#Kaishu

[talesofedo]

I came across two photos of Katsu Kaishu that I haven't seen before, taken in 1867 by Charles Leander Weed, who is actually mostly known for his landscape photography.

In the first (left) image, Katsu Kaishu is standing in the back row, next to Ambassador Robert Van Valkenburgh, on the far left.

In the second photo, Katsu Kaishu is standing in the back row, third from right. The second image also identifies the other individuals (tentatively), left to right: Ezure Akinori (Foreign Office), Robert Van Valkenburgh, Ishikawa Jukei, Inaba Masami (daimyo of Tateyama Domain), Katsu Kaishu (Minister of the Army), Matsudaira Taro (Commander-in-Chief of the Army), and Ozeki Masuhiro (daimyō of Kurobane Domain).

I'm assuming that the occasion of these photos has something to do with the shogunate's purchase of the ironclad Kotetsu, in 1867. Van Valkenburgh prevented its delivery, and it was later sold to the new government forces during the Boshin War, where it was used against shogunate forces.

On 6 May 1869, Kaiten rammed Kotetsu as planned, and the elite Shinsengumi began boarding Kotetsu. However, the nine-foot difference in deck height greatly impeded the boarding team, giving the Kotetsu’s crew time to overcome the shock of surprise and turn the Gatling gun on the boarding team, which was slaughtered, including the boarding team commander. (Via)

[card-queen]

A bunch of recent art for all my different projects from my madness a few days ago about making primer documents for all of them to show off to my sisters. Isn't brief moments of unhinged productivity a delight?

[annicaax]

Will play his route next... Snippets from current event preview

[ridingthewhitechocobo]

it's been ages since I post a bishi... so here he is....

[iidakosuke]

axis of the team 回転軸

[fogaminghub]

💥 Ready to conquer The Pillar of Edo in "Rise of the Ronin"? Our comprehensive guide will walk you through every mission step! 🏆✨ Discover how to deepen your bonds, engage in epic battles, and outsmart your foes. 

[aishwarya17]

Kaishu 👅🥵

[niteshade925]

April 13, Xi'an, China, Shaanxi Archaeology Museum/陕西考古博物馆 (Part 5 - Tang dynasty, Song dynasty, and later):

Happy Mid-Autumn to everyone!

First up is again an undisputed star of the museum, the gold crown of Li Zhui/李倕. Li Zhui was the 5th generation descendant of Li Yuan/李渊, aka Emperor Gaozong of Tang, the first emperor of Tang dynasty (618 - 907 AD). It's speculated that this crown was what the Tang-era term "轻金冠" (lit. "light gold crown") was referring to. The crown itself wasn't just gold, however, it also had parts of silver, copper, and iron, decorated with pearls, mother of pearl, agate, turquoise, rubies, amber, ivory, and glass.

And it wasn't just a crown either. There were other pieces that were part of her outfit:

Various Tang-era gold and silver thread embroidery pieces found in the crypt of Famen Temple/法门寺, the plaque is visible in many of these so I won't be naming them all. There's a saying among Chinese archaeologists: "dry things last a thousand years, wet things last ten-thousand years, half-wet half-dry things last half a year" ("干千年，湿万年，不干不湿就半年"). This refers to the conditions the artifacts/remains were in over time, stable conditions usually preserve artifacts and remains better than changing conditions. Fabric-based artifacts are notoriously hard to preserve, especially in Xi'an's "half-wet half-dry" climate, so these are a rare sight:

Note that the bird and flower design on the right is actually not an embroidery, but designs woven straight into the fabric:

The gold threads used in these embroideries were made by wrapping long strips of gold foil around thread through the turning of these hook-shaped tools.

The gold threads produced from the above process were mainly used in two ways, either woven into the fabric (top), or embroidered onto fabric (bottom). The kind of embroidery here is called cujinxiu/蹙金绣, which uses gold threads and a technique that is similar to couching

Models of the microscopic structure of different types of silk fabric found in Famen Temple. In common usage today, the term sha/纱 often refers to light, almost see-through polyester fabrics, but in the past this term refers exclusively to a type of light silk fabric. However, the other ones listed here (ling/绫, luo/罗, juan/绢, jin/锦) almost always refer to silk fabrics.

Different types of motifs/patterns found on artifacts throughout time. Left is the evolution of juancaowen/卷草纹 ("curled plant motif") from Tang dynasty to Jin dynasty (1115 - 1234). Right is the evolution of lianhuawen/莲花纹 ("lotus flower motif") from Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127) to Yuan dynasty (1206 - 1368).

Left: evolution of juhuawen/菊花纹 ("chrysanthemum flower motif") from Tang dynasty to Yuan dynasty. Right: evolution of mudanwen/牡丹纹 ("moutan peony motif") from Tang dynasty to Yuan dynasty, and the evolution of youyuwen/游鱼纹 ("swimming fish motif") from Northern Song dynasty to Yuan dynasty.

This is another one of my personal favorites, a Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644) bronze vessel with cloisonné enamel (called 掐丝珐琅 or jingtailan/景泰蓝 in Chinese). This type of vessel is called a gui/簋.

Song-era green-glazed porcelain from Yaozhou Kiln Site (耀州窑), so it's called yaoci/耀瓷 for short. This particular style is made by carving designs onto the piece before glazing and firing. I have attempted something similar when I took that wheelthrowing class years ago, but I failed lol

A Northern Song-era stone dui/敦 from the tomb of Lü Dalin/吕大临. The calligraphy here is in kaishu/楷书 script.

Also from the tomb of Lü Dalin, the left is a wine flagon with a dedicated holder used to warm the entire vessel along with the wine inside. The right is a incense burner with a swastika on top. Note that swastikas are very common in Chinese Buddhism, and is taken to mean "myriad" or "infinity" (the swastika is pronounced wan/萬, which literally means "ten-thousand", the figurative way of saying "infinity" in Chinese).

The process of making tea in Song dynasty, called diancha/点茶, which generally involves these steps: grinding the tea into a powder, sifting the tea powder, putting tea powder into a tea cup, pouring in hot water, and whisking the tea with a chaxian/茶筅 to create a light foam before drinking. In Song dynasty, the literati would hold contests among themselves to see who could make the perfect tea using the diancha method. This complex and time/effort consuming method was gradually phased out within China by the time of Ming dynasty, but deeply influenced Japanese tea making methods.

Left: a small porcelain piece depicting a mother lion and cub. The Chinese depiction of lions, called shi/狮, largely comes from a combination of the mythological suanni/狻猊, and the rare real lions that were given to China as gifts in the past. Right: a pottery dragon from Yuan dynasty, if I remembered correctly.

Also the previous part on Han dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD) artifacts was getting way too long, so I put these two pictures here at the end. In ancient China, many round coins had a square hole in the middle, and these holes were used to string the coins up for easier storage and counting. Such strings of coins are called minqian/缗钱, and this is why the quantifier for coins in ancient China is usually chuan/串, guan/贯, or diao/吊. In usage, chuan is not a strict quantifier, but 1 guan or diao = 1000 coins.

A modern recreation of a Han-era painted lacquer box, this red pattern on black background look is very characteristic of Han-era painted lacquerware:

Painted pottery statue of a Buddhist deva:

The painted wall murals of a Yuan dynasty tomb, viewed from below:

And this concludes the posts for Shaanxi Archaeology Museum! The next museum (also the last one) will be Shaanxi History Museum, specifically the new Qin-Han dynasties museum.

[nemfrog]

Turtles. Hokusai. Denshin kaishu ippitsu gafu : zen. 1823.

[apothecaryscript]

Memo for Episode 6 “The Crystal Pavilion, for the Third Time”

猫猫（緑(みどり)がかった目……玉葉様(ギョクヨウさま)と同(おな)じ西方(さいほう)の生(う)まれか？昨日は肝(きも)っ玉(たま)母(かあ)ちゃんに見えたけど、��(お)ち着(つ)いて話すと聡明(そうめい)な印象(いんしょう)だな…。何(なん)にせよ、お茶(ちゃ)まで出されて気(き)が引(ひ)ける…）

Maomao (Midori-gakatta me……Gyokuyo-sama-to onaji saiho-no umare-ka? Kinowa kimottama-kaachan’ni mieta-kedo, ochi-tsuite hanasu-to someina insho-dana… Nan’ni-seyo, ocha-made dasarete kiga hikeru…)

Maomao (Green-tinted eyes… Is she from the western region, like Lady Gyokuyou? She seemed like a ‘tough mother hen’ type yesterday, but in a calm setting, she gives a wise, reserved impression. At any rate, this is intimidating, with the nice tea and everything.)

〇〇がかる(〇〇gakaru): becoming like 〇〇 ex) 神がかった（かみがかった/Kami-gakatta）: Godlike, divine

〇〇(Color)＋がかる = colored like 〇〇 (not completely but close)

肝っ玉母ちゃん(きもったまかあちゃん/Kimottama-kaachan): I don’t know “tough mother hen” but I can imagine. It means a tough, powerful, gutsy mother.

深緑「昨日は失礼(しつれい)いたしました。貴妃(きひ)のところの方(かた)とはつゆ知(し)らず」

Shenryu “Kinowa shitsurei itashi-mashita. Kihi-no tokoro-no kata-towa tsuyu-shirazu.”

Shenlü “Please excuse me for my attitude yesterday. I had no idea you worked for the Precious Consort.”

つゆ知らず（つゆしらず/Tsuyu-shirazu）: not knowing at all

露(つゆ/Tsuyu): dew ＋ 知らず(shirazu) = つゆほども知らない(Tsuyu-hodo’mo shira-nai): not knowing even a bit

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桜花「それがどういうことか分(わ)かってるの！？医官以外が薬を作っていると、もし表沙汰(おもてざた)になったら…！」

Infa “Sorega do-iu kotoka wakatteru-no!? Ikan-igaiga kusuri’o tsukutte-iruto, moshi omote-zatani nattara…!”

Yinghua “Do you understand what you’re saying?! If people find out that someone who’s not a doctor is making medicines…!”

表沙汰になる（おもてざたになる/Omote-zata’ni naru）: Something that you don’t want to be known to the public become public.

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杏「どうしたも何(なに)もないわ。病(やまい)がうつらないよう、病人(びょうにん)を隔離(かくり)するのは常識(じょうしき)でしょう？」

Shin “Doshita-mo nanimo naiwa. Yamaiga utsura-nai-yo, byonin’o kakuri-suru-nowa joshiki-desho?”

Shin “Why not? Isn’t it common sense to quarantine a sick person to make sure the illness doesn’t spread?”

うつる(utsuru): contagious  “うつる” is used as a verb.

Ex) 私の風邪が母にうつった(わたしのかぜが、ははにうつった/watashino kaze’ga haha’ni utsutta): My cold was passed on to my mother. / My mother got my cold.

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壬氏「これはどういうことだろうか？杏殿(シンどの)。キャラバンの品(しな)には、毒物(どくぶつ)になり得(う)るものがあったため回収(かいしゅう)する。そう、触(ふ)れが出(で)ていたはずだが」

Jinshi “Korewa do-iu koto daroka? Shin-dono. Kyaraban’no shina’niwa, doku-butsu’ni nari-uru-mono’ga atta-tame kaishu-suru. So, fure’ga dete-ita-hazu-daga.”

Jinshi “What is the meaning of this, Lady Shin? Some items from the caravan were to be confiscated, as they could make poisons. That was the clear directive.”

触れ（ふれ/Fure）: orders or instructions issued from government offices to common people (old word)

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杏「それより、いきなりやって来て、梨花様に会わせろと言った挙(あ)げ句(く)、他(ほか)の宮の物置を漁(あさ)る方(ほう)が問題(もんだい)では？そもそも、病人に食事(しょくじ)を運(はこ)ぶくらいでしか、人(ひと)の寄(よ)り付(つ)かない場所(ばしょ)です。逆(ぎゃく)を言えば、誰(だれ)でも近(ちか)づけました。これらが私の物である証拠(しょうこ)でも？」

Shin “Sore-yori, ikinari yatte-kite, Rifa-sama’ni awasero-to itta ageku, hokano miya’no mono-oki’o asaru-hoga mondai’dewa? Somo-somo, byonin’ni shokuji’o hakobu-kuraide-shika, hito’no yori-tsukanai basho desu. Gyaku’o ieba, dare-demo chika-zuke-mashita. Korera-ga watashi’no mono’de-aru shoko’demo?”

Shin “On the other hand, for them to suddenly barge in here demanding to see Lady Lihua, only to then start ransacking our shed, is somehow not a problem? In fact, the only reason anyone went to that place was to feed the sick. Conversely, anyone could be there at any time. How can you prove that these items belonged to me?”

挙げ句（あげく/Ageku）: (after doing a lot of things) finally, at last. This word is mainly used in a negative meaning.

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杏「熱(ねつ)に浮(う)かされ、朦朧(もうろう)としていた下女の発言(はつげん)を？どこまで信頼(しんらい)できますか」

Shin “Netsu’ni uka-sare, moroto shite-ita gejo’no hatsu-gen’o? Doko-made shinrai deki-masuka.”

Shin “The testimony of a barely conscious, feverish servant? Is that trustworthy?”

朦朧とする（もうろうとする/Moro-to suru）: barely conscious, half conscious, be in a hazy state

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猫猫「大(たい)したことはありません。そうですね。私などが触れてよいわけがありませんでした。違(ちが)う方(かた)に調(しら)べてもらいましょう」

Maomao “Tai-shita-kotowa ari-masen. So-desune. Watashi-nadoga furete-yoi-wakega ari-masen-deshita. Chigau kata’ni shirabete-morai-masho.”

Maomao “It’s no big deal. You’re right. I had no right to lay my hands upon you. Let’s have someone else investigate.”

大したことはない（たいしたことはない/Taishita kotowa nai）: It’s no big deal.

大したこと（たいしたこと/Taishita koto）: big deal

Don’t read 大した(tai-shita) as だいした(dai-shita). It’s a big difference for Japanese and it could be mistaken for “having a bowel movement.”

小（しょう/Sho）、小さい方（ちいさいほう/Chiisai-ho）: No.1, pee

大（だい/Dai）、大きい方（おおきいほう/Ookii-ho）: No.2, poo

Of course, usually, 小 means “small” and 大 means “big/large”. But the combination with “する” could be easily misunderstood.

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杏「くっ…。何、上(うえ)から目線(めせん)で言ってるの…。そういうところが昔(むかし)から嫌(きら)いなのよ！！勉強(べんきょう)も作法(さほう)も私の方(ほう)ができた！他にもいっぱい、あなたよりも私の方が優(すぐ)れてるのに！何で…周(まわ)りはみんな…！」

Shin “Ku… Nani, ue’kara-mesen’de itteru-no… So-iu-tokoro’ga mukashi’kara kirai-nanoyo! Benkyo’mo saho’mo watashi’no-hoga dekita! Hoka’nimo ippai, anata-yorimo watashi’no-hoga sugureteru-noni! Nande…mawari’wa minna…!”

Shin “What, now you’re talking down to me? That’s what I’ve always hated about you! I was always better at my studies and manners than you! And I excel in so many more things than you! And yet, why does everyone…!”

上から目線（うえからめせん/Ue-kara-mesen）: talking down, looking down

This is a recent trendy phrase mainly among young people.

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壬氏「それは自白(じはく)と捉(とら)えていいか？」

Jinshi “Sorewa jihaku’to toraete iika?”

Jinshi “May I consider that a confession?”

自白（じはく/Jihaku）: confession

I like this line by Jinshi, at this timing. It’s very cool!

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杏「はぁっ！ふ、触れるな！宦官ごときが汚(けが)らわしい！離(はな)せ！離せぇ！はっ」

Shin “Haa! Fu, Fureruna! Kangan-gotoki’ga kegarawashii! Hanase! Hanasee! Ha.”

Shin “Don’t tough me! Unhand me, you filthy eunuch! Let go!”

〇〇ごとき(〇〇Gotoki): This word itself means “like/such as” but it is added in order to insult 〇〇.

It’s also used when we want to humble ourselves.

Ex) そのような大役（たいやく）は私（わたし）ごときには務（つと）まりません（Sono-yona tai-yaku’wa watashi-gotoki-niwa tsutomari-masen）: I can’t take on such a big role. ←Such important role cannot be fulfilled by someone like me.

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猫猫「フフッ」（やるなぁ。もう昔の梨花様じゃない。自分(じぶん)の玉(たま)の緒(お)のついえるのを待つ儚(はかな)げな女性(じょせい)は、どこにもいない）

Maomao “Fufu.” (Yaru-naa. Mo mukashi’no Rifa-samaja nai. Jibun’no tama’no o’no tsuieruno’o matsu hakanagena josei’wa, doko-nimo inai.)

Maomao (Well played. She’s no longer how she was in the past. She’s no longer the fading, frail woman, waiting for her life’s thread to sever itself.)

やるなぁ： “Well played” is perfect here. Please say it with a long ending, “なぁ、なー”softly. Otherwise “やるな” can mean “Don’t do it.”

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梨花妃「今後一切(こんごいっさい)、後宮(こうきゅう)への立(た)ち入(い)りを禁(きん)じてください」

Rifa-hi “Kongo-issai, kokyu’eno tachi-iri’o kinjite-kudasai.”

Concubine Lihua “Please ban her from ever entering the rear palace again.”

今後一切（こんごいっさい/Kongo-issai）: Never again

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This was an impressive episode, with Shin’s villainy and Concubine Lihua’s resolute behavior. Normally, Shin would have been sentenced to death, but Concubine Lihua deliberately behaved in this way to avoid that. Sadly, Shin will never understand this. If Shin had not been Concubine Lihua’s head lady-in-waiting, Concubine Lihua would not have lost the prince, and as the mother of the next emperor, she might have been in a more advantageous position than Concubine Gyokuyou. Anyway, I’m glad that the Crystal Pavilion is finally going to be run properly.

[whencyclopedia]

History of Chinese Literature

Ancient Chinese literature developed following the evolution of script which evolved from divination practices of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). The pictographs made on oracle bones by diviners became the script known as Jiaguwen (c. 1600-1000 BCE) which developed into Dazhuan (c. 1000-700 BCE), Xiaozhuan (700 BCE - present), and Lishu (the so-called "Clerky Script", c. 500 BCE).

From these came Kaishu, Xingshu, and Caoshu, cursive scripts which writers later used in prose and poetry to create the great works of Chinese literature. The following collection presents a brief overview of this development.

Continue reading...

[talesofedo]

AU where Okada Izo's freedom is secured with a lot of help behind the scenes from both Sakamoto Ryoma and Katsu Kaishu.

Instead of being beheaded, he gets to recover physically from the months of torture, but it's hard to trust anyone after all his teacher has put him through, and since his own brother tried to poison him.

But the hot cup of tea feels nice in his hands, even if he's not going to drink it.

[arthistoryanimalia]

#FrogFriday 🐸:

Frog Vase China, late Qing Dynasty, c.1900 polychrome doucai porcelain H 5.52 in (14 cm) x W 8.27 in (21 cm) x D 10.24 in (26 cm)

Description: "We are pleased to present this large, polychrome doucai-decorated frog vase, a remarkable piece from the late Qing dynasty. The vase is colourfully adorned in overglaze famille rose & underglaze blue on white ground, techniques that exemplify this type of Chinese ceramic artistry. The central motif features a vivid tableau of lotus leaves, flowers, & birds. Each element is not merely decorative but steeped in cultural symbolism. The lotus represents purity & enlightenment, while the crane is a symbol of longevity & good fortune. The doucai decoration brings these motifs to life, capturing the nuances of color & form in exquisite detail. Adding to its historical & artistic significance, the vase bears an iron red script Kaishu mark to the base reading "義謙堂龍年製" (Yi Qian Tang Long Nian Zhi). This mark not only authenticates the piece but also situates it within the broader context of late Qing dynasty ceramic production in the Canton region."

[dorothydalmati1]

Amphibia Short 31: Evil As Can Be

Written by Dan Siegel

Storyboard by Mike Austin, Oreste Canestrelli, Benton Connor, Kaishu Mennella & Kevin Pawlak

Directed by Steve Hirt

Animated by Mercury Filmworks

[verdantcrimson]

Heaven and Earth - Prologue

(Unproofread)

Chapter list | Next

[The first year of the establishment of ES. Mid-February. In an ES Meeting room.]

Keito: Now then, I will be returning your answer sheets.

Keito: Here are the results of the flash history test that we of AKATSUKI conducted the other day to test our knowledge of Japanese and World History.

Keito: Allow me to roughly summarize the results. Firstly, I, Keito Hasumi, have managed to score reasonably high in both Japanese and World History.

Keito: Kanzaki scored even higher than me in Japanese History, but his World History grade is abysmal.

Souma: Hehe. My parents have been instructing me in Japanese History since I was a child. I took a liking to it and often researched it out of interest.

Keito: Yes. Your diligence is commendable. However, I would like you to try a little harder in your studies of World History, if you can.

Souma: I am not too fond of World History due to all of the horizontal writing¹.

Keito: Your studies shouldn’t be at the mercy of your personal preferences. Well, more on that later, but for now…

Keito: The problem here is you, Kiryu.

Kuro: ……

Keito: Oi. I’m talking to you, don’t look somewhere else.

Keito: The lecture you’re going to get only increases in length for every second you spend looking away from me.

Kuro: But danna…

Keito: Don’t ‘but danna’ me. No excuses. I’m very disappointed in you.

Keito: Do you remember anything from when we studied to appear on a history related quiz show together? We studied so hard that the textbook was about to fall apart.²

Kuro: ……

Keito: But you’ve just forgotten everything you learned from then. Actually, because you studied so half-heartedly, you might have even gotten worse.

Keito: If I were to critique each and every one of your test answers, we’d be here all day, but allow me to read out a typical one of your unique answers just to give you a sense.

Keito: When I first saw it, I doubted my eyes, my sanity and even my glasses.

Souma: It is difficult to imagine Hasumi-dono ever doubting his glasses.

Keito: Don’t make light of the situation. See here, this is an elementary school level question. “Who was the second shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate?”

Keito: Kiryu’s answer was ‘Ishida Mitsunari’.

Souma: How could that have come to occur…?

Keito: I think he may have gotten it mixed up in his head, since Ishida Mitsunari is often brought up alongside Tokugawa Ieyasu when discussing The Battle of Sekigahara.³

Keito: I’ve told him about the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Keito: How did their opponents magically overtake the government? It’s quite interesting to imagine what might have led to that outcome. I don’t mean this as a compliment, by the way.

Kuro: W-well, it’s not like I mentioned someone completely random, so I’d at least like to be appreciated for that much.

Keito: Yes. Admittedly, you tried.

Kuro: I did, right? I thought about it real hard before answerin’! I dunno why I’m bein’ forced to take a test like this in the first place!

Keito: About that, originally I was planning to properly announce this after seeing the test results—

Keito: But as you can tell, I hadn’t anticipated Kiryu’s brain being such a trainwreck.

Keito: Actually, the announcement was concerning sort of a large job offer for us, but now I’m debating whether to take it or not.

Souma: Were his answers truly that terrible?

Keito: Yes. In fact, some of them are so strange, I’m starting to wonder if he’s being dense on purpose.

Keito: Take this one, for instance. “Name the three people responsible for saving Edo from wartime, otherwise known as the ‘Sanfune of Edo’.” ⁴

Souma: This question was a little troublesome for me as well.

Souma: I was able to recall 'Katsu Kaishu'⁵ fairly quickly, but found difficulty naming the other two. I fear I may have gotten them mixed up with the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration⁶.

Keito: Kiryu’s answer to this is ‘Ishida Mitsunari’.

Souma: Kiryu-dono, are you not perhaps excessively fond of Ishida Mitsunari?

Keito: It is very interesting to imagine how Ishida Mitsunari must have felt after magically conquering his enemy’s forces and then time-traveling to the future to bring about a peaceful conclusion to the Edo Era. That’s not all, by the way.

Keito: Here are the other two names that Kiryu provided as answers.

Keito: ‘Tokugawa Ieyasu’.

Souma: Tokugawa Ieyasu⁷ has now come back to life after being enshrined!?

Keito: And lastly, ‘Ishida Ieyasu’.

Souma: Whoever might that fellow be!?

Keito: No clue. You should ask him. Kiryu, who is this guy?

Souma: Kiryu-dono, could it be that the only Japanese historical figures you remember the names of are Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu…? A-at the very least, you would do well to remember someone like 'Katsu Kaishu'!

Kuro: Shut up already… History doesn’t matter to us in the present day anyways.

Keito: Actually, it does. You see, we’ve been asked to host the ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ show.

Souma: What? Hasumi-dono, could you possibly be referring to that ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ show!?

Kuro: What’s that supposed to mean…… I’m not as studious as you guys, so I’ve got no clue what that even is.

Souma: To put it simply, it is a long-running educational program. I myself have watched it many a time.

Keito: Yes. While most educational shows are aimed at children, this one stands out as a more intense, catered to experts, covering far more intellectual subjects.

Keito: This long-running history-based educational program aims to explore history both broadly and in-depth.

Keito: It’s an excellent show for any fan of History, and it frequently surfaces in discussions of history… You’ve really never heard of it, Kiryu?

Kuro: That a bad thing? I haven’t had much reason to casually ‘discuss history’ in my whole life.

Souma: Ah- Um, regarding the show? Would it truly be possible for us to appear on ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’?

Keito: I wish I could just accept the offer officially. Naturally, such an opportunity is an honor.

Keito: It matches well with our image. However, the hosts of the show must be well-versed in their knowledge of history.

Keito: Hence this test, which was to ascertain our level of knowledge in the field.

Keito: I’m not naming names, but someone performed far worse than I could imagine, and so I fear it may not be possible for us to serve as hosts— Unfortunately.

Kuro: Argh, I’m sorry that that someone was just fucking stupid!?

Souma: I- It’s quite alright, Kiryu-dono. You are by no means a fool. You simply had naught an opportunity nor desire to learn. Right, Hasumi-dono?

Keito: Exactly. That’s why, over the course of the next week, Kiryu is going to learn all about history.

Keito: If he’s still living in a world where Ishida Mitsunari ruled the Tokugawa Shogunate by the end of this— Well, I’ll just pretend we never got any offer at all, and forget about it entirely.

Keito: I love this show, and I would have loved to host it if possible… However, if we’re unsuited for the job, then it can’t be helped.

Kuro: ……

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Translation notes (Apologies in advance for the History lesson)

Souma is being very literal here. Most Japanese text is traditionally written vertically.

This is a reference to a previous Idol story.

The Battle of Sekigahara was a clash between the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari. Historically, it was Mitsunari's loss, hence Keito's incredulity later. You can read more about it here.

The 'Sanfune of Edo' (幕末の三舟) are three people credited to preventing war from occurring with their diplomatic skill during the transfer of power from the Feudal Tokugawa Shogunate to the more modern Japanese Empire during the beginnings of the Meiji Restoration in an event known as the Fall of Edo.

Katsu Kaishū was one of the aforementioned Sanfune.

The Three Great Nobles of the Restoration were notable figures during the beginning of the Meji Restoration. Their existence and involvement with the Sanfune during the same time period is why Souma could've had difficulty discerning them.

Souma actually refers to him as Tōshō Daigongen (東照大權現), a name used to refer to him after his death, as he was enshrined as a deity posthumously, on his own wishes, to oversee the next generation.

[countess--olenska]

Japanese men. In the center is Inaba Masami (a daimyō of Tateyama Domain during late-Edo period Japan).

The other men from the right to the left side are: Ozeki Masuhiro, Matsudaira Tarō, Katsu Kaishu, Ishikawa Jukei , Van Varuken Berg (US envoy), Ezure Akinori (foreign service).

September 1867