Some Japanese phrases for travel

When you travel to a foreign country, if you can speak local language the trip will be fantastic.
But can you wait until you will be fully fluent to the language?
I don't think so.
When you happen to want to travel is the best time to travel.
Don't wait for your language!

In case you have a plan to travel to Japan, I will tell you some useful and simple phrases.

At the shopping,
"Kore wo onegai shimasu (This, please)".
"Are wo onegai shimasu (That, please)".
"Kore wa oikura desu ka? (How much is it?)".
"Are wa oikura desu ka? (How much is that?)".
"Yasuku narimasen ka? (Can't I get discount?) ".
"Shishoku dekimasuka? (Can I try to taste it?)".
"Shichaku dekimasuka? (Can I try to wear it?)".
"Fukuro wo morae masu ka? (Can I get a bag?)"
"Ryougae deki masu ka? (Can I change my notes to coins?)".
"Housou onegai deki masu ka? (Can I get it wrapped?)".
"Kaigai hassou dekimasu ka? (Can I ship it overseas?)".

At asking destination,
"Tokyo tower ni ikitai desu (I want to go to the Tokyo tower)".
"Eigo wa wakarimasu ka? (Are you understand English?)".
"Chikaku no Kouban wa doko desu ka? (Where is the nearest police box?)".
"Basu tei wa doko desu ka ? (Where is the bus station?)".
"Soko made dou ikeba iidesu ka? (How can I go to there?)".
"Michi annai shite moraemasen ka? (Will you mind to take me there with you?)".
"Michi ni mayotte imasu (I am lost now)".

"Toile wa doko desu ka? (Where is toilet?)".

At the restaurant,
"Eigo no menyuu wa arimasu ka? (Is there menu in English?)".
"Koko de tabemasu (I would eat here)".
"Mochi kaeri shimasu (I would do takeout)".
"Okawari kudasai (A refill, please)".
"Fork to knife wo kudasai (A fork and knife, please)".
"Hashi wo kudasai (Chopsticks, please)".
"Satou wo kudasai (Sugar, please)".
"Koshou wo kudasai (Pepper, please)".
"Shashin wo tottemo iidesu ka? (Can I take photos?)"
"Okanjo wo onegaishimasu (Check, please)".
"Gochisou sama deshita (The meal was good, thanks)".

At the asking for help,
"Onaka ga itai desu (I have a stomach pain)".
"Kibun ga yokunai desu (I am feeling bad)".
"Memai ga shimasu (I feel dizzy)".
"Me ga okashii desu (I got a problem with my eyes)".
"Mimi ga okashii desu (I got a problem with my ears)".
"Kyuukyuusya wo yonde kudasai (Please call the ambulance)".
"Camera wo torare mashita (I had my camera stolen)".
"Saifu wo torare mashita (I had my wallet stolen)".
"Keisatsu wo yonde kudasai (Please call the police)".
"Tsuuyaku wo yonde kudasai (Please call a interpreter)"

At the train station,
"Tokyo eki ni ikitai desu (I want to go to the Tokyo station)".
"Tokyo eki made no unchin wo oshiete kudasai (Please tell me the fare to Tokyo station)".
"Doko de norikaetara iidesu ka? (Where should I transfer to train?)".
"Tokyo eki ni iku niwa dochira no home desu ka? (Which platform should I take to Tokyo station?)".
"Chikan ni aimashita (I was sexually harassed by a pervert)".
"Boukou sare mashita (I was attacked violently)".
"Ekiin san wo yonde kudasai (Please call station worker)".
"Kono hito desu (This person)".
"Ano hito desu (That person)".

I guess it is enough now.
Maybe I will add another articles for more phrases.
I introduced you the phrases but remember, the body language is basic skill for communication.
Besides, if you speak English very (or extremely) slowly, most of Japanese people can understand you (except very old people).
Body language and speaking very slow English will help.
Please keep that in your mind.

The descendant of Muromachi shogun, Awa Kubou

It was the Sengoku period.

A daimyo and one of most powerful clans in Muromachi period, Miyoshi clan had a trouble with shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru.

So they plotted to back an another shougun up instead Yoshiteru.

In Awa domain (the area currently Tokushima prefecture), Ashikaga Yoshihide (1538-1568) was there.

Yoshihide's father was Ashikaga Yoshitsuna, and mother was a daughter of Ouchi Yoshioki (a powerful daimyo of Suo province).

The Miyoshi three (Miyoshi Nagayasu, Miyoshi Masayasu and Iwanari Tomomichi) who were in charge of Miyoshi clan, and Matsunaga Hisahide (a warlord of Miyoshi clan, even today he is famous for his many anecdotes) took Yoshihide to Settsu province (area between parts of current Osaka and Hyogo) and made him the 14th shougun of the Muromachi shogunate. 

Basically, successive Muromachi shogun had administered affairs in Kyoto, however Yoshihide had an ill and because of this, he couldn't enter to Kyoto.

He stayed in Settsu.

Unfortunately the reign by the shogun Yoshihide finished in only seven months.

Oda Nobunaga, the famous daimyo from Owari province (west part of current Aichi) invaded Kyoto taking Yoshihide's cousin Ashikaga Yoshiaki with him.

The Miyoshi three lost to Nobunaga and lost their power.

Nobunaga made Yoshiaki the 15th shougun of Muromachi shogunate.

Yoshihide had to escape to Awa (or according to some theory he escaped to other province).

Soon after that, his ill got worse and he died at the age of 31.

Since the death of Yoshihide his offspring have remained at Hirajima, Awa province.

The local folks called them "Awa (or Hirajima) Kubou" with respect.

The word Kubou was used to mean shogun at the times.

But actually, they had no power at all.

Besides, they have been treated coldly by daimyo Hachisuka family of Awa domain through Edo period.

They couldn't get enough income, so finally they started to sell their hand made "a charm against poisonous snake" to people to get money.

That was not suitable business for the family of former shogun, but they had to do that for living. 

Eventually they moved to Kyoto, but they couldn't get enough income there too.

At the Meiji period, normally daimyo and samurai could get the status by their former background, but Awa kubou couldn't get approved their status as samurai.

They lived Maiji period as a commoner.

Today, the site of the residence of Awa kubou is surrounded by only paddy fields, but there is a small museum "Awa kubou minzoku shiryokan (the Awa kubou museum of history and folklore)".

It is located Anan city, Tokushima prefecture.

The museum has exhibitions about Awa Kubou and the culture of peasants of Hirajima.

Even once His Imperial Highness of Japan have visited this museum.

There is a luxurious sofa that he took a rest.

Also you can sit on it after or before touring inside the museum.

How to build vocabulary in foreign languages

Have you learned foreign languages before?

If you have, I am sure you struggled to memorize words in the languages.

Every languages consists of words.

The more you memorize them, your language skills will be improved. 

However sometimes we can't be sure what we should do to memorize.

I am not a specialist of languages but just a learner, so I'd introduce how I memorize vocabularies to you.

At the beginning of language learning, I try to get a very basic wordbook or two.

I read it cover to cover, over and over again.

After I have read it over ten times, I became to know most of words in the word book.

If I want more improvement on the reading, I will read the same book more often.

How can't we memorize the words of a book after we have read the book over twenty to thirty times in a short period of time?

Maybe you may be bored to read the same book over and over again. 

If so, I suggest you to read many books or articles on the internet in languages you are learning.

Read them as many as you can.

You will meet same words in different contexts and memorize them gradually.

Just to read the same book is sometimes very hard, but if you use many books or articles to learn, you can keep your motivation to reading.

I read books in both ways depending on my mood.

Please try to keep the fact that you can memorize words you have met many times in your mind.

I hope you will be fully fluent in the language soon.

Kagiya no Tutsuji, the place the famous duel of vengeance was held

There are three famous duels of vengeance in Japanese history.

The duel of vengeance by Soga brothers in 1193.
The duel of vengeance by 47 ronin of Ako domain in 1703.
Then, the duel of vengeance by Watanabe Kazuma and Araki Mataemon in 1634.
Last one called "Kagiya no Tsuji no Ketto (the duel at the crossroads of Kagiya)".

The "Kagiya no Tsuji no Ketto" was happened at Iga province, now Iga city in Mie prefecture.
As the beginning of the events, a samurai Kawai Matagoro in Okayama domain fell in love with a colleague and beautiful young samurai Watanabe Gendayu.
Therefore Kawai Matagoro tried to have a special relationship with Watanabe Gendayu, but Gendayu refused him.
Devastated Matagoro killed Gendayu.
After his crime Matagoro left his domain and escaped to Edo.

Gendayu was a favorite boy of daimyo of Okayama domain, Ikeda Tadakatsu.
Tadakatsu got furious and asked Tokugawa shogunate to send Matagoro back, but he couldn't get Matagoro.
Few yeas later Tadakatsu got a serious illness and on his death bed he left a will that to revenge to Matagoro for the death of Gendayu.

In the situation, the brother of Gendayu, Watanabe Kazuma had to revenge for his young brother by the will of his master Ikeda Tadakatsu.
Unfortunately Kazuma was not good with sword skill to accomplish his revenge.
So, he asked help to his brother in law, the Yagyu style sword master Araki Mataemon,

Kazuma and Mataemon got information that Matagoro were hyding in Yamato province (current Nara) and was trying to escape to Edo again.
Kazuma and Mataemon made a plan to wait Matagoro at the Kagiya no Tsuji, the place located on the route of Yamato to Edo.
They waited their villain at the place.

Finally they met with Matagoro there.
Matagoro took his ten helpers including a spear master Sakurai Hanbei with him.
In contrast, the team of the avenger consisted of only four people.
The historical duel happened.
Even though they were in bad situation, the team of Kazuma killed or drove away the all villains except Kawai Matagoro.
Watanabe Kazuma and Kawai Matagoro had the last duel over long hours by only two of them and finally, Kazuma accomplished his vengeance.

Because of his work at the duel Araki Mataemon got a honer and left his name to posterity.
Also "koudan (Japanese story telling)" stories about the historical duel were made, and became famous.
But soon after the duel, Araki Mataemon died the mysterious death.
It seems the duel was related some complicated political matters, and there are some mysterious points about the duel still.
The Kagiya no Tsuji is a quiet place now.

Kakioko, the okonomiyaki with oysters in the Hinase style

Kakioko is a sort of okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake with various ingredients) served in Hinase town in Bizen city, Okayama.
The word kakioko is an abbreviation of "Kaki (oyster) okonomiyaki".
As the name suggests, oysters are used as toppings.

Hinase town is located by the coast of Seto Inland Sea.
Fishery is the main industry there, and also they cultivate oysters.
At the okonomiyaki restaurants, local oysters are used abundantly for the okonomiyaki.
Usually, oysters are a bit expensive in Japan.
However at Hinase, they provide local oysters, so we can eat the kakioko with fresh oysters in cheaper price.

How to make Kakioko (okonomiyaki Hinase style) is different from both the Osaka style and the Hiroshima style.
In Osaka, people mix ingredients with dough and baked them together, later put pork meat on them.
Then they turn it over and bake other side.
In Hiroshima, dough and ingredients aren't mixed before people bake them.
As baking them, the dough and the ingredients such as cabbage, egg, noodles and pork meat are piled up one by one.

For kakioko, dough and cabbage are mixed and baked together.
Besides them, many of oysters are baked alone,
After the dough is baked, they put oysters and other ingredients on the dough, then pour another dough on top of them.
Finally they turn it over and bake other side.

Kakioko is served in the season of oysters (usually October to March), so you better visit Hinase the season if you want to enjoy fresh oysters.

Once I have happened to visit Hinase June or July.
But fortunately there was a Kakioko restaurant which had kept frozen oysters during the out of season, and they served kakioko even in summer.
The oysters were kept frozen so they were not seasonal, but I enjoyed them anyway.
If you don't care they are seasonal or kept frozen, you can visit Hinase anytime to eat kakioko.

The traditional dairy product from the ancient Japan, So

Today we often drink milk or eat dairy products such as cheese or butter.
But for ordinary people, the custom of eating dairy products is quite new.
We only started to eating them since Meiji period under the influence of the western culture.
However if we focus on noblemen, they had eaten some dairy products at the Asuka period already.

"So" was one of the traditional dairy products which eaten in the ancient Japan.
So was made of milk.
How to make So is to boil milk gently in a pan for many hours with stirring it frequently.
Then eventually, a solid substance remains on the pan.
It is So.
Despite no seasoning, So has nice milky aroma and slightly sweet taste.

At between the Asuka to Heian period, So was paid to Emperors and high ranked noblemen from dairy farmers as a tax.
Milk and dairy products were precious at that times, and the noblemen treated So as an effective medicine for their health.
Ordinary people couldn't enjoy such precious dairy products in those times.

In contrast, we can drink milk and eat dairy products now.
Moreover, we can try So, too.
Nowadays some dairy farmers in Nara prefecture make So and sell it.
We can buy it at their shops in Nara or at an online shopping site managed by one of them.

If you have a spare time, how about making So by yourself?
It takes an awfully long time to make it, but probably it is worth to try.
When you will make it, please notice me how it's taste was like.

Togeppo Saioku-ji, the scenic spot which founded by Socho

There is a nice place I like in Shizuoka prefecture.
This is Saioku-ji, a very small temple of Rinzai sect.
The temple is located in Mariko, Shizuoka city.

At first, a famous renga (linked poem) poet and teacher Socho (1448-1532) built Saiokuken, a thatched hut here.
Later Imagawa Ujichika, daimyo of Suruga (a middle part of current Shizuoka prefecture) rebuilt the thatched hut Saiokuken as the temple Saioku-ji.

He had served to Imagawa Yoshitada, Ujichika's father, in his young times.
Then after the death of Yoshitada, he left Imagawa family in a short time and went to Kyoto.
He learned renga poetry from Soughi, also a famous renga poet and teacher at the Muromachi period.
Also he have learned Zen Buddhism from Zen monk Ikkyu while he stayed in Kyoto.

Later he returned to Imagawa family and served to Ujichika.
As a poet teacher, Socho mingled with court nobles,  daimyo and powerful warlords in all over Japan.
He loved culture of Kyoto and built Saiokuken in imitation of Ginkaku-ji temple in Kyoto.
In particular, he brought bamboos from Kyoto to around the thatced hut and made a beautiful bamboo glove with them there.
Beside that, he made a borrowing landscapes garden in front of Saiokuken.

Togeppo means "the mountain peak which produces the moon".
Today, normally we can't stay inside the temple at night so we don't see the moon, but we can see the nice view of Marikofuji mountain through the garden and the bamboo globe.

When I visited to the temple, I felt like I was in the bamboo globe in Kyoto.
Also the atmosphere around Saioku-ji is quiet and nice.
Surely you can enjoy there.

Chin Wakei made a huge ship for Kamakura Shogun

In Japanese history, sometimes we can see many interesting people.
For me, particularly people at the Kamakura period look attractive.
So I want to introduce random person to you from time to time.

The anecdote of Chin Wakei (or Chin Nakei) is mysterious.
He was a Chinese craftsman in the Kamakura period.
He come from Song (a dinasty of China) to Japan, but still we can't confirm the year he came.
In 1183, he maintained the daibutsu (large statue of Buddha) of the Toudai-ji temple in Nara that damaged by a war, and rebuild daibutsuden, a hall for daibutsu.
He did them at the request of Chogen, a Japanese Buddhist monk who devoted his life to rebuild the daibutsu.

In 1195 Chin Wakei was offered to attend a ceremony for the rebuilding of the daibutsu by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Kamakura shogun.
But Chin Wakei refused Yoritomo's offer, because Yoritomo had killed so many people during the war times.
That was the reason according to Wakei.

20 years later, Chin Wakei appeared in Kamakura even he had refused Yoritomo's offer before.
He meet the 3rd Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo (Yoritomo's son).
He claimed Sanetomo was the reincarnation of a legendary Chinese Buddhist monk, and gained Sanetomo's confidence.
Then Sanetomo dreamed of making a voyage to China and visiting his temple in his previous life, and ordered Wakei to build a huge ship.

Finally Wakei made a huge Chinese style ship.
He brought the ship to Yuigahama beach, Kamakura.
However, unfortunately the ship sunk into the sandy beach because it was too heavy, and Wakei never could bring the ship to the sea.
The ship was abandoned at the sandy beach.
Sanetomo couldn't travel to China.

There is no record about Wakei's life after the case of the huge ship.
How do you think what happened to Wakei after that?

How can we read books more quickly?

There are many ways of reading books.
However, it seems many people want to know how to read books as quickly as they can.
In Japan, there is the word "sokudoku" for speed reading.
So, I tell you how I read books quickly when I need to read many books in a short time.

Usually my purpose on reading is to know an outline or to get ideas from a book.
Besides that, I want to read books as many as I can within a time limit.
So I try the way of reading called "skimming".
Please try to read a book once like how I write down here.

As reading, move your eyes as fast as you can through sentences.
Don't stop your eye movement even in a moment.
Don't focus on words but read a sentence or some sentences at one time.
Also you don't need to care what each sentences are saying.
Forget about understanding and keep reading until you will finish.
If you finish to read a book quickly, you will understand easily what mostly the author of the book have tried to tell you.

Surely that is just one of ways I am doing for myself.
You can read books with each ways on your purpose.
If you want to understand the contents of books in detail, you better read books slowly.
Skimming doesn't suit for understanding or knowing every facts or details in books.
The advantage of skimming is for quickness and understanding outline of a book in a short time.
In case you want to read a book quickly or read many books in a short time, try skimming.

I am glad if skimming will help you to improve your reading speed and make your reading life happier.

Gyoki, the great Japanese Buddhist priest who called Bosatsu

If you visit Japan and keep interest to the sites of traditional construction, you will hear the name of Gyoki at somewhere related to him.

Gyoki (668-749) was a Japanese Buddhist priest.

He born in Kawachi province (a part of area in current Osaka) at the Asuka period.

Ancestors of his clan came from Korean peninsula.

His clan had rooted the area he was born.

At his birth place, currently in Sakai city, now there is Ebara-ji temple founded by Gyoki himself. 

Gyoki was respected by people in his times.

He helped poor people by mainly building and maintaining infrastructure on his own.

For example he have made so many ponds, bridges, harbors and temples for people.

Because of that he got popularity and poor people gathered around him.

People worshiped him so much, therefore the imperial court was alarmed by him first.

However when the imperial court had a plan to make daibutsu (large statue of Buddha), they used the power and popularity of Gyoki.

Gyoki and his disciples joined the project of making daibutsu.

His construction skill and workers he could gather were much help for the project

After his death, the daibutsu project accomplished in 752.

People called Gyoki "Gyoki Bosatsu (a Buddhist saint Gyoki)" with respect.

Gyoki have traveled all over Japan and helped people at each places.

So today, in all over Japan we can see the constructions Gyoki made such as ponds, bridges, temples, etc.

As his famous works in Osaka, there are Sayama-ike pond and Kumeda-ike pond.

Sayama-ike pond is huge and you can enjoy walking around it.

Eifuku-ji temple is where the grave site of prince Shotoku is located

Shotoku Taishi (prince Shotoku) was the person who introduced Buddhism to Japan first.
Literally he made the origin of Japanese Buddhism history.
Also as a great politician, he supported the reign of empress Suiko at the Asuka period.

According to a famous anecdote, he could understand talking from ten people at same time.
From this anecdote and other his achievements, he is a symbol of intelligence and gentleness to Japanese people today.

In Taishi town, Osaka, there is Eifuku-ji temple where Shotoku Taishi was buried after his death in 622.
The temple has majestic buildings, a tahoutou (two-storied pagoda) and the grave site of Shotoku Taishi.
In the grave site, Shotoku Taishi, his mother and wife have buried.

As a founder of Japanese Buddhism, Shotoku have been respected so much by people and Buddhist monks in later generations.
In addition, the founders of Japanese Buddhism sects or famous monks such as Kukai, Shinran, Nichiren, Ippen and others have visited the grave of Shotoku.

Once Eifuku-ji was burned down by Oda Nobunaga, the ruler in medieval time.
Later Toyotomi Hideyori, the son of following ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, rebuilt the temple.
So most of buildings we can see there was build in 17th century.

Around the temple, there are also the grave sites of Ono no Imoko (the diplomat who was sent to China by Shotoku Taichi) or first three of Kawachi Genji clan (ancesters of Kamakura Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo).
If you have a interest to Shotoku Taishi or the historical people, I recommend you to visit the area.

Hochoshiki, the beautiful demonstration of the traditional kitchen knife style

Hocho, the Japanese kitchen knife has a long history.
Hocho was introduced from China first, and it had developed in its own way in Japan.
With the history, also some traditional styles to treat these knives have founded.

At the Heian period, a kugyou (court noble), Fujiwara Yamakage (824-888) founded the Sijo-ryu　kitchen knife style.
The style is the original of the all traditional knife styles in Japan.
Later, Ikama-ryu style, Yamakage-ryu style and other following styles appeared.
They have know-how to cut seafood and flesh of birds properly.

Sometimes hochonin (master of the hocho styles) have a demonstration of their knife skill for Shinto rituals or other events.
It is called Hochoshiki or Shikibocho.
For the hochoshiki, hochonin wear a traditional Eboshi hat and dress and sit down before a chopping board on floor.
Then they start cutting particular fish (mostly a carp or sea bream) on the chopping board with using a knife and special long chopsticks.
They don't touch the fish with their hands.
They use the chopsticks to move or fix the fish on the board.
Hochonin don't only cut the fish but also show audiences beautiful movement of the knife and chopsticks.
The demonstration also meaning a ritual for Shintoism, so their each movements has meaning.

Even today, we can see the hochoshiki on special occasions.
Once I have been to Souji-ji temple in Ibaraki, Osaka, to see a ritual of hochoshiki.
Souji-ji temple is famous for its hochoshiki ceremony in April, so it was crowded when I went to there.
As a result, I couldn't see any movement by hochonin because of crowds.

We can see the demonstration on YouTube, too.
However if you want to see real ones, visit particular temples or shrines on the early time of the day the ritual held, before there will be crowded.

Koishikawa Botanical Garden, the historical botanical gardens in Tokyo

Almost ten years ago, I went to Koishikawa Botanical Garden in Bunkyo, Tokyo on my second trip to Tokyo.
The place is located in a residential quarter.
Currently the garden is maintained by Tokyo university but originally it was made by Tokugawa shogunate in 1684 as "Koishikawa oyaku en (Koishikawa medicinal herb garden)".
They did tests for cultivation techniques, and have grown various plant species.

I went to there because I wanted to see the site of trial rearing of sweet potato by Aoki Konyo.
Aoki Konyo was a scholar and he have known the knowledge of Dutch or western sciences.
He accomplished a cultivation of sweet potato in the place, and later his sweet potatoes saved Japanese people at the times of famine.
I saw the site.
There was a quiet place and I felt relaxed.

Besides that, there are interesting plants and gardens there.
One of them is "Newton's apple tree".
Probably you know the famous anecdote of the apple.
That is about the apple tree that made Isaac Newton getting the idea of the law of universal gravitation.
In Koishikawa Botanical Garden you can see the one of graft of the tree.

Unfortunately, when I went to there, the tree didn't have any apples.
Still the old tree can have fruit, but they say it's apple is small and not so tasty.
I want to try it a little if I can have it someday.

Sanada Nobushige aka Yukimura, the most dangerous and wisest warlord

In the medieval history of Osaka city, the presence of Toyotomi clan was huge.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a ruler of Japan in a period of time, made the base of today's Osaka city.
At the particular time with administration by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, practically Osaka was a central of the nation.

However, one can't keep his position forever.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi died in 1598, and after his death, the authority of Toyotomi clan among the nation declined.
Moreover, Hideyoshi's contender Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated Isida Mitsunari, a daimyo on Toyotomi clan side, at the war of Sekigahara in 1600.
Tokugawa Ieyasu executed Isida Mitunari in Rokujo-gawara, Kyoto, and he founded Tokugawa shogunate in 1603.
Ieyasu got a huge power at this time.

Finally he started "Osaka no Jin (the siege of Osaka)" in 1614 against declined Toyotomi clan.
Most of major daimyo joined Tokugawa side.
In contrast, Toyotomi clan didn't have daimyo who fought with them.
However,  ronin (samurai who isn't employed) soldiers and some warlords (including former daimyo who had been deprived their position by Ieyasu) joined Toyotomi side.
Among them there was Sanada Nobushige, as known as Sanada Yukimura, the legendary warlord.

Once Nobushige had fought on the side of Ishida Mitunari in 1600.
He and his father Masayuki stayed inside of their Ueda castle in Shinano province (today's Nagano prefecture) to against the besiegement by the military corps of Tokugawa Hidetada, son of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
They fought quite well and delayed arrival of the corps of Hidetada to Sekigahara field.
After the war, Ieyasu worried that the son and father of Sanada will joined his enemy side again.
Therefore Ieyasu forced a domiciliary confinement to them.
They had to stay at a hermitage in Kudoyama, Kii province (today's Wakayama prefecture).
In 1611 Masayuki died at the place, and later Nobushige and his son Daisuke escaped from their hermitage and joined Toyotomi side in the siege of Osaka.

Again, Nobushige fought well on Toyotomi side at the first battle.
He and his clan Sanada had been famous for their tricky and wise way of battle.
He suggested clever tactics to his bosses in Toyotomi clan.
But his plans denied, so he took a fighting with besiegement.
He built the "Sanada-maru" barbican outside of Osaka castle, and stayed inside.
He shoot missiles to enemy corps coming or passed by, and killed so many enemies there.

Tokugawa and Toyotomi stopped fighting a while, but it was temporary.

At the second battle he didn't have any nice plan because it was a loosing battle for him and Toyotomi clan.
At last Nobushige made an attempt to charge to where Tokugawa Ieyasu had been encamped.
He nearly killed Ieyasu, but he couldn't accomplish that.
Nobusige died at the nearby where Ieyasu was.

Nobushige's cleverness and courageousness impress us so much.
Today people visit the places related to the lives of Nobushige or Sanada family.
At Ueda castle, Kudoyama or Yasui shrine (where Nobushige died) in Osaka city, even you can see young ladies who are fans of Nobushige.

Nowadays Nobushige appears in video games or animes with the name of "Yukimura".
The name came from "koudan", the battle stories in Edo period.
People in Edo called Nobushige "Yukimura" with respect.
The tradition continues today.

Katori Senkou is what we need during the summer

Summer has come.
I like this season the most.
Traveling to seaside towns is a big fun for summer.
However, there is a thing that irritates us in this season.

It is mosquito.
They suck our blood.
In addition, sometimes mosquitoes carry viruses to us.
Even if they don't have any viruses, they are really irritating.
At around pond, thicket or grove, there are swarms of mosquitoes.
Everywhere we go to in summer, there they are!

Also mosquitoes invade into our house daily.
So, we have to do something to prevent their attack.

For preventing mosquitoes, there is Katori Senkou (mosquito coil).
Katori Senkou is a spiral shaped incense and used as a mosquito repellent.
It was invented by Ueyama Eiichiro in Japan in 1895.
It contains Jochugiku (pyrethrum) so it can kill mosquitoes.

In summer, the smoke from Katori Senkou are in the air in many houses.
While we smoke the incense, we can be safe from that irritating mosquitoes.
I have a nostalgia when I smell the perfume of Katori Senkou in every summer.
That reminds me of the summer in my childhood.

Henpongan, it may be a traditional medicine...or something very tasty

Have you heard the word "henpongan" in Japanese?
Henpongan is a traditional medicine which invented in the Edo period.
It is made of miso marinated beef.
Hanaki Denemon, a samurai in the Hikone domain invented it with the knowledge from a Chinese book "Honzou Koumoku (the Compendium of Materia Medica)".

The Hikone domain was located in the north part of Oumi province (Oumi was the same area as current Shiga prefecture).
In the Edo period, generally both slaughter and eating cattle was inhibited by the Tokugawa shogunate under the influence of Buddhism.
However only Hikone domain had the right to kill cattle to take their skin for making leather goods.
After they took the skin from cattle, beef remained.
So as the name of medicine henpongan, they could use the beef and people could eat the medicine.

Also Ii family, the daimyo of Hikone domain, had sent henpongan to other daimyo in all over Japan as a gift.
Henpongan from Hikone domain was a very popular gift among daimyo.
Even some people say "Sakuradamongai no Hen (the Sakuradamon incident in 1860, the assassination of Ii Naosuke, daimyo of Hikone and tairou, the chief minister in Tokugawa shogunate)" was caused by henpongan.

Once Ii Naosuke have refused to send henpongan to Tokugawa Nariaki, daimyo of the Mito domain and father of last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu.
Tokugawa Nariaki was a henpongan lover and had asked Ii family it many times before.
However Ii Naosuke refused to send henpongan to him.
After that, samurais from Mito domain attacked and assassinated him in front of the Sakuradamon gate.

Actually, Ii Naosuke and Tokugawa Nariaki had some troubles in politics besides that henpongan business, so we can't conclude henpongan was a reason of the assassination.
But there are a proverb in Japan, "Kuimono no urami wa osoroshii (a grudges about foods is very frightening)".
How do you think about it?

Nowadays henpongan is sold just as "gyuniku misoduke (miso marinated beef)" in Hikone or other cities in Shiga prefecture.
They use a brand beef Oumi gyu for it, so henpongan must be tasty even today.
So if we are asked henpongan by someone, maybe we better send them it quickly before our assassination will happen.

Katayaki from Iga town may chip your teeth, it is a quite solid food

Iga city, Mie prefecture, is famous place for legends of Ninjas.
Moreover, in Iga, there is a very solid traditional food.
It is called Katayaki.
Katayaki is a sort of cookie.
It has a circular shape and tastes a little sweet.
Usually sesame seeds and blue seaweed powder are on it.

It is baked on a hot plate.
Katayaki craftspeople use a lever and weight to press the dough of katayaki on the hot plate.
They take a long time to press and bake the dough.
This procedure makes katayaki very solid.

According to legend, the prototype of katayaki was a portable ration for ninjas.
Sometimes ninjas had to hide somewhere for a long time, so they carried the potable ration with them.
That was origin of katayaki.

Now, katayaki is sold with a small wooden hammer.
For it's hardness, you can't bite the whole of it off with your teeth.
That's why they sell katayaki with the hammer.
You need to break that into pieces by the hammer and mouth the small pieces one by one.
Then, the pieces will melt slowly on your tongue.

In times of ninjas, there weren't such hammer.
How did they eat the solid food?
In my imagination, probabry ninjas used hilt of their katana (a samurai sword) or shuriken (a throwing knife used by ninjas and some samurais) to crash their original of katayaki.
I guess they had a hard time not to make any sounds when they ate their katayaki in their hiding place.

You can buy katayaki at the souvenir shops in Iga city.
In case you worry about your teeth to bite katayaki, they sell the softer one than original kaytayaki, too.
In addition, there are various flavored katayaki nowadays.
Take care not to chip your teeth with katayaki, and enjoy to eat it.

Bou no Te, the traditional performance like a martial art

Bou no Te is a traditional performance art inherited in Aichi prefecture.

It is performed as a part of "Omanto (means "tower of horse")", the ceremony dedicating a sacred horse to shrines.
The performance have two performers in traditional costume.
One of them hold a "bou (long straight stick of wood)", and other hold a imitation sword.
They face each other, then start the performance.

The performance looks like an exhibition of fighting.
Two performers avoid opponent's weapon or strike each others weapons.
Sometimes they yell with a voice that sounds like monkey.
Their movement is smooth, rhythmical and quick, so audience unable to take their eyes off of that.

There are various theories about the origin of the performance.
However it likely came from a custom of training of martial arts among local farmers in medieval times.
In wartime, farmers were required to join an army of Sengoku daimyo or warlords, therefore they needed to train their weapon skill.
Probably the martial art in medieval times inherited to peaceful times as a performance.

Even nowadays we can see the performance at the Omanto ceremony or other events.
In addition, Bou no Te has various styles on many areas of Aichi prefecture (but mostly the western half of there).
The local people in the areas practice the performance to transmit a tradition to posterity.

Maybe you can see a remain of medieval times in performance of Bou no Te.

Oden with Shizuoka style, Shizooka oden

Oden is one of popular dishes in Japan.
People eat it in their home, izakaya or at oden stand.
Also convenience stores sell oden in winter.

As a oden we cook ingredients with broth.
"Oden dane (ingredients for oden)" have variations depending each region but there are common ones.
They are boiled eggs, meats of sinew, atsuage (deep fried thick tofu), konnyaku (paste made from devil's tongue), daikon (a sort of radish), chikuwa (a fish paste cooked in a tube shape like bamboo), and kombu seaweed (also we use it for making broth).
We mostly eat it with mustard paste.

In addition, Oden in each regions have their specialty.
This time, I like to tell you about famous "Shizooka oden", the style of oden in Shizuoka prefecture.

For Shizooka oden (Shizooka comes from Shizuoka with Shizuoka dialect), chicken or beef meat is used for broth.
All ingredients are skewered with bamboo skewer.
Special ingredient of Shizooka oden is "kuro hanpen (a pounded fish cake with black color)".
The black color comes from meat of sardine or mackerel.
Shizuoka prefecture faces to the Pacific Ocean, so kuro hanpen or other ingredients of seafood are abundant in the oden.
Finally we add dried fish powder or green dried seaweed on the oden and eat it.

In Shizuoka city there is famous Shizooka oden spot "Shizuoka oden yokochou (Shizuoka oden street)".
Oden izakayas line along the street, and each izakaya are filled with local customers or tourists at night.
Also you can eat Shizooka oden in small local oden restaurants or even candy shops for children.
In summer, children in Shizuoka enjoy eating the oden with kakigouri (shaved ice with various syrup on it) or ice cream.

Besides there, you can find Shizooka oden in many places in Shizuoka prefecture.
How about a trip to Shizuoka for searching Shizooka oden?

Ippen Shonin, the Buddhist itinerant preacher who traveled all over Japan

I respect many historical people, and he is one of most respectable ones.
He, Ippen Shonin (the holy priest Ippen) was born in Iyo province (the same area as current Ehime prefecture on Shikoku island) in the Kamakura period.
He lived
He came from former daimyo Kouno family but he became a priest when he was still a child.

In Kouno family, Ippen's grand father and uncles had fought the Jokyu war (1221) on emperor Gotoba side.
As a result of the losing battle of Gotoba side, Kouno family had lost most of their military power when Ippen was born.
It seemed to be one of reason Ippen had to become a priest in his childhood.
Besides that, Ippen lost his mother just before he entered in Buddhist temple.
He learned Buddhism in a temple in Dazaifu, Chikuzen province (a part of current Fukuoka prefecture) until age 25.

When his father died Ippen once returned to be a samurai, however some years later he became a priest again.
He trained himself, and then started the trip to preach.

In beginning of the trip, Ippen took Chouichi and Chouni, his cheerful wife and young daughter who also had been nuns, and servant Nembutsubou with him.
But soon he left them after they visited Kumano hongu shrine, Kii province (the area now Wakayama prefecture and part of Mie prefecture).
We can't confirm how he changed his mind, but to the expected very hard trip, we can't blame his decision.

He went on his trip alone.
At places he only told people to chant simple nembutsu (Buddhist invocation).
This was "nam amida butsu".
Ippen told people if they keep chanting the nembutsu they can get salvation.
So many men and women of all ages gathered to Ippen, then they become priest or nun and joined to Ippen as disciples.

At that period, most of Buddhist priests didn't care how women, very poor people or people with leprosy and serious disease could get salvation.
But Ippen let them joining to his party, and he continued his trip with them.
Ippen and the party traveled all over Japan and influenced many people.
Sometimes the party had "odori nembutsu (a dancing invocation)" in rapture.
Ippen himself rang a hand bell with them.

At his death scene, Ippen told disciples to burn all of his text books of Buddhism.
Also he told them not to found his sect after him.

He haven't built any temples.
He haven't sought any fame for himself.
He just tried to make people happy and ease their suffering.

Nowadays we can see how was the trip of Ippen Shonin in the Ippen hijiri-e (a story book with pictures that Shoukai, Ippen's younger brother and his disciple made with other priests).

Strict samurai etiquette and the Ogasawara-ryu reihou style

Have you seen how samurai people behave in historical samurai dramas on TV?
You can see how it is like in the scenes of inside of castle or samurai residence.
Watch how warlords sit down around their daimyo boss at hall in castle.
Watch how samurais on diplomatic missions talk with an enemy warlord.
You will see the particular way of manner in them.
Always they had to behave with etiquette depending on each situations.
They had a strict rule of etiquette.

The samurai etiquette style is called "reihou".
Every samurais had to know about the reihou, because if they take wrong manner to other samurais, it will be fatal mistake for them.
When you read samurai stories in between from the Kamakura period to the Edo periods, you can see many examples.

Here is an example I can remember now.
At Kamakura area in Muromachi period, a warlord Narita Nagayasu was insulted by his temporary boss Uesugi Kenshin in public.
It was caused by their different understanding about reihou.
Fortunately Narita wasn't killed, but soon after the affair he left from the army corps of Uesugi.

Samurais were killed or scolded harshly when they couldn't share same understanding about reihou with their boss.
Shogun or daimyo could kill their warlords or soldiers for "the lack of right manner".
So, samurais on lower position always had to be careful with their etiquette for not to be killed or scolded.
Also they kept their etiquette to other samurais to avoid fights or quarrels.

In medieval times, two style of reihou "Ise-ryu" and "Ogasawara-ryu" were popular.
But since the Edo period, the Ogasawara-ryu have been the mainstream.
Even nowadays we can learn the Ogasawara-ryu style.

The time of samurai is old now, but still we have to take care of the right way.
If we behave with wrong manner, someone may be upset and he or she will be our future enemy.
We can make better relationship with friends, colleagues and bosses by the reihou style.
The descendants of Ogasawara family have lectures or classes of the samurai etiquette in Tokyo or other cities.
If you have an interest, come to learn the reihou.
Maybe you can be well-mannered like a samurai.

The famous island for historical duels, Ganryu jima

Ganryu jima is a small island.
The island is located in Kanmon straits, the sea between Honshu and Kyushu.
Also it is near Dan no ura, the ancient offshore battlefield where the final battle of Genji clan and Heike clan occurred in 1185.

What made the name of ganryu jima famous is a duel.
It is the duel of between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro (or Sasaki Ganryu) in early Edo period.
According to a legend, island's name "ganryu" came from the sword style of Sasaki Kojiro "gan-ryu".
Both Musashi and Kojiro were great swordsmen at their times.
They had duel for the position of sword instructor for Daimyo Hosokawa family in Kokura domain.
There are various theories about the duel and we can't confirm how the duel really was like nowadays.
But Japanese people know famous episodes about duel from historical novels or drama programs on tv.

One of episode is like this.
Miyamoto Musashi arrived late to the scene of the duel on purpose, and as he planed, the opponent Sasaki Kojiro got irritated.
Nervous Kojiro's sword became a bit less stable than Musashi's, then Musashi could defeat him barely.
Also according to stories and legends, Musashi made a bokken (sword made by wood) from an oar on the boat to the island and he used it for the duel.
Kojiro was famous for his very long sword and his skill "hiken tsubame gaeshi (the swallow counter attack)", so Musashi needed to make longer weapon than Kojiro's.
This episode told us Musashi's wise attitude to duels.

The duel made that small island famous.
Moreover, there was another duel after the duel of Musashi and Kojiro.
In 1987, famous professional wrestler Antonio Inoki and Masa Saito had a "wrestling fight without audience".
It seemed they mocked the duel of Musashi and Kojiro.
This wrestling duel is also famous among fans of each wrestlers.

I have been to the island once.
I had no opponent to duel with, so I could enjoy the view of the straits and the sounds of waves.

The special local food in Osaka city

Each areas of Japan have their local foods.

As former "tenka no daidokoro (the kitchen of the nation)", Osaka is famous for such local foods.

Maybe you have heard about takoyaki or okonomiyaki

In case you don't know them, takoyaki is dumpling that filled diced octopus, green onion and other ingredients.

We eat takoyaki with spreading a sauce and mayonnaise on it.

Okonomiyaki is a sort of pancake.

We use many ingredients for okonomiyaki, and various types of okonomiyaki exist.

Basically we use cabbages, eggs, green onions and some meat (pork is typical) for them. 

Sometime squids or other sea foods are used as ingredients.

We eat okonomiyaki with spreadeing a sauce and mayonnaise on it (again!).

Osaka people quite like sauces and mayonnaise.

You can easily find restaurants of both takoyaki and okonomiyaki in Osaka.

Let me introduce you one more special local food.

In some downtown of Osaka city, we can see the small restaurants serve "horumon udon (a udon noodles with organ meats from beef or pork)". 

The food is not so famous, but there are particular fans of them (including me).

In the first time I ate the food, I haven't been to used to that organs meats so I felt a bit anxiety.

But as soon as I tasted that horumon udon, I came to like it.

The meats were tender and juicy, and the soy sauce based soup was delicious.

In addition, the food was cheap, it only costed 300 yen!

If you don't like any type of organ meats, I won't recommend the food to you.

Maybe you can't enjoy that.

But if you have a interest to new local food, it is worth to try.

How to take a rest in the Japanese town for free?

The title may sounds a bit strange, however at the downtown of Japan, you can hardly take a rest without spending money.

You can't sit on the side of the pavement nor the center.
People are coming and going through on the road busily.
If you try to sit on the part of road, surely they watch at you like you are a strange creature or something incomprehensible.

So you have to find somewhere suitable place to take a rest.
In case of you don't mind to spend money, you can stay anywhere because there are cafes, fast food restaurants or "family restaurants (cheap restaurants)" in every town.
But at least they cost you some money.

Let's keep searching the place to rest for free.
If there are parks or public gardens, that's good.
Maybe you will find some benches in the parks.
Also benches are sometimes set on the space inside temples or shrines.
Where people live, there are always temples and shrines around there.
Keep good manner as a visitor to sacred spaces, then they don't make any complaint to you.

There is one more place I can recommend.
Yes, public library is the one.
They are completely free, besides you can read books in Japanese.
In my case, I am always looking forward to visit local libraries on my travel.
If you can understand Japanese language, there will be another fun place.

In these places, you can take a little rest.
But even if you can feel comfortable there, please don't sleep in public!

Gozu-Tenno, the enshrined deity of Yasaka jinja shrine

Yasaka jinja shrine is one of popular sightseeing places of Kyoto.
At June, we can see "Gion matsuri" festival at the shrine and area around.
That season, the area becomes bustling and crowded with local people and tourists.

The enshrined deity of the shrine is to be thought Gozu-Tenno or Susanoo no Mikoto.
Gozu-Tenno's origin is not sure, but it seems the deity had a connection to Korean peninsula.
The deity's figure is descrived as a male person with a huge body and a bull's head.

Gozu-Tenno has many interesting anecdotes, however we hardly understand how the deity really is like.
According to a legend, when a plague come to Heian-kyo (ancient name of the central of Kyoto), people thought the plague was caused by a curse of some terrible deities.
People prayed to Gozu-Tenno, then the plague stopped.
After that, people started to worship the deity as a guardian deity for health.

It seems the religious faith of Gozu-Tenno have brought to Heian-kyo by foreign people like merchants or technical experts from Korea or China.
They have brought new technology, culture and even faith of deities to Japan.
In other words, Japanese culture is consists of both native and foreign customs and traditions.
This is the way our unique culture have made.

Kombu is indispensable for traditional foods of Osaka

"Kombu" is an edible seaweed.

In Osaka, kombu is used for many traditional foods.
Mostly we use it to make stock.
It is used for udon noodles, nimono (stewed foods), soups or other various traditional foods.
Furthermore, We eat kombu as a ingredient.
Also "troro kombu (or oboro kombu)", tangle flakes made of kombu, is used for rice balls or udon.
Even there is a candy made of kombu.

In Osaka, Japanese people have started daily using of kombu since the Edo period.
"Kitamaebune", the ship on "Nishimawari kouro (the shipping route between Osaka and Hokkaido)" brought kombu to people in Osaka.
Kitamaebune came and went on the route through the Seto inland sea and Kammon straits.
Before the route developed by merchant Kawamura Zuiken in Edo period, people in Osaka hardly got kombu, so kombu was precious.

Since kitamaebune stared to come, kombu have rooted deeply into Osaka's food tradition.
Thanks to Kawamura Zuiken, we can enjoy the nice traditional foods nowadays.
I would appreciate him.

Like a ninja, walking fast without making sounds

In the Kamakura period to the Edo period, there were real ninjas in Japan.
But nowadays, former ninja customs and their skills were lost from our society.
Moreover, we can't see any ninjas in our real life.
Maybe ninjas are surviving at somewhere still, but we can't confirm the fact.
Only legends and rumors remain.

As a ninja culture lover, I have tried to be a ninja like person.
I wanted to move faster, hide quicker and know various tricks to spy as real ninjas.

However only I could do was walking as fast as I can without making big sounds, or learning every random information a ninja had (so I believed) to know.
Those I did were almost useless for my daily life.
I said almost.
The reason is, the way of walking may work for us with some meaning.

I don't know how it is like in other countries, but here, sometimes we can see noisy walkers.
They walk down a corridor noisily or run up and down stairs with big sounds.
I don't feel very comfortable with them.
So I suggest you to move like a ninja.

As I have done, walk as fast and as quiet as you can.
Run up and down stairs with less noise as you can.

Will you try it?
Perhaps doing these is a bit difficult at the beginning, but soon you will get used to.
Until then, please be careful not to slip or not to hit to other people.
Focus on your body if your movement is proper.
When you will accomplish to do these movement, you will have a nice feeling.
That is the feeling of being a ninja.

Minpaku, where you can meet the world

In Osaka, we have a great museum that people of Osaka can be proud of.
It is "Minpaku", the national museum of ethnology.
The museum is located in the expo'70 commemorative park, the site of expo'70 in Suita, Osaka.

Inside the museum, you can see many exhibition about culture and people from all over the world.

For example, everyday articles, traditional clothes, dolls and even sets of folk dwelling are in there.

Besides exhibition, academics of the museum deliver public lectures and events for visitor.

Literally you can learn about all over the world, and it is so much fun. 

I have been to there many times since I was a little kid, and there has been my favorite place long time.

They helped me to have a strong interest to culture and people from other countries.

If I haven't known Minpaku, surely I could't make this blog.

As a person from other countries, perhaps you can enjoy the exhibition about Japanese, Ainu and Okinawan people there.

Also you may find an exhibition about your own country, too.

I promise you will have fun there.

The book town, Jimbocho

Tokyo has a lot of attractive towns inside of it.
I like them, especially Jimbocho town, Chiyoda city.

Jimbocho is famous among the book lovers as a book town.

Since meiji era, there have been many universities and colleges around Jimbocho.
Therefore a large number of publishing companies, book stores and second hand book stores opened at the town.
If you need the books about particular subjects, I suggest you to visit various specialized second book stores in the town.
Surely you will get the books you have wanted to read.

Besides the bookstores, Jimbocho is also famous for many curry rice restaurants.
Perhaps you will have the question "why are there so many curry restaurants here?".
I am not sure about that, but while book lovers are searching books in book shops, it seems they happen to be hungry for a curry rice.
Maybe restaurant owners noticed our desire for curry then they started business on purpose?
If they did, I want to thank them for serving nice curry rices for us.
I have been to the town several times, and delicious curry rices were always made me happy!

If you like both books and curry rices, Jimbocho will be a paradise for you.

The ramen served in early morning

Ramen is one of popular Japanese foods.
Usually people eat it for lunch or supper, sometime for a late night snack.
However, at the restaurants of particular area, you can eat ramen in morning time.
The ramen is called "asa ramen (the morning ramen)" or  just "asara (an abbreviation of asa ramen)".

The famous place for asa ramen is Fujieda city, Sizuoka prefecture.
Ramen lover people in the city come to the ramen restaurants that open in the early morning.
They eat it as a breakfast.

I have once visited the ramen restaurant in Fujieda, and I saw a lot of customers inside.
I tried a bowl of asa ramen.
It was a shoyu (soy sauce based) ramen, and less salty and oily than ordinary shoyu ramen.
I thought it was surely suitable for breakfast.

Kitakata city, Fukushima prefecture is also famous for both ordinary ramen and asa ramen.
Moreover, nowadays restaurants serving asa ramen is increasing besides Fujieda and Kitakata.
Someday you can enjoy a bowl of asa ramen at restaurants in your own city.

Ramen as breakfast, how do you think about it?