigns of the two brothers as though they were just keeping the seat warm while Ame Kunioshi himself came of age. None of the language used, however, really suggests that they were not considered legitimate in the eyes of their respective courts, and in all aspects they played the part of sovereign, and it is quite likely that if they had reigned long enough, or had valid heirs, themselves, we may be reading a slightly different story.  As it is, the Chroniclers likely manipulated the narrative just enough to ensure that things made sense in terms of a linear progression. And that manipulation hardly stopped at his ascension.  The account of Ame Kunioshi on the throne is filled with questionable narration.  Beyond just the fantastical—accounts of kami and of evil spirits—much of the reign is focused on events on the Korean peninsula, and these are almost always portrayed as actions by the Kingdom of Baekje, one of the three largest kingdoms across the straits, along with Silla and Goguryeo.  Baekje, in turn, is portrayed in the Nihon Shoki as a loyal vassal state, constantly looking to the sovereign of Yamato as their liege and attempting to carry out their will. For the most part, this is a blatant attempt by the Chroniclers to place Yamato front and center, and in control of events on the mainland.  Taken at face value, it has for a long time fueled nationalist claims to the Korean peninsula, and may have even been designed for that very purpose.  Remember, a history like this was written as much for a political purpose as it was record for posterity, and the narration is about as trustworthy as that of a certain fictional radio host in a sleepy desert community.  And yet, we want to be careful about throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater, here.  The Nihon Shoki is a treasure trove of stories about this period and what was happening on the mainland, even if we have to be careful of taking everything at face value.  The details given in the text are sometimes more than any other sources we have for this period, and they are certainly closer to the source.  Korean sources, such as the Samguk Sagi, the Samguk Yusa, and the Tongkam all have their own gaps in the literature of the time, as well as their own political aims and goals, such that even they are suspect.  Sure, the flowery speechification is probably a little too much, but much of the back and forth seems reasonable, and there are numerous times where the Nihon Shoki directly quotes the copy of the Baekje annals that they had at the time—a text that is no longer extant, and which seems to have items that did not make it into later collections.  By following the back and forth and the flow of allegiances and deceptions, and looking at who was said to have been involved—both the individuals and the countries—we might be able to draw a picture of this era. And what a picture it will be.  I probably won't get to it all today, but there is conflict over Nimna, with Baekje and Yamato typically teaming up against Silla and Goguryeo, but there are other things as well.  For one thing, nothing in this era is cut and dried, and while there are overarching themes, alliances were clearly fluid, and could quickly change.  Furthermore, all this activity spawned a new level of interaction, particularly between Baekje and Yamato, and we see a new era of Baekje sharing their knowledge with Yamato.  For instance, this reign we see the first mention of Yin-Yang Divination studies—the famous Onmyouji—as well as calendrical studies in the archipelago.  We also see the arrival of Buddhism to the islands.  Well, at least we see the formal introduction of Buddhism; given all of the people in the archipelago who came over from the continent, there were likely more than a few Buddhists already living in the archipelago, but it hadn't grown, yet, to be a State religion, as it would be in later centuries. To try to do this period justice, I'm going to try to break things down a bit so that we can focus on various themes as we move through the stories here.  It will probably take us a few episodes to get through.  Furthermore, at some point here I want to talk about this new religion, Buddhism, and how it traveled all the way from India to the islands of Japan.  But for now, let's focus on the Chronicles. Not all of what is talked about in this reign is focused on the mainland, so I'm going to start us off talking about the stories about this period that are taking place in the islands themselves, starting with how Ame Kunioshi came to the throne.  Or rather, with some events just before he came to the throne. The first story about Ame Kunioshi comes when he is simply a prince—it is unclear during which reign this is supposed to have happened, only that it happened before he came to the throne.  The Chronicles say that Ame Kunioshi had a dream in which he was told to seek out a man named Hata no Ōtsuchi. We've seen in the past these kinds of oracular dreams, where the gods, or kami, will speak directly to a person—often to the sovereign or someone close to the sovereign.  By all accounts, the ability to act as a conduit for the kami was an important aspect of rulership and political power at this time, and we've seen the supposed consequences of not listening to such an oracle as well.  And so he sent people out to find this man, who was eventually found in the Kii district of the land of Yamashiro. Now this area is not surprising.  It is identified as the area, today, in the modern Fushimi district of Kyoto.  In fact, it includes the area of the famous Fushimi Inari Taisha—the Fushimi Inari shrine.  That shrine is also connected to the Hata family. For those who don't recall, the Hata family appear to have been descended from weavers who were brought over from the continent.  The kanji used for their name is the same as that of the Qin dynasty, from which we get the modern name of China, though the pronunciation is taken from the word “Hata”, which appears to refer to a type of cloth, and also resembles the word for banners or flags.  We mentioned them some time back in episode 63, when we talked about one of the early heads of the Hata, who was given the name Uzumasa.  That name is still used to identify a district in Kyoto to this day. And so here we are, back in the Kyoto area, near Fushimi shrine, which is also, as it happens, connected to the Hata family.  That story is found not in the Nihon Shoki, but rather it is attributed to fragments of the Yamashiro no Fudoki.  In that account we hear tell of a wealthy man named Irogu, whom we are told is a distant relative of Hata no Nakatsu no Imiki—no doubt a contemporary to the Yamashiro Fudoki, and the reason the story made the cut.  Irogu, it seems, had made himself wealthy through rice cultivation.  In fact, he had so much rice that he was using mochi—pounded glutinous rice cakes—as targets for his archery practice.  As he was shooting at the mochi, suddenly one of them turned into a swan and flew up into the sky, up to the top of a nearby mountain.  Where it landed rice, or “ine”, began to grow. That mountain is none other than the site of Fushimi Inari Shrine, a shrine that will show up again and again in various stories, as it was quite prominent.  Though the shrine was only founded in the 8th century, the story may indicate that there were older rituals, or perhaps that it was a focus of worship much like Mt. Miwa, down in the land of Yamato, to the south, and that shrine buildings were simply added to the mountain at a later date.  Fushimi is, of course, the place, and Inari is the name of the god, or kami, worshipped at the shrine.  Inari is a god of farming—specifically of rice cultivation—and today small Inari shrines can be found throughout Japan.  They are typified by red gates—usually multiple gates, one after the other, often donated by various individuals.  In addition, one might see Inari's servants and messengers, foxes, which take the place of the lion-dogs that often guard shrine precincts.  Importantly, these foxes are not the kami themselves, but simply the kami's messengers.  Still people will often bring gifts of oily, deep fried tofu—abura-age—said to be a favorite of foxes, to help ensure that their prayers—their messages to the kami—are swiftly and properly delivered. I could probably do an entire episode on Fushimi Inari and Inari worship in Japan.  There is so much material on the phenomenon on foxes, or kitsune, and fox-spirits, especially with the co-mingling of both continental and insular belief, which is sometimes at odds.  For now, however, we can confine ourselves to the fact that Fushimi clearly had connections to the Hata family, who have shown up a few times in the past, but are still largely taking bit roles in things at the moment.  Nonetheless, since the Chroniclers were writing from the 8th century, things like this, which were no doubt important to the powerful families of their day, were often included. Getting back to our main story, when Hata no Ōtsuchi came before the prince, Ame Kunioshi, he told a story of how he had been traveling the land, coming back from trading in Ise, when he came upon two wolves, fighting each other on a mountain.  The wolves were each covered in blood from their hostilities, and yet, through all of that, Hata no Ōtsuchi recognized them as visible incarnations of kami.  Immediately he got off his horse, rinsed his hands and mouth to purify himself, and then made a prayer to the kami.  In his prayer he admonished them for delighting in violence.  After all, while they were there, attacking each other, what if a hunter came along and, not recognizing their divine nature, took both of them?  With his earnest prayer he got them to stop fighting and he then cleaned off the blood and let them both go, thus saving their lives. Hearing such a story, Ame Kunioshi determined that his dream was likely sent by the same kami saved by Ōtsuchi, or perhaps another spirit who had seen his good deed, who was recommending this good Samaritan to the prince.  And who was he to deny the kami?  So when he came to the throne, Ame Kunioshi put Hata no Ōtsuchi in charge of the Treasury. That would have to wait until he actually ascended the throne, however; an opportunity that preserved itself with the death of his half brother, Takewo no Ōkimi.  When Takewo passed away in 539, we are told that the ministers all requested that Ane Kunioshi take the throne, but at first he deferred, suggesting that the wife of his eldest half brother, Magari no Ohine, aka Ankan Tennō, take the throne, instead. This was the former queen, Yamada, daughter of Ōke no Ōkimi, aka Ninken Tennō, so no doubt she had a good sense of how the government should work.  Yet she, too, waved off the honor.  Her reasoning, though, is a very patriarchal and misogynistic diatribe about how women aren't fit four the duties of running the country.  Clearly it is drawn from continental sources, and it always makes me wonder.  After all, the Nihon Shoki was being written in the time of rather powerful women controlling the Yamato court – which, I imagine irked some people to no end, especially those learned in classic literature, such as the works of Confucius. So I wonder why this was put in.  Did he truly defer to her?  Or was this just to demonstrate his magnanimous nature?  Was she pushed aside by the politics of the court?  I also wonder why they went to her, and not Takewo's wife.  It is also interesting to me that the Chroniclers only note her own objections to her rule, and there isn't a peep out of the assembled ministers. There appears to be another possible angle.  Some scholars have pointed out inconsistencies with the timeline and events in the reign of Ame Kunioshi that may have actually happened much earlier, including the arrival of Buddhism.  They suggest that perhaps there was a period of multiple rulers, possibly rival dynasties, with Magari no Ohine and his brother, Takewo, handling one court and Ame Kunioshi ruling another.  If that were the case, then was Yamada the senior person in the other line?  At the very least she represents the transfer of power and authority over to Tashiraga's lineage. Moving forward, we're going to want to pay close attention to these kinds of political details.  Often we'll see how how princes of different mothers will end up as pawns in the factional infighting that will become de rigeur in the Yamato court, with different families providing wives in the hopes that they might eventually be family members to the next sovereign. So, however it really happened, Ame Kunioshi took the throne.  He reappointed Ōtomo no Kanamura and Mononobe no Okoshi Ōmuraji and named Soga no Iname no Sukune back to his position as Ō-omi.  He set up his palace at a place called Shikishima, in the district of Shiki in the middle of the Nara Basin in the ancient country of Nara—still within sight of Mt. Miwa and, by now, numerous kofun built for previous kings, queens, and various nobles.  Both the Emishi and the Hayato are said to have come and paid tribute—apparently part of the enthronement rituals—and even envoys from Baekje, Silla, Goguryeo and Nimna are said to have stopped in with congratulatory messages.  These were probably fairly pro forma messages to maintain good—or at least tolerable—relations between the various states of the day, not unlike today when various people call a newly elected president or prime minister to congratulate them on their own entry to office. He also took as his Queen his own niece, daughter of his half-brother, the previous sovereign, Takewo Hiro Kunioshi Tate, aka Senka Tennō.  Her name was Ishihime, and she would provide Ame Kunioshi with several children, including the Crown Prince, Wosada Nunakara Futodamashiki no Mikoto, aka the eventual Bidatsu Tennō. By the way, for anyone concerned that Ame Kunioshi was” robbing the cradle”, so to speak, remember that he was already 33 years younger than his brother.  It is quite possible, assuming the dates are correct, that he and Ishihime were roughly the same age.  To put it another way, if Ame Kunioshi was a Millennial, his brother Takewo had been a Boomer, meaning that Ishihime was likely either Gen X or a Millennial herself, to extend the analogy. Of course, they were still uncle and niece, so… yeah, there's that.  I could point out again that at this time it was the maternal lineage that determined whether people were considered closely related or not.  Children of different mothers, even with the same fathers, were considered distant enough that it was not at all scandalous for them to be married, and that we probably should be careful about placing our own cultural biases on a foreign culture—and at this point in history many aspects of the culture would be foreign even to modern Japanese, just as a modern person from London would likely find conditions in the Anglo Saxon era Lundenwic perhaps a bit off-putting.  Still, I don't think I can actually recommend the practice. Now it is true he was coming to the throne at relatively young age.  He was probably about 30 years old when he took charge of the state, while his brothers, their father's eldest sons, had come to the throne much later in life, in their 50s or 60s.  And if Ame Kunioshi was actually ruling earlier then he might have been younger, running the state of Yamato—or at least some part of it—when he was still in his early 20s. Along with Ishihime, Ame Kunioshi took several other wives.  The first two were Ishihime's younger sisters, Kurawakaya Hime and Hikage.  Then there were two daughters of Soga no Iname—and yes, *that* Soga no Iname, the re-appointed Ō-omi.  At least three of the next four sovereigns would come from those two unions, and I'll let you take a guess at how the Soga family's fortunes fared during that time.  Finally, the last wife was was named Nukako, and she was the daughter of Kasuga no Hifuri no Omi.   Kasuga was also the family name of Kasuga no Yamada no Himemiko, who had turned down the throne to allow Ame Kunioshi to ascend, though we don't hear too much else from the Kasuga family.  This could be connected to that, although it is hard to be certain.  For the most part the Kasuga family seems to stay behind the scenes, but the fact that they are inserting themselves into the royal line at different points would seem to be significant.   The Soga, on the other hand, are going to feature quite prominently in matters of state moving forward. While it is unclear just when the various marriages occurred—they may have happened before or after his ascension to the throne—it is interesting to see how much influence the Soga family may have had in the royal bedchamber, something we would do well to remember as we look into this period.  And while the Soga family was on the rise, other families were not doing so well.  In particular, it seems that something happened to the Ōtomo family. Now don't get me wrong, Ōtomo Kanamura, that veteran courtier, was reappointed as Ōmuraji at the start of the reign, and given all of his influence up to this point, he clearly had been doing something right.  But then we have a single incident at the start of Ame Kunioshi's reign that makes me wonder. It took place during a court visit to Hafuri-tsu-no-miya over at Naniwa—modern Ōsaka.  Hafuri would appear to refer to a Shinto priest, so apparently they were at the palace—or possibly shrine—of the Priest, at least as far as I can make out.  When Ame Kunioshi went out, much of the court came with, including Ōtomo no Kanamura, Kose no Omi no Inamochi, and Mononobe no Okoshi.    Of those three, Kose no Inamochi seems a bit of an odd choice, but we'll go with it, for now. While they were there, away from the palace, talking over various subjects, the conversation turned towards talk about invading Silla.  At this, Mononobe no Okoshi related the story of how Kanamura had basically orchestrated giving up four districts of Nimna over to Baekje.  Those were the Upper and Lower Tari, Syata, and Muro.  This had pissed off Silla, who no doubt wanted as much of a buffer state between them and their allies as possible, and who also may have felt that Nimna and other border states were theirs to manipulate.  Through all of these talks and deliberations, which apparently went on for some time, Kanamura stayed at home, out of the public eye, feigning illness.  Eventually, though Awomi no Ōtoshi no Magariko came to check in on him and see how he was doing, and Kanamura admitted that he had simply been feigning illness to get out of the humiliation of having given up the provinces so many years ago. Hearing of this, Ame Kunioshi pardoned Ōtomo no Kanamura of any guilt.  He could put the past behind him and speak nothing of it. And he did.  Speak nothing of it, that is.  Or at least nothing that was recorded in the Chronicles.  From here on out, we don't hear of Kanamura—and barely of Ōtomo.  There is a brief mention of Kanamura's son, Sadehiko, who had gone to the Korean peninsula to fight back in the previous reign.  Then, another member of the Ōtomo pops up again in the reign of Bidatsu, but this appears to be the last time we see an “Ōtomo no Ōmuraji”—no other Ōtomo would be recorded as having taken that position, even though others, particularly the Mononobe, would continue to be honored with the title up through at least the 7th century. Ōtomo no Kanamura's exit at this point in the narrative seems somewhat appropriate, as the narrative will go on to focus on Nimna, and the violence on the peninsula.  That fighting would consume much of the next century, with Silla eventually winding up on top, but that was not always a foregone conclusion.  In the meantime there were numerous battles, back and forth.  Sometimes it was Silla and Goguryeo against Baekje and Yamato.  Other times, Silla and Baekje fought against Goguryeo.  Then there were the smaller states of Kara, Ara, Nimna, and more. With all of that chaos, the Chronicles record numerous people from the peninsula coming to stay in the archipelago, but also there were many ethnic Wa people—possibly from Yamato, especially based on their names—that went to live and fight on the peninsula as well.  Family names such as the Mononobe, Ikuba, and even Kibi show up with Baekje or Silla titles, intermingled with other names of unknown, though likely peninsular, origin.  This intermingling would appear to indicate that the states of the Korean peninsula were multi-ethnic states, with individuals from all over.   Despite—or perhaps even because of—all the fighting, there seems to be an increased intercourse between the various states, as well as with states like the Northern Wei, to the West, in the Yellow River Basin, and Liang, to the South, along the Yangtze. We'll dive into all of that chaos and confusion—and try to draw a few more concrete facts and concepts—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 Tweet at us at @SengokuPodcast, or reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan
The Asuka Period Begins

Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2023 25:04


This episode we take a look at the reign of Takewo Hiro Oshikuni Tate, aka Senka Tenno, and we take our first steps into what is referred to as the Asuka Period, due to the large number of rulers who had courts in the region of Asuka in the southern Nara Basin. For more information, check out https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-80 Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 80: The Asuka Period Begins! When last we looked at the Chronicles, we were in the reign of Magari no Ohine, aka Ohoye—though we've gone with Ohine so I'm going to stick with that—aka Ankan Tennou.  Assuming the dating in the Chronicles is correct, he was born about 465, and would have come of age in the era of Wakatakiru no Ohokimi, aka Yuuryaku Tennou.  When his father, Wohodo no Ohokimi, first took the throne in 507, Ohine would  would have been in his early forties—his father only in his mid to late 50s.  And so when his father passed away about 25 years later, Ohine was already into his late 60s, himself.  It is unclear whether his father reigned for 25 or 28 years; the Chronicles say 25, officially, but then note that there is another source that claims it was 28.  It goes on to skip over about three years, during which Ohine himself didn't take the throne, allowing for 28 years to have passed.   That discrepancy of three years may not seem like much, but it is still curious. Realistically, though, he had his hand on the tiller of the ship of state for much longer.  We see his hand in stories dated to about 513, when he is shown politicking on national issues, taking a royal princess as his wife, and being established as the heir apparent.  So he is actively participating in the government, and while it does appear that the long tradition of co-rulership, which we've discussed a few times, may have died out around this period, there seems little doubt as to his influence in the court. And yet, Ohine's reign only lasted two years.  He was perhaps 68 or 69 years old when he took the throne, and he would die in the following year.  Despite his influence, his father's long reign had kept him off the throne for much of that time, and he was likely considered venerable even as he took the throne.  He was succeeded by his maternal brother, the second eldest son of Wohodo no Ohokimi, who full name was Take-wo Hiro Kunioshi Tate.  Based on his age and the dating in the Chronicles, he was only about one year younger than his older brother.  So everything I said above about Ohine coming to the throne at a late age applies to Takewo as well - he would have also been through almost 7 decades by that point, so he was no spring chicken. It is unclear what Takewo's role was, growing up.  He was the second son.  His older brother was the heir apparent, and had his elder brother had children, no doubt those children would have been expected to inherit.  However, such as not meant to be, as Magari no Ohine died childless. Here I should point out that there were other brothers, since in the stories we've seen so far there has not necessarily been an insistence on the eldest brother taking the throne.   One of these brothers was the young Ame Kunioshi Hiraki Hiro Niwa no Mikoto.  Born to Wohodo and his formal queen, Tashiraga, he would have been 26 at the time of Magari no Ohine's death.  Young, in comparison to Takewo, but not impossibly so, and certainly old enough to have taken the throne.  In fact the Chronicles treat it as a forgone conclusion, though that is likely more twenty-twenty hindsight than anything else.  Besides, although his mother was queen, that appears to have been a blatantly political marriage, designed to join Wohodo's line with that of the previous sovereigns.  Even Ohine had married a royal princess from the previous ruling line, and Takewo would be little different.  Still, it seems likely that Takewo and Ohine were likely from the more favored line, at least at the time, and as they took the throne, had they had heirs who could follow after them those heirs would have likely been the new royal lineage. So: both Ohine and his brother came to the throne quite late in their lives, and neither would hold it for very long.  That doesn't mean, though, that there aren't some important tidbits for us in their stories.  As we've discussed in the last few episodes, a lot happened during Ohine's reign, particularly with the establishment of various royal granaries.  His entry in the Nihon Shoki is over twice the length of Takewo's, even though the latter's reign was longer, though not by much—lasting from the twelfth month of 535 to the spring of 539—a little more than three years, all told.  Still, Takewo's reign has a few notable events.  First such thing is the enthronement ceremony in the twelfth month of 535, as the Ministers of the court delivered up to Takewo the regalia—the sword and the mirror.  Notice that there is no mention of the jewel, and neither is their mention of the seal, which was the item given to Takewo's father, Wohodo, on *his* ascension, which we discussed back in Episode 75.  This continues something of a trend, where the sword and the mirror are the truly public regalia. Then, they moved the palace, as was customary.  The Chronicles say that they set it up in Ihorino, in Hinokuma.  This has traditionally been identified as being in the Hinokuma district of Asuka, near Omiashi jinja.  Omiashi jinja claims to be the family shrine of the Aya, one of the families that trace their lineage back to the weavers brought over from the Korean peninsula.  That family, much like the current dynasty, traced their own lineage back to the time of Homuda Wake, and I wonder if there wasn't some kind of connection that would have made Hinokuma important to the sovereign and the court back in the early 6th century. It is also near the site of the ruins of Hinokuma temple, said to have been established over a century later, in 686.  Temples often were their own kind of symbol, and likely spoke to some importance for this area at the time it was founded, though it is likely that was coincidental to the site's use by Takewo and his court, assuming the Chronicles can be trusted on that point. Now some of you, like me, may have picked up on the location of this palace; that is to say, Asuka.  As in the Asuka period.  This is the period, between the 6th and 7th centuries, when many of the sovereigns based their capitals out of this region south of Kashihara in the Nara Basin, and hence the name.  We'll talk more on this periodization—as well as the various dates and what they mean—later on in the episode.  For now, just know that this area, which is rich in archaeological evidence for this period, is going to be of particular importance to us—so much so that scholars have named an era after this region. After setting up the palace, we are told that Takewo appointed his ministers.  Two of the names are no surprise—Ohotomo no Kanamura and Mononobe no Arakahi were still around, and had continued in positions of power.  Two new names join the list, however:  Soga no Iname no Sukune was made Oho-omi, and Abe no Ohomaro no Omi was made Daibu. Soga no Iname comes from the famous Soga clan.  They claimed descent through none other than the famous Katsuragi no Sotsuhiko, and have popped up now and again.  For more on Sotsuhiko, check out episode 47.  The last mention appears to be during the reign of Wakatakiru no Ohokimi, when they mentioned Soga no Karako—which looks like it may be talking about someone born on the Korean peninsula.  Given their connections to the continent and their eventual connection with Buddhism—as we'll see in later episodes they played a large role in bringing it over and popularizing it in Japan—it seems quite likely that they had ties to the Korean peninsula.  Here, we see Soga no Iname being made Ohoomi, the head of the Soga no Omi family, and what appears to be a rank of prime minister, although so far the actual authority of the Oho-omi in State affairs seems a bit hit or miss. Abe no Ohomaro, on the other hand, is being made Daibu.  This term is interesting—they are not making Ohomaro the head of the Abe clan, which would also be Ohoomi, one assumes, just like the Ohomuraji of the Ohotomo and Mononobe, though there are a lot of “Omi” ranked families that have been mentioned, but only a handful who have been mentioned as Oho-omi.  The term “daibu” has shown up a few times in the Chronicles before, and generally just seems to refer to high ranking court officials, generally, though here it seems to be a specific court title.  It would certainly be used that way, later, but it is also possible that, like Omi, it was originally just a more general term for high ranking ministers. The Abe family has shown up here and there.   Much like the Mononobe, their family name appears to suggest that they were originally formed as one of the “-Be” corporate family groups, though of course they show up in the Chronicles well before that would seem to have been the case, and have been prominent enough to marry daughters off to various sovereigns, so they at least claim something of a pedigree.  They would continue to be important at court, and appear to have been close allies with the Soga clan, at least in this period. There are a host of famous Abe throughout history.  From the poet, Abe no Nakamaro, to the famous Onmyoji, or Yin-yang diviner, Abe no Seimei.  There was a branch of Abe in the Tohoku region that regularly caused problems for later courts.  And of course there is the modern political dynasty, as well, including the late Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo.  However, it is somewhat difficult to know just who is actually related.  The poet Nakamaro may be named for a village, rather than for his relationship to the court family.  There are even different ways of spelling and pronouncing the Abe name, even in the Nihon Shoki itself.  The Abe family was large enough that it would not have been difficult for someone to claim a relationship that didn't exist, particularly in some of the more chaotic times.  Still, we'll try to keep track of them as best we can, at least as they interact with our narrative.  In this case, that means keeping an eye on Abe no Ohomaro and his position at court. Besides affirming the ministers, there was also the appointment of a queen.  Here we again see the trend to connect this dynasty with the previous, as Takewo's primary wife was none other than Tachibana no Nakatsu, a daughter of Ohoke no Ohokimi, aka Ninken Tennou.  Together they had one son and three daughters, so technically it would appear that he did have an heir when he passed, but as we'll see, that isn't quite how the succession ended up working out. One of the major events of this reign seems rather substantial.  That's the creation of a government house—basically an administrative center—in northern Kyushu, specifically in Nanotsu no Kuchi.  Ostensibly it was to organize granaries to consolidate and distribute food as necessary.  Of course, it can't be forgotten that rice was not just food, but also the basis of the economy.  So granaries were just as much a place that taxes could be collected, and that would have given officials there a tidy sum, some of which was no doubt destined for Yamato, but which I imagine was also used to help grease the wheels of local government. We've seen this coming for some time.  We see the military subdual of Kyushu in the old stories, and we see various people sent out to bring it to heel or otherwise administer at least the northern areas, which would have been part of the critical trade routes between Yamato and the mainland.  Mononobe no Arakahi had been sent down with what we are told was a “battleax” of office to put down the Iwai Rebellion.  That was about ten years ago, and we see Arakahi still in the government.  Now, however, Yamato seems to be consolidating its hold over the area, instituting economic controls, beyond just the threat of military force. There are also the various areas and families that they drew upon to fund and kickstart this venture.  Most of it is from the Yamato region—Mamuta, in Kawachi; Owari, near modern Nagoya; Nihinomi, likely near Ohosaka; and Iga.  The families in charge of this include Aso no Kimi, who must have had some leverage in Mamuta; Soga no Iname, who held influence of the Owari no Muraji; Mononobe no Arakahi, who apparently was in charge of the Nihinomi no Muraji; and then the Abe family, who directed the Iga no Omi.  Of these, I find the Aso no Kimi most intriguing, as the others are all related to the great ministers of state.  Aso no Kimi feels out of place, to me.  It may be a reference to Mt. Aso or similar.  But I also can't help but notice that we have one Great Minister missing:  Ohotomo no Kanamura, though not for long. The rest of the setup of this government house—what sounds suspiciously like the area we'll later come to know as the Dazaifu—included commandments that the local regions of the island of Kyuushuu also provide funds, which is to say rice.  They consolidated reserves from Tsukushi, Hi, and Toyo, which is mostly northern Kyushu. This was all in the year 536.  Whether that is when it was commanded or that is when it was setup is not quite clear to me.  One suspects that it would have fallen to Mononobe no Arakahi to administer things from this new government center, if it weren't for that fact that Arakahi passed away only about a month later. It is unclear who administered this new government house immediately, but in the year following, 537, and with Silla breathing down Nimna's neck, Takewo's government assigned Ohotomo no Kanamura's sons, Iwa and Sadehiko, to assist Nimna.  Iwa took charge of the government in Tsukushi, which would have been supplying any adventures on the peninsula, including raising troops and making preparations. Meanwhile his brother, Sadehiko went to Nimna and, we are told, “restored the peace” there, as well as lending aid to Yamato's ally, Baekje. This is rather vague.  I don't see anything in the Samguk Sagi that clearly equates to this.  In 532, the Silla Annals talk about the King of Keumgwan Kara surrendering to Silla, though Kara would continue to be a going concern for at least another sixty years or so.  It is possible that this had something to do with this new expedition around 537, but it isn't clear. Takewo would pass away in 539.  His kofun near Mt. Unebi, just a little ways north of his palace at Hinokuma.  It is identified as one in modern Toriyacho.  It is said that he was buried together with his wife, Tachibana, and one of their children, who died while still quite young. And that's where we might end things, but there are a few other points to note for this period.  For one thing, this is a great time to discuss periodization in Japanese history, since some people claim that the Asuka period started during this reign—specifically referencing the date of 538. Periodization of historical eras often seems straightforward, but more often than not it is anything but.  Periods may be designated for political reasons or even cultural.  Political reasons may include things like a change in government, or even a change in the location of government.  Certainly the Nara period, starting in 710, is based quite squarely on the foundation of Heijo-kyo, the continental style capital in modern Nara city.  Likewise the Heian and Kamakura eras are often dated from the founding of the governments in those areas. However, just because the government moved does not necessarily mean that things changed overnight, or even much at all.  Likewise there were smaller changes that often happened within these periods, so within the Heian and Kamakura periods, you get terms like the Fujiwara and Insei periods to denote specific aspects of who was controlling the government at any given time. For some, that means that the Asuka period doesn't start until the reign of Toyomike Kashikiya-hime, aka Suiko Tenno, in 593, and by the narrowest definition only continues until the Taika reforms in 645, which are easily defined political dates with broad agreement across the scholarship for when they occurred. And yet, we know that there were governments based out of the Asuka period before that, if the Nihon Shoki is to be at all believed.  So if this is about the location of the capital, why not start it with Takewo and his palace?  Shouldn't that be the start of the so-called “Asuka Period”?  After all, during this period the sovereigns continued the practice of building new palaces upon their ascension, with most, though not all, being in the Asuka area.  And yet, that probably wouldn't really help break up the period in the most meaningful ways.  After all, if we go with that idea, why not start when Wohodo no Ohokimi built his palace in Iware, just a little to the north?  What was so different from one to the other? On the other hand, cultural periods tend to focus on changes in things like art or even thought.  These often overlap well, but not exactly, with political periods.  For instance, you may hear about the Higashiyama period, a time in the Muromachi when the Higashiyama era of Kyoto was ascendant, and it was influencing artistic growth and evolution across the country.  But even that is a hard thing to tack down. For the Asuka period, perhaps the biggest change – and one we will spend a lot of time discussing – was the introduction of Buddhism, that foreign religion from India, transported across Eurasia to the Korean peninsula and then over to Japan.  The primary figure to whom the spread of Buddhism in Japan is attributed is the enigmatic Shotoku Taishi, who served as a regent for Toyomike Kashikiya hime, and instituted myriad reforms, often along continental models.  And yet, if we want to look at the start of Buddhism, that actually goes further back—and for many it goes back all the way to the years included in this reign—specifically the year 538. Now the year 538 in the Nihon Shoki contains no mention of Buddhism.  In fact, the Nihon Shoki wouldn't have a record of anything related to Buddhist teachings coming to Japan until about 13 or 14 years later, in the reign of the following sovereign, known as Kimmei Tenno, whom we will be getting to shortly.  This chronicle states that it was in about 552 when an envoy from Baekje brough an image of the Buddha as well as Buddhist scriptures to the court.  However, these days it seems that many scholars prefer a date of 538 for this particular event.  The 538 date comes from the records of Gangoji Temple—the Gangouji Garan Engi—as well as the Jouguu Shoutoku Houou Teisetsu, aka the Jouguu-ki.  This latter is purported to be a biography of Shotoku Taishi, and comes from the 8th century, so contemporary with the Nihon Shoki, the Kojiki, and the Sendai Kuji Hongi.  Both of these sources lend credence to the idea of 538 being when these Buddhist icons first came over, and so many people will start the Asuka period at this date. To be clear, it isn't as if Buddhism came over once and that was the end of it and everybody became Buddhist.  This is just the first recorded instance of Buddhist items and ideas entering Japan—it wasn't until later, as the court was adopting more and more continental ways, that Buddhism really gained acceptance and spread.  Eventually it seems that state sponsorship of temples would override the construction of large kofun, as economic resources and labor were shifted to these new institutions of the state, bringing the Kofun era to its eventual end.  But that is still down the road for us.  Right now we are just at the beginning of the introduction of Buddhism, and while things are changing and the state is definitely growing, life didn't suddenly take a turn one way or the other. As for the date of 538—why was this, in hindsight, incredibly important religious and cultural event not mentioned in the reign of Takewo?  Why was it instead mentioned in the reign of his successor? I've seen a few theories, but nothing that can concretely answer this question.  Of course, there is the possibility that Takewo just wasn't as impressive.  The Chronicles seem to take issue with both his lineage and his elder brother's, suggesting they weren't true heirs because they did not have the full pedigree that someone like their brother, Ame Kunioshi, had.  Of course, that could also have something to do with the path history took—to the Chroniclers it only made sense, but I think we can all see how that could have turned out differently. There is also a theory that Ame Kunioshi, aka Kimmei Tenno, was actually co-ruling.  Some have even suggested that Takewo and his brother, Magari no Ohine, were fictional,  though why they would need to pad things out is anybody's guess.  It certainly does not seem unreasonable to think that some tradition of co-rulership had briefly continued in some form.  As such, it may be that it did happen during Ame Kunioshi's reign, but that said reign overlapped with his brother.  If that were the case, the Chroniclers may have been teasing the two apart to provide a more direct narrative. In the end, it is hard to know exactly why the dates don't correspond between the different documents, but for our part I think we can say that we have now at least dipped our toes into the Asuka Period, especially as we get into the reign of Takewo's younger step-brother, the youngest son of Wohodo no Ohokimi, or so we are told:  Ame Kunioshi Hiraki Hiro Niwa, aka Kimmei Tennou But that will be for another episode, and there is so much to talk about:  More contact with the continent, further discussion of the coming of Buddhism, and perhaps a look at some of the archaeology, including some volcanic events that don't seem to have made it into the Chronicles themselves.  All of that, coming up. 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.  And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.    

Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

This episode we look at some of the physical evidence from this period.  In particular, since we are talking about the sovereign known as Ankan Tenno, we will look at a glass bowl, said to have come from his tomb, which appears to have made its way all the way from Sassanid Persia to Japan between the 5th and 6th centuries CE.  Along the way we'll take a brief look at the route that such an item may have taken to travel across the Eurasian continent all the way to Japan. For more on this episode, check out https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-79 Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is Episode 79:  Ankan's Glass Bowl. We are currently in the early part of the 6th century.  Last episode was our New Year's wrapup, but just before that we talked about the reign of Magari no Ōye, aka Ohine, aka Ankan Tennō.   According to the Chronicles, he was the eldest son of Wohodo, aka Keitai Tennō, coming to the throne in 534.  For all of the various Miyake, or Royal Grannaries, that he granted, his reign only lasted about two years, coming to an unfortunate end in the 12th month of 535.  The Chronicles claim that Ohine was 70 years old when he died, which would seem to indicate he was born when his father, Wohodo, was only 13 years of age.  That seems rather young, but not impossibly so. It is said that Ankan Tennō was buried on the hill of Takaya, in the area of Furuichi.  And that is where my personal interest in him and his short reign might end, if not for a glass bowl that caught my eye in the Tokyo National Museum. Specifically, it was the Heiseikan, which is where the Tokyo National Museum hosts special exhibitions, but it also hosts a regular exhibition on Japanese archaeology.  In fact, if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend checking it out.  I mean, let's be honest, the Tokyo National Museum is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Tokyo.  I think there is always something new—or at least something old that I find I'm taking a second look at. The Japanese archaeology section of the Heiseikan covers from the earliest stone tools through the Jomon, Yayoi, Kofun, and up to about the Nara period.  They have originals or replicas of many items that we've talked about on the podcast, including the gold seal of King Na of Wa, the Suda Hachiman mirror, and the swords from Eta Funayama and Inariyama kofun, which mention Wakatakiru no Ōkimi, generally thought to be the sovereign known as Yuuryaku Tennō.  They also have one of the large iron tate, or shields, on loan from Isonokami Shrine, and lots of bronze mirrors and various types of haniwa. Amongst this treasure trove of archaeological artifacts, one thing caught my eye from early on.  It is a small, glass bowl, round in shape, impressed throughout with a series of round indentations, almost like a giant golf ball.  Dark brown streaks crisscross the bowl, where it has been broken and put back together at some point in the past.  According to the placard, this Juuyo Bunkazai, or Important Cultural Property, is dated to about the 6th century, was produced somewhere in West Asia, and it is said to have come from the tomb of none other than Ankan Tennō himself. This has always intrigued me.  First and foremost there is the question of provenance—while there are plenty of tombs that have been opened over the years, generally speaking the tombs of the imperial family, especially those identified as belonging to reigning sovereigns, have been off limits to most archaeological investigations.  So how is it that we have artifacts identified with the tomb of Ankan Tennō, if that is the case? The second question, which almost trumps the first, is just how did a glass bowl from west Asia make it all the way to Japan in the 6th century?  Of course, Japan and northeast Asia in general were not strangers to glassmaking—glass beads have a long history both on the Korean peninsula and in the archipelago, including the molds used to make them.  However, it is one thing to melt glass and pour it into molds, similar to working with cast bronze.  These bowls, however, appear to be something different.  They were definitely foreign, and, as we shall see, they had made quite the journey. So let's take a look and see if we can't answer both of these questions, and maybe learn a little bit more about the world of 6th century Japan along the way. To start with, let's look at the provenance of this glass bowl.  Provenance is important—there are numerous stories of famous “finds” that turned out to be fakes, or else items planted by someone who wanted to get their name out there.  Archaeology—and its close cousin, paleontology—can get extremely competitive, and if you don't believe me just look up the Bone Wars of the late 19th century.  Other names that come to mind:  The infamous Piltdown man, the Cardiff Giant, and someone we mentioned in one of our first episodes, Fujimura Shin'ichi, who was accused of salting digs to try to claim human habitation in Japan going back hundreds of thousands of years. This is further complicated by the fact that, in many cases, the situation behind a given find is not necessarily well documented.  There are Edo period examples of Jomon pottery, or haniwa, that were found, but whose actual origins have been lost to time.  Then there are things like the seal of King Na of Wa, which is said to have been discovered by a farmer, devoid of the context that would help to otherwise clear the questions that continue to surround such an object.  On top of this, there are plenty of tombs that have been worn down over the ages—where wind and water have eroded the soil, leaving only the giant stone bones, or perhaps washing burial goods into nearby fields or otherwise displacing them. So what is the story with the tomb of Ankan Tennō, and this glass bowl? To answer this, let's first look at the tomb attributed to Ankan Tennō.  The Nihon Shoki tells us in the 8th century that this tomb was located at Takaya, in the area of Furuichi.  This claim is later repeated by the Engi Shiki in the 10th century.  Theoretically, the compilers of both of these works had some idea of where this was, but in the hundreds of years since then, a lot has happened.  Japan has seen numerous governments, as well as war, famine, natural disaster, and more.  At one point, members of the royal household were selling off calligraphy just to pay for the upkeep of the court, and while the giant kofun no doubt continued to be prominent features for locals in the surrounding areas, the civilian and military governments of the intervening centuries had little to no budget to spare for their upkeep.  Records were lost, as were many details. Towards the end of the Edo period, and into the early Meiji, a resurgence in interest in the royal, or Imperial, family and their ancient mausoleums caused people to investigate the texts and attempt to identify mausoleums for each of the sovereigns, as well as other notable figures, in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki.  Given that many of those figures are likely fictional or legendary individuals, one can see how this may be problematic.  And yet, the list that eventually emerged has become the current list of kofun protected by the Imperial Household Agency as imperial mausolea. Based on what we know, today, some of these official associations seem obviously questionable.  Some of them, for instance, are not even keyhole shaped tombs—for instance, some are circular, or round tombs, where the claim is often made that the other parts of the tomb were eroded or washed away.  Still others engender their own controversy, such as who, exactly, is buried in Daisen-ryō, the largest kofun, claimed to be the resting place of Ōsazaki no Mikoto, aka Nintoku Tennō.  Some people, however, claim that it is actually the sovereign Woasatsuma Wakugo, aka Ingyō Tennō, who is buried there, instead.  What is the truth?  Well, without opening up the main tomb, who is to say, and even then it is possible that any evidence may have already been lost to the acidic soils of the archipelago, which are hardly kind to organic matter. By the way, quick divergence, here—if you look up information on Daisen-ryō, aka Daisen Kofun, you may notice that there are drawings of a grave, including a coffin, associated with it.  That might get you thinking, as I did at one point, that Daisen kofun had already been opened, but it turns out that was a grave on the slopes of the square end of the kofun, and not from the main, circular burial mound.  Theoretically this may have been an important consort, or perhaps offspring or close relative of the main individual interred in the kofun, but most likely it is not for the person for whom the giant mound was actually erected.  So, yes, Daisen kofun remains unopened, at least as far as we know. As for the kofun identified for Ankan Tennō, today that is the tomb known as Furuichi Tsukiyama Kofun, aka Takaya Tsukiyama Kofun.  While the connection to Ankan Tennō may be somewhat unclear, the kofun has had its own colorful history, in a way.  Now most of the reports I could find, from about '92 up to 2022, place this kofun, which is a keyhole shaped kofun, in the correct time period—about the early to mid-6th century, matching up nicely with a 534 to 535 date for the reign given to Ankan Tennō.  But what is fascinating is the history around the 15th to 16th centuries.  It was just after the Ounin War, in 1479, when Hatakeyama Yoshihiro decided to build a castle here, placing the honmaru, the main enclosure, around the kofun, apparently incorporating the kofun and its moats into the castle design.  The castle, known as Takaya Castle, would eventually fall to Oda Nobunaga's forces in 1575, and most of the surrounding area was burned down in the fighting, bringing the kofun's life as a castle to an end. Some of the old earthworks still exist, however, and excavations in the area have helped determine the shape of the old castle, though there still have not been any fulsome excavations of the mound that I have found.  This makes sense as the kofun is designated as belonging to a member of the imperial lineage. There are, however, other keyhole shaped kofun from around the early 6th century that are also found in the same area, which also could be considered royal mausolea, and would seem to fit the bill just as well as this particular tomb.  In addition, there are details in the Chronicles, such as the fact that Magari no Ohine, aka Ankan Tennō, was supposedly buried with his wife and his younger sister.  This is, however, contradicted by records like the 10th century Engi Shiki, where two tombs are identified, one for Ankan Tennō and one for his wife, Kasuga no Yamada, so either the Chronicles got it wrong, or there were already problems with tomb identification just two centuries later.  So we still aren't entirely sure that this is Ankan Tennō's tomb. But at least we know that the glass bowl came from a 6th century kingly tomb, even if that tomb was only later identified as belonging to Ankan Tennō, right? Well, not so fast. The provenance on the bowl is a bit more tricky than that.  You see, the bowl itself came to light in 1950, when a private individual in Fuse, Ōsaka invited visiting scholar Ishida Mosaku to take a look.  According to his report at the time, the bowl was in a black lacquered box and wrapped in a special cloth, with a written inscription that indicated that the bowl had been donated to a temple in Furuichi named Sairin-ji. There are documents from the late Edo period indicating that various items were donated to Sairin-ji temple between the 16th to the 18th centuries, including quote-unquote “utensils” said to have been washed out of the tomb believed to be that of Ankan Tennō.  Ishida Mosaku and other scholars immediately connected this glass bowl with one or more of those accounts.  They were encouraged by the fact that there is a similar bowl found in the Shōsōin, an 8th century repository at Tōdai-ji temple, in Nara, which houses numerous artifacts donated on behalf of Shōmu Tennō.  Despite the gulf of time between them—two hundred years between the 6th and 8th centuries—this was explained away in the same way that Han dynasty mirrors, made in about the 3rd century, continued to show up in burials for many hundreds of years afterwards, likewise passed down as familial heirlooms. Still, the method of its discovery, the paucity of direct evidence, and the lack of any direct connection with where it came from leaves us wondering—did this bowl really come from the tomb of Ankan Tennō?  Even moreso, did it come from a 6th century tomb at all?  Could it not have come from some other tomb? We could tie ourselves up in knots around this question, and I would note that if you look carefully at the Tokyo National Museum's own accounting of the object they do mention that it is quote-unquote “possibly” from the tomb of Ankan Tennō. What does seem clear, however, is that its manufacture was not in Japan.  Indeed, however it came to our small group of islands on the northeastern edge of the Eurasian continent, it had quite the journey, because it does appear to be genuinely from the Middle East—specifically from around the time of the Sassanian or Sassanid empire, the first Iranian empire, centered on the area of modern Iran. And it isn't the only one.  First off, of course, there is the 8th century bowl in the Shousoin I just mentioned, but there are also examples of broken glass found on Okinoshima, an island deep in the middle of the strait between Kyushu and the Korean peninsula, which has a long history as a sacred site, mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, and attached to the Munakata shrine in modern Fukuoka.  Both Okinoshima and the Shōsōin—at least as part of the larger Nara cultural area—are on the UNESCO register of World Heritage sites, along with the Mozu-Furuichi kofun group, of which the Takaya Tsukiyama kofun is one.. Okinoshima is a literal treasure trove for archaeologists. However, its location and status have made it difficult to fully explore.  The island is still an active sacred site, and so investigations are balanced with respect for local tradition.  The lone occupant of the island is a Shinto priest, one of about two dozen who rotate spending 10 days out at the island, tending the sacred site.  Women are still not allowed, and for centuries, one day a year they allowed up to 200 men on the island after they had purified themselves in the ocean around the island.  Since then, they have also opened up to researchers, as well as military and media, at least in some instances. The island is apparently littered with offerings.  Investigations have demonstrated that this island has been in use since at least the 4th century.  As a sacred site, guarding the strait between Kyushu and the Korean peninsula, fishermen and sailors of all kinds would make journeys to the island and leave offerings of one kind or another, and many of them are still there: clay vessels, swords, iron ingots, bronze mirrors, and more.  The island's location, which really is in the middle of the straits, and not truly convenient to any of the regular trading routes, means that it has never really been much of a strategic site, just a religious one, and one that had various religious taboos, so it hasn't undergone the centuries of farming and building that have occurred elsewhere. Offerings are scattered in various places, often scattered around or under boulders and large rocks that were perhaps seen as particularly worthy of devotion.  Since researchers have been allowed in, over 80,000 treasures have been found and catalogued.  Among those artifacts that have been brought back is glass, including glass from Sassanid Persia.  Pieces of broken glass bowls, like the one said to have come from Ankan's tomb, as well as what appear to be beads made from broken glass pieces, have been recovered over the years, once more indicating their presence in the trade routes to the mainland, although when, exactly, they came over can be a little more difficult to place. That might be helped by two other glass artifacts, also found in the archaeological exhibit of the Heiseikan in the Tokyo National Museum: a glass bowl and dish discovered at Niizawa Senzuka kofun Number 126, in Kashihara city, in Nara. This burial is believed to date to the latter half of the 5th century, and included an iron sword, numerous gold fittings and jewelry, and even an ancient clothes iron, which at the time looked like a small frying pan, where you could put hot coals or similar items in the pan and use the flat bottom to help iron out wrinkles in cloth.  Alongside all of this were also discovered two glass vessels.  One was a dark, cobalt-blue plate, with a stand and very shallow conical shape.  The other was a round glass bowl with an outwardly flared lip.  Around the smooth sides, the glass has been marked with three rows of circular dots that go all the way around, not dissimilar from the indentations in the Ankan and Shōsōin glass bowls. All of these, again, are believed to have come from Sassanid Persia, modern Iran, and regardless of the provenance of the Ankan bowl, it seems that we have clear evidence that Sassanian glassworks were making their way to Japan.  But how?  How did something like glass—hardly known for being the most robust of materials—make it all the way from Sassanid Persia to Yamato between the 5th and 8th centuries? To start with, let's look at Sassanid Persia and its glass. Sassanid Persia—aka Sassanid or Sassanian Iran—is the name given to the empire that replaced the Parthian empire, and is generally agreed to have been founded sometime in the early 3rd century.  The name “Sassanid” refers to the legendary dynastic founder, Sassan, though the first historical sovereign appears to be Ardeshir I, who helped put the empire on the map. Ardeshir I called his empire “Eran sahr”, and it is often known as an Iranian or Persian empire, based on their ties to Pars and the use of the Middle Persian, or Farsi, language.   For those not already well aware, Farsi is one of several Iranian languages, though over the years many of the various Iranian speaking peoples would often be classified as “Persian” in English literature.  That said, there is quite a diversity of Iranian languages and people who speak them, including Farsi, Pashto, Dari, Tajik, and the ancient Sogdian language, which I'm sure we'll touch on more given their importance in the ancient silk road trade.  Because of the ease with which historical “Iranian” ethnic groups can be conflated with the modern state, I am going to largely stick with the term Persian, here, but just be aware that the two words are often, though not always, interchangeable. The Sassanid dynasty claimed a link to the older Achaemenid dynasty, and over the subsequent five centuries of their rule they extended their borders, dominating the area between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, eastward to much of modern Afghanistan and Pakistan, running right up to the Hindu Kush and the Pamir mountains.  They held sway over much of Central Asia, including the area of Transoxiana.  With that they had access to both the sea routes, south of India and the overland routes through the Tianshan mountains and the northern and southern routes around the great Taklamakan desert – so, basically, any trade passing between Central and East Asia would pass through Sassanid territory. The Persian empire of the Sassanids was pre-Islamic—Islamic Arab armies would not arrive until about the 7th century, eventually bringing an end to the Sassanid dynasty.  Until that point, the Persian empire was largely Zoroastrian, an Iranian religion based around fire temples, restored after the defeat of the Parthians, where eternal flames were kept burning day and night as part of their ritual practice.  The Sassanids inherited a Persian culture in an area that had been dominated by the Parthians, and before that the Hellenistic Seleucids, and their western edge bordered with the Roman empire.  Rome's establishment in the first century BCE coincided with the invention of glassblowing techniques, and by the time of the Sassanid Empire these techniques seem to have been well established in the region. Sassanid glass decorated with patterns of ground, cut, and polished hollow facets—much like what we see in the examples known in the Japanese islands—comes from about the 5th century onward.  Prior to that, the Sassanian taste seems to have been for slightly less extravagant vessels, with straight or slightly rounded walls. Sassanid glass was dispersed in many different directions along their many trade routes across the Eurasian continent, and archaeologists have been able to identify glass from this region not just by its shape, but by the various physical properties based on the formulas and various raw materials used to make the glass. As for the trip to Japan, this was most likely through the overland routes.  And so the glass would have been sold to merchants who would take it up through Transoxiana, through passes between the Pamirs and the Tianshan mountains, and then through a series of oasis towns and city-states until it reached Dunhuang, on the edge of the ethnic Han sphere of influence. For a majority of this route, the glass was likely carried by Sogdians, another Iranian speaking people from the region of Transoxiana.  Often simply lumped in with the rest of the Iranian speaking world as “Persians”, Sogdians had their own cultural identity, and the area of Sogdia is known to have existed since at least the ancient Achaemenid dynasty.  From the 4th to the 8th century, Sogdian traders plied the sands of Central Eurasia, setting up a network of communities along what would come to be known as the Silk Road. It is along this route that the glassware, likely packed in straw or some other protective material, was carried on the backs of horses, camels, and people along a journey of several thousand kilometers, eventually coming to the fractious edge of the ethnic Han sphere.  Whether it was these same Sogdian traders that then made their way to the ocean and upon boats out to the Japanese islands is unknown, but it is not hard imagining crates being transferred from merchant to merchant, east, to the Korean Peninsula, and eventually across the sea. The overland route from Sogdia is one of the more well-known—and well-worn—routes on what we modernly know as the Silk Road, and it's very much worth taking the time here to give a brief history of how this conduit between Western Asia/Europe and Eastern Asia developed over the centuries.  One of the main crossroads of this area is the Tarim Basin, the area that, today, forms much of Western China, with the Tianshan mountains in the north and the Kunlun Mountains, on the edge of the Tibetan plateau, to the south.  In between is a large desert, the Taklamakan desert, which may have once been a vast inland sea.  Even by the Han dynasty, a vast saltwater body known as the Puchang Sea existed in its easternmost regions.  Comparable to some of the largest of the Great Lakes, and fed by glacial run-off, the lake eventually dwindled to become the salt-marshes around Lop Nur.  And yet, researchers still find prominent boat burials out in what otherwise seems to be the middle of the desert. Around the Tarim basin were various cultures, often centered on oases at the base of the mountains.  Runoff from melting ice and snow in the mountains meant a regular supply of water, and by following the mountains one could navigate from watering hole to watering hole, creating a natural roadway through the arid lands.  In the middle of the Basin, however, is the great Taklamakan desert, and even during the Han dynasty it was a formidable and almost unpassable wasteland.  One could wander the sands for days or weeks with no water and no indication of direction other than the punishing sun overhead.  It is hardly a nice place and remains largely unpopulated, even today. While there were various cultures and city-states around the oasis towns, the first major power that we know held sway, at least over the northern route, were the Xiongnu.  Based in the area of modern Mongolia, the Xiongnu swept down during the Qin and early Han dynasties, displacing or conquering various people. An early exploration of the Tarim basin and its surroundings was conducted by the Han dynasty diplomat, Zhang Qian.  Zhang Qian secretly entered Xiongnu territory with the goal of reaching the Yuezhi—a nomadic group that had been one of those displaced by the Xiongnu.  The Yuezhi had been kicked out of their lands in the Gansu region and moved all the way to the Ferghana valley, in modern Tajikistan, a part of the region known as Transoxiana.  Although Zhang Qian was captured and spent 10 years in service to the Xiongnu, he never forgot his mission and eventually made his way to the Yuezhi.  By that time, however, the Yuezhi had settled in to their new life, and they weren't looking for revenge. While Zhang Qian's news may have been somewhat disappointing for the Han court, what was perhaps more important was the intelligence he brought back concerning the routes through the Tarim basin, and the various people there, as well as lands beyond.  The Han dynasty continued to assert itself in the area they called the “Western Regions”, and General Ban Chao would eventually be sent to defeat the Xiongnu and loosen their hold in the region, opening up the area all the way to modern Kashgar.  Ban Chao would even send an emissary, Gan Ying, to try to make the journey all the way to the Roman empire, known to the Han court as “Daqin”, using the name of the former Qin dynasty as a sign of respect for what they had heard.  However, Gan Ying only made it as far as the land of Anxi—the name given to Parthia—where he was told that to make it to Rome, or Daqin, would require crossing the ocean on a voyage that could take months or even years.  Hearing this, Gan Ying decided to turn back and report on what he knew. Of course if he actually made it to the Persian Gulf—or even to the Black Sea, as some claim—Gan Ying would have been much closer to Rome than the accounts lead us to believe. It is generally thought that he was being deliberately mislead by Parthian merchants who felt they might be cut out if Rome and the Han Dynasty formed more direct relations.  Silks from East Asia, along with other products, were already a lucrative opportunity for middlemen across the trade routes, and nobody wanted to be cut out of that position if they could help it. That said, the Parthians and, following them the Sassanid Persians, continued to maintain relationships with dynasties at the other end of what we know as the Silk Road, at least when they could.  The Sassanid Persians, when they came to power, were known to the various northern and southern dynasties as Bosi—possibly pronounced something like Puasie, at the time, no doubt their attempt to render the term “Parsi”.  We know of numerous missions in both directions between various dynasties, and Sassanian coins are regularly found the south of modern China. And so we can see that even in the first and second centuries, Eurasia was much more connected than one might otherwise believe.  Goods would travel from oasis town to oasis town, and be sold in markets, where they might just be picked up by another merchant.  Starting in the fourth century, the Sogdian merchants began to really make their own presence known along these trade routes.  They would set up enclaves in various towns, and merchants would travel from Sogdian enclave to Sogdian enclave with letters of recommendation, as well as personal letters for members of the community, setting up their own early postal service.  This allowed the Sogdian traders to coordinate activities and kept them abreast of the latest news.     I'm not sure we have a clear indication how long this trip would take.  Theoretically, one could travel from Kashgar to Xi'an and back in well under a year, if one were properly motivated and provisioned—it is roughly 4,000 kilometers, and travel would have likely been broken up with long stays to rest and refresh at the various towns along the way. I've personally had the opportunity to travel from Kashgar to Turpan, though granted it was in the comfort of an air conditioned bus.  Still, having seen the modern conditions, the trip would be grueling, but not impossible back in the day, and if the profits were lucrative enough, then why not do it—it is not dissimilar to the adventurers from Europe in the 16th century who went out to sea to find their own fortunes.  And so the glass bowl likely made its way through the markets of the Tarim basin, to the markets of various capitals in the Yellow River or Yangzi regions—depending on who was in charge in any given year—and eventually made its way to the Korean peninsula and from there to a ship across the Korean strait. Of course, those ships weren't simply holding a single glass vessel.  Likely they were laden with a wide variety of goods.  Some things, such as fabric, incense, and other more biodegradable products would not be as likely to remain, and even glass breaks and oxidizes, and metal rusts away.  Furthermore, many of the goods had likely been picked over by the time any shipments arrived in the islands, making things such as these glass bowls even more rare and scarce. Still, this bowl, whether it belonged to Ankan or not, tells us a story.  It is the story of a much larger world, well beyond the Japanese archipelago, and one that will be encroaching more and more as we continue to explore this period.  Because it wasn't just physical goods that were being transported along the Silk Road.  The travelers also carried with them news and new ideas.  One of these ideas was a series of teachings that came out of India and arrived in China during the Han dynasty, known as Buddhism.  It would take until the 6th century, but Buddhism would eventually make its way to Japan, the end of the Silk Road. But that is for another episode.  For now, I think we'll close out our story of Ankan and his glass bowl.  I hope you've enjoyed this little diversion, and from here we'll continue on with our narrative as we edge closer and closer to the formal introduction of Buddhism and the era known as the Asuka Period. 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.  And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.      

VOA Express - Voice of America
Kampuni ya magari ya BMW imeonyesha gari la kwanza ulimwenguni lenye uwezo wa kubadilisha aina 32 za rangi ambazo zinamvutia dereva - Januari 10, 2023

VOA Express - Voice of America

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2023 29:59


Maonyesho hayo ya siku nne ambayo yamewakutanisha pamoja wavumbuzi wa teknolojia wenye ushawishi mkubwa ili kuonyesha bidhaa mpya na kufanya mikataba inaelezwa tayari yamevunja rekodi za mahudhurio ya watu laki moja huko Las Vegas kwenye jimbo la Nevada nchini Marekani

3' Grezzi di Cristina Marras
3' grezzi Ep. 369 Quadernini

3' Grezzi di Cristina Marras

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2023 3:01


La magia dei temi scritti da bambine e bambini sui quadernetti di scuola, un fantastico progetto che non solo ci fa leggere i contenuti ma ci fa anche vedere i quadernetti con le righe, i quadretti, le sbavature, gli errori e le correzioni. Uno spaccato di vita che copre un periodo dal '700 ai primi anni del 2000. Un archivio da sfogliare gratuitamente in rete.LINK: Archivio dei Quaderni di Scuola https://quadernini.tumblr.comTRASCRIZIONE (translation below)Avere ancora i quaderni di quando si andava a scuola, una volta che si è diventati adulti, è un grande lusso. Significa che c'è qualcuno, un adulto, che li ha conservati quando noi eravamo bambini, eravamo troppo piccoli per capire che importanza avrebbero potuto avere poi, decine di anni più tardi, arrivati da adulti. Ma è anche il lusso di avere un posto dove conservare le decine o forse anche centinaia di quaderni accumulati durante una carriera scolastica. Un lusso non aver dovuto mai cambiare casa o nazione o continente. Io ho pochissimi quaderni di quando andavo alle elementari, forse 1 o 2, per ogni volta che li riprendo in mano, bello vedere la mia scrittura di quando ero bambina e leggere anche le cose molto ingenue, molto molto toccanti a volte, che si scrivevano quando si era bambini.Quindi potete immaginarvi la mia felicità quando ho scoperto che esiste un Archivio dei Quaderni di Scuola. È un archivio che ha circa 1500 quaderni italiani scritti da bambini e bambine a partire dalla fine del Settecento e arriva fino ai primi anni del 2000, ci sono anche un migliaio di quaderni scritti da bambini e bambine di altri paesi. E questo archivio ha anche un bellissimo sito internet infatti è da lì che ho preso queste queste informazioni (poi naturalmente nelle note del programma vi metto anche il link al sito) e il sito è fatto benissimo perché oltre a far vedere quello che i bambini scrivevano, pubblica anche i quaderni veri e propri, quindi i quaderni a righe a quadretti.Sfogliando così nel sito mi sono soffermata su un paio di chicche, comunque emerge leggendo tra le righe dei temi tutto quello che è tutto quello che crea una una società. Quindi si parla di feste e l'immancabile cambio delle stagioni, ma si leggono anche poi tra le righe le sovrastrutture messe dagli adulti, come il bambino di 5.ª elementare che nel suo tema Autoritratto dice "Mia mamma dice che se solo stessi un attimo zitto si metterebbero a suonare tutte le campane di Macerata, però quando poi non parlo lei si preoccupa subito". E chi è che non si può immedesimare in questo tipo di di rapporto tra mamma e bambino?Vi invito assolutamente andare a spulciare e a leggere tra le righe di questi di questi temi fatti da bambini in tutte in tutti i periodi. C'è una bambina sfollata a Seveso che sogna di tornare a Milano, scritta nel '45, insomma, passerete un po' di tempo a ricordare di quando voi eravate bambini e bambine. Magari vi fa venir voglia di andare a riprendere un vostro quaderno.TRANSLATIONStill having the notebooks from when you went to school, once you become an adult, is a great luxury. It means that there was someone, an adult, who kept them when we were children, we were too young to understand what importance they could have, tens of years later, once we are adults. But it's also the luxury of having somewhere to keep the dozens or maybe even hundreds of notebooks accumulated over a school career. A luxury never having had to move house or country or continent.I have very few notebooks from when I went to elementary school, maybe 1 or 2, and when I pick them up again, it's nice to see my handwriting from when I was a child and also read the very naive, sometimes touching things that were written when we were children.So you can imagine my happiness when I discovered that there is an "Archive of School Notebooks". It is an archive that has about 1500 Italian notebooks written by boys and girls starting from the end of the eighteenth century and up to the early 2000s, there are also a thousand notebooks written by boys and girls from other countries. And this archive also has a wonderful website, in fact that's where I got this information from (I'll include the link to the site in the program notes) and the site is very well done because, in addition to showing what the children were writing, also publishes the actual notebooks, so the squared and lined notebooks.Browsing through the site in this way, I focused on a couple of gems, and reading between the lines of the writings, all that is that creates a society emerges. So they write about festivities and the inevitable change of seasons, but we also read between the lines the superstructures put up by adults, like the 5th grade child who in his essay "Self-Portrait" states "My mom says that if only for a moment I would shut up, all the bells of Macerata would ring, but when I don't speak she gets worried immediately". And who cannot identify with this type of relationship between mother and child?I absolutely invite you to go and sift through and read between the lines of these compositions written by children in all of the periods. There is a displaced girl in Seveso who dreams of returning to Milan, written in 1945 during WW2, in short, you will spend some time remembering when you were boys and girls. Maybe it makes you want to go get your now notebook.

Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan
New Year's Recap 2023

Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2023 22:08


新年あけましておめでとうございます。 Happy New Year! This brief episode we take some time to recap the past year and look at what is cominng up in the future.  In addition, we will talk a little bit about the behind the scenes.   Rough Transcript Shinnen akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!  Happy New Year! Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is our New Year's Recap Episode for 2023. This year we covered topics from the 5th to the 6th centuries—from the time of Woasatsuma Wakugo no Sukune, aka Ingyou Tennou, back in episode 56, all the way up to Wohodo and his son, Magari no Ohoye, aka Keitai and Ankan Tennou, in episode 78.  These are the 19th through 25th and 26th sovereigns, according to the official reckoning, though as we've mentioned there are possibly a few missing—and maybe even a few added.  Still, in this time, we've seen the growth of the Yamato state, as well as various changes involving their relations with those on the other side of the continent.  So let's take a moment to look back at this and pull up from the individual stories to see how the larger narrative is coming along. Before we get into that, a quick note of thanks for all of our listeners out there.  We appreciate you—thank you for staying with us through this journey.  It is just so great to know there are others out there who are interested in all of this.  Also thanks to those who've reached out with assistance or with suggestions.  While not everything fits into the format or what we are currently doing, I have a list of things that I'm looking for ways to do or insert into the narrative at some point. I also thought I'd try to lift the curtain for you all a bit on the production of this little show, to help you understand a bit more about what goes into it. So first off, for those who haven't realized already, we aren't part of a major podcast network and we don't have a crew of people putting this together.  For the most part it is me and my wife, both of whom have other jobs and responsibilities, doing our best to put it out there.  Typically I'm looking for downtime to do the research and put a given episode together, and after I write my first draft I give it to her for a sanity check and editing.  Once she's had time to go over it, I record the podcast, which isn't always smooth, and edit out as many of the mistakes as I can.  Then we upload it—we are currently using Libsyn for distribution, and schedule it for release on either the first or the sixteenth of every month. Once the episode is recorded, that's usually where we start working on a blog post for the episode; I'm not sure how much people read the blogposts, vice just listen, since this is an audio medium more than anything else, but that is where I've tried to put up various names and individuals for people to follow along with what is going on, since we have so many different characters. One of the things that takes the most time is searching through and finding the images for the podcast blogs.  In some cases, I pull from our own extensive library of photos taken at various times and places, and otherwise I usually am looking for images in the public domain or at least using a license that can be used on the website. Depending on the amount of time all this takes, I try to focus first and foremost on getting the audio out on a consistent and regular basis, and sometimes I have to come back to the blog post later. I am hoping to add into this the transcripts for the show, to make things more accessible, as well as adding content up on YouTube, though that requires turning things into “video” which is all doable, just time consuming, especially with 78 episodes to update.  The transcripts should also allow me to add captions on YouTube, but I'm still figuring that out. And of course all of this is done as a labor of love at the moment—I still have a day job that pays the bills for hosting, new research material, etc., though Patreon and Ko-Fi donations are always appreciated. So those are the things that go into making the podcast.  If you have thoughts, advice, or questions, please feel free to reach out. Now, looking at the past year, we've spent a lot of time with the family that many scholars know as the Kawachi dynasty.  This is a term derived from the fact that early on they are said to have ruled from around the Naniwa area, and the giant keyhole tombs that popped up were largely in the Mozu-Furuichi tumulus group in modern Osaka, in the old land of Kawachi.  This includes the largest tumuli ever built, including Daisen-ryou. Daisen-ryou is the largest kofun in Japan and about the largest mausoleum for a single person in the world—on par with tomb of the Qin Shihuangdi, the first emperor of Qin, in modern Xi'an, for sheer size.  It is several stories tall, and really is like a man-made mountain.  It is also surrounded by numerous other kofun.  Compare this to the Great Pyramid, in Egypt.  The Pyramids are taller, rising over 140 meters in the air compared to Daisen's 47 meter height, but the pyramid rises from a square base about 53,000 square meters.  Daisen's mound, meanwhile, covers about 100,000 square meters, and with the moats, covers approximately 460,000 square meters in total. I finally had the opportunity to visit the Mozu tumulus group in November this past year and it really is impressive.  One thing about these tombs is the manpower that was clearly required to build them.  They are *massive* and it required an enormous engineering effort.  Before all the trees grew up on the mound and the surrounding earthworks—not to mention all of the modern buildings—these tombs would have been clearly viewable from miles around.  This ability to mobilize individuals in a single effort is one of the key factors that archaeologists look at to assess the strength of the early state in the archipelago. One other thing about these mounds, and something I'm not quite sure we addressed—recent investigations appear to indicate that most of them were built with solar and lunar considerations.  While this might not be entirely obvious when looking at a map—they appear almost to be random at that point—a team out of Italy published an article in the journal, Remote Sensing, in January of this past year, 2022, that used satellite imagery to study the orientation of the major keyhole tombs in the Japanese archipelago.  They determined that the orientations were not random, and that there appears to be a connection to both the sun and the moon, so that the main corridor would be illuminated by both throughout the year.  Daisen Ryou is even oriented specifically to the summer solstice sunset. Of course, some of these astronomical alignments may be affected by other factors.  For example, those kofun near the eastern edge of the Nara basin won't see the sunrise until it crests over the mountains, which may affect their orientation.  Others may have also been influenced by things like proximity to sacred sites, like Mt. Miwa.  And of course, subsidiary tombs, like the others in the Mozu Kofun group, were oriented in relation to the main tomb.  None of this was done willy-nilly; there is still a lot to be considered, and it is also possible that the importance of various directions and points on the calendar changed over the centuries of kofun building and even with differences in local practice.  There is still a lot of work to be done here, but it is fascinating to see continued work on this topic, including the use of modern technology, especially with the restrictions placed on modern archaeologists when it comes to excavating these kofun that remain so closely tied to the Japanese imperial family. For all that we don't know, the Mozu and Furuichi kofun groups do leave their mark on this period, which covered much of the last year.  Even the Chronicles, as questionable as they may be in their narrative, describe courts at least attached to the Kawachi area, especially Naniwa, generally identified as modern Ohosaka, where the Yodo river empties into the Seto Inland Sea.  The first tenno we talked about in 2022 was Woasatsuma Wakugo no Sukune, aka Ingyou Tennou—curious for the apparent use of a courtly title, Sukune, in his name.  Woasatsuma was supposedly disabled, although then miraculously healed, I guess?   Either way, he wasn't exactly expected to succeed his brothers, and yet he did. Woasatsuma's own death led to the kind of violent succession struggle that we've come to associate with this period.  His own son, Anaho, aka Ankou Tennou, took the reins, but immediately went after the Kusaka line, supposedly because of some dastardly deeds by a rogue courtier, named Ne no Omi.  After Anaho's forces killed Prince Ohokusaka, it was only later that they found out it was all just a big misunderstanding.  However, that's not how Ohokusaka's son, Mayuwaka, saw it, and he, at an extremely young age, took revenge and killed Anaho.  This set off yet another bout of bloodletting that saw Anaho's brother, Ohohatsuse Wakatakeru, murder his way through the royal family until he was the only surviving viable heir to the throne. The rise of Wakatakeru, aka Yuuryaku Tennou, would seem to make him out as quite the villain.  The Chroniclers certainly spill plenty of ink telling his story, but in hardly the most flattering of terms.  And yet, his reign is one of the lengthier and more impactful reigns.  He is also the first or second sovereign who appears to be confirmed by contemporary sources.  The first might be Woasatsuma Wakugo, though this is questionable – the famous mirror from the Suda Hachiman Shrine has an inscription that can be read in several different ways, but may recall his marriage in one interpretation.  For Wakatakeru, however, we have at least two swords from different parts of the archipelago that mention his name.  This seems to confirm that there was not only a sovereign named Wakatakeru—or possibly Wakatakiru—around the right time, but they had enough influence that their name was apparently known across the archipelago. This is also the time of the Five Kings of Wa from the Liu Song chronicles.  How exactly these sovereigns line up with the Ohokimi of the Chronicles is still unclear—many assume that Bu must be Wakatakeru, since Bu and Takeru use the same character, at least in modern interpretations.  A wrench in this theory is that Wakatakeru's name on the two swords, mentioned above, use characters in a phonetic, rather than meaningful, way.  So it isn't entirely clear that Wakatakeru used that character during his reign.  In fact, it is possible, though seemingly unlikely, that the five kings mentioned could be from another area of the Wa ethnic sphere altogether. Whosoever the Liu Song were interacting with, the discussion of the Wa and their requests give us some interesting detail about their ambitions on the peninsula and the archipelago.  Clearly someone on the Wa side was gathering enough support to not only make a trip to the Liu Song capital, situated as it was on the Yangtze river, but they were apparently credibly powerful enough for the Liu Song to take them seriously.  It is interesting that they were willing to also grant them titles over groups like Silla, Nimna, and Kara—titles that, arguably, the Liu Song had no authority to actually enforce, let alone grant—and yet they balked at legitimating titles over Baekje's territory.  Of course they also continue to refer to the territories of Mahan and Jinhan, which may not have actually been a going concern at the time.  They also differentiate between Nimna and Kara, which many later scholars would conflate into a single territory.  As such, most of this just brings up more questions for the 5th century than it answers. The archipelago's relationship with the continent in the fifth century is complicated.  Men of famous families are listed as having served in wars and fighting over on the continent, and there was certainly influx in the other direction, as well.  There is plenty of evidence for Baekje and other groups moving to the continent and making a name of themselves. They seem to have brought with them ideas for expanding Yamato's control over the archipelago.  For instance, we see the corporate -Be groups, groups created as a familial unit but geared around production of a specific good or service.  Some of these, like the horse keeper's Be, and the Jewel-maker's Be, are based around particular professions, but others are groupings of peasant groups, whose agricultural output was designated for a specific function—either the support of a royal individual or the support of an institution, such as the maintenance of a royal kofun. In particular, those groups created around production of a specific good or service could be made up of individuals throughout the archipelago, who reported, it seems, to a single courtier and their family.  This nominally gave the court centralized control over these production groups, and blunted the rights of local lords to make demands of them.  It was a truly impressive claim, one that I am hesitant to say was fully enforceable, but which nonetheless spoke to the aspirations of the court to become a central government. An example of this was the Hata family, whose name seems to reference cloth production, something that was sought after on the continent, but who also use the character for the Qin dynasty, often claiming that they came from there, or possibly from “Jin-han” on the Korean peninsula, where a similar story claims the Qin name as the origin of that “Jin” moniker.  Hata no Sake, a courtier who had an in with Wakatakeru, was placed in charge of all members of the Hata lineage—so theoretically all of those weaver families who had come over from the continent.  In turn, he ensured that they turned out goods as taxes for the central court.  The Hata family themselves would build a power base in the area of modern Kyouto, and a district in Kyouto still carries their name:  Uzumasa, the name given to Hata no Sake and spelled out with the characters of “Great Hata”, or “Ohohata”. This is also the era of numerous stories, including the first instance of the story of Urashima Tarou, Japan's very own Rip Van Winkle character, although the story here is only in its infancy.  Fact and fiction were still quite clearly interwoven, making it difficult to tell what was actually going on and what are just stories of a time long long ago. Love him or hate him, Wakatakeru's reign largely defines the 5th century.  Before his death he placed the Ohotomo and the Mononobe in positions of great authority.  Ohotomo no Muruya, and his descendant, Ohotomo no Kanamura, wielded considerable power—arguably more than the sovereigns that followed after Wakatakeru.  Of those we saw Wakatakeru's son, aka Seinei Tennou, but then he was followed by two sons—and even the daughter—of Prince Ichinobe, who was, perhaps, a sovereign in his own right. Ihitoyo briefly took the throne—she is remembered as a short-lived regent, but in all honesty was likely a sovereign ruler in her own right—and then her two brothers, Woke and Ohoke—aka Kenzou and Ninken Tennou.  They came to the throne through adoption, rather than birth, we are told, having gone into hiding after their father's murder at the hands of Wakatakeru.  Their reigns would not be extremely long, however, and eventually the throne passed to Ohatsuse Wakasazaki, aka Buretsu Tennou, the capstone on the Kawachi dynasty, which, despite its name, had theoretically moved back to the area of modern Sakurai, in the southeast corner of the Nara basin. With Wakasazaki's death, the court, under Ohotomo no Kanamura's apparent leadership, sought out a new candidate, and they had to go pretty far afield to do it.  They eventually settled on Wohodo, aka Keitai Tennou, and set him up on the throne.  While there are some who doubt even the existence of Keitai Tennou, considering him a potentially legendary founder of yet another dynasty, he is the bridge the Chroniclers use between the Kawachi dynasty and our last line of Yamato sovereigns—ones that would lead us up through to the present day.  Not that there weren't schisms and weird branchings or power-sharing arrangements between various lines after this time, but from about this point on we generally agree that the sovereigns appear to be related back to a common ancestor in at least the 6th century.  Beyond that, well, let's just say that we don't exactly trust everything that the Chroniclers put to paper. This new dynasty brought in new traditions, including abandoning the burial mound groups in the Mozu and Furuichi regions, and possibly abandoning, as well, a tradition of co-rulership, which appears to show up in the burials, but is not exactly attested to in the written Chronicles, possibly because it was too messy.  Such simplifications can be seen even in the modern day.  For instance, in some of the old martial arts, or koryu lineages, where there once were two distinct lineages, they may be conflated when they later came back together, with different generations interspersed amongst each other in an attempt to honor all those who came before.  Those without access to the history might look and think that it demonstrates a single, unbroken line, whereas the truth is messier and much more complicated.  Given what the Chroniclers had to work with, and the distance they were from the 6th century at that point, one has to wonder just what they actually knew. Although it may have been new, this dynasty appears to have acted much as the prior one did, possibly thanks to the continued presence of the Ohotomo family—specifically Ohotomo Kanamura.  He would continue to guide the ship of state as it entered a new era. All of this covers a critical period of state formation, as Yamato has gotten larger and more powerful, and exerts more and more influence it is also finding new ways of governing.  The key is that none of this happens at once, or in a vacuum. It isn't like one day a chieftain had an idea:  Hey, let's build giant mounds and then proclaim ourselves rulers of everything on these islands!  It was an evolution, and one that didn't necessarily always trend in a single direction towards a foregone conclusion, though of course that's how it often appears after the fact. At many points during this process, something could have happened—and sometimes did.  For instance, an unexpected death with no heirs, or military defeats on the continent.  Shifting alliances and changes in the balance of power could also destabilize things.  And yet, here we are, with court in Yamato sitting as at least primus inter pares, if not more, and with enough prestige to influence most of the archipelago, from the Kantou plain to Kyushu, and even to make an appearance in continental politics. And that's where stand, so far.  As we look into the New Year, we stare out into a new era of Japanese history.  This is still the Kofun era, yes, but in the coming year we can make out shapes of what is to come.  Influences from the continent will continue to shape the archipelago, including the influence of foreign thoughts from even beyond the edge of the upcoming Sui and Tang dynasties.  We see figures like the illusive, and possibly even fictitious, Shotoku Taishi, and the establishment of courts in the Asuka era.  This is the era of the coming of Buddhism, the rise of the Soga, and all of the benefits and strife that would bring to the archipelago and to the court.  All of that an more, soon to come.   That's all for now.  I just want to wish all of you, once more, a bright New Year—Shinnen Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu—and thank you again for listening.  Episode 79 we'll continue with this new dynasty, and look at possible connections with the continent, including some rather distant lands, next time on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Disciplina Dolce - Il Podcast di Elena Cortinovis
Ep. 54 - Forse è troppo tardi

Disciplina Dolce - Il Podcast di Elena Cortinovis

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022 14:06


Ultimo episodio del 2022. E così, l'avvicinarsi dell'anno nuovo, ci porta più o meno consapevolmente, a rivedere i famosi buoni propositi di quest'anno. Magari tra questi propositi c'è anche il desiderio di migliorare in qualche aspetto dell'educazione dei nostri figli. Magari urlare di meno, aver più pazienza o eliminare minacce e punizioni dalla nostra vita. Come ogni buon proposito, non so voi, ma difficilmente in un anno solo davvero si può cambiare radicalmente. È così piomba su di noi un pensiero: “ma non sarà ormai troppo tardi cambiare stile educativo?” Oggi parliamo di questo. C'è un momento in cui è troppo tardi per migliorare?

PENDENTE: Rubrica su Cinema, letteratura, fumetto ed esperienze culturali
Ricordi Disneyani: I Tre Caballeros e quell'estate del 2015

PENDENTE: Rubrica su Cinema, letteratura, fumetto ed esperienze culturali

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 15:22


Quando viene dicembre...beh, anni fa significava una sola cosa: Disney. Un cartone animato che riuniva tutti quanti in sala per passare un'ora e mezza all'insegna del divertimento e dell'intrattenimento. Ne sono cambiate di cosa da allora e la Disney ha smarrito la retta via ma ho deciso di ripercorrere la mia personale storia con questa casa di produzione che ha fagocitato l'industria hollywoodiana ma che un tempo era capace anche di offrire un po' di arte e passione. Il Natale si è concluso e quindi ritengo opportuno concludere l'anno con una visione leggera. Magari stupefacente. E quindi ecco "I Tre Caballeros", delirio visivo e cinematografico che porta la politica di buon vicinato tra la Disney e l'America Latina a livelli...strani.

Cose Molto Umane
978 - "Perché mi sembra di conoscerti?"

Cose Molto Umane

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2022 8:31


A volte stringiamo relazioni con persone che non conosciamo, a volte che nemmeno esistono. Magari non sembra, ma è perfettamente normale. Anzi: fa bene. Io sono Gianpiero Kesten, per gli amici Jam. Mi trovi ogni giorno in onda su Radio Popolare e in podcast su Cose Molto Umane. —

The Bonfire Podcast
Detto Fuori Dai Denti #5 - Il doppiaggio italiano: un'eccellenza mondiale

The Bonfire Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022 24:08


Sai quando la gente intorno a te parla entusiasta di quel film bellissimo che però a te ha fatto veramente schifo? Vorresti urlarlo, ma alla fine lasci sempre stare, per quieto vivere. Noi diciamo “no" al quieto vivere. Ma abbiamo bisogno di te e di quell'opinione pruriginosa che ti tieni dentro da anni. Ecco: dilla a noi. Fuori dai denti. Magari troverai insospettabili alleati.Ogni due martedì, un nuovo episodio. Per ascoltare e commentare qualsiasi opinione impopolare sulle storie. Ce n'era proprio bisogno, eh?Questa settimana commentiamo un'opinione un po' così sul mondo del doppiaggio. Italiano, ovviamente.Hai un'opinione impopolare su film, serie tv, libri o qualsiasi altra cosa riguardi le storie Raccontacela in un breve messaggio vocale su Instagram. Noi non vediamo l'ora di commentarla.Ci trovi qui:Instagram: https://bit.ly/2YUB6u4LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/30vzKqgIl nostro sito: https://bonfire.land/Sigla di Daniele Alfieri, scrittura e realizzazione della soundtrack di Daniele Alfieri e Luigi Piergentili, mastering di Edoardo Cicchinelli.

Uchumi na Biashara
Mbona Magari ya Umeme? | Uchumi na Biashara Podcast

Uchumi na Biashara

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2022 14:35


Baadhi ya kampuni za uagizaji na uuzaji wa magari nchini zimebadili mwelekeo na sasa zinajitosa katika uagizaji wa magari yanayotumia umeme. Kampuni ya hivi punde kufanya hivyo ni ya BasiGo na ya kwanza kuagiza mabasi 15 ya umeme ambayo yalitengenezwa na Kampuni ya BYD Automotive iliyo nchini Uchina. Mabasi haya tayari yamewasili nchini kupitia Bandari ya Mombasa na yanatarajiwa kutoa huduma za uchukuzi jijini Nairobi. Lakini je, mbona wafanyabiashara waanze kufuata muelekeo wa uagizaji wa magari ya umeme? Robert Menza amewahoji baadhi ya washikadau katika sekta hiyo

nairobi magari mombasa lakini biashara baadhi bandari
Mazingira Leo, Dunia Yako Kesho
Sekta ya uchukuzi inavyochangia uchafuzi wa hewa, na haja ya kukumbatia magari yanayotumia umeme

Mazingira Leo, Dunia Yako Kesho

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2022 9:58


Kulingana na UNEP, Sekta ya uchukuzi inachangia takriban robo moja ya uzalishaji wa gesi chafuzi, na hivyo basi kuwepo haja ya nchi kutafuta mbinu mbadala kama matumizi ya nishati safi kama umeme katika usafiri.

W LA DISLESSIA - IL PODCAST
Scopri la dislessia Ep. 127 - Servono scuole speciali per dislessici

W LA DISLESSIA - IL PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2022 6:04


Se tuo figlio ha difficoltà, magari stai cercando una scuola sensata da selezionare e ti stai informando a destra ed a manca.Magari sei spiazzato dalle affermazioni che senti fare a dirigenti o insegnanti, che possono dirti che la scuola è troppo difficile per un ragazzo con DSA.A quel punto ti potresti spaventare ed affliggere, ma di fondo quello che serve a tuo figlio è una scuola che sia "giusta" e che lo valorizzi.E' normale che i ragazzi con DSA non possono far parte di una sola classe e che siano redistribuiti tra le varie classi, ci sta ed è normale!Ma non sarebbe meglio una scuola solo per dislessici? Credimi, tanto spesso sento genitori che ne parlano e ci vengono i brividi.Non sarebbe meglio una classe per soli dislessici o, ancora peggio, una scuola per soli dislessici.Serve varietà nell'insegnamento. Ci sentirete dire milioni di volte che tutto quello che funziona per i dislessici, funziona anche per gli altri. Anzi, con quei piccoli accorgimenti, diventerebbe speciale tutto l'insegnamento.Insegnare con criterio ed in modo "speciale" renderà l'apprendimento funzionale davvero.E occhio alle scuole "amica della dislessia"! Non è detto che lì troviate davvero quello che serve per tuo figlio. Attenzione che non sia solo una scuola in cui si usano i tablet ed i PC, ma che sia una scuola in cui gli insegnanti mettono la dovuta attenzione.E ricordati che la possibilità di sbagliarsi è comunque elevata e ricorda anche che gli insegnanti sono esseri umani che possono sbagliare.

AI CONFINI - di Massimo Polidoro
"È la prova che siamo "figli" di ET?"

AI CONFINI - di Massimo Polidoro

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 21:19


"Qualcuno deve per forza averci insegnato come vivere e come sviluppare una tecnologia perché da soli non ce la facevamo? Magari una civiltà extraterrestre?” Oggi, a Domandaosi, per rispondere e spiegare come invece è più probabile un'evoluzione graduale ed esponenziale della creatività, leggo alcuni brani tratti dal libro di Stefan Klein, "Come cambiamo il mondo": https://amzn.to/3NHlz4LAderisci alla pagina PATREON e sostieni i miei progetti e il mio lavoro: http://patreon.com/massimopolidoroPartecipa e sostieni su TIPEEE il progetto del mio Tour 2022 in tutta Italia: https://it.tipeee.com/massimopolidoro Scopri il mio Corso online di Psicologia dell'insolito: https://www.massimopolidorostudio.com​Ricevi l'Avviso ai Naviganti, la mia newsletter settimanale: https://mailchi.mp/massimopolidoro/avvisoainaviganti e partecipa alle scelte della mia communitySeguimi:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/massimopolidoro/ Gruppo FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MassimoPolidoroFanClub Pagina FB: https://www.facebook.com/Official.Massimo.Polidoro Twitter: https://twitter.com/massimopolidoro Sito e blog: http://www.massimopolidoro.com Iscriviti al mio canale youtube: https://goo.gl/Xkzh8A

The Bonfire Podcast
Detto Fuori Dai Denti #4 - Ted Mosby ha rovinato How I Met Your Mother

The Bonfire Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 20:08


Sai quando la gente intorno a te parla entusiasta di quel film bellissimo che però a te ha fatto veramente schifo? Vorresti urlarlo, ma alla fine lasci sempre stare, per quieto vivere. Noi diciamo “no" al quieto vivere. Ma abbiamo bisogno di te e di quell'opinione pruriginosa che ti tieni dentro da anni. Ecco: dilla a noi. Fuori dai denti. Magari troverai insospettabili alleati.Ogni due martedì, un nuovo episodio. Per ascoltare e commentare qualsiasi opinione impopolare sulle storie. Ce n'era proprio bisogno, eh?Questa settimana commentiamo un'opinione impopolare sul protagonista di una delle sit-com più amate degli ultimi anni: "E alla fine arriva mamma".Hai un'opinione impopolare su film, serie tv, libri o qualsiasi altra cosa riguardi le storie Raccontacela in un breve messaggio vocale su Instagram. Noi non vediamo l'ora di commentarla.Ci trovi qui:Instagram: https://bit.ly/2YUB6u4LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/30vzKqgIl nostro sito: https://bonfire.land/Sigla di Daniele Alfieri, scrittura e realizzazione della soundtrack di Daniele Alfieri e Luigi Piergentili, mastering di Edoardo Cicchinelli.

W LA DISLESSIA - IL PODCAST
Scopri la dislessia Ep. 120 - Perché mio figlio fatica così tanto

W LA DISLESSIA - IL PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2022 9:10


Se hai un figlio nel mondo delle difficoltà scolastiche o se ha dei disturbi dell'apprendimento, ti sarai accorto di quanto sia impegnativo a volte dargli la sicurezza di riuscire.Magari ti sarà capitato che non si fidi delle sue capacità o che pensi proprio di non averne.Oppure non riesci a sganciarlo dal tuo aiuto quando si tratta di studiare o di fare i compiti.Le motivazioni di queste difficoltà sono molteplici, ma nel video di oggi, assieme a Valentina affronteremo un tema molto importante: i fattori di rischio ed i fattori di protezione.Tra i fattori di rischio possiamo trovare:Condizioni familiari;Difficoltà emozionali;Problemi scolastici;Contesto ecologico;Handicap costituzionali;Problemi interpersonali;Ritardi evolutivi/difficoltà nello sviluppo.Tra i fattori di protezione ci sono:le capacità individuali del soggetto (autoefficacia, resilienza, autostima);La possibilità di contare almeno su una persona di riferimento (sistema di relazioni e sostegno sociale);La possibilità di contare su una rete sociale di aiuto.Il punto fondamentale è che la vita e la crescita di un individuo sono una costante bilancia tra rischio e protezione.Puoi aiuti tuo figlio ad essere consapevole delle sue capacità e più lavorerai sui fattori di protezione, più riuscirà ad essere resiliente, sicuro e determinato nel provare a raggiungere un risultato.Più prendono il sopravvento i fattori di rischio e più la strada sarà piena di ostacoli.

W LA DISLESSIA - IL PODCAST
Scopri la dislessia Ep. 116 - Logopedia e Dislessia

W LA DISLESSIA - IL PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2022 5:33


Molto spesso i genitori lamentano il fatto che i figli non vogliono fare attività di potenziamento.Magari hanno iniziato un percorso di Logopedia (o altro tipo), ma alla lunga non ne vogliono più sapere.Perché succede tutto questo? I motivi sono molteplici.1. La persona non è preparata;2. Non è il momento giusto per tuo figlio;3. La persona è preparata dal punto di vista tecnico, ma non dal punto di vista della relazione.Questi 3 punti sono solo alcuni dei punti da toccare in quest'ambito, ma ci focalizziamo prevalentemente sul terzo.Un bambino (o un ragazzo) che sia DSA o meno ha sempre voglia di trovare qualcuno con cui instaurare una relazione ed imparare qualcosa di nuovo.Non sono necessariamente i ragazzi a non voler fare le cose, sicuramente non le lasciano perdere perché un giorno si svegliano e decidono di fare così.La relazione è il primo passo per qualunque attività.Sentirsi accolti, capiti, compresi a livello profondo è la miccia che consente ai ragazzi di dare il meglio che possono, sempre.Due sono le dimensioni a cui devi prestare attenzione: il gioco e la relazione.Spesso vanno di pari passo. Se le attività di potenziamento sono giocose, la relazione parte in un modo migliore ed i risultati sono più veloci ad arrivare.

The Bonfire Podcast
Detto Fuori Dai Denti #3 - Il Marvel Cinematic Universe fa schifo

The Bonfire Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 19:02


Sai quando la gente intorno a te parla entusiasta di quel film bellissimo che però a te ha fatto veramente schifo? Vorresti urlarlo, ma alla fine lasci sempre stare, per quieto vivere. Noi diciamo “no" al quieto vivere. Ma abbiamo bisogno di te e di quell'opinione pruriginosa che ti tieni dentro da anni. Ecco: dilla a noi. Fuori dai denti. Magari troverai insospettabili alleati.Ogni due martedì, un nuovo episodio. Per ascoltare e commentare qualsiasi opinione impopolare sulle storie. Ce n'era proprio bisogno, eh?Questa settimana, commentiamo un'opinione mooooolto impopolare sul Marvel Cinematic Universe, anche noto come MCU. Perché da grandi poteri derivano grandi responsabilità.Hai un'opinione impopolare su film, serie tv, libri o qualsiasi altra cosa riguardi le storie Raccontacela in un breve messaggio vocale su Instagram. Noi non vediamo l'ora di commentarla.Ci trovi qui:Instagram: https://bit.ly/2YUB6u4LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/30vzKqgIl nostro sito: https://bonfire.land/Sigla di Daniele Alfieri, scrittura e realizzazione della soundtrack di Daniele Alfieri e Luigi Piergentili, mastering di Edoardo Cicchinelli.

Radiomundo 1170 AM
La Conversación - Daniela Bluth con Lizzy Magariños

Radiomundo 1170 AM

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2022 31:40


Artista plástica y directora del Espacio Salamandra, donde se desarrollan varias disciplinas y se imparten clases en distintas áreas de las artes visuales.

Michele Schirru: Podcast Immobiliare
Sei in rotta di collisione oppure no?

Michele Schirru: Podcast Immobiliare

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 11:16


Magari la sto sparando grossa, ma una riflessione la dobbiamo fare.Non è detto che se la tua attività Social è inesistente, inconsistente, inconcludente, discontinua, amatoriale, caotica, lunatica, la tua agenzia immobiliare andrà in fallimento.Ci sono molti modi di fare comunicazione, non esiste solo l'ecosistema Social.E magari la tua agenzia è comunque molto forte al di là della sua attività sui Social.Ma, ma...In un contesto dove circa il 60% della popolazione globale (bambini inclusi) usa frequentemente i Social, viene difficile pensare che - oggi - non si debba pianificare una strategia di contenuti basata sui Social per avere successo.A maggior ragione nel contesto storico in cui stiamo vivendo.Ve ne parlo da quest'estate: la tendenza è verso il peggioramento delle condizioni di mercato.R - E - C - E - S - S - I - O - N - E, C- R - I - S - I.Cosa state facendo al riguardo? Come vi state tutelando? Cosa state costruendo per difendere il vostro patrimonio?Ma che dico, non solo difendere, c'è da seminare, immagazzinare, accumulare, irrobustire il vostro patrimonio aziendale.In altre parole, la possibilità di usare questo periodo come palestra per i vostri muscoli.È qui che i duri cominciano a giocare, gli altri se la faranno addosso.Non è il momento di rimandare, diminuire o sospendere le vostre attività di marketing.Non è il momento di tirare le cinghia su queste cose.Se dovete tagliare delle spese, riducete in parte quelle strettamente legate alla pubblicità, non il marketing.È il momento di continuare - o di iniziare a seconda dei casi - a fare attività mirata per la salvaguardia del vostro Brand.È il momento di investire le vostre risorse in attività che possano curare la vostra reputazione e tutelare la vostra immagine.LE PERSONE FANNO BUSINESS CON LE AZIENDE DI CUI SI FIDANO.E se volete che le persone si fidino di voi, ci sono da rispettare almeno queste tre condizioni fondamentali:i clienti devono parlare bene di voi;i vostri contenuti non devono essere auto-proclamazioni della vostra grandezza e superiorità;la vostra presenza - online e offline - deve essere tale da consentire un ricordo costante e positivo.Per quanto riguarda il primo punto, ci sono le recensioni.I vostri canali devono essere inondati di recensioni positive, e anche qualche negativa non fa mai male, perché nessuno può essere perfetto.Il tutto perfetto puzza di fasullo.Quali canali per le recensioni? Facebook, Google My Business, TrustPilot, per esempio.A proposito, ma perché Idealista e Immobiliare.it non hanno ancora implementato le recensioni nei loro portali? Chi glielo dice a Carlo Giordano?Tornando a noi, i contenuti sono il modo migliore per rispondere a questa problematica della fiducia.Sono il modo migliore per costruire un rapporto, per nutrire la consapevolezza del vostro marchio.Invece che puntare tutto sulla lead generation senza senso, piuttosto che sul volantino con la grafica figa, fate qualcosa per aumentare il valore percepito della vostra agenzia.Se non lo fate, sarete la solita agenzia immobiliare senza volto e senza nome che, casualmente, le persone incontrano in un portale immobiliare.Il valore percepito della vostra agenzia è fondamentale, soprattutto deve corrispondere a quello che voi avete in mente rispetto al vostro posizionamento.In cosa siete specializzati veramente? Cosa fate veramente bene? Lo comunicate? Vi siete mai chiesti cosa vi differenzia dagli altri?Ma per concludere torniamo da dove eravamo partiti.Se non pianificate la vostra strategia di contenuti, che sia con un piano editoriale super complesso oppure uno iper semplice, la vostra strada sarà sempre più buia.La crisi è in arrivo.E per contrastare questo momento complicato, l'universo digitale costituisce un rifugio abbastanza sicuro.Ma per stare bene nell'universo digitale e nello specifico Social, bisogna fare contenuti, altrimenti non c'è spazio per voi.Contenuti audio, video, testo, tutto: non ci sono sconti.Lo so che è difficile, ogni volta che ne parlo con i miei clienti me lo dicono che faticano a starci dietro. Ci sono cali fisiologici di attenzione e di motivazione, il vostro lavoro è un altro.Ma non c'è altra strada, o ci si organizza e si pianifica la creazione di contenuti, oppure è la fine.Siete protagonisti e creatori del vostro destino: che la forza sia con voi.

The Bonfire Podcast
Detto Fuori Dai Denti #2 - Speciale Halloween: Jumpscare? No, grazie.

The Bonfire Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 24:14


Sai quando la gente intorno a te parla entusiasta di quel film bellissimo che però a te ha fatto veramente schifo? Vorresti urlarlo, ma alla fine lasci sempre stare, per quieto vivere. Noi diciamo “no" al quieto vivere. Ma abbiamo bisogno di te e di quell'opinione pruriginosa che ti tieni dentro da anni. Ecco: dilla a noi. Fuori dai denti. Magari troverai insospettabili alleati.Ogni due martedì, un nuovo episodio*. Per ascoltare e commentare qualsiasi opinione impopolare sulle storie. Ce n'era proprio bisogno, eh?Questa settimana, commentiamo un'opinione netta su jumpscare e film horror. Ma senza saltare sulla sedia.Hai un'opinione impopolare su film, serie tv, libri o qualsiasi altra cosa riguardi le storie Raccontacela in un breve messaggio vocale su Instagram. Noi non vediamo l'ora di commentarla.Ci trovi qui:Instagram: https://bit.ly/2YUB6u4LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/30vzKqgIl nostro sito: https://bonfire.land/Sigla di Daniele Alfieri, scrittura e realizzazione della soundtrack di Daniele Alfieri e Luigi Piergentili, mastering di Edoardo Cicchinelli.*Oggi è l'eccezione che confermerà la regola. Forse.

Ball Don't Lie
Magari Ti Calmi (13x03)

Ball Don't Lie

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2022 93:48


Concludiamo la presentazione della stagione, tocca finalmente a Heat, Nuggets, Nets, Sixers, Warriors, Clippers, Suns, Bucks e Celtics

PENDENTE: Rubrica su Cinema, letteratura, fumetto ed esperienze culturali
If you look into the face of evil, evil's gonna look right back at you: American Horror Story-1984

PENDENTE: Rubrica su Cinema, letteratura, fumetto ed esperienze culturali

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2022 10:03


Preparetevi ad entrare in un mondo fatto di orrori. Creature che vivono nelle tenebre, fantasmi schiavi dei loro tormenti, mostri incompresi e pieni di rabbia ma soprattutto tutti abitanti di un mondo ricco di misteri e sofferenza. Preparatevi ad un'antologia dell'orrore ideata da Ryan Murphy e Brad Falchuk. Uno show televisivo inquietante ed imprevedibile che omaggia il cinema (e non solo) horror aggiornandolo e ricordandoci il sentimento più primordiale dell'esistenza umana: la paura. Buon Halloween! Dopo apocalissi sventate e pericolose sette, ci serve una vacanza. Magari in un campo estivo dove possiamo divertirci e stringere nuove amicize. Ma questo è "American Horror Story" che omaggia lo slasher cinematografico e quindi ci sono solo stragi. "1984" è l'ennesima dimostrazione della deriva non sempre piacevole intrapresa da "American Horror Story"...ma perlomeno è divertente.

QdA Blog Radio Podcast
Diario 59 - Appassionarsi all'arte

QdA Blog Radio Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2022 5:02


Non tutti entrano nell'ottica dell'arte. Per qualcuno la materia più bella del mondo è un labirinto di informazioni. In questa puntata del #diario di @quellodiarte parleremo di come ci si appassiona all'arte. Magari non scoccherà la scintilla ma il vostro migliorerà.

Dancing Day Time con Mauro Vay
Cose che valgono tanti soldi che magari abbiamo in casa

Dancing Day Time con Mauro Vay

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2022 0:46


Dancing Day Time con Mauro Vay
Cose che valgono tanti soldi che magari abbiamo in casa

Dancing Day Time con Mauro Vay

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2022 0:46


DDT in pillole
Cose che valgono tanti soldi che magari abbiamo in casa

DDT in pillole

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2022 0:46


The Bonfire Podcast
Detto Fuori Dai Denti #1 - I cinepanettoni non sono così male

The Bonfire Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 20:49


Sai quando la gente intorno a te parla entusiasta di quel film bellissimo che però a te ha fatto veramente schifo? Vorresti urlarlo, ma alla fine lasci sempre stare, per quieto vivere. Noi diciamo “no" al quieto vivere. Ma abbiamo bisogno di te e di quell'opinione pruriginosa che ti tieni dentro da anni. Ecco: dilla a noi. Fuori dai denti. Magari troverai insospettabili alleati.Ogni due martedì, un nuovo episodio. Per ascoltare e commentare qualsiasi opinione impopolare sulle storie. Ce n'era proprio bisogno, eh?Questa settimana, commentiamo un parere davvero impopolare sui cinepanettoni. Saremo d'accordo sul fatto che non siano poi così male?Hai un'opinione impopolare su film, serie tv, libri o qualsiasi altra cosa riguardi le storie Raccontacela in un breve messaggio vocale su Instagram. Noi non vediamo l'ora di commentarla.Ci trovi qui:Instagram: https://bit.ly/2YUB6u4LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/30vzKqgIl nostro sito: https://bonfire.land/Sigla di Daniele Alfieri, scrittura e realizzazione della soundtrack di Daniele Alfieri e Luigi Piergentili, mastering di Edoardo Cicchinelli.

Ecovicentino.it - AudioNotizie
Ucraina, possibile un incontro Biden-Putin. “Dipende” dicono gli Stati Uniti

Ecovicentino.it - AudioNotizie

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2022 1:08


Il presidente degli Stati Uniti Joe Biden non esclude un incontro con l'omologo russo Vladimir Putin. Magari al prossimo G20 di novembre a Bali.

W LA DISLESSIA - IL PODCAST
Scopri la dislessia Ep. 75 - I vuoti di memoria

W LA DISLESSIA - IL PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2022 6:14


Se tuo figlio si dimentica le cose, non crea automatismi, questo è il podcast che fa per te.Ad esempio perché in matematica un giorno ricorda le cose ed il giorno dopo no?Oppure perché un esercizio di italiano funziona e quello dopo, anche se molto simile, non va?Una delle caratteristiche dei DSA è quella di “subire” dei sovraccarichi di informazioni, che li portano ad andare più o meno in tilt ed a perdere di vista l'obiettivo per cui stavano lavorando.Magari dura una frazione di secondo, ma può essere determinante per la riuscita di un esercizio.Ma cosa fare?La prima cosa è non allarmarsi, non è una fase perenne, ma un momento transitorio.Se non carichiamo di tensione ed ansia il ragazzo, le cose sono destinate a migliorare con l'esperienza.Non è necessario quindi continuare a martellarlo di esercizi costantemente perché altrimenti “non automatizza”, anzi, spesso, proprio quel continuare ad insistere aumenta il sovraccarico ed anche l'idea di non riuscire.Servono pazienza, calma e molta dedizione.

Scienza
La dittatura impone vaccini obbligatori per tutti

Scienza

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 17:49


TESTO DELL'ARTICOLO ➜ www.bastabugie.it/it/articoli.php?id=4559LA DITTATURA IMPONE VACCINI OBBLIGATORI PER TUTTI di Paolo GulisanoNelle ultime settimane, abbiamo assistito al diffondersi di una psicosi generalizzata riguardo le Meningiti. Un caso costruito sul nulla. La NBQ ne ha già parlato [leggi nota alla fine dell'ariticolo, N.d.BB], i massimi esperti di Epidemiologia sono più volte intervenuti a rassicurare attraverso i media che non c'è alcun aumento di casi, ma non c'è niente da fare: è partito il passa parola tra la gente, specialmente tra le mamme, e non si ferma più. "Ma come? Con tutto quello che si sente? Tuo figlio non l'hai ancora vaccinato?" e la povera mamma che teme di essere degenere si affretta a intasare le linee telefoniche dei Servizi Vaccinazioni per prenotare il vaccino. "Quale?" Ma sì, mi faccia quello che "copre contro tutto". Magari.Ancora una volta, dunque, le vaccinazioni diventano uno degli argomenti di maggiore discussione in ambito sanitario - più di tanti argomenti di salute pubblica altrettanto se non molto più importanti - e si scatenano anche le faide politiche. Come la NBQ aveva già annunciato, la Regione Emilia-Romagna ha approvato prima di Natale una legge regionale che prevede l'esclusione dalle scuole dei bambini che non hanno fatto le vaccinazioni dell'obbligo. Immediatamente questo esempio è stato seguito da regioni con analoghe amministrazioni di Sinistra, a cominciare dal Lazio e dalla Toscana.Il Ministro Beatrice Lorenzin ha dato già il suo consenso a queste misure legislative, e non ha escluso che lo stesso Governo centrale possa prendere un simile provvedimento.CONTROVENTODi fronte a questa prospettiva, ha preso posizione il sindaco Cinquestelle di Livorno, Filippo Nogarin, un ingegnere, che ha dichiarato che rendere obbligatori i vaccini per i bimbi che vogliono frequentare l'asilo è una forzatura insopportabile.Il sindaco ha peraltro precisato di non essere un fanatico anti-vaccinale, di credere nella vaccinazione come mezzo per debellare le malattie più gravi, ma la scelta - ha puntualizzato - deve essere individuale. "Se si trasforma in un'imposizione, si viola la libertà del singolo individuo da un lato e si finisce per dare ossigeno a complottisti e sostenitori di teorie pseudoscientifiche pericolose. Se vogliamo raggiungere un risultato serio, dobbiamo lavorare sulla prevenzione, l'informazione e la comunicazione. Altrimenti si deresponsabilizza l'individuo e questo è molto pericoloso". Parole equilibrate e sensate. Ma contro di lui si sono scatenati i social e i paladini delle vaccinazioni ad oltranza. Il sindaco, che appena eletto aveva riscosso i consensi del mondo radicalchic e politicamente corretto per essere stato uno dei primi ad accettare la trascrizione dei "matrimoni" tra persone dello stesso sesso avvenuti in altri Paesi, si è reso conto a sue spese di cosa succede quando su altre questioni si prova ad andare controcorrente e a toccare determinati interessi. Il quotidiano l'Unità, dal suo stato preagonico, ha levato un grido trionfante: per Nogarin una Caporetto. Così scrive il giornale diretto da Staino.La cosa che più fa sorridere, in questa polemica tra "obbligazionisti" e difensori delle libertà individuali, è che in realtà in Italia l'obbligo delle vaccinazioni esiste già. Riguarda quattro vaccinazioni: Difterite, Tetano, Poliomielite ed Epatite B. Si tratta di obblighi "storici", esistenti da molti anni. L'ultima obbligatorietà riguarda l'Epatite B, introdotta nel 1991, quando i drammatici (e mai divulgati) dati epidemiologici dicevano che in Italia c'era più di un milione di sieropositivi per l'Epatite B, un virus che si diffonde coi rapporti sessuali e con il contatto con sangue infetto.SOLO ITALIA E FRANCIA HANNO L'OBBLIGO DI VACCINAZIONESarebbe stata necessaria anche una riflessione sugli stili di vita che portano alla diffusione di questo virus, ma si preferì puntare esclusivamente a tutelare le generazioni future, vaccinando tutti i nuovi nati. Dunque, l'obbligo esiste già. Un tempo ai genitori "inadempienti" questo obbligo venivano mandati a casa i Carabinieri, e i giudici dei Tribunali dei Minori potevano sospendere temporaneamente la patria potestà affinché si potesse effettuare le vaccinazioni. Misure francamente sgradevoli. In tempi più recenti, i giudici si limitano a verificare che le vaccinazioni non siano state evitate per trascuratezza dei genitori o stato di abbandono dei minori.Aggiungiamo che solo due Paesi in Europa hanno l'obbligo di vaccinazione: Italia e Francia. Due Stati, non a caso, con trascorsi giacobini. I Paesi più evoluti, dalla Scandinavia alla Gran Bretagna, alla Germania, non impongono, ma propongono. Il provvedimento legislativo adottato dall'Emilia-Romagna e che la Lorenzin vorrebbe fosse esteso a tutte le Regioni, è un grosso passo indietro, e bene ha fatto dunque il Sindaco di Livorno a prendere posizione, una facoltà che gli è concessa dalla Carta costituzionale che individua nel Sindaco il responsabile della salute pubblica nella propria comunità di competenza.Ma perché si invoca un provvedimento così draconiano come l'esclusione dei bambini non vaccinati dalle scuole? Per tutelare la salute degli altri bambini? No. Questi bambini non hanno nulla da temere - visto che sono vaccinati - dai piccoli inadempienti, che rischiano di essere tacciati di essere degli "untorelli". Semmai sono proprio loro ad essere a rischio, un rischio che evidentemente i loro genitori hanno deciso di assumersi.TERRORISMO PSICOLOGICOQuello che è in gioco, un gioco dove la tattica adottata è quella della paura, è l'introduzione di molti altri nuovi vaccini, che la Lorenzin ha annunciato trionfalmente per il 2017, insieme ai nuovi livelli essenziali di assistenza (Lea). E' il Piano Nazionale Vaccini, di cui si discuteva da molto tempo, e che è stato approvato sull'onda emotiva della fantomatica e inesistente epidemia di meningite. Non a caso prevede l'introduzione di diversi tipi di vaccini anti-meningite.Il numero di vaccinazioni che un bambino dovrebbe effettuare a partire dai 3 mesi fino ai quindici anni di età viene ad essere più che raddoppiato. Inoltre, ci vorrebbe un surplus di spesa di circa 100 milioni di euro, ma questo non sembra preoccupare il Governo. Potrebbe preoccupare - e molto - i cittadini. Ma - qualcuno afferma - tutto questo serve a salvare vite umane. Sulla letalità di malattie come la Varicella (è uno dei vaccini che verrebbero introdotti) ci sarebbe molto da discutere. Per non parlare del vaccino contro l'HPV, il Papilloma Virus, nei maschi.Questa vaccinazione è stata introdotta da pochi anni, non senza polemiche, e con numerosi Paesi che non l'hanno adottata, dubitando della sua efficacia e del rapporto costi-benefici. Si tratta di un vaccino contro alcuni agenti causali di infezioni dell'apparato genitale, che possono - col passare degli anni - portare a tumori. Il vaccino infatti - a livello popolare - è stato presentato come "il vaccino contro il tumore all'utero". Ora lo si vorrebbe proporre anche ai maschi, ed è facile immaginarsi la perplessità di molti genitori.Certo, le malattie a trasmissione sessuale sono in aumento, nonostante l'ormai capillare uso del preservativo, che doveva essere la salvezza da ogni infezione di questo tipo, e che evidentemente (ma questo gli esperti intellettualmente onesti lo sapevano e lo dicevano da molto tempo) ha un notevole tasso di fallibilità.Ma questo giustifica l'introduzione di tale vaccinazione? E' un dubbio che avranno tanti genitori. E allora una soluzione inquietante a quella che potrebbe essere una scarsa risposta alle offerte di tali vaccini sta nella coercizione. L'obbligo, dalle quattro vaccinazioni sopra citate, potrebbe essere esteso a tutte le proposte del Piano Vaccini. Un obbligo garantito dalle misure sanzionatorie come la non ammissione a scuola per i bambini o la radiazione dall'Ordine dei Medici per i sanitari che non vaccinano. Alla faccia della libertà e della democrazia. L'alternativa? Fare come in tutti gli altri Paesi europei: documentare, informare, educare alla salute. Senza diktat sgradevoli.Nota di BastaBugie: Paolo Gulisano nell'articolo sottostante dal titolo "Il tribunale del popolo ha deciso: è meningitefobia" riflette sul fatto che non sia più la scienza che detta l'agenda dell'organizzazione sanitaria, ma la spinta emotiva del momento. Poco importa che l'evidenza scientifica ci dica che non c'è alcuna epidemia di meningite. Nel 2015 i casi segnalati in tutta Italia sono stati circa 120. Ma con un meccanismo strano di lettura emotiva e paranoica dei dati reali, si sta diffondendo questa paura. E improvvisamente il vaccino diventa la panacea.Ecco dunque l'articolo completo pubblicato su La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana il 6 gennaio 2017:Negli scorsi giorni due fenomeni - tra loro collegati - hanno caratterizzato il panorama sanitario. Da una parte un sovraffollamento spaventoso dei reparti di pronto soccorso degli ospedali, dall'altra parte un enorme richiesta rivolta ai servizi vaccinazioni delle aziende sanitarie di vaccini anti-meningite.Dicevamo che si tratta di fenomeni correlati perché una grande percentuale delle affluenze al pronto soccorso era motivata, sia per bambini che adulti, da sintomi di febbre alta. Il lettore si chiederà: che c'è di strano? Siamo in inverno, e siamo in piena stagione influenzale. Già, ma molta gente, di fronte alla presenza di febbre, va a pensare alla Meningite, che è decisamente la malattia del momento. Le notizie di casi di questa malattia verificatisi negli ultimi mesi hanno scatenato una vera fobia collettiva, e come si diceva sopra, oltre a pensare al peggio di fronte a banali influenze, si è scatenata una vera e propria caccia al vaccino, che per certi aspetti ha del paradossale.