#also i was wondering whether to make this an edo period japan thing or a more generic fantasy setting and i think ill have to go w the 2nd

[gratuiciel]

move aside takemichi/everyone it's time for kisaki/everyone

[demonslayedher]

do you still take asks? if so, could you explain tanjirou's hanafuda earings? i've seen some people online (like insta and other such places) claim that the design is one of a flower, but i always thought it was of a sun since it was supposed to be like a token for the sun god or something (disregarding possible [and hopefully unintentional] symbolisms coming from ww2)

whenever these people say these, they go back on to the earings being called hanafuda cards, and that hana means flower. i'm not that smart when it comes to japanese things or hanafuda cards specifically, so if you could, can you explain the hanafuda cards and the design on tanjirou's earings?

thank you and i hope you're having a lovely day (love your blog, btw, esp the art and japanese trivia posts)

Hahaha.... my attempted answer to this met so many technical difficulties, this is my third version, I think, hahahaaaaaa. TwT We shall indeed endeavor to keep this related to the original Sengoku period design of the earrings and their relation to Hanafuda cards, though indeed this is a Heisei/Reiwa period production and it's unavoidable that the similarity would be read in a post-WW2 context. It's not that I don't have things I could say on that, but I prefer not to go in that direction either (and people who choose to use the alternate design have my support). Short answer, though: nope, not a flower design!

The sun symbolism and its representation of Japan supersedes Muzan’s birth by at least a few centuries, and in its earliest uses with a simple circle to represent it, it wasn’t even always defined by the color red. The bright color red has been, however, long since symbolic of the sun, so it’s unsurprising that at some point the two symbols came together. No one knows who to credit for its design as a symbol to represent the emperor, but it seems this started in the Sengoku period, same time Yoriichi and his mother Akeno were around in the 15th, 16th centuries or so (but hard to say). The imperial use is due to the Shinto mythology that the emperor is descended from the sun goddess, Amaterasu. (I’ve have heard some KnY theorists posit that certain characters represent different gods in the Shinto pantheon and that Yoriichi represents Amaterasu (who indeed has historical male representations), but I don’t buy into those theories.)

While’s it’s not to say Amaterasu couldn’t be beseeched for healing a deaf child, she doesn’t strike me as the first goddess you’d go to for help with that, so I had originally suspected Akeno might have been more of a practicing Buddhist seeking the help of Dainichi-nyorai (the Buddha that represents the sun, if we put it very simply), or that she might had been a follower of the Nichiren sect, which embraced syncretism with Shintoism and used the “Nichi” (sun) symbolism pretty heavy-handedly (that sect tended to encourage a devout following of women, too). That’s as far as I find relevant to read into this side of things, though, for a look at Akeno’s altar shows us a round mirror often used in Shinto worship (some scholars suspect the round shape represents the sun, too, but it’s not at all limited to being a sacred item to represent sun-related deities). However, religion is and always has been complicated, and Akeno may have been a follower of any pure or blended strain of Shintoism and/or Buddhism.

Tl;dr: Akeno has a profound faith in some kind of sun deity.

After all, Yoriichi says this very plainly on this page in Chapter 186, “My mother was a person of very deep faith.” In addition to her daily prayers for peace, she made the earrings for Yoriichi praying that the “god of sunlight” may shine on and warm his unhearing ears. We have no further definition of this “god of sunlight,” so it could be Amaterasu, Dainichi-nyorai, any possible unnamed sunlight god she might have had faith in (Gotouge tends to borrow heavily from a lot of different religious traditions without narrowing them too far into any particular sect or strain). We may not be meant to read this in such detailed historical context as Amaterasu because it is left so ambiguous, but the art representing the sun is pretty ubiquitous throughout Japanese culture by that period.

And would you look at that, little Michikatsu and Yoriichi were playing a card game! Hmm, I wonder what? While I cannot claim anything one way or another about how Gotouge and her editors saw it or what they may think of it being seen that way abroad, the rays inevitably make it seem similar to the 16-ray naval flag, and the earlier color illustrations did have red lines. However, at some point the design settled into using 11 thin black lines only, with an emphasis in Gotouge’s character design notes (from the first fanbook) on the pooling thickness at the ends of the lines. This feels to me a bit like inky brushstrokes, and there is also design emphasis on the thick lines at the tops and bottoms of the earrings. These details, as well as the notes (cropped out of the image below) about the movement and weight of the earrings around Tanjiro’s face make them seem to have the thickness of light cardboard, which altogether makes them very similar to Hanafuda cards. Most specifically, doesn’t it look like this card featuring pampas grass and the moon?

While Hanafuda does literally mean “flower cards” and there are designs grouped around certain themes (even if the theme itself isn’t a flower, the design will typically incorporate a plant), I feel fairly confident saying the design of Yoriichi’s earrings is not a flower, and indeed the sun.

Primarily because these earrings aren’t Hanafuda cards! Hanafuda technically didn’t exist until after Yoriichi’s time, and was adapted from a Portuguese card game. Said game was initially illegalized at the same time Christianity was illegalized, but the Edo public loved their card games, and reinvented it every time some previous version was outlawed for its use in gambling. Even today, there are many, many different versions or reiterations of Hanafuda under the same or different names. I have never played though, and will not attempt to explain it. ^0^;; (I have cousins who grew up playing the Hawaiian version, though.) It was finally legalized in the Meiji period, and the first fanbook even lists this as one of Zenitsu’s favorite games.

By the Taisho period anyone would had been familiar with it, leading Muzan to describe Tanjiro to Yahaba and Susamaru as “the demon hunter who wears earrings that look like Hanafuda cards.”

While my research didn’t take me this far, I’m willing to bet card games with similar illustrations existed far prior to Hanafuda, and whether or not Akeno would had been influenced by them is anyone’s guess. But as she made them as religious items, that still makes them not game cards. I do assume she used high quality washi paper though, the finest she could afford as the wife of a high-ranking samurai. Good washi is strong enough to last for centuries, and even used to be used for making clothing because it’s so durable. But it’s also lightweight, she wouldn’t want to weigh Yoriichi’s little ears with precious metals or anything like that, I believe!

This all being said, I have most certainly noticed a trend of actual Hanafuda cards being used in accessories, everything from earrings to necklaces to charms to hang on facemasks to manicures. The only time I’ve seen this sun design has been in clear reference to Kimetsu no Yaiba, though!

This went in a lot of different directions, Anon, but I hope that clears things up about the sun and Hanafuda connections more than it clouds everything in unnecessary details. XD

[bleachbleachbleach]

Soul Society tattoo culture

These thoughts are inspired by @anza-redstar and @recurring-polynya's post about Hisana and SS’s tattoo culture, which I think is just fabulous.

I was thinking about this with Akon and like, whether the horns are something he grew into organically as a certain type of soul or whether it was a conscious body mod and if it’s the latter is Akon the guy everyone else goes to for all their body mod/fashion consults, because IF SO I am VERY into that!!

I do not know much about tattoos inside or outside of the Japanese context, but it did make me think about Okinawan hajichi and Ainu tattoo practices, which have come up in discussion at my work recently. This is something I’m still learning about, and I feel weird about bringing these topics into a headcanon about manga, even fleetingly, because the real-world conversations are very much about historical and ongoing Indigenous oppression, genocide, and cultural erasure. So I’ll just leave that at links to information, because I think the topic is important and definitely worth checking out! And say that it inspired me to think about how many tattoo cultures exist in Japan and where the contemporary taboo against tattoos/association with yakuza came from.

PRINT CULTURE

In addition to evergreen histories of violent colonization, it turns out that the Edo period was a big turning point in terms of tattooing in Japan. It was simultaneously the point at which modern tattooing developed in Japan as well as the period in which laws outlawing it started getting passed. (Of course!) Apparently the rise in modern tattooing was partially inspired by the development of woodblock printing, which showed tattooed heroes and began integrating these visuals into the popular culture, which is interesting to think about in the context of SS because I imagine these were also crucial in popularizing the practice in SS, too, since they are participants in cultural flows with the living realm (perhaps an even greater capacity back then than when Bleach takes place, given that mainstream belief in the existence of youkai in the living realm at that point would have been stronger). I would bet money on shinigami having also developed their own tattoo culture in-house, but I love the idea of there being critical interplay there, too!

WHO ENDED UP IN POWER?

Anyway, like the outlawing of most practices, in living-realm Edo it comes down to control (and a desire to "appear civilized" to other powers/to avoid their own colonization). The Tumblr post that inspired this one mentioned that most of the tattoos etc. we see are from shinigami, often noble families, rather than commoners, so it definitely seems like SS’s cultural history has unfolded as the reverse: There’s a sense of it being a high-end practice in SS/Seireitei (like it is in many cultures in our world too!), whether by birth or by virtue of high standing as a Gotei 13 officer. Perhaps the element of control exists in who is allowed to be tattooed, instead. Inasmuch as SS is modeled off the Edo period and inasmuch as its system of government reflects that, maybe it’s also a historical alternative in terms of who has ended up in power at the end of the violent pre-SS/Seireitei history that Yamamoto/Unohana/Kyouraku/Ukitake have alluded to.

It also makes me wonder whether these social mores would have been different, or would have changed, had their various dust-ups with other communities (i.e. the Quincy) gone differently. I remember like four things about TYBW, two of them are Rukia’s bankai, and none of them are about why anything happened or what the Wandenreich is, so CAN’T SAY MUCH BEYOND THAT UNTIL I FINISH MY RE-READ, but.

INDIVIDUALITY FOR WHOM?

The Seireitei seems to like order and uniformity at least to some degree (Yamamoto loves him some uniforms). But I imagine zanpakutou being so central to their society would definitely impact how they thought about these things, given how incredibly individual that relationship and its physical manifestation gets in its highest forms. (I mean, to bring in movie canon, if we’re willing to execute Kusaka because it is SACRILEGE to glitch and have the same zanpakutou as someone else, LOL, I guess individuality has to be somewhat important. Because like, my dudes, anyone who can summon shikai seems like someone you want to keep! There aren’t that many of you! You need all the help you can get!) Do you get to be individual if you’re not seated, or is that a privilege you have to earn? Do cannon fodder shinigami dream of the day they, too, might get to relish in the bold act of braiding their hair? Does Komamura still consider himself undeserving of such a privilege, hence the helmet? (Because god knows he is easily one of the most normal out of all this weirdo coworkers... Like Matsumoto implied, he needn’t have worried about standing out.)

This probably needs to be its own post, but I’m also interested in general about shinigami and their relationship to their bodies, which are clearly still important but also like… can’t possibly be the same relationship that regular humans have to theirs. Bringing reiryoku into one’s bodily conception (centering it, even) affords so many cool/interesting potentials! (As always please feel free to share your own hcs on this!)

[hellsparadiseessays]

The Flowers of Jigokuraku

Disclaimer: this essay will refer to fairly recent chapters (53 and forward), so if you are a new reader, I advise you to catch up before you read it. And as usual, I am not Japanese nor Chinese, so my arguments and explanations are based on the research I made, but I won’t pretend I’m absolutely right on everything. My goal is merely to provide a comprehensive understanding of the references used in Jigokuraku, as well as a historical context to give the in-story points of view more perspective. English isn’t my native language as well, so I hope my explanations won’t be too wonky, grammatically speaking. On these words, I hope you’ll deem this essay an enjoyable or educative read. [Originaly posted here]

In this essay, we’ll study the cultural references used for the island and its inhabitants. We’ll see the reason why certain characters seem to have a rough knowledge of the island, providing a historical context that’ll help us understand why and how these legends are known both in-story and from a narrative perspective. The legends mentioned will be related to Xu Fu and the Immortals, since they are the basis for the mystical island in Jigokuraku.

I. Education during the Edo era

The Xianren, the Immortals, are brought up by both Senta and Toma on chapter 16. These characters have generally proved fairly educated and useful to provide insight to the reader through their discussions with other characters (GabiGang and Chôbe). However, one could wonder **why** apparently random characters like them would know about that sort of thing. 

The Tokugawa period represents roughly 250 years of peace and stability throughout Japan and, despite the sakoku, the isolation of the country, it still received influences from Korea, China and Europe (via the Dutch traders). This general stability provided the perfect set up to develop Japanese culture as we know it, and to spread ideas through education. Indeed, education wasn’t solely reserved to the upper Samurai class, and many schools would open everywhere to provide at least a certain level of reading/writing/counting to young Japanese, and going as far as offering classes on Rangaku (Dutch studies), Kangaku (Chinese studies) or military strategy for the ones who could afford it. 

Terakoya, temple schools opened for commoners, flourished during the Tokugawa era with a function similar to our current primary system. These schools developed with the blessing of the Shogunate, which would use them to promote Confucianism – the set of morals used as a basis for Japanese society during the Edo era. Such system would indeed provide all the knowledge necessary for the four main casts (Samurai, Peasants, Artisans and Merchants) to understand where they stood in the hierarchy and how much they could afford to learn as well. Furthermore, the daimyo, the feudal lords, would also create hankô, the schools of their domain (Han), to provide education to the children of their retainers. These *hankô* would follow the model of Shôheiko, the Confucian school administered by the Shogunate itself, in order to promote the study of Kangaku, Confucianism, history and even medicine. 

Furthermore, knowledge could be more easily spread through time thanks to the development of woodblock printing. As such, even a commoner could have access to various texts and illustrations, which helped the general population learning about both historical facts and legends about both Japan and China. Sinophiles of this period would work to conciliate historical facts and legends and have them work together to integrate Chinese elements in Japan’s history without negating Japan’s own cultural and historical identity, while certain legends would see themselves modified and expanded according to both China’s and Japan’s cultural needs. 

All in all, these facts about education and scholarly pursuits can easily explain why Senta and Toma would know about things such as the Immortals: it could have been part of what they studied before coming to the island, whether it was from a historical, philological or religious point of view. They would at least have a general knowledge of it because of the schooling they’d been provided when they were younger.

II. Xu Fu and the search for immortality

The story of the half-legend, half-historical figure Xu Fu starts in China, with his appearance in the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian (145 – 90 BCE). The character quickly gained popularity and his story was expanded in later writings. These writings reached Japan during the Heian period (794 – 1186) and were further developed during the medieval period, yet their peak happened during the Edo era. As previously mentioned, Kanraku, the Chinese studies, became common under the Tokugawa thanks to the Confucian system imposed by the Shogunate. This in turn helped the study of Xu Fu and his quest to integrate it in Japanese history and culture, by notoriously adding that the quest for immortality led him to Japan – something never mentioned in the initial Chinese texts, but that appeared during the 10th century, thus potentially suggesting an influence between China and Heian Japan during that time. This notably led to three theories as to where Xu Fu and his party landed, and what Mount Penglai (where the Immortals are, known as Hôrai in Japanese) is exactly. The first two theories were made during the late Heian period, and situated Xu Fu’s landing near Mount Fuji or in Kumano (currently Mie Prefecture, near Nara). Without entering details (because it’d require a whole post just for Xu Fu), these theories became known during the Ming and Qing dynasties, as Japanese monks and scholars travelled to China and used the story of Xu Fu as a basis of Sino-Japanese friendship through cultural common grounds. The third theory appeared during the following Kamakura era (1185 – 1333), and located Xu Fu at Atsuta Shrine (Nagoya), with the shrine itself being Penglai/Hôrai. During the medieval period, these writings and theories were used as a basis to give Japan a proper position in Chinese culture, but the story really started gaining traction under the Tokugawa, thanks to the cultural exchange between Japan and China as well as the general intellectual development in Japan. 

Historiography became widespread during Edo era, compiling and inventing stories became common to the point even Jesus and Moses had the story of their travel to Japan. Furthermore, these stories became popular with the many works of zuihitsu authors (miscellaneous writings), who used these stories to gain more readers. Edo historian Hayashi Razan even confirmed through his researched that Mount Fuji could indeed be Mount Penglai/Hôrai. According to the stories of that time, Xu Fu brought Chinese methods tied to textile, agriculture and medicine with him, sharing them with the inhabitants of the region and settling down there as well. Yet Kumano remained the most popular theory, leading to the creation of a shrine, Xu Fu’s tomb as well as the tombs of his seven retainers, Jofuku no miya (Xu Fu Palace), Mount Hôrai... These elements were used in numerous texts, travel records and poems, even famous ukiyo-e painter Hokusai drew Painting of Xu Fu Looking Up at Mount Fuji. The legend became larger as the theories about Xu Fu’s location varied and covered Japan (not counting Hokkaido), from Aomori to the North of Honshu to Kagoshima in Kyushu. All of these legends around Xu Fu were supported by the bakufu and the daimyo, who used them to promote the cultural importance of their Han and encourage tourism. 

From an in-story perspective, we can see how and why some characters would be knowledgeable about certain things on the island, or at least recognise certain names, and even why the Shogun himself decided to take the search for immortality so seriously. From a narrative perspective, I commend UG for his twist on the location of Penglai/Hôrai, making it a mysterious man-made island south of the Ryukyu Kingdom (nowadays Okinawa) that fits the descriptions of a paradise... Only at a first glance. It gives the readers a refreshing take on a legend that has been told and modified for centuries to fit all sorts of narratives, and makes the story much creepier.

III. Xianren, the Immortals

Before talking about the Immortals and the material given by UG, we should see where the concept of immortals comes from, and how it evolved in time. 

The concept itself comes from a religious movement called Fangxiandao, the Way of Mages and Immortals. This movement came to existence during the Springs and Autumns period (771 – 256 BCE), but fully developed during the Warring States period (771 - 256 BCE as well) and united scholars of various specialities (alchemy, divination, rituals, exorcism...) around rulers and aristocrats seeking physical immortality and under the belief that Immortals lived in the islands of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. Theories relating to Yin Yang and the Five Elements emerged during the Warring States period, and seemed to include the Yellow Emperor as well, since he was perceived as a Taoist Immortal (and is referred as one of the first Emperors in the previously mentioned Shiji). It is thanks to this movement that the concepts of the lands of Immortals (Penglai, Fangzhang and Yingzhou – nowadays Mount Kunlun) have been formulated and became the reason of many quests in search of these places. The most famous one is Xu Fu’s search for immortality, for which he’d been provided with a thousand of young boys and girls, and who never came back from his search. The Fangxiandao opened the way to Taoism under the Han dynasty, but the core concept of immortality and Immortals remained despite the religious shift. With Taoism, an Immortal becomes an incarnation of duality, mobile yet without form, residing among the stars and in the deepest caves and giving sacred texts to their most deserving apprentices only. I’m not going to explain the different types of alchemy and the rituals that lead to immortality, as this topic has already been explained by u/gamria and in the manga itself. However, I hope this explanation on what the Immortals are from a cultural point of view helps understand why certains characters in the manga would react to them as if they were somewhat aware of the general ideas about the Immortals and a character like Xu Fu. It is thanks to the use and expansion of Chinese legends that these elements became known from the Japanese population during the Edo era. 

The most famous Immortals are the Eight Immortals, divine beings in Taoism popular both from a religious and literary perspective. The most famous pieces concerning them are The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea and The Immortals Celebrating the Anniversary of the Goddess. The first one relates the crossing of the sea to go to Penglai (or visit the goddess Xiwangmu), during which they renounce to take a boat and decide instead to show their magical skills by transforming their respective amulets into one. This action displeases the Dragon-King, who captures one of the Immortals, which leads to a battle. The situation is solved when Bodhisattva Guanyin reconciles both parties. The second one relates the Peach Festival, a feast of immortality organised by the goddess Xiwangmu, making the Eight Immortals a symbol of longevity and immortality. They are also the basis for a martial art imitating the movements of a drunk person, and based on a text during which the Immortals are drunk. Interestingly enough, counting Mei, we have eight Immortals drunk on Tan in Jigokuraku. And it’s still fine to remove Mei from the count, because it’ll make seven Immortals... Like the seven retainers of Xu Fu, according to the aforementioned writings that could be find during the Tokugawa period. 

Now, concerning our Immortals, Rien and his friends, who have been tied to Xu Fu in chapter 53. I have noticed specific references concerning them, aside from Taoism: the flowers associated with them, which in my opinion have been purposefully chosen by UG for their cultural symbolism. I’m not going to make research on their official names though, since I don’t speak Japanese nor Chinese and would rather avoid misinformation caused by my own ignorance. If someone else feels like doing that, I’d certainly be glad to read it!

Rien: as it raises unstained from the mud, the lotus is commonly associated with purity and perfection. It is also one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism, a throne for Buddha, as well as the flower that grew under his feet when he walked. In China, it is one of the 4 major flowers, and it’s associated with Summer as well as He Xian-gu, one of the 8 Immortals.

Mu Dan: the peony has a major significance in China, both at a cultural and political level. It was the national flower during the Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911) and it is considered the King of Flowers, being associated with wealth, honour, aristocracy, love affection and feminine beauty.

Tao Fa: the peach blossom is associated with vitality and immortality, since it blooms before the leaves sprout. Peach wood was also believed to ward off evil spirits, and thus peach wood staves would be used for such purpose, especially to clear the way for the Emperor.

Ju Fa: the chrysanthemum is one of the Four Gentlemen in Chinese culture, along with plum blossom, orchid and bamboo. It is associated with Autumn and the 9th month of the year, as well as joy and long life.

Zhu Jin: the hibiscus is a popular flower associated with fame, riches, glory and splendour, given as a gift to both men and women.

Ran: the orchid is associated with love, beauty, wealth, fortune and unity. As such, it can also be used as a symbol for married couples. It is also associated with scholarly pursuit, nobility, integrity and friendship, as well as Confucius himself. It is a flower of Spring.

Gui Fa: the sweet osmanthus (cassia spice tree) is a flower traditionally praised by poets and associated with the Mid-Autumn festival in China. Osmanthus wine is seen as typical “family reunion” wine. Since it sounds similar to the word for “expensive, noble, valuable”, it is associated with these concepts. According to a legend, the moon has a cassia tree that produces a drug for immortality.

Mei: the plum blossom is both one of the Four Gentlemen and one of the Three Friends of Winter (with Pine and Bamboo). It is a symbol of longevity since, like peach blossom, the flowers bloom before the foliage sprouts. Its five petals are also associated with the Five Gods of Prosperity and the Five Good Fortunes.

As you can see, it looks like UG didn’t pick the flowers used to create Lord Tensen just because they were pretty. These flowers hold a notable cultural importance, and reflect well the high status of Lord Tensen on the island. It’s the botanical equivalent of screaming at the reader “*they are the boss of this place*”, if you will. Interestingly, these symbols are the part I started with for this essay, since in its first form I was seeking an answer to the self-asked question “are the flowers used for Lord Tensen significant one way or the other concerning the plot”, and decided to do some research based on the botanical, cultural and medicinal aspects of the flowers (cue the title of this essay, which I liked and kept because it’s still relevant)... But it was inconclusive on my end, and I’m not educated enough on these matters to dig them properly. Still, it was interesting to learn more about the cultural significance of these flowers and the potential reasons why they have been selected by UG for his characters.

To conclude, we can see through the research on certain references given by the characters in-story that there are two interesting layers: first, education during the Edo era, the interest for Chinese culture and its implementation in Japanese texts and how it is reflected via the comments and explanations provided by some characters. Second, the actual references used by the author, their origin and how they are implemented in the narration to construct a story that provides the reader with a new take on an ancient legend.

While I did my best to keep it short, it also means I didn’t go as in-depth as I could have, but I wanted to provide a general explanation on philology without going in too deep and ending up lost in my own thinking pattern. Still, it was very interesting to read about these elements, which provided a much clearer narrative frame for. I do hope you found it as entertaining or informative as I did!

Sources

Education in the Tokugawa era

Sinophiles and Sinophobes in Tokugawa Japan: Politics, Classicism, and Medicine During the Eighteenth Century

Wai-ming Ng, Imagining China in Tokugawa Japan: legends, classics and historical terms

Fangxiandao ,  Xian ,  Eight Immortals

Taoism in Japan

Chinese Symbols

Flowers and Fruits

[mifunebooty]

As excited as i am to watch this Mexican noir, it should be shocking there isnt much Mexican film noirs like theres quite a few Mexican films with noir elements like use of shadows and lighting especially in the sexual sense and maybe a gun or two and maybe a gangster but never noir noirs like the united states and European film noirs and i think its the same reason Japanese noirs spread out from the late 40s to even 1960s is not only could studios really not afford to make film noirs in abundance that american and european noirs could affors but i also think its bc both mexico and japan during the 40s-60s were still trending in making films centered around very ground in old stories that are extremely famous whether by history or just folk tales like mexico was really into showing films centered around the revolution from the 1910s and colonial times and same thing i found with discovering a lot of Japanese films this same era is a lot of edo period but samurai films and meiji period and so forth but i think its bc they couldnt afford it AND both countries were really into making films of famous cultural stories and aesthetics and eras that would really join the country's pride in their roots. Just wondering.

[innerchorus]

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri: Geographical Locations

(sorry this is super long but I can’t use a Read More because of the damn apostrophe glitch...)

In the absence of a proper map of Hi-no-Moto, I thought it’d be useful / interesting to compile all the information and theories I know of concerning the location of stations etc in order to try and map the journey of the Koutetsujou throughout the series and beyond. If you happen to have any contributions or corrections then please add to this list! I’m also interested in hearing guesses other than my own for stations that were seen or visited along the way that don’t have a confirmed location.

To start with, Aragane Station.

Aragane Station is located within Izumo Province (confirmed in prequel novel), ‘an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture,’ within the Chugoku Region. (The map shows Japanese provinces in 1868, at the end of the Edo Period.) Aragane is the location of the opening of the anime series, and after it is overrun the main characters decide to head towards Kongoukaku aboard the Koutetsujou.

(I’ll cover Kongoukaku later on, but for now let’s assume that the assumption of the Japanese fandom is correct and that it’s further east than Aragane.)

Prior to the Koutetsujou’s arrival at Aragane Station, it travels past Hayatani Station, which has fallen to the kabane. I don’t know of an exact location for this station, but given that we know Mumei is heading towards Kongoukaku, it is likely to be located to the west of Aragane.

Following the departure of the Koutetsujou from Aragane Station, the next stop is Yashiro Station (and I hope you’re ready for speculation because again, I haven’t seen any official info regarding location).

There was previously a town named Yashiro that merged with two other towns to become the city of Kato in Hyogo Prefecture, so I decided to look into that location as it lies between Aragane’s location and where Kongoukaku is likely to be. The Koutetsujou’s journey to Kongoukaku involves the risky decision to take a route through the mountains in order to reach their destination faster, and looking at a map that shows the topography, Yashiro / Kato is a potential fit, though possibly a little too far south (and perhaps just too far). As an alternative, there is the site of Yanahara Mine, but although geographically it looks promising, after checking details I’m not truly convinced (it primarily produced copper and wasn’t operational until some time in the 1950s).

(If you’re interested, you can see the distance between an approximate location assigned to Aragane Station and the mine site here, it’s worth toggling on the ‘terrain’ option too.)

After leaving Yashiro Station, the next stop is Shitori Station (no information about location, let me know if you have any ideas).

The last stop before Kongoukaku is Iwato Station. This station functions as a ‘gate’ that controls access to the Shogun’s stronghold (at least from the east) but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s as close in proximity to Kongoukaku as it first seems, only that the sole way to reach Kongoukaku from that direction by rail involves being permitted to pass through Iwato.

And that brings us to Kongoukaku itself.

There is no confirmed canonical location for Kongoukaku, but Japanese fans consider it to be built near Lake Biwa, like Oda Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle, while the design of the stronghold itself is modelled on Goryoukaku, with the shape being hexagonal rather than pentagonal (see images above).

This map gives some idea of distance from Aragane Station (somewhere in the east of Shimane prefecture) to Kongoukaku (eastern shore of Lake Biwa). Total distance as the crow flies is around 300km, but the actual journey in the series would of course be longer as their route was not direct.

I placed the marker on the map above at the location of the site of Lake Dainaka (now reclaimed land), as I’ve seen it suggested that this lake is the one Kongoukaku uses as its moat (either that or another of the nearby lakes existing at the time). For a closer look at the size and position of this lake, there’s a useful map here, look for 大中湖.  The water of this lake was only 2.7m at its maximum, a shallowness that would allow it to be built on.

The Wadatsu Oohashi (Great Wadatsu Bridge) that Biba mentions in episode 10 is equivalent to the Biwako Oohashi, though if the location is the same, the site of Kongoukaku doesn’t precisely match that of Lake Dainaka as that’s not directly opposite the modern day bridge.

(I was also wondering when Ikoma falls out of the train after being stabbed, whether the water he falls into is Osaka Bay. There are actually a few modern train lines that run along that stretch of coastline before routes veer inland towards Lake Biwa.)

So, that concludes the named locations in the anime series.

...but I’m not finished yet!

As you know, the game (Koutetsujou no Kabaneri: -Ran- Hajimaru Michiato) is due to be released later this year, and this article gave some information about the setting for the game’s events. With the fall of the Amatori Shogunate that governed the west of the country, the characters continue eastwards, with the game taking place in the region of Hokuriku, along the northwestern coast in Honshu.

(The map shows Hokuriku in red and the Chubu region that it is part of in darker green.)

I think we can expect a couple of things from this; sea and snow. Hokuriku lies right along the Sea of Japan, and has ‘the highest volume of snowfall of any inhabited and arable region in the world’ (source). The home station of the game’s three new characters is 勝木駅 , which Google Translate has as Katsuki Station (it could potentially be Gatsugi Station instead), but although it must be somewhere within this region, I don’t know exactly where. 

That brings us to the next installment in the story after the game, a movie with the title of Koutetsujou no Kabaneri: Unato Kessen, set to be released in 2018. So far, very little is known about it other than that it’s set 6 months after the end of the anime series. The teaser video shows some unknown locations and characters but doesn’t give much away, making it hard to speculate about geographical location.

...but how about this?

I don’t think it’s likely that the Koutetsujou will return the way they came just yet (though if the story has a good end, then surely the reopening of Aragane station will require it eventually) so let’s assume they continue in the direction of travel we’ve seen so far.

海門 / Unato is left untranslated in the title (Koutetsujou no Kabaneri: Unato Decisive Battle) so I’ve assumed that’s a place name.

A search for ‘unato’ gives no real results (and nothing that matches the kanji) but if you choose to search instead for the kanji themselves then that gives ‘kaimon,’ a literal translation of which is ‘sea gate’. So, kaimon is a ‘strait’ or a ‘channel’ (check it out on Jisho and have a look at this list of straits of Japan). I obviously don’t know whether this holds any meaning for what we’re going to see in the movie, but what if it did? I’ve often wondered where the kabane outbreak first began in Hi-no-Moto, and I’m quite partial to the idea that it arrived in Kyushu and spread from there. The eastern region of Hi-no-Moto apparently has better technology (it’s the source of the blueprint for Ikoma’s mechanical arm) and I wonder whether that’s partly because the people there had longer to develop such things before the kabane reached them, and perhaps continued trade with other countries for longer (while the fearful and soon to be kabane-infested west, under the rule of the Shogun, would undoubtedly have closed the ports and focused solely on the building of walled stations to hide inside rather than pursue the means with which to fight the kabane, whether that be technological advancement or trade / info from abroad).

And it made me wonder about the furthest end of the country from Kyushu, the island of Hokkaido. Hokkaido is separated from Honshu by the Tsugaru Strait, which is 19.5km at its narrowest point.

...what if the people of Hokkaido were able to prevent the kabane from crossing the strait? The distance between may be enough (it was found to be a zoogeographical boundary). And if not that, what if they have some other reason for refusing to allow access to those trying to cross it? (I mean, you can go wild with speculation here... I wonder whether foreign countries have had more success in blocking or exterminating the kabane or even developing medicine or a way to control / use the kabane... It’d be kind of ironic if, as well as the kabane themselves, Ikoma and co. have to deal with an invading or occupying force who want the land for themselves.)

(...the only glimpse of water in the Unato Kessen teaser)

I could certainly see there being some kind of unique situation in Hokkaido that the main characters aren’t yet aware about, thanks to both its own geography and the Shogun’s attitude towards the sharing of information. Either way, I hope the continuation of the Koutetsujou’s journey will lead to some answers and hopefully a cure.

[ai-da-ice]

[Live Door] Put Pressure to the Side! Sota Hanamura challenges the stage!

Da-iCE’s Sota Hanamura’s ultimate weapon is being a vocal with overwhelming singing skill. After succeeding at the group’s Budokan live, in the spring he will challenge starring in the stage play “Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem”. During his training lesson, he showed a smile, saying, “I am happy even to have painful experiences,” and shows no inclination to negative words. The harsh circumstances and heavy pressure turn into positive with the gentleness of his imagination. One by one, he responds to our questions with unexpected answers. What is going on inside the head of Hanamura-san?

The confidence of Shinsengumi Hijikata Toshizo is something they have in common!?

- The stage play originated from popular manga “Chiruran Shinsengumi” and is an action stage depicting the heroes of the strongest samurai group, the Shinsengumi, at the end of the Bakumatsu period. Expectations are high because Da -iCE ’s Sota Hanamura (role Hijikata Toshizo) and Toru Iwaoka (role Okita Souji) are starring together.

Because we did not know we’d be starring together, we were jumping around when we heard the news! (Laughs) Because there are many people who have performed in plays before surrounding us, there is more pressure to do our best so as not to drop the quality.

- I think that it will be a new challenge, completely different from your work as a vocalist, but have you prepared anything special to transition to the stage?

After having read the original work, I started investigating the person I was playing, such as why the original Hijikata Toshizo was the one who was called “the deputy head demon”

- Hijikata Toshizo in this stage is a hero who is growing through battle while aiming to be “the strongest” in Kyoto at the end of the Edo era.

Hijikata is confident at the beginning, fighting to believe that “I am strong” and “I am right”, and growing up with the surrounding encouragement, he becomes a really strong man. This story is about his growth.

- Is there any place you think that you are similar Hijikata Toshizo?

We’re similar! When I was 18 years old, I was convinced that “I can become the best singer in Japan in my teens” (laughs). But when I came out to Tokyo and attended lessons and started having lives with Da -iCE, I noticed, “I’m just one fish in a pond." Even now I’m confident, but unlike the old "overestimation”, I am planning to see my ability accurately. I think that growth is also a huge part of me

–I see. So, when do you think Hijikata is cool?

Aside from his swordsmanship, the place where he learns to trust himself to the end is cool, isn’t it? Because I think that it is very important that I believe in myself, apart from just good singing. I think that continuing to have confidence in anything is a talent.

- The stage lessons have begun, so how is trying out swordsmanship?

It is really hard. There are also a lot of scenes involving sword fighting, and I have only practiced the first half yet, but it is exhausting (laughs). Already … it feels like I’m about to die. Ha ha ha!

- You have a big smile but you must feel a little bitter (laughs).

Still, I’m a certain type. Rather than thinking “Wow, it’s not enough! I have to do it more!”, I would think “I have to know my limits”

- It seems tough to balance your practice with Da-iCE.

While practicing, I also had recording and choreography practice, but my abdominal muscle pain was so bad that it was hard to sing. I was trying to hold my breath, and it looked silly. Even when I tried to make my voice resonate, it was just “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”! (Laughs).

- Recording while in pain. It is not something you can easily experience.

It was a shock to me to witness how muscle soreness could make my singing less clear. But I was still content to do it.

- How positive! So what is the most enjoyable part of practice?

It is a lot of fun to interact with the performers, isn’t it? Even when you say the same line, it is slightly different each time. The response of your body and voice at that time will change depending on the line. I want to be able to express myself in various ways …. and every time I work, I feel the power of professionals. I think I surely grow each time during rehearsal and I have to take it to the highest point

- I am looking forward to it. What is it like starring together with Toru Iwaoka?

He is the kindest and the most innocent among my members. It’s easy to be with him because he understands me well. So practice is fun every time!

- It is encouraging that a member is nearby.

I think so, but I think that the pressure is also heavier. I am thankful to have someone like family with me, and since I can share anything including tough things with him, I really appreciate it.

Rather than dying without regrets, I want to regret dying!

- Although the word "pressure” has came out several times, do you easily feel pressure and tension?　

It is very easy to feel! When singing live, it’s hard to get into the feelings without being nervous, so I feel as if I can’t sing as well if I don’t have those feelings. When recording, I sing a different way than I do during lives, since I value the importance of ease of listening. So if I do not feeling any tension during the live, it’s too similar to the recording. So, I’d like to be a little nervous all the time during a live event.

- For Hanamura-san, pressure is not bad, it’s also a friend.

Well, of course feeling pressure isn’t easy. After all, it can be a painful thing. Of course, there are days when I am feeling too much pressure and and feel useless, and that imbalance makes me anxious. It comes down to whether I can turn it in a good direction, and make it fun for myself.

- I think that mental attitude is a very wonderful way of thinking.

I’m aware I have limited time, so I want to become a human being who can use it well.

- In the manga “Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem”, the emotions of a man are depicted beautifully, but what kind of image do you have about masculinity?

About the sense of being a man, it’s something I’ve thought of for a long time. It’s a bit embarrassing to say … (laughs). I think that there are many people who often say “I want to live a life with no regrets when I die,” but I would like to regret it when I die.

- Want to regret …?

I want to die thinking that “I want to live more” and “I wanted to do more” and “I wanted something better.” I want to live more. If you are satisfied, isn’t it a waste? If you think "Oh, alright,” then everything really ends there. I want to die with a desire and greed for living.

- That idea is interesting. When it comes to your work, are you usually satisfied, or do you reflect a lot after?

I will reflect a lot when I see my own videos. Perhaps I’ve seen the film of the Budokan live probably about 20 times. However, if I find five bad places, I try to to find ten good places. It is important to destroy those bad places, but it’s more important to improve upon the good places.

- Doing that, you analyze yourself well.

After all, you do not know until you see the whole picture. “If this song was good” then “Let’s increase it even more here” or “Let’s add more places to it like this”. If there is a place where I think “It was overkill here for a moment”, I should draw back a little..

Dreams are goals that you one day pass through …

- What character do you think you have– what kind of person are you?

I am confident and like myself. I like myself when I am singing, myself when I am dancing, and when I do something I like, I like shining brightly. So, basically, I think that the word confident is a match.

- It really overlaps with Hijikata Toshizo. When did you aim forbecoming a vocalist?

I began to like singing since I was little, but when I was about 15 years old, I started talking about it sincerely. For the first time I told everyone around me the words “I want to become a singer”.

- Were there any challenges?

When choosing my career in junior high school, it was so important to me that I didn’t want to study anything else.

- And in 2011, you joined Da -iCE at the age of 20 and had your major debut in 2014. In January of this year, you also had a one-man live at the Budokan. You are making dreams come true one after another.

When I was fifteen, the major debut was a dream, but when I debuted it became a passing point. Dreams change to goals, and the goal changes to a passing point. The same was the case with the Budokan, which used to be a dream before, so when I actually went to the Budokan, it did not feel like “My dream came true!” because it had become a goal I’d passed, and we were heading towards the next dream.

- Please tell me the next dream.

Someday I absolutely want to stand at the Tokyo Dome. That is a really big dream, because it took our sempai AAA over ten years, so I think that it will also take time to make it. And at the moment when I stand at the dome, if I can see that scene … I guess that I’ve made it an artist, right??

What do you think the next step would be after the dome?

I cannot imagine. That’s why I wanted to stand in that position I cannot imagine. What’s the next point up from the dome and what is left for the artist and what kind of ambition comes after? It is interesting, isn’t it? It would be fun to find out!

-The members of Da-iCE aim for such a dream together. For Hanamura-san, who are the members?

Well, I’m their business associate. …… putting it lightly, haha. (laughs). As I expected, they’ve become my family, and they feel like brothers now, don’t they? There are parts that you don’t want your brothers to interfere with, and there are parts that you want your brothers to understand. It is close to such a feeling. We absolutely can’t be separated!

I’m doing stand up comedy on radio programs by myself (laughs)

- I think you must be busy these day, but how do you spend the day off?

I do not go home at all, or I go to a dance lesson. I like dance lessons. I’m really into dancing now!

–Dance…? Da-iCE has been doing that since formation, but have you been particularly into it?

Yes Yes! When I am addicted, it is all consuming. Since all my senses are involved in it, when there is a lesson to go to, it’s better if I go to it. That’s why it’s so much fun. The thing that I want to do the most now is trying being a back up dancer to someone!

- Hanamura-san as a back-up dancer! (laughs).

No no no. If it’s impossible, I would be ashamed, but I want to do it (laughs). Of course songs are the best, but I’d like to try expressing myself with dance alone. I can express myself with songs, but I’d like to express “I feel like this now” just by dancing.

- Because you always sing, you must feel a strong motivation to try doing it

I agree. That’s why dance lessons relax me. I have no friends either.

- Now, we know that isn’t true … (laughs).

Out of all my friends, there is only one in Tokyo. I am lonely, recently. That’s why I have a feeling of needing to talk, watch comedy programs that I have recorded at home. I’m listening to a radio talk program while I’m on the move, and I keep making responses to it when I’m on my own (laughs).

- You’re being a stand up comedy man by yourself (laughs). Surprisingly, Hanamura-san’s lonely face is ….

I will go to movies by myself. I do not want to talk during the film. I am someone who understands the contents of the movie without needing to talk about it. I can understand the development, but when someone asks me “What was the meaning of that?” I will want to explain, during which the movie will proceed to the next scene ….

–(Laughs).

After all, going by yourself is comfortable (laugh).

- So, at the end …. finally, “One word to those who come to see the stage”, (laughs). Tell us your enthusiasm for the stage!

I am practicing now (* interview was done in early March), with the staff, director, performers and everyone, so that I can create the best stage together with them. I hope you will be satisfied if you come. I will make it “a time you will not regret”!

[lordbelatiel]

Flame in the Mist (Renée Ahdieh)

5 stars

“Mariko has always known that being a woman means she’s not in control of her own fate. But Mariko is the daughter of a prominent samurai and a cunning alchemist in her own right, and she refuses to be ignored. When she is ambushed by a group of bandits known as the Black Clan enroute to a political marriage to Minamoto Raiden – the emperor’s son – Mariko realises she has two choices: she can wait to be rescued… or she can take matters into her own hands, hunt down the clan and find the person who wants her dead.

Disguising herself as a peasant boy, Mariko infiltrates the Black Clan’s hideout and befriends their leader, the rebel ronin Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, Okami. Ranmaru and Okami warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. But as Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets that will force her to question everything she’s ever known.”

So, ‘Flame in the Mist’ had been one of my most anticipated reads of this year ever since it was announced. That’s a lot to live up to and I was both excited and nervous when I received an ARC copy, wondering whether it could live up to my expectations.

Thankfully, I adored this book…

Characters

Mariko, our protagonist is more interested in inventing things, whether they be objects that explode or those more practical, than being a Daimyō‘s daughter. The funny thing is that she’s actually kind of useless at first in the society of the Black Clan. She can’t cook, can’t cut fire wood, has pretty terrible upper body strength, and manages to make an enemy of pretty much everyone she meets. Maybe sometimes overestimating her own cunning and making chaos of situations, she’s a nightmare and I loved her.

Her twin brother, Kenshin, also known as the Dragon of Kai, is already a greatly revered Samurai warrior. He is equally as fierce as his sister and deeply protective of her, sometimes struggling with tenents of Bushidō relating to self control. One thing I couldn’t work out during the book is whether Kenshin actually has some magic of his own, mages are rare in the book but destruction seems to come to him far too easily. Fear for his sister, the complex political wranglings of the Imperial Court and having to lead a band of Samurai almost twice his age seem to push Kenshin to the brink and I’m pretty curious and worried to see how the next book works out for him.

Okami is, unsurprisingly, one of my favourite characters. Seemingly a little lazy and unkempt, the actually rather dangerous and dark-magic-wielding  second in command of the Black Clan has some of the best lines in the book:

‘My life has been filled with death and lies and loose women…I regret everything else.’

Like, what am I supposed to do with that? Witty and a dashing facial scar? He almost comes with a sticker on his head saying ‘this one is going to be your favourite character‘. I also enjoyed just how infuriating he found Mariko in her guise as a young man, seeing her as little more than a burden and a risk to the Black Clan.

Ah, hate to love, isn’t it glorious?

Story

Often touted as a combination of the Chinese story of Mulan and the Japanese tales of the 47 Rōnin, I will say that, plotwise, it takes a lot more from the latter. It is a Mulan retelling to the extent that Mariko disguises herself as a man and in some aspects of the romance, but the actual story is much closer to the Japanese stories of the rōnin, leaderless samurai, seeking revenge for the death of their daimyō.

It’s a slow story, but I’m glad that was the case. Ahdieh’s descriptions and character building take time and space, she has a wonderful way with words that often made me want to read the story aloud. Likewise, she takes time to allow character relationships to blossom, often leaving the exact feelings of characters towards one another as confused or amorphous, which, let’s be honest, is often exactly how close bonds form.

One thing I have, unfortunately, found over my years of reading is that it’s really difficult to find fantasy set in a Feudal Japanese setting that doesn’t make my eyes roll out of my head. Between painful tropes, fetishization and a basic misunderstanding  of Japanese cultural identity, finding good books has really been luck of the draw. This book was a breath of fresh air in that respect.

‘Flame in the Mist‘ is a sensitive portrayal of a fantasy feudal Japan. The story could not be told without its setting, it’s much more than scenic window-dressing, with Ahdieh addressing the political and cultural implications of Bushidō, ‘the way of the warrior’, as one of the central pillarstones of the story. It explores the duality of a fantasy Edo period and shogunate culture, where warriors such as the Samurai lived by the laws of Bushidō, including benevolence, integrity, loyalty and honour, but the structure of society enforced strict hierarchies with little or no social mobility. Ahdieh does a good job of explaining some more unfamiliar concepts in text, especially the omnipresent Bushidō code and the political importance of Geiko and the tea ceremonies.

It’s a story about revolution and social change, which, let’s be honest, is incredibly relevant right now. It asks questions about the status quo, about why it should be allowed to persist, whether it is even ethical for it continue in the way it is. Okami, for example, is vocally critical of the way of the Samurai and what he sees as unquestioning loyalty to an underserving upper echelon of society. I’m really excited to see how Ahdieh tackles some of those issues in the next book!

Note

I have seen one or two people comment that the use of Japanese in text is confusing or distracting for them. I would say that a) there’s a glossary at the back, b) the words are pretty easy to understand from context and cultural osmosis, and c) you’d probably just accept it if it was a fantasy novel. If you come from a martial arts background like me (Kendo), then you will probably have no problem with the words at all.

Conclusion

It was amazing, I read it too fast and now I’m going to have to wait painfully for book two. If you’re looking for a YA fantasy set in feudal Japan then this is the book for you; it’s beautifully written, sensitive to culture, has a perfect romance and is just, genuinely, everything that I wanted it to be.

Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for a copy in return for an honest review.

Originally posted at Moon Magister Reviews.

[seattoseat-blog]

My first trip in what feels like a lifetime.  Japan, what a place, what a ride!

Coming from 30 degree days in Sydney to 10 degree days in Japan was a shock to the system, but one I would relish over the next 14 days.

I had no plans and had only booked the first two nights accommodation in Osaka and then it was Google, discussions and decisions as to where the train would take me.

When booking online you really don’t know what you are getting.  I had read other bloggers notes and trip advisor and various other sites to get a feel for Japan.  Most of these people thought Japan was expensive and the hotel accommodation was going to be a killer.  I was pleasantly surprised.

I had envisioned myself sleeping in capsule hotels every night to save money.  And when you suffer from claustrophobia like I do this was my worst nightmare.  On the contrary, the accommodation was amazing!  I even had 4 nights in a Ryokan.  I stuck well within my budget and found it large, comfortable and extremely clean.  Let’s just say Google was my best friend and every place I chose to stay was truly memorable.

Enough of the accommodation!

I travelled Osaka – Kyoto – Takayama – Yudanaka – Tokyo

One of the places I thought I would never miss was Mt Fuji but time didn’t permit it and the weather was overcast.  I had already seen so many amazing sights by the time I arrived in Tokyo I was not at all worried about missing it.  On my flight from Osaka we were fortunate enough to fly beside Mt Fuji and the majestic, familiar sight was protruding grandly through the clouds and I felt like it had just made my holiday.  Had I been on the ground I would never have seen the peak.

I loved everything about Japan.  The atmosphere, people, places, transport, tranquility, safety and experience made this a place I know I will return to another time.  I didn’t have enough time to see the whole of the Islands and chose places that were accessible and I could achieve in the 14 days I had.  I have been telling everybody they really must visit.

Highlights of Osaka

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Osaka Castle was magical.  The place was fairly quiet and the tourists appeared to be Japanese only.  Walked the gardens and paid to go inside the Castle.  Well worth the price.  The gardens of the Castle offered the intrepid traveller a place to sit and dwell.  Whilst bird watchers photographed the flocks of birds flying in unison around the turrets of the castle others just sat in what appeared to be a meditative state surrounded by the gardens beauty and the castles majesty.

After visiting the castle it was a wander up the streets – the temples tempting the soul to investigate their depths.  In the evening it was into Osaka to experience the lights, people and develop a sense of the Japanese culture.

As it was Christmas I headed to Kita-Ku Osaka – one of the 24 wards of Osaka and the cities commercial centre.  This was a winter wonderland.  Everywhere I looked I could see the lights sparkling.  I was told that Japan didn’t really celebrate the western tradition of Christmas – how wrong were they.

Maybe it was the time of year and the fact that I love, love, love Christmas but Osaka has now become one of my favourite cities of the world.  Big call, I know but it was clean, exciting, different, easily accessible and offered so much.

Top 4 highlights of Kyoto

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Ginkaku-Ji

Nestled amongst the foothills of Kyoto and based at the end or beginning of the Philosophers walk is Ginkaku-Ji (officially named Jisho-ji; unofficially named the silver pavilion).  Peeking out of the branches of the Japanese maples, I caught glimpses as I walked through the gardens of the majestic silver pavilion.  It didn’t let me down.  I felt at peace in the tranquility and beauty of the surrounding gardens and the pavilion standing tall, as if at attention.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Walking around the foothills of Inari the orange torii gates beckoned me.  I was soon enveloped in the Fushimi Inari Taisha, the head shrine of Inari.  With its 5000 vibrant orange torii gates, it did not fail.   One after the other, the vibrant orange tori gates captured the essence of tranquility.  Walking through the 5000 gates gave me a sense of peace, awe and wonder at the people who decided to create such a grand statement.

Arashiyama

I was so excited to be visiting the bamboo forest and thought this was going to be the highlight.  It was definitely the pinnacle of the journey but once I hopped off the bus and began the walk there were many defining moments.  Walking beside the river watching the small tourist boats was a reflective moment as I remembered other times I had done similar.  The surrounding mountains were just losing their autumn colours but still gave a sense of the different colours that autumn beholds.  I didn’t get to see any monkeys but this was not a concern.  The views as I climbed higher gave me a sense of how immense they were and how small I was in the scheme of things.  I got to see a couple who had just said ‘I do’, dressed in all their traditional regalia.  Finally arriving at the bamboo forest!  Guarding the path on either side and straining their way towards the sun, the bamboo forest was as beautiful as I had envisioned.

Kinkaku-Ji

Aptly named, the golden pavilion.  It’s top two tiers are completely covered in gold leaf and the sight of it makes you take a breath.  After you pay your entry fee the first thing you see is the golden pavilion reflected perfectly in the pond surrounding its base.  The only thing you have to battle at this point are the tourists.  Everybody wants photos and no wonder.  The path winds past the head priest’s former living quarters, gardens and a place to toss a coin (I presume this is for luck) finally ending in the tea gardens that display their autumn colours sovereignly.

Nara – Noboriojicho (Deer Park)

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    Nearly 1200 deer roam freely around Nara.  They have been declared a national treasure (I’m not so sure if I lived there whether I would think they were a treasure) however, I don’t and I loved them.  After seeing my first deer I also spotted a cart selling deer food, which I purchased.  Once the deer smelt the food they wouldn’t leave me alone and were bunting me for food.  I saw one woman just give the deer stalking her all her food in fear.  It was such a surreal experience wandering with deer, crossing the road with deer and watching them chase down the tourists.  It was such an experience and I would highly recommend the adventure.

Highlights of Takayama

  Whilst travelling to Japan, I was determined to get away from the new Japan and venture back to traditional Japan – Takayama was the place.  Takayama was definitely not just traditional but somehow you felt like you were in the old world.  Some parts of Takayama date back to the Edo Period, where the wooden merchant’s houses line the streets.  As you walk up and down the streets the shops and houses are right beside you – there’s no footpath.  There is however, water trickling between the road and the shop fronts, like a moat protecting the inhabitants.  There were a lot of tourists walking these streets and I found it difficult to take a photo of one of the streets without someone in it.  However, my patience paid off.  Well worth the visit and definitely worth staying into the night and checking out the lights.

Highlights of Yudanaka

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Upon arrival in Yudanaka I rang the hotel and Heday-San (the owner of Bozanso) drove down and picked me up.  On the way up the hill to the hotel he pointed out all the restaurants and told me he would drive me to the Snow Monkey Park the next morning.  The Bozanso was in the perfect location and the rooms were extremely large.

The Snow Monkey Park was fantastic!  I hired snow boots as it was snowing and there was mud everywhere (well worth the 800 yen).  The walk from the entrance is about 1km and the views are stunning.  The snow was falling and the green of the leaves was pushing through the snow giving it a winter wonderland appeal.  When I saw the first monkey I couldn’t believe it!  I honestly wondered whether I would be lucky enough to see any.  (The snow monkeys live most of the year in the mountains and venture down when it is snowing.  I was there for the first snow).  The monkeys were amazing! They have red faces that appear to glow when sitting in the hot springs.  Unlike humans, the snow monkeys retain the heat from the hot springs.  There were a lot of them and they run right beside you.  They have adapted well to humans and are not afraid.

Highlights of Tokyo

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What can I say: Tokyo was all that it was cracked up to be.  Shopping, shopping and more shopping.  The Tsukiji Fish Markets and the auction was going to be the highlight for me.  I booked a taxi for 2.30 in the morning and arrived at the fish markets just before 3.  I was so excited and the markets were already buzzing with workers when I arrived.  I hadn’t realized that the auction was closed for the month of December.  I was so disappointed as I walked back to the hotel.  Yes, I walked about an hour and a half to my hotel because the taxi ride was not in my budget.  I had checked online the previous day and there had been no mention of the auction being closed and even the concierge at the hotel apologized as he had also looked.  I went back to the markets later in the morning, as it is only open to the public for one hour each day.

If money is no object then shopping in Chuo-Ginza is well worth it.  From Luis Vuitton to Bulgari to Tiffany & Co they were there.  Another shop well worth a look at was the Wako window, showcasing when I was there polar bears and penguins.

The Imperial Palace in Chiyoda City was another must see.  Not only does is it have a palace it also houses one of the most photographed double bridges and didn’t disappoint.

Senso-Ji, (yes another temple) completed in 645 is Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple.  If you have the time the presence of peace and tranquility can be found away from the crowds.  It truly is a breath of calm from the busy pace of Tokyo.

TRAIN TRAVEL

    Before leaving Australia I spent a lot of time researching travel through Japan.  It appeared that the best value was to purchase the tourist ‘Japan Rail pass’.  You must purchase it before you leave Australia (I paid $589).  When you arrive at the airport you take the receipt you received in Australia and swap it for the pass.  It is like having money in your pocket.  If you lose it you will not get another one.  When you start the pass it must be used consecutively.  You can purchase a 7, 14 or 21 day pass.  I chose the 14 day pass.

It allowed me access on all JR trains, Shikansen (bullet train) and JR buses.  In the cities the pass didn’t work as well.  The cities are made up of mostly subways and metros.  You must pay separately, however, they were relatively cheap.  The JR pass was worth the money as long as your travel is mainly out of the cities.

The bullet train was fast and clean.  Not many people on board as it is a very expensive form of travel without the JR pass.  One of the train highlights for me was the train from Takyama to Yudanaka.  Wow!  The train was only two carriages and you could stand with the driver.  Well worth the time it took.  The train wound its way through the countryside where the mountains held the first dump of snow.  Around every corner there was a new sight to behold.

      Japan My first trip in what feels like a lifetime.  Japan, what a place, what a ride!

[chanoyu-to-wa]

Nampō Roku, Book 3 (2):  Jōō Creates the Fukuro-dana¹.

2) When the [need] for [something like] the fukuro-dana [arose], [this kind of oki-dana] was made, for the first time, by Jōō².  But once [the precedent had been established], numerous other oki-dana were created [by other chajin].   Nevertheless, no [other] tana surpasses the fukuro-dana³. As for the kane, [the fukuro-dana] fully conforms [to all of the teachings], and is equal in every respect to the daisu [and the] kyūdai [及第]⁴.

    There is this verse by Jōō:

               waga na wo ba Daikoku-an to iu nareba                    fukuro-dana ni zo hiji ha komekeru

               [我名をは大黒菴といふなれば                    袋棚にぞ秘事ハこめける]⁵.

    After [the autograph of this poem] was passed over [to Rikyū], it was treasured [by him], and constantly used [as a memento of Jōō]⁶.

   With respect to Jōō, he lived on Shijō [四條]⁷ in Kyōto, next to the Ebisu-dō [夷堂]⁸.  (The Gods) Ebisu and Daikoku are usually lined up together [in artistic representations]; and because of this, he wrote Daikoku-an [大黒菴] on a [wooden] plaque with his own brush, and hung this up [on his teahouse as its name].

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Kaki-ire [書入]⁹: 

❖ There is a fukuro-dana that is painted with lacquer so thin that the wood-grain is visible.  [This tana] is in all other respects identical to the unpainted version.

    There is a slight difference in the temae [between these two versions] to which one must be sensitive:  [with respect to placing] the chakin [on the ji-ita of the tana], and [the need for] such things as a shiki-kami [敷紙]¹⁰, and so forth.  Also, with respect to placing things [on the tana], one should be especially vigilant¹¹.

❖ As for the arrangements for the fukuro-dana, the same kind of care should be taken as in the numerous [parallel] instances when the daisu is used.  Rough sketches will be provided [that illustrate certain of these arrangements].  When the number of objects are few, [it is important to remember that] if none are exceedingly wonderful [pieces], then the way the things are arranged itself should take precedence¹².

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Kaki-ire [書入]: 

❖ Concerning the leaves¹³ illustrating the transmitted arrangements for the fukuro-dana, some of them show arrangements that were passed down from Jōō, while others were composed by Rikyū¹⁴.

_________________________

◎ Before we progress any further with the translation of Book Three, something should be brought to the readers’ attention, since I am worried that I may have given the wrong impression with respect to some of this material.  While a number of sections in this book contain material that is overtly spurious, this does not mean that every detail -- even in these entries -- was fabricated by the person or persons responsible for corrupting the text.  In fact, part of the success of this sort of fraud lies precisely by taking historically accurate information, and then twisting the context to make the total say what the perpetrator wishes it to say.

    In the previous installment (which was the first that translates material from Book Three of the Nampō Roku), many of the details referring to Jōō's modifications are quite accurate*:  for example, Jōō does seem to have simplified the architecture of the 4.5-mat room in the manner stated in that entry -- and, indeed, a “secret book” by Jōō might be expected to contain just such details (along, perhaps, with an explanation of his reasoning).  What is spurious is the context -- that the 4.5-mat room was originally created by Shukō, and that Jōō's modifications were (in effect) subsequently repudiated by Rikyū, who replaced the yojō-han with the straw-thatched hut†, which he thenceforth used on every occasion, never again performing chanoyu in any other setting.

    The 4.5-mat shoin (shown above) had been used as the standard place for serving tea since before Shukō arrived in Japan from the continent (indeed, it was so even before the appearance of chanoyu‡, when tea was made at the o-chanoyu-dana in the anteroom attached to such a shoin, from where it was brought out into the shoin to be drunk), with most of the details established by Nōami for Yoshimasa once it became fashionable for the host to serve tea with his own hands at a daisu that was set up in the shoin itself..

    Meanwhile, the original small tearoom** -- the nijō-daime [二疊臺目] -- was created simultaneously by Jōō (left) and Rikyū (right) in 1554, with each of their rooms displaying details that became fundamental to all later tearoom design, and it was this same room that Rikyū continued to use as his small room for most of his life -- reducing it to a two-mat room only after he entered Hideyoshi’s employ, probably because Hideyoshi felt uneasy with the daime-gamae, since this arrangement prevented him from seeing what the host was doing clearly.  This hardly could be considered repudiation of the earlier model, but an evolution spawned of necessity.

    Yet within this misleading narrative, the details of the changes that Jōō enacted remain authentic, and it is to understand these details that we should read this book. __________ *As I have written several times before, the contents of this book are based on a secret text written by Jōō, which he then transmitted to Rikyū (according to Rikyū's own words, as recorded in his densho).  Consequently, things related to Jōō and his teachings should contain at least a core of truth.  It is only when certain details were “stretched” (or fabricated) to make these things appear to conform with Kanamori Sōwa's history of chanoyu in Japan that the text needs to be weighed very, very carefully.

†Indeed, the Sen families used the expression sō-an no cha [草庵の茶] (or sō-an cha [草庵茶]) -- tea of the grass[-thatched] hut -- to define their machi-shū-based practice (especially in contrast with the developing daimyō-cha [大名茶] that was increasingly favored by the military class).  This term persists even today, and it is expressly said that this term (and its idea) derive directly from Rikyū (which they do not).

‡Chanoyu, as a performance of a temae before the eyes of the guests, should not be confused with the drinking of matcha.  Matcha had been drunk for several centuries in Japan, using most of the same utensils as continued to be used later, before chanoyu appeared -- around the time of the collapse of the Koryeo dynasty (in 1403).

**It is believed that Shukō may have served tea in his 2-mat cell.  However, this room was his residence, rather than a properly appointed chashitsu.  Other earlier small rooms -- such as the fuka-san-jō in the Shū-un-an -- likewise were residential cells.  Jōō's Yamazato-no-iori [山里の庵], and Rikyū's Jissō-an [實相庵], were the first two ko-yashiki ever to be erected specifically for the reception of guests for chanoyu (rather than as residences for the monk-chajin who occupied them).

¹The editing of this document, from being a text written by Jōō into one describing the process, becomes apparent here.

    Whether this was done by Jitsuzan (who appears to have been working under the assumption that all of the documents in the Shū-un-an had been written by Nambō Sōkei*), or by an earlier person whose purpose was to incorporate this material into the narrative sponsored by the Tokugawa bakufu (and/or the Sen family), is not clear. __________ *In this instance, perhaps he was imagining that Sōkei had transcribed a narrative delivered to him by Rikyū.

²Fukuro-dana wo koshirae-taru, kore Jōō ni someru [袋棚をこしらへたる、これ紹鷗に初る].

    Koshirae-taru [拵えたる] means “wish to make,” “have a desire to make;” or “when there was a need (or desire) to make....”

    Someru [初める] means to begin to do (something), do something for the first time -- in this case, begin to use the fukuro-dana as the first substitute for the daisu.

    In other words, this passage is suggesting that the creation of the fukuro-dana came about in response to the appearance of a need (or desire) to distance chanoyu from the daisu; and when this need was recognized, it was Jōō who responded by starting to make the fukuro-dana.

    In fact, the original tana -- care must be taken not to confuse the (kiri-kiji) fukuro-dana [袋棚] with the so-called Jōō-dana [紹鷗棚] (which is painted with Shunkei lacquer)* -- had been created by Shino Sōshin [志野宗信; ? ~ 1480]†, for the purpose of holding the utensils used during the appreciation of incense.   Jōō's arrangement of his tea utensils on the fukuro-dana mirrors the Shino family's arrangement of the incense utensils‡. __________ *I mention this because Tanaka Senshō seems to feel that the text is referring to both of them.

    According to Rikyū's densho, the lacquered Jōō-dana was created for displaying special utensils in the tokonoma, while it was the kiji fukuro-dana that was placed on the utensil mat and used when serving tea.

    Apparently the fact that both of these tana have a ji-fukuro is the source of this confusion.  Various "secret" arrangements for the Jōō-dana appeared in the early Edo period, in works associated with the machi-shū followers of Imai Sōkyū.

†The first generation Shino Soshin's dates are also given as 1406 ~ 1490.

    However, it is also possible that this tana was actually created by his son (who was also born in Korea, and immigrated to Japan together with his father), and who also used the name Sōshin [宗信; 1441 ~ 1522].  Since the Korean line of this family died out with the third (or possibly fourth -- the use of the same name by the first and second generations of the Shino family has resulted in confusion over how to interpret the fragmentary records that survive from the period) generation in 1571, and was carried on by their Japanese disciples, the details of the early history of the family was, for the most part, lost.

‡Jōō modified Shino Sōshin’s tana by replacing what originally was a pair of  hinged doors (with a locking mechanism, to secure the contents:  the host’s precious kyara incense was supposed to be kept in the ji-fukuro) with a single lift-out door (this enlarged the opening, making it more hospitable for some of the larger things that were used for chanoyu).

    As for the logic behind Jōō’s arrangements, while the Shino placed the akoda [アコダ = 阿古陀] (a mizusashi-sized hibachi -- called akoda because its shape resembled this early-summer melon -- in which the burning charcoal, that would later be transferred into the kiki-kōro, was kept) on the ji-ita beneath the naka-dana, Jōō placed the mizusashi there:  the function of the mizusashi (in chanoyu) poetically resembles that of the akoda (in the appreciation of incense).

    Jōō's arrangements of the other utensils (as are recorded in this book) parallel the Shino's practices in much the same way.

    It must be remembered that Jōō drew most of his early guests from among the group of people who assembled for the Shino family’s ko-kai:  Jōō seems to have begun by staging incense gatherings of his own, and only slowly started to shift the emphasis toward chanoyu.  It should not surprise us, then, that Jōō kept many of the details the same, especially in the early years, so as not to confuse his guests, while the substitution of tea utensils for incense ones often follows the same sort of intellectual route that poets use when deriving a new poem from an earlier example.

³Fukuro-dana ni sugi-taru tana nashi [袋棚に過たる棚なし].

    Sugi-taru [過ぎたる] means to surpass, go beyond.  In other words, though a number of other oki-dana were subsequently created by various people, none of these are better than the fukuro-dana*.

    The all-pervading nature of this tana can be seen from the fact that (at least originally) the fukuro-dana was used not only in the 4.5-mat room, but in the 2-mat daime room (enclosed within the daime-gamae -- which seems to have been designed specifically with this idea in mind).

    It must be understood that, from the earliest days, the daisu (on which was placed the bronze furo) was used in the shoin.  Jōō created the fukuro-dana for use with the ro -- which, originally, was used all year round as the symbol of wabi-no-chanoyu.  Using the furo during the warm months, and the ro during the cold months was a convention that appeared much later. __________ *Indeed, it can be argued that all of the other tana that came into being after the fukuro-dana were derived from it -- by dividing the fukuro-dana in half, and using either the right side (where the mizusashi is placed beneath the naka-dana and ten-ita), or the left (where the ji-fukuro is at the bottom), independently.

    Rikyū's hitoe tsuri-dana [一重袋棚] (a tsuri-dana with a single shelf), in fact, was derived from the naka-dana of the fukuro-dana -- as was Furuta Sōshitsu's futae tsuri-dana [二重袋棚] (Oribe’s tana had two shelves, and so was derived from both the naka-dana and the kō-dana of the fukuro-dana).

⁴Kane yorozu totonoite, daisu kyudai ni mo otoranu tana nari [かねよろづとゝのひて、臺子及第にもおとらぬ棚也].

    Kane [かね] refers to the teachings of kane-wari [曲尺割り] -- or, in this instance, perhaps specifically to kane [矩], meaning “measurements.”  The fukuro-dana fulfills (totonoite [調いて]) all (yorozu [萬] -- literally, the ten-thousand) details of the teachings.

    Daisu kyūdai [臺子及第] means the daisu [臺子] and the kyū-dai daisu [及第臺子] (its name was abbreviated here).  These were the two tana whose use predated the fukuro-dana in chanoyu.  Otoranu [劣らぬ]:  otoru [劣る] means to be bad or inferior; otoranu [劣らぬ]* means in no way inferior to (literally, “the state of being inferior does not exist”).  So, the fukuro-dana is in no way inferior to either of its predecessors.

    Here it might be good to point out that it is not quite right to speak of an hierarchical relationship between gokushin-no-chanoyu (the tea of the daisu) and wabi-no-chanoyu.  The two are equal.  They simply represent different approaches to the same central idea†. __________ *The form otoranai [劣らない] is the modern equivalent.

†The offering of a bowl of tea to the Buddha, as a spiritual quest.  As I have written before, when Rikyū performed chanoyu in his Mozuno ko-yashiki, using a mukō-ro, kiji-tsurube, the Ko-mamori chawan and a chū-natsume, an ori-tame chashaku, and a take-wa for his futaoki, he was performing a gokushin-temae just as surely as if he had been seated in front of a shin-daisu adorned with with nagabon futatsu-gumi [長盆二つ組] and nanatsu-kazari [七つ飾り].

⁵Waga na wo ba Daikoku-an to iu nareba, fukuro-dana ni zo hiji ha komekeru [我名をは大黒菴といふなれば、袋棚にぞ秘事ハこめける].

    “If I may be known as Daikoku-an, then it is in the fukuro-dana that I hide away my secrets.”

    This poem is usually known as the Daikoku-an no uta [大黒庵ノ歌].  Apparently the possession of the autograph (which Rikyū said he found folded up within this document, and which he subsequently had mounted as a kakemono) announced to those who saw it (or, later, heard about it) that Rikyū was Jōō's acknowledged heir*.  (This seems to have been necessary, because Imai Sōkyōū had been charged with taking charge of Jōō's collection of meibutsu tea utensils†.) __________ *Thus he quotes the poem in his early densho, which seem to have been written around the time (perhaps circa 1573) that he entered public life as a teacher of tea.

†In those days, possession of a utensil implied that the owner was also a party to the secrets of its use.  It was precisely because of the unprecedentedly large number of meibutsu utensils that Jōō kept in his personal collection that he was considered, by his contemporaries, the preeminent master of his generation.  Nobody, since the days of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, had ever owned so many famous things.

    Imai Sōkyū, as Jōō's brother-in-law, had been asked to look after Jōō's young son Sōga (who was 5 years old at the time of his father's death), and he was given charge of the collection of meibutsu tea utensils as Sōga's inheritance (on the understanding that the collection would be passed on to Sōga when he was old enough to make use of them).  The trouble between Rikyū and Sōkyū arose precisely because Sōkyū decided to sell a number of these things in order to reimburse himself for the expenses of Sōga's keep.  Possibly Sōkyū decided that, since Sōga was a follower of Rikyū's simple style of chanoyu (which generally eschewed the use of such famous things), Sōga would never need them (and furthermore, as a disciple of Rikyū, Sōkyū appears to have felt that Sōga would never be the teacher that his father had been, hence they would be wasted on him).

    We must remember that the early version of chanoyu practiced by Jōō was, in many respects, similar to the style taught by the modern schools, in that different utensils had special (and secret) ways of being handled.  Rikyū did away with all of those details, preferring to use everything the same way (his small chaire-bon allowing even the bon-chaire to be handled almost the same way as an ordinary chaire or natsume -- without a tray -- was used).

    On Sōkyū's side, this behavior (which he appears to have considered as a sort of repudiation of Jōō’s teachings) seems to have been his main bone of contention with Rikyū (so that after Rikyū's death Sōkyū and his followers did everything in their power to restore things to the way they had been during Jōō's middle period -- the time before Rikyū began to have an influence on his chanoyu).

⁶Kayō ni hizō-shite jōjū ni mochiirareshi nari [かやうに秘蔵して常住に用られし也].

    Kayō [通う] means to pass something over (from one person to another).

    Hizō-suru [秘蔵する] means to treasure, prize, cherish (something) -- with the additional nuance of preserving it, keeping it safely.

    Jōjū [常住] means, always, constantly, eternally, for the rest of ones life, and so forth.  The verb mochii-rareru [用られる] means to use something, or make use of something.

    The statement that Rikyū “made use” of (the autograph copy of) this poem implies:

1) that he considered it to be a memento of Jōō (since the was his explanation for his name), as if it were Jōō himself who was present whenever the poem was displayed*; and,

2) that he displayed it to others to show that he had received it from Jōō (which was tantamount to Rikyū being named as Jōō's heir -- since the possession of this document, as having been received from Jōō, meant that Rikyū was now entitled to use it as his own name-poem, that Rikyū now had the right to use Jōō's name as his own). __________ *The reason why we bow to the kakemono is because it is considered to be the “shadow” of the monk who wrote it.  The scroll represents his physical presence (rather than simply being a piece of art).  This is why these writings were venerated as they were -- they were a relic of the man who wrote them.

⁷Shijō [四條] is Fourth Avenue.  This was one of the major avenues running east to west.  The name is usually written Shijō [四条] today.

⁸Ebisu-dō [夷堂]:  apparently a small hall or shrine dedicated to Ebisu [惠比須]*, perhaps located in the business district between Kawaramachi-dori and Karasuma-dori, which does not survive. (Due to the obvious difference in names, it cannot seem to be associated with the Ebisu-jinja [惠美須神社], which is located east of the Kamo-gawa). __________ *Ebisu is, among other things, considered to be the God of Commerce and Wealth.  It would be logical for a small shrine to this deity to be erected in the city’s business district.

⁹Kaki-ire [書入] is a block of text inserted into a document, often functioning like a footnote.  If there is space, it was written interlineally.  However, in the case of a notebook* (which seems to have been the format of the original document), the page could be split open at the fold, and the kaki-ire was added on the back side of the leaf to which its contents refer.  The length of some of the kaki-ire in the Nampō Roku suggests that this was the method used.

    Kaki-ire were often written by someone other than the original author, to offer additional information necessary to understand the original text.  Tanaka Senshō states in his commentary that the present kaki-ire was not present in the original work, and so was added later __________ *A traditional Japanese notebook (called a sōshi [雙紙], a reference to the doubled pages) was made by folding a long sheet of writing paper like a fan, and then stitching along one edge.  Each leaf, then, was doubled (this helped to prevent ink from leaking through and obscuring what was written on the adjoining page).

¹⁰Chakin・shiki-kami nado no rui nari [茶巾・敷紙等ノ類也].

    Traditionally, the chakin was placed on the ji-ita of the tana (such as on the ji-ita of the daisu)*; or, on the shiki-ita (in lieu of a tana).  However, if the fukuro-dana is unlacquered, the chakin should not be placed on the tana†, since the fine dust clinging to the wood may soil it.  (Also, the damp chakin could stain the wood, which would make it appear impure.)

    The word shiki-kami [敷き紙] refers to a piece of paper that is folded (and sometimes cut as well)‡, to be placed under the shin-nakatsugi (when the nakatsugi is not tied in a shifuku).  This practice is said to date from the time of Shukō.  However, it appears that the author of this note believed that this usage was predicated on the tana being unlacquered (so the implication is that a shiki-kami is not necessary if the tana is lacquered)**. ___________ *On the fukuro-dana, the chakin was placed in front of the mizusashi.

†It should be placed on the lid of the mizusashi:  the fukuro-dana is used only with the ro.

‡According to the Three Hundred Lines:

“(298) 中續敷紙の事  [The matter of (displaying) the nakatsugi with a piece of paper under it.]   

    “This refers to the situation when a nakatsugi that does not have a shifuku is arranged on the daisu [or other tana] as a chisō (an act requiring a special effort on the part of the host, something done especially for the guest).

    “Three sheets of thin paper should be folded together in half, and then folded again [imitating the way a paper kama-shiki is folded]; and this is placed down [on the shelf], with the cut edges in front and on the left (and so the folded edges are on the right, and on the far side), and the nakatsugi is then rested on top of this.  Depending on the size of the nakatsugi, the paper should be cut so that the shiki-kami is between 4-bu and 6-bu larger than the bottom of the nakatsugi on all four sides.   

    “Some people also take away approximately 1-bu from each of the four corners (shown in the sketch, above, on the lower right), but others do not like this idea.   

    “Kama-shiki paper (this is similar to kaishi) turned back-side out may be used.”

**However, this thinking is erroneous.  The reason for the shiki-kami is because the shin-nakatsugi has straight sides.  So, if the base of the tea container is placed immediately adjacent to its kane when displayed on the tana (as is the rule), the nakatsugi will not overlap (be associated with) its kane.  Placing the nakatsugi on a shiki-kami eliminates this problem, since the paper overlaps the kane.  (The size of the paper is important so that it does not inadvertently contact another kane.)

    When the nakatsugi is tied in a shifuku, however, the shifuku is necessarily wider than the nakatsugi (if only slightly).  Thus, when the bottom of the nakatsugi is oriented immediately to the side of its kane, the shifuku will overlap the kane, and so fulfill the needs of kane-wari.

¹¹When placing things with a rough foot (such as a chawan) on a lacquered surface, it was traditional to place a towel* (or a piece of paper) underneath -- to prevent the foot of the utensil from scratching the lacquer.  

    If the tana had been painted with thin lacquer†, this point was especially important, since the lacquer can easily be scratched away.  On an unlacquered tana, such care is possibly not necessary. __________ *This was made like a chakin, but longer.

†An unpainted tana was, at least in theory, used only once.  The purpose for coating the tana with lacquer was so that it could be used again and again with impunity.  If the utensils scratch away the lacquer, the tana will be ruined.

    Traditionally (at least since the Edo period), an unlacquered tana (such as the fukuro-dana, or the take-daisu [竹臺子] -- or Rikyū's maru-joku [丸卓] or shi-hō-dana [四方棚]) was used only once in its original state.  After it had been used, the tana was rubbed (or painted) with a thin coat of lacquer, and so it could be used again.  But the unlacquered state was special, and this is how it was supposed to be when entertaining a very important guest.

¹²To sum up Tanaka Senshō's comments:  the arrangements used on the fukuro-dana are the same as [those used on] the daisu; and there are the same number [of arrangements].

    The primary point of difference is this:  things done with the daisu must be absolutely correct -- the utensils must be appropriate, and they must be in perfect condition.

    But because the fukuro-dana is used with the ro, less refined utensils can be used, as is appropriate to the setting (whether the fukuro-dana is being used in the shoin, or in a more wabi sort of room).

    Ultimately, the arrangement of utensils on the daisu should be a work of art in itself.  But, with respect to the fukuro-dana, it is important to remember that the fukuro-dana is not a display shelf for decorative objects.  So, while the arrangement should be pleasing, the primary reason for the arrangement is to help the host serve the tea efficiently.  This is the real difference between the daisu and the fukuro-dana.

¹³Kiri-kami [切紙], “cut paper,” means that each of the sketches was done on a separate piece of paper (rather than on a scroll or in a notebook).

¹⁴As mentioned before, of the 26 arrangements for the fukuro-dana included in Book Three of the Nampō Roku, only one is found in an identical form in Rikyū's writings -- the arrangement for the shin-nakatsugi, shown below.  (The writing reads, above, from the right, hikkiri [引切], hishaku [ひしやく], nakatsugi [なかつぎ]; and below, mizusashi [水さし], fukuro [袋].)

    While it is possible that some of the sketches included in this collection were Rikyū's creations, it actually seems unlikely -- since the arrangements found in his densho (all of which I included under footnote 6 in the introductory essay*) are always much simpler than those that are shown in this book, the majority of which clearly belong to Jōō's middle period. __________ *The URL for that post is:

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/185391761796/namp%C5%8D-roku-book-3-introduction

    By comparing the seven arrangements illustrated by Rikyū himself with those that will be shown later in this book, the difference between Jōō's and Rikyū's approach to the fukuro-dana will become eminently clear.