#emperor go toba

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, August 6th:

Go-Toba, Emperor of Japan, 1180

Fakhr-al-Din II, Emir of Lebanon, 1572

Maria Sophia of Neuburg, Queen of Portugal, 1666

Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor, 1697

Louis Antoine, Duc d'Angouleme, 1775

Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1844

Moritz, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse, 1926

Maria-Pia, Princess of Liechtenstein, 1960

[felicitykings]

I, seventh son of the Wei Emperor! Toba Hong! Leave your best medics and supplies. I will come with you. Let my brothers go! A live Prince in exchange... for several thousand soldiers? Deal!

MULAN: RISE OF A WARRIOR (2009) dir. Jingle Ma

[whencyclopedia]

Genpei War

The Genpei War (1180-1185 CE), also known as the Taira-Minamoto War, was a conflict in Japan principally between two rival clans: the Minamoto and Taira, for control of the imperial throne. The civil war was punctuated by a typhoon, earthquake, famine and a plague but was finally ended at the decisive Battle of Dannoura when the defeated leader of the Taira, Tomomori, and the claimant to the throne Antoku, both committed suicide. In the aftermath of the war, the Kamakura Shogunate was established by Minamoto no Yoritomo and the military would go on to dominate Japanese government for centuries to come.

Background

The Genpei War (Genpei No Soran) was a civil war for dynastic control in Japan between two powerful clan groups who each claimed a rightful inheritance to the imperial throne. From the 9th century CE, the process known as 'dynastic shedding' removed individuals from the dynastic lineage because the royal family became too large and too costly to maintain. With emperors having as many as 50 children, even direct descendants were removed from the royal line and given one of two family names: Minamoto (aka Minamoto-Shi or Genji) or Taira (aka Hei-Shi or Heike). Both groups were militarily powerful and a bitter rivalry developed between them. The aristocracy at court depended on one of the families according to their particular allegiance.

Almost inevitably, armed conflict broke out between these rivals, notably in the 1156 CE Hogen Disturbance when the two sides claimed the throne vacated by the death of retired emperor Toba. The retired emperor Sutoku was supported by Tameyoshi, head of the Minamoto and some factions of the powerful Fujiwara clan led by Yorinaga. Meanwhile, the then emperor Go-Shirakawa was supported by Tameyoshi's eldest son, who joined with the Taira and other members of the Fujiwara, led by Tadamichi, Yorinaga's brother. The Go-Shirakawa side, with help from the military commander Taira no Kiyomori, quashed the rebellion, and Tameyoshi was executed.

1160 CE saw another outbreak in clan hostilities with the Heiji Disturbance. Minamoto no Yoshitomo, jealous at the rewards and prestige won by Taira no Kiyomori following the Hogen Disturbance, seized the throne in 1159 CE while his rival was away from court. Taira no Kiyomori swiftly returned to restore order and Yoshimoto was killed. Two rebellions and twice the Taira clan had prevailed so that they were now the most powerful family in Japan. For the Minamoto, though, it would be third time lucky.

Taira no Kiyomori enjoyed even greater rewards now that he had quashed two 'disturbances' to the status quo and he was made Grand minister of state (daijo daijin) in 1167 CE. From then on, though, Kiyomori began to lose important allies, notably his old supporter the emperor Go-Shirakawa, now retired, who plotted to assassinate Kiyomori in 1177 CE following his attempt to promote a Taira prince. Trouble was, once again, brewing at court. A failed attempt by Kiyomori to move the court from Kyoto to Kobe was followed in 1180 CE by him audaciously putting his grandson Antoku, a mere two-year-old, on the throne at Kyoto. Antoku was the son of Emperor Takakura and his wife was Kiyomori's daughter. At this, the Minamoto had had enough, and with the support of Mochito, the son of ex-emperor Go-Shirakawa, civil war broke out.

Continue reading...

[ryin-silverfish]

Keisei Suikoden: Genderbent Water Margins

This is probably Part 2 of the "Obscure Vernacular Novels Spotlight" series. Dunno if there's gonna be a Part 3, because most obscure novels stay obscure for a reason. Which is often formulaic boredom. And I'm only picking out the fun ones.

(Also, my main interest is still Ming-Qing vernacular novels, but since I'm doing a final project about Keisei Suikoden for this semester's class, I may as well use the post as Draft 0.)

...

"Is this the Edo Japan equivalent of FGO making historical figures and deities into anime girls?" I thought, when I first came across a Chinese summary of the novel several years ago. 

Then I learned that the author, Kyokutei Bakin, has indeed appeared in FGO as an anime girl. 

As the title suggests, this fan novel of Water Margins has made all the male 108 heroes into heroines, and the female characters into guys...but the changes go further.

Specifically, Bakin has localized the entire setting, rewriting the storyline so that it took place in Kamakura Japan instead. (Hey, it's even contemporary to Northern Song!) Kinda like how Konami's first Suikoden game put the 108 heroes into a medieval fantasy setting.

Which means: 

All the 108 characters got their unique Japanese names, sometimes sharing one or two characters with their original inspirations but not always. 

Daoist characters became Shinto priestesses, yamabushi, and onmyoji. 

Beef dishes that appeared in the original novel were replaced with poultry and fish because Edo Japan had a ban on livestock meat.

The Genpei War and other rebellions in its aftermath were featured in the backstory of a bunch of female bandits, who belonged to defeated clans, and many of the 108 heroines were associated with the Minamoto Clan. 

Almost every character got genderbent. Which means the damsels in distress from the original novel become bishonen in distress, female bandits would kidnap men and force them into marriages, etc.

The rough outline of the story goes like this: an arrogant female official, while trying to find the famous priestess Murokai (fem! Heavenly Master Zhang) in the Kumano mountains to dispel a plague, released the 108 vengeful ghosts of unmarried courtesans mentioned in the Manyoshu anthology, who reincarnated into our 108 heroines.

After a timeskip, in the capital, the Shirabyoshi dancer Kamegiku (fem! Gao Qiu) has gained the favor of Emperor Go-Toba, both of whom were real historical figures.

During his reign, women skilled in various martial arts were selected to train in the Female Warrior Training School, and after offending Kamegiku, one of the head trainers, Ayaosa (fem! Wang Jin) was forced to flee with her aging mother.

During their escape, she encountered the spunky tomboy daughter of a village chief, Fusenryu Komorode ("Komorode the Diving Dragon", fem! Shi Jin), and taught her the eighteen martial arts after defeating her in a duel...

We then got to Otatsu of Hanagara (fem! Lu Zhishen), my favorite of the genderbent characters——A plump, dark-skinned lady with a fierce temper and love for sake, able to effortlessly move a 45 kg mortar around.

She became a fugitive after she killed the mean usurer widow and salted fish vendor, Kaina, with a single punch, to save the male courtesan Yasanosuke and his mom.

Then she was made a Buddhist nun and took on the name Myotatsu, but got expelled from her first temple for acting exactly like the original Lu Zhishen: getting drunk and eating meat, fistfighting a Jizo statue outside the temple gate and bringing the entire small shrine down, and beating up the nuns who tried to stop her.

"I'm adept at explaining the nature of cause and effect: Fuck Around and Find Out." ——Myotatsu, right before rescuing the village head's pretty son from a forced marriage to the local bandit queen 

The novel does have a main plot: while Kamegiku was playing the temptress in Kyoto, Hojo Masako ruled as the "Nun Shogun" in Kamakura, and had essentially usurped the Minamoto Clan by placing her son, Yoriie, under house arrest and later assassinating him.

Thus, instead of robbing Cai Jing's birthday present, the 108 heroines were kidnapping Princess Sanze, the youngest daughter of Yoriie, to protect her from the Hojo regents and restore Minamoto control.

Sadly, we don't know how the plot concludes.

Bakin had gone blind in his old age, relying entirely on his daughter-in-law to transcribe his oral accounts, and since he was focused on finishing his most famous epic novel, Chronicle of the Eight Dogs Heroes (Nanso satomi hakken-den), Keisei Suikoden had taken a backstage and is never finished.

Some highlights:

-Sakurado of Torano-o (fem! Lin Chong) got fucked over because Kamegiku wanted to take her husband for herself. Her husband, Nansei, is a pretty twink monk and one of her disciples. He's timid, delicate, and has no interest in women, but loved Sakurado platonically and was in turn supported by her, who never looked down on him.

-Fushishiba (fem! Chai Jin), a.k.a. Oritaki no Sho, is descended from a member of the Taira Clan who owed a debt to Yoritomo, and was granted various honors and titles after the war.

-fem! Chao Gai's name is Kocho, which translates literally to "Little Butterfly". It might be a pun, since Chao and Cho sound kinda similar. And yes, she did lift an entire stone pagoda and carry it to her village to protect the villagers from the local yokai.

-Fittingly enough, "Sasuno Miko Medogi" (fem! Gongsun Sheng) is an onmyoji of the Abe lineage, who can manipulate Shikigami to summon winds and clouds.

-Oohako (fem! Song Jiang) murdering male! Yan Poxi is...surprisingly cathartic, not gonna lie. For context, Yan Po was not genderbent, but she abused Oohako's generosity to try to set her up with her son, a Joruri actor named Gidakichi, in an attempt to leech off her money.

-And while she's unwittingly offering patronage to their performances out of social obligation, Gidakichi was having an affair with her assistant, Adako (fem! Zhang Wenyuan), and being a stain on her reputation.

-After a very awkward and uncomfortable night at their house and Gidakichi being a creep to her, she accidentally left a pouch containing Kocho's letter of gratitude (because she alerted them to an incoming arrest) in their bedroom.

-Gidakichi found the letter and tried to use it to blackmail her into not only approving his marriage to Adako and covering the full expense, but also giving him the 300 gold mentioned in Kocho's letter (a gift she rejected).

-At which point she finally had enough and stabbed the guy to death. As you can see, the plot beats are mostly the same, but I like it better than the original.

-Why? Because 1) Yan Po's intent to leech off their patron is made a lot more obvious, and 2) instead of Yan Poxi (understandably) having no intention of sleeping with Song Jiang due to his cold neglect, and Song Jiang getting pissed at her for that?

-The dynamic is reversed. Gidakichi had no love for Oohako, and the feeling was mutual. Yet when she was pressured into spending the night in the same room by his mom, she was the one who kept a polite distance while he tried to force himself on her.

-Takeyo (fem! Wusong) is said to be 6 ft tall, with a dignified appearance that resembled the famous Tomoe Gozen from the Tale of Heike. Before she met Oohako, though, she was also short-tempered and prone to violence.

-Because Japan doesn't have tigers, the tiger Takeyo killed was a tiger cub gifted to the local lord by emissaries from Joseon Korea, which had escaped captivity upon reaching adulthood.

-Just like Wu Song, she avenged her sister, Butayo's murder at the hands of Kiresuke (male! Pan Jinlian) the abusive freeloader husband and his mistress, Okei of Seimonya (fem! Ximen Qin).

-Not gonna lie, the original Pan Jinlian and her Plum in the Golden Vase incarnation are both fascinatingly terrible people. But, just like Gidakichi, Kiresuke managed to outdone her through sheer creep factor during his failed attempt at seducing Takeyo and pinning the blame on her.

-Bakin generally tried to tune down the gore and cannibalism in Water Margins, as well as the slaughter of innocents and random passersby. Even Rikiju (fem! Li Kui) is slighty less of a indiscriminate murderhobo, and the targets of her killing spree were limited to samurai guards.

-That said, they still killed the corrupt official Ikken (Huang Wenbing)'s entire family by setting fire to his mansion, and preserved his head in a jar of sake after Rikiju killed him.

-Instead of receiving the three divine scrolls from the Mystic Lady of the Nine Heavens, Oohako received a single scroll from Benzaiten.

-Because of the aforementioned lack of tigers in Japan, Rikiju killed 4 giant "mountain dogs", a.k.a. Japanese wolves with unusual stripe patterns on their fur, after they devoured her elderly mom.

Final Thoughts

I'm not a fan of most genderbent AUs because oftentimes, it doesn't add anything meaningful to the original premise, or alter the character personality too much to the point of losing all resemblance to their counterpart.

Keisei Suikoden, however, is a pre-modern example of a genderbent adaptation done well.

The heroines are as badass, colorful, and violent as their male counterparts, the entire premise has been localized in a manner that's both funny and interesting, and the rewrite + deletion of certain story beats have actually removed many elements of Water Margins that do not sit well with a modern audience.

Also, I'll totally play a Keisei Suikoden RPG game, if the heroine designs stay true to the novel and they aren't all made into pretty anime girls. 

A two -volume English translation can be found on Amazon, together with the Chronicle of the Eight Dog Heroes. There's also a free digital scan of the original Japanese print by the Harvard-Yenching Library.

[ga-yuu]

Ikemen Genjiden Timeline

Simply putting together the characters' timeline until the prologue. I don't know the accuracy of this but I'll do my best.

1200 Years ago...

Kharin, a female Oni gives birth to a baby boy and exchanges him for a human child. The Oni baby lives on and grows up among the humans. That child's name is Ibuki.

800 Years ago....

Tamamo was born. He grew up in his fox clan and went onto become the Fox King, going around and killing other demons.

300 Years ago...

Akatsuki and Himiko's story takes place here. Kurama was born. In the later years, Tamamo destroyed Kurama's Tengu Clan leaving only Kurama alive. Also the same time when Ibuki adopted Kurama and Tamamo meeting Rikka (I'm not sure) After Kurama left Ibuki, Ibuki keeps going in and out of the human world to cause chaos and meets Seimei for the first time.

200 Years ago....

Seimei dies and Ibuki is alone again. Also probably the time Tamamo got bored of killing and started living in the human world around humans. He asked Rikka to join him, but he declines.

100 Years ago...

Akihito was born and also cursed by his own father, Emperor Toba. While Akihito grew up, Tamamo was Emperor Toba's mistress.

Decades later....

Akihito gets shunned by his parents and lives on his own. His parents and brother dies and the village people tries to kill him because he's cursed. Akihito's curse goes out of control and his body was put to sleep by many Onmyojis. His body was kept securely in Abe mansion's basement. Tamamo leaves Emperor Toba. Yoichi, Morinaga, Sueharu, Yoritomo, Kagetoki, Benkei were born. Taira clan defeats Minamoto clan, Yoritomo was exiled and Yoshitsune was born. Shigehira and Yasuchika are born

Some more years later....

Morinaga meets Sueharu. After sometime together, they broke up. Yoritomo meets Morinaga, Sueharu got involved in cockfighting. Yoritomo also met Hojo Masako during this time and she gets obsessed with him but gets rejected. Yoshitsune meets Kurama and claimed his soul. Yoichi meets Shigehira, and falls in love. Yasuchika meets ghost Akihito and Akihito starts raising him. Later, Ibuki destroys the entirety of Abe clan and forms a pact with Akihito. Akihito goes back to being a human and they all start to live together.

Few more years later....

Sueharu becomes a wealthy businessman. Yoritomo decides to start gathering an army and calls for Yoshitsune Yoshitsune asks Kurama to come with him, but Kurama declines. Yoshitsune meets Benkei and Yoichi on the way and asks them to join him. Yoichi breaks up with Shigehira under the cherry blossom tree. Yoshitsune and gang were found by Sueharu and was brought to Hiraizumi which was under Fujiwara Clan. Yoshitsune was loved by both Fujiwara head and his people but was hated by Fujiwara's son. Yoritomo becomes the Shogun and opens the SHogunate, later Yoshitsune with his small army joins the Shogunate, getting ready for the Genpei war against the Taira clan. Genpei war starts, and Yoshitsune outshines everyone. Yoichi's father and brothers were killed by the Taira Clan for a false charge. Genpei war ends with Taira clan losing. Shigehira was the only survivor of the Taira bloodline. Shigehira joins the Shogunate. Yoshitsune gets killed by Yoritomo. Yoshitsune meets Kurama again and makes a contract with him to give his soul to Kurama after he dies. Yasuchika becomes the head of the Abe Clan and Akihito becomes the Shadow King. Tamamo and Yasuchika meets, become friends but Yasuchika was ordered by his superiors to seal Tamamo in a stone called Sessho seki.

3 years before the Prologue...

Yoshitune starts ruling Hiraizumi with the financial help from Sueharu. Sueharu meets Morinaga again briefly. Yoritomo and his Shogunate becomes successful.

Few hours before the start of Prologue

Yoritomo gets the news that Yoshitsune is alive and gained demonic powers. Yoritomo consults Yasuchika and Yasuchika reveals about the Sessho seki. Yoshitsune hunts down the Sessho seki before Yoritomo and destroys it. But Tamamo survives. Yoritomo gets this news and goes after to get Tamamo before Yoshitsune can kill him. And finally....Yoshino enters the picture.

[denialcity]

for adoration grow - tobiizu unconventional hanahaki au - 318/?

She tapped the first poem with a lacquered nail. 

"Poem number 99 is about personal grievance, written by cloistered emperor Go Toba-no-In. I believe this poem means that Uchiha Izuna has been confined for political reasons, and while his feelings are unstable and conflicted, he does still somewhat care about the state of matters."

Tobirama nodded, this made sense with what he knew so far. 

Mito tapped the second poem. 

"Poem number 86 is about the pain of love. The poet was a court favourite who grew disillusioned with the nasty politics and infighting, and abruptly decided to throw it all away to become a monk."

[for adoration grow tag] / [chrono tag for browser] / [full live WIP document for my patreons here] 

[otomes-world]

It's just word vomit with historic facts and me trying to understand in which year game starts. Everyone who has information feel free to comment and correct me. Warning: chaotic and unread text

***

Prince Akihito was born in 1119 CE, the first son of Emperor Toba. At least that was on the official registry. It was an open secret, known by everyone in the court, that Akihito was actually sired by the retired former Emperor Shirakawa. Akihito was not well liked by his “father,” who constantly referred to him as a bastard. His true father Shirakawa may have been the former emperor, but he still wielded considerable power in his retirement. When Prince Akihito was 5 and Emperor Toba was 21, Shirakawa forced Toba into retirement. Akihito became Emperor Sutoku.

In 1164, Sutoku passed away, defeated, deposed, and humiliated—and most importantly full of rage for the imperial court. When news of his death reached Emperor Go-Shirakawa, the emperor ignored it. He ordered that nobody should go into mourning, and that no state funeral would be held for such a criminal.

Legends: After his death, strange things began to happen. Sutoku’s body was set aside while its caretakers awaited funeral instructions from the emperor. After 20 days, his body was still as fresh as it had been on the day he died. While his coffin was taken to be cremated, a terrible storm rolled in. The caretakers placed the casket on the ground to take shelter. After the storm passed, the stones around the casket were soaked with fresh blood. When his body was finally cremated, the ashes descended upon Kyōto in a dark cloud

***

Firstly, in the story, Shigehira died during the battle with Minamoto and was taken as prisoner. Later he died. In the game, he was captured and taken as a vassal of the Minamoto no Yoritomo. Battle was in 1184, so at least game has been going on since 1185. In that case, if we take the year of Emperor Akihito's death and his miraculous return. It's been 21 years, and then the questions "why don't you age" make sense.

Another conversation if it is better to take the year 1142 as the end of his reign. Then 43 years passed. So now I can understand all questions about his age and not changing appearance.

Let's return to history.

***

After the victory over the Taira house, Yoshitsune, who returned to the capital, gained great fame, which had fatal consequences for him. The head of the Minamoto house, Yoritomo, did not have strong brotherly feelings for Yoshitsune. Since childhood, he considered Yoshitsune low in origin, due to the fact that the latter's mother was a servant.

Another reason for the split in relations was the rapprochement between Yoshitsune and Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who was in the capital. Yoritomo from the very beginning of the war wanted to single-handedly rule the country, creating a military headquarters - bakufu, and did not want his vassals to obey or be awarded in the imperial capital bypassing him. All this together did not leave any chances for a further normal life, far from the politics of Yoshitsune.

***

Then we must take even later events.... If the reason for the murder of Yoritomo Yoshitsune was his victory over the Taira's clan. He officially died at 1189.

Also let me add that Yoritomo is already head of Shogunate and it was happen in

Yes. Then let me say that game starts at least at 1193 and 50 years passed after end of Akihito "official" reigh.

[crazyfox-archives]

A pamphlet from Shindaibutsuji Temple (新大仏寺) in Iga, Mie Prefecture, founded in 1202 by Emperor Go-Toba (後鳥羽天皇) with the fundraising monk Chōgen (重源) as its first abbot, with the pamphlet’s cover featuring a painted image of the wrathful deity Fudō Myōō (不動明王) signed by Mudō Hōzan (無動宝山), the artistic name (if I understand correctly) of the Shingon Ritsu monk Tankai (湛海) (1629-1716)

Acquired at the temple March 9, 1996

[awoosmusehorde]

Also whoops, completely forgot to mention something I finished at the last second this morning before I left for work

Introducing Alter Ego, Kiku-ichimonji! The embodiment of the Kiku-ichimonji katanas, personified by the thirteen swordsmiths hired by Emperor Go-Toba, utilizing the body of his daughter Princess Shoushi (who, in my headcanon, was the one who truly wanted to see the art of forging Japanese swords) as a host.

She is the spirit of the Kiku-ichimonji swords, the swordsmiths, and the Imperial princess, all in one!

[lierrelearns]

春日東西両塔跡 春日塔跡は春日大社の一の鳥居を入った参道の左側 (現在の奈良国立博物館構内) に、東西に並ぶ2基の塔跡である。神仏習合思想にもとづいて神社にも仏教の塔を建立した代表的遺構であり、両塔のありし日の偉容は多くの春日宮曼荼羅に描かれている。 西塔(現在地より西へ約90m)永久4年(1116)に関白藤原忠実により造営され、東塔(現在地)は鳥羽上皇の本願により保延6年(1140)に建立された。そのため西塔は"殿下の御塔"、東塔は"院の御塔"と称されていた。ところが治承4年(1180)に平重衡の南部焼打にあって焼失し、相次いで再建されたものの、応永18年(1411)の雷火にあって再び焼失した。その後は再建されることなく今日におよんでいる。 両塔は、1965年(昭和40)の発掘調査によって規模や構造が明確になった。その規模は興福寺五重塔とほぼ同じであり、高さ約50m、初層の一辺長約8.6mで、東塔の初層には裳階がつけられていた。また塔の南正面には複廊を���いて数門を設け、東、西、北の三方には一辺約100mの築地をめぐらしていた。 奈良国立博物館

東塔跡　(東より　1965年発掘時) 西塔跡　(西より　1965年発掘時)

現在地 東塔 西塔

春日宮曼荼羅　部分　(奈良市南市町自治会蔵　鎌倉時代　重要文化財)

Vocab 春日 （かすが）Kasuga 東西 （とうざい）east and west 塔跡 （とうあと）ruins of a tower 春日大社 （かすがたいしゃ）Kasuga-taisha 参道 （さんどう）road approaching a shrine 構内 （こうない）premises, grounds 神仏習合 （しんぶつしゅうごう）Shinto-Buddhist syncretism 建立 （こんりゅう）(act of) building (temple, monument, etc.) 遺構 （いこう）(archaeological) remains ありし日 （ありしひ）the olden days, days of yore 偉容 （いよう）dignified/majestic/imposing appearance 宮曼荼羅 （みやまんだら）shrine mandala 永久 （えいきゅう）Eikyuu era (7.13.1113-4.3.1118) 関白 （かんぱく）chief advisor to the Emperor 藤原忠通 （ふじわらの・ただざね）Fujiwara no Tadazane 造営 （ぞうえい）building (a temple, palace, etc.) 鳥羽天皇 （とば）Emperor Toba （じょうこう）retired emperor 本願 （ほんがん）Amida Buddha’s original vow/Primal Vow 保延 （ほうえん）Hoen era (4.27.1135-7.10.1141) 殿下の御塔 （てんかのみとう）Tenka no mitou 称す （しょうす）to take the name of 治承 （じしょう）Jisho era (8.4.1177-7.14.1181) 平重衡 （たいらの・しげひら）Taira no Shigehira 南部 （なんぶ）southern part; the south (of a region) 焼打 （やきうち）setting on fire 焼失 （しょうしつ）destruction by fire 相次いで （あいついで）one after the other, successively ものの although, despite the fact 応永 （おうえい）Oei era (7.5.1394-4.27.1428) 雷火 （らいか）fire caused by lightning 及ぶ （およぶ）to befall, to happen to, to go on (for, until) 発掘調査 （はっくつちょうさ）excavation, dig 規模 （きぼ）scale, scope, plan, structure 興福寺 （こうふくじ）Kofuku-ji 一辺 （いっぺん）side of a geometic shape 裳階 （もこし）pent roof (below the true roof of a pagoda, etc.) 複 （ふく）multiple 廊 （ろう）corridor, passage, hall 築く （きずく）to build, construct 設ける （もうける）to set up, establish 築地 （ついじ）mud wall with a roof 巡らす （めぐらす）to enclose (with), surround (with) 自治会 （じちかい）neighborhood council 蔵 （ぞう）possession, ownership

[fyihistory]

THE GENPEI WAR: RISE OF THE SAMURAI.

The Genpei War, a pivotal chapter in Japanese history, didn't erupt overnight. It was the culmination of a complex and tumultuous political landscape in late Heian Japan. To truly appreciate the significance of this conflict, let's journey back in time and explore the intricate web of political rivalries, power struggles, and events that led to the outbreak of the Genpei War.

In the late 11th and 12th centuries, the Japanese Imperial Court held a prestigious but largely symbolic role. True political power had shifted into the hands of provincial warriors, the samurai, leaving the Imperial Court weakened and divided by factionalism.

One of the dominant factions in this era was the Taira clan, led by the influential Taira Kiyomori. Kiyomori's rise to power was marked by cunning political maneuvering and the placement of loyal Taira members in key government positions.

Rivaling the Taira were the Minamoto, led by the ambitious Minamoto Yoritomo. They sought to challenge Taira's supremacy and establish their own influence within the Imperial Court.

Both Taira and Minamoto clans manipulated the Imperial Court in their favor. Behind-the-scenes maneuvering and political intrigue became commonplace as they vied for control and influence.

The spark that ignited the Genpei War was the dispute over the imperial succession. When Emperor Takakura passed away in 1180, two potential heirs emerged, each backed by a different faction. Emperor Antoku, supported by the Taira, and Emperor Go-Toba, supported by the Minamoto, became pawns in this high-stakes power struggle.

Adding fuel to the fire were local disputes and conflicts over territories and resources, further destabilizing the already fragile political landscape.

The Genpei War was not merely a clash of armies; it was a culmination of years of political maneuvering, deep-seated rivalries, and power struggles that transformed Japan forever.

In the coming posts, we will journey deeper into the heart of this conflict, exploring its major battles, key figures, and its profound impact on Japanese society and governance.

Stay tuned as we unravel the epic saga of The Genpei War, one of the most transformative chapters in Japan's history!

References:

"Samurai: The Making of Japan's Warrior Elite" by Karl F. Friday

"The Tale of the Heike" translated by Helen Craig McCullough

"The Cambridge History of Japan, Volume 2: Heian Japan" edited by Donald H. Shively and William H. McCullough

"Warriors of Japan: As Portrayed in the War Tales" by Paul Varley

"A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower" by Kenneth G. Hensha

"War and State Formation in Ancient China and Early Modern Europe" by Victoria Tin-bor Hui

[venicepearl]

Fujiwara no Tamako or Fujiwara no Shōshi (藤原 璋子, 1101 – September 10, 1145), also known as Taikenmon'in (待賢門院), was an empress consort of Emperor Toba of Japan, and mother of Emperor Sutoku and Emperor Go-Shirakawa. She was the eldest daughter of Fujiwara no Kinzane (藤原公実).

[royumijapon]

Who were the Samurai

Samurai were a class of highly trained warriors that emerged in Japan after the Taika reforms in 646, which included land redistribution and new taxes to support a new empire in the elaborate Chinese style. The reforms forced many farmers to sell their land and work it under a single new owner. Over time, some landowners with a lot of wealth and power created the basis of a feudal system. To defend their wealth, these feudal lords began to hire the first samurai or bushi warriors.

During the 900s, the weak emperors of the Heian period lost control of rural Japan and the country fell into great upheavals. Soon, the power of the emperor was limited to the capital, and throughout the country, the warrior class mobilized to fill the power vacuum left by the emperors. After years of fighting, the samurai established a military government known as the shogunate. By the early 1100s, these warriors enjoyed the political and military power of most of Japan.

The weak Imperial House received a fatal blow to its power in the year 1156, when Emperor Toba died without leaving a clear heir. His sons, Sutoku and Go-shirakawa, fought for control causing a civil war known as the Hogen Rebellion of 1156. In the end, both candidates for the imperial throne lost and the imperial house lost whatever power it had left.

During the civil war, the Minamoto and Taira samurai clans grew in power. They fought each other during the Heiji Rebellion of 1160. The Taira clan was victorious, establishing the first samurai-led government, and the Minamoto clan was banished from the capital Kyoto.

These two clans faced each other once again in the Genpei War between 1180 and 1185, in which the Minamoto clan was the winner. After his victory, Minamoto no Yoritomo establishes the Kamakura shogunate, keeping the Emperor as the representative head of state. The Minamoto clan ruled most of Japan until 1333.

In the year 1268 an external threat appeared. Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of Yuan China, demanded tribute from Japan, and when he refused, the Mongol army invaded Japan. Fortunately for Japan, a typhoon destroyed the 600 Mongol ships, repeating the same fate in the second invasion in 1281.

Continue Reading >>>

[southkoreaandjapan]

Toba, Japan

July 1, 2023. (Oh - I am always behind!)

We left Tokyo on the Shinkansin bullet train headed to Nagoya. The train had many stops but each time we would pull out of the station and GO! The ride was amazingly smooth and the seats were roomy and of course everything was clean - and I mean CLEAN!

The Japanese people are very polite and bow to each other upon meeting or greeting and before leaving. The conductor would enter the car and bow then before he left the car he would turn face us and bow before exiting.

Mark said an unplanned good-bye to his cane as he exited with all our luggage but without the cane. We had only 50 minutes to get our food (bento boxes) and get to our next train - so it didn't cross his mind until too late. (No worries - he has a new one with a much prettier handle.). The store we visited to buy our lunch has shelf after shelf of bento options.

In Nagoya we exited the Shinkansin and boarded an "express" train to Ujiymada. This express train is part of the general transportation system and we used our subway pass to access this train. This part of the trip also had many stops and we enjoyed seeing the countryside - something that could be kinda' nauseating at 190 mph. The train was smaller but just as clean.

Our new location is mountainous, lush and very different from the massive city of Tokyo. We are seeing little villages, lots of rice fields and many tiny little cemeteries. Cremation is standard practice here so the cemeteries are compact but the headstones impressive.

A bus was awaiting our arrival and we boarded it and traveled about 30 minutes to the Ise Grand Shrine. The Torii gate designates a sacred area with a shrine where believers can go to pray. The Torii Gate in front of this park was HUGE

The Naiku and the Geku shrines dedicated to the Shinto kami,  Amaterasu, kami of the sun. We visited Naiku.

The Shinto shrines were beautiful and they were in this gorgeous park with forested with ancient trees. There are specific mid year rites that take place on June 30 and July 1 - so the place was hopping. Shinto is not a religion but a more of philosophy. Shintoists believe that there are spirits in everything called "kami" - some good and some bad. When a Shintoist goes to the Shrine he prays that the bad spirits will be diminished and the good spirits will guide his life and the lives of people he loves

Here is the buzz about this shrine from the website: "Around 2000 years ago the divine Yamatohime-no-mikoto, daughter of the Emperor Suinin, set out from Mt. Miwa in modern Nara Prefecture in search of a permanent location to worship the goddess Amaterasu, wandering for 20 years through the regions of Omi and Mino. Her search eventually brought her to Ise, in modern Mie Prefecture, where she is said to have established Naikū after hearing the voice of Amaterasu saying "(Ise) is a secluded and pleasant land. In this land I wish to dwell." Before Yamatohime-no-mikoto's journey, Amaterasu had been worshiped at the imperial residence in Yamato, then briefly at Kasanui in the eastern Nara basin. When Princess Yamatohime-no-mikoto arrived at the village of Uji-tachi, she set up fifty bells to designate the area as enshrined for the goddess Amaterasu, which is why the river is called the Isuzu, or "fifty bells".

This is also amazing....  (lifted right from the Ise Grand Shrine website)

"The old shrines are dismantled and new ones built on an adjacent site to exacting specifications every 20 years at exorbitant expense, so that the buildings will be forever new and forever ancient and original. The present buildings, dating from 2013, are the 62nd iteration to date and are scheduled for rebuilding in 2033. The twenty-year renewal process is called the Shikinen Sengū. This happens all over - not just here - FYI. (There will not be a test on this...)

The team which builds the shrine is typically formed around a few factors. Since many of the building techniques haven't changed since the creation of the Ise Shrine, the workers who are hired to build the shrine must be skilled in specific techniques. Power tools are not allowed within the area of the shrine, which means that skilled artisans and carpenters known as miyadaiku are necessary in the construction process. The unit of workers is also organized around relative skill levels, and less experienced workers will work on smaller tasks than more experienced workers. The importance of hiring specifically local artisans has decreased throughout time, for the pool of available miyadaiku has thinned out."

Me again...There are festivals celebrating many steps of the dismantling and rebuilding. Finding the correct materials is a process that begins 40 years before as some of the materials must be aged. Fascinating! This process may be used for other shrines - but none were mentions - just this one.

This is my pic and it looks foggy - BUT it was so hot and muggy that I couldn't wear my glasses and even my phone lens were fogged. PHEW! But despite the fog - can you imagine taking this down!?!??!

Despite the beauty of the place - it was here that someone could have made a comedy video about me and Mark.

This park is big and the paths are gravel - which are hard to walk on for everyone - but for someone who using a cane it is even harder. For someone using a cane who has lost his cane - a flipping nightmare. BUT - they have free wheelchairs - and WHAT?!?!? - they are electric. OMG!! LUCKY US!

So Mark and Jay get wheelchairs - BUT the damn control is in the back and it is a joystick. Carol, Jay's wife, got the hang of it immediately - but I couldn't - AND to make things worse I started laughing and laughing and laughing. I couldn't go straight to save my life and poor Mark looked like he was riding a bucking bronco. Finally he could take it no more and got out and used it for balance and drove it himself. I tried several more times -and there were times I did OK - but... OMG!!! Anson took a turn and gave Mark a better ride - but by the time we needed to get back on the bus , Mark was thrilled to have that adventure in the rearview mirror. We all have our strengths and using a joy stick is not mine! Sorry Mark!

On to our next adventure...

We arrived in Toba and although I should have known it by looking at the map - I didn't realized it was a seaside resort.

Even more surprising was how large and beautiful each of our rooms were. Anson's room had a beautiful deck overlooking a rock garden and our room overlooked the ocean and a small harbor. The photo below on the right is from our room and from the left is from Anson's room. SWEET!!!

We are staying at the Todaya Hotel which houses a several restaurants. I will say that the food was not only edible art but also delicious. They also have onsens (public baths) in many flavors: Single private - small groups or the big party size - which is outdoors. The boys tried most of them. OF COURSE we had to dress in our yukatas to get ready for the big soaking relax in your birthday suit!

Anson-san in his first onsen - private, please. No photos in the places your share!

Most of our group was in to it!!

We are having a great time in Japan.

Stay tuned!

[metalporsiempre]

~Viz Translations Strike Again! So, there are several levels of word play going on here

Let's looks at the individual characters:

一 : one

文 : sentence, literature, style

字 : character, letter, word

The kanji 文�� together mean "writing system".

And ichimonji 一文字 is itself a word that can be translated as either "straight line" or "one (written) character".

Now, the name is likely a reference to Kiku-ichimonji (菊一文字, chrysanthemum-straight line) which is the name of the katana made by the thirteen swordsmiths who were in attendance to Emperor Go-Toba.

The name comes from two things:

Ten of the thirteen swordsmiths belonged to the Fukuoka Ichimonji (福岡 一文字) school. The swordsmiths of this school traditionally inscribed only the kanji "ichi" (一, one) on the tang of their swords as their signature.

Among the swords forged for the Emperor, the imperial chrysanthemum emblem was also engraved on the tang.

Note: Emperor Go-Toba also granted all Thirteen Swordsmiths a court rank and title. So, this is also likely why it's the Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊, Thirteen Court Guards) instead of literally any other number.

In an additional, likely unintended pun, monji means monk in Galician-Portuguese.

[ga-yuu]

Ikemen Genjiden Character Talk #12

"Noble Blood x Dangerous Temptation"

"The Cursed Emperor" Sutokuin/Akihito VA. Tetsuya Iwanaga

Name: Sutokuin/Akihito

Age: Who knows? He looks like he is in his late twenties but could probably be a grandpa based on the real timeline of the game.

Birthday: Jul 7th

Profession: Emperor

Affiliation: Imperial Court.

Hobbies: Waka poems, playing drums when Ibuki wants to dance, bullying Yoshino.

Likes: Yasuchika, Ibuki, Yoshino.

Dislike: His asshole dad (I guess, everyone hates Toba!)

Personality Traits: Kind-hearted, mischievous, cunning, intelligent, evil.

FACTS FROM ROUTES AND EVENTS:

Akihito is the love rival in Kagetoki's route and his scenes with Yoshino are ABSOLUTELY CUTE!!!! Also, this was also the point of time when Cybird also gave more spotlight to the 'love rivals' (Although, the routes before Kagetoki did have love rivals, they didn't get separate story previews or anything)

Apart from using Kotodama, Akihito can also use Ibuki's thunder abilities.

The only time Akihito's curse was actually lifted is in his main route.

Sometimes Akihito finds his beautiful elegant kimono a hindrance to his walking because the hems get dirty easily because of the dirt on the floor and he sometimes also trips and falls when accidentally stepping on the hem.

Akihito also falls in the category of men that never gets drunk no matter how many glasses of alcohol they drink.

He has a matching bracelet with Ibuki. The main purpose of this bracelet is to keep Akihito's curse in control. Although Akihito can still control his curse without it, he still wears it for safety purposes and it's also made by Yasuchika.

Akihito absolutely LOVES Yasuchika! More than you think. Even while he's with Yoshino, he would think about Yasuchika. For example, when he and Yoshino go on a date, he would think, about what gifts he should buy for Yasuchika. I can say this because I have noticed this in several story events.

Akihito was the one who actually raised Yasuchika and taught him various things about the outside world. They also promised that they would go see beautiful scenery together once Akihito regains his actual body. But that promise is yet to be fulfilled.

Despite loving each other to the point that they are ready to die for each other, both Yasuchika and Akihito are awkward in expressing their love. Like they don't know if they want to hold hands or hug each other in a happy moment.

Akihito loves hearing when someone calls him 'Akihito' or 'Akihito-san' because he feels like they are closer to him. He even wants Yasuchika to call him 'Akihito-san' like he did when he was a little boy. But Yasuchika just doesn't. He also wants Yoshino to call him 'Akihito-san'. She does call in the beginning of his route when she didn't know who he actually was and also in the marriage story event.

When Yasuchika was a kid, Akihito would hold his hands and guide him to his room when he feels scared.

Akihito also once cooked food for Yasuchika, and Yasuchika gobbled up everything because he didn't want anyone else to eat the food Akihito prepared.

When Yasuchika was once suffering a life-threatening injury (What if I were a demon? Story event) Akihito was ready to give his vitality to save Yasuchika without any hesitation even at the cost of his life. Even when Yasuchika was sick (in Ibuki's route), Akihito was about to emotionally break down. He was sent to his room by Ibuki because he didn't want Akihito's curse to leak. But Akihito doesn't sleep or eat until Yasuchika woke up and he kept sending maids over and over again to check if Yasuchika was doing fine or not.

Yasuchika also wants Akihito to have 48 children with Yoshino. But that's never gonna happen, because it's impossible and Akihito doesn't want Yoshino to suffer. But he does want to have kids with her in the future.

In Yasuchika's route, when Yasuchika was living in the Shogunate temporarily, both Akihito and Yasuchika exchanged letters asking if they were doing well. But at the same time, Akihito grills Yoritomo asking whether Yasuchika would turn from a sweet little angel to a barbarian like a samurai after living with them.

Out of all the male leads, only Akihito and Ibuki think that Yasuchika is cute. Akihito also calls Yasuchika a sweet angel or sweet little boy.

Akihito and Ibuki don't call themselves 'friends' but they still get along with each other very well.

Yasuchika used to say Akihito is very kind, but after meeting Ibuki, he made Akihito evil and cunning. Ibuki used to take Akihito to gambling houses and brothels in the guise of 'social learning' until Yasuchika threatened to kill him.

Whenever Yasuchika decides to kill Ibuki, Akihito would jump in and protect Ibuki. Most of the time, Akihito would be beside Ibuki when does something wrong and would defend him.

Akihito also really cares about Ibuki, that he ordered Yasuchika to go and save Ibuki when Ibuki's powers where going out of control (Ibuki's route).

Without Yasuchika and Ibuki, Akihito will be all alone. The three of them are like family, tied to each other and they cannot live happily if any one of them dies.

According to Ibuki, Akihito likes to order people around and won't pick up anything apart from chopsticks on his own. This is false by the way, the only other thing Akihito picks up besides chopsticks......is Yoshino. lol.

Akihito temporarily owned a blue bird named Ruri which he bought along with Yoshino.

The first time he has eaten street food was with Yoshino in his main story and he didn't know how to eat them. He asked if there is a certain etiquette in eating them. Yoshino also wants to take Akihito to different kinds of commoner's restaurants for fun, just to see his reaction.

Akihito has shown to have been interested in Yoshino from the very beginning, even before his route. In certain events, it can be seen that Akihito simply comes to visit her just to see her face, whenever she comes to Kyoto.

Akihito used to love writing songs about love even before falling in love with Yoshino. But now, after actually falling in love, he wants to write a song about her.

He also loves bullying (like every male lead in this game!) and giving her mean orders, for example, his whole route! Of course, our masochist Yoshino loves being bullied around.

He once got jealous when he saw Yoshino talking to her friend about a man. Of course, he starts making out with her out of jealousy and when he later asks about the man, Yoshino tells him that she and her friend were talking about a man from a certain painting. Of course, Akihito was slightly embarrassed to find out that he was jealous of a fictional man.

One time, after losing a game of chess to Ibuki, Yoshino was ordered to give Akihito a hickey as punishment. Of course, she does so, despite being SUPER EMBARRASSED that she had to hide her face the entire time. Akihito knows that Ibuki won't ask them to show the hickey as evidence and he could have told her that, but he still decided to keep quiet because Yoshino was being too cute.

Akihito and Yoshino's secret place is the King's throne. It's usually covered so no one will know they are in there unless they hear Yoshino's cries. Who knows what unholy things they do in there. It's true. If Akihito realizes that they are alone, he wouldn't let go of any chances of cuddling her or kissing her. Who needs a bedroom when you have a fully protected and covered King's throne, right?

Yoshino once bought lipstick, which was reviewed to give anyone wearing them kissable lips, so that Akihito would kiss her. But he didn't because she didn't ask for a kiss in words. I'm talking about the Do-S story event.

Most of the time, Akihito loves fingering Yoshino and watching her cumming just from his fingers........yup!