Polytheistic religion from Japan
POPULARITY
3 episodes with shintoism
5 episodes with shintoism
5 episodes with shintoism
3 episodes with shintoism
2 episodes with shintoism
2 episodes with shintoism
2 episodes with shintoism
2 episodes with shintoism
2 episodes with shintoism
What if the divisions we see in the world are not actually there?In this episode of About Art, Heidi Zuckerman speaks with artist Mariko Mori as part of a special six-part series presented in collaboration with the Aspen Art Fair.For more than three decades, Mori has created sculptures, installations, and immersive environments that bring together ideas we often consider separately: science and spirituality, technology and nature, the ancient and the future, the visible and the invisible.Mori traces this way of thinking back to her childhood in Japan, her father's work as an inventor and engineer, the death of her father while she was an art student in London, and the questions about life, death, and existence that followed. She discusses Buddhism and Shintoism, prehistoric cultures, contemporary science, meditation, tea ceremony, nature, light, and her belief in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.At the center of the conversation is an idea of oneness. As Mori says, we create divisions between nations and cultures, between people, and between humanity and nature. But when we look at the Earth, those divisions disappear.Together, they consider art's ability to make the invisible perceptible and to offer a different vision of the world—one in which connection, love, wonder, joy, and hope are forces with the potential to change how we see and how we live.“What we see is very little of what is as a whole.” — Mariko Mor
What is up, campers? Gather 'round the campfire because today we're heading deep into the culture, history, contradictions, and hidden rhythms of Japan with Joshua Walker. We kick things off with Shohei Ohtani and the question of whether he's already the GOAT, before diving into the ideas that have shaped Japanese society for centuries—from Miyamoto Musashi and emotional discipline to the differences between rice-based collective cultures and the more individualistic societies of the West. Joshua opens up about his childhood in Japan, what it feels like to be American inside Japanese culture, and why everyday traditions—from sleeping on the floor to removing your shoes in the genkan—reveal something much deeper about sacred space, expectations, and community. We also explore Japan's complicated relationship with immigration, Shintoism, the origins of the kamikaze, Imperial Japan, and how Japanese schools teach the events of World War II. From there, we get into what is lost when Japanese ideas are translated into English, the influence of Donald Trump and Japanese MAGA movements, Japan's unique geography, and the fascinating business relationship between Japan and the United States. And somehow, we finish with the Unitarian Church and a Japanese chocolate called “White Lover.” This is a wide-ranging conversation about samurai philosophy, WWII, modern Japanese culture, and what the West often misunderstands about Japan. Timestamps: 0:00 Is Shohei Ohtani the GOAT? + Japanese Culture7:00 Miyamoto Musashi + Controlling Your Emotions20:03 Childhood in Japan27:49 Grain vs. Rice Society30:29 Collective Culture in Japan39:38 Floor Beds + Sacred Space in the Home42:43 Immigration in Japan48:06 Being American in Japan59:04 Shintoism + Kamikaze Origins1:03:59 Imperial Japan1:08:15 Japanese Schooling on WWII1:18:54 Losing Meaning in Translation1:22:07 Japanese Genkan + Japan's High Expectations1:28:18 Trump's Influence on Japan + Japanese MAGA1:35:29 Japan's Geographical Paradigm1:39:42 Japanese-American Business Relations1:49:04 The Unitarian Church1:54:11 White Lover Chocolate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Growing up in Tokyo, Hiroko Yoda never thought of herself as religious, but after her mother died, she began exploring the spiritual traditions of her homeland.She was inspired by the Shinto idea that there are '8 million spiritual beings', animating everything we encounter.In the different practices of Shintoism, Buddhism, and Shugendo, Hiroko found practical means of emotional support, and also ways of making her everyday life more beautiful.Further informationHiroko Yoda's book is called Eight Million Ways to Happiness This episode explores Japan, spirituality, psychology, Shintoism, Buddhism, Shugendo, family, grief, healing, religion, walking, parents, death, Tokyo, emotional support.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.
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. First Broadcast: 14/4/2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Growing up in Tokyo, Hiroko Yoda never thought of herself as religious, but after her mother died, she began exploring the spiritual traditions of Japan.She was inspired by the Shinto idea that there are '8 million spiritual beings', animating everything we encounter.In the different practices of Shintoism, Buddhism, and Shugendo, Hiroko found practical means of emotional support, and also ways of making her everyday life more beautiful.Further informationHiroko's book is called Eight Million Ways to HappinessShe will be appearing at this year's Sydney Writers' Festival
By Tim Martens - There are many good attributes of the Japanese people as they practice Buddhism and Shintoism - but God has higher standards for us than just being "good." We must get rid of the idols in our lives and truly reach for the higher goals and requirements that God has for His people and all mankind as
Say hello to spicy TK this episode because I have MAD beef with the Japanese Imperial Household Agency and their very dumb rules! But besides attempting to get myself banned from Japan in this episode, we talk about
Today, we take a closer look at Shintoism. We'll explore the origins of Shintoism, the mindset of Shintoism, the shifts in Shintoism, and other fascinating topics… Welcome to Religion Camp!
Tony, Niclas, Johan får mer frågor av Victor som sparat på sig massa frågor från resorna vi gjort tillsammans.
Can people, places, and things point to Jesus-- even non-Christian people, places, and things? Paul tells us that all of nature does that in Romans 1:20. But what about myths and stories and characters from from other cultures? Pastor Chris reflected some on his recent trip to Japan where about 98% of the people are not religious (but love Christmas). Could there be some things in their culture that we could pray that God would use to point them to the Christ of Christmas? Join us as we look at the intriguing and beloved character named Jizo and, along the way, we look at the remarkable story of John the Baptist. The painting associated with this sermon, and the one Pastor Chris referred to, is da Vinci's "St. John the Baptist" (detail) and is viewable in the Epiclesis platform but not in iTunes Podcasts. Pastor Chris's off the cuff memory that it was by Rembrandt was mistaken.
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. First Broadcast: 14/4/2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
César Jung-Harada has a wildly adventurous life: He's a justice-oriented philosopher-inventor traversing the world's oceans to help humanity adapt to climate change. He has built oil-spill robots, shape-shifting boats, floating cities, and hydrogen devices. The inventions range in technology and scale, but the heart and soul remains the same. César uses imagination and inclusion to scaffold all he does, believing that children, students, refugees, artists, and local “non-experts” belong at the design table and have contributions that are just as - if not more - valuable than those more credentialed.Listen to hear César talk about everything from equality and inclusion, to animism and Shintoism, to “returning to the animal” that we are. Mentioned in this episode:Studio Ghibli exhibitCésar Jung Harada: An Ocean City Reimagined exhibitBalon Balon Ijo, Floating Solar HydrogenProtei, Shape-Shifting Sailing Robot“Coralbot” Coral Reef Mapping RobotOyster Hatchery "Floating Marine Laboratory"Ocean Imagineer. Floating solar hydrogen pilot plantRebecca Solnit's Hope in the Dark Paul Feyerabend's Against Method César‘s invitation, from his mother's wisdom: To return to the animal that you are, you need to forget. How much can you forget? Can you let go of your name, material attachments, problems and worries? Humans can experience so much unnecessary suffering, but if you can forget, you get closer to experiencing the simplicity of being an animal among animals. Ideas? Visions? Imaginaries? Email rebekaryvola@gmail.com.This episode was edited by Angela Ohlfest, typographer from Simon Walker, music from Cosmo Sheldrake.
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
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/
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
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
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
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
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