Podcasts about Shinto

A special interview with Dr. Ross Bender, who recently finished his translation of the Shoku Nihongi, including a capstone work on the court of the 8th century.  We cover his work, from his training with some of the greatest names in Japanese historical circles to his dissertation on the Hachiman cult and the Dokyo Incident, and then to his most recent work publishing translations of the various senmyo, the edicts, as well as the entirety of the Shoku Nihongi.  Throughout the discussion we touch on many different  topics, and for notes on everything, please check out our blogpost page:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/bender-interview   Rough Transcript: JOSHUA: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyō's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua, and this is a special episode I'd like to share with you an interview I had with Doctor Ross Bender, translator of the shogunate. Now, some of you may know Doctor Bender from his work translating the Shoku Nihongi, the official history of the Japanese court compiled in 797 and covering from the end of the Nihon Shoki in 697 through the entirety of the Fujiwara capital and Nara periods ending at the 10th year of the reign of Kanmu Tennō in 791. Not only has he translated the historical chronicles, but he has a series of books on the senmyō, the edicts, as well as more about that period, including institutional life more generally. And we cannot forget the paper that started at all, the Hachiman cult and the Dōkyō incident. We'll have links to all of this and more over on the episode blog post page. Now, in this interview, we cover the Shoku Nihongi and Dr. Bender's academic journey. Throughout that journey, he has had the chance to converse and study with some of the big names in Japanese historical circles, such as Donald Keene, Alexander Vovin, G. Cameron "Cappy" Hurst, and more. It was absolutely a pleasure to be able to talk with him about his career, his work, and about the Shoku Nihongi and this period more generally, and I really hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. So without further ado, I give you Sengoku Daimyo's interview of Dr. Ross Bender.    Dr. Bender, thank you very much for joining me for this. Dr. Bender has done some absolutely wonderful work, in particular with translating the Shoku Nihongi, which is going to be very key to some of the stuff we're going to be looking at here in the coming years. I want to thank you, first of all, for all of your efforts and welcome you to Sengoku Daimyo's Podcast, here; our little Chronicles of Japan.    DR. ROSS BENDER: Thank you. Happy to be here.    J: So your translation of the Shoku Nihongi: how did you come about deciding to do that? What was it that pulled you into the translation?    R: Well, it's a long story, but it does go back to my time in graduate school at Columbia in the 70s. In 1974, I finished my Master's thesis, which was "The Hachiman Cult and the Dōkyō Incident". I started grad school in 1971, and after a lot of intensive language training, became interested in Hachiman because, as you know, the common definition was that Hachiman was the Shinto god of war. Of course, at the time, the Vietnam War was raging. And so I became interested in, you know, what was this theology of a war God. And so I became rather obsessed with Hachiman, and, two things: In 74, I was in a seminar with Donald Keene on the Noh theater, and I found a play--a Hachiman play--called "Yumi Yawata". And I translated that and became interested in the way that Hachiman was portrayed in this Noh play. And then at the same time, I became interested in the Dōkyō incident and the Hachiman Oracle. So that was really my first encounter with Shoku Nihongi.    Two things I suppose really struck me. The first was that although the text is in classical Chinese or literary Sinitic, the senmyō and a few of the- there are a few poems are in the old Japanese script inscribed in Shoku Nihongi.    J: And the "senmyō": They are specifically the edicts.    R: They are the imperial edicts that are recorded in old Japanese.   And Motoori Norinaga, in the 18th century did an intensive study and interpretation, really, of them. And he came up with a canonical number of 62. There are some quibbles with that number, but that's the number. And so at the same time, I was discovering that some of the pioneers in the field had done work on these. So, for example, George Sansom in the 1920s had started to translate the senmyō, and he had also done work on the ritsuryo. And then in the 30s, JB Snellen had begun translation of the Shoku Nihongi, and he completed the years 697 to 715. So the reigns of Monmu and Genmei and-    J: I remember actually going through that translation. I think at one point I found it and was so enamored of like, oh, we have some of this, but then it then it stops.   R: Then it stops. And so both Sansom and Snellen are published in the Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. And as I say, these were real pioneers, you know, digging into this stuff. And it was amusing because Snellen prefaced his work by saying that Shoku Nihongi is "dry as dust". And he further said that translating it was like "intellectual coolie labor". But his translation, you know, is still very useful and extraordinarily well documented, footnoted. And of course, I was able to use that, although it needed updating.    J: You mentioned that you had language training before going into this.    R: Well, I started at Columbia in fall of 71 with no Japanese at all. I had visited Japan and as a teenager in 67, but no language training. So they gave me an intensive full year of language study. So you had first year, second year, and third year all in the first calendar year. And then in the second year of study you started Bungo and further modern Japanese. And I have to say that I was very fortunate to be at Columbia at a time when some of the giants and pioneers of the field were there. So Ivan Morris had the first class in classical Japanese, and we did bits of Hōjōki and Heike Monogatari. And he told us that when we eventually went to Japan, we might find ourselves at a cocktail party, and we could be sure to amaze the hosts. And so he had us memorize the opening lines of both of those.    J: That's fascinating. So, so all about the Gion bells, and-    R: Yes. "Gion shōja no kane no koe...", and "Yuku kawa no nagare wa..." So I actually- I think there was one time I was at a party with, oddly enough, bunch of pediatricians from Kobe Children's Hospital, and I tried them out and with Hōjōki, and they couldn't get it. They said, oh, is that Hyakunin Isshu?    J: [laughing] R: So I was kind of pleased about that. But then everybody knew the "Heike".    J: Right.    R: Yeah. So actually my first class in ancient Japanese history was with Morris. He tragically died in 1976, so he had the Bungo introduction in the fall. And then Donald Keene came back from Japan and did it in the spring. And so he introduced us to a Noh play and "Oku no Hosomichi" and Shinkokinshu, I think. So the language training was just excellent. And then in the third year, Doctor Hakeda did Shingon Buddhism and classical Chinese and so forth. So yes, there was a lot of front-loading and intensive language study, but it was very pleasurable.   J: As you're studying about Dōkyō and the Dōkyō Incident and Hachiman, that then allowed you to access these sources and the senmyō, and all of that, correct?   R: Right. That was my first introduction to them. Both the "Yumi Yawata" and the "Hachiman and the Dōkyō Incident" were published in the late 70s in Monumenta Nipponica, and then in 1980, I finished my dissertation, which was the political meaning of the Hachiman cult in ancient and early medieval Japan.    J: I came across that as I was going through Ōjin Tennō's period. R: Yes, it was sort of a simplistic construction, but what I did basically was to posit three stages of the Hachiman cult. The first at Usa, which was the oracular stage, the second at Iwashimizu, which was where the Ōjin Tennō connection developed, and also the Hachiman Daibosatsu connection. And then the third stage, you know, identified with Tsurugaoka in Kamakura, which was the Minamoto- Where the martial aspect--the god of war--really developed.    J: And that is fascinating because, you know, you go to Hachiman shrines today and that's probably where people's minds will first go. But it is such a fascinating religious exercise of like Shinto, but also kind of Buddhist and kind of continental.    R: Yes. And I don't know what the statistics are today, but at least I think 35 or 40% of Shinto shrines have some connection with Hachiman. So it's yeah, it's a fascinating study all by itself.   J: So as you were doing this, you come across the Shoku Nihongi. Can you talk a little bit about where the Shoku Nihongi falls in all of this?    R: Yes. Well, the notable thing about both Nihongi and Kojiki is that they begin with the Age of the Gods, so that the first sections, the Shinwa, are the mythologies. Nihongi probably becomes historically accurate sometime in the late, I don't know, it's late six hundreds, but for the seven hundreds it's probably pretty much historically accurate. And of course, you know that John Bentley just recently did the first English translation since I think 1898 was going to ask, so that was long overdue. And that's a very useful publication. J: It's interesting to see the differences in some of the things he updates and the different take he has on it in terms of how to do some of the translating.    R: Yes. And he is a historical linguist. And so he has a very valuable exegesis and commentary. And then, of course, Matthieu Felt just published the first volume of his translation. It was Oxford Press. That just came out a few months ago. That's also a useful document. He actually has the text of the Nihon Shoki along with the translation. And so that's very useful. And I'm not sure when he's going to be publishing the second half, but that's something to watch for.    So the first one started with The Age of the gods. Now, Shoku Nihongi is the second of the Rikkokushi, or 'Six National Histories', and it, unlike the first two, is judged to be a very accurate historical chronicle. And it, of course, was presented to the Court of Kanmu in two recensions, 794 and 797, and takes the story up to 791, which I think was the 10th year of Kanmu's reign. That's where it fits. And then, of course, you have the rest of the Rikkokushi. The next one is Nihon Kōki, which I'm just starting to get into now. Then Shoku Nihon Kōki, Nihon Montoku Tennō Jitsuroku, and then Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku. So they take the story up to 887, and they become increasingly detailed, and the language becomes more intricate as time goes on. But that's where Shoku Nihongi sits in terms of the six national histories, and they're all court chronicles, compiled by court scholars and ordered by the emperors. And of course, the point of view is that of the central court.    J: Right. You're not getting Kyūshū's take on things.    R: No. Although, you know, Kyūshū is a fascinating place. A lot happens there. So of course you have the Dazaifu, the Kyūshū government headquarters, which is an important outpost, almost a mini capital by itself. J: The first several dazai sōchi, I think, all become Daijin. Like Sadaijin, Udaijin. They kind of come back and do that if they don't pass away in the meantime.    R: Yeah, it's an important post. People take that position and come back. But also what's interesting is that the Hayato people of southern Kyūshū begin to appear in the chronicles, and in the early years, there are some major Hayato rebellions, and that's a story all by itself. Those rebellions are, for the most part, put down. And then there's some sort of accommodation because Hayato people show up at court almost as envoys from, you know, the barbarian realm, and then some of them become guards. So they are assimilated more or less early on. And then, of course, there's the whole question of the Hayato and the Emishi and where did they come from? There are some theories that when the Yayoi people came in they mixed with the Jōmon people and assimilated. But some theories that the Hayato in the far southwest and the Emishi in the northeast were remnants of the old Jōmon. So that's, you know, it's a possibility, but it's certainly interesting. And unlike the Hayato, the Emishi, as you know, were constant problem for the Nara court. And all through Shoku Nihongi, but particularly from about oh 780 on, there were more and more intense periods of warfare. And these are described in great detail in Shoku Nihongi. Karl Friday and Wayne Farris back in the 90s, both did books on. I think Farris was the "Heavenly Warriors: History of the Samurai". And then Karl Friday also did a book on the samurai, but they paid a lot of attention to these Emishi wars, so that's well documented in English. J: Getting back to the Shoku Nihongi, which includes all of this, really, what were some of the biggest challenges you found?    R: Well, part of the story is that after I finished my dissertation, I went off and did a variety of things, this and that, and finally wound up at University of Pennsylvania teaching in the English Language Programs, which was the program to teach English to foreign students. At that time the majority of the students when I started were from Japan. So I actually ran a program for the Monbushō, and they would send over Japanese high school teachers of English for a summer session, and we would give them language classes, but also pedagogical training, how to teach English. And so that was my connection with Japan during that period. And so I really was away from my original interest until the early 2000s. I took early retirement and I visited my old advisor, Paul Varley. He had, of course, taught at Columbia, but then he had retired and moved to University of Hawaii. I visited him, he introduced me to Wayne Farris, who was also there at the time, and they both encouraged me to get back, get back to work. So that was sort of the impetus. I have to give them credit for that. So I found myself in Kobe for several months in 2006, and that was when I decided I was interested in the senmyō. So my first thought, my first ambition was to translate the senmyō. As you know, in the late 80s and 90s, the immense five volume Iwanami collated and critical edition had come out, the one edited by Aoki Kazuo and his team. That was still a magnificent piece of work, you know, with I'm sure you've seen it with all of the head notes and footnotes, and on one page there's the kanbun and on on the facing page is the yomi-kudashi, and, you know, more than you could ever hope to know. But also at that time there were three modern Japanese translations, so that was very useful. It was a good time to be starting into this, so I went to a secondhand bookstore in Kobe and got myself the books, and that started, I guess, what's turned out to be a 20 year project.    J: 2006 to 2026.   R: Right.    J: And it looks like you're doing most of this through self-publishing. Is that correct?    R: Yes. I discovered early on that what's now called Kindle Direct--it used to be called Create Space--through Amazon was a very useful piece of software. In fact, I first published several volumes of poetry in 2012, and that was my introduction to using this platform. And I've been very pleased with it, because I don't have to wait years and years to try to find an academic publisher. And actually they pay royalties through Amazon, so... J: That's not bad.    R: Yeah, that's worked out well for me. So I never had a chance to have an academic position teaching Japanese studies. Although when I was at Penn, my friend Cappy Hurst--Cameron Hurst--was the chairman of the department and he had been a student also of Varley's at Columbia, although before my time. And he invited me to give some lectures in his class on Japanese history. So another thing was that my classical Chinese needed an upgrade. Fortunately, at Penn, Victor Mair was teaching a year long course in classical Chinese, and so I sat through that and he was extremely, extremely helpful. Then one other thing was that I also got to know Alexander Vovin, who at the time was at Hawaii, and he, of course, is *the*- was *the* authority on old Japanese. And, you know, his Man'yōshu translations and, and commentary are just really helpful. So he gave me some good advice. So I had good teachers all the way through. And, you know, I'm always very grateful for that.    J: You mentioned classical Chinese. I'm curious how much of it is a standard classical Chinese, or is it kind of their own thing in the archipelago? I'm curious what the language is like in the Shoku Nihongi.    R: Okay, so of course, at that time, the eighth century was sort of the apogee of the Tang dynasty, and at least from what Victor Mair told me. And he was very helpful in beginning this translation. And he would look at some of my stuff. And according to him, it was pretty much like the Tang dynasty Chinese. I think that's called Early- I forget- Early Middle Chinese. So at least for the eighth century, that seemed to be the case. And, you know, you have records in the Shoku Nihongi of teachers who come from the mainland and lecture and teach the correct pronunciation and how to read. And then, of course, with the Buddhist monks, they're using the Chinese translations of some of the Sanskrit, and they have their own techniques for reading. So, yeah, the eighth century is a really dynamic time because the Japanese, at least at the elite level, are and with the help of the Koreans and that should be emphasized after the fall of Paekche there were a large number of refugees and high ranking aristocrats who came to Japan and helped them to learn to read and write Chinese. And then, of course, the Japanese started sending students to China and, you know, staying there for ten, twenty years. So, yeah, it was a very dynamic time. And then, of course, they were learning how to use Chinese characters to express old Japanese. And that's another story in itself, using the characters as semantograms, but also as phonograms. That's one of the things I found really fascinating about old Japanese, about the senmyō. J: And how does that compare to- I think we usually just refer to "Man'yōgana" as any of that. Is it very similar to what's going on in the Man'yōshu, or is once again, is there something else going on with the senmyō?    R: The standard edition of the senmyō I think notes that there are about 250 some--if I've got the number right--of phonograms used in the senmyō. There is a huge number used in the Man'yōshu; much greater. In fact, I think Vovin once said that it's not really known that you can't count. Although Bentley has a very excellent book, I think it's called an ABC Dictionary of Phonograms, like that. He has really scoured the landscape. So- But you could say that the phonograms in the senmyō are Man'yōgana, but that the set of Man'yōgana is far, far greater. J: Only 250 phonograms to have to worry about, as opposed to going through the Man'yōshu and seeing every once in a while a character and going, which pronunciation or what are they trying to represent here?    R: Yeah, yeah. So I mean, Man'yō studies, you know, or a whole realm in themselves and some of the, the emperors--I'm thinking of Genmei especially, or is it Gensho? I think it's Gensho. She has three poems in the Shoku NIhongi and they may be included in Man'yōshu. So there's some crossover. I was going to say that, of course, once you start reading these phonograms, you begin to see where the kana systems developed from, from Man'yōgana.    J: Right. So I think I've read that in Old Japonic, we think that there were more or at least different sounds than maybe we have today. R: Yes.    J: And so you see it represented in different ways. You'll see the same--what we would think of as the same character--represented differently, because to them it was different.    R: Yes. So there's still, as far as I know, no absolute standard for representing old Japanese. You'll see different scholars have their own takes on it, and Vovin, in his Man'yōshu translations, has his own very intricate system. Another good place to look that's freely available. The Oxford, I think it's called the Oxford Ninjal Corpus of Old Japanese Texts, is an ongoing project. It's actually been ongoing for many years, but you can go there. They have laid out all of the Man'yōshu poems with their  romanization system. I suspect that, you know, that's very prestigious and will eventually become a standard. But that's where you find all these things. Like is it "Himiko" or "Pimiko"?    J: Do you say "Kapa", "Kaha", or "Kawa"?    R: Yes. There you go.   J: [Laughter]    R: Right. Yeah.    J: I'm constantly wondering that myself.    R: Yeah. So you'll see different scholars have different ways of approaching it. But my opinion is that the Oxford, which is a very long standing and slow running project, will probably produce the standard.   J: In doing this translation, were there any favorite moments or items of particular interest that you found? R: So yes, actually my first go at the senmyō were the edicts of the lady we call Koken/Shotoku. Actually, I think almost half of the senmyō were produced during her reign. And so that was where I started. I think the first article I got around to writing in 2009 was for the journal Oral Tradition, and it was called Performative Loci of the Shoku Nihoingi Edict 749 to 770. And also because of my interest in Dōkyō my interest in her went way back. So 2015 I did the edicts. I called it the Edicts of the Last Empress, and it was a translation of all of the edicts from her reign. That year and the next year I did the four volumes I called them, Nara Japan 749 to 757, 758 to 763. So that period was, yeah, my first period of interest. And of course it went back to the Hachiman cult and the Dōkyō incident. I mean, you know, the stories about this wild empress I saw I saw an article that's just come out. I think it's a compilation of Women in Japanese Buddhism. And the title of the article by Emily Simpson is "The Depraved Empress". So that was one of the things that, early on, I decided was not accurate. That's a whole rabbit hole by itself. But according to Shoku Nihongi, there's no evidence, you know, of any illicit goings on between the two. But in Nihon Ryoiki, which appears in the early Heian period, not much later, you find the first really scurrilous story that about Dōkyō and the Empress. And then, as if you look at, for example, Donald Keene's "Seeds in the Heart," he has a long excerpt from a medieval tale. I forget which one that, you know, really rings the changes. And what fascinated me was that in there was a Playboy fable- I forget they were called. Some sort of fabulous stories. This one was done anonymously, but it was a very scurrilous, licentious story about Dōkyō and the Empress, and done anonymously. But it was later found to have been Bill LaFleur--William LaFleur--who taught at Penn and passed away unfortunately, some years ago.    J: So then in the Shoku Nihongi, it's just straight up politics, right? Just about Dōkyō's rise. And then it's just the political conflict going on rather than anything else?   R: Right. And it's a very intense period of political- So of course, the story was that when she was at the Hora capital, which was up near Otsu, it was a brief capital, and she was there and she was ill, and Dōkyō apparently at that time attended her as a physician. And that was the beginning of their relationship. So this would have been 760 or so. But the only phrase is that Dōkyō received the favor of the Empress, but it doesn't have a sexual connotation. It's used in other political settings also.    J: Yeah, I have to wonder how much they weren't looking back at Wu in the Chinese, which of course she also gets excoriated for stuff that is questionable. How much worse was it than anything that any of the men did? But she was a woman doing it.   R: Yes. Well, that's what happens to female rulers. You know, you have Catherine the Great in Russia. So. Yes. So that was initially my what really excited me. It was that period. And then I finished the "Edicts" translation. This was 2012. Bryan Lowe, who's a good friend at Princeton, he was finishing his doctorate and he had a workshop on Shosoin documents, and he invited Dr. Sakaehara Towao to present at the workshop. And he had been Bryan's advisor in Japan. So I was able to meet him and then talk to him and said, you know, I think I'd like to translate Shoku Nihongi. And he basically said, go for it. But I met him later that fall in Nara. He was at the Todaiji Museum, and so he encouraged me. A lot of people gave encouragement along the way. Yeah. So 20 years later, actually, I finished the translation 2025. And then this year in the spring, I did what I- is sort of considered the capstone, the volume: "The Japanese Imperial Institution in the Eighth Century." That's available as an e-book and also paperback and hardcover. And so there I have about a 75 page overview of the eighth century and then the introductions, not the translations, but the introductions to each of the emperors throughout the period. I'm very happy with that. And that sort of puts a cap on it. I should mention that that was in memory of Herschel Webb, another one of my great teachers at Columbia. He had done a book way back in 68 called "The Japanese Imperial Institution in the Tokugawa Era". And so this is sort of an homage to his memory.   J: And we very much thank you for it.  I remember when that came out, and we definitely snapped it up as soon as we saw it.    R: Well, great.    J: [Laughter]   R: Yeah. And you know, it's all available on Amazon. So let me let me make my plug.    J: Absolutely. Absolutely. You mentioned something about the Nihon Kōki. Are you are you serious about taking this project on and moving forward, or is that just kind of something you're toying with? R: Well, no, I'm actually I've actually made a start. That's an immense document. And what I'm interested in is finishing the reign of Emperor Kanmu. He dies in 806. And so Nihon Kōki begins in 792, and I'm currently up to 799. But I'm not putting as much energy into it. I do maybe an hour a day if I feel like it, but it's slow going. But there's some really fascinating stuff. So Wake no Kiyomaro died in 799, and they've inserted this immensely long biography of his life at this point, although it was obviously produced later and it's set apart. But that has details of his miraculous trip to the Usa shrine. And, you know, it's not clear if somebody cut his tendons, but he was lame and so he was on his way to Kyūshū, and suddenly a pack of wild boars appeared and sort of escorted him down to the shrine. It is just a really wonderful story. Then he has a vision of Hachiman, which is not part of the Shoku Nihongi tale. Yeah, I'm trucking along. My ambition is at least to finish the reign of Emperor Kanmu, and then we'll see what time there is beyond that.    J: So do you have any recommendations for current students of Japanese history? Those coming up? R: Actually, there are some young scholars. I was at the Association for Asian Studies meeting in Columbus, Ohio, which was, I guess, yeah, 2025. And for some reason there were a good number of presentations on eighth and ninth century. So there's a scholar by the name of Nadia Kanagawa. She finished a dissertation at USC on immigrants in the eighth century. Then Abigail McBain finished up at Columbia, and her dissertation was on specifically Tang Buddhist monks and interchange with Japan. Yeah, so there are some young scholars who are digging in to this. You know, I was just looking the other day at Wikipedia, which is a good start for anyone. I would say, you know, take it with a grain of salt. But if you want to know the names of the, you know, the famous emperors and the rebels, you know, Tachibana no Naramaro, and Fujiwara no Nakamaro. And just, just the other day I found this amazing thing called 'Grokipedia', which apparently is a new. But it's one of those AI things. Yeah, but it had the best summary of the Shoku Nihongi that I've seen. So with the AI revolution, goodness knows what's going to happen. But yeah, I find that it's possible to dip in and a lot of things are available. For example, the Rikkokushi text is online, it's been online, and it was first published by Asahi Shimbun way back when. But I used that and then that the Oxford project that I mentioned is online -- more and more it's becoming possible to access, you know, original documents. J: Yeah, combination of making them available online, better online translations.    R: Machine translation is going great guns. Yeah-   J: Yeah. Although I have to admit, it can get you a sense of what the classical Chinese is kind of saying sometimes, but the translation for some of the old stuff just it still has some work to do. I think it's better if you can translate the at least the modern Japanese translation, rather than sometimes going back into this. It's still tricky.    R: Yeah, well, it's I admit I'm getting old, but this this stuff is getting kind of frightening. This machine translation...   J: It is, yeah.    R: I feel like I'd be out of the job if I had a job.    J: Well, I think there's still a lot of questions to be asked on that. I don't think we need to get into a whole thing on AI right now, but I think there's some great benefits, obviously. And then, you know, I definitely know there's some concerns too, because every once in a while it can just hallucinate an answer. And you might be going through things that seem absolutely wonderful and then find something that you're like, wait a minute, I never knew that. [laughter]     R: And then it turns out not to be true.    J: Yeah, I don't know if you heard there was one, and I mean, this was a year ago, which already seems, in AI terms, ages and ages, but apparently it hallucinated entire papers and authors.    R: Yes, that's there was I don't know if you follow the PMJS list.    J: Oh yeah.    R: But I think there was a discussion and an example of that. So it's-  J. But the world is going to be different. J: Things are changing. And I think we will figure out how to use the tools that are useful will hopefully win out. And there's always going to be certain things. For instance, I remember early days, Wikipedia and still, you know, looking at Wikipedia sometimes for certain things around more popular subjects got to be a little more wary, though I have found the Japanese Wikipedia has been great when you're just trying to look for something and go, let me at least get what a common sense of this is so that I know the other things to go research. R: Well, I was going to say, just to sort of sum up, yeah, we're in a very dynamic time, but the eighth century was very similar because the new technologies were pouring in from the continent and the peninsula, and people were learning these new methods of reading and writing and orality to literacy.    J: So any last thoughts? I do appreciate all your time. But any last thoughts as we finish up here?    R: Not really, but I noticed that yesterday you came up with a long spiel on the UNESCO World Heritage site, and that's exciting. The Asuka region you seem to have links to photographs that took me back to wandering around that area. The Ishibutai, I remember, was something. So party on and keep up the good work. J: Thank you very much and thank you again. Thank you for your time today, and thank you for all the work that you've put into this. You have made these sources so much more accessible for people in English, and I think that is going to be critical as we move forward. I know for me this is a huge help. I was looking at Shoku Nihongi going, okay, I know we've got like the first so many years so I can get through that and then I'm really going to have to up my game. Then I saw all the work that you'd been doing and it was like a big load felt lifted off of my back. Now I can, you know, take a look. But at least with the idea that someone more experience than I has already done some of the really hard labor. I really want to say thank you for all of that.    R: Yeah, you're very welcome.    J: And once again, I would like to say thank you to Doctor Bender and thank all of you for listening. If you think that this is something you would like to see more of, please let us know. We'll see what we can do. Perhaps we can make it the start of a new interview series. In the meantime, next episodes we get back to our regularly scheduled program. And as always, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts. If you feel the need to do more and want to help us keep this thing going, we do have information about how you can donate on Patreon, where we have early and add free episodes for you to listen to. You can also donate through our Ko-Fi or BuyMeACoffee Sites. Just look up SengokuDaimyo for all of that. You can also find the links over to our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com, where we will also have more discussion on topics from this episode. Finally, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page. You can also email us at the.Sengoku.Daimyo@gmail.com. Thank you also to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now. Thank you again and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

A quick update from the Krewe on Season 7 & its release schedule! We're moving our regular release day from Friday to Tuesday mornings, with the next four episodes temporarily moving to a bi-weekly schedule to give us a little more breathing room (starting September 15). We appreciate everyone's continued support & look forward to bringing you the rest of Season 7!------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

What happens when women become the monsters of Japanese folklore? In this episode of For the Love of History, we dive into the terrifying world of Japanese yokai women, exploring the myths, legends, religion, and sexism behind some of Japan's most fascinating female monsters. From the Jorōgumo spider woman who lures men into her deadly web, to Hino-enma, the seductive demon associated with female sexuality and Buddhist morality, and the iconic Hannya demon mask, these stories reveal a complicated history of women, power, jealousy, sexuality, and revenge in Japanese folklore. We'll explore Japanese yokai, Japanese mythology, Japanese ghost stories, Shinto, Buddhism, Buddhist hell, Edo-period folklore, Noh theater, and the history behind Japan's most famous female supernatural creatures.

What happens to spirituality when belief in traditional religion falls away? Can ritual, mysticism, awe, contemplation, divination, sacred stories and experiences of transcendence still have value without requiring supernatural explanations?Britt Hartley is a religious deconstruction educator, author, and atheist spiritual director who helps people rebuild meaning, identity, and family culture after faith. She is the author of No Nonsense Spirituality and a doctoral student whose work explores existential crisis, secular spirituality, and life beyond traditional religion.In this livestream, we will explore Britt's concept of secular spirituality and her attempt to navigate a fascinating middle ground between organised religion, atheistic scepticism and contemporary alternative spirituality. We will discuss religious deconstruction, nihilism, meaning-making, mysticism, ritual and the psychology of spiritual experience, as well as the question of whether practices traditionally associated with religion and the occult can remain meaningful when their supernatural interpretations are suspended.We will also venture into some particularly interesting territory for Angela's Symposium: astrology, Tarot, psychedelics, intuition, altered states of consciousness, the Divine Feminine, cognitive bias, the relationship between mystical experience and metaphysical claims, and Britt's distinction between useful spiritual tools and what she describes as “woo”.GET THE BOOKUS https://amzn.to/4c8e3i2UK https://link.amazon/B02qi3ynVMY COURSES

The Fulbright Program offers another unique path to experience Japan through academic and professional exchange. Dr. Rose Honegger joins the Krewe to share her Fulbright experience in Japan, what she gained from the program, and how it influenced her work in higher education. The conversation also explores who Fulbright is for, what makes a strong candidate, and tips for those considering applying. ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Links for the Fulbright Program ------ Fulbright Program Website ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!

Send us a message!Step into the mysterious world of Japanese folklore and meet the creatures that have haunted—and fascinated—Japan for centuries. From terrifying Oni and mischievous Tengu to shape-shifting Kitsune, deadly Yuki-Onna, and the bizarre Kappa, this episode explores the legends, history, and cultural beliefs behind Japan's most famous Yokai.  Music is by Alexander Nakarada.Support the show

This is a special episode talking about the newest UNESCO World Heritage cultural site: The Asuka and Fujiwara Ancient Capitals. This is particularly relevant as it is directly related to the history we are currently examining in this podcast. For more information, check out the blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-unesco  Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is a special episode on Japan's newest UNESCO world heritage site: the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara. Rarely do I focus too much on current events in this podcast.  After all, we are still dealing with the events of the 7th century, and that is hardly "current" in any sense.  However, just last month, at the end of July 2026, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention met and made a ruling on inducting the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara as one of the newest World Heritage sites. Given the obvious relevance of this to this podcast, I thought it was worth talking about. As such we'll go into a little history of the UNESCO world heritage convention, what it means, and how sites get added—or even removed—from the list.  And then we'll talk about the addition of the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, what is included in that description, and what part those various locations play in the story of Japan's history, which we've been laying out for the past several years.  Warning up front:  This is probably going to be a longer episode than usual, as there is a lot to cover, but it still didn't seem to make sense to break it up into two parts. Before we get into the background of UNESCO more generally, let's talk briefly about the news.  The Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fuijwara had been on UNESCO's tentative list since 2007, and following an on-site evaluation in September of 2025, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS, made a recommendation in June 2026 that the property be inscribed on the World Heritage list. On 26 July, 2026, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee met in Busan, South Korea and accepted the recommendation.  This becomes Japan's 22nd cultural World Heritage site, and the 27th World Heritage property in Japan, since the World Heritage program is also inclusive of natural heritage sites, such as Yakushima, Amami-Ohoshima, the Ogasawara islands, and the mountainous regions of Shirakami-Sanchi, and Shiretoko, in Hokkaido. The recommendation for Asuka and Fujiwara was not just for a single site, but includes 19 individual sites and over 1,100 hectares of "buffer zone".  The individual sites are listed on the UNSECO World Heritage website as follows: •             Asuka Palace Site •             Asuka Pond Garden Site •             Asuka Water Clock Site •             Sakafuneishi Ritual Site •             Asuka-dera Temple Site •             Tachibana-dera Temple Site •             Yamada-dera Temple Site •             Kawara-dera Temple Site •             Hinokuma-dera Temple Site •             Ishibutai Mounded Tomb •             Shobuike Mounded Tomb •             Kengoshizuka Mounded Tomb •             Fujiwara Palace Site •             Daikandaiji Temple Site •             Motoyakushiji Temple Site •             Mounded Tomb of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito •             Nakaoyama Mounded Tomb •             Kitora Mounded Tomb •             Takamatsuzuka Mounded Tomb So these are the specific locations, that were included in the single designation.   And these are how they are officially listed on the UNESCO World Heritage site in English, so for anyone who is going to comment that saying Asuka-dera Temple is redundant, because "Tera" already means "Temple", let's just not, shall we?  They are all in the Asuka and Kashihara area, and easily accessible, one from the other, so you can go and visit them if you would like.  I suspect that there is going to be a bit of push for that area in the coming tourist season as they now put up official UNESCO world heritage site markers.  And you may have noticed that a lot of these site names may sound very familiar, because the majority of them are places we've already mentioned on the podcast – but more on that later. But first, what does it mean to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site? UNESCO is the "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization".  It was founded in 1945, with the stand-up of the UN itself, as a successor to the League of Nations' International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.  That said, the idea of a "World Heritage Site" didn't come about until 1975, with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, with the first sites being designated in 1978. Prior to this, UNESCO had been involved in various attempts to help preserve various monuments of historical significance.  They begin working with various museums and other organizations, and in 1965 UNESCO created ICOMOS, an international professional association to work towards the conservation and protection of cultural heritage.  A site designated as a World Heritage Site must be considered to be of "outstanding universal value" and can fall under one of two categories.  The first, and perhaps the one that most often comes to mind, are the cultural sites.  The second are natural sites considered of outstanding value.   With the 1975 convention, UNESCO had leaned heavily on ICOMOS as an advisory body regarding sites of particular cultural significance.  A similar body, the World Conservation Union, provides input on sites of natural significance. To be determined a World Heritage site, there is a set of ten criteria, and a site must meet at least one of the ten.  This means that a site must: i.            Represent a masterpiece of human creative genius ii.           Exhibit an important interchange of human values iii.          Bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization iv.           Illustrate a significant stage in human history v.            Be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use vi.          Be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance; or it must vii.         Contain superlative natural phenomena viii.        Be an outstanding example representing major stages of earth's history ix.          Be an outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of ecosystems and communities of plants and animals; or it must x.           Contain the most important and significant natural habitats for conservation of biological diversity. I abbreviated that list, but it gives you an idea of what the committee is looking for. To be placed on the list, a site must first be nominated.  Nominations are made by UN member countries and placed on a Tentative List.  From there, they can be selected into a Nomination File, which is then evaluated by the advisory organizations as appropriate.  The World Heritage committee meets once a year, at which time they may determine whether a nominated site will be added to the World Heritage list or if more information is needed. Having a site listed as an UNESCO world heritage site carries prestige and can drive tourism and revenue to help protect the site.  Members can request financial assistance with some conservation projects, and signatory nations are expected to contribute to the conservation of world heritage sites.  At the same time, the host country is expected to provide regular reports on the conditions of the site and efforts being undertaken to conserve it.  Should the situation change so that key aspects of the site's intrinsic value are lost, the World Heritage Committee may choose to revoke a designation.  This has only been done a few times, but it is always a possibility. All of this means that the Asuka and Fujiwara capital sites are now eligible for certain types of financial assistance and international aid to help further preserve and even restore certain aspects, such as the tomb murals in the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora kofun.  But let's talk about the sites that have actually been included, and to do that, we'll go through in roughly chronological order, based on the timeline that was given by Japan in the nomination documents, and what makes the most sense for narrative cohesion.   That said, it is important to note that the dates on the timeline in the UNESCO nominating document are where we first see mentions of the monuments, not necessarily when the temples were first constructed or anything like that.  If you want to learn more, check out the documentation submitted on the UNESCO world heritage website. And speaking of learning more, many of the sites we are about to discuss we have covered in previous episodes—though some more than others.  We'll call out relevant episodes as we can, but you can also find out more by searching on our website, sengokudaimyo.com, for more information about any of these topics. Let's start with Asukadera, or Asuka Temple.  The nominating document notes that it was completed in 596, though it had been started quite a bit earlier.  We discussed Askua-dera and many of the other temples back in episode 142, though Asuka-dera itself has been a part of the story since at least Episode 92, with the rise of Soga no Umako.  Asuka-dera, as you may recall, started off as a private temple for the Soga family, though they were so intertwined with the royal family that it almost didn't make a difference.  For the longest time it was the primary temple site at least in the Asuka region, and defined what Buddhism looked like early on.  Later it would be included as one of the Four Great Temples, and it would eventually move to Nara, though a temple would continue to operate on the site until the modern day.  That said, through fires and reduced patronage, the current temple is much reduced from its former glory.  Still, archeologies have found indications at the site demonstrating the true extent of the temple at the height of its power and influence, and how it truly played a key role in numerous events surrounding the building of a continental style state government. Speaking of the Soga family, the next site on the list, dated to 626, is Ishibutai kofun.  Ishibutai kofun was originally a square kofun, or Houfun, thought to be the resting place of Soga no Umako, the Grand Minister and head of the Soga family who led it to prominence in the age of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tenno.  We talked about his passing in episode 103.  Excavations have suggested that the tomb took up an area about 85 meters to a side.  This included an outer moat and an inner, platform, about 50 meters square.  The burial chamber is a horizontal stone chamber created with impressive megaliths—a fancy word that just means "big stones".  In this case we are talking about stones that rival or even dwarf those at monuments like the famous Stonehenge, in England.  The stones are part of what give it its name, Ishibutai, or Stone Stage, because unlike in other kofun, these ones are exposed.  There is a theory that after the fall of the Soga family, and the deaths of Soga no Iruka and Soga no Emishi, the tomb was deliberately uncovered as a form of posthumous punishment. Because it is not a tomb under the care of the Imperial Household Agency, Ishibutai kofun has seen extensive excavation from 1933 to 1975.  That said, most of the funerary goods were likely stolen a long time ago.  There were some various bits and pieces found here and there—gilt and bronze implements and earthenware shards, but otherwise nothing truly significant.  They did find evidence of other tombs, nearby.  Perhaps ironically it seems that these other tombs were leveled to make room for Ishibutai kofun, making its own uncovering feel somewhat karmic, in a way. The next site, if we were to follow the timeline, is the Asuka Palace site.  This actually encompasses the site of at least four different palaces, which we discussed back in episode 134, with a blogpost showing the various palace remains, if you want to compare them.  In 630 we have the construction of the Okamoto Palace of Kashikiya Hime.  Then, in 643, we have the Itabuki Palace built for Takara Hime during her first reign as Kogyoku Tenno.  This was the location of the famous Isshi Incident, when Takara Hime's son, Naka no Oe, instituted the coup against Soga no Iruka and his father, killing Iruka in court in front of his mother.  For more on that, check out episode 106.  It was later used when she and Naka no Oe left the Toyosaki Naniwa Palace and returned to Asuka.  It may be during the time of the Itabuki Palace that another one of the monuments was built.  This is the Shobuike Kofun.  The nomination document doesn't give a precise date for this one, and we really only know for certain that it was built in the 7th century, but they place it on the timeline shortly after the events of 643.  Like Ishibutai kofun, it is a hofun, or square kofun, surrounded by a moat with a horizontal burial chamber.  At only 30 meters long, it is not as large or as prominent as Ishibutai Kofun, possibly indicating that the occupants were not as prominent or that kofun building as a whole was falling out of fashion.  Inside, there were two stone coffins, in the "house shape", meaning the lid had a peaked roof appearance.  In addition, the interior of the coffins was lacquered, making these unique in the archipelago.  Finally, perhaps as is the case with Ishibutai kofun, the mound appears to have been deliberately dismantled at some point in the early 8th century, when Fujiwara-kyo was still the capital. We do not know who was buried at Shobuike Kofun, but there are two theories.  One theory proposes that, given the unique features, it may have been a member of the royal family.  Another theory suggests that it may be a tomb for members of the Soga family.  This theory is connected to the idea that Ishibutai is the tomb of Soga no Umako.  Given its shape and similarities, perhaps this tomb is for a relative?  In addition, though not part of the World Heritage Site nomination, there is a nearby square kofun known as Koyamada Kofun.  There is a theory that this other tomb might also have been a royal tomb—perhaps even a first burial for Tamura no Ohokimi, aka Jomei Tenno.  However, there is another theory that these two tombs, together, make up the tombs of Soga no Emishi and Soga no Iruka.  That would explain them both being of similar shapes, and similar to the kofun thought to be that of Soga no Umako.  It could also explain why Shobuike kofun was later destroyed, like with Ishibutai Kofun. Shortly after Shobuike Kofun was thought to have been built, the court moved to Naniwa for a time, before eventually returning to the Itabuki Palace.  Then, in 656, we have the Nochi-no-Okamoto Palace, aka the Later Okamoto Palace, built after the Itabuki palace burned down.  It was repurposed by Ohoama when he brought the court back from Ohotsu, and then expanded with the Ebinoko Enclosure, among other changes, turning it into the Kiyomihara palace, where Ohoama and then Uno no Sarara ruled until the completion of the Fujiwara Palace around 694. Around the same time as the Later Okamoto Palace was the construction of the Sakafuneishi Ritual Site.  This site is located on a hill on the east side of the Asuka valley, overlooking the Asuka palace site.  There they have found stone walls, a strange carved stone with channels for what appears to be water or liquid for some kind of ritual purpose, and, towards the bottom of the hill, a stone turtle basin and water spout that appears to have once been connected to a spring.  Of all of the included sites, this is perhaps the most enigmatic in terms of how it was used and what was going on there.  It is likely that this is what is referred to in the Chronicle as the Tou no Mine site, where it is said that they built an enclosure encircling two tsuki trees, calling the site the Futatsuki Palace.  That said, today the name "tou-no-mine" is applied to a peak some distance further up the valley and into the mountains, and I do not believe that any concrete evidence of a "palace" has been found at either location.  Still, it demonstrates that there was something going on that was important enough to build walls and create intricate stone carvings—not something we necessarily find everywhere, though they are particularly prolific in the Asuka region once you consider all the various stone carvings that have been located there.  Current thinking seems to suggest that it was a site where sovereigns from Kashikiya Hime through Uno no Sarara conducted rites associated with ascension to the throne.  The walls show evidence of being built earlier in the 7th century, which we discussed in Episode 118, and then damaged during the incredibly powerful Nankai earthquake during the Hakuho era.  We talked about this earthquake back in episode 139, along with other natural disasters.  This was an earthquake of immense power, known as a Nankai Megathrust Earthquake, that caused destruction across the archipelago, from Shikoku up through the Kanto region.  Walls show evidence of being repaired in Temmu's time and the site appears to have been in use up through the 9th century.  This means it was still being used in some capacity even after the court had moved up to Heian-kyo, in modern Kyoto, but who knows by whom. By the way, I feel like I should address something here.  Often times there is a bit of an archaeological joke that if you don't know what something is it gets termed a "ritual site" or a "ritual implement".  And, granted, "ritual" does not necessarily mean "religious".  Brushing your teeth each day could be considered a ritual.  So is the inauguration of a new president or prime minister.  It just refers to something that we do regularly, usually as part of a societal tradition.  Often it is symbolic, though sometimes it can have a greater function.  So in all likelihood whatever was happening at the Sakafuneishi site probably was a kind of "ritual", whether it was religious or not, but we just don't have enough info to know what that might have looked like.  The physical evidence does not conform to any other well known practice, so we are left guessing. Compare this to another "ritual" site, the next on our list:  The Mizuochi site.  When it was first discovered in 1972, it was clear that it was important.  There was a large building foundation, in the shape of a square podium, faced with paving stones.  It was also near to Asukadera and the location where various stone figures had been found at the turn of the century.  It would take several more years to discern enough features to come to the realization of what it was for.  This was due to the discovery of highly unusual features and artifacts. For instance, there is the central building, designated SB200.  It had pillars set on base stones, forming a grid pattern in a square—four spans long on each side.  This is unusual compared to other buildings on the site, which had more conventional pillars embedded in the ground.  Each span of the pillars at SB200 was a uniform distance.  The podium on which the building was placed was just under 11 meters on each side, and a little more than a meter in height.  The pillar bases were further strengthened under the floor level, meaning that the resulting structure would have been remarkably sturdy.  In the center of the building was a stone platform, set about a meter below the surface, where they found the remains of a large and small lacquered wooden boxes.  Around the platform were buried wooden culverts and copper pipes, which would have been able to carry water to and from the site. There was nothing else like this discovered anywhere else, but given the nature of everything, it seemed to make sense that this was the site of the clepsydra, the water clock, which Naka no Oe is said to have built.  Pottery shards from around the 650s and 660s seem to back up this identification, and simulations have demonstrated how the water clock may have actually worked.  As such, the site seems to have been fairly well identified, which is really remarkable, and provides an incredible link to that era.  Not only that, but the technology demonstrated was incredibly advanced for its time.  As such, it truly is a remarkable site.  For more, check out Episode 127, where we talked more in depth about the importance of time and direction in Ancient Yamato. The next site on the list is the Kengoshizuka Kofun.  This mounded tomb is said to have been built around 667 CE—around the time that Yamato was supporting Baekje in a failed attempt to stave off that country's destruction at the hands of the Silla-Tang alliance.  This is an octagonal shaped kofun—a shape which is thought to have only been used by members of the royal family.  The academic position is that this is the tomb of Takara Hime—aka Saimei Tennou—who had died just as Yamato was starting to send troops to the Korean peninsula.  This theory is at odds with the Imperial Household Agency, which has designated a different tomb—Kurumaki-Kenno Kofun—as Saimei Tennou's mausoleum The story as it is recounted in the Nihon Shoki goes something like this.  As Yamato was gathering forces to defend Baekje—see episodes 123 and 124 for what happened—Takara Hime passed away at the temporary court set up in Asakura, in modern Kyushu.   With Yamato just about to launch a military campaign, they couldn't also hold a royal funeral, so they had her body taken back to the Nara basin..  Takara Hime's remains were temporarily interred at the plain of the Asuka River—Asuka-gawara.  It wouldn't be until after the conflict was over—a little more than 5 years later—that she would be buried.  At that time, we are told that she was buried together with Royal Princess Hashibito, her sister-in-law, at Wochi Hill—little market hill—and that the royal granddaughter, Princess Ohota, was buried in front.  And indeed, the layout of Kengoshizuka Kofun  has space for two coffins, and the archeologists found evidence of another burial in "front" of the kofun.  So in all ways this  seems to accord with the Chronicles, though the Imperial Household Agency has not chosen to change its designation.  I suspect that if they did it might cause some issues due to the limits of what archaeologists are allowed to do with tombs designated as royal mausoleums. Kengoshizuka Kofun has been remarkably reconstructed, so that you can go and see what it probably looked like when it was first built.  Since it was not designated as an imperial mausoleum by the Imperial Household Agency, archaeologists were able to excavate Kengoshizuka, and they found some remarkable finds, including a particularly spectacular coffin fitting made of cloisonne hexagonal plates with images of flowers that were connected to each other.  There also appears to have been a coffin made with lacquered linen, rather than the stone or tuff coffins found elsewhere.  So that's Kengoshizuka Kofun.  That's #7 on our list.  Moving on to #8, on the timeline at 673, it is Kawara-dera, and I'm going to lump this in with Tachibana-dera, which is noted on the timeline at 680.  In fact, the nominating document proposes a much earlier timeline for the start of Tachibana-dera, starting in the 640s, with Kawara-dera in the 660s, about two decades later. These two temples sit across from one another, and at one time they appear to have been coupled together as a monastery and a nunnery.  In fact, the nominating documents call out Tachibana-dera as Japan's oldest nunnery. The actual founding of these two temples is somewhat in dispute.  Let me start with Tachibana-dera.  Tachibana-dera claims to have been founded by none other than the legendary Shotoku Taishi.  It is said that the land of Tachibana-dera was the area of the palace where Prince Umayado, aka Shotoku Taishi, was born, and that in 606 he had the property turned into a temple.  As such, it claims to be one of seven major temples built by the Prince.  However, we don't have any actual documentation for the temple until it shows up in 680, due to the report of a fire.  We do see it in numerous poems in the Man'yoshu, which is one of the ways we can also tell that it was a nunnery. More information can be gleaned from the archaeological excavations at the site.  The original temple was clearly built on the same Baekje designs as others of that period.  In an interesting twist, it appears as though the temple was not oriented north to south, as others were, but rather it was oriented west to east.  This would have had it facing the royal palace, initially, in a configuration very similar to that of Shitennoji, in Osaka, or Yamadadera, which is also one of the sites included in UNESCO World Heritage designation. The original temple had a middle gate, a pagoda, a main hall—or kondo—and a lecture hall (Koudou).  It was surrounded by a walled corridor.  Some of the roof tiles that have been found appear to be from the first quarter of the 7th century, but there are many more from the mid-7th century, suggesting that full-scale construction wasn't carried out until that period.  None of the original buildings appear to have survived, though there is an Asuka era stone statue, as well as various important cultural properties that have been preserved, and excavations have given us an idea of what it looked like, originally. Compare that to Kawara-dera, which sits to the north of Tachibana-dera.  We've talked about Kawara-dera before, as it was eventually designated one of the four national temples.  It was clearly built at a later date than Tachibana-dera, though when, exactly, is still unclear. There is mention of a Kawara-dera in an entry for 653, but even then, the Chronicles note that may have actually been at Yamada-dera, on the other side of Asuka, indicating that even the Chroniclers weren't entirely sure.  That leaves the first clean mention of the temple at 673, in the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tenno.  There is a note, prior to this, in about 656, which talks about "Kawara no Miya", or the Kawara Palace. This is where Takara Hime briefly moved after the fires damaged the Itabuki Palace, which was rebuilt into the Later Okamoto Palace.  It is thought that Kawara-dera is on the site of that temporary palace, and it is possible that the building of that palace lent something to the eventual creation of Kawara-dera. Kawara-dera has a unique layout, known specifically as the Kawara-dera style temple layout.  Although the overall temple is built on a north-south axis, the west main hall faces east, towards the pagoda, in the southern courtyard.  There was then a central main hall, and then the northern courtyard, with the koudou, or lecture hall, facing south.  There is also evidence that the east gate was sizeable—possibly larger than the south gate.  If so, it may be that this temple, like Tachibana-dera, was also facing east—facing the palace—but it was, at the same time, also on the same north-south access as other buildings and facilities.  This almost seems like they were perhaps compromising between facing the palace and utilizing the continental idea of a north-south alignment.  I almost wonder if the pagoda and western kondou weren't first built and then someone decided to change the orientation mid-way through the building process.  Either way, it is definitely unique. Although Kawara-dera was designated as one of the four national temples, it is the only temple that was not eventually moved up to Heijo-kyo, or Nara, when the capital eventually moved up there.  There are numerous theories as to why, but regardless of that, it stayed in Asuka and was no longer considered a national temple.  Over time it declined, and repairs could not be maintained across the entire complex.  Today, a successor temple, Gufuku-ji, sits on the site, but it is much reduced.  Fortunately, you can still see many of the exposed footings and get an idea for just what this temple was like back in its heyday. Now since we've mentioned it, it is probably worth talking about Yamada-dera, which is also on the list.  Like the others, there is a small successor temple to the north, but most of the ancient Yamada-dera grounds are visible, and if you go out there you can clearly see where all the buildings were.  There are signs and raised platforms depicting where the various buildings were at, so you can easily see what was there.  Furthermore, if you check out the Asuka Historical Museum, they have a remarkably well-preserved section of one of the walls of the gallery from the temple, including some roof elements.  It appears to have fallen down during a fire, and other material must have fallen on top of it so that the fire could not consume that section, leaving it in incredible shape. Yamada-dera is part of the Hosso sect—that is the sect following the teachings of the monk Xuanzang.  We talked about Xuanzang, and the monks who studied with him, back in episodes 120 to 122.  It is said to have been founded by Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro.  He was a relative of Soga no Emishi who supported Prince Naka no Oe in his coup in 645.  Soga no Kurayamada eventually became Udaijin, or Minister of the Right, and he was essential in implementing the Taika reforms.  Long story short, he was slandered, and fled to Yamada-dera, which was still under construction.  Rather than being taken by government forces, he took his own life, as well as that of his wife and eight children.  You can listen to the whole story back in Episode 112.  All of that is said to have happened here at that temple, in the year 649.  Perhaps because of the stain of that incident, the temple construction appears to have been halted for a time.  It wouldn't be completed until 685, when Ohoama and his wife, Uno no Sarara, a direct descendant of Soga no Kurayamada, were on the throne. Finally, there is one more temple from this early period that is mentioned, and that is Hinokuma-dera.  Of all of the temples so far, this one we probably have mentioned the least in the main podcast.  Hinokuma-dera is located to the southwest of the main Asuka valley, south of the famous Takamatsuzuka kofun.  It is first mentioned in a record dated to 686.  That indicates it must have been built some time prior, and archaeological excavations seem to place it at the second half of the 7th century, with the pagoda and main hall being completed in the late 7th century.   The temple continued to be maintained through the 8th century, but declined after the Heian period when the pagoda and lecture hall collapsed.  In the early 20th century a local Shinto shrine was relocated here, and remains, today. Hinokuma-dera was built as a private temple by the Yamato no Aya.  The Yamato no Aya are an intriguing group of people.  The name "Aya" implies a group that was originally employed as weavers, a technology brought over from the continent.  Indeed, they are said to have been largely immigrants who came and brought the technology with them.  The Aya were broken into different groups, with the Yamato no Aya being one of the more powerful.  The name appears again and again in the Chronicles, though in the time of Ohoama they were put on notice as a clan.  We aren't told what they did, exactly.  They seem to have made their way back into the court's good graces over time, however. Hinokuma-dera is interesting in that it is much smaller than the other temples we have discussed, and the form is quite different.  It isn't organized along cardinal directions, but rather with the koudou, or lecture hall, in the northwest and the kondou, or main hall, in the southeast.  The pagoda was between the two, slightly off-center to the northeast, directly across from the main gate, which faced southwest.  This means that you would enter from the southwest into a large, rectangular courtyard.  You could be facing a pagoda near the rear wall, with a lecture hall to your left and the main image hall to your right.  This is compared to Baekje temples that were on the periphery of the Baekje capital, and this may have been in a similar situation.  Based on the surrounding geography, it appears that some of the choices may have been made to conform with local geologic features, such as the ridge that it is on. It is interesting, however, for its uniqueness, especially as a private temple that did not have the resources of the court.  There were probably quite a few of these kinds of temples that we just don't see or hear about in the record.  When the court moved, first up to Heijo-kyo, but later on to Heian-kyo, in modern Kyoto, the head of the Yamato no Aya no doubt moved as well, and that probably led to the temple's decline, over time. Speaking of the court, there is one more part of the Asuka court that we should touch on before we leave the era of the Asuka palace.  At some point, probably related to the Later Okamoto Palace, the court created a pond and garden.  This Asuka Pond Garden site is first mentioned in 685, though it likely existed for some time.  Evidence suggests that it was built around the same time as the later Okamoto Palace, so sometime around 656, and based on excavations, we know that there was a south and north pond, divided by a middle bank.  Water flowed from the south pond to the north pond through a wooden pipe in that middle bank.  The south pond had a pentagonal shape, about 65 meters long, east to west, and 55 meters wide, north to south.  It was only 30 cm at its deepest point, with two islands in the pond itself.  The north pond was 36 meters east to west and 52 meters north to south, and it was up to 4 meters deep.  There was a stone overflow channel that was built for water to flow back into the Asuka river.  There was also a stone fountain, like that found at the Sakafuneishi site, and evidence of buildings and a wall around the site.  There has also been analysis of seed pollen, indicating what kinds of vegetation might have been grown in the garden. This was a lavish area that was purpose-built for entertainments of various kinds.  This is the area that the royal family and various nobles likely adjourned to at the end of the day for relaxation and for various banquets and other such gatherings. Of course, not all the court proceedings were so joyful.  In 686, Ohoama died, and for the next couple of years the court business was taken up with eulogies and memorials.  This is also when they built the next site included in the list: The mounded tomb of Temmu Tennou and, eventually, Jitou Tennou.  The tomb is an octagonal kofun, similar to the Kengoshizuka kofun for Takara Hime.  It is built to the southwest of the Asuka basin, a fair distance from the palace.  However, this positioning also puts it directly south of the site of the new Fujiwara Palace.  As the Fujiwara capital and palace site had already been selected, they would have been able to build this tomb in relation to the future palace, creating a direct north-south link between the two.  It is also along the same ridgeline as the tomb of Kengoshizuka and the tomb attributed to Kinmei Tennou and Princess Kibi no Himemiko. The octagonal tomb was built in five tiers.  It is about 42 meters on a side, built with rammed earth and then covered, originally, with dressed stones, while the surrounding area was paved.  Ohoama was buried in a sealed stone burial chamber in a dry-lacquered linen-made coffin, similar to what was found, again, at Kengoshizuka.  Later, when Uno no Sarara passed away, her urn was added to the tomb. Speaking of that, I cannot believe I didn't mention this in the last episode on Queen Uno no Sarara, but yes, she was cremated.  In fact, she is the first Yamato sovereign to have been cremated in the Buddhist style, rather than to have her body buried intact.  Today, almost cremation is the default in Japan—to the point that it actually has caused some issues with people who, for religious reasons, request a different type of burial.  However, at this point, it was still somewhat new.   Prior to Buddhism, all indications are that bodies were simply buried.  Buddhism brought in the concept of at least four different types of funerary rites.  There is dosou, or earth burial, but there was also suisou, water burial; fuusou, wind—or "air"—burial; and then kasou, fire burial.  Suisou would be committing a body to water, and fuusou generally means leaving the body on a stand, out in the open, to allow the body to decompose while birds, ideally vultures, come and do their work.  Of these, "kasou", fire burial or cremation, is linked to the historical Buddha, whose physical body is said to have been cremated, with the bones and teeth left behind considered holy relics.  That Uno no Sarara requested cremation would seem to indicate her own support of Buddhism and Buddhist institutions. The tomb of Temmu and Jitou has remained largely intact—at least compared to some that we have discussed this episode-- but not inviolate.  Over time, the site was allowed to become overgrown with trees and other vegetation.  In 1235 the tomb was robbed and in 1881 it was officially designated as an Imperial Mausoleum by the Imperial Household Agency, which now manages the site.  You can approach up to a point, but the tomb itself is largely off-limits to the public. Speaking of Uno no Sarara's support of Buddhism, we've already talked about her connections to Yakushi-ji, the next site on our list.  This temple was commissioned by Ohoama when his wife, Uno no Sarara, grew unexpectedly ill in 680.  She did recover, and the temple would eventually be considered one of the four National temples of the Yamato state.  It appears to have been built—possibly shifted slightly—specifically in line with the new avenues being laid out for Fujiwara-kyo, the new capital, and it fits neatly into place, taking up an entire city block.  When the capital moved, the temple was also moved.  The new temple sits up near modern Nara, in the area known as Nishi-no-kyou—the West (side of the) capital.  For the new site, the court may have used some of the materials from the original temple, though there does seem to have been a continued presence at the Fujiwara capital site until the 11th century.  To avoid confusion, the temple in the old Fujiwara capital site is referred to as "Moto-Yakushiji", meaning the Real or Original Yakushi Temple. Yakushiji was commissioned in 680, but work on the temple wasn't completed until 698, four years after the move to the new Fujiwara Palace.  Key features at this time were its size and its double pagodas, rather than just the single pagoda common in earlier temples.  This mimicked temple innovations happening on the continent, and was later adopted by several temples in the new capital of Heijo-kyo. Another national temple from around this time, also included in the nomination letter, is Daikandaiji.  Like Yakushiji, this temple was a grand statement of the Yamato state's ambitions.  Both were large temples that would have stood out, and as national temples they were symbols of state power and authority in matters both secular and spiritual. We discussed all of this in a previous episode, Episode 142, where we covered the four national temples, so I don't want to belabor it too much other than to give a brief overview.  In summary, what we know as Daikandaiji today is very likely the old Kudara Ohodera,  Kudara, in this instance, being spelled with the same kanji as for "Baekje".  Kudara Ohodera was the largest of the Asuka and Fujiwara era temples.  Its pagoda was over 80 meters tall, one of the tallest in Yamato at that time, and the main hall rivaled that of the Daigokuden, the main hall of the Fujiwara palace.   It also appears to have been moved twice.  First it was moved from its original location closer to the Asuka palace.  And then it appears to have been shifted to align with the avenues of the new Fujiwara capital.  The name was also changed.  "Kudara Ohodera" likely referred to the location where the temple was first founded by Tamura, aka Jomei Tennou.  It was then moved to Asuka and took on the name "Takechi Ohodera", given its new location, but then was renamed to Ohotsukasa no Ohodera, the Great Temple of the High Officials, or something like that.  This same name, read with the on'yomi reading, becomes "Daikandaiji". The temple was later moved to Heijo-kyo, where it was renamed to "Daianji", which means something like the Temple of Great Safety or Protection.   There is another story that says that the temple actually originated in the Kumagori dojo created by the legendary Shotoku Taishi, but, like so many such stories, that may have been added later to increase the temple's prestige.  As with so many of these temples, when the move was made to Heijo-kyo, the temple lost its national status, but remained active.  Without the upkeep by the court, it eventually declined, finally disappearing almost entirely.  Remains were rediscovered in the Edo and Meiji period, with major excavations in the 1970s and 80s.  From this, there is evidence of fire, even before construction was completed.  Indeed, there is a record of fire in 711.  The temple was likely under construction for much of the period of the Fujiwara capital's existence. This is probably as good a point as any to talk about the Fujiwara Palace itself.  I would note that the World Heritage site designation only includes the palace site, and not the entire capital city of Fujiwara-kyo.  That is probably for the best, as findings have suggested that the ancient capital was built on a plan far grander that previously thought. Initially, it was believed that the Fujiwara capital was built similar to Heijo-kyo and Heian-kyo, which is to say that it was modeled after the Tang capital of Chang'an.  This model creates a rectangular city with the main palace complex at the far north of the city.  Lower classes are typically housed in the southern regions while upper classes and nobility are provided land in the northern areas of the city.  Part of the reason to believe that the city was laid out like this has to do with the three mountains:  Mt. Unebi, Mt. Miminashi, and Mt. Kagu.  If the palace were located at the northern end of the city, then the city would fit rather nicely in the plains between these three mountains.  However, it appears that the plans for Fujiwara-kyo were much grander, and it appears that the Fujiwara palace sat not at the northern top of the capital, but instead it was in the middle.  This more closely approximates the ideal Confucian model, which created a square city divided into nine districts with the palace in the center.  However, it also means that the city grid is interrupted by the mountains, particularly by Mt. Miminashi, in the north.  To cover all of that land would be untenable, and much of it has been built up or under cultivation for centuries.  Furthermore, it is unclear how built up Fujiwara-kyo ever was.  Imagine trying to just create a city from scratch.  Not only was it about building the temples and the palace, but about all of the other houses, which would have been organized by the individual owners.  One also has to wonder just how many workers there were, and materials, to do all of this.  If much of this was done as traditional wooden buildings, then many of the blocks may not have left any significant remains, though new construction in the area does perform exploratory archaeology just in case.  There are a lot of interesting features that have been found. However, let's focus just on the Fujiwara Palace.  As I've previously pointed out—just back in Episode 152, for example, the Fujiwara Palace was, in many ways, getting back to the type of palace that the Toyosaki Naniwa Palace had tried to be.  This was a massive State complex.  The overall property appears to have been a square, with nine gates—once again, mimicking the geometric perfection suggested in ancient sources.  That wall, which was defined by post-holes in the ground, was also surrounded by a moat.  The south central gate was known as the Suzaku-mon, or Suzaku gate, named for Suzaku, the crimson bird of the south.  This was at the north end of Suzaku Oji, or Suzaku Avenue, the central road of the Fujiwara capital. This road was 24 meters wide, with 4 meter ditches on either side.  The ditches would have carried water throughout the city, while also allowing the city to drain water during large rains.  From the Suzaku gate to the north the palace opened up to the first courtyard, with two building where officials could prepare for the day.  Originally this would have been the place for officials to change into their formal robes, though later they were commanded to show up to work already dressed.  From there, once it opened, they would pass through another gate into the Choudouin, or State Hall.  Here, the 8 bureaus, or ministries, each had a Choudou, or court hall, where they would perform their work.  There were also four other halls for other governmental work. Besides the southern gate, there were gates on the east and west, which led to further government offices to the west and east of the court.  A fourth gate, at the north end of the Choudouin enclosure, would lead to the Daigokuden, the Great Audience Hall.  This was part of a reduced enclosure.  Two buildings have been discovered to the east and west of the enclosure, and north of the enclosure would have led to the private quarters of the sovereign and their family. The government buildings are more obvious than some others—many of the buildings were built in the continental style, meaning with stone footings, leaving a lot of evidence of their existence.  Meanwhile, the buildings of the sovereign's private residence were likely still in the indigenous style—plain wood with posts sunk directly into the ground, and thatched roof.  That would all leave a lot fewer traces, not to say that they haven't ever found anything. Today, the Fujiwara Palace site is a large open area where many of the features that have been found are indicated with modern crimson colored pillars, demonstrating where the various pillars were found.  At the same time, any above-ground reconstructions would have be conjectural, as we don't have enough remaining to know exactly what the palace looked like beyond the pillar locations. This palace and the city was ambitious.  It was huge and clearly meant as a permanent capital.  The fact that it was only occupied until about 710, when the capital moved north, to Heijou-kyou, is something we'll talk about in a later episode.  But still, it was absolutely an incredible move.  Think of how much labor this took and what kind of costs were involved?  This was truly a flex of the state's ability to mobilize labor to be able to do all of this, and generally marks the moment where the Yamato government really came into its own.  It also marks the period where the name "Yamato" is thought to have been officially changed to refer to "Nihon", the "Origin of the Sun", the name by which Japan would be known ever since.  It really is a symbol of Japan's changing state. There are only three more monuments included in the World Heritage Site designation, and they are all tombs. The first is Nakaoyama Kofun.  This is another octagonal kofun, approximately 19.5 meters from one side to the other.  It is only three tiers, as opposed to the five tiers of the tomb of Temmu and Jitou, and similarly covered in stone and surrounded by stone pavement.  The sealed burial chamber is narrow—designed for an urn rather than for a full-body coffin.  This is the first such mound clearly built to accommodate Buddhist style cremation, rather than a coffin.  While the keyhole shaped kofun had stopped being utilized for some time, this appears to put the final seal on the coffin, as it were, of the kofun building period, which had started back in the mid-3rd century.  Certainly, royal tombs continued to be built in the form of mountains, but they would stop having the same kind of artificial mound. It is unclear who was buried in the mound.  It was plundered around the 13th century, and there was considerable damage noted in the Edo period.  However, given Kengoshizuka Kofun and the kofun of Temmu and Jitou Tennou, it seems hard to deny the general consensus that this is the tomb of none other than Karu—that is to say Monmu Tennou.  However, as with Kengoshizuka Kofun, the Imperial Household Agency has named a different kofun, that of Kurihara-tsuka'ana Kofun, slightly to the south of Nakaoyama.  I would note that while this is an octagonal kofun, similar to the others we have seen, the Kurihara kofun, aka the Hinokuma Anko Misasagi, is a round kofun, which, in the consideration of modern scholarship, is not generally thought to have been a shape used for a royal tomb. There are two other tombs on the world heritage list that are round tombs, however—though they are not thought to have been royal tombs.  These are the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora kofun, and both of them have incredible features that are considered of particular importance to the indication of the development of the state.  This is because in both tombs elaborate tomb mural paintings were discovered. The murals of the Kitora kofun are perhaps the simpler between the two.  The Kitora murals have the four directional guardians on the walls of the tomb.  Again, we talked about this back in episode 127.  It was the idea that there was a directional guardian for each of the four cardinal directions.  This includes Genbu, the black tortoise of the north; Byakkou, the White Tiger of the West; Seiryuu, the Blue (or green) Dragon of the East; and Suzaku, the Red Bird of the South.  These descriptions were heavily tied in with various continental ideas of what would be known as "feng shui", including different ideas of color, direction, and concepts of yin and yang.  The Kitora kofun clearly shows these four guardians.  Based on the style of the tomb and the paintings, it is assumed that this tomb was built in the very beginning of the 8th century.  Combined with tomb goods found, while we don't know who was buried there it is very likely that it was either a royal prince or high ranking noble.  It has been suggested that this could have been the tomb for the Minister of the Right, others have suggested that it could be Royal Prince Takechi, who died in the late 7th century, or possibly even a high ranking member of the Baekje nobility living in the archipelago since the fall of their country, given some of the continental features of the tomb and its murals. In addition to the spectacular directional guardians, on the ceiling of Kitora Kofun is a depiction of the stars.  This star chart has been the focus of considerable study, as it depicts the stars in the sky as they might have been seen from the ground.  Though there are some errors, it is remarkably accurate, and it has been heralded as the oldest such star chart in the world.  There are earlier depictions of the sky, like the Nebra Sky Disc, from modern Nebra, in Germany, which dates to about 1800-1600 BCE, but those are more like an astronomical rule, rather than a chart.  It is also interesting that the positions of the stars don't exactly correspond with the sky over the Fujiwara capital: instead, it seems that the latitude better fits with the capital of Pyongyang in Goguryeo.  This opens up lots of intriguing possibilities about how this star chart came to be, and who created it.  It may be that some of the errors we see in the star positions come from taking a star chart possibly from the Tang court, and then localizing it to the Goguryeo capital in Pyongyang.  That chart then appears to have made its way to Japan where it was used in the Kitora kofun.  That means that the artist  wasn't necessarily directly looking at the sky at the time, but rather looking at a depiction, probably drawn on paper which has since been lost.  All of this points to the availability of, and importance placed on, astronomical information at the time.  In the Takamatsuzuka Kofun we similarly have directional animals, although in that case Suzaku, in the south, has been lost.  There is also a depiction of the stars, though it is more based on the zodiac, with constellations depicted in the various "houses" of the sky, rather than a true chart of the sky.  Most significantly in this tomb, however, are depictions of courtiers – groups of male and female attendance - in what appears to be court clothing, and indeed this is the best depiction we have of what court clothing may have looked like at this time.  It very much is in keeping with the clothing we see on the continent.  It is possible that the clothing depicted is not actually what was in use in the court, but possibly clothing from the continent as it was depicted in drawings and the like.   However, the style of clothing does seem to match the continental style clothing we see later in the Nara period, and so it does seem to be our best source for the clothing of the time barring us finding actual garments or further depictions. Both of these tombs are stunning, and have greatly increased our knowledge of the world of the court of 8th century Japan.  However, they are also both extremely fragile and in need of conservation.  Since being opened, humidity levels in the tombs have risen, which has led to the deterioration of the paintings themselves.  Japanese historians and conservators have gone to great lengths to preserve what they could before any more was lost, and there are depictions of what they looked like when they were originally found.  One of the goals of the World Heritage determination appears to be the conservation of these incredible paintings for future generations to be able to see. And there you have it.  Those are the sites  that were recently listed together on the UNESCO World Heritage list as the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara.  I hope that everyone gets a chance to go see them in person some day—it really is a beautiful and rather bucolic area with history strewn all about.  It isn't difficult to walk most of it, either, though to see everything you probably want at least a couple of days, not including various museums and other institutions.  And, of course, the rest of the Nara basin is full of even more treasures, such as Horyuji temple, the Makimuku Palace site, Mt. Miwa, and then the ancient capital of Nara, just to name a few. But that will have to be for another day.  For now, I think I've gone on long enough.  This has been a bit longer than most episodes, so I hope that you enjoyed it.  We'll be back with our regularly scheduled episodes in a couple of weeks. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through either our Ko-Fi or BuyMeACoffee sites—just look up SengokuDaimyo. For all of that, you can also find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, you may have noticed that there are advertisements running on the podcast—that is so that we can keep this free to everyone, but if you want an ad-free version, we have uploaded our entire back-catalog to Patreon, where we will be releasing early and ad-free episodes for anyone who wants to sign up. Finally, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Japan has a reputation for being incredibly safe, but what does “safe” actually mean? The Krewe is joined by Jordan Green, aka AfroInJapan from YouTube & Instagram, to explore safety in Japan beyond just crime, including natural disasters, wildlife, xenophobia, & the considerations travelers & foreign residents should keep in mind. Does Japan live up to it's rep? You be the judge! ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Links for Jordan Green/AfroInJapan ------ AfroInJapan on YouTube AfroInJapan on Instagram AfroInJapan's "The Myth of Crime in Japan" ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!

This week, a Japanese Shinto garden took root in Southwestern Virginia because of family connections spanning geography and generations. Also, in Whitesburg, Kentucky a new mosaic uses recovered objects to honor the town's people after the flood of 2022. And, the young adult novel “Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire” mixes historical fact with spooky Appalachian folklore.You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Solo travel or group travel: is one really better for seeing Japan? The Krewe welcomes Ryotaro Sakurai back to the podcast to break down the pros and cons of both, from flexibility and independence to planning, convenience, and shared experiences. Plus, Ryotaro gives us a look at Umami Travel, the group tour company he's building and why he thinks there's room for a different kind of Japan travel experience. ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Links for Ryotaro & Umami Travel ------ Ryotaro's Japan YouTube Channel Ryotaro on IG Umami Travel Website Kessennuma Knitting INEtoAGAVE (Craft Sake) ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!

Rooted deep within Japanese folklore is a terrifying legend known as the Inugami. Often described as a dog-like spirit capable of possession, manipulation, and even violence, the Inugami was believed to bring wealth and protection to its master, but at a devastating cost. While the legend originated in Japan, alleged encounters have since surfaced in the United States, blurring the line between folklore, superstition, and something more sinister. For a full list of sources, please visit: https://sosupernaturalpodcast.com/legend-inugami   Did you know you can listen to So Supernatural ad-free? Join the Crime Junkie Fan Club! Visit https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/fanclub/ to view the current membership options and policies. So Supernatural is an Audiochuck and Crime House production. Find us on social! Instagram: @sosupernaturalpod Twitter: @_sosupernatural Facebook: /sosupernaturalpod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

式年遷宮で使われる御用材を加工する「山田工作場」を視察し、ススキを手にされる天皇、皇后両陛下の長女愛子さま、１日午後、三重県伊勢市天皇、皇后両陛下の長女愛子さまは１日、２０年に１度、伊勢神宮の社殿を一新する「式年遷宮」の伝統行事「御木曳」などを視察するため、同市に到着された。 Japan's Princess Aiko arrived in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on Saturday to observe a traditional rite for the reconstruction of Ise Jingu, a major Shinto shrine complex in the central Japan city, which is held once every 20 years.

Japan's Princess Aiko arrived in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on Saturday to observe a traditional rite for the reconstruction of Ise Jingu, a major Shinto shrine complex in the central Japan city, which is held once every 20 years.

It has been a long while since Masaki and I sat down for a chat -- I'm calling this Masaki 2.0Japan.WWII. Portals. Japanese American. Shinto. Basalt. Mental states of consciousness. Time. Scalar Technology. WTH is going on. And so much more. Links for MASAKI MIYAGAWA:⁠https://www.masaki.one⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/masaki_one⁠Tips are most welcome:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/niish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thecosmicsalon.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠I want to thank the producers of this show:Meredith Walako (Scheduling, bookings, and social media manager). White Hawk Medicine. Myra. Cale Darnegie. Jorge. Susan Jenkins. Kerry Hoyal. Sarah Etta. Lizz Radican. Claire Cathcart. Steven Mercer. WiseNightOwl. Noël. Melanie Poe. Jason Lambson. Neil Macnaughton. Kate Kukulkan. Jane F. Kim Simone. Everlong,Niish-

What goes into kicking off, planning out, & sustaining a podcast? The Krewe presented their lived experiences in podcasting, along with recommendations & tips for aspiring content creators in the US-Japan space, during a workshop on July 30, 2026 at the NAJAS (National Association of Japan-America Societies) National Conference. This episode is that workshop! ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Links for NAJAS ------ NAJAS Website NAJAS Conference Website ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!

Former LSU standout, NBA veteran, and professional basketball player Johnny O'Bryant III joins the Krewe to discuss his unique connections to Japan, from playing for the Ibaraki Robots in Japan's B.League to founding Noir Caesar, his own manga publishing company. We explore his experiences living and competing in Japan, how a lifelong passion for manga grew into a business, and what it takes to balance life as a professional athlete and entrepreneur. It's a conversation about basketball, Japanese culture, creativity, and chasing passions both on and off the court. ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Links for Johnny & Noir Caesar ------ Noir Caesar Website Johnny on IG B.League Website ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!

What role do Japan Societies and Japan-America Societies play in strengthening the relationship between the United States and Japan? In this episode, the Krewe sits down with Dr. Joshua Walker, former President and CEO of the Japan Society in New York, to discuss U.S.-Japan relations, the unique impact organizations of all sizes can have at every level of cultural exchange, and why local interactions remain essential to the partnership between both nations. We also explore what the future may hold for U.S.-Japan relations and how individuals and communities can help shape it. ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Links for Joshua & Japan Society ------ Joshua's LinkedIn Joshua's Book -- Japan: Beyond the Genkan (Amazon) Japan Society (NYC) ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!