Podcasts about shintoism

Discover the fascinating tale of Jesus' alleged grave in Japan, a story that intertwines history, myth, and cultural intrigue. This unique narrative suggests that during the so-called 'lost years' of Jesus, he traveled across Eurasia to Japan, where he studied with Buddhist masters. The legend continues with a dramatic twist: on the eve of his crucifixion, Jesus' brother Isuki took his place on the cross, allowing Jesus to escape back to Japan. There, he supposedly lived a peaceful life as a garlic farmer, married, and had children. This story is rooted in a small Japanese village, where two mounds are said to contain Jesus' body and a lock of his brother's hair. While this tale may seem far-fetched, it reflects the deep cultural exchanges and historical mysteries that continue to captivate imaginations worldwide.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Cole Burgett about his article, “Blades, Spirits, and the Sacred: Encountering Shintoism in Assassin's Creed Shadows”. https://www.equip.org/articles/blades-spirits-and-the-sacred-encountering-shintoism-in-assassins-creed-shadows/This is also part of Cole's ongoing Cultural Apologetics Column.[Editor's Note: This review contains spoilers for Assassin's Creed Shadows.]  Related articles and podcasts on video games: Episode 128 Summer Vacation, Kids, and Video Games: Better Alternatives to FortniteSummer Vacation, Kids, and Video Games: Better Alternatives to FortniteEpisode 098 Virtual Violence, Video Game Addiction, and the Kingdom of GodVirtual Violence, Video Game Addiction, and the Kingdom of GodEpisode 022: Can God Fit in This Machine? Video Games and ChristiansCan God Fit in This Machine? Video Games and ChristiansRelated articles and podcasts by this author:Episode 437: What is Truth in ‘Dune: Prophecy'?What is Truth in ‘Dune: Prophecy'?Episode 430: Space Pirates and Treasure Planets: A Review of ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew'Space Pirates and Treasure Planets: A Review of ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew'Episode 425: Film Review: Netflix's MaryEpisode 420: ‘Heretic' The Gospel According to Mr. Reed‘Heretic': The Gospel According to Mr. ReedEpisode 415: The Subtle Art of Corruption in the Sophomore Season of ‘The Rings of Power'The Subtle Art of Corruption in the Sophomore Season of ‘The Rings of Power'Don't miss an episode; please subscribe to the Postmodern Realities podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Please help spread the word about Postmodern Realities by giving us a rating and review when you subscribe to the podcast. The more ratings and reviews we have, the more new listeners can discover our content.

Would you like to learn more about Japanese character like yōkai, Buddhist deities and Kami gods?  Are you interested in finding out where the original stories come from?  How all of that relates to tattooing?  We got you covered.      In this very informative episode with Joshua Frydman, associate professor of Japanese at the university of Oklahoma, specialized in Japanese ancient myths and literature, we dive into the origins of Japanese mythology and folklore. Shintoism, Buddhism, Chinese influence, philosophical/cultural implications and more. Welcome to the nerd side of tattooing :)     13:43 Overview of Japan's development 16:46 Religious systems in Japan 23:36 Syncretism of Japan 24:16 Kami and Gods 33:10 Seductivity and danger nature 39:40 Oni 42:07 Differences with Western folklore 44:38 Susanoo and Amaterasu 48:40 Not a definite answer 53:39 Godzilla modern myth 55:28 A fluid religion 1:01:05 Reading recommendations 1:04:30 Mythological names to real animals 1:06:21 Kannon's example       Joshua's book: ‘THE JAPANESE MYTHS: A GUIDE TO GODS, HEROES AND SPIRITS'       Stef's Instagram   stefbastian.com        

In Japan, cleanliness is cultural and synonymous with well-being. That's down in no small part to the influence of Shintoism, the country's oldest religion. While the number of believers has been steadily decreasing for some time, Shinto philosophy and culture are still widely practised. Cleanliness is seen not just as a physical state but also a spiritual one, as it is closely tied to the respect and reverence shown to Shinto gods. Following this line of thinking, many Japanese people engage in an annual Buddhist cleaning ritual called "Oosouji," aimed at purifying and organising their interiors before entering a new period. What does "Oosouji" mean? What are the steps to follow during "Oosouji"? What are the benefits of it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : How can I reduce my belly fat? What are the health benefits of algae? Why do people say that black cats bring bad luck? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We greatly appreciate you tuning into this podcast. If we can pray for you in anyway please email us at rayreynoldsrap@gmail.com. If you are interested in a deeper, richer study of the Bible please download the FREE study guides available for a limited time. We also encourage you to sign up for a FREE Bible course for a comprehensive study of the entire Bible.The ministry of Reynolds Rap is meant to bring a message of inspiration and encouragement. Our hope it will bless you to find your calling and inspire you to engage in your own distinctive and personal ministry.  Our goal is to help mentor, coach, and motivate you.  We will do this through sharing Scriptures, Bible studies, blogs, podcasts, and LIVE videos.  Our website has many tools to help you in your walk with God to maintain an authentic Christian life (www.rayreynoldsrap.com).This podcast is partially sponsored by Peachtree Press LLC (www.peachtreepress.org), Getting To Know Your Bible (www.gettingtoknowyourbible.com), the Summerdale Church of Christ (www.summerdalechurch.org), and the Reclaiming Hope Ministry (www.reclaiminghopeministry.com). Also we are excited to partner with Didasko Bible Institute to offer 8 certificates of study. Read more here: https://didaskobible.wixsite.com/instituteYou are loved.Ray Reynolds, PhD#backtotheBible #inspiration #encouragement #onpoint #ReynoldsRap #ReclaimingHope #RayReynolds #MistyReynolds #counseling #peachtreepress #inspire #encourage #positive #rayreynoldsrap #reclaiminghopeministry #bible #love #hope #didaskobibleinstitute #dailyBiblereading #WixBlog #authentic #Christian #positive #practical #community #God #Jesus #Facebook #Instagram #YouTube #Reddit #TikTok #WWJD #GTKYB #Christianity #faithful #religion #HolySpirit #summerdale #churchofchrist 

In Japan, cleanliness is cultural and synonymous with well-being. That's down in no small part to the influence of Shintoism, the country's oldest religion. While the number of believers has been steadily decreasing for some time, Shinto philosophy and culture are still widely practised. Cleanliness is seen not just as a physical state but also a spiritual one, as it is closely tied to the respect and reverence shown to Shinto gods. Following this line of thinking, many Japanese people engage in an annual Buddhist cleaning ritual called "Oosouji," aimed at purifying and organising their interiors before entering a new period. What does "Oosouji" mean? What are the steps to follow during "Oosouji"? What are the benefits of it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : How can I reduce my belly fat? What are the health benefits of algae? Why do people say that black cats bring bad luck? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. Fisrt broadcast: 6/8/23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.Assassin's Creed Shadows has finally been released, and according to developers, with stunning sells, topping 2 million players. The problem is, however, these sells are termed “activations” and Ubisoft has not been upfront about whether these include unique log-ins or actual purchases. Ubisoft is so paranoid about the game - understandably because it if fails so does the company - they are hiring agents to patrol the Internet for criticism. Once found, they are planning to sue players, while offering psychological assistances to any employees, half of which never made a game before, in need after being confronted with reasonable questions. Famous Japanese game creator Hideki Kamiya defended the game, saying “normal people” don't care, an interesting statement because it's also circulating Steam as a talking point, almost surely promoted by Ubisoft - “normal people don't get upset about this.” This is especially true because the Japanese game community has been the angriest, not western commentators who, frankly, have never even heard of Shintoism. Besides the race-baiting, controversial release dates, cultural insensitiveness, theft of shrine designs without permission, the making of a black samurai gay or an adulterer, the gameplay objectively is like decades old copy and paste low level garbage. The optics are so bad that even the Prime Minster of Japan commented, particularly because what he fears has already happened in the country due to clout chasing tourists: “I fear that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life. Shrine officials and local residents are also worried about this. Of course, freedom of expression must be respected, but acts that demean local cultures should be avoided.”Then there is Snow White, which by all objective measures makes ACS look like a well done masterpiece. This movie is so bad in every aspect, and the intention of Disney so blatantly disgusting, it will be a miracle if it doesn't get pulled from the theater within a week. -FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITECashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tst-radio--5328407/support.

Dr. Kegan Chandler (  @Dr_Kegan_Chandler  ) has a PhD in religious studies from the University of Cape Town. He specialized in the study of Asian religions. We talk about religion, Christianity, and Unitarianism in Japan. We mention Elisabetta Porcu, Shintoism, Buddhism, Tom Holland, Martin Scorsese, Ogyu Sorai, Commodore Matthew Perry, John Stuart Mill, Charles Darwin, Leroy Lansing Janes, Ebina Danjo, Kanamori Michitomo, Harada Tasuku, Arthur Knapp, Origen of AlexandriaKegan's youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@Dr_Kegan_Chandler Kegan talking about Constantine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXIj5OH40IAKegan on Hermes and the Gospel of John - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7auX3o9Z20

Every once in a while, you travel to a place that completely blows your mind. That's what recently happened to me and my family when we went to Japan.I thought I knew what to expect: polite people, cool architecture, good food. But Japan exceeded every expectation I had. It was something out of a dream.In this episode, I'm talking with Mac from Maction Planet, the tour guide who made our trip special. He is originally from the UK but has lived in Japan for over 20 years. He first came here for the Soccer World Cup and fell in love with the country.Mac is not your typical guide, he's got this insane passion for Japan and knows how to craft an experience that feels personal and unforgettable.We cover everything from Japan's safety and civility to its awe-inspiring food scene. I'm talking tiny restaurants where chefs treat cooking like fine art, with no tipping culture and some of the best craftsmanship I've ever seen.We also discuss what makes Japan so clean and organized, the mesmerizing fusion of Shintoism and Buddhism, and yes... the tea ceremony that changed my entire outlook on life.If you have never been to Japan or are thinking about going, you don't want to miss this one. I'm definitely going back!Hit play now.Key TakeawaysIntroduction (00:00)East vs. West Japan cultural divide explained (02:28)My first impressions of Japan's uniqueness (03:15)Mac Salman's background (05:51)Tokyo's safety and efficiency (13:12)Niche restaurants: 12 seats, owner-chefs, no tipping (20:08)Craftsmanship in food vs. Western “art” norms (24:16)Japan's shame-based culture and public apologies (32:32)Blending Shinto and Buddhist traditions seamlessly (43:07)Tea ceremony in a private home: “magical” experience (57:18)Travel tips: Avoid summer, embrace February (1:03:46)Additional Resources- Maction Planet Website: https://mactionplanet.com/- Maction Planet IG: https://www.instagram.com/mactionplanet/?hl=en—- Register for the OrthoPreneurs Summit 2025: http://opsummit2025.com/- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs

Our world is home to major religions with a multitude of factions within them. Christianity is the most diverse, with various forms of Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant, and within each, especially Protestant, there are a plethora of differing denominations. The next largest belief system is Islam, with Shia and Sunni factions. Then we have Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Atheism, and more. Many people openly confess they have their own personally devised faith. Spiritual, but not religious, is a common refrain today. It's impossible to accurately number the never-ending proliferation of belief systems in a world of over eight billion human beings. For any thinking person, no matter what his faith, a question must arise: How do I know that what I believe is true? After all, doesn't everyone think that what he or she believes is true? But how can this be when we all believe something different? Can we all be right? This is not a question from which we should shrink. If there is a God, does He accept any and all forms of belief systems? Can we dictate to Him that which He must accept? Think about it my friends. On this Tomorrow's World program, I'm asking the question, “Is what you believe about God true?” And I'll be offering you our free booklet, The Bible: Fact or Fiction, so be sure to have writing material available to take down our contact information.

Last time we spoke about the reunification of Xinjiang. In Yarkland, chaos erupted as inflation soared, forcing Chinese officials to retreat to fortified New City. As insurgents advanced, Colonel Chin's forces looted and fled, igniting violence against Uyghurs and Hindu moneylenders. By April, rebels captured Kashgar, fracturing Chinese control. Amid shifting alliances, Abdullah revealed a conflict among Muslim troops, leading to a brief Uyghur-Kirghiz unity against the Chinese. After the execution of leader Temur, Abdullah seized Yarkland, while Tawfiq Bay rallied forces, leaving the Tungans besieged amidst chaos. In the tumultuous landscape of 1930s Xinjiang, Ma Chongying's Tungan forces, alongside young Uyghur conscripts, captured Kumul and advanced toward Urumqi. Despite fierce battles, including a significant clash at Kitai, Sheng Shihtsai struggled to maintain control amid shifting loyalties and external pressures. As the TIRET emerged under Khoja Niyas Hajji, internal conflicts and Soviet interventions escalated. Ultimately, Ma Chongying retreated to Russia, leaving Sheng in power, but the region remained fraught with tension and uncertainty.   #136 Ishiwara Kanji Part 1: The Man who Began WW2? Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. “The board is set, the pieces are moving. We come to it at last, the great battle of our time.” Famously said by Gandalf the White. 1931 was the year the Japanese initiated a 15 year long war with China. For those of you who perhaps joined this podcast recently and don't know, I am Craig and I operate the Pacific War Channel on Youtube. I have been covering the 15 year long China War forever it seems, so when we finally reached this part in our larger story I sat down and thought about how to first tackle this. One thing I really believe needs to be said at the beginning, is a lot of what happened was put into motion by one man, Ishiwara Kanji. For those of you who joined my patreon or later listened to my Ishiwara Kanji series on my channel, this one might be a bit of a refresher. But for those of you who have never heard the name of this man, well let me tell you a story about how a single man caused WW2. Kanji Ishiwara was born on January 18, 1889, in Tsuruoka, located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. He was the second son of a policeman who hailed from a lineage of samurai that had historically served the Shonai Domain. This domain had a notable history, particularly during the Boshin War, where Ishiwara's clan supported the Tokugawa Shogunate. Following the defeat of the Shogunate, clans like Ishiwara's found themselves marginalized in the new political landscape of Meiji Era Japan. The power dynamics shifted significantly, with domains such as Choshu and Satsuma gaining the majority of influential governmental positions, while those that had aligned with the Shogunate were largely excluded from power. At the young age of 13, Ishiwara embarked on his military career by enrolling in a military preparatory school in Sendai. He continued his education for two years at the Central Military Preparatory School in Tokyo, where he honed his skills and knowledge in military affairs. In 1907, he entered the Imperial Japanese Military Academy as a member of its 21st class. After two years of rigorous training, he graduated in July 1909, receiving a commission as a Lieutenant and taking on the role of platoon commander in an infantry regiment stationed in the Tohoku region. In 1910, following Japan's annexation of Korea, Ishiwara's regiment was deployed to the Korean Peninsula, where he served in a small garrison in Ch'unch'on. His time there involved two years of occupation duty, during which he gained valuable experience in military operations and leadership. After returning to Tohoku in 1912, Ishiwara pursued further education and successfully passed the examinations required for entry into the Army Staff College in 1915. His dedication and exceptional performance were evident throughout his studies, culminating in his graduation at the top of his class in November 1918. This achievement earned him a prestigious place among the elite ranks of the Gunto Gumi, a distinguished group within the Japanese military, and he was honored with the imperial sword, a symbol of his status and accomplishments. In 1920, Ishiwara found himself facing a challenging assignment within the Department of Military Training. Eager for a change, he applied for service in China and was subsequently assigned to the Central China Garrison in Hankow. Over the course of a year, he traveled extensively through central China, immersing himself in the culture and landscape before returning to Tokyo in 1921. Upon his return, he took on the role of lecturer at the Army Staff College, where he shared his knowledge and experiences with aspiring military leaders. Despite his desire for another assignment in China, Ishiwara's superiors redirected him to Europe, a common practice for promising young officers at the time. He spent three years in Germany, where he dedicated himself to studying languages and military history. By 1925, at the age of 36 and having attained the rank of Major, he received a prestigious assignment to the faculty of the Army Staff College, where he lectured on the history of warfare. From the outset, Ishiwara distinguished himself as an unconventional officer. His eccentricities were well-known; he was often seen as argumentative and struggled with numerous health issues, including recurrent kidney infections, gastrointestinal problems, tympanitis, and other ailments that plagued him throughout his career. Additionally, his ancestry played a significant role in his military life, particularly in the context of the Japanese military's values during the 1930s. Officers from disgraced clans often felt compelled to demonstrate exceptional loyalty to the Emperor, striving to overcome the stigma associated with their lineage, a legacy of distrust that lingered from the early Meiji period. Ishiwara's character was marked by a certain oddity; he was a nonconformist with a fiercely independent spirit. Many biographers note that while he excelled academically, he often disregarded military decorum, particularly in terms of his dress and personal appearance. Early in his career, he voiced his concerns about perceived inequalities within the military, particularly the favoritism shown towards graduates of the staff college. Such outspoken criticism was considered reckless, yet it reflected his deep-seated beliefs. An avid reader, Ishiwara immersed himself in a wide range of subjects, including politics, religion, history, and philosophy, revealing a restless and inquisitive mind. His unconventional behavior and intellectual pursuits garnered attention from his peers, many of whom regarded him as a brilliant thinker. While military personnel are typically required to study military history, few pursue it with the same fervor as Ishiwara. He developed a profound obsession with understanding military history beyond the standard curriculum. His critical examination of the Russo-Japanese War led him to conclude that Japan's victory was largely a matter of luck. He believed that Japan had adopted the von Moltke strategy of annihilation, but the sheer size of Russia made it impossible to defeat them swiftly. Ishiwara posited that had Russia been better prepared, Japan would likely have faced defeat, and it was only through a unique set of circumstances that Japan avoided a protracted conflict. This realization prompted Ishiwara to advocate for a significant shift in Japan's defense planning, emphasizing the need to adapt to the realities of modern warfare. His studies extended to World War I, where he critically analyzed the distinctions between short and prolonged conflicts. He recognized that extended wars often evolved into total wars, where political, economic, and social factors became as crucial as military strategy. This line of thinking led him to categorize wars into two types: “kessenteki senso” (decisive war) and “jizokuteki senso” (continuous war). Ishiwara viewed these categories as part of a cyclical pattern throughout history, with each type influencing the other in a dynamic interplay. During his time in Germany, Ishiwara immersed himself in the study of prominent military theorists such as Carl von Clausewitz, Helmuth von Moltke, and Hans Delbrück. He found himself particularly captivated by Delbrück's concepts of Niederwerfungstrategie, or "strategy of annihilation," which emphasizes the importance of achieving victory through decisive battles, and Ermattungsstrategie, meaning "strategy of exhaustion," which focuses on wearing down the enemy over time. These theories resonated deeply with Ishiwara, as he recognized parallels between his own ideas and the insights presented in these influential works. This realization prompted him to analyze historical conflicts, viewing the Napoleonic Wars as the quintessential example of annihilation warfare, while interpreting the campaigns of Frederick the Great as emblematic of exhaustion warfare. As Ishiwara advanced in his studies, he became increasingly convinced, much like many of his contemporaries, that Japan and the United States were inevitably on a collision course toward war, driven by conflicting power dynamics and ideological differences. He anticipated that such a conflict would not be swift but rather a drawn-out struggle characterized by a strategy of exhaustion. However, this led him to grapple with a pressing dilemma: how could Japan effectively prepare for a prolonged war when its natural resources were evidently insufficient to sustain such an endeavor? This predicament prompted him to rethink the broader context of Asia. Ishiwara held a strong belief that Asia was a distinct entity, fundamentally different from the West, and he envisioned a future where Asian nations would liberate themselves and unite in solidarity. His enthusiasm was particularly ignited during the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, while he was a young cadet stationed in Korea. The prospect of China revitalizing itself filled him with hope. However, his later experiences in China led to a profound disillusionment. Throughout the 1920s, he encountered rampant banditry, conflicts during the warlord era, and pervasive chaos and disorder. The widespread poverty and instability he witnessed shattered his earlier optimistic vision of China's potential for progress and reform, leaving him with a more sobering understanding of the challenges facing the region. He wrote this during that time “Looking at the situation in China, I came to harbor grave doubts as to the political capacities of the chinese race and came to feel that, though they were a people of high cultural attainment, it was impossible for them to construct a modern state”. Despite his profound disappointment with the political issues plaguing China, he was equally appalled by the way his Japanese colleagues treated the Chinese people. He vividly recalled feelings of shame when he witnessed fellow colleagues in Hankow disembarking from rickshaws and carelessly tossing coins at the feet of the rickshaw pullers. This behavior struck him as not only disrespectful but also indicative of a broader attitude of racial superiority that he believed needed to be addressed. He frequently expressed in his writings that the Japanese needed to abandon their feelings of racial superiority. Ironically, he often juxtaposed this belief with his conviction that Japan had a duty to guide nations like China toward their rightful destiny. While he advocated for racial equality between Japan and China, he held a markedly different view regarding China's political landscape. Like many of his contemporaries, he believed that China required significant reform and modernization, which he felt Japan was uniquely positioned to facilitate. To Ishiwara, the pressing issue was that if Japan did not assist China in its development, Western powers would aggressively intervene, further subjugating the nation. He viewed Japan's role as one of liberation for China, rather than domination. Additionally, Ishiwara connected the impending conflict between Japan and the United States to the broader dynamics of Japan-China relations, suggesting that the outcome of this war would significantly impact the future interactions between the two nations. Ishiwara, like many Japanese military officers of his time, subscribed to the concept of Kokutai, a complex and multifaceted cultural phenomenon that served as a spiritual driving force within the Japanese military. The Kokutai can be understood as the essence of Japan's national character. Japan operated as a constitutional monarchy, embodying both the Kokutai (the national body or character) and Seitai (the governmental structure). This duality created a unique ideological framework: one aspect emphasized the traditional reverence for the emperor, while the other focused on the official government apparatus.   To simplify this intricate relationship, one might say, “Japan is governed simultaneously by the emperor and the government.” However, this characterization is inherently confusing, as it encapsulates a significant contradiction. Article 4 of the former Japanese constitution stated, “The emperor is the head of the empire, combining in himself the right of sovereignty, uniting the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, although subject to the consent of the imperial diet.” This provision suggests the existence of an absolute monarch who is nonetheless expected to heed the advice of democratically elected representatives, creating a paradox that would contribute to the tensions leading to the Pacific War. A critical issue that arose from this constitutional framework was that the military was explicitly stated to be under the control of the emperor, rather than the political diet. Consequently, many military leaders perceived themselves as being beholden to the Kokutai, an ideology that evolved significantly from the Meiji era into the Showa era. For instance, consider a high-ranking military officer who views the political elite as corrupt individuals who have effectively taken the emperor hostage, acting against his will and, by extension, against the will of the Japanese people. Such a perspective could lead to radical actions, including attempts to overthrow the government to restore what they believed to be the rightful authority of the emperor. This ideological conflict presents a fascinating and complex rabbit hole that merits further exploration. Ishiwara had a unique view of the Kokutai. In his early education he wrote this about his doubt on understanding it as a principal. “Even though I, myself, because of my training…had come to have an unshakeable faith in the kokutai I began to lack confidence that I could imparts this belief to others –to the common soldier, to the civilian, to non-Japanese”. Ishiwara grappled with a profound question: how could the concept of Kokutai—the national essence of Japan—be relevant beyond the borders of Japan? He pondered how its significance could extend beyond the specific national interests of Japan. If a Japanese soldier were to lay down his life for the Kokutai, what meaning would that sacrifice hold for individuals of different races and nationalities? Furthermore, he sought to understand how the Kokutai's universal value could be connected to other ideologies outside Japan. In his quest for answers, Ishiwara turned to Nichiren Buddhism. This spiritual framework allowed him to weave together his thoughts on warfare, historical narratives, and the national purpose of Japan. Interestingly, Ishiwara did not come from a religious background; he had briefly explored Christianity but did not pursue it further. Similarly, Shintoism did not fully resonate with his beliefs. Nichiren Buddhism, however, presented a compelling alternative. It is characterized by a strong sense of patriotism and an apocalyptic vision, positioning itself as a holy mission intended for all of humanity, with Japan at its center. This belief system embodies a quasi-ideology of world regeneration, casting Japan as a moral leader destined to guide others. Given this context, it is easy to see how the Kokutai and Nichiren Buddhism complemented each other seamlessly. By leveraging the principles of Nichiren Buddhism, Ishiwara envisioned a way to elevate the Kokutai from a strictly nationalistic doctrine to a more universal ideology that could resonate globally. His introduction to these ideas came through Tanaka Chigaku, a prominent figure in the Kokuchukai, or "National Pillar Society," which was a nationalist organization rooted in Nichiren Buddhism and based in Tokyo. This connection provided Ishiwara with a framework to articulate a vision of Japan that transcended its geographical boundaries, linking the Kokutai to a broader, more inclusive mission. After attending a public meeting held by Tanaka, he quickly converted to Kokuchukai and he would write down in his journal “I was attracted to the Nichiren faith's view of the kokutai”. Nichiren buddhism. One element of Kokuchukai's Nichirenism that strongly attracted Ishiwara was its aggressive passages. He justified much of Japan's military actions on the Asian continent by drawing parallels to Nichiren's concept of wielding the sword to uphold righteousness. He frequently quoted Nichiren's assertion that “the significance of the art of war appears in the wonderful law.” Ishiwara became deeply immersed in Nichiren's teachings and came to believe in its prophecy of a “Zendai mimon no dai toso,” or a titanic world conflict unprecedented in human history, akin to a global Armageddon. Following this conflict, he envisioned a period of universal and eternal peace under the harmony of “the wonderful law.” While in Germany, Ishiwara became convinced that if Japan and the United States were destined for war and the U.S. emerged victorious, the kokutai would be obliterated. He traveled back to Japan via the Trans-Siberian Railway, stopping in Harbin, where he met with Nichiren followers. He shared his thoughts on a “final war,” asserting that it would arise from religious prophecy and his military analysis. He cautioned that Japan must prepare for this impending conflict, declaring that “the final war is fast approaching.” Upon returning to Japan in 1925, he was filled with determination to lecture at the Army Staff College about this final war. His audience consisted of the army's promising young officers, to whom he taught about Frederican and Napoleonic campaigns, Moltke, World War I, and, of course, his insights on the looming conflict. The Army Staff College repeatedly requested him to expand his lectures due to their popularity. In 1927, he drafted an essay titled “Genzai oyobi shorai Nihon no kokubo / Japan's Present and Future National Defense,” in which he discussed the inevitable war between the U.S. and Japan. This essay garnered significant attention from his colleagues. Later, in April 1931, he briefed his fellow Kwantung officers using this essay, advocating for decisive action on the Asian mainland. In 1928, he was scheduled to give another course on European warfare, but he contracted influenza and had to take a leave of absence. As he was recovering, he developed tympanitis in his ear, which required a six-month hospitalization. This was just one of many health issues that would affect him over time. Eventually, he became involved in an elite study group focused on war theories, led by Major Suzuki. This group included young reformist officers who discussed political and military matters. He continued his work on the concept of total war and ultimately wrote “Sensoshi taikan / General Outline of the History of War,” which he presented as a lecture to Kwantung officers in Changch'un, Manchuria, on July 4, 1929. The work underwent revisions in 1931 and 1938 and was published as a book of the same title after 1941. As he began lecturing using Sensoshi taiken he also circulated amongst an inner circle within the Kwantung army “kokuun tenkai no konpon kokusakutaru man-mo mondai kaiketsuan / Plan for the solution of the Manchuria and Mongolia problem as a basic national policy to revolutionize our country's destiny”, what a title. As you might guess the plan called for occupying Manchuria in preparation for the upcoming war with America. By the way, all of his lectures and works would gain so much fame, he was asked in 1936 to adapt the materials for a text on military history for Emperor Hirohito.  The 1930s were a particularly tense period for Japan. The Japanese leadership perceived Marxism as a pervasive threat, believing it was undermining the nation. Many liberal voices argued that the military budget was excessive and called for cuts. To Ishiwara, this was madness; he questioned how Japan could afford to disarm. While Marxists claimed that communism would rescue Japan, liberals argued that true democracy was the answer. In contrast, Ishiwara and many in the military believed that the Kokutai would be Japan's salvation. Ishiwara advocated his final theories of warfare, asserting that the impending apocalypse would not lead to an American synthesis, but rather a decisive victory for the Japanese Kokutai that would unify the world. “Japan must be victorious not for the sake of her own national interest, but for the salvation of the world. The last war in human history is approaching, Nichiren's titanic world conflict, unprecedented in human history”. From the outset of his initial theories, Ishiwara was convinced that the final war would be characterized by a strategy of exhaustion. However, World War I and the advancements of the 1920s introduced new technologies like tanks, poison gas, and airplanes. The airplane, in particular, led Ishiwara to believe that the defensive stalemate observed in World War I was nearing its end. He argued that airpower could deliver bomb loads beyond all known defenses, including naval surface units, fortifications, and armies equipped with automatic weapons. Ishiwara predicted that the final war would unleash unimaginable horrors on the world's greatest cities. Cities like London, Shanghai, Paris, and even Tokyo could be devastated within a single day of the outbreak of hostilities. Air bombardment would deliver victory and he would be quite right about that in regards to what would happen to Japan. He believed such a war would be waged only once and “we will enter an age where war will become impossible because of the ultimate development of war technology”. Ishiwara contended that Japan should exert direct or indirect control over Manchuria and, to a lesser extent, certain regions of China. He claimed that Japan had a moral responsibility to the Asian continent and a unique connection to Manchuria and China. He emphasized the need to stabilize China, as its people faced threats from chaos, corruption, and conflict. Ishiwara argued that Japan would ultimately need to take a more proactive role in stabilizing China, especially in Manchuria, for the sake of peace and the well-being of the Chinese population. He wrote in 1930 “To save China, which has known no peace, is the mission of Japan, a mission, which, at the same time, is the only means for the salvation of Japan itself. To accomplish this task it is an urgent matter that the interference of the United States be eliminated”. Ironically, he was advocating that in order to prepare for a conflict with the US, Japan must take a stronger hand in Manchuria and China…which would probably force the United States to confront her. He advocated against the strategy of a decisive battle at sea, instead emphasizing a continental strategy. “If the worst comes about and the war at sea turns against us, if proper measures have been taken, Japanese forces on the Asian mainland can be made self-sufficient and the war continued.” Above all else, Manchuria was the key, alongside parts of Mongolia and China.  In 1931, he started advocating for reforms in China, suggesting that it would be beneficial for the country to accept guidance from Japan. He viewed China as Japan's most important ally in the event of a conflict with the United States. He argued that Japan should make every effort to avoid getting involved in a war with China and should strive to prevent any actions that might provoke such a situation. Yet as he continued his writing he began to see the diplomatic issues play out between China and Japan and came to the conclusion, “every attempt should be made to avoid provoking China, but in the event that it is impossible to bring about China's understanding, then Nanking should be swiftly attacked and north and central China occupied” way to go 0-60. His attitudes to Britain and Russia were quite similar, every effort should be made to remain friendly, but in the case of war Hong Kong and Malaya should be quickly occupied or in the case of the USSR, predetermined objectives inside Siberia should be seized quickly. Let's delve into the historical landscape of Manchuria during the late 1920s, a period marked by intense geopolitical maneuvering among Russia, China, and Japan. The region found itself caught in a complex struggle for dominance, exacerbated by the fragmentation of Chinese authority due to rampant warlordism. This instability effectively severed Manchuria's ties to the rest of China, creating an opportunity for Japan to solidify and expand its influence. The situation in Manchuria, often referred to as the "Manchurian Problem," revolved around a pivotal question for Japanese policymakers: How could Japan consolidate its hold over Manchuria and further its interests in the face of an increasingly assertive China? Japan identified three primary strategies to address this challenge: Control of the South Manchuria Railway: Securing this vital transportation artery would grant Japan significant leverage over southern Manchuria. However, this strategy was fraught with complications, as it necessitated ongoing confrontations with Chinese political forces that opposed Japanese dominance. Utilization of the Kwantung Army: This military force stationed in Manchuria was crucial for projecting Japanese power. Members of the Kwantung Army were particularly concerned about the Northern Expedition led by Chiang Kai-shek, which threatened the stability of their ally, Zhang Zuolin, known as the "Tiger of Manchuria." While Zhang had been cooperative and acted in Japan's interests, his support could not be guaranteed indefinitely. Japanese Colonization: This approach involved encouraging Japanese settlers to move into Manchuria, thereby establishing a demographic presence that could help legitimize Japan's claims to the territory. This method, often likened to a “filibuster,” aimed to create a Japanese cultural and economic foothold in the region. Each of these strategies presented distinct pathways forward, each with its own implications for the future of Manchuria and its relationship with China. The Kwantung Army, in particular, was increasingly alarmed by the rise of anti-Japanese sentiment as the Northern Expedition advanced northward. The army viewed Manchuria not only as a territory of strategic interest but also as a crucial buffer against the Soviet Union. The growing instability posed by Chiang Kai-shek's forces and the potential loss of influence over Zhang Zuolin were significant threats that needed to be addressed. Ultimately, many within the Kwantung Army believed that the only viable solution to secure Japan's interests in Manchuria would be to formally detach the region from China, a move that would likely require military intervention. This belief underscored the precarious balance of power in Manchuria during this tumultuous period and foreshadowed the escalating conflicts that would shape the region's future. In June 1927, senior officers of the Kwantung Army were summoned to a crucial meeting convened by Premier Tanaka Giichi. The primary objective of this gathering was to establish Japan's strategic policy regarding China and Manchuria. Within the ranks of the Kwantung Army, a more radical faction led by Colonel Komoto Daisaku was determined to eliminate Zhang Zuolin, who had increasingly become perceived as a significant barrier to Japanese ambitions in Manchuria. This faction's resolve culminated in the assassination of Zhang Zuolin in 1928, an event infamously known as the Huanggutun Incident, where a bomb was placed on the train tracks to ensure his demise. However, the outcome of this assassination did not unfold as the Kwantung Army officers had anticipated. Instead of the anticipated rise of their chosen puppet leader, General Yang Yuting, control of Manchuria fell to Zhang Zuolin's son, Zhang Xueliang. Unsurprisingly, Zhang Xueliang was deeply angered by the murder of his father and was far from compliant with Japanese interests. Consequently, the Kwantung Army found itself in a precarious position, as their aggressive policies in Manchuria backfired, leading to a situation that was even more unfavorable than before. The investigation into the assassination was notably half-hearted, resulting in the dismissal of Colonel Komoto from his position. This political fallout also led to the collapse of Tanaka's cabinet, leaving the Kwantung Army feeling both embarrassed and enraged over their diminished influence in Manchuria. The Japanese colonists residing in Manchuria, feeling increasingly threatened, began to call upon the Kwantung Army for protection against Chinese nationalists who sought to expel them from the region. In this climate of uncertainty, the Kwantung Army was left scrambling for strategies to detach Manchuria from Chinese control. In 1928, Lieutenant Colonel Ishiwara was consulted extensively by Kwantung officers regarding his perspectives on the Manchurian situation. Although he had not yet fully developed his Final War theory at this time, he articulated the fundamental principles behind it, emphasizing the urgent need for decisive action to assert control over Manchuria. Over the following years, Kwantung officers made concerted efforts to shape policy in favor of their interests in Manchuria, with Ishiwara's ideas gaining traction and stimulating discussions among his high-ranking peers. By October 1928, Ishiwara successfully secured a position on the Kwantung Army staff as an operations officer, with Colonel Komoto Daisaku as his primary supporter. Komoto recognized Ishiwara as the dynamic force needed to advance the aggressive Manchurian policies that the Kwantung Army sought to implement. This collaboration marked a significant turning point in the Kwantung Army's approach to Manchuria, as they aimed to solidify their control and influence in the region amidst growing tensions. When Ishiwara arrived at Port Arthur, he encountered a chaotic and demoralized atmosphere at the headquarters of the Kwantung Army. This turmoil was largely a consequence of the disastrous bombing of Zhang Zuolin, which had resulted in significant operational failures. The investigation into this assassination triggered numerous changes within the Kwantung Army's leadership, many of which were quite restrictive and stifling. Despite the catastrophic impact of the Zhang Zuolin incident on Komoto's career, he continued to advocate for a forceful resolution to the escalating Manchurian crisis. Ishiwara appeared to share this perspective, and during the early months of 1929, he collaborated closely with Komoto to devise military operations aimed at countering Chinese forces in the Mukden region. However, by the spring of 1929, Komoto's position became increasingly precarious, leading to his official dismissal. By May, he had been reassigned to a relatively insignificant divisional post in Japan, and by June, he was completely removed from the army. Nevertheless, this did not signify the end of his influence over Manchurian affairs. His successor was Lieutenant Colonel Itagaki Seishiro, a longtime associate of Ishiwara from their days at the Sendai Military Preparatory School. This connection suggested that while Komoto may have been sidelined, the strategic direction in Manchuria would continue to be shaped by familiar faces and longstanding relationships. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. A young, brilliant but perhaps insane man named Ishiwara Kanji began a fruitful military career. After spending considerable time in China, Ishiwara came to a dramatic conclusion, China needed to be saved, and to do so Japan needed to invade Manchuria. He began lecturing like minded youth and built a cult following, directing Japan towards war with China.  

Abiding Between Advents 1 John 2:28 And now, dear children, abide in Him,so that when he appears we may have confidenceand not shrink back in shame when he comes back.Message SlidesAbiding - William KynesThe Fruit of Abiding - SwindollThe Bible in a Nutshell - John HannahIntroduction: Advent and AdventsNon-Technical Usage with a MessageAbiding is the place where you live(John 1:38-39; 2:12; 4:40; 14:2, 23)DependenceAbiding is a Mutual Relationship (John 15:4-7, 9-10, 1 John 4:13)ChristlikenessAbiding Means Living as Christ Lived(1 John 2:5-6) FellowshipAbiding Means Loving other Christians(1 John 2:10, 3:15, 4:12)DepthAbiding Means Being Strong in the Word(1 John 2:14)ConnectionAbiding Means Living in Christian Community(1 John 2:19)GroundingAbiding Means Holding Basic Truths of Christianity(1 John 2:24; 2 John 1:9)ObedienceAbiding Means Keeping God's Commandments(1 John 3:24)WitnessAbiding Means Confessing Christ Publicly(1 John 4:15-16)Abiding in Christ is a mutual relationship of ongoing dependencewhich is expressed and maintained by Christlike obedience and love.Next Steps • Prioritize your relationship with Christ this year with time, attention and focus. • Go deeper into God's Word in order to know His character and obey His commands. • Fervently love God and consistently love His children.This Week's Growth GuideGod's Word is both central and critical to your spiritual growth. We invite you to utilize the Growth Guide during the week to further your application of the Truth from the message.•. Monday - 1 John 1•. Tuesday - 1 John 2•. Wednesday - 1 John 3•. Thursday - 1 John 4•. Friday - 1 John 5Mission Highlight - Pray for the Unreached: The JapaneseThe Japanese people, numbering over 117 million, primarily practice a blend of Shintoism and Buddhism. Only 1.2% identify as Christians and just 0.3% as evangelical believers. Though Japan has a rich cultural history and a highly developed economy, many are spiritually indifferent, focused on materialism, careers, and possessions. Japan's honor-shame culture places immense pressure on individuals, contributing to high suicide rates, as people fear bringing dishonor to themselves or their families. The need for laborers to share the Gospel is urgent, with over 2,300 workers needed to reach them. Pray that the Lord will raise up laborers to share the message of Christ with the Japanese, particularly through business connections and local churches. Ask the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts and open their eyes to the truth of the Gospel, so they will boldly share their faith with family and friends.FinancesWeekly Budget 35,297Giving For 12/15 44,365Giving For 12/22 65,677YTD Budget 882,429 Giving 850,826 OVER/(UNDER) (31,603) Fellowship 101We invite you to join us on Sunday, January 12, at 9:00 a.m. to learn more about Fellowship. This is a great opportunity to hear about our mission, values, and our ministries. If you're new to Fellowship, join us in the conference room (first floor) to hear what God is doing and where He is taking us. During this time, you will meet some of our ministry leaders and get to ask questions. Register at fellowshipconway.org/register. New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Christmas OfferingThis December, Fellowship's Christmas Offering is for The Operation Christmas Child Special Pack (held in October 2025). The gifts received will determine the number of boxes we can send. Please consider giving above and beyond your regular giving to the worthy cause of getting the gospel to sensitive areas that are difficult to reach. You can use an envelope or give online by selecting “Christmas Offering” from the options. Year End GivingFor contributions to be counted on your 2024 taxes, checks must be received in the Fellowship ministry office no later than Tuesday, December 31, by 12:00 PM or be postmarked by December 31. Fellowship Women's bible Study “Gideon” by Priscilla Shirer, led by Susan Woole, will be January 27-March 17, 9:30-11:00 a.m. here at Fellowship. Please purchase your workbook ahead of the class. For more information, contact Susan Woole at 501-269-2666. Child care is available by texting Shanna at 501-336-0332. Fellowship Men's BreakfastMen, join us for a great breakfast and fellowship on Wednesday, January 8, at 6:00 a.m. here in the Fellowship atrium. No sign-up is needed. Come with your Bible ready to eat, fellowship with other men, and start your day off right through prayer and Biblical insight. Questions? Contact Michael at mharrison@fellowshipconway.org.Fellowship Kids 101 Lunch - Sunday, January 12, 12:30 p.m.This is a great opportunity to learn more about what we offer for your family in Fellowship Kids. If your family is new to Fellowship Kids or even if you've been here for a while but would just like to get more information about our ministry, please join us! Registration deadline is January 3. Register at fellowshipconway.org/register Childcare is available by texting Shanna at 501-336-0332.

In today's episode we do a brief overview of Shintoism. A religion primarily followed by those living in Japan, around 2/3's of the world's adherents to this faith live in the “Land of the Rising Sun”. Let's have fun diving in!Enjoy! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jim-grace/support

In today's episode, we're covering Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece, Princess Mononoke. Set during Japan's late Muromachi period and incorporating fantastical elements, the tale centers on Ashitaka, a young prince of the Emishi people, as he becomes entangled in a conflict between the forest's spirits and the humans exploiting its resources. The film explores a recurring theme in Studio Ghibli's works: environmentalism, presented as a response to the effects of industrialization, framed within the traditions of Shintoism, animism, and folklore.

In Japan, cleanliness is cultural and synonymous with well-being. That's down in no small part to the influence of Shintoism, the country's oldest religion. While the number of believers has been steadily decreasing for some time, Shinto philosophy and culture are still widely practised. Cleanliness is seen not just as a physical state but also a spiritual one, as it is closely tied to the respect and reverence shown to Shinto gods. Following this line of thinking, many Japanese people engage in an annual Buddhist cleaning ritual called "Oosouji," aimed at purifying and organising their interiors before entering a new period. What does "Oosouji" mean? What are the steps to follow during "Oosouji"? What are the benefits of it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : How can I reduce my belly fat? What are the health benefits of algae? Why do people say that black cats bring bad luck? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. Fisrt broadcast: 6/8/23. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 2001's Fatal Frame. We talk about the economy of the design, some sticky puzzles and usability thoughts, and mechanical considerations. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: A few more hours Issues covered: economy and discipline, the warbling space that signifies a ghost, a possible positive reinforcement loop and the score economy, making every ghost matter, high stakes camera use, unsettling your comfort, the disorienting movement and camera shifts popping out of combat, melodramatic and zany, the different movie eras these series connect to, the Mothman, Japanese making Western horrors, Buddhism vs Shintoism, playing croquet with the Old Ones, brute forcing a puzzle, "well there's a note," head-look, wanting a little more from the map, usability issues, the gap in the wall, mechanical inconsistency, seeing patterns that aren't there, the adventure game of it all, exponential vs linear, the talisman photos in your inventory, RTFM, various reminiscences of Father Beast on HOMM, discovery in HOMM. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Resident Evil (series), Clue, Capcom, Dead Rising, Unsolved Mysteries, Jen Longo, Silent Hill, Don't Look Now, Eternal Darkness, Day of the Tentacle, Father Beast, Heroes of Might and Magic, King's Bounty, Master of Magic, Archon, X-COM, Final Fantasy VI, Dave Wolinsky, Pippin Barr, Beyond Good and Evil, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia. Next time: More Fatal Frame Twitch: timlongojr Discord DevGameClub@gmail.com

Last time we spoke about the return of Chiang Kai-Shek and reunification of the KMT. After Wang Jingwei left for France, the KMT elected on bringing back Chiang Kai-Shek, believing he was the only one capable of unifying the NRA. During his exile, Chiang married Soong Meiling, ensuring financial support from bankers and industrialists. Chiang had been working behind the scenes to ensure support and restructured the party upon his return. He centralized power, promoted military academies, and prepared for the resumption of the Northern Expedition. In early 1928, the KMT launched a campaign to capture northern China. However as the NPA fled north towards Jinan, the Japanese began reinforcing the city under the guise it was to defend their citizens. A large incident known as the Jinan incident occurred, nearly bringing Japan and China to war in 1928. Henceforth Chiang Kai-Shek would consider Japan the greatest enemy to China…perhaps after communism.   #117 The Northern Expedition Part 8: The reunification of China Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In early May of 1928, the NRA began advancing north out of its bridgehead over the Yellow River. They had been deprived of the use of the Tianjin-Pukou railway, thus forced to march 60 miles. General Chen Tiaoyuan of the first collective army captured Tehzhou on May 13th. At this point the NRA had cleared out most of northern Shandong. The first collective army then combined with Feng Yuxiang's 2nd along the North China plain to march upon Beijing over 200 miles away. Meanwhile Yan Xishans 3rd collective army was in position to take the left wing of the wrong, arched around the Yellow River all the way to the Great wall near Beijing. Yan Xishans 3rd collective army had been fighting the NPA ever since early April, when Zhang Zuolin attempted an invasion of Shanxi, just before the NRA arrived in the north. In mid april Yan Xishan had heavily fortified the mountain range that oversaw the railroad to Taiyuan while Zhang Zuolins offensive had been blocked. In north Shanxi, Zhang Zuolin had pressed deeply inside the ancient part of the Great Wall of China, first taking Dadung and then Shuozhou. On May 8th Yan Xishan had assembled enough forces to mount a counteroffensive. He recaptured Shuozhou and pushed the NPA over the northern border. By the 25th, the eastern point of Yan Xishans counteroffensive was advancing along the railway connecting Taiyuan with the North China plain pushing the NPA out of the Shanxi highlands. As Yan Xishans forces descended into the North China plain, alongside other NRA forces, there were now nearly 1 million troops assembled for battle. Over the plain Feng Yuxiangs 2nd collective army followed the Beijing-Hankou railway while Yan Xishan followed parallel north through the highlands bordering Shanxi. Both collective armies converged upon Baoting, erecting a siege. Yan Xishan unleashed his attack threatening the side gate of Beijing, forcing Zhang Zuolin to divide the NPA. The NPA forces fought fiercely to defend Baoting over in the south while at Chang-chia-k'ou, also known as Kalgan, the strategic ancient gateway for caravans and armies of Beijing to cross, fell to Yan Xishan on May 25th. The next day Yan Xishan captured Nankou, the last mountain pass defending Beijing. It seemed likely Yan Xishan would be the first to enter Beijing.  The joint operation by the 3 collective NRA armies had faced a lot of hardship through the North China Plain. In early April when the NPA invaded Shanxi they had also advanced south against Feng Yuxiangs bridgehead along the Yellow River. Had their double offensive succeeded, the Northern Expedition probably would have ground to a halt, right smack dab during the Jinan incident, holding back the 1st collective army. At that point the three large NPA forces who numbered around 1.5 million troops and enjoyed shorter supply lines over shortened rail would have devestated the NRA. Yet by mid april, Feng Yuxians 2nd collective army halted the NPA's southern thrust and tossed them back on their ass. South of the Yellow River, elements of Feng Yuxiangs men aided Chiang Kai-Sheks against Jinan to take the Hantan station, part of the Beijing-Hankou railway line on April 17th. The NPA as per usual enjoyed an advantge in heavy artillery and along the North China Plain it was placed atop railway cars causing havoc against the advancing NRA. Yet as powerful as their armored trains and railway artillery was, the NPA had become too dependent on it for victory. The NRA simply hooked around to threaten the NPA's railway line arteries in the rear, forcing commanders to retreat once taken.  Thus when Yan Xishans 3rd collective army broke out of Shanxi and confronted the NPA down in the plain at the railway intersections such as at Shihchiachuang, Zhang Zuolin began to withdraw north taking a defensive posture. Following the NPA retreat, Feng Yuxiang linked up with Yan Xishan to besiege Shihchiachuang from the south. Being assaulted from two sides, the vital railway crossroad fell on May 9th. The final drive to Beijing saw enormous masses of troops converging upon a deminishing field. While from the southeast it was still another 200 miles, Yan Xishans forward outposts in the northwest could look down on Beijing. The southern sector was divided into 3 routes; Yan Xishan advanced through the Shanxi border highlands; Feng Yuxiang over the Beijing-Hankou railway and Chiang Kai-Shek over the Tianjin-Pukou railway. While the bulk of Chiang Kai-Sheks 1st collective army had been forced to detour around Jinan, some units stayed behind to act as a guard force around the city. There remained an air of anxiety amongst the NRA commanders that the Japanese might intervene at Beijing. By mid May the end of the battle for Beijing still seemed distant. Zhang Zuolin had tossed 200,000 troops in a desperate counteroffensive from May 17th to the 25th. He concentrated his forces into a gap between the 1st and 2nd NRA collective armies. This saw the 1st crumble under the pressure and fall back south. The 1st then mounted a stand at Dunkuang, but were unable to regain the momentum of their offensive until end of May. Within the central sector, the NPA did not only smash Feng Yuxiangs siege of Baoting, they forced the 2nd collective NRA army south 40 miles along the Beijing-Hankou railway to Dingzhou. There the NPA unleashed their heavy artillery to keep Feng Yuxiangs forces locked down. It would not be until May 25th, when the NPA failed to hit Feng Yuxiangs flank, that the tide of battle turned.  The NPA counteroffensive had driven the NRA collective armies to cooperate. From Honan, Li Zongren rushed his 4th Collective Army under the leadership of Pai Chongxi north of the Beijing-Hankou railway to assist Feng Yuxiang's battered sector. Yan Xishan's capture of Nankou far in the north heavily helped the war effort by weakening  diverting the NPA's forces and resources from the southern push. Chiang Kai-Shek then launched his forces by rail to be at assembly points by May 25th so the momentum could resume. Feng Yuxiang launched cavalry units, spearheading north between the two north-south railway lines to threaten the NPA's lines of communications. Within the hills bordering the north China plain, Yan Xishans men fought their way down into the flatland and captured Mancheng by the 27th.  Meanwhile at Beijing, Zhang Zuolin oversaw 100,000 of his Manchurian troops holding the line alongside the other NPA units along the plain. They were under threat from growing pressure along the two railway lines, from the flanking attack coming out of Shanxi and from the rear as some of Yan Xishans forces were reaching the suburbs of Beijing. On May 30th, Zhang Zuolin, the leader of the NPA began to concentrate his own men towards himself. To shorten his lines of communication and concentrate more forces into a compact area, he tossed a counterattack against Mancheng. However the arrival of the 4th collective NRA army from central china simply made that flank untenable, his counterattack was cut in the bud. Zhang Zuolin pulled his troops back, even out of Baoting. Yet his desperate counter attack on Mancheng had inflicted heavy casualties upon Yan Xishans forces, claiming the lives of 4300 and wounded 15,000. Zhang Zuolin's troops suffered similar losses.  Over on the right wing along the Tianjing-Pukou railway, the 1st collective NRA army had been pushed back to Dungkuang, but by late May was rejoining the offensive. By the 28th, they were advancing forward alongside the other armies, covering within 30 miles of Zangzhou. The NRA advance sped up greatly as the NPA began a general retreat, shortening their defensive perimeter along the Ding River, the Wen'an swamp and across the Grand Canal at Mancheng. The leaders of the collective armies met on May 29th at the Lowei railway station where they agreed on a plan to perform a final assault to take the capital of China. Since Yan Xishan was already in place at Nankou, and the hills overlooking Beijing's plain, it was agreed that he would enter first. Thus the turtle warlord earned an incredible honor. See kids the turtle always beats the hare.  Once again Chiang Kai-Shek became anxious over the prospect a foreign power like Japan might intervene. When meeting with Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan, Chiang Kai-Shek informed them of the possible dangers after what had been seen at Jinan. All the foreign garrisons at Beijing seemed to be on high alert, over 4500 men of 4 different nations between Tianjin and Beijing along its railway. Chiang Kai-Shek gave strict orders not to molest any foreign troops, no need to start a new Boxer Rebellion. To fan Chiang Kai-Shek's fears, on May 18th a official Japanese memorandum addressed to him, but with copies sent to all the NRA leaders, warned both sides not to drag their civil war into Manchuria. It was stated if Zhang Zuolin's army was annihilated “Japan may take appropriate and effective steps for the maintenance of peace and order in Manchuria.” This memorandum was accompanied by Japanese reinforcements to Beijing, now reaching nearly 2000 men. They were forming a defensive perimeter around the legation quarter and the Japanese hospital. Over in Shandong the Kwantung army now had 15,000 troops who were refusing to depart Jinan. In fact the Kwantung army sent an ultimatum demanding the removal of all Chinese troops from Qingdao. While this may look like a saving grace for Zhang Zuolin, in many ways it was a death sentence to his career. Zhang Zuolin had struggled ever since becoming the Tiger of Manchuria to not be seen as a Japanese puppet, and Japan was doing a terrible job of hiding it. Yet again Zhang Zuolin took action to disassociate from the Japanese, by replying to the memorandum stating, that in light of the Washington Conference principles he could not recognize Japan's interests in Manchuria. Uh Oh. Very unwise words from the old Marshal. The KMT propaganda against him was working like a charm, demoralizing the NPA forces. By early June the 3 NPA armies holding on desperately to the defensive perimeter were wearing down. Baoting had fallen to the NRA and the KMT propaganda was breaking morale. The Kwantung army was demanding the NPA withdraw back into Manchuria where a better defensive line could be established. Yet the NPA for all their defeats and misgivings, were not broken, they were not defeated and still enjoyed greater firepower and shorter logistical lines. Now defending the line was Zhang Zuolins forces in the western sector; Sun Chuan fangs in the center and Zhang Zongchang in the east near Tianjin.   On June 3rd Zhang Zuolin departed with his general staff back to Manchuria by train, dramatically dropping morale for the NPA. The KMT pumped up the propaganda, stressing the NPA's position was hopeless and publicized that Zhang Zuolin had sent his family back to the safety of Mukden. Meanwhile a KMT agent named Nan Kueixiang had been working since early June to persuade Sun Chuanfang to abandon his allies. On June 4th he did just that, suddenly departing with his troops away from the center sector of the defensive line. Feng Yuxiangs men stormed the vacant central sector, cutting the railway line connecting Beijing to Tianjin by June 6th. Sun Chuanfang had managed to escape, fleeing first for Dairen, then Japan into exile. Over in the western sector, Yan Xishan's 7th division led by Sun Qu hooked quickly around the NPA flank and by the morning of the 6th, marched triumphantly through the gates of Beijing. The occupation of the capital was to be bloodless, as agreed upon by the collective army commanders. This was mostly the case, though incidents certainly occurred. The foreign powers demanded protection in Beijing and that the NPA regiment of Pao Yulin remain in the capital to maintain order and then be permitted safe passage to Manchuria. But a subordinate of Feng Yuxiang broke such agreements by grabbing some of the Manchurians captive causing quite a crisis. The crisis was soon averted when the captives were handed back over, but such an incident showcased how the NRA units were still not fully united. Over in the eastern sector, Zhang Zongchang put up a more determined resistance as he tried to extort over 2 millions dollars from Tianjin's merchant associations in return for a bloodless and orderly retreat from their city. The Dogmeat General to the bitter end. In a fit of frustration he laid down a giant barrage of heavy artillery against the approaching 1st collective NRA army trying to ford the Hai river approaching Tianjin. Because the foreign concessions at Tianjin sat on the south bank of the Hai River, the 1st collective army was forced to approach from the west to avoid them, especially the Japanese concession.  Chiang Kai-Shek gave strict orders for the units to “disarm all northerners who try to enter the foreign concessions … and … make no attempt to enter the foreign concessions…. We will do our best to handle the difficult situation in the most pacific manner.” KMT agents had been secretly contacting NPA officers since late 1927 and within Tianjin their efforts paid off. Lu Hosheng had been offering NPA officers various deals for their defection or surrender. By June of 1928, Lu Hosheng secured a deal with General Xu Yuanquan of the Fengtian 6th army who had been reinforcing Zhang Zongchangs sector around Tianjin. During a secret meeting on June 7th Lu Hoshen persuaded Xu Yuanquan to turn himself and his men over to the 1st collective NRA army on the 11th. This defection weakened Zhang Zongchangs line, ending any hopes of him retaining Tianjin. Xu Yuanquan got a position under Yan Xishan commanding the 11th corps. From June 11th to September 3rd, mop up operations were undertaken by Pai Chongxi east of Beijing. It was not until the 7th of September that Pai Chongxi's force consisting of various elements of the 4 collective NRA armies would see real action. On that day, Zhang Zongchang lined up his army behind a defensive system built around Tangshan. Zhang Zongchang was completely alone, but determined to not go down without a fight. He led his forces for two days fighting at Tangshan until they withdrew towards Shanhaiguan. His last stand was made along the Luan River from September 15-23rd. The NRA breached his lines, overwhelmed his men, killing and capturing countless.  Zhang Zuolin had become very uncooperative towards the Japanese upon the 23rd hour of the war. Even before the Beijing campaign, in 1927 when Tanaka Giichi became prime minister of Japan, he began demanding railway and mining rights, to set up new factories and to rent out land from Zhang Zuolin. This was met with large scale protests, 100,000 people demonstrated in Mukden calling for Tanaka's cabinet to fall. Zhang Zuolin rejected the demands and publicly said ‘I, Zhang Zuolin, am Chinese, and I am at odds with the Japanese. Japan is trying to invade Northeast China. I the King of the Northeast, will never allow it!”. Bold words of the old Marshal. From the Japanese point of view, or to be more specific, from the perspective of junior, youthful officers of the Kwantung army, many of whom were affiliated with the Kodoha faction and avid listeners for speeches made by Kanji Ishiwara. Zhang Zuolin had become a major problem. From their viewpoint, the NRA, whose ranks held some communists and support from the Soviet Union, were on the verge of invading what they considered their most significant sphere of influence, Manchuria. If Manchuria were to fall under the Nationalists or worse communists, this was deemed strategically unacceptable towards Japan's future goals. They had used the Tiger of Manchuria for a long time to act as a bulwark against such an occurrence, but he went renegade, trying to conquer China proper and in doing so, lost and dragged their enemy to the doorstep of Manchuria. The Kwantung army had helped build up the Fengtian army and had deep connections to it. They had gradually groomed a new puppet in the form of General Yang Yuting, to be a possible replacement for the Old Marshal, and it seemed that time had come.  Zhang Zuolin had departed Beijing for Mukden on the night of June 3rd of 1928. He got aboard a train along the Jingfeng railway, a route defended by his own Fengtian troops. However there was a single location along said railway that was not under his control, a bridge a few kilometers east of Huanggutun station. Here the railway crossed over the South Manchuria Railway via a bridge, which of course was owned by Japan. A junior officer, Colonel Daisaku Kōmoto, for those who listen to my personal podcast, the Pacific War Channel Podcast, he has become kind of a funny character. He will be responsible for an unbelievable amount of false flag operations, but this would be his first famous one. Komoto, alongside many of his junior officer colleagues, believed assassinating Zhang Zuolin and replacing him with General Yang Yuting would benefit the Empire of Japan. If they could install their hand picked puppet, perhaps he would be more malleable to their demands. Now again if you want a more thorough explanation for what is going on in the Japanese military, head on over to my personal channel, I recommend the 4 part series on Kanji Ishiwara, fascinating stuff. But to brutally summarize, there exists a term in Japanese Gekokujō. It means for a person in a lower position to overthrow someone in a higher position, specifically in terms of military or politics. It loosely means in english “the lower rules the higher”. This term actually goes all the way back to Sui dynasty China and came over to Japan during the Kamakura period. During the chaotic Sengoku period it was seen quite often. During the Showa Period it would become a very popular tool employed by junior officers, particularly those of the Kodoha faction. Now I keep saying that word, Kodoha Faction, many of you might be asking, what the hell is that, some other warlord group? In the years leading up to WW2, Japan's political and military landscape was characterized by intense internal rivalries and ideological divisions. Two of the most significant factions within the Japanese military were the Kōdōha or “Imperial Way Faction” and the Tōseiha or “Control Faction”. These factions, though both rooted in nationalism and the desire for Japan's expansion, differed markedly in their ideologies, goals, and methodology. The Kōdōha faction was a radical nationalist group within the Japanese Army. This faction was deeply influenced by the ideas of Shintoism and bushido, and it advocated for a return to traditional Japanese values and an emphasis on spiritual purity and moral integrity. The Kōdōha believed that Japan was destined to lead Asia and that this could only be achieved through the overthrow of the existing political system, which they saw as corrupt and overly influenced by Western ideas. Now to be more specific the Kōdōha envisioned a military dictatorship led directly by the Emperor, supported by the army. They were fervent supporters of direct imperial rule and sought to eliminate the influence of what they deemed to be corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. I simply cant go to far down the rabbit hole, but these Kodoha guys were young and many came from rural Japan, from poor families. They say the industrialists, specifically the Zaibatsu as this corrupt part of their nation, strangling her and the emperor. They blamed much of Japans problems on the industrialists and their corrupt colleagues, the politicians. The faction was also characterized by its anti-modernization stance, opposing Western-style industrialization and instead promoting agrarianism and self-sufficiency. Although its not pertinent to our story yet, the Tōseiha Faction by contrast, represented a more pragmatic and modernizing force within the Japanese military. This faction recognized the importance of industrialization and technological advancement in building a strong and competitive nation. The Tōseiha believed that Japan needed to modernize its military and economy to succeed in its imperial ambitions. The Tōseiha favored a more bureaucratic and technocratic approach to governance. They sought to work within the existing political framework, strengthening the influence of the military in government affairs through legal and political means rather than revolutionary violence. The faction aimed to create a centralized, efficient state apparatus capable of mobilizing the nation's resources for war. While both factions shared the ultimate goal of expanding Japan's power and influence, their methods and underlying philosophies were markedly different. The Kōdōha's radicalism and emphasis on traditional values and spiritual purity stood in stark contrast to the Tōseiha's pragmatism and modernization efforts. Quite the detour, can you tell I have explained these two factions multiple times before haha? The Japanese military during the Showa era is a fascinating and horrifying subject, again for you guys who want to know more check out some of recent work covering the Huanggutun incident, mukden incident, invasion of Manchuria series and the Kanji Ishiwara series. Currently working on a Japanese invasion of Mongolia and north china series with a new animator, exciting stuff.  Back to Komodo, he like many Kodoha youth saw gekokujō as this ultimate tool to use to make ends meet. During the 1920's they assassinated countless, politicians, businessmen, military commanders and such. The period literally became referred to as “government by assassination” it was that bad. And here with Zhang Zuolin gekokujō would reak its ugly head. Komodo came up with a plan, well another colleague, Lt General Sasaki Toichi would later claim he gave him the idea, but Komodo planned to lay a bomb over the railway track Zhang Zuolin was traveling to kill him. Komodo had his subordinate, Captain Kaneo Tomiya plan the operation. Captain Kaneo found the bridge point and enlisted other Kwantung officers, such as a Major who was in charge of guards in the area and a demolition expert installed the explosives. Komoto also hired 3 dissatisfied Manchurians to be close by the explosion site. If Zhang Zuolin survived the explosion, they were to rush to his car and kill him. The bomb was planted by Saper 1st Lt Sadatoshi Fujii. At 5:23am on June 4th the bomb exploded as Zhang Zuolin's train was passing over. Several of Zhang Zuolins officials, like the governor of Heilongjiang province, Wu Junsheng were killed instantly. Zhang Zuolin was sitting at a mah jong table when his car blew up, sending a steel fragment into his nose which would kill him hours later. After the incident, Komodo's gang stabbed 2 out of the 3 Manchurians trying to pin the blame on them, but the 3rd got away rushing straight to the headquarters of Zhang Zuolin's son, Zhang Xueiliang. Things did not go as planned for the Kwantung assassins. They knew Zhan Zuolin had chosen as heir his son Zhang Xueliang, but this did not trouble them. That was of course because Zhang Xueliang was a major drug addict and considered easily controlled. But they had not considered the fact someone got away and reported the young marshal who had killed his father.  Zhang Xueliang kept his father's death a secret for over two weeks while he secretly spoke with Chiang Kai-Shek striking a deal. Then Zhang Xueliang officially took his father's mantle as ruler of Manchuria on June 21, but knowing a public announcement of his fathers assassins would cause a violent reaction from Japan, chose to keep the peace. Oh and by keeping the peace he made sure to execute two of his father's pro-japanese subordinates, who may have even been implicated in the assassination.  The Kwantung Army leadership were caught completely off guard. Komoto's radical group had performed the assassination without approval of the Imperial General Headquarters nor from his own Kwantung Army leadership. The Kwantung army was unable to rally forces together to take advantage of the chaos…because there simply was no chaos, Zhang Xueliang made sure of that. Even with Zhang Xueliang as the new ruler, the Kwantung Army still probably hoped that he would prove to be more pliant than his father as he had a reputation as a playboy and was a rampant opium addict. But murdering his father proved to have backfired spectacularly, for he immediately switched allegiances from Japan to Chiang Kai-shek in December of 1928. He even got off opium with the help of his friend, journalist William Donald. Way to go Japan. Tanaka was outraged when he found out who was responsible and resolved to punish Komoto and his radical gang, but some of his fellow cabinet members sympathized with their cause and began to oppose holding the assassins responsible. Army Minister Shirakawa Yoshinori and Railway Minister Ogawa led a coalition against Tanaka, claiming his actions would harm the imperial house, worsen Sino-Japanese relations and undermine Japan's special interests in China. Oh and of course the cabinet did not want to be held accountable for basically allowing the radicals to do what they did.   Emperor Hirohito was likewise outraged, immediately calling for those responsible to be punished which forced an internal investigation of the matter. Tanaka gave a formal report of what occurred to Emperor Hirohito, stating he intended to court martial the assailants, purge the army and re-establish discipline. … Well Tanaka would be informed later that the Emperor refused to meet with him further, leaving Tanaka alone to face the entire army, basically meaning he was being dismissed. Tanaka resigned, and the cabinet covered up the incident, treating it as an internal administrative matter. Emperor Hirohito accepted the army's intention to lie to the public about the incident and give the culprits minor administrative punishments. Thus Hirohito saved his own face, but also allowed the Kwantung Army to defy the Tokyo government, something that would not bite him in the ass later. Colonel Komodo was forced to resign his post as senior staff officer and would be succeeded by Lt Colonel Ishiwara. Komodo and Ishiwara would work very closely before he left his station, making sure the next steps to solve the Manchurian problem were met.  Thus Zhang Xueliang negotiated with Chiang Kai-Shek from June until the end of 1928. During this period Zhang Xueliang consolidated his hold over Manchuria and he was given quite the challenge by his fathers former subordinates. On December 29th of 1928, the KMT flag flew over Mukden. China was unified. The next day the KMT government appointed Zhang Xueliang commander of the Northeast Border defense army with his own Manchurian troops. Chiang Kai-Shek had done the unimaginable in only two years. However, on June 11th as Yan Xishan entered Beijing, he whispered an ominous warning to Feng Yuxiang, that there were those going around “spreading rumors to stir up inner dissensions”. Not all was well in camelot.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. At long last, Chiang Kai-Shek had finally done it, he reunified China. A new golden age, without any conflict would soon emerge, whereupon all the vast Chinese peoples would live harmoniously. The future looked bright, one could see a rising sun in the distance, oh wait that is the empire of Japan. 

In todays episode we talk about Cameron's trip to Japan, his observations about the the culture and religion, we talk about their state religion Shintoism, interesting aspects about living in Japan, and how the one girl Cameron met there was(you guessed it) Christian. Join us on this unhinged and enlightening journey as Rachael and Cameron sleepily talk all things Japan.Support the Show.Facebook Suppport Group: Cheers to Leaving - Exvangelical Support Group | Facebook

In this episode, Mory and Melissa go down the historical rabbit hole to examine ancient spiritual traditions - everything from the role of nature in Shintoism to dance in Sufism. As it turns out, a lot of the key concepts we use on the podcast have long lineages which, ultimately, shows just how profoundly important spiritual connection has been for people across time and space. This episode is about our relationship to the past. Why do we revere belief systems when they are older? What does it mean to be a part of a tradition so much bigger than yourself? Tune in to hear some reverence for the ancestors - and also, some reverence for you, our listeners! We've loved the support you've shown us - we only ask that you share the podcast with anyone who you think would like it so we can reach even more ears!To submit questions for future episodes: https://forms.gle/ZhSKGveWox33GvFq6Follow Signal on insta: https://www.instagram.com/signalwithmoryandmelissaFollow Mory on insta: https://www.instagram.com/moryfontanez/

In this conversation, Maverick and Chad discuss and review the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. They explore the themes of courage, cultural differences in storytelling, and the contrast between Western and Eastern narratives. They also discuss the symbolism and mirroring in the film, as well as the character development of Chihiro. The conversation touches on the animation style of Studio Ghibli and the cultural influences on the story. Overall, they both appreciate the film and its narrative quality. The conversation explores the concept of using the 'Pope in a pool' technique in storytelling, where a distracting element is used to cover up exposition. The discussion also delves into the development of the main character, Chihiro, and her journey from fear and reservation to courage and determination. The importance of primal themes and values in storytelling is highlighted, as well as the significance of the bond between Chihiro and Haku. The plot progression and the use of the 'but therefore' principle in storytelling are also discussed. In this final part of the conversation, Maverick and Chad discuss the characters of Yubaba and No-Face in Spirited Away. They explore the nuanced motivations of Yubaba, who is driven by money and personal gain, and the contrast between her and Zaniba. They also delve into the symbolism of No-Face, who represents loneliness and the dangers of toxic relationships. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the message of the film, which emphasizes the importance of facing fears with courage and finding abundance in serving others.----------Highlights:0:00 “Spirited Away” Introduction7:25 Summary and Rating of "Spirited Away"20:23 Dark and Symbolic Elements in Spirited Away30:12 The "Pope in the Pool" Moment34:48 Chihiro's Character Arc38:44 The South Park Technique48:35 Chihiro and Haku's Bond1:01:30 Yubaba and the Opposing Spirits1:14:03 The Symbolism of No-Face: Loneliness and Toxic Relationships1:23:36 Message Going Forward----------Show Notes:9 Points Rating System: https://www.alostplot.com/9-points/ John Wick Review: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/maverick51411/episodes/2023-12-06T17_00_00-08_00Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace Review: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/maverick51411/episodes/2023-12-20T18_00_00-08_00Kingdom of Heaven Review: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/maverick51411/episodes/2024-05-01T17_24_32-07_00#spiritedaway #studioghibli #culturaldifferences #alostplot #filmreview #popeinthepool #symbolism #loneliness #noface #chihiro #haku #alostplot #values #shintoism #dragons #moviethoughts #characterdevelopment #motivations #storytelling #courage #southpark #toxicrelationships #servingothers

I'm just off the heels of a phenomenal trip to Japan. It was precious time, two weeks with the whole family. And though I did not pack my podcaster hat, I couldn't help but immerse myself in the country, the culture, and sought off the beaten trail places where ancient history was kept alive right next to mega-modern skyscrapers. I had to share some of my favorite stories, and moments, with you, and am doing a deep dive into the clay figurines I saw first hand at the Tokyo National Museum that are fixtures on History Channel's Ancient Aliens, dedicating an entire episode to dogus and the connection I feel they have with an ancient spiritual creature from Japan.Let's get into it! Stories from Japan 2024!General comments about the gift of travelWe travel for a myriad of reasons, to reconnect with people; to stretch out of our comfort zones, to shift or expand our perspectives; and at least temporarily to suspend the bellybutton-close vision we have of reality, yes zooming out on that miopic point of view.My recent trip did just that. 6000 miles by plane, Japan is a country that spent most of its history isolated from the western world. Tokyo is a city that is as large as New York City and London COMBINED, which is hard to wrap my mind around. Japanese culture is calcitrant in its manners, formalities, customs, and timeliness. Yes, even in the midst of modern times where everyone is plugged into social media; their culture remains intact. Though I did catch a few moments, slips of some pushing for this steadfast culture to change, subtle glimpses from the youth. Teeny tiny acts of rebellion; anarchy in a sense, but in order to spot them my vision had to become microscopic. And part of my vision came from being confronted by an officer at a baseball game.But more on that later.Sources and MaterialsAsakusa's Sensoji TempleIf you wish to see the objects found in the burial mound I climbed click hereGreat blog post about the place I went on my solo adventure - Todoroki ValleySetagaya - a place of art and literature - guideDid you hear the good news? Curious Cat Podcast is in the TOP TEN of Supernatural podcasts. Hooray! That's ALL thanks to you. I am ever grateful.Curious Cat Crew on Socials:Curious Cat on Twitter (X)Curious Cat on InstagramCurious Cat on TikTokArt Director, Nora, has a handmade, ethically-sourced jewelry company!

Tobi Jo Greene's own experiences as a girl growing up in Ojai inspired her to start the Girls Empowerment Workshop nearly 20 years ago. Now expanded to the Empowerment Workshop, teaching girls, and now all youth, skills to help them navigate adolescence and other crisis moments in their lives in a social-media saturated era of identity crisis and confusion. The goal is to help children learn a deep sense of self-worth, of respecting differences, and communicating effectively. Since Greene began the program, thousands of youth have been enabled and now the program has been adopted across Ventura County and beyond. She's been honored with the Dr. Robert Skankey Humanitarian Award for her work. We talked about the lessons she's learned along the way, first as a young girl growing up in Ojai, as a mother and now grandmother, plus exciting new projects on the horizon. We talked about the evolving pressures on young people today. We did not talk about Shintoism, hobo symbology or Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Learn more about Tobi Jo Greene's work online at ... https://thegirlsempowermentworkshop.org/

Angels in most traditions are heavenly messengers, and modern pop culture has greatly exaggerated almost every feature. While it makes sense to assume that there are female or feminine angels, each one named in Abrahamic scriptural tradition is a man.The word Angel comes from the Greek Aggelos (lit: messenger), and the Hebrew word Malak has the same meaning. In this episode we explore the groups of archangels listed in various sources, most notably Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, but also including Raguel, Sariel, Remiel, and the Metatron.But more than just a handful of favorite messengers, there are also different kinds of angels, from the baby-faced Cherubim (think of the Renaissance Cupid, though Ezekiel gave them interchangeable animal faces), to the brilliantly dazzling Seraphim (aka fire-folk), to the cosmic horrors known as the Ophanim (the famous "biblically accurate angels" that are simply haunting wheels of eyes and wings and twisted metal)--that last one is dubious in angelic status....Angels show up all over the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, and the entire Quran is said to have been delivered by the same angel that brought Mary and Joseph the news of her pregnancy. In more recent times, works like Paradise Lost and The Divine Comedy have contributed a lot to how we see angels in Western tradition.Angel is also a fair label for demi-god-like beings in other traditions, such as the Devas of Dharmic tradition, the Vördr of Norse tradition, the Yazata (lit: holy) of Mazdeism (aka Zoroastrianism), and the Daemons of Greco-Roman tradition. We consider each of these, and how some are better fits than others for this label.Interpreting Colossians 1:16 to contain a list of angels is ridiculous, and nobody should be that bad at reading.All this and more....   Support us on Patreon or you can get our merch at Spreadshop.Join the Community on Discord.Learn more great religion factoids on Facebook and Instagram. [00:00:11] Katie Dooley: There's a fine. You can go to jail if you... And a fine. There's both. [00:00:19] Preston Meyer: Oh, good. [00:00:19] Katie Dooley: Both a fine and jail. If your phone goes off. [00:00:23] Preston Meyer: That's a bad time. [00:00:24] Katie Dooley: Yeah. It is. You could always ask an angel for help if you go to jail. [00:00:34] Preston Meyer: Ah, there's a lot of stories of people meeting angels in jail. Makes you wonder about those angels, doesn't it? [00:00:39] Katie Dooley: Right. Well, we're gonna explain more on today's episode of.  [00:00:43] Both Speakers: The Holy Watermelon Podcast. [00:00:47] Katie Dooley: Yeah. So. I like that. This is. I feel like we haven't done an episode like this in a minute where we talk about a whole bunch of. We talk about a concept in a whole bunch of religions. [00:01:03] Preston Meyer: Yeah, it has been a minute. [00:01:03] Katie Dooley: I'm excited. So we're talking about angels. [00:01:09] Preston Meyer: Say it ainn't so. [00:01:12] Katie Dooley: Or if you were a really bad speller in junior high an angle. [00:01:16] Preston Meyer: I feel like. Yeah, I must have shared it on our discord this Christmas of somebody who shared a collection of angles that they brought to their family. [00:01:25] Katie Dooley: Yeah, there was a girl in junior high with me. I won't call her a friend because she wasn't. But this was when everyone was on MSN, so you had everyone's email. And her email was sweet angle and then some number. I was like, oh boy. [00:01:41] Preston Meyer: Mhm. Yeah. Spelling is important. [00:01:45] Katie Dooley: Yeah. We all have those cringey emails. [00:01:47] Preston Meyer: Well, it's like most people just cannot spell rogue. [00:01:52] Katie Dooley: Almost every time I see somebody try to say rogue they spell rouge. Now, being a Star Wars fan in a French immersion program growing up, I was not going to make that mistake. Instead, I made all kinds of other mistakes of spelling words the French way in an English context. [00:02:07] Katie Dooley: Well, that's good. Um, but speaking of words, tell us where the word angel comes from. [00:02:13] Preston Meyer: So the word angel as it is known in English. Yes, the the word angel, as you know, it comes from the Greek word Angelos, spelt with no Ns but two G's. Huh? You can complain about that, but English does stupid things too. The word means messenger, which is speculated to have been derived from the older word for mounted courier, which I think is just a cool extra layer of meaning to that. The Hebrew word that typically gets translated into angel in the Greek Bibles is malak, which also means messenger. So there's also the last of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible prophets. In the Christian Bible format because remember they arrange the books differently is Malachi and he's got the perfect name it basically just means my messenger. Was that his name? We'll never know. [00:03:20] Katie Dooley: Interesting. And yeah, messenger, mounted courier. I'm getting a lot of mailman vibes. Even. Malak. Malak. Malak. Yeah. Mailman. [00:03:36] Preston Meyer: Most of the angels that we see in the Judeo-Christian tradition are men rather than women. So yeah, mailman's great. So the frustrating thing is that the ideas that come along with this word over centuries of thought and baggage collection there's there's a lot of variety and meaning. And most traditions have gotten to the point where the word doesn't mean messenger anymore. Uh, usually it it's just thought of as this is a demigod. The word means some sort of class of demigod, usually with multiple classes. We'll get into that later. And in a lot of religions, you'll see them treated basically as demigods that have dominion over various elements because they can't be gods, because usually you're looking at them in a monotheistic lens. [00:04:36] Katie Dooley: Yeah, I can, especially when when you said it, we'll get into the hierarchy of the angels. But like it's like, how does this even work in a monotheistic tradition to have all of these layers of divine beings? [00:04:50] Preston Meyer: Yeah, they're they're residents of heaven, so they're better than you and me, but they've got great powers, is the deal. [00:05:00] Katie Dooley: And I guess we don't worship angels. I guess saints would actually be a worse sort of like knock to the monotheistic than an angel. [00:05:09] Preston Meyer: Oh, but see, I think it's a mistake to separate them In the Catholic tradition specifically, or any of the the Orthodox, the saint traditions. Lutherans whatever. If you if you're into saints, Saint Michael is one of them. Michael the Archangel, he's a demigod, just like Mother Teresa. Yeah and maybe with better reasons. I.  [00:05:43] Katie Dooley: Mean, can't be worse. [00:05:45] Preston Meyer: One has tales of actual divine power, the other is known to be just awful. [00:05:52] Katie Dooley: Yeah. Cleaned and reuse needles. Yeah. [00:05:54] Preston Meyer: I want to believe that there is a way to clean needles safely. But I know that actual health care professionals say, don't do that. And there's good reason for that. [00:06:04] Katie Dooley: I mean, you're probably right. I'm sure there is. But to, like, guarantee its safety is probably near impossible. Just donated blood this week. Right? Like it's such a small little needle. How would you make sure it was maybe the syringe part, but the little needle anyway. Gross. Don't do it, don't. Clean needles for all. [00:06:25] Preston Meyer: Yeah. Adding angels to monotheism. It does look an awful lot like demigods in a system where there is just one greater God. And we've had this conversation about how Hinduism, you've got a lot of lesser gods under Brahma. [00:06:44] Katie Dooley: Yeah. And I mean even Shinto, all the kami, there's greater kami, there's lesser kami. [00:06:51] Preston Meyer: It's complicated. And it just makes the argument for strict monotheism the way most people define it, a lot harder to argue. [00:07:01] Katie Dooley: Yes. And all the Abrahamic religions have angels, and those are the monotheistic ones. And people are vehement about the fact that they're monotheistic. And it's like, but then they're saints and angels, whether you group them together or not. I mean, even in Christianity, there's the Trinity. [00:07:22] Preston Meyer: Yeah, I saw a meme on Reddit the other day, and it was it was definitely a Mormon kid posting a meme slamming the Trinity in a group that has historically not been friendly to Mormons. And they roasted him hard in the comments, but all of the arguments they offered were absolute nonsense. It's frustrating. Like, it's it's okay to believe in the Trinity if you're going to believe in anything, whatever. But if you're going to slam somebody for not getting it, make sure you get it.  [00:07:22] Katie Dooley: This is such an old movie, but in Bill Maher's Religulous. [00:08:07] Preston Meyer: Oh, that's a lot of fun. [00:08:08] Katie Dooley: It is. He asks one guy about the Trinity, and he, the guy explains it that it's like water. It can be ice, or it can be steam, or it can be water. And that's the Trinity. And I was like, well, that or Bill Maher was like, well, that sounds good on paper, but it really doesn't explain it. They're different, but they're the same. Anyway, we're digressing a bit, but let's jump into talking about angels in the Hebrew Bible. [00:08:32] Preston Meyer: Yeah. So there's. A lot of appearances of angels. It's kind of a recurring theme. [00:08:40] Katie Dooley: Yeah, and not just in the Hebrew Bible, but there are also angels in rabbinic literature and in the Apocrypha as well. [00:08:46] Preston Meyer: Oh for sure. Yeah, the angels are, I would say, a pretty prominent part of this faith. [00:08:51] Katie Dooley: Yeah. And from my research, it feels like there's more angels in the Hebrew Bible than in the Christian Bible. [00:08:59] Preston Meyer: There's definitely more angels named in the Hebrew tradition than there are in the New Testament. The New Testament names Gabriel outright and then just mentions, oh yeah, and other angels showed up for this event. [00:09:15] Katie Dooley: And I guess also like the whole last half of the Christian Bible is just letters.  [00:09:24] Preston Meyer: Yeah, not a whole lot of narrative storytelling. Whereas the Hebrew Bible has a lot of really great storytelling in it. [00:09:32] Katie Dooley: Right. Uh, in the Hebrew Bible, the angels visit many people, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and Hagar, and they're typically used as messengers, like the name implies. But sometimes they appear as warriors and they're supposed to look like regular people without wings. [00:09:49] Preston Meyer: Yeah. It's just dudes. They're just here doing stuff. And not a whole lot of religions love that. They gotta have the wings. We talked about this before. We recorded the biblically accurate angels that are so popularly memed right now, specifically one type of type of angel. We'll talk about that later. These angels look like men. [00:10:12] Katie Dooley: Yes, but all the angels with wings don't just have a pair of wings. They have multiple pairs of wings. [00:10:18] Preston Meyer: Well, you got angels with one pair. You got angels with two pairs. You got angels with three pairs. Four pairs. And then you've got the absolute cosmic horrors. Lovecraftian nonsense with gears and wings and eyes without number. Yeah. There are options. [00:10:37] Katie Dooley: There is some frustrating ambiguity on angels in the Hebrew Bible, obscuring the relationship between Yahweh and the angels. [00:10:46] Preston Meyer: In our Patreon exclusive Bible study. We're not yet to the really interesting. Well, I guess we have covered a few scenes where this has happened for you. Um, there's going to be more. So the appearance of the Angel of the Lord in the Hebrew Bible does have a pattern to it that I think is really interesting, that it does make it hard to tell who we're talking about in the story because of everything that's going on when it happens. The narrator introduces the Angel of the Lord, and then this angel feels pretty godlike in the way he shows up. He does huge miracles, sometimes annihilating a whole army like in 2 Kings 19. It's pretty epic. Not a thing you'd expect somebody who isn't imbued with God-like power to accomplish. And then the witnesses worship him, which, whether he's the creator or not, you're going to receive a great deal of gratitude for saving a bunch of people from a devastating army. [00:11:54] Katie Dooley: Yeah, yeah, in that instance for sure. [00:11:56] Preston Meyer: And this is a pattern that goes on several times in the scriptures. And I think it's interesting. Though it's always treated as though he is the Lord himself, not a messenger and there's a couple of different explanations for what's going on there. But I think whaneighbourst's very likely happened is that this text tradition that we have simply originally said that the Lord showed up and did this thing he's called the Lord of armies. That's one of his titles, kind of a big deal. He was a God of war as far as the neighbours were concerned, and fairly so since they often lost to the Israelites. And then later editors, I think, decided that their God wouldn't do this thing himself. He's too far beyond us, so he would send an angel to do it. And so they added this Angel of the Lord. That's my hypothesis. Pretty hard to prove what an ancient editorial process would have been without variance in the text that back me. [00:13:08] Katie Dooley: Right? The Jewish scripture also introduces four angels that will become the Christian archangels that surround God's throne. So Michael shows up in the biblical book of Daniel as the victor in a battle between nations. The name means "Who is like God?" most prefer to read that as a question. Who is like God? [00:13:28] Preston Meyer: As a challenge. God is the greatest, which is a weird name. latter-dayThe Latter-Day Saint tradition says that this name was given to Adam because he was like God, not terribly popular in the broader Christian community. [00:13:47] Katie Dooley: Gabriel also shows up in Daniel more as a messenger than as a conqueror. The name indicates the power of God usually has a bearer. [00:14:00] Preston Meyer: Somebody who conveys.  [00:14:01] Katie Dooley: I do know what the word means, but I'm like that feels like a lot of Rs. The name indicates the power of God usually has a bearer of an empowering message. These are the only two mentioned by name in the Bible.  [00:14:14] Preston Meyer: Gabriel and Michael. But, you know, there's lots more angels. There was an angel that Jacob wrestled with who later came to be known as Israel. And maybe that was the Lord himself? Maybe it was just an angel. Maybe it was Michael. Maybe it was Gabriel. Maybe it was somebody else that we don't know their name because he's not outright named. Except for maybe that Angel of the Lordbusiness. [00:14:46] Katie Dooley: Right. Then there's Raphael, who's features prominently in the apocryphal Book of Tobit, a story with notable similarities to the Bhagavad Gita. The name Raphael highlights the healing power of God. I'm just thinking of the Lucifer TV series. I'm like, I know that character, Uriel. I think he was a bad guy in Lucifer. He rounds out the set of four showing up in the apocryphal additions to the writings of Ezra. His name means God is my light suitable to his role as guide and instructor. [00:15:19] Preston Meyer: But wait. There's more. [00:15:21] Katie Dooley: What? There's so many. [00:15:23] Preston Meyer: So for a long time, it was really nice that we had a set of four, and they matched the four cardinal points of the compass, the four corners of the world. They took care of the world and the dealings of men within it. And then we got our Enoch literature. And we throw away this need for four and say, well, wait, we can do better. There's seven. And one of the ideas that makes this look good is that it matches the lampstand that's in the temple that has seven branches. So that's kind of nice. And then we get Raguel, whose name means "God will pasture" like a shepherding kind of business. He's connected with justice. He's supposed to watch the damned to make sure they stay within their bounds, which is kind of weird. Like, I guess without him, demons would just absolutely ruin this planet. Like humans couldn't do well enough on our own. [00:16:24] Katie Dooley: It also gives me, like, big, like, Hades vibes. [00:16:26] Preston Meyer: Sure. Yeah. He guards the demons that are locked away in Tartarus. Tartarus being a Greek place where the Titans are held. Yeah. You notice how there's going to be problems here of ideas crossing national boundaries. Yeah. Um, then we have Sariel. His name means "God is my Ruler". Uh, basically serves the same purpose as Raguel without being connected to the idea of justice so explicitly. Sidekick, I guess? Then there's Remiel, which means "God has Thundered". We talked about Thunder as a great nickname a couple episodes ago. I think that was. This is an interesting situation. He's connected to hope, and he's supposed to be the one responsible for all true visions, and he is also a bit of a psychopomp. That he would be the guide that takes you to heaven if that is your destination. Yeah, kind of interesting. This name is too similar to Ramiel, who, according to the same book, liked the human ladies too much and became the father of many of the watchers, the great giants in the early part of human history, when the one legendary version of our religious history has angels mating with humans to make giants, and they just ruined everything. [00:17:54] Katie Dooley: So there's Remiel and Ramiel. That is very confusing. [00:17:54] Preston Meyer: Especially when we're talking about a language that was originally written with no real differentiation between vowels. The vowel marks we have today are pretty new. So it's just a tradition. And so the confusion that exists today is certainly an old confusion. And then of course, there's lots of other angels that are named in the apocryphal literature. And some of them get multiple names, including some of the ones we've talked about. They're also known by other names sometimes. And the great thing about having a list of your favourite angels is you can swap them out sometimes and just say, no, this dude wrote this list. I don't like that one. I'm gonna pop in my guy over here. Just cause. Did you ever watch Dogma? [00:18:49] Katie Dooley: No. [00:18:50] Preston Meyer: We need to fix that. [00:18:51] Katie Dooley: Okay. Movie night? [00:18:53] Preston Meyer: Absolutely. Okay. Dogma is an absolute treasure. Part of Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob saga but this features Alanis Morissette as God and Alan Rickman as the Metatron, and oh, why can't I think of the names right now? Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are fallen angels. [00:19:18] Katie Dooley: Oh, wow. It's ridiculous, isn't it? [00:19:20] Preston Meyer: It is so much fun. But the Metatron is just this really weird figure in religious angeology. I guess it never made any sense to me ever. And my first exposure to it was Alan Rickman. [00:19:36] Katie Dooley: But it is in actual religion, the Metatron?  [00:19:36] Preston Meyer: Yeah. Everything you see in dogma is taken from real religious ideas  and then twisted for humor, which is great, except for I don't I haven't found yet any validation for the Golgotha poop demon but, the ideas behind it are validated in many religious ideas so there's that. But so this Metatron, according to Kabbalistic sources, is the name of Enoch after his transformation into an angel when he was promoted to the great office of Heavenly Scribe. So he would be the one who writes down the book of life for God. Which is completely different than the job that he has in dogma, where he speaks for God. Because if you were to hear the voice of God, your head would explode and you would die. A lot of religions actually really buy into this idea, even though it absolutely contradicts what we have in the biblical text. [00:20:44] Katie Dooley: Yeah, because God talks to a lot of people. [00:20:47] Preston Meyer: Yeah. Well, so the idea that a lot of people have bought into as well. Yeah, it says God talked to them, but he talked to them through the Metatron. It's a stretch that I don't love. The name I think is really interesting for the Metatron, and people are going to argue about it forever, probably because we still haven't come to a solid conclusion on it. Some say that it's the Hebrew word for some sort of keeper. Others say that it comes from the Greek construction of Meta Throne, so that we have the guy in the chair beside the chair. Remember, we've talked about the very obvious and well-documented polytheistic origins of the Israeli religion. Yahweh is the son of El. There was never only one throne. So the guy on the chair, beside the chair, beside the chair, beside the chair, who knows how many chairs there are? Whatever. [00:21:50] Katie Dooley: I mean a lot. There's a lot. [00:21:53] Preston Meyer: Right. Well, in the theology that is evident a little bit in the book of Job, there is a council of God. [00:22:03] Katie Dooley: I mean, because even they talk about Michael being the right hand of God, but Jesus is also the right hand of God. So they're going to wrestle over that. [00:22:09] Preston Meyer: Well, so that's something that the Jehovah's Witnesses think they've fixed. They say Jesus is Michael. [00:22:20] Katie Dooley: Perfect. Wrap it up. [00:22:21] Preston Meyer: Rather than admitting that the Bible is very clear that Jesus is Jehovah. Every time you try to come up with a really good, tight little bow to simplify things there's a really good chance you're screwing it up. [00:22:38] Katie Dooley: Yeah, because it's religion. [00:22:41] Preston Meyer: Yeah. Nothing's ever as simple as you want it to be. [00:22:44] Katie Dooley: So I just threw this wrench in our notes because I started explaining the angelology of the Hebrew Bible. And then I realized everyone has angelology and it just be easier to explain what that is right now. So angelology is the ranking system of angels. That's how many angels there are. [00:23:09] Preston Meyer: And it's never as simple as you want it to be. [00:23:11] Katie Dooley: No, it's like I saw a ranking and then I saw different rankings and then I saw different ranking. So I don't think we've included any rankings in here. [00:23:21] Preston Meyer: Just to keep it simple. Stick with the basics. [00:23:24] Katie Dooley: If you're curious on how angels are ranked, pick your favorite scholar and go for it. So in the Abrahamic religions, Islam has no standardized hierarchy, but scholars divide up the angels into different groups depending on the scholar. This can be anywhere from 8 to 14 different groups. So while they're all on par, there's different species of angels? Categories?  [00:23:47] Preston Meyer: I think species is a fair classification, I guess we'll talk about some angels that definitely feel like they would be different species from others. [00:23:58] Katie Dooley: Then there are different types of angels that appear in Judaism and then therefore Christianity. And they have been ranked a variety of different ways depending on which rabbi or kabbalist you're reading. [00:24:14] Preston Meyer: Yay! Complicated. [00:24:16] Katie Dooley: Very complicated. [00:24:18] Preston Meyer: Um, the Hebrew Bible differentiates between different kinds of heavenly beings as well. And they're all called angels, generally speaking. But sometimes you'll get other great titles like Seraphs or Seraphim. [00:24:32] Katie Dooley: I think the best way to compare this is that there's dogs and then there's dog breeds, there's angels, and there's types of angels. [00:24:41] Preston Meyer: Sure. Yeah. [00:24:43] Katie Dooley: They're all dogs. They're all angels. They're just... They got special features. [00:24:48] Preston Meyer: Sure. I don't know if it's a perfect analogy, but it definitely helps with explaining what's going on here, [00:24:53] Katie Dooley: That they're all angels, but there's cherubs and seraphs. [00:25:00] Preston Meyer: So my whole life I've, I've never heard people say cherubs. But that's definitely the way the word is spelled. Yeah. [00:25:13] Katie Dooley: In Hebrew? [00:25:15] Preston Meyer: Yeah and even when we spelled it c h, it was meant to be like the ch in Loch Loch Ness. We just we've gotten used to doing all the CHs as cha- so we went with cherubs. [00:25:31] Katie Dooley: I'm going to start calling them cherubs at Christmas. [00:25:33] Preston Meyer: Absolutely. Even though a cherub is a thing you eat, that's fine. [00:25:39] Katie Dooley: Sorry. Go through your types of angels. [00:25:41] Preston Meyer: So cherubs are best known for being painted in Rome as children. That's just the deal. But it was one of these who protected the tree of life with a flaming sword in Genesis. We see cherubs on the the Ark of the Covenant with their wings and all that. Ezekiel gives them more wings than everybody else but Ezekiel was getting, maybe a little too much of that temple oil that we now know for sure had hallucinogens in it. [00:26:15] Katie Dooley: Nice. How many wings? Was this the three and four pairs? [00:26:20] Preston Meyer: I think Ezekiel's cherubs only had two pairs of wings.  [00:26:24] Katie Dooley: That's still four full wings. [00:26:26] Preston Meyer: Right. He also gave them interchangeable faces of lions, oxes, men and eagles. It's a little bit weird. Um, the same faces that we have described in Ezekiel. They get used again in the Revelation of John. So the name cherub, hard to know for sure, it may have been derived from an Old Assyrian word caribou meaning mighty.  [00:26:52] Katie Dooley: Interesting. So where we get caribou...? [00:26:54] Preston Meyer: No. Entirely different. [00:26:56] Katie Dooley: Okay. Well, because those are pretty mighty creatures. Yeah. Majestic even. [00:27:01] Preston Meyer: Haul Santa's fat ass across the sky at Christmas. [00:27:05] Katie Dooley: Um, tell me more about seraphs. [00:27:07] Preston Meyer: Seraphs, the name means burning, and they're always illustrated verbally or in art, in visual arts, as being surrounded by light. So these guys get described by Isaiah as having six wings. Other than that, they're people-shaped, but lots of wings. And so those are the two reasonable ones, because cherubs are always described as children for a long time as a kid or not as a kid, as a teenager trying to figure out angels from the Latter-Day Saint perspective, where we really don't talk about angels very much at all relative to the things we're talking about today. It's mostly you've got either spirits who haven't got bodies yet or people who have got bodies, died. And thus are still unembodied, or those great spirits who have come back resurrected with their bodies in full glory. And so you got cherubs would be the young ones who haven't got bodies yet. Seraphs are the glorified ones who have got their bodies and all the glory of God, whatever. Ophans have never been part of this discussion. The ophanim, the name means wheels, and this is a class of angels described only by Ezekiel and depending on your version of the Bible, you might not even recognize that he's talking about angels. So there's some argument on whether or not these even belong here. But when people talk about biblically accurate angels, the ones that are absolutely terrifying and monstrous, it's the ophanim. Sometimes they're called thrones because these gear monsters support the throne where God sits. And that's their deal. They don't visit Earth. They're not messengers. [00:29:07] Katie Dooley: Good, good. [00:29:09] Preston Meyer: So the whole be not afraid meme of no, this is the most terrifying moment of my life. The ophans.  [00:29:16] Katie Dooley: Were not those messengers. That's good. They remind me of the Bhagavad Gita. The guy with infinite eyes and infinite mouths, like. I don't want to be visited by that. [00:29:28] Preston Meyer: No, I don't think anybody would. [00:29:30] Katie Dooley: I think... That's is that Krishna or Vishnu in their, like, real form? I think that's what it is. I forget now, but, um, someone will listen to our...  [00:29:39] Preston Meyer: The Messenger was Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.  So these these guys are just wild. It's really hard to know what Ezekiel was experiencing, but I feel like he was definitely getting the best of the temple oils and the way that eyes are described here with all these wing imagery. My instinct is to say that he was also seeing and failing to interpret correctly because of it, wonderful intoxication, a peacock. [00:30:18] Katie Dooley: That's interesting. Yeah. That's a not a terrible theory. [00:30:21] Preston Meyer: Well, so the the tail feathers, they all got eyes. Yeah. And wings might be hard to see where one wing ends and the next thing might be a wing if you're high, especially the peacock just feels right. [00:30:38] Katie Dooley: Okay. All right.  [00:30:43] Preston Meyer: But yeah, so they are not visitors to Earth. They're not messengers. They're their own special thing built out of wheels and gears and eyeballs and feathers that support, apparently, according to Ezekiel's vision and some creative license and interpretation, the throne of God. And taking that into consideration and the description of the cherubs with the weird heads of all these various animals, it makes sense that there's some interesting sorts of ideas, like the they're chimeras of one sort or another, that we see all over the old world. And it makes sense that a lot of scholars would agree that some of these ideas are coming in they're very odd forms from neighboring nations. [00:31:35] Katie Dooley: Fair, you gotta make it popular to the public. [00:31:37] Preston Meyer: Right? Plus, people love stories about that. Weird monsters thing. So yeah, popular to the public helps. [00:31:46] Katie Dooley: Yeah. So in the Christian Bible, angels appear only as messengers and teachers, though there is a scene in the Revelation of John illustrating Heaven, where the four faces of Ezekiel described as cherubs, are represented. [00:32:02] Preston Meyer: We also get Gabriel. He's the one who showed up to Joseph and Mary, both of them separately, to let them know, "Hey, there's a baby in there. Don't freak out. It's Jesus." [00:32:16] Katie Dooley: Though I do love the memes about Joseph. [00:32:19] Preston Meyer: Yes, they are certainly entertaining. [00:32:22] Katie Dooley: Have you seen the one where Joseph is like, "I made you a cherry pie", and Mary's like, "we don't have cherries." And he was like, "God gave them to me. Do you see how stupid that sounds?" Uh, and then the stepdad, ones "I'm the dad that stepped up". [00:32:43] Preston Meyer: Oh, yeah, yeah. I feel weird about Joseph being left out of the story after the nativity. Like there's the sons of the carpenter or whatever, because Jesus had brothers. There's no arguing against that. But we never know about him dying. But also, he wasn't there when Jesus died. People just lost track of where his stepdad was. [00:33:09] Katie Dooley: Yeah. Angels who go undescribed appear at a few crucial points of the end of the Jesus story, presumably in regular human form. No wings. [00:33:20] Preston Meyer: Yeah. We got angels who were there when Jesus came out of the empty tomb. Well, when he made the tomb empty. We got angels standing around in Jerusalem when Jesus ascends up into the clouds. Reminding people. This what I'm doing, that they said he'll come back the same way he left. So if you find somebody claiming to be Jesus reborn, biblical contradiction. And then we have more angels in medieval writings. [00:33:55] Katie Dooley: Which is pretty cool. [00:33:56] Preston Meyer: Yeah. Have you ever read Paradise Lost? [00:34:00] Katie Dooley: I haven't, but I want to. [00:34:02] Preston Meyer: I also have not read Paradise Lost. I've only read about it. It's one of those great popular things that just hasn't hit my table yet. John Milton's Paradise Lost, written so, so long ago, 1667, was when it was published. Great couple of great poems. Angels are super important. We got the story of Satan / Lucifer. Because for so long, everybody just assumed Lucifer means Satan. [00:34:32] Katie Dooley: Yeah. So the two we're going to talk about, I, tell me if I'm wrong and maybe, maybe we don't know because we haven't read it, I think this is where the connection of Lucifer and the Bible is to the devil, because Lucifer in the Bible is not the devil, [00:34:45] Preston Meyer: Right? Lucifer in the Bible is not ever the devil. [00:34:48] Katie Dooley: So this must be where... [00:34:50] Preston Meyer: I feel like that's.  [00:34:51] Katie Dooley: And even in, uh, Dante as well.  [00:34:55] Preston Meyer: Yeah, I've talked with a couple of doctors of theology in my time at university, and there's not any solid consensus on whether Dante Alighieri, who wrote The Divine Comedy, was super influential on Christian theology, or if he was writing about things that he'd been learning at church. Um, there's not a strong consensus there, by the sounds of it, but very fascinating stuff. Not that Dante agrees with all of the thoughts on angels, but his thoughts are very well preserved. [00:35:34] Katie Dooley: Sorry, we are jumping ahead a little bit, but Paradise Lost is an epic poem. And yes, it talks about Satan, Lucifer. It also talks about Adam and Eve in a separate part. It outlines the hierarchy of angels. It talks about Lucifer, Satan's rebellion, the war in heaven, and what fallen angels are, which I read that there's parts of this all pulled from, like the Dead Sea Scrolls. So there is a... [00:36:00] Preston Meyer: Well, the Dead Sea Scrolls weren't available when Paradise Lost. It's been like 70 years. [00:36:08] Katie Dooley: But anyway it had biblical or Apocryphal references. [00:36:13] Preston Meyer: Yeah, yeah, there's definitely a lot of rabbinical literature that would have been some good source material for, [00:36:18] Katie Dooley: Because there is no fallen angels in the Bible. [00:36:22] Preston Meyer: There is a couple of passages that allude to huge swathes of angels being cast out of heaven before the foundation of the world. What that looks like is the matter of many hypotheses. [00:36:38] Katie Dooley: So we started talking about the Divine Comedy. [00:36:40] Preston Meyer: It's even older. [00:36:42] Katie Dooley: Yeah, and most people are familiar with Dante's Inferno, which is a part one of the three parts of... [00:36:47] Preston Meyer: Dante's Inferno, is great drama because it's the first part of a trilogy. And so if you're going to get tired and quit, at least you'll have read some of Inferno. But it's also the great part where Dante gets to slam on all the thinkers and popes that he didn't like and say, "Ha! You guys are in hell. I know, because I'm the dude who wrote the book". [00:37:12] Katie Dooley: So this is also written in a poem format, and he wrote it between 1308 and 1321, and it describes the afterlife. Obviously, the inferno is the hell part and Paradiso is the part that describes heaven. [00:37:29] Preston Meyer: And then there's the part in between. Purgatorial. For purgatory.  [00:37:29] Katie Dooley: So Paradiso describes the nine spheres of heaven. There's what? Seven circles of hell. Nine circles of hell anyway. Inferno describes the circles of hell. I don't remember how many. And Paradiso describes the nine spheres of heaven in the ninth sphere. I'm reading the notes wrong. The ninth sphere of heaven is where the angels reside. It's called Prima Mobile. There's one more sphere where God resides. So according to Dante, angels are beings that are most familiar to God, and they are made of an immaterial. [00:38:07] Preston Meyer: Now, what sort of substance is immaterial, Katie? But light is matter as well. Light is a particle and a wave. It's like when people say that God exists outside of time and space. [00:38:21] Katie Dooley: I'm, uh. I'm rereading His Dark Materials. They're probably made of dust. Have you read?  [00:38:21] Preston Meyer: No [00:38:29] Katie Dooley: Oh. They're great. They were very controversial when they came out of the 90s. [00:38:33] Preston Meyer: Sure. That's the, um, the Amber Spyglass. [00:38:37] Katie Dooley: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so probably dust is what I'm going to call it. [00:38:40] Preston Meyer: Sure, but dust is matter too.  [00:38:43] Katie Dooley: No, in the book it's a divine matter, but they call it dust. Capital D dust. [00:38:47] Preston Meyer: Okay. When I think of immaterial substance, it sounds like they're just holograms. But I'm always reminded of, I think it was Neil deGrasse Tyson who said, you know, if you if your God exists outside of time and space, that's how you describe a thing that does not exist. [00:39:06] Katie Dooley: So like tug on the collar... [00:39:08] Preston Meyer: It's a really popular description for a lot of Christians and people of other traditions as well. And I don't see the need to describe God as outside of time and space, especially when it causes you the problem of now you've described something that doesn't exist. [00:39:26] Katie Dooley: Maybe out of time, but definitely not out of space. [00:39:30] Preston Meyer: Even outside of time doesn't make any sense to me. [00:39:34] Katie Dooley: I guess time would be irrelevant for God, I guess is my point. [00:39:37] Preston Meyer: Right and yeah, if you live long enough, time might not matter but you still exist in a state where there's an event and things before and after that. [00:39:46] Katie Dooley: Now we're getting into the multiverse and.... It's all great in theory, but very confusing in practice. So we touched briefly on angels in Islam because of their non-hierarchy but groupings. In Islam, they believe they are heavenly beings originating directly from God. Like little God offspring. [00:40:08] Preston Meyer: Yeah, but usually in the creation sense, like molded because in the Islamic tradition, the Quran is very clear that God does not have children. The Quran is also very clear he had three daughters. [00:40:24] Katie Dooley: What a holy book that contradicts itself? Say it ain't so. Colour me shocked. [00:40:30] Preston Meyer: It's tricky. But they would have been angels, not gods, even though they were definitely figures that were recognized as goddesses among the heathens. [00:40:43] Katie Dooley: It's fine. So the Quran is the number one Islamic source referring to angels, but there's also angels in the hadiths and elsewhere in Islamic literature. [00:40:53] Preston Meyer: I mean, the whole thing wouldn't have happened if not for an angel at least allegedly appearing to Muhammad. Um, good old [00:41:02] Jibril. The same figure that we called Gabriel earlier in this [00:41:06] episode. They're messengers, servants for God. And Jibril is the greatest messenger. I don't remember hearing anything about Michael and looking up things in Islam. [00:41:18] Katie Dooley: Um, they have sort of a 1 to 1 comparison I put in the notes. Um. But I don't know where they appear in the Quran. [00:41:27] Preston Meyer: So, like in Judaism, angels are super great for protecting against terrible things. Angels are attracted to sacred places. The whole guardian thing makes sense. And every now and then, you'll find them protecting people. With it an angel will not enter an unclean place. This is pretty typical of most religions. That an angel that is supposed to be so good and pure, not going to go to places that could be called haram or go near a dog even because that's dirty. [00:42:04] Katie Dooley: My dog was an angel, so.  [00:42:04] Preston Meyer: Many are. [00:42:10] Katie Dooley: I disagree with that. Maybe they're more powerful angels. And so other angels are scared to come by. [00:42:19] Preston Meyer: Uh, there are many classes of angels. Or maybe Paige was just a jinn. [00:42:24] Katie Dooley: Oh, wow. But it's probably more accurate anyway. Angels in Islam, are believed to be older than humans and the jinn that Preston mentioned. And they have no human desires. They don't tire, they don't get hungry. They're never angry. [00:42:38] Preston Meyer: So they're often described this way in Jewish literature and the trouble that I have with this idea is that they saw in most versions of early Judeo-Christian Abrahamic origins of the world. They saw the daughters of man and said, that's a really good place to play hide the sausage, and that's not an angel that doesn't have passions. Oh, well. [00:43:18] Katie Dooley: Um, Muslims do not believe in the concept of the fallen angel like in Christianity. Rather, they believe that angels are infallible. [00:43:25] Preston Meyer: Right? And the Iblis isn't a fallen angel, but a terrible jinn. I'm pretty sure, if I remember correctly. [00:43:34] Katie Dooley: So they, as Preston, sort of asked, Islam shares three out of the four archangels with Christianity. So we have Jibril, who's Gabriel; Mikhail, who's Michael; Israfil, who's Raphael. And then the fourth one is Azrail, or Azrael is the English name, but that's not Uriel. Those are their archangels. [00:43:57] Preston Meyer: And, um, Azrael would be a little bit more familiar with the Angel of death called sometimes Malak Hamad. There's another name that I can't remember, Samael, I think. I might be confusing with another angel. I have to look that up later. [00:44:16] Katie Dooley: I mean, that sounds correct to someone who watched the entire series of Lucifer, but that's my only frame of reference right now. That's terrible.  [00:44:27] Preston Meyer: Popular culture is a great tool for education as long as it's well-written. [00:44:32] Katie Dooley: So the Quran describes angels as well-formed human beings. Nice build. Sure. Uh, made of pure light. And they have multiple pairs of wings. So I read two, three, four pairs of wings. [00:44:47] Preston Meyer: Right. So we get very similar descriptions for the jinn. But the jinn are newer and a lot more selfish and a lot more likely to do sexy things so than the angels in this tradition. And then we can change gears a little bit to Zoroastrianism. And I think a lot of the ideas of angels that we get in Judaism probably find a much more comfortable home in Zoroastrianism. Um, the writings of Ezekiel. Are generally thought to have come post-exile. And so this influence would have been definitely a part of this deal. If that is how that worked out. So then in Persian Zoroastrian tradition, there are several forms of yazata. I like that word. Any word that has a bunch of syllables and the same vowel every time. I don't know why it gets me just right.  Like Canada. [00:45:52] Katie Dooley: How patriotic you are. Rococo. Rococo. [00:45:58] Preston Meyer: Rococo. That first I was a little soft, but I can appreciate it. [00:46:04] Katie Dooley: It's a great art movement. [00:46:05] Preston Meyer: So anyway, the Yazata are a class of beings defined nominally as worthy of worship. Gods, in the simplest sense. This is complicated by the fact that we still don't have a good definition of what is a God that everybody can agree on. If it is worshiped, it is a god. That's the deal. That's for today's discussion. I feel like that's pretty fair. So this same word, yazata is applied to all the really good things, including some plants and even prayer formats. So because of that, I feel like a really fair way to translate that into English instead of worthy of worship would be anything that is holy. [00:46:54] Katie Dooley: Holy, sacred, yeah. [00:46:55] Preston Meyer: Yeah, and like the Most Holy One, would be your Most High God, which in this case would be Ahura Mazda, the greatest of the Yazata. So in the earliest writings, Yazata is anything good, and in slightly later early writings the Yazatas are completely and absolutely divine, and so it quickly went from holy things as opposed to profane things, to holy things, as in the gods and God adjacent things in a religion that's mostly monotheistic but isn't quite either. Tricky business. We've talked about this in our Zoroastrian episode. The Persian, the Legend of Persian Zoro. Yeah. Tricky business. So the most popular yazatas received a formal ranking. Relatively late in the Zoroastrian time frame. In about the fourth or fifth century BCE, a calendar was instituted that used the names of the angelic Yazatas to name the months, the days, and even the portions of the days. There's five parts of the day, and each of them are named for various yazata angel figures and so based on that, we got what became of well known because everybody needs to know how you're measuring time, angelology. That was kind of nifty. And so for the Mazdaists, the seven Amesha Spenta, we've talked about them before, they're roughly equivalent to archangels. And so it feels like maybe the shift from 4 to 7 might have been influenced from this time of exile with the Babylonian. [00:48:56] Katie Dooley: Yeah. I mean, this is all happening in the same place at the same time in the world, so. [00:49:00] Preston Meyer: Yeah. And so Ahura Mazda is often described as the father of the Amesha Spenta, but it's generally not taken literally. Just like the Muslims say that Allah is the creator of these angels, not the father, father. [00:49:16] Katie Dooley: Though there was one Amesha Spenta that is described as his daughter. Do you remember that? [00:49:20] Preston Meyer: Well, they're all described as his children. [00:49:22] Preston Meyer: No, there was one specifically that was like, it's his daughter. [00:49:25] Preston Meyer: This one is definitely a daughter. Oh, and he's got other sons, too, right? But they're more godly and less angelic. But they are all yazata. Not that it's not confusing. [00:49:38] Katie Dooley: I haven't said this in a long time. A square is a rectangle, but a rectangle isn't a square. [00:49:44] Preston Meyer: The trouble with that is that for a long time, a square was also called a rectangle. [00:49:52] Katie Dooley: Oh, I thought you were gonna, like, correct me on the yazata. Like, not all yazata are gods, but all gods are yazata. [00:49:59] Preston Meyer: No, that's... Yeah, you got that right. But there's even more. Because why stop with just the Judeo-Christian and immediately Judeo-Christian adjacent? There is other great ideas. [00:50:13] Katie Dooley: There's so many. So the Dharmic religions, this is Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism all have Devas, which means heavenly, shining or divine being. The word is generally applied to the gods of the Hindu peoples, as well as to cosmic principles that might manifest during meditation. It is a worthy goal to ascend from this human level and to be reincarnated as a deva. Devas are said to be mortal, expected to die after thousands of years, and be reborn if they don't escape samsara. [00:50:47] Preston Meyer: Imagine being demoted from Deva back to human. [00:50:50] Katie Dooley: I mean, it happens. [00:50:51] Preston Meyer: I mean, the story is that it must. [00:50:58] Katie Dooley: Each has their own... Each of the devas has their own identity, different than an avatar, right? So there's different avatars of Vishnu and different avatars of Krishna, which is a temporary embodiment of a god.  [00:51:10] Preston Meyer: When they just come down for what for them is a weekend. And I think it's really interesting that for Zoroastrianism, the Devas are, well, not the Devas. Deva was an evil god. He's the bad guy. [00:51:30] Katie Dooley: Oh yeah. [00:51:32] Preston Meyer: So I'm curious if that label comes from conflict between the two nations. [00:51:40] Katie Dooley: I don't know. [00:51:41] Preston Meyer: And I haven't been able to find anything that says, oh yeah, sure, "this idea is good, Preston", but I still like it in my head. Next on our list, we have the border. In ancient Norse tradition, we have the Vördr as basically essentially guardian angels. Some of them will follow people around, some of them are trees that you might have in a yard that have been around for a while. And so they'll house minor guardian angels in their root. [00:52:13] Katie Dooley: That's cool. [00:52:14] Preston Meyer: It is kind of cool. The name Vördr basically evolved into what we have in English as warden means watcher, but the word wraith also comes from this root and wraiths, as far as I've been able to find meaning in it is like the scary. [00:52:35] Katie Dooley: Yeah, never positive. I always just think of the ringwraiths but... [00:52:38] Preston Meyer: Sure. Yeah. Bad times. Yeah, they're they're not good friends, but the Vördr are our guardian angels, basically. It's hard to tell how much the idea changed when Christians showed up into their neighborhood, but it probably did change a little bit. Or maybe they're partly responsible for the way we see guardian angels in our Anglo tradition. [00:53:06] Katie Dooley: Yeah. Well. And then it's interesting. There's also demons in ancient Greek mythology spelled d-a-e-m-o-n-s so pronounced the same but not to be confused with demons. [00:53:19] Preston Meyer: In so many words we just drop that A it's interesting that we allow it to persist in this word, but I think there's a good reason for it. [00:53:30] Katie Dooley: Well, and then topical in His Dark Materials, in one of the worlds, everyone has a daemon, which is an animal spirit attached to you. [00:53:40] Preston Meyer: That's spelled with an A.  [00:53:40] Katie Dooley: And it's spelt with an A. And when I was a kid in reading, I had no idea how to say it. [00:53:46] Preston Meyer: Did you say a damon the whole time? Yeah. That's fair.  [00:53:52] Katie Dooley: So demons with an A are positive. And just like the Vördr, they are minor deities that would act as guides, guardian angels or whatever. And it's the same thing. We kind of have this, cuple of traditions that are very influential on Judeo-Christian and Western, therefore Western culture of this idea of guardian angel. [00:54:14] Preston Meyer: Yeah. Looking up angels across all these religious traditions has been pretty cool. There's something like the idea of an angel in almost every religious tradition, though naturally, they're not all going to be called angels. But the idea that there's somebody watching out for you is pretty universal. In the more primal religious traditions, it makes a lot of sense that usually we're talking about ancestors. [00:54:44] Katie Dooley: Right? Their ancestor worship. And we haven't actually talked about... I guess Shintoism, has some ancestor worship, but we haven't talked about Daoism at all, right. Which is a big ancestor worship religion. Maybe that's one we should add to our list right away. I think you're right. But that's basically Mulan. Where she... [00:55:05] Preston Meyer: The good animated one. [00:55:06] Katie Dooley: Yeah, absolutely. Where's she? lights some incense and prays to her ancestors for guidance. [00:55:13] Preston Meyer: And then has to try to keep a straight face while traveling with Eddie Murphy. Oh, now I want to watch Mulan. Thanks. Yeah, so that is a big. topical guardian angels. [00:55:29] Preston Meyer: Right. [00:55:29] Katie Dooley: Mushu is a guardian angel. [00:55:30] Preston Meyer: Here we are in a year of the Dragon. [00:55:32] Katie Dooley: What? It's all coming together. [00:55:35] Preston Meyer: But it's not the year of the Fire Dragon. In the 60 year cycle, it's the year of the Wood dragon. [00:55:40] Katie Dooley: Wow, interesting I didn't know that. You, dear listener, congregant, could be our guardian angels. [00:55:48] Preston Meyer: We would love it so much if you would support this podcast financially. [00:55:55] Katie Dooley: I was going to say you can do that a few ways. So, um, spreadshirt is great. If you want to buy someone a gift, buy yourself some merch, one time fee. You have our Patreon with bonus episodes, extra content from our interviews, if you like a subscription model, there's more coming down the pipe there as well. We also would love your support your warden watcher wraith on our social media. What social media are we on, Preston? [00:56:22] Preston Meyer: We are on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and of course Discord, where we have some pretty great memes and discussions organized into great little channels. I love discord! You can also share this podcast with a friend and give us five stars on Apple Podcast. It's a great way to help us out. [00:56:39] Preston Meyer: Thank you so much for joining us. [00:56:41] Both Speakers: Peace be with you.

Last time we spoke about the end of WW1 and China's bitter experience at the Paris Peace conference. Yes it WW1 brought a lot of drama to China. Yuan Shikai and later prominent figures like Duan Qirui took the poor habit of making secret deals with the Japanese that would very much bite them in the ass later in Paris. The Chinese delegation came to Paris hoping to secure major demands, most notably to solve the ongoing Shandong Problem. Instead they quite literally found out there were secret deals between China and Japan that completely hindered their war aims. To add insult to injury the western powers, notably Britain had also made secret double dealings with Japan. In the end Japan got her way, China did not, it was so embarrassing the Chinese delegation did not bother signing the Treaty of Versailles. Things could not possible get any worse eh?   #92 The New Culture Movement   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. To say this is a big event in Modern Chinese history is certainly an understatement. I have to acknowledge over on my personal channel the Pacific War channel I made an episode on this topic. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I am very glad I tackled it. It was the first time a large portion of Chinese audience members came forward and thanked me for covering the subject. I was honestly a bit baffled, the episode picked up steam, I thought, hmmm why is this getting views, its a rather boring, non battle more political episode. Well case and point, this story is really the birth of modern China. If you go searching for books on this subject you will find so many of its impact on just about every facet of China today and even on other nations. Now there is two major subjects at play here, the May fourth movement and the New Cultural movement. I am going to do my best to try and cohesively tell this, but its a rather difficult one to be honest. For the sake of cohesion and to be blunt while writing this I just don't think I will manage to fit both subjects into one episode, I first am going to tackle what exactly the “New Cultural Movement” was and I am guessing I will have to leave the May Fourth Movement for next episode.  The New Cultural Movement is intertwined with the May Fourth Movement, or you could call it the progenitor. In essence it was a progressivist movement that sprang up in the 1910's and would continue through the 1920's criticizing traditional Chinese ideology and promoting a new culture. This new culture was influenced by new age science and modern ideals. It's during this period you find many of China's big scholars start speaking out and making names for themselves. Now we have been talking in length about numerous issues that hit China during the 1910's such as WW1, Yuan Shikai's craziness, secret deals getting leaked to the public, the Shandong Problem, the Treaty of Versailles and all of these summed up were just more and more humiliation for China. The people of China were fed up. The people of China wanted change. Now its hard to encompass all that was sought out, but there are 6 large themes of this New Cultural movement that I shall list.  The first change the public wanted was because of their outdated writing system, they wanted a more vernacular one. Second the confucian based tradition patriarchal family model was very outdated and it was a hindrance against individual freedom and women's rights. Third the people wanted China to be a real nation, one amongst the other nations of the world, not stuck in its Confucian model. Fourth the people wanted China to adopt a more scientific approach to things rather than the traditional confucian belief system. Fifth, the Chinese people wanted democracy human rights, all of the enlightened values other nations had. Lastly China had always been a nation who looked at the past rather than towards the future, this had to end.  Now before we hit each of these lets summarize a bit of this time period, the environment and feeling of the day. The Qing Dynasty had fallen during the Xinhai revolution seeing the rise of Yuan Shikai. Yuan Shikai stamped down on all opposition, this included intellectuals also, many were exiled. There of course was a lot of animosity to Yuan Shikai, he was after all the guy who for a lack of better words, stole the leadership from Dr Sun Yat-Sen and he crushed the second revolution. One of these intellectual exiles found himself in Tokyo, Zhang Shizhao, there he founded a political magazine called The Tiger. The Tiger ran for about a year in 1915 and would have a significant impact on other political journals in China. The Tiger was known for probing political questions of the day, its writers often grappled with how underlying cultural values and beliefs shape politics. It inspired others to write similar magazines, notably, Chen Duxiu Now also in 1915 as we know, the Twenty-One Demands were issued, Yuan Shikai was forced to sign the Thirteen demands and all of this got leaked to the public. In 1915, Chen Duxiu founded the magazine “Jinggao qingnian” “New Youth”and he would have future intellectuals as editors of it such as Li Dazhao, Hu Shih and Lu Xun. In its first issue titled Jinggao qingnian literally translate as “letter to Youth”, it encouraged young people to “be independent and not enslaved, be progressive and not conservative, be in the forefront and not lagging behind, be internationalist and not isolationist, be practical and not rhetorical, and be scientific and not superstitious.” Chen Duxiu advocated for science and democracy, these would become rallying cries often in the form of “Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science”. This would spring forth more literature like “Xinchao” “the Renaissance” founded by the Renaissance Society in 1918 whose members included Beijing students directly inspired by Chen Duxiu, Hu Shih and Li Dazhao. The Renaissance promoted western political and social ideology, encouraging the youth of China to embrace progressive politics. The New Youth was by far the most influential magazine. In 1917 Chen Duxiu and Zhang Shizhao moved to Beijing University where they became acquaintances and alongside others built up a community that would usher in the New Culture Movement. At this time the intellectual powerhouses were Peking University and Tsinghua University in Beijing and Shanghai which had a booming publishing industry. Many scholars who would contribute to the New Culture movement would be found at Peking University such as Cai Yuanpei, who served as president of the University in 1916. Cai Yuanpei was a colleague of our old friend Li Shizeng whom both founded the Diligent Work-Frugal Study movement, sending worker-students to France. It was Cai Yuanpei who recruited those like Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao and Hu Shih. Chen Duxiu served as the dead of the School of Arts and Letters at the university; Li Dazhao became its librarian and Hu Shih helped translate and perform numerous lectures.  These men would lead the fight for “baihua wenxue” or the Vernacular Literature Movement. Yes there's a lot of movements in this episode. Now Baihua is a form of written Chinese based on the numerous varieties of Chinese spoken in the country vs, “classical Chinese”. This probably sounds a bit confusing, but think of it this way. Going all the way back to the Shang dynasty a process of creating Chinese characters was gradually standardized by the time of the Qin dynasty, so thats 1200 BC to 206 BC. Over the following dynasties the Chinese calligraphy is created, however what also occurs is the evolution of language. The Chinese language branched off into numerous dialects, thus all over China people are speaking different but related forms of Chinese, yet the way they write is using this “classical Chinese writing”. As you might imagine, by the time of the 20th century, the classical chinese writing is so vastly different from what people are speaking, by this time its Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, and many many more. Classical Chinese had become extremely outdated.  Chinese intellectuals in the early 20th century were looking to reform the literary system. Two of the big proposals that came about were to simplify Chinese characters and create a Chinese writing system using the latin alphabet. Professor at Peking University, Qian Xuantong was a leading figure on the Latinization movement. Chen Dixiu on the topic of Chinese characters had said  “backward, difficult to recognize, and inconvenient to write”. He blamed them for China being stuck in conservatism and having lacked modernization. There was a movement to switch to pinyin to spell out Chinese characters, for those who don't know Pinyin is alphabetically written Chinese, aka the only way Craig is able to read most of his sources haha. The plan to formalize this never occurred, but there was a real fight for it. Many scholars began writing in Baihua, one of the most famous works was Lu Xun's “A Madman's Diary”. In essence it was a short story criticizing early 20th century Chinese society, trying to challenge its audience into conventional thinking vs traditional understanding. The story has Lu Xun's madman seeing family and village members around him performing cannibalism which he has attributed to some confucian classics. Basically he implies China's traditional culture was mentally cannibalistic. Building somewhat on this theme, Chen Duxiu wrote in the New Youth how Mr. Confucius needed to be replaced by Mr. Science and Mr. Democracy. Meanwhile Hu Shih argued “a dead language cannot produce a living literature”. He further argued a new written format would allow the Chinese people with less education to read texts, articles, books and so forth. It was classical Chinese that was holding the less educated back. Basically he was criticizing how scholars basically held a monopoly on information. Hu Shih was highly praised for his efforts, one man named Mao Zedong would have a lot to say about how grateful China should be to him. Mao Zedong of course was a assistant at Peking University's library at the time. Now alongside the battle to change the written language of China, there was a feminist movement as well. Women suffered greatly under the traditional system. Prior to the 20th century Women in China were considered essentially different from Men as you can imagine. Confucius argued that an ordered and morally correct society would refrain from the use of force. Violence and coercion were deviant and unwelcomed. Instead a correct person would aim to become “junzi” meaning gentleman or a person of integrity. For society to remain stable, it was crucial correct hierarchies were established. Servants obey masters, subjects obey rulers, children obey parents and women obey men.The association of Women with Yin and Men with Yang, two qualities considered important by Daoism, still had women occupying a lower position than men in the hierarchical order. The I Ching stated “Great Righteousness is shown in that man and woman occupy their correct places; the relative positions of Heaven and Earth”. Women of course were supposed to be submissive and obedient to men, normally forbidden to participate in politics, military and or communal aspects. The traditional Confucian led Chinese society simply valued men over women. To get into the most hardcore aspect of this, did you know China had a near 2000 year history of female infanticide? It was written by many Christian missionaries arriving in the late 16th century to China that they witnessed newborns being thrown into rivers or in the rubbish. The primary cause of this practice was poverty, shortages of food. Confucianism influenced this practice quite a bit. Male children were to work, provide and care for their elders, while females were to be married off as quickly as possible. During the 19th century “ni nu” to drown girls was widespread, because of the mass famines. Exposure to the elements, strangulation, tossing a child into a basket and casting it off were normalized. Buddhists would build these things called “baby towers” for people to dump children at. Later on in 1930, Rou Shi a famous member of the May Fourth movement would write a short story titled “A Slave-Mother” portraying how extreme poverty in rural communities led to female infanticide. Hell turn the clock even more to the 1970's and we got the One-Child Policy where females were often aborted or abandoned. Alongside this infant girls at the age of 5 or 6 would often have the feet bound, a centuries old practice that would increase their marriageability. This hobbled them for life. When women married, their families pretty much abandoned them. Often this marriages were arranged and the new wife could expect to be at the autocratic mercy of her mother in law henceforth. If her husband died there was great social pressure for her to remain unmarried and chaste for the rest of her life. It goes without saying, suicide rates in China were the highest among young women. During the late 19th century the ideal woman was “xiangqi liangmu /a good wife and loving mother”. During the early 20th century the new ideal was becoming “modeng funu / modern woman”. Women wanted to pursue education and careers outside the home. Whether it was by choice or a financial necessity, Chinese women increasingly left the domestic sphere. They entered the workforce in all available forms, typically but not limited to factories, offices, and the entertainment industry. Yet the traditional social norms limited their opportunities in work, education and politics. Women according to the traditional system were not supposed to make speeches in the streets. But those like Liang Qichao began calling for the liberation of women, to let them be educated, allow them to participate in Chinese society.  The confucian social order held the hierarchy of husband over wife, but within the New Culture Movement that criticized Confucianism and traditions, now there was a deep want for women to be seen as human beings, as independent people who should become actors in the public sphere. When those like Chen Duxiu began writing and lecturing about tossing aside the old and looking at the new, this also included women. Thus the New Culture Movement had a large aspect of gender equality and female emancipation. There was also the aspect of dress. By the 1920's women would abandon traditional garments of embroidered hip or knee length jackets and trousers. They began wearing short jackets, skirts and the qipao, a one piece dress. Unlike the traditional women's clothing that hung loosely around the body, the Qipoa was form fitting. A women's suffrage movement began, though it would take some time. So you might be seeing the theme here, the old, traditional, confucian past, was needing a new replacement. The written language needed to be updated, women needed to be more equal to men. How about the nation of China itself? The New Culture leaders wanted to see China as a nation amongst nations, not one culturally unique. They began doing what many nations did around the turn of the century, they looked outwards. They looked at foreign doctrines, particularly those that emphasized cultural criticism and were nation building. Many of these intellectuals were the lucky few who went abroad, received foreign educations. They took western and Japanese ideas, seeing what could be used to create a new model for China and her vast population. Many were enthralled by President Woodrow Wilson's 14 points and ideals of self-determination. The Xinhai revolution had ushered in a Chinese nationalist spirit which demanded resistance to foreign impositions and the elimination of domestic autocracy. They had overthrown the Manchu, now they wanted to overthrow the global powers who had been encroaching upon their nation since the mid 19th century. So many of these intellectuals had hoped with the end of the war would come an end to their national disgrace.  The intellectuals argued China's failure to modernize was caused by both external and internal factors. Externally, foreign powers had been encroaching upon China for decades. Foreign powers had gone to war and defeated China, forcing her to sign unequal treaties. Internally China's economy, social system and cultural values were holding her back. This brought forward the need for a “new culture” to kick start the development of a new state. They argued China needed educational and social progress to remedy the states diplomatic weakness and endemic poverty. China's economy, social fabric and international standing needed to be improved, and the answer was programs of public education. Yet to do so, the less educated needed to be able to read and participate, ie: vernacular writing.  Liang Qichao was a huge influence on ideas to build China as a modern state. He created the “Xinmin Congbao / new citizen”, a biweekly journal first publishing in Yokohama Japan back in 1902. The journal covered numerous topics like politics, religion, law, economics, geography, current affairs and such. Basically Li Qichao was showing the Chinese public never before heard theories. Liang Qichao got Chinese people to think about the future of China. What did it even mean to identify as Chinese? He allowed more Chinese to look out into the world, so they could see many different paths and ideas. There were countless, Darwinism, liberalism, pragmatism, socialism all these new “isms” could be the tools to a realization of a strong and unified China. And of course there was Marxism, many Chinese laborers who went to Russia saw first hand what the Bolsheviks had accomplished. The principal of Peking University, Cai Yuanpei would resign on May 9th, 1919 causing a huge uproar. What once united all these intellectual New Culture movement types, gradually changed after the May fourth movement. Hu Shih, Cai Yuanpei and liberal minded intellectuals urged for protesting students to return to their classrooms, but those like Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao urged for more radical political action. Marxist study groups would form and with them the first meetings of the Chinese Communist Party. This is of course a story for future podcasts, but it should be noted there would be a divide amongst these intellectuals as to how China should be “modern”. Li Dazhao for example advocated for fundamental solutions, while Hu Shih criticized such thinking “calling for the study of questions, less study of isms”. Those like Chen Dixiu and Li Dazhao would quickly find followers like Mao Zedong.  Now the overall theme here has been “toss out Confucius!” but it was not all like that. Part of the movement much like the Meiji restoration, was to usher in some new, but to incorporate the old so to not lose ones entire culture. For those of you who don't know I began my time on youtube specifically talking about the history of Tokugawa to Showa era Japan. The Meiji restoration was an incredible all encompassing hyper modernization, that for the life of me I can't find a comparison to. But an interesting aspect of it was the “fukko / restore antiquity”. It often goes unmentioned, but the Japanese made these enormous efforts to crop out the outside influences such as Confucianism, Buddhism and such, to find the ancient cultures of their people. This eventually led to an evolution of Shintoism, thus Japan not only wanted to adopt new ideas from the rest of the world, they wanted to find the important aspects of their own cultural history and retain it, make sure they did not lose what made them Japanese. The same can be said of China here.  Yigupai or the “doubting antiquity school” was a group of scholars who applied a critical historiographical approach to Chinese historical sources. They took their ancient texts and really analyzed them to see what was truly authentic, what should be kept. Hu Shih initiated the movement. He had studied abroad and was deeply influenced by western thinking and argued at Peking University that all Chinese written history prior to the Eastern Zhou, that is the second half of the Zhou dynasty needed to be carefully dissected. Many were concerned with the authenticity of pre-Qin texts and began questioning the writers of past dynasties. There was also Gu Jiegang who formed the “Gushibian / Debates on Ancient history” movement and published magazines of the same name. Later in 1922 there was the Critical Review Journal, involving numerous historians. Their work dismantled many beliefs or at minimum cast some doubt on ancient textual writings that had been around for millennia. For example there was the belief Yu the Great or Yu the Engineer who was the first to make real flood control efforts during the Xia Dynasty was an animal or deity figure. There was the notion of peaceful transition of power seen from the Yao to Shun dynasties, but the group found evidence this was all concocted by philosophers of the Zhou dynasty simply to support their political philosophy. They were basically detectives finding the bullshit in their ancient history and this had a profound effect on the current day thinking. The doubting antiquity group's proved the history of China had been created iteratively. Ancient texts had been repeatedly edited, reorganized, hell many had fabricated things to make ends meet for themselves, you could not take their word at face value. They argued all of the supernatural attributes of historical figures had to be questioned, a lot of it was not possible and thus not authentic versions of their history. But the group also were victims of their own criticisms. Many of them would criticize parts of antiquity history simply to get rid of things they didn't like or that got in the way of current day issues. There was also another element to the doubting antiquity movement. Students were pushed to look over things in ancient Chinese history, chinese folklore that Confucian schools dismissed or ignored.  Within the background of the Twenty-One Demands, the Sino-Japanese Treaty, the double promising of Britain and other secret deals made over the future of China had angered her people greatly. The common people of China did not feel represented nor heard at all. Japan was encroaching upon them in Manchuria and now Shandong. Their leadership were either making secret deals to secure their own objectives, or they were completely powerless to other nations and crumbling, such as the case at Versailles. With so many students and laborers going abroad witnessing the civilizations of other nations in the west and Japan, they yearned for the things those people had. Democratic and egalitarian values were at the very forefront of the New Culture Movement. Western science, democracy, bills of rights, racial equality, equality of opportunity, opportunity to venture into politics, the list can go on, these were things alien to China. The people began to enchant the masses with such ideas, while simultaneously criticizing traditional Chinese ethics, her customs, literature, history, philosophy, religion, social and political institutions and such. Liberalism, pragmatism, utilitarianism, anarchism, socialism, communism were thrown around like yardsticks so the people could measure China's traditional culture against them. How did such “isms” match up? Within the current crisis in China which one of these isms might benefit them the most? Overall the movement kept up the greatest theme of needing to look forward. China had always looked to the past. They had suffered so immensely, they were after all enduring the century of humiliation as it would famously become known. It was humiliation after humiliation. How could they change so the past would stop haunting them? Things like the Boxer Protocol, how could China rid itself of these humiliating indemnity payments? Britain's Opium had ushered in a poison that still plagued them, how could they finally rid China of it? The war and encroachment of nations like Britain, Russia and Japan, how could they stop them from continuing these actions? China could not stay the way she was anymore, she had to change. Thus overall within every facet of the movement's ideology, they kept emphasizing to stop looking in the past for answers for today. Today would require looking abroad and within and it would not be easy.  This episode and I do apologize it must be all over the place for you, encompasses a lot of the thoughts and feelings, but its part of a great event known as the May Fourth movement of 1919. China is basically for the first time really going to try and adopt fundamental changes, to become a real modern state. If it were not for lets say, the descent into warlordism, perhaps the Chinese Republican dream could have been started in 1919. Regardless, China will see an incredible amount of change in a short amount of time.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The New Culture Movement saw numerous intellectuals rise up and challenge the prevailing social and political order of their nation. They tried to give the public new answers to old questions, and above all else hope. Hope for a better tomorrow. It was to be a arduous journey, but students would be the vanguard into a new age for China.

JJ Johnson of Southern Demonolgy is a man of many studies. He's a Harvard grad and an expert on Demons, Exorcists, the Biblical literature between the Old and New Testaments. And we'll have him speak on all those things. However, he's also a student of Japan. His wife is Japanese and he's lived in Japan. So, I deliver on my promise to continue into the Far East and cover the pantheon and mythology of Shintoism. So if you like Kamis and nine tailed foxes and ghosts that haunt a person or family, we have you covered. Clip your banzai's and arrange your stone gardens, and welcome to our Garden.

In this episode of the podcast, we dive deep into the spiritual journey of Wilberto Vargas, a multi-talented individual who wears many hats – from being a Spiritual Scientist to a Divine Channeler, Life Coach, QHHT Hypnosis Practitioner, Acoustic Musician, and Psychic Medium. Wilberto was born and raised in Costa Rica, where he experienced numerous spiritual revelations and messages from a young age. However, these experiences were initially hindered by a conservative upbringing in a very religious family.

Chapter 1 What's The Chrysanthemum and the Sword Book by Ruth Benedict"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" is a book written by American anthropologist Ruth Benedict. It was first published in 1946 and is considered one of the most influential works in the field of cultural anthropology. The book focuses on the study of Japanese culture and society, particularly during World War II.Benedict was commissioned by the United States Office of War Information to analyze and understand the Japanese people in order to aid the American war effort. She conducted her research based on a variety of sources, including interviews with Japanese immigrants in the United States and scholarly works on Japanese history and culture.In "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," Benedict explores various aspects of Japanese culture, such as the importance of honor and shame, the concepts of loyalty and duty, the role of the family, and the effects of Confucianism on societal values. She also delves into the distinctions between Western and Japanese culture, highlighting areas where the two differ significantly.The title of the book is derived from a famous Japanese saying, "Under the chrysanthemum, the sword sleeps." This saying represents the contrasting elements of beauty and violence that are intertwined within Japanese culture."The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" is considered a seminal work in the study of Japanese culture and has influenced subsequent anthropological works on East Asia. It provides valuable insights into Japanese society and offers a nuanced understanding of the complexities of their cultural beliefs and practices.Chapter 2 Is The Chrysanthemum and the Sword Book A Good BookThe subjective nature of determining whether a book is "good" or not makes it difficult to provide a definitive answer. However, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" by Ruth Benedict is widely regarded as an influential and important work in the field of anthropology. Published in 1946, the book offers insights into Japanese culture, society, and the impact of World War II. It has been used as a resource for cross-cultural studies and has sparked discussions about cultural relativism. If you have an interest in anthropology, Japanese culture, or the impacts of war on society, this book might be worth exploring.Chapter 3 The Chrysanthemum and the Sword Book by Ruth Benedict Summary"The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" is a book written by Ruth Benedict, an American anthropologist, in 1946. The book provides a detailed analysis of Japanese culture, particularly focusing on the years leading up to and during World War II.Benedict explores various aspects of Japanese society, such as education, family structure, social hierarchy, and the influence of Confucianism and Shintoism. She argues that the cultural norms and values of the Japanese people at the time were deeply rooted in tradition and emphasized group harmony and social roles.The title of the book, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," comes from a Japanese legend that symbolizes the dichotomy between two aspects of Japanese culture: the delicate beauty and aestheticism represented by the chrysanthemum, and the samurai warrior culture represented by the sword.Throughout the book, Benedict delves into topics such as the role of women in Japanese society, the concept of "face" and social expectations, the importance of loyalty and honor, and the impact of the war on the Japanese people.Benedict also examines the influence of American occupation and how it contributed to significant cultural changes in Japan. She provides insights into the contrast between Japanese cultural values and Western ideals, highlighting the challenges and misunderstandings...

Junko lives to light people up...by encouraging them to mine not only their brilliance, but also their shadows! She grew up surrounded by Shintoism as well as Buddhism, and it's clear that both have left their mark on her. From a young age she was deeply immersed in the Japanese worldview of Shinto, and the spirits that came with it. Sensitive to the world around her, Junko soon understood that the entire world is one of magic, and one she wanted to experience to the fullest. Not only does she rock the world with her own podcast, "Return to Wonder," she also lifts others up and helps them to realize their potential. Much like fish, who live in water but don't really understand "what that means," Junko feels that we live in a world of magic, above us, below us, around us and within us. But do we truly comprehend what that means? We tackle all this and more in this episode, so put on your seatbelts! Dont' forget to talk the pod up to everyone you meet! You never know when it's going to be the perfect answer to someone's bummer of a day!

Junko lives to light people up...by encouraging them to mine not only their brilliance, but also their shadows! She grew up surrounded by Shintoism as well as Buddhism, and it's clear that both have left their mark on her. From a young age she was deeply immersed in the Japanese worldview of Shinto, and the spirits that came with it. Sensitive to the world around her, Junko soon understood that the entire world is one of magic, and one she wanted to experience to the fullest. Not only does she rock the world with her own podcast, "Return to Wonder," she also lifts others up and helps them to realize their potential. Much like fish, who live in water but don't really understand "what that means," Junko feels that we live in a world of magic, above us, below us, around us and within us. But do we truly comprehend what that means? We tackle all this and more in this episode, so put on your seatbelts! Dont' forget to talk the pod up to everyone you meet! You never know when it's going to be the perfect answer to someone's bummer of a day!

In this thought-provoking episode, we delve into a myriad of topics ranging from the complexities of curatorial practice in art to the secular study of religion. Nico Sarian guides us through an intellectual journey that stretches from the art scene in Moscow to the academic corridors of the University of Toronto, touching on astrology, Zen Buddhism, and the nature of suffering along the way. Prepare for a multi-layered discussion that challenges conventional wisdom and explores the intersections of art, religion, and culture. Join the awesome whatsapp community that Nico is helping to build Early Life and Academic Background Nico Sarian began his career journey after completing high school and entering the world of fashion. Intrigued by the art world, he transitioned into academia due to a spiritual crisis. Nico studied art history and philosophy at King's College in London, and this led to work as an art curator in Moscow. Defining a Curator According to Nico, the role of a curator involves managing a triangle between works of art, the public, and the space or architecture. Failing to manage all three elements would reduce a curator to merely a critic. The role of a curator is likened to that of a priest in that they serve as a mediator between these elements. Evolution into Religious Studies Nico later began teaching at a British art college in Moscow, which fueled his interest in theory, aesthetics, and teaching. After discovering the field of religious studies, he started studying it in a secular context at the University of Toronto. Influence of Russian Culture Nico spent considerable time in Russia and was in a relationship with a Russian woman for four to five years. He studied the Russian language to immerse himself fully in the culture, stating that Russia felt like another planet to him. Esoteric Studies Nico discussed various aspects of astrology, Zen Buddhism, and Shintoism. He mentioned Richard Tarnas as a researcher who places astrology in a historical context and contrasts Vedic and Western astrology. The demotion of Pluto to an asteroid sparked a debate about its relevance in modern astrology and contemporary life. The Philosophical Angle Nico is a critic of modernity and holds a deep academic viewpoint. His questioning of our modern belief systems was influenced by philosophers like Bruno Latour, who claimed, “We have never been modern.” Questioning Religion and Spirituality Nico wrestles with the concept of secularism in religious studies. His inability to give a straight answer to whether he believes in God stems from his view that the term 'secular' is an illusion. Life Philosophy Nico argues that suffering is not a problem; rather, it's the inability to deal with suffering that becomes the problem. He spent three years studying Sanskrit and used the term “Duhka” to discuss the concept of suffering. Future Directions Nico mentioned the idea of creating an infinite discussion board that incorporates various perspectives, aiming to foster and create symbolic capital. The episode delved into Nico's multifaceted life journey, from art and fashion to philosophy and religious studies. He provided a comprehensive view of how different disciplines intersect and inform each other, offering a critique of modernity along the way.

We're thrilled to welcome Mira Taylor, a profound integrative therapist, subconscious medium, and organizational wellness consultant. Mira's riveting journey from the corporate world to her true calling is filled with valuable insights and a unique perspective. She shares her thought-provoking views on exploitative marketing and her transition into integrative therapy, where she advocates for cognitive architecture remodeling as a means to a healthier, more fulfilling life.Unravel the intricate dynamics of childhood trauma, belief systems, and the profound influence of upbringing as Mira navigates these complex topics. She brings to light the significant role of spirituality and archetypal psychology in the healing process. As we traverse further into the recesses of her wisdom, we also venture into the often-overlooked relationship between empaths and narcissists and delve into the surprisingly destructive nature of alcohol's spiritual essence.In the concluding part of our episode, we venture into the magical world of consciousness and spiritual connectivity. From the beliefs of Shintoism to indigenous cultures, we shed light on the spiritual presence of objects and the awe-inspiring power of letting nature's spirit guide us. Mira's experiences with plant medicines and her deep understanding of forests as consciousness seeds are incredibly enriching. As we wind down, she leaves us with a gem of wisdom about the perception of chaos and rationality. Join us for this enlightening exploration into the world of integrative therapy and personal transformation.Don't miss the BANGER!!!Connect with Mira:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonandrunewellness/Website- http://www.moonandrune.com/......#soulawakening #consiousness#innerwisdom #quantumfield#higherdimensions #lightbody#raiseyourfrequency #conciousness#thirdeyeawakening #metaphysics#quantumhealing #ascendedmasters#consciousawakening #awakenyoursoul#thirdeyethirst #manifestingdreams#powerofpositivtiy #spiritualawakenings#higherconscious #spiritualthoughts#lightworkersunited #highestself#positiveaffirmation #loaquotes#spiritualinspiration #highvibrations#spiritualhealers #intuitivehealer#powerofthought#spiritualityreignssupreme --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehiddengateway/support

In Japan, cleanliness is cultural and synonymous with well-being. That's down in no small part to the influence of Shintoism, the country's oldest religion. While the number of believers has been steadily decreasing for some time, Shinto philosophy and culture are still widely practised. Cleanliness is seen not just as a physical state but also a spiritual one, as it is closely tied to the respect and reverence shown to Shinto gods. Following this line of thinking, many Japanese people engage in an annual Buddhist cleaning ritual called "Oosouji," aimed at purifying and organising their interiors before entering a new period. What does "Oosouji" mean? What are the steps to follow during "Oosouji"? What are the benefits of it? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : How can I reduce my belly fat? What are the health benefits of algae? Why do people say that black cats bring bad luck? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can also watch this programme on Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zbOe1pDdHkA Newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.com/ Japan is a country that is known for its deep connection with tradition. Much of its rich culture comes from its adherence to two religious beliefs, Shintoism and Buddhism but it has also been influenced by Confucianism. The Japanese value purity and cleanliness. Unlike western individualism, Japanese culture places a great deal of attention on the group and mutual respect with a strong emphasis on harmony and balance. Although globalisation has brought with it westernisation, there is still an emphasis on learning Japanese customs at an early age, such as practicing the tea ceremony, wearing kimono and studying arts and crafts. Our guest today, Dr Naoki Yamamoto converted to Islam 14 years ago. He is now an academic at Istanbul's Marmara University and helps a growing number of Japanese converts acclimatise to their Islamic commitments. Many of whom attend classes in this city. Dr Naoki argues that for Islam to be successful in Japan, it needs to work in harmony with Japanese culture. Indeed he is known in Istanbul for demonstrating the tea ceremony. We discuss Muslim converts in Japan and the themes he raises of cultural harmony and Islam. Can Islam adopt the cultural heritage of Japan? Please consider making a donation, however small, to The Thinking Muslim, to receive a share in the reward and to help us make a greater impact. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/Donate⁠⁠ Find us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/thinking_muslim Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/ Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim Host: https://twitter.com/jalalayn Website Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com#TheThinkingMuslimPodcast

As the central figure of the Shinto religion, the heaven-shining Amaterasu is the ancestress by of the imperial family of Japan, she has always been an important Kami in the Japanese spiritual life. Amaterasu is a glorious goddess and the personification of the rising sun, the queen of Shinto divinities. based on Japanese mythology, the sun represents order and purity, two important concepts in Shintoism. Amaterasu symbolizes not just order but the justice that maintains it as well. The sun goddess is often depicted as a beautiful woman holding a mirror, the raven Yata Garasu is believed to be the messenger of the goddess. The name Amaterasu comes from the verb Amateru which can be translated as to shine from heaven, and this is the shorthand for Amaterasu ōmikami.

In Episode 09 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Tim Bunting. Based in Yamagata but originally from New Zealand, Tim is a practicing ‘yamabushi' and better known by his moniker the ‘Kiwi Yamabushi'. Translating as ‘one who prostrates himself on a mountain', the word ‘yamabushi' refers to mountain ascetics – those who practices various forms of shugendo – a syncretic faith system or systems that blend Shintoism, Buddhism, Taoism, folklore and more – of which ritual and practice in natural landscapes, especially mountains is a fundamental. In speaking with Tim, we go into detail about his practice and the principles of shugendo, his experiences as a yamabushi and the importance of nature worship or spending time in nature. Tim documents his practice on his personal website while also promoting and supporting yamabushi experiences and training for Japanese, foreign residents and international visitors. If you are interested in those programs, please visit www.yamabushido.jp and to follow Tim, visit his really fantastic website www.timbunting.com or follow him on Instagram @kiwiyamabushi.For more information about the podcast and your host, visit our website: www.snowcountrystories.com. Make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Snow Country Stories Japan is a bi-weekly podcast about life and travel in Japan's legendary 'yukiguni'. For more information about the show and your host, visit our website - www.snowcountrystories.com - and make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Ever wonder what goes into the daily routine of a professional sumo wrestler? What kind of toll do tournaments take on the body? Well you're in luck! The Krewe sits down with 3-time Grand Champion & 1st foreign-born sumotori to reach the rank of Ozeki... Konishiki Yasokichi. In a candid conversation, Konishiki shares his origin story and discusses the day-to-day regiment of sumotori, the tournament lifestyle, how the pandemic impacted the sport, & so much more! Don't miss out on this massive episode!Transition Sound Effects by Zapsplat------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram:@kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ More Info on Konishiki ------Konishiki NetSumo By Konishiki (Naro TV)Konishiki on YouTubeKonishiki ShopKonishiki's World (Facebook)Konishiki on TwitterKonishiki on Instagram

Co-hosting and covering for me is my good friend and radio host of The Secret Teachings, Ryan Gable. He does extensive research on all topics he covers and will be providing you with information on the subject of Shintoism. This is a fascinating topic as it is not exactly a religion, but rather a way of life pertaining to spirituality of the indigenous Japanese people. In this episode Ryan will go over the basics of the traditional Japanese culture along with the concept of "Kaisen". If this topic interests you, join us and listen! The Secret Teachings w. Ryan Gable Website: http://thesecretteachings.info/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secret-teachings/id1602737517 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EhNLNzx7VLyxevL6F3lwn?si=cec7c912a3fa46cc Also, Do you have a story to share? If you email me and share your story I will gladly, with your permission of course, feature it on a future episode for the rest of us to listen and enjoy. Check out our website at www.MysteriesBeyond.com and/or email us at LauraLavender.mb@gmail.com Check us out on social media on Instagram @LauraLavender.mb and/or on TikTok @LauraLavender.mb and/or on Facebook at Mysteries Beyond Website: www.mysteriesbeyond.com Email: lauralavender.mb@gmail.com Instagram: @lauralavender.mb TikTok: lauralavender.mb Facebook: Mysteries Beyond My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/LauraLavender.mb Intro Music by: Mystery by GoSoundtrack http://www.gosoundtrack.com/Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/mystery-gosoundtrackMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/8TKy9bzrk24 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mysteriesbeyond/message

Masako Miki (b. 1973, Osaka, Japan) is a multimedia artist whose work ranges installation and large-scale sculpture, printmaking, watercolor and felting. A native of Japan, she now lives and works in Berkeley, CA. Her work frequently explores the idea of synthesis—manipulating contradicting spatial elements to suggest a disoriented context and space. The artist bases her narrative on her own experiences of becoming bicultural in the United States at the age of eighteen. Strongly influenced by craft and folk art of different cultures, she remains close to her ancestral traditions, frequently considering motifs and ideologies that arise from her association with Buddhism, Shintoism, and traditional Japanese folklore. The artist's practice is further rooted in the belief that art can foster social contexts in which contemporary and universally relevant mythologies and social narratives can be generated—replacing or fixing harmful misconceptions and mythologies of the past that have previously sparked social injustices. In 2020, Miki's functional furniture was commissioned to be a part of San Francisco's forthcoming, landmark Minna-Natoma Art Corridor. In 2021, her large-scale sculptures were commissioned as a permanent installation at the Uber Technologies Headquarters in Mission Bay, San Francisco. She has been included in solo and group exhibitions at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, KY (2023); Nassima Landau Art Foundation, Israel (2023); ICA San Jose, CA (2022); Katonah Museum of Art, NY (2022); Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, CA (2022); Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, CA (2019); and de Young Museum, CA (2016), among others. Her work is included in the collections of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, CA; Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, NY; Collección SOLO, Spain; and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA. She received her MFA from San Jose State University. Masako Miki, Empathy Lab, Installated at Ryan Lee Gallery, May 18 – June 30, 2023 Masako Miki, Empathy Lab, Installated at Ryan Lee Gallery, May 18 – June 30, 2023 Hyakki Yagho, Night Parade of One Hundred Demons - Following Plaster Wall Shapeshifter and a Cat Who Lived a Million Years

Is Orochi the Eight-Headed Dragon the craziest movie we've ever covered on the show?! Join us as Mykah wastes his tax returns, Jasher converts to Shintoism, and Podzilla's overseas correspondent Kev gives us a quick run-down on SHIN KAMEN RIDER. CHAPTERS Godzilla News (00:00:00) Orochi, the Eight-Headed Dragon discussion (00:12:09) Kaiju discussion (00:34:28) Final thoughts (00:56:53) Next episode (01:12:13) LINKS Listen to more of Kev on ⁠Austin Danger Podcast⁠. We'd love to hear from you! Send us a ⁠⁠⁠voice message⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠email us⁠⁠⁠. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠, join our ⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠, and support us on ⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠. Check out our amazing artists, ⁠⁠⁠Cassie Selin⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠dogora9898⁠⁠⁠.

Are you ready for a rousing tale of ghosts and gods and taboo brother-sister love? No, this isn't a new streaming series from HBO; this is MFFI's first episode covering the bizarre, freaky world of Japanese Mythology. Join the guys as they uncover the rituals, creation myths, and divine deities of Shintoism, an ancient religion that predates Japan's recorded history. **NOTE: THIS EPISODE BEGINS WITH AN EXTENDED UPDATE TO THE PREVIOUS EPISODE. TO SKIP TO THIS WEEK'S TOPIC, JUMP TO 11:00**   Join the MFFI community and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ In this episode:   AI Episode Update The Two Japanese Religions: Shintoism and Buddhism Kami (Spirits) Kegare (Impurity) Kiyome (Purity) Animism Shinkai (Shadow World) Torii (Gate) Priests and Priestesses Kami-dana (home shrines) The Four Affirmations: Family, Nature, Purity, Festivals (Matsuri) Buddhist Funerals The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki The Imperial Family (The Yamato Line) Takamagahara (The Plain of High Heaven) Kotoamatsukami (The Five Gods, Original Kami) The Zoka Sanshin: The High Creator, The Divine Creator, and the Central Master The Kamiyo-nayo (Paired Gods) Izanagi and Izanami  Creation of Japan With Amenonuhoka (The Heavenly Bejeweled Spear) Hiroku/Ebisu (The Leech Child) Yomi (Land of the Dead) Amaterasu (Kami of the Sun) Tsukuyomi (Moon Kami) Susanoo (Storm Kami) Jimmu, the First Emperor The Humanity Declaration Yokai/Mononoke (Shapeshifting Spirits) Nekomata (Cat/Demon Spirits) The Oni (Demon Yokai) Shuten-doji, King of Oni Raiko the Hero Hannya Masks The Bancho Sarayashiki (The Dish Mansion at Pancho) Okiku and Aoyama Tessan The Ring ~ Join the Midnight Masses! Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas.  And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the word!  Midnight Merch  ~ Leave an Audio Message! ~  Instagram ~ Podcast Website ~ Episode Transcript

TW: This episode deals with A LOT of suicide. As we always say, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. If you are at risk, please get help. The national suicide line is 988. You matter.Tonight,Laura, Krysta and Dean discuss the Aokigahara forest. But first, Kryata has weird facts about Swans while Dean remembers a cartoon called the Swan Princess and remembers strange creatures from folklore that were swans who became human women. After that, we leap into a brief discussion of Shintoism, still the leading form of worship in Japan and then we discuss the Aokigahara itself, it's history, it's uses and it's current status as a popular place to say one's final goodbye. We discuss all that, plus discuss a bit about Youtube star Logan Paul on this week's episode of the Family Plot Podcast!!!!

We discuss the duality of how one's thoughts and actions impact our environment but likewise address how the traditional SDOH and environment impacts health and the expression of our health outcomes and genetic markers. What role do public health professionals play in envisioning, desigining, and acting upon cultures of health and well-being from within themselves and their organizations. How can a toxic public health workforce provide true health, wellness, and quality of life for the communities it serves?What is Epigenetics: CDC Definition and SummaryWe provide information about Dr. Masaru Emoto's work on thoughts and water crystallization. Believed by some as a pseudoscientist, we wonder how many are aware of the traditional cultural principles of Shintoism, and even the people we know who talk to plants and trees.Change in Water Isotope Composition as a Tool for Influencing Human Psychoemotional StateWater Is a Viable Data Storage Medium: A Security and Privacy ViewpointWe also discuss the recent US Surgeon General's 6 pillars of Mental Health and Workplace Well-Being and present the question - How many of these pillars are met in your actual public health organization?The US Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health and Workplace Well-BeingACES Aware: The Science of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Toxic StressJoin us for our Integrative Wellness Workshop for Public Health and Healthcare Professionals on 2/18/23.Learn More about the Sisterhood of Limitless Living: sl3podcast.com

With vast treasure troves of spiritual wisdom and knowledge in places like India or China it is hard to believe how utterly oppressive and suppressive these countries have become to their own people. This is not because of Hinduism, Buddhism, or Confucianism, though, but instead due to the abandonment and suppression of the same. Precisely this devolving of the spiritual is rapidly occurring in the west. Abandonment and intentional erosion of honesty, integrity, goodwill, selflessness, truth, faith, etc., is occurring in real time. But some traditions, beliefs, practices, and the like are impervious to erosion because they have no god, devil, or what we might call sin; they also lack institution, dogma, doctrine, and sacred texts. Shintō, the indigenous Japanese practice, is one great example. In the fact, Shintō is a combination of spiritual practice and a cultural custom in Japan known as Shikata. The Kata is an order or way by which something is accomplished. It is the attempt to unite the Honshin (true heart) with the cosmos to produce Wa (harmony) by fulling Bun and Giri, or life roles and obligations respectively. Sin is only produce by not honoring this divine connection with Kami, or spirits. Shintō is defined as the Kami-Way, or the True-Way, meaning that adherence to the moral and harmony with nature is the only way to achieve salvation. Just as the Word of God created the world, in Japanese the concept of Kotodama suggests that words contain the same spiritual powers. These words are ultimately comprised of symbols or letters which must be vibrated internally or externally to produce meaning and action.

Moriyasu Ito, a priest with the renowned Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo, visits Google to share the history of Shintoism and how it has become an important part of Japanese culture. He talks about how Shinto first started in Japan, the way of Shinto in life, and its numerous festivities and celebrations. According to Ito, Shinto can be difficult for many foreigners to understand because it is not organized in the same way as many Western religions; it does not have initiation rituals or even a specific membership. Shinto focuses on the worship of kami, numerous divinities who are believed to inhabit all things. Numerically, it is Japan's largest religion, the second being Buddhism. Most of the country's population takes part in both Shinto and Buddhist activities, especially festivals, reflecting a common view in Japanese culture that the beliefs and practices of different religions need not be exclusive. Originally published in July of 2016. Visit http://g.co/TalksAtGoogle/Shinto to watch the video.

On this episode of the So Japanese podcast, we discuss the oldest religion of Japan. We talk about the origin story, the idea of Kami, the main core values of Shintoism and much more.今回のエピソードは、日本古来の宗教、”神道”についてお話しします。神道の起源にまつわる話、神道での神の考え方、神道の主な核となる価値観などについて話します。是非最後までお楽しみ下さい！

AMDG.  We've talked before about the distinction between learning theology as a school subject and learning to be a faithful Catholic in our current world.  We explore this concept in greater nuance on today's episode as Chrissy Almanzar and Nicholas Senz discuss Kolbe's new world religions course, which surveys religions from Hinduism to Shintoism to the Abrahamic faiths and more.  Chrissy and Nick discuss finding elements of truth in these world religions and how that connects to the fullness of truth contained in the Catholic faith.  They also explain how engaging other ideas leads to a more nuanced discussion of our own faith, why fear of studying other religions is misplaced, and the way commonalities across religions point in a certain direction while leveling the playing field. Three Church documents to be used in the World Religions course which parents might find helpful as a preview: Ad gentes - on the mission activity of the Church Nostra aetate - declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions Unitatis redintegratio - decree on ecumenism If you've already enrolled for next year and would like to add the course to your schedule, use this course change form. Links mentioned and relevant: recent presentation by Mrs. Prudlo & Mrs. Hayes on Ukraine Jordan and Chrissy Almanzar on Kolbecast Ep 48 Because It Rings True Find writing by Nick Senz on Aleteia and Catholic World Report, among other publications A sample of the World Religions textbook to be used in the course Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode! While you're there, please leave a quick rating and review to help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org. Interested in Kolbe Academy's offerings? Visit kolbe.org.    

This is the first episode that Ty did not conduct the research for... and we had a blast! For this episode, Bernard put together a great outline on some interesting subject matter, Sumo Wrestling! We cover topics ranging from the origins of Sumo, Shintoism, and even some potential match fixing due to the influence of the Yakuza! Enjoy! 

Our episode today is short, sweet, and silly. Tune in as we cover our first Japanese deity, Ame-no-Uzume, and go over a brief introduction to Shintoism. Jordan gets cultured about The Godfather and we discover just how expensive it might really be to repair a broken fence. Instagram & TikTok: @aowtgpodcast Email: aowtgpodcast@gmail.com Hosted by Joey and Jordan Kindig Music by Jordan Kindig Logo by Ashley Epperson

Komainu refer to the lion statues that are commonly found at the entrances of Japanese or Shinto temples. These statues are often called lion-dogs or sand komainu. They can be found in both the outer and inner portions of Shinto shrines. The first type, born during the Edo period is called sandō komainu and the second and much older type is called jinnai komainu. They can also be found at private homes, Buddhist shrines and places associated with nobility. Modern komainu statues are almost identical, except for the mouths. In most cases, they have the same shape, though exceptions exist. Two forms are called a-gyo and un-gyo.The name Komainu translates to Chinese guardian lions. They are believed to have been inspired by the images of Asiatic lions that were brought to China from India and the Middle East and especially from symbolism associated with Emperor Ashoka of India. The symbol of strength became a prominent feature of the animal after its transportation along the Silk Road.There are many types of komainu, such as those with coins in their mouths or on their paws. In other places, they have bibs around them like statues of Jizo and Nagasaki. Komainu are often in pairs, with one male and one female. In the Heian Period these were called komainu and the hornless ones were called shishi, lions, though nowadays both are referred to as komainu.During the Nara period, which is similar to the rest of Asia, two lions always accompanied each other. These pairs were only used indoors until the 14th century. During the Heian period, the two statues were different, and the former was called "shishi" because it had open mouth, while the latter was referred to as komainu or goguryeo dog. Probably the most common form of komainu that appears nowadays are the stone ones that are guarding the approach-ways of shrines.There are definite differences in the styles of komainu found at major shrines and rural areas, as well as the artists who create these works. There are many styles that refer to regions in Japan, some of which are very distinctive and some of which are beginning to disappear. One particular style that is becoming less popular is the Izumo style where the lions are not sitting but depicted as crouching with their rear end up in the air. The Okazaki style is considered to be the standardised style now and common all over Japan.Similar structures are seen all across Asia especially in China, Kores, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand and India.Read about the Komainu at https://mythlok.com/komainu-the-lion-dog/