#Tōhoku

[gregor-samsung]

浅田家! [The Asadas] (Ryōta Nakano, 2020)

[scrapblring]

[dummy-kanji]

Onagawahama, Onagawa-cho: July 4, 2011 por guen-k Por Flickr: Google Map

[petitworld]

Oirase, Aomori, Tōhoku, Japan by Mitsuo Mukao

[streetlamp-amber]

first kicks

batfamily x batmom!reader

word count: 1.9k | divider by @saradika | requests are open!

CW: family fluff, pregnancy NOTES: i wanted to write more batfam fluff this time with jason included. very sorry if jason is ooc, most of my knowledge of him comes from fics lol

Rainy Sunday afternoons at Wayne Manor were usually spent with you and your sons in the living room, occupying the big U-shaped sectional sofa. Sometimes Bruce would join you three, resting his feet on the coffee table as he worked on his laptop. Today was one of those days.

You were helping Dick do some research on the internet for a science school project that was due next week while Jason laid on his stomach on the other side of the couch, reading a Where’s Waldo? book by himself. Your husband sat in the other corner of the couch, doing some research on the latest villain terrorising Gotham. You didn’t mind if the work he was doing was for Batman, as long as he spent some time with the family outside of the cave, you were satisfied. Especially since the Wayne clan was about to expand in a little more than four months. Plus, with your belly growing bigger as the weeks went by, it was becoming harder for you to do some tasks around the house. Tasks that you didn’t want to ask Alfred for help with since it was your husband’s job to be at your beck and call through the pregnancy. Bruce obviously didn’t mind and loved helping you, he just sometimes tended to get lost in his Batman work for long periods of time.

The television was playing in the background, a football game between two teams that you didn’t really care about was taking place but you didn’t mind. You couldn’t work well without some sort of background noise and this was doing the job.

”So Dick, have you chosen which natural disaster to base your research project on?” Bruce asked your eldest while closing his laptop and joining him on his other side, making the twelve year old squished between his parents.

”We’ve narrowed it down to three: the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and Hurricane Katrina,” Dick answered, clicking on different tabs of each of the natural disasters as he named them. “I want to do my research on a popular one so I can easily find all the information I need.”

”Smart, isn’t he?” You smirked at Bruce as you mindlessly threaded your fingers in Dick’s dark hair who continued scrolling on the internet.

“Never thought otherwise,” your husband said, mirroring your grin. “Jay, have you found all the Waldos yet?” He leaned forward to ask Jason.

“I’m almost done,” the six year old easily dismissed Bruce, not even bothering to tear his eyes away from the pages.

“It’s best not to bother him when he’s searching for Waldo,” you informed your husband in a low volume.

Bruce nodded his head in understanding and redirected his attention back on Dick. “So, how are you gonna make your choice, chum? You could write them down on three pieces of paper and do a draw,” he suggested, leaning his arm on the back of the couch behind Dick, his fingers playing with the neck of your tshirt.

“Dad, I don’t need to write it down on some paper,” Dick sighed, a little annoyed. “You can do that on the internet now.”

“You can?” Bruce asked, surprised. Your husband was really tech savvy when it came down to work related to Batman, but silly, random stuff like a drawing roulette was not part of his internet knowledge.

You leaned your head on your left hand that was propped on the back of the couch and soothingly rubbed your round belly with the other. You watched with a soft smile Dick showing Bruce how to generate a random picking wheel to spin on the internet. Moments like these were the ones you cherished the most, domesticity wasn’t always the norm around here when you had two vigilantes living under your roof so you always tried to savour them whenever they happened.

The calmness in you was interrupted when you felt movement under your right hand.

“Oh my God,” you whispered, eyes round like saucers as you looked down at your bump and raised up the hem of your shirt to make sure what you felt was right.

“What?” Bruce immediately turned his attention to you. “What is it? Is something wrong? Are you alright?”

“I think the baby just kicked,”you said, raising your head to meet his eyes.

“The baby just kicked?” He repeated in disbelief.

You shook your head ‘yes’ just as you felt more movement. “The baby kicked again.”

Bruce rapidly stood up to sit by your side while Dick discarded his laptop before placing a hand on your belly and Jason left his book to climb on your husband’s lap to be closer to you. All had a hand on your stomach, staring at it expectantly, waiting for another kick.

“I don’t know if the baby’s gonna kick again,” you told them.

“Well that’s just not fair,” Jason whined.

“We just need to be patient,” Bruce said. “I’m sure the baby will do it again.”

And sure enough he was right. 

“Oh my God! I felt it! I felt the baby kick!” Dick exclaimed, though he kept the volume of his voice to a low level as if he would scare the baby away if he screamed.

“I wanna feel it too!” Jason cried.

“Here Jay, put your hand there,” you told your youngest as you gently grabbed his wrist and moved his hand to a different area of your belly, closer to Dick’s hand.

“Maybe if we keep talking, the baby will kick again,” Dick suggested.

“That’s true, babies can hear us from inside the mother’s belly,” Bruce agreed with him.

“They can?” Jason looked at you quizzically.

You chuckled at his confused face as you brushed his hair away from his forehead. “Yeah they can, it’s not completely soundproof in there,” you answered him.

“That’s why Dad is always talking to your belly?” Dick asked.

You fully laughed at this. “Yes, that’s why Dad talks to the belly. You can too if you wanna.”

“We can?” Dick perked up then leaned closer to your bump. “Hi baby, I’m Dick. Your big brother,” he said.

Jason also leaned forward. “And I’m Jason, I’m also gonna be your big brother.”

“Yeah but I’m the big big brother, I’m the oldest,” Dick argued.

“But I’m gonna be a big brother too!”

“Boys,” Bruce intervened. “No arguing around your mother. The baby will hear enough of that when it joins our lives, let it have its peace while it’s in the womb.”

A series of kicks started at that moment, making Dick and Jason gasp in surprise at the movements they felt under their hands. Bruce turned to you and the two of you shared a look full of love.

“That’s our baby,” he said to you, almost in a whisper, while Dick and Jason continued marvelling at the fact they could feel their sibling.

“That's our baby,” you repeated in confirmation. Nothing could've erased the smiles on both of your lips.

“I love you,” Bruce said against your forehead before leaving a soft kiss there and pulling away to share a short peck on the lips with you.

“Ew! Gross!” Jason interrupted your moment. Your sons weren’t the biggest fans of you and Bruce’s displays of affection for each other.

You giggled at the boys’ antics but still took a second to say “I love you” back to your husband.

“Someone should get Alfred so we can share this moment with him,” you suggested to the kids.

“Not it!”

“Not it!”

Jason and Dick quickly shouted, the former being the fastest to say it.

Dick groaned before he stood up from the couch and jogged out of the living room. The faster he would find Alfred, the faster he would be back next to you. “Alfred! The baby is kicking for the first time!” Dick called through the manor for your butler.

“He knows he doesn’t need to scream, right?” Bruce asked you. “Alfred can hear the boys break something all the way from the other side of the house.”

“Oh, let him be. He’s just very excited about the baby kicking,” you lightly reprimanded him with the corner of your mouth pulling up in a smirk.

You detached your gaze from your husband down to Jason who now had both of his small hands on your belly, his mouth in the shape of an ‘O’ and his eyes round with wonder in them.

“This is so cool,” he said, barely above a whisper.

“Looks like you’re gonna have some competition Jay, that baby sure is kicking a lot,” Bruce jokingly commented as the kicking didn’t stop.

You chuckled as you remembered all the times you’d stop by the gym room to find Jason relentlessly kicking at Bruce’s punching bag. For a six year old, he already had so much anger pent up inside his little body and it worried you sometimes. But ever since Bruce brought him back to the Manor, Jay had been getting better. The amount of vases thrown at the wall had drastically decreased since then, both to yours and Alfred’s reliefs, and he instead would run to the gym room and let out his anger on the punching bag when needed.

“I can’t wait to play fight with you,” Jason whispered loudly to your belly with a smile.

“No,” you immediately said.

“Best you stick to play fighting with Dick for a couple more years, buddy,” Bruce told your son.

Jason pouted. “But he's always pulling some acrobatic shit–”

“Language!” You scolded him.

“But Ma! Dad and Dick say it all the time!” Jason cried out defensively. “That’s not fair,” he retracted his hands from your belly to cross his arms over his chest.

“Well Dad and Dick, and you too apparently, will not be saying words like that around the baby,” you warned. “Capiche?”

“Capiche,” Jason mumbled.

“Capiche?” You repeated, now glaring at your husband.

“Hey, I’ve really been refraining on the bad words ever since Dick joined us,” Bruce argued but you raised your eyebrows in a way that said this wasn’t what you wanted to hear. “Capiche,” Bruce sighed out, knowing he wasn't going to win this fight.

“Master Dick, slow down a little. There’s no need for running,” you heard Alfred’s voice approaching down the hall.

“But Alfred, the baby is kicking!” Dick reiterated.

Your oldest ran in the living room, his hand firmly holding Alfred’s who tried to keep up behind him.

“I heard you the first ten times, Master Dick, the baby will still be there no matter how fast we get there,” Alfred argued.

“Yeah but it might stop kicking,” Dick said and the two sat on the couch to your unoccupied left.

“Don’t worry chum, the baby’s still kicking,” Bruce told him while looking fondly at your belly.

“Please Alfred, feel the baby,” you said to your butler with an inviting smile, grabbing his hand that rested on his knee and gently squeezing it. “We want you to be part of this moment too.”

Alfred’s hand joined the others on your bump and the old man smiled at you and Bruce as he felt the tiny bumps moving around under your skin. “This is sensational.”

“Isn’t it?” You smiled back at him, content to have everyone you wanted to share your baby’s first kicks with.

Your little family of five (soon-to-be six) remained on the couch until the baby grew tired and stopped kicking, much to Dick and Jason’s dismay. Alfred went back to his tasks, the boys to their laptop and book, and Bruce wrapped his arm around your shoulder as you cuddled next to him, watching over your children and just enjoying the normalcy of this Sunday afternoon.

Domesticity used to be rare at the Wayne Manor, but not anymore. And you, for one, were very happy about it.

[nyaa]

Photo taken in Akihabara two hours before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

[harvardfineartslib]

The Ainu people are an indigenous ethnic group residing in the northern parts of the Japanese archipelago, including what is today known as Hokkaido and the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Their ancestors date back to the Paleolithic (35,000 – 13,500 BCE) and Jomon periods (13,500 – 400 BCE).

This accordion style album is a copy of Ishūretsuzō (夷酋列像), also known as A Series of Paintings of Ainu Chieftains. It is a series of twelve painted portraits of Ainu elders who helped suppress the Menashi–Kunashiri rebellion in 1789 by siding with the Wajin (ethnic Japanese people, also called Yamato people). The original portraits were completed in 1790 by the Japanese artist Kakizaki Hakyō (1764–1826) and was received by the imperial court in Kyoto in 1791. The album includes a portrait of an elderly woman named Chikiriashikai, the mother of the chieftain Ikotoi, also pictured in the album.

Tan Yi-Ern Samuel, Ph.D. student in the Department of History of Art and Architecture, is looking at this album for his paper in Professor Yukio Lippit’s seminar on East Asian Portraiture, taught with curator of Chinese painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Joseph Scheier-Dolberg. Today, we opened the album to look at it in its standing accordion style. The clothing worn and other accoutrements including animal fur depicted in the portraits show the connections between the Ainu, the Wajin, China, and Russia during that time.

The Ainu people are one of the few ethnic minorities native to the Japanese islands. They have been subjected to forced assimilation and colonization by the Japanese since at least the 18th century or earlier. Their ancestors, referred to as Emishi, were pushed to the northern islands by Wajin since the 9th century. The portraits of Ainu elders in this album reveal how they might have been fashioned in the imagination of the Wajin in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

夷酋列像圖.

Ishūretsuzō zu Title on book: 夷酋圖 : 夷酋十二人圖像 [Japan] : [publisher not identified], [between 1826 and 1830?] Japanese Dates on original paintings: 文政九年 [1826], 十一年[1828] and 十三年[1830] Dates on original paintings: Bunsei 9-nen [1826], 11-nen [1828] and 13-nen [1830]. HOLLIS number: 990147257380203941

[enriquemzn262]

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

[scrapblring]

Hirosaki Castle at dusk / Japan (by Oscar Tarneberg).

[wearysaer]

"Long ago, the Crystal Pool was infused with crystalline material from an unknown source. Its water has a faint glow, but it’s safe to drink and even serves as the village’s water source. Tales say that gazing upon the glowing water can allow you to meet those who have passed on."

Finding this location in Kitakami and reading the sign there kinda gave me brain worms.

[Some thoughts that include a mild Perrin quest spoiler under the cut]

Kitakami seems to be based on the Tōhoku region, which is right south of Hokkaidō (the equivalent of Hisui/Sinnoh).

This places the regions very close to each other, something that is also confirmed by Perrin when she talks about an Ursaluna having crossed the water long ago to reach Kitakami.

If one was to attempt travel to look for hints at their past, it'd probably be the best place to start.

[gregor-samsung]

浅田家! [The Asadas] (Ryōta Nakano, 2020)

[colourme-feral]

Translation notes for Futtara Doshaburi / When It Rains, It Pours ep 2

Obrigada obridge as always, @my-rose-tinted-glasses!

Note: There are two meanings to the phrase, suezen wo taberu, which Sei chooses to describe 2 types of men. The first meaning being the 'eating the meal set before one' and the second being 'to accept (typically) a woman's advances'.

This person doesn't seem to be having sex. In the first place, he doesn't seem to have sexual desires. Speaking of, all I do is think of this stuff. It's really bad/damn.

It's been two years since I started living with my girlfriend and I think we'll probably get married.

Note: Hagiwara uses futsuu ni, which was translated as regularly, but can also mean usually or normally and I think it reveals his belief that a couple having sex regularly is normal.

I want to (have sex), but my girlfriend dislikes it. It's not that she says I don't like it, or stop it, but she keeps refusing me gently. I can't say anything more (than that and only) think, 'ah, this again?'.

Rather than say you're fastidious, (I'd say) you give off a sense of cleanliness.

Note: It is quite unusual for someone in Japan, especially in their 20s or 30s, not to use Line. It is one of the most popular messaging apps used by millions in Japan. It was launched in Japan in June 2011, after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, during which millions of people didn't have access to power and phone lines and SMS networks were overwhelmed and quickly gained popularity within the country. Before Line was introduced, carrier-based emails were the most popular method of communication in Japan. (more info)

Fujisawa: I want to continue living with you, just as things are now. I want to be with you forever. This can't become the type of relationship you wish for, but I don't plan on dating or wanting to get married. Even then, will that do? Sei: Kazuaki has continued being with me, just as he said he would. He also treats me well. But he won't hold me (read: have sex with). Not even grasping back my hand.

I will probably continue being with (Fujisawa) Kazuaki forever. But that forever means continually rejected gently forever. Note: Hagiwara's earlier description of his relationship and Sei's of his own are very similar.

Futtara Doshaburi / When It Rains, It Pours translation notes・Other translation notes

[tokidokitokyo]

新潟県

Japanese Prefectures: Chūbu - Niigata

都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan

Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!

Kanji・漢字

新　あたらしい、あらた、にい～、シン　new

潟　かた、がら　lagoon

県　ケン　prefecture

中部　ちゅうぶ　Chūbu, Central Japan, the central region of Japan

Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Niigata (新潟市)

Niigata Prefecture is famous for its high-quality rice, sake, spectacular fireworks displays in winter, skiing in winter, and hot springs year-round. Niigata lies along the Sea of Japan and includes the offshore islands of Sado and Awa. Silt deposited by the Shinano and Agano rivers has created the lowlying Echigo Plain in the central part of the coastline, where the majority of the prefecture's population live. Most of the cities are along the coast as the rest of the prefecture is mountainous.

Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット The Katakai Fireworks Festival - 片貝まつり

Katakai Fireworks Festival (source)

The Katakai Fireworks Festival is an annual autumn celebration at Asahara Shrine. Fireworks serve as dedications to the shrine, with individuals and companies expressing their sentiments by contributions to the display. The display contains the "yonshakudama" firework, the world's largest firework with an 800-meter diameter, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

In the morning, the town of Katakai is full of traditional events like the dedication of firework balls to Asahara Shrine, and rituals praying for the success and safety of the upcoming display.

Other fireworks festivities include the Gion Kashiwazaki Festival Sea Fireworks (July 26th) which illuminates the night sky over the sea; the Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks Show (August 2nd & 3rd) which unfolds along the banks of the Shinano River; and the winter display of Echigotsumari Fireworks in the snow (Late February) where fireworks color ethereal flower fields of light on snowy plains.

Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理 Hegi-soba (Buckwheat noodles) - へぎそば

Hegi-soba (source)

Soba is usually made with soba flour and wheat; however, this Niigata style soba is made by mixing a type of seaweed called funori with the seaweed. Soba originated in the Edo period, and in Niigata soba was made in an area called Uonuma. Uonuma didn't grow wheat, and so often local vegetables like ground burdock root were added to the soba flour to make noodles instead. In addition to soba, Uonuma was famous for its beautiful textiles, and when weaving the cloth, funori would be ground up and applied to the weft to stiffen the fibers and make the process easier. Someone must have come up with the idea to add funori to soba flour one day, and hegi-soba was invented.

Like zaru-soba, hegi-soba gets its name from the rectangular serving tray in which it is served. The verb hagu means to strip or peel, and in many dialects of the Kanto region it is pronounced hegu. The trays made from planed wood were called hegi. Thus the soba, wound by hand into bite-sized portions and layered on the tray, is called hegi-soba.

The funori makes the noodles a little more slippery than regular soba noodles but the taste doesn't differ much. The best way to enjoy hegi-soba is to dip the noodles into the dipping sauce, or mentsuyu, to get a base flavor. Then, try it with some hot Chinese mustard: Spread a little mustard on the soba, then dip the soba into the mentsuyu without letting the mustard and mentsuyu mix. Next, add sliced green onions to the mentsuyu and dip in your noodles. Finally, add some ground sesame seeds to the mentsuyu and try out that taste.

Hegi-soba is the pride of Niigata, such that you can get a special Soba Ticket in the city of Tokamachi, which gives you two 500-yen vouchers for soba, usable at 14 different restaurants in the city.

Niigata Dialect・Niigata-ben・新潟弁

Niigata-ben has three different classifications - two on the mainland (Tōkai-Tōsan dialect and Tōhoku dialect) and one on Sado Island (Sado dialect).

あちこたねぇ　achi kota nee

Standard Japanese: たいしたことない、大丈夫、心配ない　(taishita koto nai, daijyoubu, shinpai nai) English: trivial, not amounting to much, it's okay, don't worry about it

あちこたねぇよ、きっと大丈夫��から achi kota nee yo, kitto daijyoubu dakara

心配ないよ、きっと大丈夫だから shinpai nai yo, kitto daijyoubu dakara

Don't worry, it's going to be okay

2. かんべんね　kanben ne

Standard Japanese: ごめんね　(gomen ne) English: I'm sorry

あー！かんべんね。忘れちゃった。 aa! kanben ne. wasurechatta.

あー！ごめんね。忘れちゃった。 aa! gomen ne. wasurechatta.

Ah! I'm sorry. I forgot.

3. ごおぎ　(gougi)

Standard Japanese: 大変、ものすごく　(taihen, monosugoku) English: immense, greatly

これはごおぎ難しいね kore wa gougi muzukashii ne

これはものすごく難しいね kore wa monosugoku muzukashii ne

This is very difficult, isn't it

4. なじらね　(najirane)

Standard Japanese: い��がですか、調子はどうですか (ikaga desu ka, choushi wa dou desuka) English: how are you, how are things

A: 今日はなじらね？ kyou wa najirane? B: ばっかいいて～ bakka ii te～

A: 今日は調子どう？ kyou wa choushi dou? B: すごくいいよ～ sugoku ii yo～

A: How are you doing today? B: Really good～

5. そいがー　(soi gaa)

Standard Japanese: そうなんだ　(sou nan da) English: oh really, oh I see

A: この前ぽんしゅ館に行ってきたて～ Kono mae Ponshukan ni itte kita te～ B: そいが？ Soiga?

A: この前ぽんしゅ館に行ってきたんだよ Kono mae Ponshukan ni itte kitanda yo B: そうなの？ Sou na no?

A: The other day I went to Ponshukan* B: Oh really?

*Note: Ponshukan shops are located inside three major JR stations in Niigata, this sake "theme park" where you can sample leading local sake brands, purchase sake-related goods, and even soak in a sake hot spring bath.

More Niigata dialect here (JP).

[hermitw]

Ainu appearance in JJK - Sukuna, tattoos, and the Inumaki clan (and Yaga Masamichi & bears)

A bit of background before we get more into it:

The Ainu (“human” or “people”) are an indigenous people in Japan native to the regions of Hokkaidō, Northern Tōhoku, and Karafuto, among others. As part of their ancestral tradition, Ainu women had the custom of getting tattoos on their bodies, including their lips. For the Ainu, the tattoo was perceived as a symbol of beauty, a talisman and an indispensable tool to prepare their body for after death. However, the traditional tattoo was legally prohibited by the Japanese government in 1871, in an attempt to force Ainu to follow a “Japanese lifestyle”. As the result, Ainu women reduced the use of tattoos on their bodies, progressively changing their concept of beauty and losing an important part of their ancestral tradition. 

https://dajf.org.uk/event/the-meaning-of-tattoos-for-ainu-women

…the Ainu people were stripped of their land, customs, and language in hopes that they would assimilate to Japanese culture. It wasn't until 1997 that this law was lifted and the Ainu people were allowed to practice their own customs again, but by that time, much of the damage was done. 

https://www.tofugu.com/japan/ainu-japan/

I am building off of this analysis about Sukuna's tattoos which I'd read before but just recently watched the linked yt vid and I'm 

Going insane bc the Ainu tattoo process involves slicing and burning (Sukuna's CT…) 

And the style looks a lot like sukuna's... in color, thickness, geometry... The focus of bands and circles, on the face and arms...

There is also resemblance to inumaki's marks. I wonder if that clan is related... Along with Sukuna, Wasuke (grandpa) and Yuuji Itadori, (and Heian Uraume) their hair is thick, wavy, above the shoulder, and lighter in color. I don't think we ever see Toge write - his preference for speaking could be another hint, with the Ainu language being spoken.

For the sake of staying focused and not spreading misinformation (iirc cursed speech users are supposed to be killed as soon as they're noticed), for now I'm thinking that the inumaki clan assimilated into Japanese culture, possibly hiding, denying, or forgetting their background - but most likely forced into submitting to jujutsu headquarters, who fear the inumaki clan, instead of considering them as one of the major 3. (the Ainu were not legally recognized as a people until 2018, so their rejection from jujutsu politics just seems to fit).

I've only found this photo of Sukuna's outfit irl (innate domain), but pretty much every Ainu character has the same piece in Golden Kamuy - and the colors are the same.

The Ainu language being polysynthetic makes it even more convincing that Sukuna intentionally addressed Gojo as husband.  

I wonder if sukuna preferred to use their CT for more peaceful, creative purposes (there were all those comments about slicing fish, the malevolent kitchen, not to mention their interest in flowers and poetry etc etc). 

The tattoos could have significance in preparing the body for death - which feels relevant, considering how they always show in any form Sukuna takes, and at times when Yuuji is still fronting (after eating a finger). 

They could be symbols of beauty, or coming of age. 

To go along with the trans Sukuna evidence - Ainu men grew beards, and the women got tattoos. 

The use of tattoos as a talisman is interesting - the way that Geto saw Gojo as his talisman, that Sukuna said “love is worthless”, the way that some of them look like eyes - which would give sukuna six eyes (and convinced me that jjk would end with Gojokuna). I wonder if it was partially out of hypervigilance, or to enhance observation - Sukuna's edge was the ability to analyze and adapt faster than anyone else.

They might have been a method of protection from trafficking. There is some historical evidence of enslavement. Forced assimilation and relocation certainly happened during Sukuna's lifetime.

The Ainu people were from the northeast island.

Iirc, Heian events of jjk were around Kyoto (I'll have to read again so pls correct me here) - or at least, Sukuna's appearances are not in Hokkaido, but further west.

As a side note, it was the northeast part of the sea where Momotaro was going to fight demons, which kenjaku (who I blame for history remembering sukuna as a demon) and Gojo (who always wanted to fight sukuna) mentioned… Idk if this has any connection, but I think about it (the theme of momotaro vs momotetsu, mainly).  

This mentions a means of preventing evil spirits from entering the body through the mouth. The same source has a historical timeline, up until today (which is interesting and worth reading):

I'll add this screenshot if you want a bit more Heian context:

Since their tattoos were criminalized in the Meiji era, we know less about the practice and significance now. There could have been a lot of style evolution over the hundreds of years since the Heian era. 

Some part of me wonder if Sukuna's tattoos were originally the bands with space in between (one more reason to prefer megkuna over true form), but were filled in later as a mark of ownership. Uro isn't a perfect reference with her CT, but she is always wearing that choker, which feels similar. Idk, the solid ones around true form Sukuna's wrists and ankles read like shackles to me. 

We know from that brief moment in JJK0 that Ainu sorcerers exist in-universe, and it sounds like they work separately from jujutsu headquarters - only contacted as a last resort. We don't get to know what their CTs are like, but I reread JJK0 looking for anyone with a burning or slicing CT during the parade. It doesn't look like the Ainu Jujutsu Society showed up, but there wasn't much in the manga compared to the movie.

This instrument (tonkuri) looks So Familiar (it sounds rly cool, the artist has more chill & acoustic music out also on bandcamp, soundcloud etc), I swear it was shown in the manga. (one more thing to look for on read 4… if anyone finds this, or has anything to correct or elaborate on, please go ahead). 

https://youtu.be/TI6nMOi0IoQ

Additional thoughts are the way that Sukuna's talk about the fish, slicing, mincing, plant identification etc etc it just. Idk if I'm reading too much into this but looking up Ainu foods are like??? Ok I see what you did gege.

Also, from the yt vid that drove me to look into this - Mayunkiki's introduction.

My name is Mayun Kiki. Mayun refers to the clanking sound of metal in Ainu, which is thought to be a noble sound in our culture.

Kiki means "scratching everywhere" and I was given this name as I have a habit of scratching myself.

The clanking sound of metal being noble...

And thank you to @thepersonperson for giving me so much to think about in all those meta analysis posts

Eta; Masamichi Yaga and bears (Panda)

The Ainu people worshipped bears, and at times sacrificed them to release the spirit. But first, the young bear is raised almost like a human child.

While Yaga has made a wide range of creatures, it is interesting that Panda is always sacrificing himself without hesitation, and that Yuuji spent the most time with the bear (i thought the green one, Kathy, is based on the Kappa).

So I can't say anything with certainty, but Yaga also has thick hair and deep-set eyes, and facial hair so... The way he worked with the bear spirit and raised Panda as his own child,, it's there right?

And in jjk0, Yaga made the call to contact the Ainu sorcerers - this is the only time we hear that name in the series (at least in the manga, I haven't finished the light novels yet).

One way that the Ainu were similar to the Japanese is in the way of religion. The Ainu, just like the Japanese people, were animists and believed that all things are inhabited by spirits known as kamuy. While there are many gods in Ainu belief, one of the most important is known as Kim-un Kamuy, or the god of bears and the mountains. All animals are thought to be the manifestations of gods on Earth in Ainu culture, however, the bear is believed to be the head of gods and is therefore known as kamuy, or "God."

Yaga being, by far, the leading expert on cursed corpse sorcery...

Traditionally, the Ainu sacrificed bears in order to release the kamuy within them to the spirit world. One tradition, called lotame, involves the raising of a young bear cub as if it were an Ainu child and then sacrificing once it has come of age.

Tell me this is not about Panda.

[mayimkjs]

I figured out what train Mikoto takes in Double

But before I get into the meat of this, let me explain how I'm doing this post. First, I'll be going over the basics. I will be then going over everything that has been bolded.

There will be a part 2 to this post where I try to triangulate his actions through out MeMe.

So I started at Shibuya Station since the image on his mugshot board was taken in Shibuya.

I then narrowed it down to the Saikyō Line or the Yamanote Line. Both of which are standard commuter lines operated by JR East. So then I looked at what the trains look like and the train that is currently in use for the Yamanote Line looks almost identical to the one in Double.

The train that is currently in use is the E235 series which was first rolled out on November 30th 2015 and recalled the same day due to a number of issues including problems with door close indicators. It was later reintroduced on March 7th 2016. As of January 20th 2020, it has been the only type on train in service on the Yamanote Line.

The line is known to be overcrowded due to being a circle and hitting all of the major locations in Tokyo. It starts and ends most commonly at Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa but can also start/stop at Ikebukuro Station in Toshima. Some trains start from Tamachi Station in Minato in the mornings and end at Shinagawa Station in Minato in the evenings. Trains run from 04:26 to 01:04 the next day and there are a total of 30 stations in the loop. The outside of the loop gose clockwise and the inside goes counter clockwise.

Yamanote roughly translates to foothills. After WW2, all of the train place cards were romanized, and because 山手 reads as Yamate, the line was mistranslated until the 70s.

All of the stations located in the Shibuya Ward are Ebisu, Shibuya, Harajuku and Yoyogi. Part of the line is shared with the Tōhoku and Tōkaidō Main Lines. From Tabata Station in Kita to Tōkyō Station in Chiyoda are shared by the Tōhoku Main Line. From Yūrakuchō Station in Chiyoda to Takanawa Gateway Station in Minato are shared by the Tōkaidō Main Line.

The line was first was opened on March 1st 1885, operating between Shinagawa Station in Minato and Akabane Station in Kita. The second part was opened on April 1st 1903, operating between Ikebukuro Station in Toshima and Tabata Station in Kita as a seperate line. On October 12th 1909, the 2 lines were merged, which created the present day Yamanote line. The full loop was completed in 1919 with the addition of Tōkyō Station in Chiyoda, and 1925 with the addition of Akihabara Station in Chiyoda.

The picture on his card is specifically from Ebisu. But the station seen in Double doesn't match up with the Yamanote Line platforms as they are island platforms, not side platforms. If he was at Ebisu Station, He would likely be at JR platform 1. This one is directed to Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. Shibuya only has island platforms and one of Yoyogi's and Harajuku's platforms are also islands. Out of the remaining platforms in the Shibuya portion of the line, Harajuku platform 2 looks the closest. It would also make sense that he would be in Harajuku due to his interests.

The line being a circle makes sense with the theme of Double; a never ending train that never stops. And the technical issues with the doors adds to this feeling of being trapped. The train also being overcrowded matches up with what it's like in the beginning of Double. However, the train soon is completely empty.

[tacoma-narrows]

Additional one that didn't fit in the main post </3

Tōhoku (Toyhouse Link)

SeaWing/SandWing hybrid

Lives by the beach

Loves to cook and owns a snack shack by the ocean

Very chill, would probably host a surfing contest

Tac's OC Ref Masterpost!

Heya everybody! I'm not sure where the thought for this came from but I wanted to make a post that just has all of my OCs' refs in it in case anyone ever needs to find them and doesn't wanna ask me for them (which ur always welcome to do btw!) or doesn't wanna go digging through their Toyhouse galleries. This will be linked in my pinned post as well, so if you ever need to find it again, it'll be there! Every character will have their Toyhouse page linked below their ref, so you'll have easy access to more in-depth info and more gallery images if needed!

All the refs are below the read more since this is going to be a really long post, so be prepared for that if you take a look lol. It's organized the same way as my Toyhouse, with sonas first, then primary, secondary and tertiary OCs (basically categorized by how much I use them and how much development they have). I'll put a little bit of information about each character and whenever I make a new ref for a character, I'll swap out the old version with the new one here!

Also feel free to ask me anything abt any of my characters ever!! I adore talking abt them <333

SONAS

(These guys are ordered by how much I use them/how representative of me they are)

Shep (Toyhouse Link)

My main sona and most complete representation of myself out of all my characters!

22 y/o asexual biromantic German Shepherd

Boyfriends with PBnJ

Lead vocalist/guitarist for Let's Get Back!

PBnJ (Toyhouse Link)

Secondary sona

Usually goes by just PB

Also Ace/Biro, Golden Retriever

Boyfriends with Shep

Bassist and backup vocalist for Let's Get Back!

Starburst (Toyhouse Link)

Main comfort sona, personal favorite OC <33

Kinsona based on Jenny from Wayside, who's my biggest comfort character!

Do not draw her without her outfit!! Also please only draw her anthro!

Second tallest of my anthro characters, slighter taller than Shep, not as tall as Wilkołak

Very friendly, adventurous and always looking to live life to the fullest!

Spatter (Toyhouse Link)

Pokesona

Move set: Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Rain Dance and Protect. Feel free to draw him using any of these!

Has roughly equal number of purple and green splatter markings

Very squishy, loves giving/receiving hugs

Vostok (Toyhouse Link)

Main Dragon/WoF-sona

My oldest OC, I've had him since February of 2017

May look intimidating but rlly just a big soft guy

Blue and purple scales make chevron shapes (not zigzags, not checkerboards, not stripes, etc.)

PRIMARY OCS

(Characters from here going forward are listed alphabetically per section)

Agouti (Toyhouse Link)

RainWing

Relatively quiet and shy until you get to know her

Lesbian, girlfriends with Rhazz

Can feel the emotions of others very strongly (for better or worse)

Doppler (Toyhouse Link)

SeaWing/RainWing hybrid (75% Sea/25% Rain)

Weather forecaster with his wings and scales that show weather radar

Makes up a weather watching/storm chasing team with Sundial and ThunderSnow

Boyfriend of Sundial

Radar can show any kind of weather (rain/thunderstorms, hurricanes, snow storms, tornadoes, etc.)

Eejanaika (Toyhouse Link)

SkyWing/RainWing hybrid

Name pronounced Edge-a-NYE-ka

Goes by Eej as a nickname

Has issues with anxiety and self-confidence

Demisexual, girlfriend of ThunderSnow

Has a short right horn, RainWing frill spines with no membrane, a double-pointed nose spike and is missing every other spine along her back as a result of being a hybrid

Name and design based on the old color scheme for the Eejanaika roller coaster at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan

Firecracker (Toyhouse Link)

Jack Russell Terrier

Small but full of energy!

Love 4th of July themed snacks and baked goods (his personal fav are Star Spangled Ding Dongs haha)

Friends with Starburst over their shared energetic lifestyle and red white and blue color solidarity :]

Isaac (Toyhouse Link)

Celestdog - Australian Shepherd

Nonbinary Asexual

Quiet and reserved, generally prefers to do their own thing

Very smart, loves trivia facts

Sibling to Moxie and the rest of the Celestdog family

Kwaro (Toyhouse Link)

SilkWing

Gay, boyfriends with Rutabaga (owned by @/macaronichewtoyz)

Likes to sing, but is self-conscious about singing in front of others

Generally softspoken

Kinda velvety soft rather than full scales

Luau (Toyhouse Link)

Major comfort OC

Very chill, laid back attitude

Good friends with PB and Shep

Occasionally guest vocalist for Let's Get Back! and often runs the lights/effects for their shows

Always has a flower in her hair, but can be any flower!

Girlfriends with Seabreeze

Moxie (Toyhouse Link)

Celestdog - Siberian Husky

Another major comfort OC

Loves to have fun, can play a little rough sometimes but always means well

A bit bigger and more stocky than Isaac

Sister to Isaac and the rest of the Celestdog family

Pebble (Toyhouse Link)

Small and fluffy with long, silky fur

Husky/Samoyed mix

Hates getting his fur dirty

Smallest of my feral dog OCs

Pumpernickel (Toyhouse Link)

Twin brother to Rye

Drummer and backup vocalist for Let's Get Back!

Easygoing and relaxed

Enjoys being outside at night

Rhazz (Toyhouse Link)

Huge comfort OC

Design and personality based around the Roaring Twenties

Super energetic and affectionate

Lesbian, girlfriends with Agouti

Stage performance partners with Foxtrot

Has a necklace, two hoop earrings on her left ear, a ring on her left horn and a feathered headdress (all are not optional when drawing her!)

Rye (Toyhouse Link)

Twin to Pumpernickel

A bit more rambunctious than his twin

Likes to strut around thinking he's cool stuff when he's really just kind of a dork

Keyboardist, backup guitarist and backup vocalist for Let's Get Back!

Seabreeze (Toyhouse Link)

Lively surfer girl

Girlfriends with Luau

Good friends with Starburst as well, as both are pretty adventurous

Always has her lucky seashell necklace

Wilkołak (Toyhouse Link)

Big scary (or at least he tries to be scary) transgender wolf guy

Name can be pronounced either Veel-koak or Will-ko-Lack (His name means Werewolf in Polish)

Tallest of my anthro OCs

Has hydrokinetic powers and his blue markings glow when he uses them

Used to be a WoF Fantribe OC named Galeforce before I redesigned him lol

SECONDARY OCS

Arroyo (Toyhouse Link)

SandWIng

Sometimes acts as an older brother figure to Rhazz

Higher-up at a gold mine in the desert

Ruff is stylized to look like messy hair

NightWing/SilkWing hybrid

Stage performer, performance partners with Rhazz

Loves showtunes music

Feel free to simplify his design if needed lmao

Magma (Toyhouse Link)

Biggest of any of my dragon characters

Veteran of some war (he never specifically says which)

Has a scar on his tail

Adoptive older sister to Sunrise

Fits the "cool uncle who brings the kids awesome gifts at their birthdays and holidays" role

Sundial (Toyhouse Link)

IceWing/RainWing hybrid

Girlfriend of Doppler

Makes up a weather watching/storm chasing team with Doppler and ThunderSnow

Wings show what the sky outside looks like at any given time (day/night, clear/rain/snow, etc. - think like a Minecraft clock lol)

ThunderSnow (Toyhouse Link)

IceWing/SkyWing hybrid

Wavy spines are a hybrid side effect

Wings are meant to look like a blizzard, icicles and lightning, all meant to tie back to his name

Storm chaser, works with Doppler and Sundial

Boyfriend of Eejanaika

Wanderlust (Toyhouse Link)

SilkWing

Owns a safari tour business in Pantala

Sometimes wears a pith helmet at an angle as part of her tours :]

Probably has an Australian accent lol

Her catchphrase/business tagline is "Everybody needs a little more wonder in their lives!"

Cenote (Toyhouse Link)

PackWing (WoF Fantribe)

Name is pronounced Seh-noh-Tay)

Lives in the forest and has a lot of knowledge about herbs and plants and stuff

Spends so much time in the woods that the smell tends to follow him wherever he goes

Markings and stuff can be simplified if needed lol

Chernobyl (Toyhouse Link)

NightWing/SandWing hybrid

Used to be the king of a fantribe I had made called FissionWings, which is why he has his floaty crown

Orange stripe along his flank is highly radioactive

The spots on his wings flicker with little sparks of radiation

Generally cold and stoic, usually keeps to himself

South (Toyhouse Link)

Melanistic IceWing

Named to contrast all of the IceWing OCs named North lmao

Youngest/smallest of all my dragon OCs

Very innocent and happy since he's still pretty young

Love to play with his friends

StrangeEvidence (Toyhouse Link)

NightWing with weak future seeing powers

Based on the terrible Science Channel show of the same name [I have no shame]

Tries to interpret his visions but goes like, way overboard and sounds ridiculous in the process

When they turn out to be something totally mundane, he's just like  "alright, so that's what that's about. Hm, neat" and walks away

Sunrise (Toyhouse Link)

Also fairly young, but older than South (like what would be tween age in humans)

Kind of a ditz and lacks any kind of inhibition, which sometimes gets her into trouble

Adoptive younger sister to Magma, who often helps her out of the trouble she gets herself into

The last character will be in an additional post bc I can only fit 30 pictures in one post </3