#Tokugawa Tsunayoshi

[nickysfacts]

Even under a strict isolationist and patriarchal society, LGBT individuals continued to thrive!

🇯🇵🏯🏳️‍🌈

[eucanthos]

47 samurai 四十七士, shijūshichishi

also known as Akō incident (赤穂事件, Akō jiken)

A historical event in which 47 rōnin avenged the loss of their master on January 31, 1703, fully aware of their consecutive death. A legendary moral example of integrity and respect to the samurai principles.

Asano Naganori lord of Akō (now in Hyōgo prefecture) was invited to Edo (now Tokyo) as the 4th member of the official reception group for imperial envoys arriving from Kyōto, during shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's rule. Kira Yoshinaka, retainer of the shogun, had the duty to inform them about the court etiquette.

Kira, annoyed by lord Asano's lack of manners (he didn't offer Kira some informal but hefty bribe/prasent), became insultingly rude. Asano lost his temper, drew his sword and inflicted Kira a minor facial wound, but a sword drawn inside the shogunate was a grave breach of protocol and Asano had to commit ritual suicide at once.

The forty-seven samurai of Asano's bodyguard, reduced to ronin, decided that their code of honour demanded revenge. Taking to ostentatious idleness and dissipation to put both Kira and the authorities off guard, they waited for almost two years. While the oldest, who was in his eighties, was excluded from the attack as witness and messenger of the events, on the night of January 30, 1703, they attacked Kira’s mansion, killed several of Kira's samurai, found him scared shirtless hiding in a closet and decapitated him.

The avengers washed and carried the head to Sengakuji Temple and put it on their lord's grave.

To this day, the story remains popular in Japan, and each year on 14 December, the temple where Asano Naganori and the rōnin are buried, holds a commemorative festival.

Fictionalised accounts of the tale of the forty-seven rōnin are known as Chūshingura. The story was popularised in numerous plays, including in the genres of bunraku and kabuki. Because of the censorship laws of the shogunate in the Genrokuera, which forbade portrayal of current events, the names were changed. The first Chūshingura was written some 50 years after the event.

Utagawa Yoshitora: 47 (45) Ronin Portraits, ca 1840. Ukiyo-e

https://www.britannica.com/event/47-ronin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_r%C5%8Dnin

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/forty-seven-ronin-incident

[tokidokitokyo]

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's Birthday

1646年2月23日 (正保3年1月8日) is the fifth generation Edo shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's birthday! He was born in the year of the dog and as a result of this viewed them as animals deserving of particular protection. He passed laws punishing those who abused dogs and other animals. He protected trees with birds' nests from being cut down and even prevented people from fishing with his new laws.

生類　しょうるい　living things

憐み　あわれみ　compassion

令　れい　command

犬公方　いぬくぼう　"Dog Shogun" (nickname of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi)

熱心　ねっしん　zealous, enthusiastic

名将軍　めいしょうぐん　famous shogun

元禄時代　げんろくじだい　Genroku era (September 30, 1688-March 13, 1704)

景気　けいき　economic activity

花開く　はなひらく　to blossom

評判　ひょうばん　reputation

巣　す　nest (e.g. birds, bees, etc.)

密告する　みっこくする　to inform (against)

賞金　しょうきん　monetary reward

いぬ年　いぬどし　the year of the dog (12 zodiac signs)

説　せつ　theory, rumor

犬小屋　いぬごや　kennel

役人　やくにん　government official

御犬様　おいぬさま　very formal and reverential way to refer to a dog

保護　ほご　protection

[hikikomoriheadphonegirl]

[whencyclopedia]

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709) governed Japan as the fifth shogun of the Edo period (1603-1876). He has often been ridiculed as the 'dog shogun' because of the laws he enacted to protect the lives of animals. Economically, however, the period of his rule was one of prosperity, and culturally, it was one of the most brilliant in Japanese history.

Early Years

Tsunayoshi was the son of the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, by one of his concubines. Iemitsu died when Tsunayoshi was only five, and his elder brother Ietsuna (1641-1680) became the fourth shogun. Ietsuna himself was only ten when this happened, so power was in the hands of regents who governed on his behalf. In 1661, Tsunayoshi became the daimyo of the Tatebayashi domain in modern-day Gunma Prefecture. When Ietsuna suddenly died in 1680, Tsunayoshi became shogun. In his early years as shogun, Hotta Masatoshi (1634-1684) played an important role in running government affairs as he had done under Ietsuna. In 1684, however, Masatoshi was murdered by one of his relatives, and this provided Tsunayoshi with the opportunity to promote a number of his own supporters to important positions. From then on, government policies more closely reflected Tsunayoshi's own ideas. The period of his rule was one of cultural brilliance, but this was the result not so much of his actions but broader changes in Japanese society.

Continue reading...

[cocoon2010]

This "Kashima oracle" condemns the avarice and selfishness of town officials and the citizenry, denounces the dog kennels and the bad policies of the "Dog Shogun" (Tokugawa Tsunayoshi [1646-1709]) (...)

Dog Shogun....

[talesofedo]

One thing that has been endlessly fascinating to me while studying Edo-period Japan is the fact that so many assumptions made about the world are rooted in the Western perspective.

Take bread, for example.

I'm sure you've seen quotes like "bread is a universal food that exists in every country" and "without bread civilization wouldn't exist the way we know it today." That's all nice and good but not necessarily true across time periods and places.

In Japan, bread was first introduced by the Portugese in the mid-1500s, but it didn't actually catch on until much later.

The oldest surviving Japanese bread recipe was written down in 1841 by Egawa Tarozaemon, governor of Nirayama, teacher of Western gunnery, and builder of coastal artillery defenses.

Tarozaemon's bread recipe (from Yahoo News).

Tarozaemon's 1841 bread recipe is for a German sweet bread and substitutes amazake for the yeast and sugar content of the original. However, the written recipe does not include amounts for any of the ingredients, making it somewhat difficult to replicate without much trial and error.

The researchers studying Tarozaemon's records speculate that it was actually his mother who had an interest in baking and who was known for her excellent castella. They believe she may have been interested in other Western recipes and Tarozaemon, who employed at least two scholars of Western learning, might have been happy to oblige by copying recipes for her to try.

Alongside the German sweet bread, Tarozaemon also wrote down recipes for a kind of hardtack to be used by his troops, and two kinds of confections, which were perhaps more suitable to his mother's baking interests.

One bread-like product introduced to Japan by the Portugese did catch on: castella, a kind of sponge cake still popular today.

Matsudaira Mikinosuke and friends enjoying enormous slices of castella during the late Edo period.

During the time of Tokugawa Iemitsu, castella was served almost exclusively to the emperor and foreign envoys. By the time of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, its popularity had spread across the country, but it was still only available to the upper classes of high-ranking samurai and wealthy merchants. That's because it was made with expensive ingredients: specifically, eggs and white sugar. It finally became widely available to the masses by the end of the 1700s.

Edo period castella was more crispy than today's moist and fluffy Nagasaki-style castella. Described as a "simple, crispy pound cake", it was commonly eaten alongside miso soup or with grated daikon and wasabi.

Fun fact: castella was also used as a nutritional supplement for tuberculosis patients.

...

Speaking of eggs and their expense:

Even with today's soaring egg prices, eggs in the Edo period were more than 20 times more expensive than they are in 2023. By the early 1800s, an individual egg cost 20 mon, while a whole bowl of soba only cost 16.

The reason eggs were so expensive is that people did not generally raise animals for consumption until the very end of the Edo period, though that didn't really take off until the Meiji period, which is when we first see large-scale egg production in Japan.

People did keep chickens during the Edo period, specifically for their eggs and not their meat. In fact, many lower-ranking samurai raised small flocks of chickens to supplement their incomes by selling the eggs, something that had been encouraged since the time of Tokugawa Iemitsu. However, chickens at the time were not bred to produce large volumes. They often did not lay eggs regularly, and sometimes did not lay at all if the weather was particularly hot or cold.

Eggs, as well as meat, were often considered medicinal - something you purchased for a sick relative or to increase your own strength, though in many cases the primary reason for the medicinal label was getting around the feeling of guilt for consuming them, since it was frowned upon under both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs.

Even with those religious beliefs, meat was actually eaten pretty regularly in the Edo period by those who could afford it.

By the end of the 1700s, at least one restaurant in Edo specialized in wild boar, the most commonly consumed meat in the Edo period based on archeological finds. Others include deer, serow, assorted wild birds such as pheasant and quail, occasionally bears and, at times, dogs.

[whencyclopedfr]

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709) gouverna le Japon en tant que cinquième shogun de la période Edo (1603-1876). Il a souvent été ridiculisé sous le nom de "shogun des chiens" en raison des lois qu'il promulgua pour protéger la vie des animaux. Sur le plan économique, cependant, la période de son règne fut prospère et, sur le plan culturel, elle fut l'une des plus brillantes de l'histoire du Japon.

Lire la suite...

[sanedoublefacefan]

"It is I, Tsunayoshi Tokugawa the Vampire General! now if you don't get bloody, you can run now or, we can have a fair fight....!"

Rei Sakuma [ Succession Match ] bloomed edited version

side note: nothing just.. this

[ideas-of-immortality]

There are also Unique Temizuya

"The water used for Temizuya nowadays is mostly tap water, but, in some places spring water is drawn through water pipes. At places like Suwa Taisha's Shimosha Akimiya Shrine, it comes from natural hot springs. Also at Ise Jingū's Naikū Shrine handwashing can be done in the clear water of the Isuzu River.

The faucet in which the water exits from is often shaped like dragon, as a way to revere the water kami, but it may also be shaped like an animal associated with the shrine's kami, or their messenger.

Recently many shrines are offering Hanatemizuya, where freshly cut flowers are arranged in the water basin, which attracts many visitors."

—参拝したくなる! 日本の神様と神社の教科書 by 渋谷申博

Translations done by me for practice

The caption reads: The Mitarashi at Ise Jingū's Naikū shrine. The cobblestones were donated by Keishoin, the mother of Shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa.

[nasilemakrojak]

Lessons from Chusingura – What the 47 Ronin Can Teach Us

Chusingura is the story of how 47 ronin avenged their daimyo with honour. A popular novel in Japan, The New Chushingura – The Forty-Seven Ronin, tells the story of how these 47 vassals of Takumi no Kami, the young, stoic daimyo who was forced to commit seppuku, avenged their master in 1703.

Oishi Kuranosuke was the Chief Retainer of the daimyo who was sentenced to commit seppuku by the then Shogun. He was the leader of the faction that was determined to take revenge against Lord Kira, also known as Lord Kozuke no Suke, the Chief Master of Ceremonies who publicly insulted Takumi no Kami in the Edo palace. The lesson in this essay is largely based on his musings in a chapter of the book.

Dog law and culture

The shogun at that point in history was the fifth in the Tokugawa era. Tsunayoshi was popularly known as the “Dog Shogun” because he notoriously passed the Edicts on Compassion for Living Things, which outlawed “cruelty” to dogs. This may be inspired by the fact that he was born in the year of the dog.

As a result of this law that protected domesticated animals, the status of humans was relegated to a level below dogs. If a person, even a samurai, mistreated or even deemed rude to a dog, could be punished for the offence.

In a chapter largely filled with musings of Oishi, he reflected on how this dog law permeated the culture of Japan. He saw how some people behaved like dogs and, thus, became elevated in society because of their dog-like servile and ingratiating behaviour. These people were not only found amongst the peasants, but also in noble circles of samurai.

“We will reluctantly walk without spirit, depending on the time, we become humans or become dogs.”

As a matter of course, these “dog people”, regardless of their place in society, advanced in their respective fields because they complied with the feudal Dog Culture that not only spread fear, but also taught people to be subservient and promoted sycophancy. 

“In this world of esteemed dogs, if the two swords of a samurai, one long and one short, can't be grabbed, they are only discarded. The daimyo abandons being a daimyo; the samurai quits being a samurai; the government official stops being a government official.”

In his musings, Oishi realised that those who chose to remain human have become outcasts because they defy the dog customs and unjust laws of the times. Indignant, he declared to himself, “We are not less than dogs. We are human beings.” Thus, he decided:

“He would give life to the late lord's will. If we don't eliminate the corrupt government of the current shogunate, without clan or connections and the misfortune of being banned from the world, our sole measure must be to walk a path, even if we know previous generations did not follow that path.”

This Chief Retainer of Takumi no Kami, Oishi Kuranosuke, based on honour and courage, chose the road less travelled. We meet very few people like him these days. When he and his colleagues had accomplished their goal of killing and beheading the dog-like Lord Kira, they proudly marched in broad daylight to Sengakuji Temple. Along the way, the public witnessed in awe and admiration. When they arrived at the temple, they declared, "This message is for the guardians of this temple. We are the vassals of the late Asano Takumi no Kami. Tonight, we invaded the Kira estate in Honjo to ask for the head of Lord Kozuke no Suke. We achieved our goal and came to present our offering at the grave of our late lord. Together, we will go to the family cemetery. We ask you to shut the main gate to prevent outsiders from entering when we pass through to his grave and report to our lord's soul."

Gone are the days of such honour and courage. 

In 1941, during World War II, U.S. President Roosevelt declared the fundamental objective of the Allied Forces – the promotion and protection of human rights – by proclaiming the 'Four Freedoms' that people everywhere in the world ought to enjoy - freedom of speech and belief, and freedom from want and fear. Alas, that is still a pipe dream. Today, cowardly sycophants ostensibly rule the world. In reality, the elite billionaires dictate the agenda for society to follow and like. In times like these, contrary to Roosevelt’s vision, people cower in fear and desperately seek a decent living, all the while denied their ability to think and formulate their own opinions, much less speak or profess their own beliefs.

Malaysia today

In many ways, Malaysia today is like the era of the Dog Shogun. Of course, the way we got here is not the same. There were no specific laws that made us behave the way we do; however, the feudalistic culture fraught with sycophancy abounds.

If we look at the recent history of Malaysia, we can trace some of the milestones that led to the sad and sickening state of our nation. First, we were subjugated by the British colonialists. In the pursuit of their imperial aims, they suppressed the people to reap economic gains. They called it development.

Then, the independence government of Malaya inherited many British methods and laws, including divide-and-rule tactics and the Sedition Act (1948). Worse, some royal families and elite politicians colluded with the British to control the independence narrative that gave birth to Malaya in 1957. Whilst the Internal Security Act (1960) was enacted by the Malaysian government, It was influenced by British colonial-era legislation used to manage communist threats by using detention without trial. The Malaysian government has continued to use the ISA, raising concerns about its use against political dissidents.

Such draconian laws and political tactics, no doubt, significantly contributed to the culture of feudalism and corruption that evolved and took root in Malaysian society.

It is unnecessary to describe the political landscape and socio-economic conditions in Malaysia today. It is glaringly obvious that yes-men of the highest order are working hard and fast at the behest of the powers that be. And thanks to the crony capitalism that flourished, the Dog Culture has permeated every strata of Malaysian society.

At the top of the food chain, we find the Prime Minister who is appointed by the Agung. In the last election, Pakatan Harapan did not receive a clear mandate from the people. Nevertheless, the current prime minister was appointed despite evidence furnished by the other side that showed their candidate for PM had majority support in the Dewan Rakyat. Then we saw the horse-trading that led to the current Madani Government, which includes Barisan Nasional, an erstwhile enemy. Since then, we can see the blatant political appointments that rewarded the “loyal supporters” of PMX. These dog people got plum jobs in government-linked companies, and crony entrepreneurs either managed to keep high value contracts by switching allegiance, or getting new contracts by reminding the dog politicians how they have supported their party’s struggle since the Reformasi days.

Of course, the Dog Culture trickled down to the grass roots and influenced the behaviour of sub-contractors as well as bureaucrats, not to mention petty traders and clerical staff. And thus, every citizen succumbed to fate and had to choose whether to become a dog to survive, or to stay human and weather the storm. 

What do we do

What are we to do in such a milieu? Perhaps this final lesson from the Chushingura is instructive: 

“Whatever path life takes, the path selected by each person will be different. However, the person who seizes meaning and a life worth living will enjoy life to the maximum and be immortal.”

Regardless of the times, we will all face difficulties and suffering. Though the circumstances are different, the common thread is the challenge to our “survival”, which can mean livelihood, career advancement, wellbeing of loved ones, and so forth, depending on how we frame the challenge.

At this point, let me ask a couple of pointed questions:

Is it worth living like a dog just so that you get chunks of meat for every meal and lots of toys to play with? 

Or should life be lived as a dignified human being that can enjoy the heights of freedom and experience the depths of consciousness?

Patrick Henry famously said, "Give me liberty or give me death!" Like him, I see the loss of liberty as akin to death. We are born full of potential, but we can only flourish if we are free from fear and want. 

I dare say that the vast majority of Malaysians are neither free from fear nor want. Most common people are either fretting about their mortgage repayments or desperately trying to catch their next big break in life. 

That sounds like how dogs live from day to day. And dogs are never immortalised.

[nickysfacts]

Tsunayoshi spared no expense to the goodist of boys in his kingdom!🐕

🐶🇯🇵🐶

[legiongamerrd]

#Gamefemerides

Hace 11 años, llegó a América Muramasa Rebirth para PlayStation Vita, con historias adicionales al original para el Wii de Nintendo, y visuales mejorados. Desarrollado por Vanillaware y publicado por Aksys Games Localization, Inc. en América.

Muramasa se lleva a cabo en la época del periodo de Edo, en la isla principal de Japón, Honshu. Debido a la sed de poder del Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, se han iniciado conflictos por las espadas Demonio, espadas samurai que obligan a quienes las usan a matar a otros, antes de causar tragedia y locura a sí mismos.

#LegionGamerRD #ElGamingnosune #Videojuegos #Gaming #RetroGaming #RetroGamer #CulturaGaming #CulturaGamer #GamingHistory #HistoriaGaming #GamerDominicano #GamingPodcast #Podcast #AksysGames #Marvelous #MuramasaTheDemonBlade #MuramasaRebirth #PlayStation #PSVita #PSTV #Nintendo #Wii #JRPG #RPG #Beatemup #Plataformas

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[rajwillwrite]

Beneath the Moonlit Shadows : A saga of 47 rōnins

This legendary story began when Asano Naganori, aka the lord of Ako domain, cried: "Do you remember my grudge from these past days?"

His gaze fixed on Kira Yoshinaka. Asano extended his short sword, charged through the castle corridor, and struck Kira. While the wound wasn't fatal, its consequences would be.

The incident began in April 1701 when imperial envoys from Kyōto arrived in Edo (now Tokyo), the capital of the shogunate. Three provincial feudal lords were appointed to receive them, including Asano Naganori from Akō. Because these men were ignorant of court etiquette, they were directed to consult Kira Yoshinaka, a retainer of the shogun and an expert in such matters. The other two feudal lords gave Kira lavish presents to ensure his cooperation, but Asano offered only a token gift. Kira was apparently annoyed and expressed his displeasure by constantly taunting the inexperienced Asano. The latter finally gave way to his pent-up wrath, and in April 1701, in the audience hall of the shogun’s palace, he flew at Kira with his dirk. Kira escaped with minor wounds, but Asano’s gross breach of etiquette enraged shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, who ordered Asano to commit ‘Seppuku’ (Japanese for: “self-disembowelment”) the same day.

The incident took place in Edo, Japan - modern-day Tokyo. The Tokugawa military and government had gained power about a century before. This ushered in a period of peace and stability, following the ‘warring state’ or ‘Sengoku Era,’ which was marked by constant bloodshed and conflict wrought by warlords and their samurais.

To secure their rule, the Tokugawa government aimed to tame the samurai class. Individual samurais carried two swords and served a single lord till death, but their duties became primarily bureaucratic and administrative. Meanwhile, Tokugawa legal practice stipulated that both sides would be disciplined in the event of a violent quarrel. However, when the officials convened following Asano's attack on Kira, they decided to punish only Asano's castle, the disbandment of his house, and the arrest of his younger brother. The news traveled quickly back to Asano's domain. Overnight, the roughly 300 samurais in Asano's retainer band found themselves dispossessed of their homes and stipend and turned into Ronin or masterless samurais.

They didn't exactly know why Asano attacked Kira - no one did. Some have speculated that Asano refused to pay a bribe to Kira, who was supposed to be guiding him in proper etiquette, so Kira humiliated him. Others believed that Asano had simply “gone mad.” This left the samurais of Ako domain in crisis, facing a tension that lay at the very heart of the Tokugawa Period. They were a privileged class of warriors inundated with epic legends of samurai loyalty, heroism, and martial glory. But they were forbidden from using violence - their traditional role once celebrated and restricted. Some of Asano's samurais said they should peacefully comply with government orders; others suggested that they should immediately follow their lord into death. One faction led by Horibe Yasubei argued that they must see their lord's apparent wishes through by killing Kira, claiming that as long as Asano's enemy was alive, they were dishonored. However, the effective leader of Ako domain's samurais, Oishi Yoshio, believed that if they complied with officials' orders, Tokugawa authorities might show mercy and permit Asano's brothers to succeed him. So the samurais peacefully surrendered the castle. But their hopes were dashed when Tokugawa officials placed Asano's brother in another family's custody, leaving them without a path to restore their status. Most accepted the government's terms. But in the end, 47 of Asano's samurais, including Horibe and Ōishi, didn't. Instead of formally asking permission to take revenge via the government's vendetta system, they began plotting to kill Kira covertly.

Almost two years after Asano's death, the rōnin, led by Ōishi, broke into Kira's residence and killed 16 of his samurais and wounded 23 others before beheading Kira himself. They presented Kira's head at Asano's grave, then surrendered to the Tokugawa officials, justifying their violence by saying they couldn't live under the same heaven as their lord's enemy (murderer). The ronin's actions created considerable problems for the Tokugawa government. The rōnin had broken the peace and a range of laws. But authorities also acknowledged the importance of honor and loyalty among samurais. After weeks of back and forth discussion, officials decided the rōnin could be praised but must be punished. They were permitted to commit ‘Seppuku,’ which offered them an honorable death, and they were laid to rest next to their master Lord Asano.

But their story soon morphed into legends. Within weeks, it was dramatized for the stage. And soon after, scholars began debating the rōnin's actions, some praising them as perfectly loyal and dutiful samurais; others condemning them as delusional criminals. Over the next three centuries, Japan continued examining and adapting the story in theatre, films, propaganda, and beyond - grappling with the tensions between law and culture, past and present, and repeatedly relitigating the incident long after an official verdict was rendered.

The event caused a huge commotion in Japan. The samurai qualities, which appeared to have faded over many years of calm, resurfaced. The most notable was ‘Chūshingura’ (1748) - The Treasury of Loyal Retainers, an 11-act Banraku- a puppet play composed in 1748. It is one of the most popular Japanese plays. In the most recent times, this event was made into a 2013 Hollywood movie titled "47 Ronin," starring actor Keanu Reeves.

[hikikomoriheadphonegirl]

[whencyclopedia]

Chikamatsu Monzaemon

Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725) was a Japanese playwright who wrote for both the puppet theatre and kabuki. He is regarded as Japan’s greatest dramatist. Apart from their aesthetic appeal, his plays are of value because they provide an insight into Japanese society in the Edo period (1603-1868).

The Social Setting

In the early Edo period, Japanese society changed a lot. The settled conditions following the establishment of Tokugawa rule led to the expansion of agriculture, rapid population growth and increased urbanisation at both the local and national level. Before 1600, Kyoto was the only large city in Japan. It was the capital and the home of both the imperial family and aristocratic cultural traditions. In the 17th century two new cities developed. In eastern Japan, Edo (modern-day Tokyo) served as the seat of government for the Tokugawa family and, as a political centre, it had a high warrior population. In western Japan, Osaka developed as a major commercial hub with a large merchant class. In the late 17th century, a new urban culture appeared in these three cities and this was reflected in the novels of Ihara Saikaku, the poetry of Matsuo Basho, and the plays of Chikamatsu Monzaemon. This cultural flowering is usually referred to as ‘Genroku culture’, although the Genroku period itself only lasted from 1688 to 1704. It largely coincided with the life and reign of the shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709).

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