Japan History: Kusunoki Masashige
[:it]Kusunoki Masashige, (1294 - 4 Luglio 1336) nacque a Minato-gawa, provincia di Settsu, e fu un samurai del XIV secolo che combatté per l'imperatore Go-Daigo nella guerra di Genkō.
photo credit: ninja.fandom.com
Gran parte della sua prima educazione avvenne nel tempio di Kanshin-ji a Kawachinagano, nel sud di Osaka, dove più tardi avrebbe organizzato notevoli restauri.
La leggenda narra che l'imperatore Go-Daigo fece un sogno in cui si stava rifugiando sotto un albero di canfora ( il “kusunoki ). Questo sogno lo portò al cognome del guerriero che lo avrebbe sostenuto. Infatti, nel 1331 Kusunoki si unì all'imperatore Go-Daigo in una rivolta per strappare il potere del governo dallo shogunato, la dittatura militare che aveva dominato il Giappone dal 1192. Sebbene le truppe shogunate numericamente più forti catturarono l'imperatore, Kusunoki fuggì continuando ad usare tattiche di guerriglia.
La cattura di Kusunoki vicino a Nara nel 1332 si rivelò una grave minaccia per il governo. Lo shogun concentrò quindi tutte le sue forze contro Kusunoki. In una delle battaglie più famose della storia giapponese, Kusunoki difese con successo la fortezza di Chihaya contro le forze shogunali superiori.
photo credit: davtov2000.blogspot.com
Dal 1333 al 1335
Nel 1333, Go-Daigo ricompensò Masashige con il governatorato della provincia di Settsu e della provincia di Kawachi e la promozione al quinto grado. Successivamente, ricevette la nomina nel Records Office and Settlement Board. Tuttavia, uno dei generali lealisti, Ashikaga Takauji, tradì Go-Daigo e guidò un esercito contro Kusunoki. Takauji si impossessò di Kyoto, ma solo temporaneamente prima che Nitta Yoshisada e Masashige costrinsero Takauji a fuggire. Nel 1336 Takauji era di nuovo una minaccia per Kyoto.
Durante il breve periodo successivo del dominio imperiale, Kusunoki fu governatore delle province giapponesi centrali di Settsu. Il vero potere nelle campagne, tuttavia, continuò a essere detenuto dai grandi signori ereditari, Ashikaga Takauji e Nitta Yoshisada. Questi ultimi si sfidarono apertamente per ottenere la lealtà dei capi minori feudali.
Kusunoki suggerì all'Imperatore di rifugiarsi sul sacro Monte Hiei e permettere a Takauji di prendere Kyoto. Questo per permettergli di scendere dalla montagna e, con l'aiuto dei monaci del Monte Hiei, intrappolare Takauji.
Go-Daigo non era disposto a lasciare la capitale e insistette sul fatto che Kusunoki incontrasse le forze di Takauji sul campo. Kusunoki, in quello che sarebbe poi stato visto come l'ultimo atto di lealtà dei samurai, accettò obbedientemente. La battaglia, che ebbe luogo a Minatogawa, nell'odierna Chūō-ku, Kobe, fu un disastro tattico. Ci sono due resoconti della proposta fatta da Kusunoki Masashige all'imperatore Go-Daigo, il Taiheiki e il Baisho Ron, entrabe ingorati. Uno era che si sarebbero raggruppati e avrebbero attaccato da due parti, l'altro era che riportare il generale Takauji dalla loro parte.
L’esercito di Kusunoki era solo 50 dei 700 cavalieri. Secondo la leggenda, le ultime parole di suo fratello Masasue furono Shichisei Hōkoku! ("Vorrei avere sette vite da dare al mio imperatore!”). Ovviamente Kusunoki Masashige fu d'accordo.
Alla sua morte, la sua testa fu inviata a Kanshin-ji e sepolta in una tomba nota come Kubi-zuka.
Il castello di Eboshigata e il castello di Ishibotoke furono entrambi costruiti lungo il percorso del Koya Kaido, una famosa via di pellegrinaggio che si estende tra Kyoto e Koyasan. Progettati non solo per proteggere la pista dai banditi, questi erano anche un'importante fonte di reddito visto che i viaggiatori erano obbligati a pagare un pedaggio.
Dal 1335 alla restaurazione Meiji
Nel 1335 Go-Daigo si schierò con Nitta Yoshisada contro Ashikaga Takauji. Come capo delle forze imperiali, Kusunoki sconfisse le truppe di Takauji nel gennaio 1336 e lo costrinse a fuggire dalla capitale. Pochi mesi dopo, tuttavia, Takauji tornò alla testa di un grande esercito. Kusunoki suggerì di ritirarsi temporaneamente in modo da poter combattere le forze di Takauji in un punto in cui il terreno era più favorevole. L'imperatore insistette sul fatto che Kusunoki incontrasse le forze nemiche prima di occupare la capitale. Nella battaglia finale sul fiume Minato, vicino al moderno Kōbe, Kusunoki combatté coraggiosamente per molte ore. Le sue truppe furono infine sopraffatte e si suicidò piuttosto che affrontare la cattura.
Suo figlio, Kusunoki Masatsura, servì il successore dell'imperatore, il dodicenne Go-Murakami, in una relazione di reciproca fiducia che rispecchiava la figura di suo padre Kusunoki e manteneva viva la fiamma della resistenza lealista.
Dopo il restauro imperiale del 1868, uno splendido santuario fu eretto sul luogo della morte di Kusunoki. La sua lealtà verso l’imperatore ed il suo essere uno dei più grandi strateghi militari della storia giapponese, lo hanno reso una figura leggendaria. Ha anche ricevuto la più alta decorazione dal governo giapponese Meiji nel 1880
photo credit: wikipedia.org
Leggenda
Dopo l'introduzione del Neoconfucianesimo come filosofia statale da parte dello shogunato Tokugawa, Kusunoki Masashige fu dichiarato con l'imperatore Go-Daigo precursore degli assolutisti sinocentrici. Durante il periodo Edo, studiosi e samurai che furono influenzati dalle teorie neoconfuciane crearono la leggenda di Kusunoki. Lo consacrarono eroe patriottico, col nome di Nankō o Dai-Nankō, incarnazione di lealtà, coraggio e devozione all'Imperatore. Kusunoki divenne in seguito una sorta di santo patrono dei kamikaze della Seconda Guerra Mondiale. I suoi eredi spirituali erano quelli che sacrificavano la propria vita per l'imperatore.[:en]Kusunoki Masashige, (1294 - 4 July 1336) was born in Minato-gawa, province of Settsu, and was a 14th century samurai who fought for the Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō war.
photo credit: ninja.fandom.com
Much of his early education took place in the Kanshin-ji temple in Kawachinagano, in the south of Osaka, where he later organized major restoration work.
Legend has it that the emperor Go-Daigo had a dream in which he was taking refuge under a camphor tree (the "kusunoki"). This dream brought him to the surname of the warrior who would support him. Indeed, in 1331 Kusunoki joined the emperor Go-Daigo in a revolt to wrest government power from the shogunate, the military dictatorship that had dominated Japan since 1192. Although numerically stronger shogunate troops captured the emperor, Kusunoki fled continuing to use guerrilla tactics.
The capture of Kusunoki near Nara in 1332 proved to be a serious threat to the government. The shogun then concentrated all his forces against Kusunoki. In one of the most famous battles in Japanese history, Kusunoki successfully defended the fortress of Chihaya against the upper shogunal forces.
photo credit: davtov2000.blogspot.com
From 1333 to 1335
In 1333, Go-Daigo rewarded Masashige with the governorate of the province of Settsu and the province of Kawachi and promoted him to the fifth degree. Subsequently, he received the appointment on the Records Office and Settlement Board. However, one of the loyalist generals, Ashikaga Takauji, betrayed Go-Daigo and led an army against Kusunoki. Takauji took possession of Kyoto, but only temporarily before Nitta Yoshisada and Masashige forced Takauji to flee. In 1336 Takauji was again a threat to Kyoto.
During the short period following the imperial rule, Kusunoki was governor of the central Japanese provinces of Settsu. The real power in the countryside, however, continued to be held by the great hereditary lords, Ashikaga Takauji and Nitta Yoshisada. The latter openly challenged themselves to obtain the loyalty of minor feudal leaders.
Kusunoki suggested to the Emperor to take refuge on the sacred Mount Hiei and allow Takauji to take Kyoto. This is to allow him to descend from the mountain and, with the help of the monks of Mount Hiei, trap Takauji.
Go-Daigo was not willing to leave the capital and insisted that Kusunoki meet Takauji's forces on the field. Kusunoki, in what would later be seen as the last act of samurai loyalty, accepted obediently. The battle, which took place in Minatogawa, in present-day Chūō-ku, Kobe, was a tactical disaster. There are two reports of the proposal made by Kusunoki Masashige to the emperor Go-Daigo, the Taiheiki and the Baisho Ron, entbe ingorati. One was that they would group together and attack from two sides, the other was that they would take General Takauji back on their side.
Kusunoki's army was only 50 of the 700 knights. According to legend, the last words of his brother Masasue were Shichisei Hōkoku! ("I wish I had seven lives to give to my emperor!") Obviously Kusunoki Masashige agreed.
At his death, his head was sent to Kanshin-ji and buried in a tomb known as Kubi-zuka.
Eboshigata Castle and Ishibotoke Castle were both built along the route of the Koya Kaido, a famous pilgrimage route that stretches between Kyoto and Koyasan. Designed not only to protect the path from bandits, these were also an important source of income as travelers were forced to pay a toll.
From 1335 to the Meiji restoration
In 1335 Go-Daigo sided with Nitta Yoshisada against Ashikaga Takauji. As head of the imperial forces, Kusunoki defeated Takauji's troops in January 1336 and forced him to flee the capital. A few months later, however, Takauji returned to the head of a large army. Kusunoki suggested temporarily withdrawing so he could fight Takauji's forces at a point where the terrain was more favorable. The emperor insisted that Kusunoki meet enemy forces before occupying the capital. In the final battle on the Minato River, near the modern Kobe, Kusunoki fought bravely for many hours. His troops were finally overwhelmed and committed suicide rather than face capture.
His son, Kusunoki Masatsura, served as the emperor's successor, 12-year-old Go-Murakami, in a relationship of mutual trust that reflected the figure of his father Kusunoki and kept the flame of loyal resistance alive.
After the imperial restoration in 1868, a splendid sanctuary was erected on the site of Kusunoki's death. His loyalty to the emperor and his being one of the greatest military strategists in Japanese history, made him a legendary figure. He also received the highest decoration from the Japanese Meiji government in 1880.
photo credit: wikipedia.org
Legend
After the introduction of Neoconfucianism as a state philosophy by the Tokugawa shogunate, Kusunoki Masashige was declared with the emperor Go-Daigo forerunner of the synocentric absolutists. During the Edo period, scholars and samurai who were influenced by neoconfucian theories created the legend of Kusunoki. They consecrated him patriotic hero, with the name of Nankō or Dai-Nankō, incarnation of loyalty, courage and devotion to the Emperor. Kusunoki later became a sort of patron saint of the WWII suicide bombers. His spiritual heirs were those who sacrificed their lives for the emperor.[:ja]Kusunoki Masashige, (1294 - 4 July 1336) was born in Minato-gawa, province of Settsu, and was a 14th century samurai who fought for the Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō war.
photo credit: ninja.fandom.com
Much of his early education took place in the Kanshin-ji temple in Kawachinagano, in the south of Osaka, where he later organized major restoration work.
Legend has it that the emperor Go-Daigo had a dream in which he was taking refuge under a camphor tree (the "kusunoki"). This dream brought him to the surname of the warrior who would support him. Indeed, in 1331 Kusunoki joined the emperor Go-Daigo in a revolt to wrest government power from the shogunate, the military dictatorship that had dominated Japan since 1192. Although numerically stronger shogunate troops captured the emperor, Kusunoki fled continuing to use guerrilla tactics.
The capture of Kusunoki near Nara in 1332 proved to be a serious threat to the government. The shogun then concentrated all his forces against Kusunoki. In one of the most famous battles in Japanese history, Kusunoki successfully defended the fortress of Chihaya against the upper shogunal forces.
photo credit: davtov2000.blogspot.com
From 1333 to 1335
In 1333, Go-Daigo rewarded Masashige with the governorate of the province of Settsu and the province of Kawachi and promoted him to the fifth degree. Subsequently, he received the appointment on the Records Office and Settlement Board. However, one of the loyalist generals, Ashikaga Takauji, betrayed Go-Daigo and led an army against Kusunoki. Takauji took possession of Kyoto, but only temporarily before Nitta Yoshisada and Masashige forced Takauji to flee. In 1336 Takauji was again a threat to Kyoto.
During the short period following the imperial rule, Kusunoki was governor of the central Japanese provinces of Settsu. The real power in the countryside, however, continued to be held by the great hereditary lords, Ashikaga Takauji and Nitta Yoshisada. The latter openly challenged themselves to obtain the loyalty of minor feudal leaders.
Kusunoki suggested to the Emperor to take refuge on the sacred Mount Hiei and allow Takauji to take Kyoto. This is to allow him to descend from the mountain and, with the help of the monks of Mount Hiei, trap Takauji.
Go-Daigo was not willing to leave the capital and insisted that Kusunoki meet Takauji's forces on the field. Kusunoki, in what would later be seen as the last act of samurai loyalty, accepted obediently. The battle, which took place in Minatogawa, in present-day Chūō-ku, Kobe, was a tactical disaster. There are two reports of the proposal made by Kusunoki Masashige to the emperor Go-Daigo, the Taiheiki and the Baisho Ron, entbe ingorati. One was that they would group together and attack from two sides, the other was that they would take General Takauji back on their side.
Kusunoki's army was only 50 of the 700 knights. According to legend, the last words of his brother Masasue were Shichisei Hōkoku! ("I wish I had seven lives to give to my emperor!") Obviously Kusunoki Masashige agreed.
At his death, his head was sent to Kanshin-ji and buried in a tomb known as Kubi-zuka.
Eboshigata Castle and Ishibotoke Castle were both built along the route of the Koya Kaido, a famous pilgrimage route that stretches between Kyoto and Koyasan. Designed not only to protect the path from bandits, these were also an important source of income as travelers were forced to pay a toll.
From 1335 to the Meiji restoration
In 1335 Go-Daigo sided with Nitta Yoshisada against Ashikaga Takauji. As head of the imperial forces, Kusunoki defeated Takauji's troops in January 1336 and forced him to flee the capital. A few months later, however, Takauji returned to the head of a large army. Kusunoki suggested temporarily withdrawing so he could fight Takauji's forces at a point where the terrain was more favorable. The emperor insisted that Kusunoki meet enemy forces before occupying the capital. In the final battle on the Minato River, near the modern Kobe, Kusunoki fought bravely for many hours. His troops were finally overwhelmed and committed suicide rather than face capture.
His son, Kusunoki Masatsura, served as the emperor's successor, 12-year-old Go-Murakami, in a relationship of mutual trust that reflected the figure of his father Kusunoki and kept the flame of loyal resistance alive.
After the imperial restoration in 1868, a splendid sanctuary was erected on the site of Kusunoki's death. His loyalty to the emperor and his being one of the greatest military strategists in Japanese history, made him a legendary figure. He also received the highest decoration from the Japanese Meiji government in 1880.
photo credit: wikipedia.org
Legend
After the introduction of Neoconfucianism as a state philosophy by the Tokugawa shogunate, Kusunoki Masashige was declared with the emperor Go-Daigo forerunner of the synocentric absolutists. During the Edo period, scholars and samurai who were influenced by neoconfucian theories created the legend of Kusunoki. They consecrated him patriotic hero, with the name of Nankō or Dai-Nankō, incarnation of loyalty, courage and devotion to the Emperor. Kusunoki later became a sort of patron saint of the WWII suicide bombers. His spiritual heirs were those who sacrificed their lives for the emperor.[:]
[:it]Hiroshima e Nagasaki, per non dimenticare[:en]Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not to forget[:ja]Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not to forget[:]
[:it]Hiroshima e Nagasaki, due città simbolo del Giappone che ci ricordano del più grande errore che l'umanità abbia fatto.
La triste eredità di Hiroshima e Nagasaki
Situata a ovest di Honshū e rivolta verso il mare, sorge Hiroshima (広島市) la città portuale più grande del Chugoku.
photo credits: viaggi-lowcost.info
Hiroshima
Fondata dal daimyō Mōri Terumoto nel 1589, Hiroshima passò in mano a varie amministrazioni. Nel 1938 diventò una sede bellica di importanza strategica e militare per tutta la seconda guerra mondiale. Nessun bombardamento si abbattè sulla città, fino a quel tragico 6 agosto 1945, alle 08:16:08. "Little Boy", la prima bomba atomica mai usata in un conflitto, fu lanciata dagli Stati uniti sulla città causando migliaia di vittime all'istante. Tuttavia, queste aumentarono nei mesi successivi a cause del fallout radioattivo. Nonostante la radioattività, la città venne ricostruita nel 1949 riacquistando la propria importanza industriale.
I danni causati dalla bomba atomica perdurarono negli anni successivi e nel 1955 fu istituito il centro medico Hijiyama, dove accogliere, studiare e curare i malati. Nei primi anni 70 nacque la "Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission" per il controllo del terreno e dell'aria.
photo credits: focus.it
Nonostante la città fu rasa al suolo in quel tragico giorno, un solo edificio resistette portando per sempre con sé i tristi segni di ciò che avvenne. Stiamo parlando del Genbaku Dome (原爆ドーム, la cupola della bomba atomica). Tuttavia, prima della guerra Il palazzo era la sede dell’antica camera di commercio, oggi è classificato patrimonio mondiale dall’Unesco come testimonianza delle devastazioni delle armi nucleari.
photo credits: agrpress.it
Visitare Hiroshima
Ciò che la storia ci ha lasciato deve essere un monito per il futuro e sia Hiroshima che Nagasaki ne sono un esempio vivente. A questo proposito, se avete intenzione di visitare Hiroshima, una delle tappe fondamentali è il Parco della Pace. Esso comprende il Museo della Pace e il Cenotafio del memoriale per le vittime della bomba atomica. Quest’ultimo, costruito dall’architetto Kenzo Tange, elenca le vittime della bomba il cui epitaffio recita: "Possano le anime qui riposare in pace, perché l’inferno non sia ripetuto". Non possiamo poi dimenticare la Cupola della bomba.
Per qualunque informazione riguardante l’Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum potete visitare il sito web ufficiale in inglese.
photo credits: visithiroshima.net
In città possiamo trovare altri interessanti musei, come l’Hiroshima Museum of Art. Qui il museo espone una vastissima collezione di arte moderna europea, dal romanticismo all’impressionismo. Inoltre, l’Hiroshima MOCA (museum of contemporary art) espone le opere di artisti giapponesi e stranieri posteriori alla Seconda Guerra Mondiale.
photo credits: maitreyoda
Il giardino Shukkei-en ed Castello di Hiroshima
Il giardino Shukkei-en fu costruito nel 1620 durante da Shigeyasu Ueda su ordine di Asano Nagaakira, daimyo del Hiroshima han (feudo). Utilizzato come residenza della famiglia Asano nel 1940, e dato poi alla prefettura di Hiroshima. Situato vicinissimo al punto zero dell’attacco nucleare, lo Shukkei-en subì ingenti danni e successivamente diventò un rifugio per le vittime della guerra. Dopo i lavori di ristrutturazione, riaprì al pubblico nel 1951.
photo credits: thetruejapan.com
Strettamente collegato a questo meraviglioso giardino è il Castello. 広島城 Hiroshima-jō, chiamato anche 鯉城 Rijō letteralmente Castello-Carpa. Infatti, l’esterno completamente dipinto di nero, rimanderebbe all’immagine di una carpa nera. Costruito nel 1590, e divenne la dimora del signore del feudo, Mori Terumoto. Distrutto dal bombardamento atomico, fu ricostruito fedelmente nel 1958.
Attualmente è la sede del museo sulla storia e la cultura di Hiroshima circondato da un parco pubblico. Dalla cima del castello, si può godere di una splendida vista sul porto di Hiroshima e l’isola di Miyajima.
photo credits: fr.japantravel.com
Per scoprire tutte le attrazioni e i meravigliosi templi che sorgono ad Hiroshima, potete visitare il sito ufficiale della città (in inglese).
Nagasaki
Come Hiroshima, anche Nagasaki (長崎市) oggi è un importante centro portuale e di scambi commerciali internazionali.
photo credits: getyourguide.it
Questa cittadina moderna con una florida economia marittima si sviluppò nell XI secolo, espandendosi rapidamente. Nel 1568 il daimyō Ōmura Sumitada, convertitosi al cristianesimo, rese Nagasaki un porto internazionale, aprendola così all'influenza europa. Quando però salì al potere il capo dell’esercito Toyotomi Hideyoshi, la città si trasformò in un incubo per i cristiani. Infatti, il 5 febbraio 1597, 26 persone che professavano la religione cristiana vennero crocifisse. Il cristianesimo fu bandito e si diffusero i kakure kirishitan (隠れキリシタン), i cristiani che professavano la propria fede in gran segreto e clandestinità. Fu solo con la Restaurazione Meiji a metà dell’800 che la libertà di religione fece di Nagasaki il centro del cattolicesimo giapponese. Nagasaki divenne ancora più forte sotto il punto di vista industriale.
Tuttavia, questo segnò anche la condanna di Nagasaki. Il 9 agosto 1945, a tre giorni dal bombardamento di Hiroshima, l’ormai famosa “Operazione Manhattan" da parte degli USA fu attuata. “Fat Man”, la seconda bomba atomica, cadde sulla città.
Trattandosi prettamente di una zona industriale ed essendo la bomba meno potente di quella di Hiroshima, le vittime dell'attacco furono sensibilmente inferiori. Nel 1949 Nagasaki venne rapidamente ricostruita e recuperò tutto il suo prestigio economico.
photo credits: bbc.com
Le ferite di Nagasaki
Simbolo della storia del Cristianesimo in Giappone è il Twenty Six Martyrs Museum che pepertua la memoria dei 26 martiri uccisi nel 1597.
photo credits: tropki.com, tripadvisor.it
Naturalmente, come ad Hiroshima anche il Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum è una tappa fondamentale di questo viaggio. Un memoriale che mostra la città prima e dopo il bombardamento con l’intento di spingere le persone a riflettere su ciò che significa veramente pace e denuclearizzazione. Inoltre esattamente nel luogo dove scoppiò la bomba, sorge il Parco della Pace.
photo credits: welcomekyushu.com, wantabi.info
A 20 km dal porto, si trova Gunkanjima (Isola Hashima, l’isola corazzata), la piccola isola più popolata al mondo, o almeno così era fino agli anni 70. Affinchè potesse accogliere più popolazione possibile, l’isola assunse l’aspetto di una massiccia corazzata. Successivamente, è stata completamente abbandonata diventando un esempio di archeologia industriale che attira gli appassionati di rovine!
photo credits: japan-guide.com
Visitare Nagasaki
Se siete amanti delle viste mozzafiato delle città, imperdibile è la vetta del monte Inasa (稲佐山, Inasayama) che con i suoi 333 metri sorge vicino al centro di Nagasaki. Oltra all’auto e il bus, è possibile utilizzare la funivia per apprezzare appieno le bellezze della natura circostante!
photo credits: travel.gaijinpot.com
Naturalmente il Giappone ci ha abituati a splendidi angoli di paradiso come i giardini. Infatti, a Nagasaki troviamo il Glover Garden. Situato sulla collina dove i mercanti occidentali si stabilirono dal 1850, è un vero e proprio museo dove è possibile visitare i palazzi dell’epoca.
photo credits: japanmeetings.org
Tra i numerosi templi, spicca qualcosa che non è facile trovare in Giappone. Stiamo parlando della basilica dei Ventisei Santi Martiri del Giappone (日本二十六聖殉教者堂) o Chiesa di Ōura (大浦天主堂 Ōura Tenshudō). Si tratta di una chiesa cattolica, risalente al periodo Edo. Per molti anni è stata l'unico edificio in stile occidentale iscritto nel Tesoro nazionale del Giappone ed è considerata la più antica chiesa del Giappone.
photo credits: yitubao.com
Dietro la triste storia che accomuna queste due città, c’è la grande forza di un popolo che ha sempre saputo rialzarsi. Hiroshima e Nagasaki sono testimonianze storiche che abbiamo voluto ricordarvi e che troppo spesso vengono considerate come realtà lontane, ma che invece devono fare profondamente riflettere, per non dimenticare ciò che è successo.[:en]Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two symbolic cities of Japan that remind us of the greatest mistake humanity has ever made.
The sad legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Located west of Honshū and facing the sea, Hiroshima (広島市) is the largest port city in Chugoku.
photo credits: viaggi-lowcost.info
Hiroshima
Founded by the daimyo Mōri Terumoto in 1589, Hiroshima passed into the hands of various administrations. In 1938 it became a military centre of strategic and military importance throughout the Second World War. No bombing struck the city until that tragic August 6, 1945, at 08:16:08. "Little Boy", the first atomic bomb ever used in a conflict, was launched by the United States over the city causing thousands of victims instantly. However, these increased in the months following the causes of radioactive fallout. Despite the radioactivity, the city was rebuilt in 1949 regaining its industrial importance.
The damage caused by the atomic bomb persisted in the following years and in 1955 the Hijiyama medical centre was established, where to welcome, study and treat the sick. In the early 70's the "Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission" was born to control the land and the air.
photo credits: focus.it
Although the city was razed to the ground on that tragic day, only one building resisted bringing with it the sad signs of what happened. We are talking about the Genbaku Dome (原爆ドーム, the dome of the atomic bomb). However, before the war, the palace was the seat of the ancient chamber of commerce, today it is classified world heritage by UNESCO as a testimony to the devastation of nuclear weapons.
photo credits: agrpress.it
Visit Hiroshima
What history has left us must be a warning to the future and both Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a living example. In this regard, if you plan to visit Hiroshima, one of the milestones is the Peace Park. It includes the Peace Museum and the Cenotaph of the memorial for the victims of the atomic bomb. The latter, built by the architect Kenzo Tange, lists the victims of the bomb whose epitaph reads: "May souls rest here in peace so that hell is not repeated". We cannot then forget the dome of the bomb.
For any information regarding the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum you can visit the official website in English.
photo credits: visithiroshima.net
In the city, we can find other interesting museums, such as the Hiroshima Museum of Art. Here the museum displays a vast collection of modern European art, from romanticism to impressionism. Moreover, the Hiroshima MOCA (museum of contemporary art) exhibits the works of Japanese and foreign artists after the Second World War.
photo credits: maitreyoda
The Shukkei-en garden and Hiroshima Castle
The Shukkei-en garden was built in 1620 during Shigeyasu Ueda on the orders of Asano Nagaakira, daimyo of Hiroshima han (fief). Used as a residence of the Asano family in 1940, and then given to the prefecture of Hiroshima. Located very close to the zero point of the nuclear attack, the Shukkei-en suffered extensive damage and later became a refuge for war victims. After renovations, it reopened to the public in 1951.
photo credits: thetruejapan.com
A Castle is closely connected to this wonderful garden, it's the (広島城) Hiroshima-jō also called (鯉城) Rijō literally Carp-Castle. In fact, the exterior, completely painted in black, would refer to the image of a black carp. Built in 1590, it became the residence of the lord of the feud, Mori Terumoto. Destroyed by atomic bombing, it was faithfully rebuilt in 1958.
It is currently the home of the Hiroshima history and culture museum surrounded by a public park. From the top of the castle, you can enjoy a splendid view of the port of Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima.
photo credits: fr.japantravel.com
To discover all the attractions and wonderful temples that rise in Hiroshima, you can visit the official site of the city (in English).
Nagasaki
Like Hiroshima, Nagasaki (長崎市) is today an important international trading and port centre.
photo credits: getyourguide.it
This modern town with a thriving maritime economy developed in the 11th century, expanding rapidly. In 1568 the daimyo Ōmura Sumitada converted to Christianity and made Nagasaki an international port, thus opening it to the influence of Europe. However, when the army chief Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to power, the city turned into a nightmare for Christians. In fact, on February 5, 1597, 26 people who professed the Christian religion were crucified. Christianity was banned and the kakure kirishitan (隠れキリシタン), Christians who professed their faith in great secrecy and clandestinity, spread. It was only with the Meiji Restoration in the mid-800s that religious freedom made Nagasaki the centre of Japanese Catholicism. The city became even stronger from the industrial point of view.
However, this also marked the condemnation of Nagasaki. On 9 August 1945, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, the now-famous "Operation Manhattan" by the USA was implemented. "Fat Man", the second atomic bomb, fell on the city.
Being purely an industrial zone and being the bomb less powerful than that of Hiroshima, the victims of the attack were significantly lower. In 1949 Nagasaki was quickly rebuilt and all its economic prestige recovered.
photo credits: bbc.com
Nagasaki's wounds
The symbol of the history of Christianity in Japan is the Twenty Six Martyrs Museum which commemorates the 26 martyrs killed in 1597.
photo credits: tropki.com, tripadvisor.it
Of course, as in Hiroshima, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum is also a milestone in this journey. A memorial showing the city before and after the bombardment with the aim of pushing people to reflect on what truly means peace and denuclearization. Moreover, exactly in the place where the bomb broke out, stands the Peace Park.
photo credits: welcomekyushu.com, wantabi.info
At 20 km from the port, there is Gunkanjima (Hashima Island, the armoured island), the smallest most populated island in the world, or so it was until the 70s. In order to accommodate as many people as possible, the island took on the appearance of a massive battleship. Later, it was completely abandoned, becoming an example of industrial archaeology that attracts ruins enthusiasts!
photo credits: japan-guide.com
Visit Nagasaki
If you are a fan of breathtaking city views, a must is the summit of Mount Inasa (稲佐山, Inasayama) which, with its 333 meters, is located near the centre of Nagasaki. Besides the car and the bus, you can use the cable car to fully appreciate the beauty of the surrounding nature!
photo credits: travel.gaijinpot.com
Naturally, Japan has accustomed us to splendid corners of paradise-like gardens. In fact, in Nagasaki we find the Glover Garden. Located on the hill where Western merchants settled since 1850, it is a real museum where you can visit the buildings of the time.
photo credits: japanmeetings.org
Among the many temples, there is something that is not easy to find in Japan. We are talking about the Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan (日本二十六聖殉教者堂) or Ōura Church (大浦天主堂 Ōura Tenshudō). It is a Catholic church dating back to the Edo period. For many years it was the only Western-style building inscribed in Japan's National Treasury and is considered the oldest church in Japan.
photo credits: yitubao.com
Behind the sad story that unites these two cities, there is the great strength of a Nation that has always known how to rise back up. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are historical testimonies that we wanted to remind you of and that too often are considered as distant realities, but which instead must make us reflect deeply, not to forget what happened.[:ja]Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two symbolic cities of Japan that remind us of the greatest mistake humanity has ever made.
The sad legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Located west of Honshū and facing the sea, Hiroshima (広島市) is the largest port city in Chugoku.
photo credits: viaggi-lowcost.info
Hiroshima
Founded by the daimyo Mōri Terumoto in 1589, Hiroshima passed into the hands of various administrations. In 1938 it became a military centre of strategic and military importance throughout the Second World War. No bombing struck the city until that tragic August 6, 1945, at 08:16:08. "Little Boy", the first atomic bomb ever used in a conflict, was launched by the United States over the city causing thousands of victims instantly. However, these increased in the months following the causes of radioactive fallout. Despite the radioactivity, the city was rebuilt in 1949 regaining its industrial importance.
The damage caused by the atomic bomb persisted in the following years and in 1955 the Hijiyama medical centre was established, where to welcome, study and treat the sick. In the early 70's the "Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission" was born to control the land and the air.
photo credits: focus.it
Although the city was razed to the ground on that tragic day, only one building resisted bringing with it the sad signs of what happened. We are talking about the Genbaku Dome (原爆ドーム, the dome of the atomic bomb). However, before the war, the palace was the seat of the ancient chamber of commerce, today it is classified world heritage by UNESCO as a testimony to the devastation of nuclear weapons.
photo credits: agrpress.it
Visit Hiroshima
What history has left us must be a warning to the future and both Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a living example. In this regard, if you plan to visit Hiroshima, one of the milestones is the Peace Park. It includes the Peace Museum and the Cenotaph of the memorial for the victims of the atomic bomb. The latter, built by the architect Kenzo Tange, lists the victims of the bomb whose epitaph reads: "May souls rest here in peace so that hell is not repeated". We cannot then forget the dome of the bomb.
For any information regarding the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum you can visit the official website in English.
photo credits: visithiroshima.net
In the city, we can find other interesting museums, such as the Hiroshima Museum of Art. Here the museum displays a vast collection of modern European art, from romanticism to impressionism. Moreover, the Hiroshima MOCA (museum of contemporary art) exhibits the works of Japanese and foreign artists after the Second World War.
photo credits: maitreyoda
The Shukkei-en garden and Hiroshima Castle
The Shukkei-en garden was built in 1620 during Shigeyasu Ueda on the orders of Asano Nagaakira, daimyo of Hiroshima han (fief). Used as a residence of the Asano family in 1940, and then given to the prefecture of Hiroshima. Located very close to the zero point of the nuclear attack, the Shukkei-en suffered extensive damage and later became a refuge for war victims. After renovations, it reopened to the public in 1951.
photo credits: thetruejapan.com
A Castle is closely connected to this wonderful garden, it's the (広島城) Hiroshima-jō also called (鯉城) Rijō literally Carp-Castle. In fact, the exterior, completely painted in black, would refer to the image of a black carp. Built in 1590, it became the residence of the lord of the feud, Mori Terumoto. Destroyed by atomic bombing, it was faithfully rebuilt in 1958.
It is currently the home of the Hiroshima history and culture museum surrounded by a public park. From the top of the castle, you can enjoy a splendid view of the port of Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima.
photo credits: fr.japantravel.com
To discover all the attractions and wonderful temples that rise in Hiroshima, you can visit the official site of the city (in English).
Nagasaki
Like Hiroshima, Nagasaki (長崎市) is today an important international trading and port centre.
photo credits: getyourguide.it
This modern town with a thriving maritime economy developed in the 11th century, expanding rapidly. In 1568 the daimyo Ōmura Sumitada converted to Christianity and made Nagasaki an international port, thus opening it to the influence of Europe. However, when the army chief Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to power, the city turned into a nightmare for Christians. In fact, on February 5, 1597, 26 people who professed the Christian religion were crucified. Christianity was banned and the kakure kirishitan (隠れキリシタン), Christians who professed their faith in great secrecy and clandestinity, spread. It was only with the Meiji Restoration in the mid-800s that religious freedom made Nagasaki the centre of Japanese Catholicism. The city became even stronger from the industrial point of view.
However, this also marked the condemnation of Nagasaki. On 9 August 1945, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, the now-famous "Operation Manhattan" by the USA was implemented. "Fat Man", the second atomic bomb, fell on the city.
Being purely an industrial zone and being the bomb less powerful than that of Hiroshima, the victims of the attack were significantly lower. In 1949 Nagasaki was quickly rebuilt and all its economic prestige recovered.
photo credits: bbc.com
Nagasaki's wounds
The symbol of the history of Christianity in Japan is the Twenty Six Martyrs Museum which commemorates the 26 martyrs killed in 1597.
photo credits: tropki.com, tripadvisor.it
Of course, as in Hiroshima, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum is also a milestone in this journey. A memorial showing the city before and after the bombardment with the aim of pushing people to reflect on what truly means peace and denuclearization. Moreover, exactly in the place where the bomb broke out, stands the Peace Park.
photo credits: welcomekyushu.com, wantabi.info
At 20 km from the port, there is Gunkanjima (Hashima Island, the armoured island), the smallest most populated island in the world, or so it was until the 70s. In order to accommodate as many people as possible, the island took on the appearance of a massive battleship. Later, it was completely abandoned, becoming an example of industrial archaeology that attracts ruins enthusiasts!
photo credits: japan-guide.com
Visit Nagasaki
If you are a fan of breathtaking city views, a must is the summit of Mount Inasa (稲佐山, Inasayama) which, with its 333 meters, is located near the centre of Nagasaki. Besides the car and the bus, you can use the cable car to fully appreciate the beauty of the surrounding nature!
photo credits: travel.gaijinpot.com
Naturally, Japan has accustomed us to splendid corners of paradise-like gardens. In fact, in Nagasaki we find the Glover Garden. Located on the hill where Western merchants settled since 1850, it is a real museum where you can visit the buildings of the time.
photo credits: japanmeetings.org
Among the many temples, there is something that is not easy to find in Japan. We are talking about the Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan (日本二十六聖殉教者堂) or Ōura Church (大浦天主堂 Ōura Tenshudō). It is a Catholic church dating back to the Edo period. For many years it was the only Western-style building inscribed in Japan's National Treasury and is considered the oldest church in Japan.
photo credits: yitubao.com
Behind the sad story that unites these two cities, there is the great strength of a Nation that has always known how to rise back up. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are historical testimonies that we wanted to remind you of and that too often are considered as distant realities, but which instead must make us reflect deeply, not to forget what happened.[:]
Japan History: Takeda Shingen
[:it]Takeda Shingen (Takeda Harunobu 1 ° dicembre 1521 - 13 maggio 1573), primogenito del signore della guerra Takeda Nobutora, nacque nel potente clan Takeda. Egli era Shugo Daimyo (governatori militari) dell’allora provincia di Kai, attuale prefettura di Yamanashi.
Takeda Shingen ebbe un ruolo molto importante nella battaglia di Un no Kuchi nel 1536, a soli 15 anni. Quando suo padre designò il suo secondo figlio come erede, Shingen condusse un colpo di stato senza spargimento di sangue. Questo costrinse il padre a ritirarsi come capo del clan. Successivamente, Shingen iniziò ad espandere i domini della sua famiglia verso nord nella provincia di Shinano (attuale prefettura di Nagano) e in terre adiacenti a Kai.
Come capo indiscusso del clan Takeda, iniziò la sua politica espansionistica partendo dalla Battaglia di Sezawa. Proseguì poi con gli assedi di Uehara, Kuwabara e Fukuyo, le battaglie di Ankokuji, Odaihara, Shiojiritoge, e la serie di Battaglie di Kawanakajima contro Uesugi Kenshin.
Shingen decise di far indossare a tutti i guerrieri un'armatura rossa laccata nelle prime linee dei suoi eserciti per intimidire psicologicamente il nemico. Questa idea fu anche successivamente copiata dal clan dell'esercito Tokugawa.
photo credits: japantimes.co.jp
La vita di Takeda Shingen
Nel 1548 Takeda Shingen sconfisse Ogasawara Nagatoki nella battaglia di Shiojiritōge e prese Fukashi nel 1550. Uesugi Kenshin scese in campo in quel momento poiché i Takeda erano ormai giunti ai confini della sua provincia.
Quella che iniziò fu una rivalità che diventerà leggendaria e che li portò a scontrarsi nelle battaglie di Kawanakajima. Queste battaglie furono generalmente delle schermaglie, infatti nessuno dei due daimyō voleva scoprirsi in una battaglia a tutto campo.
La battaglia più feroce tra i due fu la quarta, durante la quale, secondo la leggenda, Uesugi Kenshin riuscì ad aprirsi un varco tra le linee Takeda e affrontò Shingen. Si narra che Kenshin attaccò Shingen con la sua spada difendendosi con il suo ventaglio (o tessen). Entrambi persero numerosi uomini durante la battaglia. In particolare Shingen perse due importanti generali, Yamamoto Kansuke e suo fratello più giovane Takeda Nobushige.
Takeda Shingen entrò nel sacerdozio nel 1551, momento in cui assunse il nome buddista Shingen. Tuttavia, prendere i voti religiosi non impedì in alcun modo la sua partecipazione agli affari mondani.
Dopo la quarta battaglia, Shingen scoprì due complotti alla sua vita. Il primo da parte di suo cugino Suwa Shigemasa, al quale fu ordinato di commettere seppuku. Mentre il secondo, qualche anno più tardi da suo figlio Takeda Yoshinobu. Quest'ultimo fu esiliato presso il tempio Toko, dove morì due anni dopo forse per ordine del padre. Dopo questo incidente, Shingen designò il suo quartogenito, Katsuyori come successore alla guida del clan.
Dopo aver conquistato Katsurao, Wada, Takashima e Fukuda, nel 1554 riportò altrettante vittorie negli assedi di Fukushima, Kannomine, Matsuo e Yoshioka.
Nel 1563, insieme a Hōjō Ujiyasu, Takeda Shingen conquistò il castello di Matsuyama nella provincia di Musashi. Successivamente ottenne il possesso di Kuragano nel 1565 e del castello di Minowa. Poi si mosse contro gli Hōjō attaccando il castello di Hachigata.
Si ritirò con successo dopo che Hōjō Ujiteru e Hōjō Ujikuni fallirono il tentativo di fermarlo nella battaglia di Mimasetōge.
photo credits: pinimg.com
La principale ambizione di Harunobu era la sottomissione di Shinano. Tuttavia, la resistenza in quel quartiere fu feroce. Un certo numero di signori della guerra Shinano, tra cui Murakami Yoshikiyo, Ogasawara Nagatoki, Suwa Yorishige e Kiso Yoshiyasu, fecero una mossa progettata per sperare di troncare sul nascere un'ulteriore aggressione Takeda.
La marcia verso il confine del Kai
Nell'aprile del 1542 i quattro daimyo combinarono le forze e marciarono verso il confine di Kai, incoraggiati dalla notizia che Harunobu stava rafforzando le sue difese e si preparava a prendere posizione a Fuchu. In effetti, le attività di Harunobu furono uno stratagemma. Lungi dall'attendere passivamente a Kai, Harunobu guidò i suoi uomini e colse di sorpresa i guerrieri Shinano, sconfiggendoli a Sezawa.
Incoraggiato dai risultati di Sezawa, Harunobu fece un viaggio a Shinano concentrandosi sul territorio del clan Suwa. Prese prima Uehara in un attacco a sorpresa e poi si trasferì nel quartier generale di Suwa a Kuwahara, situato a 2 chilometri a est. Suwa Yorishige non ebbe altra scelta che arrendersi in seguito alla promessa di condotta sicura da parte di Harunobu. Yorishige e suo fratello furono portati a Kai dove il generale Takeda, Itagaki Nobutaka, organizzò la loro morte. Entrambi i Suwa si suicidarono.
photo credits: pinterest.it
Harunobu, con l'aiuto delle strategie di Yamamoto Kansuke, espanse ulteriormente il suo territorio attraverso la sconfitta di Tozawa Yorichika e Takato Yoritsugu. L'acquisizione del castello di Takato fu di particolare valore. Infatti, essa fornì una zona di sosta sicura nel sud di Shinano, nonché un cuscinetto contro qualsiasi aggressione meridionale.
Nel 1544 i Takeda marciarono verso Suruga a sostegno dell'Imagawa e affrontarono Hôjô Ujiyasu. Non avvenne alcun conflitto reale a seguito di questo scontro. Harunobu fu infatti costretto a stipulare un trattato di pace tra Hōjō e Imagawa.
Nel corso del decennio successivo, Harunobu continuò a esercitare una pressione incessante sui signori della guerra Shinano. Nel 1548 Murakami Yoshikiyo, forse il più formidabile nemico Shinano di Harunobu, si spostò su Ueda e sconfisse il clan Takeda in un aspro scontro. Qui vennero usati un certo numero di archibugi cinesi, le prime armi del genere mai schierate in una battaglia giapponese. Mentre la sconfitta di Uehara lasciava morti due dei suoi migliori generali, Harunobu rimbalzò rapidamente. Infatti, nel 1552 i clan Murakami e Ogasawara fuggirono da Shinano a Echigo.
Takeda Shingen vs Uesugi Kenshin
Nel giugno e nell'ottobre del 1553 gli eserciti Takeda e Uesugi si scontrarono vicino alla pianura Kawanakajima nel nord di Shinano. Uno scontro durato cinque volte ma solo la quarta battaglia produsse una gara a tutto campo. Entrambe le parti subirono pesanti perdite che rallentarono entrambi i signori della guerra per alcuni anni. In particolare, Shingen deve aver risentito della perdita di Nobushige e Yamamoto Kansuke, entrambi deceduti nella battaglia.
Nel 1560 Shingen aveva scoperto un complotto contro di lui guidato da sua cugina Katanuma Nobumoto e nel 1565 quello diretto da suo figlio Yoshinobu e Obu Toramasa. Due anni dopo Yoshinbou morì. Leggenda dice che la morte sia dovuta o a malattia o, come molti credono, perché Shingen lo aveva costretto a suicidarsi. L'evento lasciò i servitori di Takeda a disagio.
photo credits: wikipedia.org
Nel 1564, Shingen aveva sottomesso tutto Shinano e spostato la sua attenzione su Kōzuke, dove prese un certo numero di castelli dal clan Uesugi. Per i successivi cinque anni, si limitò alle incursioni e alle conquiste locali, concentrandosi sugli affari interni.
Nel 1560, il più grande successo di Shingen fu il progetto di Damji River Damming. Il beneficio del progetto del fiume Fuji è considerato una delle più grandi iniziative nazionali del XVI secolo.
Nel 1568, l'esercito di Takeda era di nuovo in movimento, questa volta a sud contro Imagawa. Il daimyō di quel clan era Ujizane, il figlio incompetente del defunto Imagawa Yoshimoto (ucciso nel 1560 da Oda Nobunaga). Yoshinobu, figlio di Shingen, aveva sposato la sorella di Ujizane, ma dopo il suicidio della stessa nel 1567, i rapporti tra le famiglie si erano acuiti. Sembrerebbe che Shingen e Tokugawa Ieyasu avessero stipulato un accordo in base al quale i due avrebbero diviso le terre rimanenti dell'Imagawa (Tōtōmi e Suruga). Tuttavia, questo accordo non fu mai portato a compimento. Inoltre, l'Hōjō di Sagami non vedeva di buon grado questo spostamento nell'equilibrio del potere. A causa di ciò, inviò le truppe a sfidare Shingen. Nel 1569 Shingen rispose invadendo Sagami e assediando Odawara (la capitale dell'Hōjō). Tuttavia, sulla via del ritorno a Kai, l'esercito Takeda riuscì a schiacciare un tentativo di agguato da parte di Mimasetoge di Hōjō.
Così, nel 1570, le terre di Takeda includevano Kai, Shinano, Suruga e pezzi di Kozuke, Tōtōmi e Hida. Shingen, a 49 anni, era ormai più di un potere regionale. Takeda Shingen era di fatto il più importante signore della guerra a est di Mino. Inoltre, fu l’unico in grado di far deragliare la marcia di Oda Nobunaga all'egemonia nazionale. Solo Shingen possedeva la posizione strategica e le forze armate per fermarlo.
Nel 1570 morì il formidabile Hōjō Ujiyasu e il suo erede, Ujimasa, fece pace con Shingen. Questo fu un atto che avrebbe potuto assicurare la distruzione definitiva di Tokugawa Ieyasu. Tuttavia, Shingen morì nel 1573 mandando i piani in fumo.
Il clan Takeda si allea con il clan Oda
Nel frattempo, i Takeda e gli Oda, puntavano al controllo del clan Uesugi. Dopo un corteggiamento diplomatico fallito, essi avviarono una guerra di parole con lo shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Shingen intensificò la pressione contro Tokugawa e nel 1572 lanciò un attacco a Tōtōmi che portò alla cattura di Futamata. Il seguente gennaio, Shingen ritornò nella provincia e attirò Tokugawa Ieyasu nella Battaglia di Mikatagahara. Condotta il 6 gennaio a nord di Hamamatsu, si concluse con una sconfitta quasi completa per Ieyasu.
Sebbene fossero spesso presentate come mosse iniziali in una marcia su Kyōto, le intenzioni di Shingen erano senza dubbio più conservative. Probabilmente, Takeda Shingen mirava a testare le risposte sia di Ieyasu che di Nobunaga e, se possibile, infliggere ai due una sconfitta. In ogni caso, entro pochi giorni dalla vittoria della battaglia, ricevette la notizia che Asakura Yoshikage aveva scelto di non opporsi a Nobunaga. Shingen rimase dispiaciuto, e avrebbe potuto contare su Yoshikage per mantenere la tensione su Nobunaga. Questo potrebbe aver giocato un ruolo nella sua decisione di tornare a Kai garantendo così una tregua al sanguinario Tokugawa.
La figura di Takeda Shingen
Shingen era una figura complicata, a volte assolutamente crudele. All'inizio della sua vita, aveva costretto Suwa Yorishige a suicidarsi (o lo aveva assassinato) dopo che i due signori della guerra avevano firmato un trattato di pace. Successivamente prese la figlia di Suwa come amante, ignorando il fatto che lei fosse tecnicamente la sua stessa nipote .
Apparentemente Shingen creò lo Shingen Tsuba, (la guardia della spada) noto anche come Takeda Tsuba. La storia racconta che mentre aspettava l'inizio di una battaglia, Shingen avvolgeva il filo di ottone attorno a un grande sukashi di ferro per tenersi concentrato e capace di pensare fino a quando la battaglia aveva inizio. A causa di ciò, molti dei suoi vassalli seguirono la guida di Shingen per tutto il periodo Edo.
È anche accreditato di aver inventato lo scarico del water, l'igiene del bagno, a quanto pare, era importante per Shingen. Inoltre, costruì le vaste dighe conosciute come Shingen Zutsumi lungo i segmenti Kamanashi del fiume Fuji. Questi muri hanno impedito le inondazioni ed è stata una delle più grandi e ambiziose iniziative di lavori pubblici nazionali del XVI secolo.
Le ben ponderate leggi di Shingen non erano considerate particolarmente severe. Ha sospeso le punizioni corporali per la maggior parte dei reati minori. Infatti, adottò un sistema di multe finanziarie, che gli valse il rispetto e l'elogio dei contadini e dei cittadini della provincia di Kai.
È interessante notare che Shingen aveva anche due grandi calderoni di ferro in cui far bollire alcuni criminali vivi. Tokugawa Ieyasu, pensando che la punizione fosse eccessivamente crudele, anni dopo distrusse i calderoni.
La sua riforma economica era anche innovativa all’epoca. Infatti, Takeda Shingen tassò la maggior parte dei suoi soggetti in modo uniforme e consentì loro l'opzione dei pagamenti in oro o riso.
Takeda Shingen aveva piani sui distretti di Mikawa e Owari (ora entrambi Prefettura di Aichi). Nel 1571 entrò nei territori del clan Okudaira (successivamente Tokugawa) e catturò il castello di Noda.
Nel 1573, invase Mikawa e di nuovo attaccò il castello di Noda. Tuttavia, questa volta, le fortificazioni del castello erano state rafforzate, consentendo di resistere per diverse settimane.
photo credits: wikimedia.org
La morte
Verso la fine dell'assedio, appena prima che i difensori del castello di Noda capitolassero, Takeda Shingen fu fucilato il 13 maggio 1573 da un tiratore scelto. Shingen è morto durante la fuga.
La morte di Takeda Shingen all'età di 49 anni rimase un segreto. I resti della pistola che sparò a Shingen sono conservati nel Museo Shitagahara a Nagashino, nella prefettura di Aichi. Suo figlio e successore, Takeda Katsuyori, fu sconfitto da Oda e Tokugawa nei primi anni del 1580, ponendo così fine al potere della famiglia Takeda
Al posto di un poema della morte, lasciò le seguenti parole, prese a prestito dalla letteratura Zen: "È in gran parte lasciato alla sua naturale perfezione corporale, e non ha alcun bisogno speciale di ricorrere alla colorazione artificiale e alla cipria per apparire bello.”[:en]Takeda Shingen (Takeda Harunobu December 1, 1521 - May 13, 1573), firstborn of warlord Takeda Nobutora, was born in the powerful Takeda clan. He was Shugo Daimyo (military governors) of the then province of Kai, present-day Yamanashi prefecture.
Takeda Shingen played a very important role in the battle of Un no Kuchi in 1536, he was only 15 years old. When his father designated his second son as heir, Shingen conducted a coup without bloodshed. This forced his father to retire as head of the clan. Later, Shingen began to expand his family's domains northward into the province of Shinano (present-day Nagano prefecture) and into lands adjacent to Kai.
As the undisputed leader of the Takeda clan, he began his expansionist policy starting with the Battle of Sezawa. He then continued with the sieges of Uehara, Kuwabara and Fukuyo, the battles of Ankokuji, Odaihara, Shiojiritoge, and the Kawanakajima battles series against Uesugi Kenshin.
Shingen decided to have all the warriors in the first lines of his armies wear red lacquered armor to intimidate the enemy psychologically. This idea was also later copied by the Tokugawa army clan.
photo credits: japantimes.co.jp
The life of Takeda Shingen
In 1548 Takeda Shingen defeated Ogasawara Nagatoki in the battle of Shiojiritōge and took Fukashi in 1550. Uesugi Kenshin took the field at that time because the Takeda had now reached the borders of his province.
What began was a rivalry that became legendary and that led them to clash in the battles of Kawanakajima. These battles were generally skirmishes, in fact, none of the two daimyō wanted to discover themselves in an all-out battle.
The fiercest battle between the two was the fourth one, during which, according to legend, Uesugi Kenshin managed to break through the Takeda lines and faced Shingen. It is said that Kenshin attacked Shingen with his sword defending himself with his fan (or tessen). Both lost numerous men during the battle. In particular, Shingen lost two important generals, Yamamoto Kansuke and his younger brother Takeda Nobushige.
Takeda Shingen entered the priesthood in 1551, at which time he assumed the Buddhist name Shingen. However, taking religious vows in no way prevented his participation in worldly affairs.
After the fourth battle, Shingen discovered two plots against his life. The first by his cousin Suwa Shigemasa, who was ordered to commit seppuku. While the second, a few years later by his son Takeda Yoshinobu. The latter was exiled to the Toko temple, where he died two years later perhaps by order of his father. After this incident, Shingen appointed his fourth child, Katsuyori as successor to the leadership of the clan.
After conquering Katsurao, Wada, Takashima and Fukuda, in 1554 he returned as many victories in the sieges of Fukushima, Kannomine, Matsuo and Yoshioka.
In 1563, together with Hōjō Ujiyasu, Takeda Shingen conquered Matsuyama Castle in the province of Musashi. Subsequently it obtained the possession of Kuragano in 1565 and of the castle of Minowa. Then he moved against the Hōjō attacking Hachigata castle.
He retired successfully after Hōjō Ujiteru and Hōjō Ujikuni failed to stop him in the battle of Mimasetōge.
photo credits: pinimg.com
Harunobu's main ambition was the submission of Shinano. However, the resistance in that neighborhood was fierce. A number of Shinano warlords, including Murakami Yoshikiyo, Ogasawara Nagatoki, Suwa Yorishige and Kiso Yoshiyasu, made a move designed with the hope to cut off further Takeda aggressions.
The march towards the Kai borders
In April 1542 the four daimyo combined forces and marched towards the Kai border, encouraged by the news that Harunobu was strengthening his defenses and was preparing to take a stand in Fuchu. In fact, Harunobu's activities were a ploy. Far from passively waiting in Kai, Harunobu led his men and took the Shinano warriors by surprise, defeating them at Sezawa.
Encouraged by Sezawa's findings, Harunobu made a trip to Shinano focusing on the territory of the Suwa clan. He first took Uehara in a surprise attack and then moved to Suwa headquarters in Kuwahara, located 2 kilometers to the east. Suwa Yorishige had no choice but to surrender following Harunobu's promise of safe conduct. Yorishige and his brother were taken to Kai where General Takeda, Itagaki Nobutaka, organized their death. Both of them committed suicide.
photo credits: pinterest.it
Harunobu, with the help of Yamamoto Kansuke's strategies, further expanded his territory through the defeat of Tozawa Yorichika and Takato Yoritsugu. The acquisition of the castle of Takato was of particular value. Indeed, it provided a safe stopping area in the south of Shinano, as well as a buffer against any southern aggression.
In 1544 the Takeda marched towards Suruga in support of Imagawa and confronted Hōjō Ujiyasu. No real conflict occurred following this confrontation. Harunobu was in fact forced to enter into a peace treaty between Hōjō and Imagawa.
Over the next decade, Harunobu continued to exert incessant pressure on the Shinano warlords. In 1548 Murakami Yoshikiyo, perhaps the most formidable Shinano enemy of Harunobu, moved to Ueda and defeated the Takeda clan in a bitter battle. Here a number of Chinese arquebuses were used, the first weapons of the genre ever deployed in a Japanese battle. While Uehara's defeat left two of his best generals dead, Harunobu quickly bounced back. In fact, in 1552 the Murakami and Ogasawara clans fled from Shinano to Echigo.
Takeda Shingen vs Uesugi Kenshin
In June and October 1553 the Takeda and Uesugi armies clashed near the Kawanakajima plain in northern Shinano. A clash lasted five times but only the fourth battle produced a wide-ranging race. Both sides suffered heavy losses that slowed both warlords for a few years. In particular, Shingen must have suffered from the loss of Nobushige and Yamamoto Kansuke, both of whom died in the battle.
In 1560 Shingen had discovered a plot against him led by his cousin Katanuma Nobumoto and in 1565 the one organized by his son Yoshinobu and Obu Toramasa. Two years later Yoshinbou died. Legend says that death is due either to illness or, as many believe, because Shingen had forced him to commit suicide. The event left Takeda's servants uneasy.
photo credits: wikipedia.org
In 1564, Shingen had subdued all of Shinano and turned his attention to Kōzuke, where he took a number of castles from the Uesugi clan. For the next five years, he limited himself to raids and local conquests, focusing on internal affairs.
In 1560, Shingen's greatest achievement was the Damji River Damming project. The benefit of the Fuji river project is considered one of the greatest national initiatives of the sixteenth century.
In 1568, Takeda's army was on the move again, this time south against Imagawa. The daimyo of that clan was Ujizane, the incompetent son of the late Imagawa Yoshimoto (killed in 1560 by Oda Nobunaga). Yoshinobu, son of Shingen, had married Ujizane's sister, but after her suicide in 1567, relations between the families had increased. It would appear that Shingen and Tokugawa Ieyasu had entered into an agreement under which the two would divide the remaining lands of Imagawa (Tōtōmi and Suruga). However, this agreement was never completed. Furthermore, Sagami's Hōjō did not see this shift in the balance of power. Because of this, he sent troops to challenge Shingen. In 1569 Shingen responded by invading Sagami and besieging Odawara (the capital of Hōjō). However, on the way back to Kai, the Takeda army managed to crush an attempted ambush by Mimasetoge of Hōjō.
Thus, in 1570, the lands of Takeda included Kai, Shinano, Suruga and pieces of Kozuke, Tōtōmi, and Hida. Shingen, at 49, was now more than a regional power. Takeda Shingen was in fact the most important warlord east of Mino. Moreover, he was the only one able to derail Oda Nobunaga's march to national hegemony. Only Shingen had the strategic position and the armed forces to stop it.
In 1570 the formidable Hōjō Ujiyasu died and his heir, Ujimasa, made peace with Shingen. This was an act that could have ensured Tokugawa Ieyasu final destruction. However, Shingen died in 1573 sending the plans into smoke.
The Takeda clan allies with the Oda clan
Meanwhile, the Takeda and Oda, aimed at controlling the Uesugi clan. After a failed diplomatic courtship, they started a war of words with the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Shingen intensified the pressure against Tokugawa and in 1572 launched an attack on Tōtōmi which led to the capture of Futamata. The following January, Shingen returned to the province and attracted Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara. Conducted on January 6 north of Hamamatsu, it ended with an almost complete defeat for Ieyasu.
Although they were often presented as initial moves in a march on Kyoto, Shingen's intentions were undoubtedly more conservative. Probably, Takeda Shingen aimed to test the answers of both Ieyasu and Nobunaga and, if possible, inflict a defeat on the two. In any case, within a few days of winning the battle, he received the news that Asakura Yoshikage had chosen not to oppose to Nobunaga. Shingen was sorry and could count on Yoshikage to maintain the tension on Nobunaga. This may have played a part in his decision to return to Kai, thus granting a truce to the bloody Tokugawa.
The figure of Takeda Shingen
Shingen was a complicated figure, sometimes absolutely cruel. At the beginning of his life, he had forced Suwa Yorishige to commit suicide (or murdered him) after the two warlords had signed a peace treaty. He then took Suwa's daughter as a lover, ignoring the fact that she was technically his own niece.
Apparently, Shingen created Shingen Tsuba, (sword guard) also known as Takeda Tsuba. The story goes that while waiting for a battle to begin, Shingen wrapped the brass wire around a large iron sukashi to keep himself focused and able to think until the battle began. Because of this, many of his vassals followed Shingen's leadership throughout the Edo period.
He is also credited with inventing the toilet drain, bathroom hygiene, apparently, was important to Shingen. He also built the vast dams known as Shingen Zutsumi along the Kamanashi segments of the Fuji river. These walls prevented flooding and were one of the largest and most ambitious national public works initiatives of the sixteenth century.
The well-considered laws of Shingen were not considered particularly severe. He suspended corporal punishment for most minor crimes. In fact, he adopted a system of financial fines, which earned him the respect and praise of the peasants and citizens of the province of Kai.
It is interesting to note that Shingen also had two large iron cauldrons in which to boil criminals still alive. Tokugawa Ieyasu, thinking that the punishment was excessively cruel, destroyed the cauldrons years later.
His economic reform was also innovative at the time. Indeed, Takeda Shingen taxed most of its subjects uniformly and allowed them the option of payments in gold or rice.
Takeda Shingen had planned on the districts of Mikawa and Owari (now both Aichi Prefecture). In 1571 he entered the territories of the Okudaira clan (later Tokugawa) and captured the castle of Noda.
In 1573, he invaded Mikawa and again attacked the castle of Noda. However, this time, the fortifications of the castle had been strengthened, allowing it to stand for several weeks.
photo credits: wikimedia.org
The death
On May 13, 1573, towards the end of the siege, just before the defenders of Noda Castle capitulated, Takeda Shingen was shot by a marksman. Shingen died during the escape.
The death of Takeda Shingen at the age of 49 remained a secret. The remains of the gun that was used to shoot Shingen are kept in the Shitagahara Museum in Nagashino, Aichi Prefecture. His son and successor, Takeda Katsuyori, was defeated by Oda and Tokugawa in the early 1580s, thus ending the power of the Takeda family.
Instead of a poem of death, he left the following words, borrowed from Zen literature: "It is largely left to its natural bodily perfection, and has no special need to resort to artificial coloring and powder to look beautiful. "[:ja]Takeda Shingen (Takeda Harunobu December 1, 1521 - May 13, 1573), firstborn of warlord Takeda Nobutora, was born in the powerful Takeda clan. He was Shugo Daimyo (military governors) of the then province of Kai, present-day Yamanashi prefecture.
Takeda Shingen played a very important role in the battle of Un no Kuchi in 1536, he was only 15 years old. When his father designated his second son as heir, Shingen conducted a coup without bloodshed. This forced his father to retire as head of the clan. Later, Shingen began to expand his family's domains northward into the province of Shinano (present-day Nagano prefecture) and into lands adjacent to Kai.
As the undisputed leader of the Takeda clan, he began his expansionist policy starting with the Battle of Sezawa. He then continued with the sieges of Uehara, Kuwabara and Fukuyo, the battles of Ankokuji, Odaihara, Shiojiritoge, and the Kawanakajima battles series against Uesugi Kenshin.
Shingen decided to have all the warriors in the first lines of his armies wear red lacquered armor to intimidate the enemy psychologically. This idea was also later copied by the Tokugawa army clan.
photo credits: japantimes.co.jp
The life of Takeda Shingen
In 1548 Takeda Shingen defeated Ogasawara Nagatoki in the battle of Shiojiritōge and took Fukashi in 1550. Uesugi Kenshin took the field at that time because the Takeda had now reached the borders of his province.
What began was a rivalry that became legendary and that led them to clash in the battles of Kawanakajima. These battles were generally skirmishes, in fact, none of the two daimyō wanted to discover themselves in an all-out battle.
The fiercest battle between the two was the fourth one, during which, according to legend, Uesugi Kenshin managed to break through the Takeda lines and faced Shingen. It is said that Kenshin attacked Shingen with his sword defending himself with his fan (or tessen). Both lost numerous men during the battle. In particular, Shingen lost two important generals, Yamamoto Kansuke and his younger brother Takeda Nobushige.
Takeda Shingen entered the priesthood in 1551, at which time he assumed the Buddhist name Shingen. However, taking religious vows in no way prevented his participation in worldly affairs.
After the fourth battle, Shingen discovered two plots against his life. The first by his cousin Suwa Shigemasa, who was ordered to commit seppuku. While the second, a few years later by his son Takeda Yoshinobu. The latter was exiled to the Toko temple, where he died two years later perhaps by order of his father. After this incident, Shingen appointed his fourth child, Katsuyori as successor to the leadership of the clan.
After conquering Katsurao, Wada, Takashima and Fukuda, in 1554 he returned as many victories in the sieges of Fukushima, Kannomine, Matsuo and Yoshioka.
In 1563, together with Hōjō Ujiyasu, Takeda Shingen conquered Matsuyama Castle in the province of Musashi. Subsequently it obtained the possession of Kuragano in 1565 and of the castle of Minowa. Then he moved against the Hōjō attacking Hachigata castle.
He retired successfully after Hōjō Ujiteru and Hōjō Ujikuni failed to stop him in the battle of Mimasetōge.
photo credits: pinimg.com
Harunobu's main ambition was the submission of Shinano. However, the resistance in that neighborhood was fierce. A number of Shinano warlords, including Murakami Yoshikiyo, Ogasawara Nagatoki, Suwa Yorishige and Kiso Yoshiyasu, made a move designed with the hope to cut off further Takeda aggressions.
The march towards the Kai borders
In April 1542 the four daimyo combined forces and marched towards the Kai border, encouraged by the news that Harunobu was strengthening his defenses and was preparing to take a stand in Fuchu. In fact, Harunobu's activities were a ploy. Far from passively waiting in Kai, Harunobu led his men and took the Shinano warriors by surprise, defeating them at Sezawa.
Encouraged by Sezawa's findings, Harunobu made a trip to Shinano focusing on the territory of the Suwa clan. He first took Uehara in a surprise attack and then moved to Suwa headquarters in Kuwahara, located 2 kilometers to the east. Suwa Yorishige had no choice but to surrender following Harunobu's promise of safe conduct. Yorishige and his brother were taken to Kai where General Takeda, Itagaki Nobutaka, organized their death. Both of them committed suicide.
photo credits: pinterest.it
Harunobu, with the help of Yamamoto Kansuke's strategies, further expanded his territory through the defeat of Tozawa Yorichika and Takato Yoritsugu. The acquisition of the castle of Takato was of particular value. Indeed, it provided a safe stopping area in the south of Shinano, as well as a buffer against any southern aggression.
In 1544 the Takeda marched towards Suruga in support of Imagawa and confronted Hōjō Ujiyasu. No real conflict occurred following this confrontation. Harunobu was in fact forced to enter into a peace treaty between Hōjō and Imagawa.
Over the next decade, Harunobu continued to exert incessant pressure on the Shinano warlords. In 1548 Murakami Yoshikiyo, perhaps the most formidable Shinano enemy of Harunobu, moved to Ueda and defeated the Takeda clan in a bitter battle. Here a number of Chinese arquebuses were used, the first weapons of the genre ever deployed in a Japanese battle. While Uehara's defeat left two of his best generals dead, Harunobu quickly bounced back. In fact, in 1552 the Murakami and Ogasawara clans fled from Shinano to Echigo.
Takeda Shingen vs Uesugi Kenshin
In June and October 1553 the Takeda and Uesugi armies clashed near the Kawanakajima plain in northern Shinano. A clash lasted five times but only the fourth battle produced a wide-ranging race. Both sides suffered heavy losses that slowed both warlords for a few years. In particular, Shingen must have suffered from the loss of Nobushige and Yamamoto Kansuke, both of whom died in the battle.
In 1560 Shingen had discovered a plot against him led by his cousin Katanuma Nobumoto and in 1565 the one organized by his son Yoshinobu and Obu Toramasa. Two years later Yoshinbou died. Legend says that death is due either to illness or, as many believe, because Shingen had forced him to commit suicide. The event left Takeda's servants uneasy.
photo credits: wikipedia.org
In 1564, Shingen had subdued all of Shinano and turned his attention to Kōzuke, where he took a number of castles from the Uesugi clan. For the next five years, he limited himself to raids and local conquests, focusing on internal affairs.
In 1560, Shingen's greatest achievement was the Damji River Damming project. The benefit of the Fuji river project is considered one of the greatest national initiatives of the sixteenth century.
In 1568, Takeda's army was on the move again, this time south against Imagawa. The daimyo of that clan was Ujizane, the incompetent son of the late Imagawa Yoshimoto (killed in 1560 by Oda Nobunaga). Yoshinobu, son of Shingen, had married Ujizane's sister, but after her suicide in 1567, relations between the families had increased. It would appear that Shingen and Tokugawa Ieyasu had entered into an agreement under which the two would divide the remaining lands of Imagawa (Tōtōmi and Suruga). However, this agreement was never completed. Furthermore, Sagami's Hōjō did not see this shift in the balance of power. Because of this, he sent troops to challenge Shingen. In 1569 Shingen responded by invading Sagami and besieging Odawara (the capital of Hōjō). However, on the way back to Kai, the Takeda army managed to crush an attempted ambush by Mimasetoge of Hōjō.
Thus, in 1570, the lands of Takeda included Kai, Shinano, Suruga and pieces of Kozuke, Tōtōmi, and Hida. Shingen, at 49, was now more than a regional power. Takeda Shingen was in fact the most important warlord east of Mino. Moreover, he was the only one able to derail Oda Nobunaga's march to national hegemony. Only Shingen had the strategic position and the armed forces to stop it.
In 1570 the formidable Hōjō Ujiyasu died and his heir, Ujimasa, made peace with Shingen. This was an act that could have ensured Tokugawa Ieyasu final destruction. However, Shingen died in 1573 sending the plans into smoke.
The Takeda clan allies with the Oda clan
Meanwhile, the Takeda and Oda, aimed at controlling the Uesugi clan. After a failed diplomatic courtship, they started a war of words with the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Shingen intensified the pressure against Tokugawa and in 1572 launched an attack on Tōtōmi which led to the capture of Futamata. The following January, Shingen returned to the province and attracted Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara. Conducted on January 6 north of Hamamatsu, it ended with an almost complete defeat for Ieyasu.
Although they were often presented as initial moves in a march on Kyoto, Shingen's intentions were undoubtedly more conservative. Probably, Takeda Shingen aimed to test the answers of both Ieyasu and Nobunaga and, if possible, inflict a defeat on the two. In any case, within a few days of winning the battle, he received the news that Asakura Yoshikage had chosen not to oppose to Nobunaga. Shingen was sorry and could count on Yoshikage to maintain the tension on Nobunaga. This may have played a part in his decision to return to Kai, thus granting a truce to the bloody Tokugawa.
The figure of Takeda Shingen
Shingen was a complicated figure, sometimes absolutely cruel. At the beginning of his life, he had forced Suwa Yorishige to commit suicide (or murdered him) after the two warlords had signed a peace treaty. He then took Suwa's daughter as a lover, ignoring the fact that she was technically his own niece.
Apparently, Shingen created Shingen Tsuba, (sword guard) also known as Takeda Tsuba. The story goes that while waiting for a battle to begin, Shingen wrapped the brass wire around a large iron sukashi to keep himself focused and able to think until the battle began. Because of this, many of his vassals followed Shingen's leadership throughout the Edo period.
He is also credited with inventing the toilet drain, bathroom hygiene, apparently, was important to Shingen. He also built the vast dams known as Shingen Zutsumi along the Kamanashi segments of the Fuji river. These walls prevented flooding and were one of the largest and most ambitious national public works initiatives of the sixteenth century.
The well-considered laws of Shingen were not considered particularly severe. He suspended corporal punishment for most minor crimes. In fact, he adopted a system of financial fines, which earned him the respect and praise of the peasants and citizens of the province of Kai.
It is interesting to note that Shingen also had two large iron cauldrons in which to boil criminals still alive. Tokugawa Ieyasu, thinking that the punishment was excessively cruel, destroyed the cauldrons years later.
His economic reform was also innovative at the time. Indeed, Takeda Shingen taxed most of its subjects uniformly and allowed them the option of payments in gold or rice.
Takeda Shingen had planned on the districts of Mikawa and Owari (now both Aichi Prefecture). In 1571 he entered the territories of the Okudaira clan (later Tokugawa) and captured the castle of Noda.
In 1573, he invaded Mikawa and again attacked the castle of Noda. However, this time, the fortifications of the castle had been strengthened, allowing it to stand for several weeks.
photo credits: wikimedia.org
The death
On May 13, 1573, towards the end of the siege, just before the defenders of Noda Castle capitulated, Takeda Shingen was shot by a marksman. Shingen died during the escape.
The death of Takeda Shingen at the age of 49 remained a secret. The remains of the gun that was used to shoot Shingen are kept in the Shitagahara Museum in Nagashino, Aichi Prefecture. His son and successor, Takeda Katsuyori, was defeated by Oda and Tokugawa in the early 1580s, thus ending the power of the Takeda family.
Instead of a poem of death, he left the following words, borrowed from Zen literature: "It is largely left to its natural bodily perfection, and has no special need to resort to artificial coloring and powder to look beautiful. "[:]
[:it]Tanabata, la leggenda e i tempi moderni[:en]Tanabata, the legend and modern times[:ja]Tanabata, the legend and modern times[:]
[:it]Tanabata: Il settimo giorno del settimo mese lunare si celebra una delle cinque gosekku (五節句), le più importanti festività dell’anno. Questa è anche una delle mie feste preferite perchè è estremamente romantica.
La Settima Notte
La leggenda narra della Principessa Orihime (la stella Vega), figlia devota di Tentei (il Re del cielo) che trascorreva le sue giornata a tessere in riva al fiume celeste Amanogawa (la Via Lattea). Tuttavia, il suo cuore era triste poichè non aveva ancora conosciuto l’amore. Allora Tentei le presentò Hikoboshi (la stella Altair), un giovane mandriano dei piani celesti che viveva al di là del fiume. L’amore tra i due scoppiò immediatamente, ma la passione li distrasse dai loro doveri scatenando l’ira di Tentei.
Egli li divise riportando la figlia sulla sponda opposta del fiume. Orihime, distrutta dal dolore, pianse mille lacrime. Tentei, colpito dal grande amore della figlia, permise ai due amanti di incontrarsi la settima notte del settimo mese solo se avessero lavorato con solerzia durante tutto l’anno. Il cielo, in questa speciale notte, deve essere sereno altrimenti attraversare il fiume argenteo risulterebbe impossibile. Infatti, se piovesse esso si ingrosserebbe e il vigore delle sue acque impedirebbe allo stormo di gazze di creare un ponte con le loro ali per permettere ai due amanti di riabbracciarsi.
Da Shichiseki a Tanabata e le usanze del festival
Tanabata non era il nome originale di questa festività. Nell’antichità essa era conosciuta come Shichiseki, derivante dalla lettura dei kanji cinesi 七夕, da cui ha origine. Infatti, il festival venne importato dalla Cina dall’imperatrice Koken nel Palazzo Imperiale di Kyoko nel pieno periodo Heian. Si diffuse poi in tutto il Giappone nel Periodo Edo e da allora è divenuto uno dei festival più amati.
Le decorazioni del Tanabata
Tra il 6 luglio e l’8 agosto, in base alla regione, le strade si riempiono di zen-washi (lanterne di carta) e le persone indossano lo yukata (浴衣). Quest’ultimo, è un kimono molto informale con maniche larghe e cuciture piatte, il cui tessuto è di cotone, privo di fodera e quindi adatto al periodo estivo. Sono però i tanzaku (短冊) i veri protagonisti di questa notte incantata. Strisce di carta colorata che simboleggiano i fili di seta intrecciati da Orihime e sui quali vengono scritte preghiere o desideri. Successivamente questi vengono legati ai rami di bambù, considerato il simbolo principale del Tanabata. In questo modo il vento, soffiando tra le foglie, porta con sé i desideri e li realizza!
photo credits: savvytokyo.com, Hiroshi
Altrettante decorazioni di buon auspicio fanno capolino nelle parate durante il matsuri. Ci sono i Kamigorono (speciali kimono di carta) che preservano da malanni ed incidenti. Inoltre possiamo trovare i toami, reti da pesca la cui esposizione porterebbe fortuna nella pesca e nei raccolti. Per non dimenticare i fukinagashi, strisce filanti colorate come la stoffa che Orihime tesseva. Continuiamo poi con i bellissimi orizuru (origami) soprattutto a forma di gru, portatrici di salute, protezione e lunga vita alle famiglie. I kinchaku, piccole borse che portano buoni affari e ricchezza. Inoltre abbiamo i famosissimi kusudama, ornamenti di forma ovale composti da una serie di origami cuciti e incollati tra loro. Arriviamo poi ai kuzukago, sacchi della spazzatura che simboleggiano la "pulizia" (intesa come purezza) e la prosperità.
photo credits: savvytokyo.com, Naomi Nakagawa
Ad ogni regione la sua data
Come dicevamo, la data del Tanabata varia a seconda della regione. Nella regione del Kanto, Il Tanabata di Hiratsuka, nella prefettura di Kanagawa, si svolge tra il 4 e il 6 luglio. Nella regione di Chūbu a Ichinomiya, nella prefettura di Aichi, si festeggia tra il 24 e il 27 luglio. infine, nella regione di Tōhoku, a Sendai, nella prefettura di Miyagi, si svolge tra il 6 e l'8 agosto.
photo credits: japancheapo.com, EriTes Photo
Anche se l’amore è un sentimento che merita sempre di prevalere, durante questo periodo dell’anno l’idea di alzare gli occhi al cielo e desiderare con tutto il cuore qualcosa con la speranza che si avveri, è sempre emozionante. Ogni Tanzaku è speciale ed è bellissimo leggere i sogni delle persone ed augurare loro di poter essere esauditi. Questo, infatti, è uno dei tanti momenti di altruismo che solo in Giappone può essere condiviso.
E voi? Quale sogno custodite nel vostro cuore? Qualunque esso sia, possa trovare la strada per realizzarsi! E se siete nei paraggi di Milano, vi consigliamo di venire a festeggiare il Tanabata da TENOHA Milano. Pronti ad appendere il vostro tanzaku? Noi l'abbiamo già fatto!
photo credits: timeout.com
[:en]Tanabata: on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month we celebrate one of the five gosekku (五節), the most important festivals of the year. This is also one of my favorite parties because it is extremely romantic.
The Seventh Night
The legend tells of Princess Orihime (the star Vega), devoted daughter of Tentei (the King of the sky) who spent her day weaving on the shores of the celestial river Amanogawa (the Milky Way). However, her heart was sad because she had not yet known love. Then Tentei introduced her to Hikoboshi (the Altair star), a young herder of the heavenly planes who lived across the river. The love between the two exploded immediately, but the passion distracted them from their duties by unleashing the wrath of Tentei.
He divided them by returning his daughter to the opposite bank of the river. Orihime, destroyed by pain, wept a thousand tears. Tentei, struck by his daughter's great love, allowed the two lovers to meet on the seventh night of the seventh month only if they worked diligently throughout the year. The sky, in this special night, must be clear, otherwise crossing the silvery river would be impossible. In fact, if it rained it would swell and the vigor of its waters would prevent the flock of magpies from creating a bridge with their wings to allow the two lovers to hug again.
From Shichiseki to Tanabata and the customs of the festival
Tanabata was not the original name of this holiday. In ancient times it was known as Shichiseki, deriving from the reading of the Chinese kanji, from which it originates. In fact, the festival was imported from China by Empress Koken in the Kyoko Imperial Palace in the Heian period. It then spread throughout Japan in the Edo Period and has since become one of the most popular festivals.
The decorations of the Tanabata
Between July 6 and August 8, according to the region, the streets are filled with zen-washi (paper lanterns) and people wear yukata (浴衣). The latter is a very informal kimono with wide sleeves and flat seams, made of cotton, without lining and therefore suitable for the summer. But the tanzaku (短冊) are the real protagonists of this enchanted night. Strips of colored paper that symbolize the silk threads woven by Orihime and on which prayers or wishes are written. Later these are tied to bamboo branches, considered the main symbol of the Tanabata. In this way, the wind, blowing through the leaves, brings with it the desires and realizes them!
photo credits: savvytokyo.com, Hiroshi
As many auspicious decorations appear in the parades during the matsuri. There are Kamigorono (special paper kimonos) that protect against illness and accidents. We can also find toami, fishing nets whose exposure would bring good luck in fishing and in crops. Not to mention the fukinagashi, colored stripes like the fabric that Orihime wove. We then continue with the beautiful orizuru (origami) especially in the shape of a crane, bringing health, protection and long life to families. The kinchaku, small bags that bring good business and wealth. We also have the famous kusudama, oval-shaped ornaments composed of a series of origami sewn and glued together. Then we come to the kuzukagos, garbage bags that symbolize "cleanliness" (understood as purity) and prosperity.
photo credits: savvytokyo.com, Naomi Nakagawa
To each region its date
As we said, the date of the Tanabata varies according to the region. In the Kanto region, The Tanabata of Hiratsuka, in Kanagawa prefecture, takes place between 4 and 6 July. In the region of Chūbu in Ichinomiya, in the Aichi prefecture, it is celebrated between 24 and 27 July. finally, in the region of Tōhoku, in Sendai, in the prefecture of Miyagi, it takes place between 6 and 8 August.
photo credits: japancheapo.com, EriTes Photo
Even if love is a feeling that always deserves to prevail, during this time of the year the idea of raising one's eyes to the sky and desiring with all one's heart something with the hope that it will come true, is always exciting. Each Tanzaku is special and it is wonderful to read people's dreams and wish them to be heard. This, in fact, is one of the many moments of altruism that can only be shared in Japan.
And you? What dream do you keep in your heart? Whatever it is, find the way to come true! And if you are around Milan, we recommend you to come and celebrate the Tanabata from TENOHA Milan. Ready to hang your tanzaku? We have already done it!
photo credits: timeout.com
[:ja]Tanabata: on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month we celebrate one of the five gosekku (五節), the most important festivals of the year. This is also one of my favorite parties because it is extremely romantic.
The Seventh Night
The legend tells of Princess Orihime (the star Vega), devoted daughter of Tentei (the King of the sky) who spent her day weaving on the shores of the celestial river Amanogawa (the Milky Way). However, her heart was sad because she had not yet known love. Then Tentei introduced her to Hikoboshi (the Altair star), a young herder of the heavenly planes who lived across the river. The love between the two exploded immediately, but the passion distracted them from their duties by unleashing the wrath of Tentei.
He divided them by returning his daughter to the opposite bank of the river. Orihime, destroyed by pain, wept a thousand tears. Tentei, struck by his daughter's great love, allowed the two lovers to meet on the seventh night of the seventh month only if they worked diligently throughout the year. The sky, in this special night, must be clear, otherwise crossing the silvery river would be impossible. In fact, if it rained it would swell and the vigor of its waters would prevent the flock of magpies from creating a bridge with their wings to allow the two lovers to hug again.
From Shichiseki to Tanabata and the customs of the festival
Tanabata was not the original name of this holiday. In ancient times it was known as Shichiseki, deriving from the reading of the Chinese kanji, from which it originates. In fact, the festival was imported from China by Empress Koken in the Kyoko Imperial Palace in the Heian period. It then spread throughout Japan in the Edo Period and has since become one of the most popular festivals.
The decorations of the Tanabata
Between July 6 and August 8, according to the region, the streets are filled with zen-washi (paper lanterns) and people wear yukata (浴衣). The latter is a very informal kimono with wide sleeves and flat seams, made of cotton, without lining and therefore suitable for the summer. But the tanzaku (短冊) are the real protagonists of this enchanted night. Strips of colored paper that symbolize the silk threads woven by Orihime and on which prayers or wishes are written. Later these are tied to bamboo branches, considered the main symbol of the Tanabata. In this way, the wind, blowing through the leaves, brings with it the desires and realizes them!
photo credits: savvytokyo.com, Hiroshi
As many auspicious decorations appear in the parades during the matsuri. There are Kamigorono (special paper kimonos) that protect against illness and accidents. We can also find toami, fishing nets whose exposure would bring good luck in fishing and in crops. Not to mention the fukinagashi, colored stripes like the fabric that Orihime wove. We then continue with the beautiful orizuru (origami) especially in the shape of a crane, bringing health, protection and long life to families. The kinchaku, small bags that bring good business and wealth. We also have the famous kusudama, oval-shaped ornaments composed of a series of origami sewn and glued together. Then we come to the kuzukagos, garbage bags that symbolize "cleanliness" (understood as purity) and prosperity.
photo credits: savvytokyo.com, Naomi Nakagawa
To each region its date
As we said, the date of the Tanabata varies according to the region. In the Kanto region, The Tanabata of Hiratsuka, in Kanagawa prefecture, takes place between 4 and 6 July. In the region of Chūbu in Ichinomiya, in the Aichi prefecture, it is celebrated between 24 and 27 July. finally, in the region of Tōhoku, in Sendai, in the prefecture of Miyagi, it takes place between 6 and 8 August.
photo credits: japancheapo.com, EriTes Photo
Even if love is a feeling that always deserves to prevail, during this time of the year the idea of raising one's eyes to the sky and desiring with all one's heart something with the hope that it will come true, is always exciting. Each Tanzaku is special and it is wonderful to read people's dreams and wish them to be heard. This, in fact, is one of the many moments of altruism that can only be shared in Japan.
And you? What dream do you keep in your heart? Whatever it is, find the way to come true! And if you are around Milan, we recommend you to come and celebrate the Tanabata from TENOHA Milan. Ready to hang your tanzaku? We have already done it!
photo credits: timeout.com
[:]
[:it]Japan History: Sakamoto Ryōma[:en]Japan History: Sakamoto Ryōma[:]
[:it]Sakamoto Ryōma (Gennaio 3, 1836 – Dicembre 10, 1867) è ancora riconosciuto come una delle figure più importanti dello Shogunato di Tokugawa ed uno dei più grandi eroi del periodo Edo.
photo credits: budojapan.com
Prima gioventù
Nacque nell’isola di Shikoku, nella Tosa Han (oggi prefettura di Kōchi) il quindicesimo giorno dell’undicesimo mese del sesto anno di Tenpō secondo il calendario giapponese. La sua famiglia era famosa per essere una grande produttrice di sake, ottenendo così il rango più basso della categoria dei Samurai, il Gōshi (Samurai della campagna). Tosa aveva una separazione molto netta tra Joshi (samurai di alto rango) e Kashi (samurai di basso rango). Anche nella generazione di Sakamoto Ryōma, il grado samurai della sua famiglia rimaneva Kashi. All'età di dodici anni, Ryōma fu iscritto in una scuola privata, ma non durò molto, perché la sua inclinazione allo studio non era molto forte.
Grazie alla sua sorella maggiore, si è poi iscritto alle classi di scherma di Oguri-ryū quando aveva 14 anni, dopo essere stato vittima di bullismo a scuola. Nell’età adulta era a tutti gli effetti un maestro spadaccino. Nel 1853 gli fu concesso dal suo clan di recarsi a Edo per migliorare le sue abilità come spadaccino. Lì si iscrisse come studente al Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō Chiba-Dōjō, in cui ricevette il diploma dalla scuola che dichiarava la sua maestria. Divenne poi shihan al Chiba-Dōjō e insegnò il Kenjutsu agli studenti insieme a Chiba Jūtarō Kazutane, suo caro amico. Nel 1858 tornò a Kochi. Tuttavia, quattro anni più tardi il Commodoro Perry degli Stati Uniti arrivò con una flotta di navi per costringere il Giappone a uscire dalla sua secolare politica di isolamento nazionale. Nello stesso anno cominciarono a formarsi movimenti contro gli stranieri, movimenti anti Tokugawa e a supporto dell’Imperatore.
photo credits: jref.com
Sakamoto Ryōma e Takechi Hanpeita
Il suo amico, Takechi Hanpeita (o Takechi Zuizan), organizzò il Partito Lealista di Tosa "Kinnoto". Il loro slogan politico era "Riverisci l'imperatore, espelli i barbari". Il gruppo consisteva in circa 2000 samurai, per lo più di rango inferiore, che insistevano sulla riforma del governo di Tosa. Siccome il gruppo non fu riconosciuto, cominciarono un complotto per assassinare Yoshida Toyo, capo del dominio Tosa. Ryōma ha partecipato al complotto senza però sostenerlo realmente.
Takechi chiese una rivoluzione solo per il clan di Tosa, e Ryōma pensò che avrebbero invece dovuto fare qualcosa per tutto il Giappone. Decise di lasciare Tosa e di separarsi da Takechi. A quei tempi, a nessuno era permesso di lasciare il proprio clan senza permesso, pena la morte. Una delle sorelle di Ryōma si suicidò proprio a causa del comportamenti del fratello.
Nel 1864, quando lo shogunato Tokugawa iniziò a prendere una linea dura, Ryōma fuggì a Kagoshima nel Dominio di Satsuma, in sviluppo come centro principale per il movimento anti-Tokugawa. Ryōma ha negoziato l'alleanza segreta tra le province di Chōshū e Satsuma. Satsuma e Chōshū erano storicamente nemici inconciliabili, e la posizione di Ryōma fu vista come "outsider neutrale".
Sakamoto Ryōma e l’occidente
Ryōma era un ammiratore dei principi democratici e studiò molto il Congresso degli Stati Uniti e il Parlamento britannico. Amava a tal punto questi concetti che li prese come modello per il governo del Giappone dopo la Restaurazione.
Ryōma ha scritto le "Otto proposte durante la spedizione" mentre discuteva del futuro modello del governo giapponese con Gotō Shōjirō a bordo di una nave Tosa fuori Nagasaki nel 1867. Ryōma ha sottolineato la necessità di una legislatura bicamerale eletta democraticamente e la stesura di una Costituzione. Inoltre, aveva considerato la formazione di un esercito e di una flotta nazionali assieme alla regolamentazione dei tassi di cambio dell'oro e dell'argento. Si pensa che le proposte di Ryōma costituiscano la base per il successivo sistema parlamentare attuato dopo la sua morte.
Sakamoto Ryōma e il Periodo Bakumatsu
Ryōma spinse per una riforma nazionale e lasciò il dominio, prendendo di mira Katsu Kaishu, un alto funzionario di Tokugawa.
Quando finalmente riuscì a trovarsi davanti il suo obiettivo, quest’ultimo chiese con calma di essere ascoltato prima di essere ucciso. Katsu Kaishu ha poi spiegato i suoi piani per aumentare la forza militare del Giappone attraverso la modernizzazione e l'occidentalizzazione. Invece di ucciderlo come erano i piani, Ryoma divenne il suo assistente. Insieme crearono una forza navale da non sottovalutare.
Ryōma è spesso considerato il "padre della Marina Imperiale Giapponese", perchè sotto la direzione di Katsu Kaishū lavorò per creare una moderna forza navale. Tutto questo per consentire a Satsuma e Chōshū di reggere il confronto con le forze navali dello shogunato Tokugawa. Ryōma fondò la marina privata e la società commerciale Kameyama Shachū nella città di Nagasaki con l'aiuto di Satsuma.
photo credits: visitkochijapan.com
La successiva vittoria di Chōshū sull'esercito Tokugawa nel 1866 e l'imminente crollo dello shogunato Tokugawa fecero di Ryōma una figura preziosa per i suoi ex padroni a Tosa. Infatti, è proprio in questo periodo che fu richiamato a Kōchi con molti onori. Il dominio di Tosa era ansioso di ottenere un accordo negoziato tra lo Shogun e l'Imperatore. Questo avrebbe impedito alla potente Alleanza di Satchō di rovesciare Tokugawa con la forza e quindi emergere come una nuova forza dominante nel governo del Giappone. Ryōma giocò di nuovo un ruolo cruciale nei negoziati che portarono alle dimissioni volontarie dello Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu nel 1867. Con l’arrivao così della Restaurazione Meiji, grazie a Sakamoto Ryoma lo Shogunato cadde. Fu così che il Giappone riuscì ad uscire dai 260 anni della Regola Tokugawa.
Ryōma usava spesso l'alias Saitani Umetarō (才谷梅太郎) poiché veniva spesso cacciato dai sostenitori di Bakufu, come i membri dello Shinsengumi.
L’assassinio di Sakamoto Ryōma
La notte del 10 dicembre 1867, Sakamoto Ryōma e il suo amico Nakaoka Shintaro soggiornarono all'Omiya Inn di Kyoto. Un gruppo di assassini si era radunato fuori dalla locanda. Quando uno di loro bussò alla porta uccidendo la guardia del corpo di Ryōma, il resto del gruppo raggiunse la sua stanza assassinando sia lui che Nakaoka.
Gli assassini non furono mai identificati. Tuttavia, i membri dello Shinsengumi e il loro capo Kondo Isami furono accusati e giustiziati per l’omicidio. Nonostante i Mimawarigumi, membri del gruppo pro-Tokugawa, abbiano confessato l'omicidio nel 1870, nessuna azione è mai stata presa contro di loro.
Lo scopo finale di Sakamoto Ryōma non era personale, ma per il bene del Giappone. Le sue azioni e le sue convinzioni lo hanno reso un eroe nazionale fino ad oggi.
Ryōma era un visionario che sognava un Giappone indipendente senza trappole feudali. Si ispirò all'esempio degli Stati Uniti dove "tutti gli uomini sono creati uguali". Si rese conto che per competere con un mondo esterno industrialmente e tecnologicamente avanzato, i giapponesi dovevano modernizzarsi. È stato anche visto come un intrigante mix di tradizione e modernità. Infatti, simbolo di questi tratti era la sua preferenza per il vestito da samurai con le calzature occidentali.
photo credits: tokyo2020.jp
I tempi moderni
Il 15 novembre 2003, l'aeroporto Kōchi è stato ribattezzato Kōchi Ryōma Airport in suo onore.
C'è un Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum (坂本龍馬記念館) a sud di Kōchi, con una grande statua in bronzo di Ryoma che si affaccia sul mare. La città di Kōchi ha un certo numero di attrazioni e luoghi a tema Ryōma, tra cui il Sakamoto Ryōma Birthplace Memorial. Inoltre, il Sakomoto Ryōma Hometown Museum mostra il centro di Kōchi durante l'infanzia di Ryōma, compresi gli aspetti rilevanti che possono aver influenzato le sue opinioni. Il 15 novembre 2009 ad Hakodate, Hokkaido, è stato costruito il museo commemorativo Hokkaido Sakamoto Ryōma.[:en]Sakamoto Ryōma (January 3, 1836 - December 10, 1867) is still recognized as one of the most important figures of the Tokugawa Shogunate and one of the greatest heroes of the Edo period.
photo credits: budojapan.com
Early youth
He was born on the island of Shikoku, in the Tosa Han (toda's Kōchi Prefecture) on the fifteenth day of the eleventh month of Tenpō according to the Japanese calendar. His family was famous for being a great sake producer, thus obtaining the lowest rank of the Samurai category, the Gōshi (Samurai of the countryside). Tosa had a very clear separation between Joshi (high-ranking samurai) and Kashi (low-ranking samurai). Even in Sakamoto Ryōma's generation, the samurai degree of his family remained Kashi. At the age of twelve, Ryōma was enrolled in a private school, but it didn't last long, because his inclination to studies wasn't very strong.
Thanks to his older sister, he then enrolled in the Oguri-Ryu fencing classes when he was 14, after being bullied at school. In adulthood, he was a master swordsman. In 1853 he was allowed by his clan to go to Edo to improve his skills as a swordsman. There he enrolled as a student at Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō Chiba-Dōjō, where he received his diploma. He then became Shihan at Chiba-Dōjō and taught Kenjutsu to students along with Chiba Jūtarō Kazutane, his close friend. In 1858 he returned to Kōchi. However, four years later the Commodore Perry of the United States arrived with a fleet to force Japan out of its centuries-old policy of national isolation. In the same year, movements against foreigners, anti-Tokugawa movements and in support of the Emperor began to form.
photo credits: jref.com
Sakamoto Ryōma and Takechi Hanpeita
His friend, Takechi Hanpeita (or Takechi Zuizan), organized Tosa's Loyalist Party "Kinnoto". Their political slogan was "Revere the emperor, expel the barbarians". The group consisted of about 2000 samurai, mostly of lower rank, who insisted on the reform of Tosa's government. As the group was not recognized, they began a plot to assassinate Yoshida Toyo, head of the Tosa domain. Ryōma participated in the plot without really supporting it.
Takechi asked for a revolution only for the Tosa clan, and Ryōma thought they would have to do something for all of Japan instead. He decided to leave Tosa and part with Takechi. In those days, no one was allowed to leave their clan without permission, on pain of death. One of Ryōma's sisters committed suicide precisely because of her brother's behavior.
In 1864, when the Tokugawa shogunate began to take a hard line, Ryōma fled to Kagoshima in the Satsuma Domain, under development as the main center for the anti-Tokugawa movement. Ryōma negotiated the secret alliance between the provinces of Chōshū and Satsuma. Satsuma and Chōshū were historically irreconcilable enemies, and Ryōma's position was seen as "neutral outsider".
Sakamoto Ryōma and the West
Ryōma was an admirer of democratic principles and studied the United States Congress and the British Parliament a lot. He loved these concepts so much that he took them as a model for the government of Japan after the Restoration.
Ryōma wrote the "Eight Proposals During the Expedition" while discussing the future model of the Japanese government with Gotō Shōjirō aboard a Tosa ship outside Nagasaki in 1867. Ryōma stressed the need for a democratically elected bicameral legislature and the drafting of a Constitution. Furthermore, he had considered the formation of a national army and fleet together with the regulation of gold and silver exchange rates. It is believed that Ryōma's proposals form the basis for the subsequent parliamentary system implemented after his death.
Sakamoto Ryōma and the Bakumatsu period
Ryōma pushed for national reform and left the domain, targeting Katsu Kaishu, a senior Tokugawa official.
When he finally managed to find his target, the latter calmly asked to be heard before he was killed. Katsu Kaishu then explained his plans to increase Japan's military strength through modernization and westernization. Instead of killing him as the plans were, Ryoma became his assistant. Together they created a naval force to be reckoned with.
Ryōma is often considered the "father of the Japanese Imperial Navy" because under the direction of Katsu Kaishū he worked to create a modern naval force. All this to allow Satsuma and Chōshū to stand comparison with the naval forces of the Tokugawa shogunate. Ryōma founded the private navy and the Kameyama Shachū trading company in the city of Nagasaki with the help of Satsuma.
photo credits: visitkochijapan.com
Chōshū's subsequent victory over the Tokugawa army in 1866 and the imminent collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate made Ryōma a precious figure for his former masters in Tosa. In fact, it is precisely in this period that he was recalled to Kōchi with many honors. Tosa's domain was anxious to get a negotiated agreement between the Shogun and the Emperor. This would have prevented Satchō's powerful Alliance from forcibly toppling Tokugawa and thus emerging as a new dominant force in the government of Japan. Ryōma again played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the voluntary resignation of the Tokugawa Yoshinobu Shogun in 1867. With the arrival of the Meiji Restoration, thanks to Sakamoto Ryoma the Shogunate fell. Thus it was that Japan managed to come out of the 260-year Tokugawa Rule.
Ryōma often used the alias Saitani Umetarō (谷梅太郎) as he was often hunted by Bakufu supporters, like Shinsengumi members.
Sakamoto Ryōma's murder
On the night of December 10, 1867, Sakamoto Ryōma and his friend Nakaoka Shintaro stayed at the Omiya Inn in Kyoto. A group of assassins had gathered outside the inn. When one of them knocked on the door killing Ryōma's bodyguard, the rest of the group reached his room assassinating both him and Nakaoka.
The killers were never identified. However, members of the Shinsengumi and their leader Kondo Isami were accused and executed for the murder. Although the Mimawarigumi, members of the pro-Tokugawa group, confessed to the murder in 1870, no action was ever taken against them.
Sakamoto Ryōma's ultimate goal was not personal, but for the sake of Japan. His actions and beliefs have made him a national hero to this day.
Ryōma was a visionary who dreamed of an independent Japan without feudal traps. He was inspired by the example of the United States where "all men are created equal". He realized that to compete with an industrially and technologically advanced outside world, the Japanese had to modernize. It has also been seen as an intriguing mix of tradition and modernity. In fact, a symbol of these traits was his preference for the samurai dress with western footwear.
photo credits: tokyo2020.jp
Modern times
On 15 November 2003, the Kōchi airport was renamed Kōchi Ryōma Airport in his honor.
There is a Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum (坂本龍馬記念館) south of Kōchi, with a large bronze statue of Ryoma overlooking the sea. The city of Kōchi has a number of Ryōma-themed attractions and places, including the Sakamoto Ryōma Birthplace Memorial. Furthermore, the Sakomoto Ryōma Hometown Museum shows the Kōchi center during Ryōma's childhood, including the relevant aspects that may have influenced his opinions. On November 15, 2009, the Hokkaido Sakamoto Ryōma memorial museum was built in Hakodate, Hokkaido.[:ja]Sakamoto Ryōma (January 3, 1836 - December 10, 1867) is still recognized as one of the most important figures of the Tokugawa Shogunate and one of the greatest heroes of the Edo period.
photo credits: budojapan.com
Early youth
He was born on the island of Shikoku, in the Tosa Han (toda's Kōchi Prefecture) on the fifteenth day of the eleventh month of Tenpō according to the Japanese calendar. His family was famous for being a great sake producer, thus obtaining the lowest rank of the Samurai category, the Gōshi (Samurai of the countryside). Tosa had a very clear separation between Joshi (high-ranking samurai) and Kashi (low-ranking samurai). Even in Sakamoto Ryōma's generation, the samurai degree of his family remained Kashi. At the age of twelve, Ryōma was enrolled in a private school, but it didn't last long, because his inclination to studies wasn't very strong.
Thanks to his older sister, he then enrolled in the Oguri-Ryu fencing classes when he was 14, after being bullied at school. In adulthood, he was a master swordsman. In 1853 he was allowed by his clan to go to Edo to improve his skills as a swordsman. There he enrolled as a student at Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō Chiba-Dōjō, where he received his diploma. He then became Shihan at Chiba-Dōjō and taught Kenjutsu to students along with Chiba Jūtarō Kazutane, his close friend. In 1858 he returned to Kōchi. However, four years later the Commodore Perry of the United States arrived with a fleet to force Japan out of its centuries-old policy of national isolation. In the same year, movements against foreigners, anti-Tokugawa movements and in support of the Emperor began to form.
photo credits: jref.com
Sakamoto Ryōma and Takechi Hanpeita
His friend, Takechi Hanpeita (or Takechi Zuizan), organized Tosa's Loyalist Party "Kinnoto". Their political slogan was "Revere the emperor, expel the barbarians". The group consisted of about 2000 samurai, mostly of lower rank, who insisted on the reform of Tosa's government. As the group was not recognized, they began a plot to assassinate Yoshida Toyo, head of the Tosa domain. Ryōma participated in the plot without really supporting it.
Takechi asked for a revolution only for the Tosa clan, and Ryōma thought they would have to do something for all of Japan instead. He decided to leave Tosa and part with Takechi. In those days, no one was allowed to leave their clan without permission, on pain of death. One of Ryōma's sisters committed suicide precisely because of her brother's behavior.
In 1864, when the Tokugawa shogunate began to take a hard line, Ryōma fled to Kagoshima in the Satsuma Domain, under development as the main center for the anti-Tokugawa movement. Ryōma negotiated the secret alliance between the provinces of Chōshū and Satsuma. Satsuma and Chōshū were historically irreconcilable enemies, and Ryōma's position was seen as "neutral outsider".
Sakamoto Ryōma and the West
Ryōma was an admirer of democratic principles and studied the United States Congress and the British Parliament a lot. He loved these concepts so much that he took them as a model for the government of Japan after the Restoration.
Ryōma wrote the "Eight Proposals During the Expedition" while discussing the future model of the Japanese government with Gotō Shōjirō aboard a Tosa ship outside Nagasaki in 1867. Ryōma stressed the need for a democratically elected bicameral legislature and the drafting of a Constitution. Furthermore, he had considered the formation of a national army and fleet together with the regulation of gold and silver exchange rates. It is believed that Ryōma's proposals form the basis for the subsequent parliamentary system implemented after his death.
Sakamoto Ryōma and the Bakumatsu period
Ryōma pushed for national reform and left the domain, targeting Katsu Kaishu, a senior Tokugawa official.
When he finally managed to find his target, the latter calmly asked to be heard before he was killed. Katsu Kaishu then explained his plans to increase Japan's military strength through modernization and westernization. Instead of killing him as the plans were, Ryoma became his assistant. Together they created a naval force to be reckoned with.
Ryōma is often considered the "father of the Japanese Imperial Navy" because under the direction of Katsu Kaishū he worked to create a modern naval force. All this to allow Satsuma and Chōshū to stand comparison with the naval forces of the Tokugawa shogunate. Ryōma founded the private navy and the Kameyama Shachū trading company in the city of Nagasaki with the help of Satsuma.
photo credits: visitkochijapan.com
Chōshū's subsequent victory over the Tokugawa army in 1866 and the imminent collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate made Ryōma a precious figure for his former masters in Tosa. In fact, it is precisely in this period that he was recalled to Kōchi with many honors. Tosa's domain was anxious to get a negotiated agreement between the Shogun and the Emperor. This would have prevented Satchō's powerful Alliance from forcibly toppling Tokugawa and thus emerging as a new dominant force in the government of Japan. Ryōma again played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the voluntary resignation of the Tokugawa Yoshinobu Shogun in 1867. With the arrival of the Meiji Restoration, thanks to Sakamoto Ryoma the Shogunate fell. Thus it was that Japan managed to come out of the 260-year Tokugawa Rule.
Ryōma often used the alias Saitani Umetarō (谷梅太郎) as he was often hunted by Bakufu supporters, like Shinsengumi members.
Sakamoto Ryōma's murder
On the night of December 10, 1867, Sakamoto Ryōma and his friend Nakaoka Shintaro stayed at the Omiya Inn in Kyoto. A group of assassins had gathered outside the inn. When one of them knocked on the door killing Ryōma's bodyguard, the rest of the group reached his room assassinating both him and Nakaoka.
The killers were never identified. However, members of the Shinsengumi and their leader Kondo Isami were accused and executed for the murder. Although the Mimawarigumi, members of the pro-Tokugawa group, confessed to the murder in 1870, no action was ever taken against them.
Sakamoto Ryōma's ultimate goal was not personal, but for the sake of Japan. His actions and beliefs have made him a national hero to this day.
Ryōma was a visionary who dreamed of an independent Japan without feudal traps. He was inspired by the example of the United States where "all men are created equal". He realized that to compete with an industrially and technologically advanced outside world, the Japanese had to modernize. It has also been seen as an intriguing mix of tradition and modernity. In fact, a symbol of these traits was his preference for the samurai dress with western footwear.
photo credits: tokyo2020.jp
Modern times
On 15 November 2003, the Kōchi airport was renamed Kōchi Ryōma Airport in his honor.
There is a Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum (坂本龍馬記念館) south of Kōchi, with a large bronze statue of Ryoma overlooking the sea. The city of Kōchi has a number of Ryōma-themed attractions and places, including the Sakamoto Ryōma Birthplace Memorial. Furthermore, the Sakomoto Ryōma Hometown Museum shows the Kōchi center during Ryōma's childhood, including the relevant aspects that may have influenced his opinions. On November 15, 2009, the Hokkaido Sakamoto Ryōma memorial museum was built in Hakodate, Hokkaido.[:]
Japan Modern Culture: Studio Ghibli
[:it]
photo credits: ghibli.jp
Alzi la mano chi non si è innamorata di Howl, lo stregone con il suo castello errante, o che non ha provato tenerezza per Kaonashi, il Senza Volto de "La Città Incantata"... Se anche voi siete tra coloro che amano le produzioni dello Studio Ghibli, allora vi trovate nel posto giusto!
Il Vento Caldo del Deserto
15 giugno 1985: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki e Yasuyoshi Tokuma decisero di fondare 株式会社スタジオジブリ ovvero lo Studio Ghibli Inc. il cui nome fu scelto proprio da Miyazaki con l’intenzione di "creare una tromba d'aria nel mondo dell'animazione giapponese". Le radici affondano nella passione per l’aviazione del regista e sceneggiatore nipponico, infatti "Ghibli" non è solo il vento caldo del deserto del Sahara ma, durante la seconda guerra mondiale l’aereo da ricognizione italiano Caproni Ca.309 era soprannominato proprio “Ghibli”. Curioso, non è vero?
All'inizio nessuno pensava che il progetto sarebbe arrivato al grande successo, perciò per ridurre al minimo il rischio del fallimento, furono impiegati 70 animatori a tempo determinato e la sede dello studio consisteva in un ufficio di 90 metri quadrati a Kichijoji, Tokyo.
photo credits: sgcafe.com
Un successo dietro l’altro
Lo Studio Ghibli iniziò la propria produzione ufficiale con "Laputa - Il castello nel cielo", "Il mio vicino Totoro" e "Una tomba per le lucciole", tre perle d'animazione acclamati dalla critica, ma che all'inizio non riscossero lo stesso successo accumulato nel tempo.
Fu "Kiki - Consegne a domicilio" che ottenne grandi risultati nel 1989 diventando il successo dell'anno al botteghino giapponese. Questo permise di introdurre i contratti a tempo indeterminato all'interno della produzione e ad assumere nuovo personale. Oramai lo Studio contava quasi 300 persone al suo interno e si cominciò a pensare ad una nuova sede proprio durante la produzione di Porco Rosso, la cui qualità non fu eccelsa proprio a causa dell’affollamento in ufficio.
Nel 1992 il nuovo studio, la cui realizzazione fu seguita in prima persona da Miyazaki che ne disegnò l’aspetto finale, fu pronto. Finalmente avvenne il passaggio a Koganai (Tokyo). La computer-generated imagery (CGI), che permette ad un'immagine bidimensionale digitalizzata di essere gestita in ogni tipo di vista tridimensionale, venne introdotta con "Pom Poko".
Nel 1994 e nel 1995 fu distribuito "I Sospiri del mio Cuore" e, sul finire degli anni '90 e i primi anni 2000, lo Studio Ghibli appose la sua firma sui capolavori più amati, raggiungendo il successo meritato anche in occidente: Princess Mononoke (1997), La città incantata (2001) e Il castello errante di Howl (2004), diretti da Hayao Miyazaki.
Il 2006 fu il turno di Gorō, figlio di Miyazaki, a dirigere il film I racconti di Terramare e, due anni dopo, lo Studio Ghibli divenne l'unico studio di animazione giapponese ad usare esclusivamente tecniche di disegno tradizionali per le proprie produzioni.
Purtroppo, nel 2013, in occasione della la 70ª Mostra internazionale d'arte cinematografica di Venezia, a seguito della presentazione del 19° film di animazione marchiato Studio Ghibli "Si alza il vento" (The Wind Rises), venne annunciato il ritiro dalle attività cinematografiche di Miyazaki, con conseguente dispiacere dei fans. Il produttore disse che la sua avanzata età non gli permetteva più di seguire le lunghe realizzazioni dei suoi film e così, l'8 novembre 2014 l'Academy gli conferì l'Oscar alla carriera.
Il 2015 fu un anno strano per lo Studio Ghibli: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, regista di "Arrietty - Il mondo segreto sotto il pavimento" e di "Quando c'era Marnie" lasciò la produzione. Durante una conferenza a Tokyo, Miyazaki annunciò il suo impegno in un nuovo progetto la cui produzione avrebbe potuto richiedere più di cinque anni di lavorazione. Infatti, nel 2017, attraverso un'intervista al produttore Toshio Suzuki, si venne a sapere che il nuovo lungometraggio sarebbe stato un adattamento del romanzo giapponese del 1937 "Kimi-tachi wa do ikuruka?" di Genzaburo Hoshino.
Non ci resta che attendere quali sorprese ci regaleranno anni di esperienza e passione!
photo credits: tokyotreat.com
Museo Ghibli
Raggiungibile con la linea JR Chuo per la deliziosa cittadina di Mitaka, il museo presenta una varietà di stanze che mescolano lo stile vintage allo steampunk traboccanti di riferimenti al folklore e alla quotidianità giapponese. All’interno esiste anche un cinema dove vengono proiettati cortometraggi inediti di circa 15 minuti.
Inoltre, in diversi periodi dell'anno, vengono allestite esibizioni speciali per periodi limitati di tempo. Procurarsi i biglietti per il Museo non è facile poichè non sono venduti in sede. E' ecessaria la prenotazione parecchio tempo prima attraverso le biglietterie Lawson online o nei minimarket Lawson presenti sul territorio Giapponese, oppure in biglietterie specifiche all'estero dove i biglietti sono messi a disposizione solo per 4 mesi all'anno.
Per ogni informazione specifica e per tutti gli aggiornamenti, potete controllare il sito ufficiale, disponibile anche in lingua inglese qui: http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
photo credits: forbes.com
Mostra dello Studio Ghibli a Tokyo
La "Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition", la prima mostra dello Studio dopo 3 anni presso il centro di scambio culturale EDOCCO, Tempio di Kanda Myojin a Tokyo. Inaugurata il 20 aprile e in corso fino al 12 maggio, è una tappa obbligatoria per chiunque voglia essere catapultato nell’incantevole mondo Ghibli. Si possono ammirare le illustrazioni e documentazioni che rivelano il dietro le quinte delle trame e dei processi produttivi dei suoi capolavori dalla sua fondazione sino ad oggi.
E’ disponibile anche un ampia zona dedicata al merchandise, tra cui speciali ema e omamori creati in collaborazione con il tempio stesso. Gli appassionati troveranno anche dei menù a tema all’ EDOCCO café come ad esempio il “Makkuro na kuro goma ohagi no ocha set” in omaggio ai Nerini del Buio (Makkuro Kurosuke) o il “Tonari no Kakigori” ispirato al Mio Vicino Totoro.
E’ possibile acquistare i biglietti per la mostra sia in sede che online al costo di 1,300¥ per adulti e 800¥ per gli studenti. Sito ufficiale: https://ghibli-suzuki.com/
photo credits: amu-zen.com
[:en]
photo credits: ghibli.jp
Raise your hand if you didn’t fall in love with Howl, the sorcerer with his wandering castle, or who has not felt tenderness for Kaonashi, the Faceless of "The Enchanted City" ... If you are among those who love the productions of Studio Ghibli too, then you are in the right place!
The Hot Wind of the Desert
June 15, 1985: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma decided to found 株式会社スタジオジブリ or Studio Ghibli Inc. whose name was chosen by Miyazaki with the intention of "creating a whirlwind in the world of Japanese animation". The roots lie in the passion for aviation of the Japanese director and screenwriter, in fact "Ghibli" is not only the warm wind of the Sahara desert but, during the Second World War the Italian reconnaissance plane Caproni Ca.309 was nicknamed "Ghibli". Curious, isn't it?
At first no one thought that the project would been very successful, so to minimize the risk of failure, 70 temporary entertainers were employed and the office of the studio consisted of a 90 square meter office rented in Kichijoji, Tokyo.
photo credits: sgcafe.com
A success after another
Studio Ghibli began its official production with "Laputa - castle in the sky", "My neighbor Totoro" and "Grave of the Fireflies”, three animated pearls acclaimed by critics. However, at first, these three wonderful pieces did not achieve the same success they accumulated over time.
It was "Kiki's Delivery Service” that achieved great results in 1989 becoming the success of the year at the Japanese box office. This allowed for permanent contracts to be introduced into production and to hire new staff. By now the Studio had almost 300 people working and they began to think of moving to a new location just during the production of Porco Rosso, whose quality was not excellent due to the crowding in office.
In 1992 the new study, whose realization was followed in first person by Miyazaki who drew the final appearance, was ready. They were finally ready to move to Koganai (Tokyo). Computer-generated imagery (CGI), which allows a digitized two-dimensional image to be handled in any kind of three-dimensional view, was introduced with "Pom Poko".
In 1994 and 1995 "Whisper of the Heart” was released. At the end of the 90s and the early 2000s the Studio Ghibli signed one of his most beloved masterpieces, achieving the deserved success also outside Japan: Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001) and Howl's moving Castle (2004), directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
In 2006 was the turn of Gorō, son of Miyazaki, to direct the film Tales from Earthsea and, two years later, Studio Ghibli became the only Japanese animation studio to use exclusively traditional drawing techniques for their own productions.
Unfortunately, in 2013, on the occasion of the 70th International Film Festival of Venice, following the presentation of Studio Ghibli’s 19th animated film "The Wind Rises", Miyazaki announced his retirement, with consequent displeasure of the fans. The producer said that his advanced age no longer allowed him to follow the long accomplishments of his films and so, on November 8th 2014, the Academy awarded him with the Oscar for his career.
2015 was a strange year for Studio Ghibli: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of "Arrietty” and "When Marnie Was There” left the production. During a conference in Tokyo, Miyazaki announced his commitment to a new project whose production could have required more than five years of work. In fact, in 2017, through an interview with producer Toshio Suzuki, we discovered that the new feature would have been an adaptation of the 1937 Japanese novel "Kimi-tachi wa do ikuruka?" by Genzaburo Hoshino.
We just have to wait for the surprises that years of experience and passion will gift us!
photo credits: tokyotreat.com
Ghibli Museum
Reachable with the JR Chuo line for the delightful town of Mitaka, the museum presents a variety of rooms that mix the vintage and steampunk style overflowing with references to Japanese folklore and everyday life. Inside, there is also a cinema where unpublished short films of about 15 minutes are screened.
Moreover, at different times of the year, special exhibitions are set up for limited periods of time! Getting tickets for the Museum is not easy as they are not sold in the venue. Reservations must be made some time before through the Lawson ticket offices online or in the Lawson convenience stores on the Japanese territory, or at specific ticket offices abroad where the tickets are placed at available only for 4 months a year.
For any specific information and for all updates, you can check the official website, also available in English here: http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
photo credits: forbes.com
Exhibition of Studio Ghibli in Tokyo
The "Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition", the first exhibition after 3 years of the study at the EDOCCO cultural exchange center, Kanda Myojin Temple in Tokyo, inaugurated on April 20 and it’s running until May 12. It’s a must for anyone who wants to be catapulted into the enchanting world of Ghibli. You can admire the illustrations and documentation revealing the behind the scenes of the plots and production processes of these masterpieces from its foundation until today.
A large merchandise section is also available, including special ema and omamori created in collaboration with the temple itself. Enthusiasts will also find themed menus at the EDOCCO café such as the "Makkuro na kuro goma ohagi no ocha set" in homage to Makkuro Kurosuke (Soot Sprites) or the "Tonari no Kakigori ”inspired by My neighbor Totoro.
It is possible to buy tickets for the exhibition both on-site and online at a cost of 1,300 ¥ for adults and ¥ 800 for students. Official website: https://ghibli-suzuki.com/
photo credits: amu-zen.com
[:ja]
photo credits: ghibli.jp
Raise your hand if you didn’t fall in love with Howl, the sorcerer with his wandering castle, or who has not felt tenderness for Kaonashi, the Faceless of "The Enchanted City" ... If you are among those who love the productions of Studio Ghibli too, then you are in the right place!
The Hot Wind of the Desert
June 15, 1985: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki and Yasuyoshi Tokuma decided to found 株式会社スタジオジブリ or Studio Ghibli Inc. whose name was chosen by Miyazaki with the intention of "creating a whirlwind in the world of Japanese animation". The roots lie in the passion for aviation of the Japanese director and screenwriter, in fact "Ghibli" is not only the warm wind of the Sahara desert but, during the Second World War the Italian reconnaissance plane Caproni Ca.309 was nicknamed "Ghibli". Curious, isn't it?
At first no one thought that the project would been very successful, so to minimize the risk of failure, 70 temporary entertainers were employed and the office of the studio consisted of a 90 square meter office rented in Kichijoji, Tokyo.
photo credits: sgcafe.com
A success after another
Studio Ghibli began its official production with "Laputa - castle in the sky", "My neighbor Totoro" and "Grave of the Fireflies”, three animated pearls acclaimed by critics. However, at first, these three wonderful pieces did not achieve the same success they accumulated over time.
It was "Kiki's Delivery Service” that achieved great results in 1989 becoming the success of the year at the Japanese box office. This allowed for permanent contracts to be introduced into production and to hire new staff. By now the Studio had almost 300 people working and they began to think of moving to a new location just during the production of Porco Rosso, whose quality was not excellent due to the crowding in office.
In 1992 the new study, whose realization was followed in first person by Miyazaki who drew the final appearance, was ready. They were finally ready to move to Koganai (Tokyo). Computer-generated imagery (CGI), which allows a digitized two-dimensional image to be handled in any kind of three-dimensional view, was introduced with "Pom Poko".
In 1994 and 1995 "Whisper of the Heart” was released. At the end of the 90s and the early 2000s the Studio Ghibli signed one of his most beloved masterpieces, achieving the deserved success also outside Japan: Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001) and Howl's moving Castle (2004), directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
In 2006 was the turn of Gorō, son of Miyazaki, to direct the film Tales from Earthsea and, two years later, Studio Ghibli became the only Japanese animation studio to use exclusively traditional drawing techniques for their own productions.
Unfortunately, in 2013, on the occasion of the 70th International Film Festival of Venice, following the presentation of Studio Ghibli’s 19th animated film "The Wind Rises", Miyazaki announced his retirement, with consequent displeasure of the fans. The producer said that his advanced age no longer allowed him to follow the long accomplishments of his films and so, on November 8th 2014, the Academy awarded him with the Oscar for his career.
2015 was a strange year for Studio Ghibli: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of "Arrietty” and "When Marnie Was There” left the production. During a conference in Tokyo, Miyazaki announced his commitment to a new project whose production could have required more than five years of work. In fact, in 2017, through an interview with producer Toshio Suzuki, we discovered that the new feature would have been an adaptation of the 1937 Japanese novel "Kimi-tachi wa do ikuruka?" by Genzaburo Hoshino.
We just have to wait for the surprises that years of experience and passion will gift us!
photo credits: tokyotreat.com
Ghibli Museum
Reachable with the JR Chuo line for the delightful town of Mitaka, the museum presents a variety of rooms that mix the vintage and steampunk style overflowing with references to Japanese folklore and everyday life. Inside, there is also a cinema where unpublished short films of about 15 minutes are screened.
Moreover, at different times of the year, special exhibitions are set up for limited periods of time! Getting tickets for the Museum is not easy as they are not sold in the venue. Reservations must be made some time before through the Lawson ticket offices online or in the Lawson convenience stores on the Japanese territory, or at specific ticket offices abroad where the tickets are placed at available only for 4 months a year.
For any specific information and for all updates, you can check the official website, also available in English here: http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
photo credits: forbes.com
Exhibition of Studio Ghibli in Tokyo
The "Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition", the first exhibition after 3 years of the study at the EDOCCO cultural exchange center, Kanda Myojin Temple in Tokyo, inaugurated on April 20 and it’s running until May 12. It’s a must for anyone who wants to be catapulted into the enchanting world of Ghibli. You can admire the illustrations and documentation revealing the behind the scenes of the plots and production processes of these masterpieces from its foundation until today.
A large merchandise section is also available, including special ema and omamori created in collaboration with the temple itself. Enthusiasts will also find themed menus at the EDOCCO café such as the "Makkuro na kuro goma ohagi no ocha set" in homage to Makkuro Kurosuke (Soot Sprites) or the "Tonari no Kakigori ”inspired by My neighbor Totoro.
It is possible to buy tickets for the exhibition both on-site and online at a cost of 1,300 ¥ for adults and ¥ 800 for students. Official website: https://ghibli-suzuki.com/
photo credits: amu-zen.com
[:]
[:it]Japan Modern Culture: 令和 ReiWa, la nuova Era[:en]Japan Modern Culture: 令和 ReiWa, the new Era[:ja]Japan Modern Culture: 令和 ReiWa, the new Era[:]
[:it]
令和: ReiWa, la nuova Era
Esattamente con un mese di anticipo sull'ascesa al trono del Principe Naruhito, il capo segretario di Gabinetto Yoshihide Suga ha annunciato l'inizio della nuova Era per il Giappone.
Reiwa, formato dai kanji 令 (rei) "buon auspicio", "ordinato" e 和 wa "armonia", "pace", riflette l’unità spirituale del popolo giapponese, poiché “la cultura nasce e si nutre quando le persone si occupano amorevolmente le une delle altre”, come ha spiegato il Primo Ministro Shinzo Abe subito dopo l’annuncio.
photo credits: asia.nikkei.com
Il tempo che scorre seguendo l’Era dell’ Imperatore
Nella cultura nipponica, gli intervalli di tempo nel corso della storia sono suddivisi secondo il sistema delle “Ere”, gengō (元号): esso prevede l’uso di due kanji che rappresentano le speranze, gli ideali e i buoni propositi per il periodo a venire, seguito dal numero dall’anno del mandato dell’imperatore. In base a questo sistema, dal 1989 l’era corrente è Heisei 31 (平成31), ovvero il 31esimo anno dell’Era Heisei (31 anni di “raggiungimento della pace” sotto la guida dell’Imperatore Akihito). Dal 1 maggio 2019 saremo ufficialmente nell’Era Reiwa (令和1 - Reiwa 1).
photo credits: tg24.sky.it
Le radici di Reiwa
A differenza di tutte le epoche precedenti i cui nomi si ispiravano alla letteratura cinese, Reiwa affonda le sue radici nel Man’yōshū, 万葉集 “La Raccolta di diecimila foglie”, la più antica collezione di poesia giapponese giunta fino a noi. Gli autori appartengono a tutti i ceti sociali: membri della famiglia imperiale, contadini, soldati, artigiani e monaci. Tale scelta rompe la tradizione di oltre 1300 anni e possiede un valore altamente simbolico per il Giappone Moderno. Si auspica ad un’era di speranza e di unità e, soprattutto, un’era volta alla preservazione della natura. Reiwa affronterà un cammino volto all’armonia per dare forza ad una Nazione che nel corso della storia si è sempre rialzata con orgoglio in ogni avversità e che non si è mai tirata indietro.
Ma come si è deciso per questo nome?
La scelta è avvenuta tra una lista di 30 proposte preparate da esperti di letteratura e storia giapponese e cinese designati dal governo per questo importante compito. La procedura tradizionale prevede che il Governo effettui la scelta finale in una seduta di gabinetto, dopodiché il nome prescelto viene rivelato all’Imperatore in carica e questi prepara il decreto per la proclamazione della nuova Era.
photo credits: kelo.com
Naruhito, Imperatore del Trono del Crisantemo
Primogenito dell'attuale imperatore del Giappone Akihito e dell'imperatrice Michiko, Naruhito (皇太子徳仁親王) divenne principe ereditario al trono in seguito alla morte del nonno, l'Imperatore Hirohito nel 1989. Noto per le sue innumerevoli opere caritatevoli e una serie di funzioni imperiali assolte, egli diventerà il 126° Imperatore del Trono del Crisantemo (la monarchia mai interrotta più antica del mondo) il 1° maggio 2019 a seguito dell'abdicazione del padre il 30 Aprile 2019.
Le pagine bianche di un nuovo inizio
La parola Reiwa è così piena di serenità, anche solo nella sua pronuncia! L'armonia, la pace, l'equilibrio che contraddistinguono un popolo come quello del Sol Levante trova così la sua concretizzazione. Proprio negli ultimi giorni ho avuto un’idea fissa nella mente: "un nuovo inizio", ho persino scritto un mio pensiero intitolato "Inizia un nuovo capitolo", ed essermi svegliata con l'annuncio di questa nuova Era, mi ha scossa in positivo. Inoltre dopo aver ascoltato il discorso del Primo Ministro Abe, il mio cuore si è riempito di speranza. Mi piace la proposta di una maggiore apertura riguardante il lavoro per coloro che vengono dall'estero e credo che questo possa portare un futuro prosperoso per il Giappone a livello mondiale.
Lo spirito di coesione, di solidarietà e di pace può sembrare un'utopia, ma deve iniziare dal piccolo, da noi per poi diffondersi come le onde prodotte da un sassolino che cade nell'acqua.[:en]
令和: ReiWa, the new Era
Exactly one month ahead of Prince Naruhito's accession to the throne, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced the beginning of the new Era for Japan.
Reiwa, formed by the kanji 令 (rei) "auspicious", "ordered" and 和 wa "harmony", "peace", reflects the spiritual unity of the Japanese people, because "culture is born and nourished when people take care of each other lovingly" explained Prime Minister Shinzo Abe immediately after the announcement.
photo credits: asia.nikkei.com
Time passes following the Era of the Emperor
In the Japanese culture, the periods of time throughout history are subdivided according to the system of "eras", gengō (元号): it involves the use of two kanji that represent the hopes, ideals and good intentions for the period to come, followed by the number from the year of the emperor's mandate. According to this system, from 1989 the current era is Heisei 31 (平成31), or the 31st year of the Heisei Era (31 years of "achieving peace" under the guidance of Emperor Akihito). From May 1st, 2019 we will be officially in the Reiwa Era (令和1 - Reiwa 1).
photo credits: tg24.sky.it
The roots of Reiwa
Unlike all previous eras whose names were inspired by Chinese literature, Reiwa has its roots in Man'yōshū, 万集 "The Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves", the oldest collection of Japanese poetry that has survived till today. The authors belong to all walks of life: members of the imperial family, peasants, soldiers, artisans and monks. This choice breaks an over 1300 years old tradition and has a highly symbolic value for Modern Japan. We are wishing for an era of hope and unity and, above all, an era aimed at the preservation of nature. Reiwa will face a path aimed at harmony and to give strength to a nation that in the course of history has always raised up with pride in every adversity and that has never been pulled back.
But how was this name decided?
The choice was made between a list of 30 proposals prepared by Japanese and Chinese literature and history experts appointed by the government for this important task. The traditional procedure requires the Government to make the final choice in a cabinet session, after which the chosen name is revealed to the Emperor in office and he prepares the decree for the proclamation of the new Era.
photo credits: kelo.com
Naruhito, Emperor of the Throne of Chrysanthemum
First born of the current Emperor of Japan Akihito and Empress Michiko, Naruhito (皇太子徳仁親王) became the crown prince to the throne following the death of his grandfather, Emperor Hirohito in 1989. Known for his countless charitable works and a series of absolved imperial functions, he will become the 126th Emperor of the Throne of Chrysanthemum (the oldest ever interrupted monarchy in the world) on May 1st, 2019 following the abdication of his father on April 30th, 2019.
The blank pages of a new beginning
The word Reiwa is so full of serenity, even in its pronunciation! The harmony, the peace, the balance that characterize a the people of a nation like that of the Rising Sun thus finds its fulfillment. Just a few days ago, I had a fixed idea in my mind: "a new beginning", I even wrote a thought entitled "Start of a new chapter", and having woken up with the announcement of this new Era, shook me positively. Furthermore, after hearing Prime Minister Abe's speech, my heart was filled with hope. I like the proposal for greater openness to work for those coming from abroad and I believe that this can bring a prosperous future for Japan worldwide.
The spirit of cohesion, solidarity and peace may seem an utopia, but it must start from the small things, from us and then spread like the waves produced by a pebble falling into the water.[:ja]
令和: ReiWa, the new Era
Exactly one month ahead of Prince Naruhito's accession to the throne, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced the beginning of the new Era for Japan.
Reiwa, formed by the kanji 令 (rei) "auspicious", "ordered" and 和 wa "harmony", "peace", reflects the spiritual unity of the Japanese people, because "culture is born and nourished when people take care of each other lovingly" explained Prime Minister Shinzo Abe immediately after the announcement.
photo credits: asia.nikkei.com
Time passes following the Era of the Emperor
In the Japanese culture, the periods of time throughout history are subdivided according to the system of "eras", gengō (元号): it involves the use of two kanji that represent the hopes, ideals and good intentions for the period to come, followed by the number from the year of the emperor's mandate. According to this system, from 1989 the current era is Heisei 31 (平成31), or the 31st year of the Heisei Era (31 years of "achieving peace" under the guidance of Emperor Akihito). From May 1st, 2019 we will be officially in the Reiwa Era (令和1 - Reiwa 1).
photo credits: tg24.sky.it
The roots of Reiwa
Unlike all previous eras whose names were inspired by Chinese literature, Reiwa has its roots in Man'yōshū, 万集 "The Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves", the oldest collection of Japanese poetry that has survived till today. The authors belong to all walks of life: members of the imperial family, peasants, soldiers, artisans and monks. This choice breaks an over 1300 years old tradition and has a highly symbolic value for Modern Japan. We are wishing for an era of hope and unity and, above all, an era aimed at the preservation of nature. Reiwa will face a path aimed at harmony and to give strength to a nation that in the course of history has always raised up with pride in every adversity and that has never been pulled back.
But how was this name decided?
The choice was made between a list of 30 proposals prepared by Japanese and Chinese literature and history experts appointed by the government for this important task. The traditional procedure requires the Government to make the final choice in a cabinet session, after which the chosen name is revealed to the Emperor in office and he prepares the decree for the proclamation of the new Era.
photo credits: kelo.com
Naruhito, Emperor of the Throne of Chrysanthemum
First born of the current Emperor of Japan Akihito and Empress Michiko, Naruhito (皇太子徳仁親王) became the crown prince to the throne following the death of his grandfather, Emperor Hirohito in 1989. Known for his countless charitable works and a series of absolved imperial functions, he will become the 126th Emperor of the Throne of Chrysanthemum (the oldest ever interrupted monarchy in the world) on May 1st, 2019 following the abdication of his father on April 30th, 2019.
The blank pages of a new beginning
The word Reiwa is so full of serenity, even in its pronunciation! The harmony, the peace, the balance that characterize a the people of a nation like that of the Rising Sun thus finds its fulfillment. Just a few days ago, I had a fixed idea in my mind: "a new beginning", I even wrote a thought entitled "Start of a new chapter", and having woken up with the announcement of this new Era, shook me positively. Furthermore, after hearing Prime Minister Abe's speech, my heart was filled with hope. I like the proposal for greater openness to work for those coming from abroad and I believe that this can bring a prosperous future for Japan worldwide.
The spirit of cohesion, solidarity and peace may seem an utopia, but it must start from the small things, from us and then spread like the waves produced by a pebble falling into the water.[:]
Japan Traditions: Wakakusa Yamayaki Matsuri
[:it]Uno dei matsuri più famosi del Giappone è il Wakakusa Yamayaki Matsuri che si tiene nella città di Nara il quarto sabato di gennaio.
photo credits: matsuritracker on flickr
Le Origini
Sulla cima della terza collina del Monte Wakakusa troviamo il Uguisuzuka Kofun, una pietra tombale a forma di buco di serratura.
Leggende dicono che in passato se si bruciava la montagna per la fine di gennaio nel periodo del nuovo anno, era possibile respingere i mostri che ritornavano dalle loro tombe. Al contrario, qualora la montagna non venisse bruciata entro la fine di gennaio, un grosso periodo di sfortuna giaceva davanti per la città di Nara. Come risultato, le storie raccontano che le persone che passavano accanto al Monte Wakakusa cominciarono a incendiare la montagna senza permesso.
photo credits: smartus & matsuritracker on flickr
A seguito di ciò, ci furono alcuni incidenti dove il fuoco proveniente dal monte Wakakusa arrivò ad avvicinarsi ai confini del tempio Todaiji e Kohfukuji ripetutamente. A causa di questo, nel dicembre 1738, l’ufficio della magistratura di Nara (Bugyosho) proibì le persone dalla pratica di incendiare la montagna. Tuttavia, gli incendi dolosi continuarono per mano di anonimi e in alcune occasioni si avvicinava alle città e i templi vicini. Per evitare pericoli simili, la città di Nara stabilì una regola per permettere alle persone di bruciare la montagna con la partecipazione di rappresentanti dei tempi Todaiji e Kohfukuji assieme al Nara Bugyosho alla fine del periodo Edo.
photo credits: toshimo1123 on flickr
Il festival Yamayaki (montagna bruciante) deriva dalle superstizione per calmare gli spiriti dei morti allo Uguisuzuka Kofun localizzata in cima alla montagna, quindi il Yamayaki potrebbe essere anche considerato come un momento di raccolto alla memoria dei defunti.
Storia moderna e odierna
Dal 1900, si susseguirono una serie di cambiamenti legati al Wakakusa Yamayaki Matsuri. In primis, l’orario fu spostato dal diurno al serale e anche la sua data si spostò all’11 febbraio (Giorno dell’impero), anche se durante il periodo della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, le celebrazioni si tennero durante il pomeriggio. A seguito, nel 1910, l’organizzazione passò in mano alla prefettura di Nara.
photo credits: karihaugsdal on flickr
Dopo la fine della guerra, lo Yamayaki divenne nuovamente un evento serale assieme ad uno spettacolo pirotecnico di oltre cento fuochi artificiali.
Durante gli anni cinquanta, la data dello Yamayaki fu spostata al 15 gennaio, il “Giorno della Maggiore età”, mentre nel 1999, a causa dell’implementazione del cosiddetto “Happy Monday System Act” (legge che spostò alcune feste pubbliche al lunedì), il festival venne celebrato la domenica prima del “Giorno della maggiore età”.
photo credits: toshimo1123 & nwhitely on flickr
Dal 2009 troviamo la combinazione che ancora oggi esiste, ovvero l’evento si tiene il quarto sabato di gennaio con uno spettacolo pirotecnico di centinaia di fuochi artificiali. Questi ultimi, sono l’unico evento a Nara che usa i fuochi d’artifico Shakudama che hanno un diametro di oltre 30cm. Uno spettacolo pirotecnico assolutamente magico che vi assicuriamo rimarrà per sempre impresso nei vostri ricordi.
Il monte Wakakusa
Il monte Wakakusa è alto 342 metri e largo 33 ettari ed è ricoperto di erba con discese delicate. Qui si possono vedere cervi, fiori stagionali e piante, come i tradizionali ciliegi giapponesi in primavere e i fantastici colori autunnali tipici del Giappone. Inoltre dalla sua cima, è possibile vedere tutto il panorama della città di Nara con tutta la sua parte storica.
photo credits: 158175735@N03 & mashipooh on flickr
Il monte Wakakusa è circondato da molti patrimoni mondiali dell’UNESCO come i templi Todaiji e Kohfukuji e la foresta primaverile del monte Kasuga, quindi è bene prestare la massima attenzione onde evitare incidenti come far diffondere il fuoco.
La parata
Guidata dal rumore dei corni di conchiglia suonati dal preti della montagna del Tempio Kinpusenji, più di 40 persone affrontalo la parata solenne attraverso il parco, indossando i costumi tradizionali dei rappresentanti dei templi di Kasugataisha, Todaiji e Kohfukuji e degli ufficiali dell’ufficio della magistratura di Nara nel periodo Edo.
photo credits: toshimo1123 & katiefujiapple on flickr
L’evento comincia con il Gojinkahotaisai, la Cerimonia di accettazione del fuoco sacro che si tiene al parco Tobohino, sul luogo del Grande falò Tondo. In questa cerimonia, il fuoco sacro viene trasferito dal Grande Falò Tondo alle torce. A seguito di ciò, parte la parata che porterà il fuoco sacro sino al tempio Nogami. Una volta arrivati al tempio Mizuya, il sacro fuoco portato dal tempo Kasugataisha sarà trasferito ad una serie di torce. Una volta arrivato al Tempio Nogami, alla base del monte Wakakusa, il fuoco sacro va a formare un altro grande falò.
photo credits: katiefujiapple on flickr
Durante la parata, il fuoco è accompagnato da costanti preghiere in primis per la sicurezza dello Yamayaki. A seguire il fuoco viene trasferito nuovamente alle torce, accompagnato dai canti dei preti dei templi todaji, Kohfukuji e Kinpusenji. A questo punto, la parata si sposta verso il grande falò al centro della base della montagna dove viene acceso, dando così inizio allo spettacolo di luce e calore.
photo credits: nara-park.com
Accesso
Il monte Wakakusa si trova a circa 10 - 15 minuti a piedi dal tempio Todaiji e dal Kasuga Taisha. La montagna può anche essere raggiunta a piedi dalla stazione di Kintetsu Nara in circa 35 minuti o dalla stazione JR di Nara in circa 50 minuti. In alternativa potete utilizzare gli autobus in partenza sia dalla stazione che da Kasuga Taisha ad un piccolo costo.
Se siete in Giappone in questo periodo, il prossimo Yamamaki avrà luogo fra qualche giorno, il 26 gennaio 2019. Non perdetevelo e aspettiamo i vostri racconti!
photo credits: ks_photograph
[:en]One of Japan's most famous matsuri is the Wakakusa Yamayaki Matsuri held in the city of Nara on the fourth Saturday of January.
photo credits: matsuritracker on flickr
Le Origini
On the top of the third hill of Mount Wakakusa we find the Uguisuzuka Kofun, a keyhole-shaped tombstone.
Legends say that in the past if the mountain was burned by the end of January in the new year, it was possible to repel deaths returning from their graves. On the contrary, if the mountain was not burned by the end of January, a big period of misfortune layed before the city of Nara. As a result, the stories tell that people passing by Mount Wakakusa began to ignite the mountain without permission.
photo credits: smartus & matsuritracker on flickr
Following this, there were some incidents where the fire from Mount Wakakusa came to approach the boundaries of the Todaiji and Kohfukuji temple repeatedly. Because of this, in December 1738, the Nara magistrate's office (Bugyosho) prohibited people from burning the mountain. However, the arson fires continued at the hands of anonymous people and on some occasions approached the nearby cities and temples. To avoid similar dangers, the city of Nara established a rule to allow people to burn the mountain with the participation of representatives of the Todaiji and Kohfukuji temples along with the Nara Bugyosho at the end of the Edo period.
photo credits: toshimo1123 on flickr
The Yamayaki festival (burning mountain) comes from superstitions to calm the spirits of the dead at the Uguisuzuka Kofun located at the top of the mountain, so the Yamayaki could also be considered as a moment of service in memory of the dead.
Modern history and present day
Since 1900, there have been a series of changes related to Wakakusa Yamayaki Matsuri. Firstly, the time was shifted from day to night and even its date moved to 11 February (Day of the Empire), although during the period of World War II, the celebrations were held during the afternoon. Later, in 1910, the organization passed into the hands of the prefecture of Nara.
photo credits: karihaugsdal on flickr
After the end of the war, the Yamayaki once again became an evening event together with a fireworks display of over one hundred fireworks.
During the fifties, the date of the Yamayaki was moved to January 15, the "Coming of Age day", while in 1999, due to the implementation of the so-called "Happy Monday System Act" (law that moved some public holidays on Mondays) , the festival was celebrated on the Sunday before the "Coming of Age day".
photo credits: toshimo1123 & nwhitely on flickr
Since 2009 we find the combination that still exists today, where the event is held on the fourth Saturday in January with a fireworks display of hundreds of fireworks.
On this matter, this is the only event in Nara that uses the Shakudama fireworks that have a diameter of over 30cm. An absolutely magical fireworks display that we guarantee will always remain engraved in your memories.
Mount Wakakusa
Mount Wakakusa is 342 meters high and 33 hectares wide and is covered with grass with delicate slopes. Here you can see deers, seasonal flowers and plants, like the traditional Japanese cherry trees in spring and the fantastic autumn colors typical of Japan. Also from its top, it is possible to see the whole panorama of the city of Nara with all its historical part.
photo credits: 158175735@N03 & mashipooh on flickr
Mount Wakakusa is surrounded by many UNESCO world heritage sites such as the temples Todaiji and Kohfukuji and the spring forest of Mount Kasuga, so be very careful to avoid accidents such as spreading the fire.
The parade
Led by the sound of shell horns played by the mountain priests of the Kinpusenji Temple, more than 40 people face the solemn parade through the park, wearing the traditional costumes of the representatives of the temples of Kasugataisha, Todaiji and Kohfukuji and of the officers of the judiciary office of Nara in the Edo period.
photo credits: toshimo1123 & katiefujiapple on flickr
The event begins with the Gojinkahotaisai, the sacred fire acceptance ceremony held at the Tobohino park, on the site of the Great Round Bonfire. In this ceremony, the sacred fire is transferred from the Great Round Bonfire to the torches. Following this, the parade will take the sacred fire to the Nogami temple. Once arrived at the Mizuya temple, the sacred fire brought by time Kasugataisha will be transferred to a series of torches. Once at the Nogami Temple, at the base of Mount Wakakusa, the sacred fire forms another great bonfire.
photo credits: katiefujiapple on flickr
During the parade, the fire is accompanied by constant prayers in the first place for the safety of the Yamayaki. The fire is then transferred back to the torches, accompanied by the songs of the priests of the temples Todaji, Kohfukuji and Kinpusenji. At this point, the parade moves towards the big bonfire in the center at the base of the mountain where it is lit, thus giving birth to the spectacle of light and heat.
photo credits: nara-park.com
Access
Mount Wakakusa is about a 10 - 15 minute walk from the Todaiji temple and Kasuga Taisha. The mountain can also be reached on foot from Kintetsu Nara station in about 35 minutes or from JR Nara station in about 50 minutes. Alternatively, you can use buses departing from both the station and Kasuga Taisha for a small fee.
If you are in Japan during this period, the next Yamamaki will take place in a few days, January 26, 2019. Do not miss it and we’ll wait for your stories!
photo credits: ks_photograph
[:ja]One of Japan's most famous matsuri is the Wakakusa Yamayaki Matsuri held in the city of Nara on the fourth Saturday of January.
photo credits: matsuritracker on flickr
Le Origini
On the top of the third hill of Mount Wakakusa we find the Uguisuzuka Kofun, a keyhole-shaped tombstone.
Legends say that in the past if the mountain was burned by the end of January in the new year, it was possible to repel deaths returning from their graves. On the contrary, if the mountain was not burned by the end of January, a big period of misfortune layed before the city of Nara. As a result, the stories tell that people passing by Mount Wakakusa began to ignite the mountain without permission.
photo credits: smartus & matsuritracker on flickr
Following this, there were some incidents where the fire from Mount Wakakusa came to approach the boundaries of the Todaiji and Kohfukuji temple repeatedly. Because of this, in December 1738, the Nara magistrate's office (Bugyosho) prohibited people from burning the mountain. However, the arson fires continued at the hands of anonymous people and on some occasions approached the nearby cities and temples. To avoid similar dangers, the city of Nara established a rule to allow people to burn the mountain with the participation of representatives of the Todaiji and Kohfukuji temples along with the Nara Bugyosho at the end of the Edo period.
photo credits: toshimo1123 on flickr
The Yamayaki festival (burning mountain) comes from superstitions to calm the spirits of the dead at the Uguisuzuka Kofun located at the top of the mountain, so the Yamayaki could also be considered as a moment of service in memory of the dead.
Modern history and present day
Since 1900, there have been a series of changes related to Wakakusa Yamayaki Matsuri. Firstly, the time was shifted from day to night and even its date moved to 11 February (Day of the Empire), although during the period of World War II, the celebrations were held during the afternoon. Later, in 1910, the organization passed into the hands of the prefecture of Nara.
photo credits: karihaugsdal on flickr
After the end of the war, the Yamayaki once again became an evening event together with a fireworks display of over one hundred fireworks.
During the fifties, the date of the Yamayaki was moved to January 15, the "Coming of Age day", while in 1999, due to the implementation of the so-called "Happy Monday System Act" (law that moved some public holidays on Mondays) , the festival was celebrated on the Sunday before the "Coming of Age day".
photo credits: toshimo1123 & nwhitely on flickr
Since 2009 we find the combination that still exists today, where the event is held on the fourth Saturday in January with a fireworks display of hundreds of fireworks.
On this matter, this is the only event in Nara that uses the Shakudama fireworks that have a diameter of over 30cm. An absolutely magical fireworks display that we guarantee will always remain engraved in your memories.
Mount Wakakusa
Mount Wakakusa is 342 meters high and 33 hectares wide and is covered with grass with delicate slopes. Here you can see deers, seasonal flowers and plants, like the traditional Japanese cherry trees in spring and the fantastic autumn colors typical of Japan. Also from its top, it is possible to see the whole panorama of the city of Nara with all its historical part.
photo credits: 158175735@N03 & mashipooh on flickr
Mount Wakakusa is surrounded by many UNESCO world heritage sites such as the temples Todaiji and Kohfukuji and the spring forest of Mount Kasuga, so be very careful to avoid accidents such as spreading the fire.
The parade
Led by the sound of shell horns played by the mountain priests of the Kinpusenji Temple, more than 40 people face the solemn parade through the park, wearing the traditional costumes of the representatives of the temples of Kasugataisha, Todaiji and Kohfukuji and of the officers of the judiciary office of Nara in the Edo period.
photo credits: toshimo1123 & katiefujiapple on flickr
The event begins with the Gojinkahotaisai, the sacred fire acceptance ceremony held at the Tobohino park, on the site of the Great Round Bonfire. In this ceremony, the sacred fire is transferred from the Great Round Bonfire to the torches. Following this, the parade will take the sacred fire to the Nogami temple. Once arrived at the Mizuya temple, the sacred fire brought by time Kasugataisha will be transferred to a series of torches. Once at the Nogami Temple, at the base of Mount Wakakusa, the sacred fire forms another great bonfire.
photo credits: katiefujiapple on flickr
During the parade, the fire is accompanied by constant prayers in the first place for the safety of the Yamayaki. The fire is then transferred back to the torches, accompanied by the songs of the priests of the temples Todaji, Kohfukuji and Kinpusenji. At this point, the parade moves towards the big bonfire in the center at the base of the mountain where it is lit, thus giving birth to the spectacle of light and heat.
photo credits: nara-park.com
Access
Mount Wakakusa is about a 10 - 15 minute walk from the Todaiji temple and Kasuga Taisha. The mountain can also be reached on foot from Kintetsu Nara station in about 35 minutes or from JR Nara station in about 50 minutes. Alternatively, you can use buses departing from both the station and Kasuga Taisha for a small fee.
If you are in Japan during this period, the next Yamamaki will take place in a few days, January 26, 2019. Do not miss it and we’ll wait for your stories!
photo credits: ks_photograph
[:]
