Initiation of Waka poet

1. We search secret initiation of 'Waka' poem called 'Kokin-denjyu'.
   ('Waka' was a famous poem express poetic minds of Japanese.)
2. At 'Waka literature museum' we found the answer.
3. 'Kokin-denjyu' was connected to 'Kokin-wakasyu'.

What is the most famous literature in Japanese history? 'The Tale of Gengi' may be famous worldwide, so 'tales' are one of the candidates. However, it would be 'Waka' or Japanese poem when we chose the best. Then, what is 'Waka'?

It would be difficult even for Japanese people to define 'Waka'. It is a short poem, and original in Japan, if we would add one thing, it is especially different from poems from China. This poem is made of two characters, which are 'Hiragana' or character of Japanese origin and 'Kanji' or character arrived from China. This style is one of the special features of 'Waka'. 

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And also, we want to mention our destination. The reason we visited the northern area of Gujyo-hachiman city is the 'Tou' clan who had their ruled place here. And, 'Tou' clan was deeply connected with 'Waka' poems.

site of 'Tou' clan's residence

They moved to this place according to the order of the Kamakura shogunate around 8 hundreds years ago. And their political power became weak in the following years, the Muromachi period and the Sengoku period. They surrendered their ruled area to the 'Endo' clan who was originally the same family. Around the years the Sekigahara war had happened, the 'Endo' clan also lost their ruled area, and a few years later, they recovered it. So, we couldn't understand the relationship between such the Sengoku warriors and 'Waka' poems.

Waka literature museum

We visited 'Waka literature museum' which was built where once the 'Tou' clan's residence had located in an ancient time. If there had been no relationship, this museum was built at the other location. So, there must be connection between the 'Tou' clan and 'Waka' poems. We want to investigate this mystery this time.  

The key word for the mystery is 'Kokin-denjyu'. This word had a secret extra power. As for this power we will mention in the later half. We will start with the main subject.


'Kokin-wakasyu' 
(one of very famous collections of 'Waka' poetty)

Before we mention the mystery of 'Kokin-denjyu', we have to explain the anthology of poetry called 'Kokin-wakasyu'. The 'Kokin-wakasyu' was made one thousand and one hundred years ago. And it was ordered by an emperor at that time for the first time in Japanese history. So, this project to produce the anthology of 'Waka' poems was the first attempt by the imperial direction.

At that time, Japanese people officially used 'Chinese writings' and they considered newly made words, 'Japanese writings' was inferior. However, when they expressed their inner feelings, 'Chinese writings' couldn't work how they wanted to. So, using 'Japanese writings' in this anthology of poetry was an epoch-making attempt. When it was made, Japanese people were struggling to create the new way to express their inner feelings. The fact it was ordered by an emperor was also the epoch-making incident.

By the way, what kind of poems was gathered in this anthology? You might not believe it, but, the theme of poems was 'love'. For Japanese people at that time, the most important theme was 'love'. They used the metaphor flowers, birds, and more to express their inner love. And for the creators and readers, it's difficult to understand poems which were written by 'Chinese writings'. It's a little embarrassing to write on this 'Blog', but, it was the real story of the ancient Japanese literature. 

We supposed 'Kokin-wakasyu' was a poetry which had been edited by broad-minded ancient Japanese. So, there was no relationship between this poetry and the world of 'Struggle for power'. However, we found a new understanding which insisted this poetry was not only a collection of 1100 love songs but also records of political situations. According to a research, series of a typical 'Waka' plus before or following several 'Waka' have an intentional meaning. In these series, center 'Waka' was written by famous people who had a hard time in their political situations. And, if we carefully read these 'Waka', we can find these people's severe situations or their thoughts at the famous incidents.    

For example, a poem of a prince who lost a successor race to the next emperor was posted. If you read this poem and in front and behind poems very carefully, you can find the sympathy of editors. You can also find another example which was a poem by a former emperor. He was forced to retire and tried to restore his position by a civil war with his collaborators. From the sequence sandwiching his poem, his sad feeling and also sympathy of editors was hidden between these poems.  


'Kokin-denjyu'

Then, go back to the 'Kokin-denjyu' story. The most flourished period of the 'Waka' literature was the very beginning of it, namely the era 'Kokin-wakasyu' was made. 

Putting it the other way around, after the completion of the 'Kokin-wakasyu', 'Waka' literature degenerated in a slow speed. In each period, it didn't flourish like that day. However, for especially noblemen, they got strong impact for the 'Waka' poetry. Information about creating 'Waka' poems became a standard knowledge for noblemen after the appearance of this great work. Furthermore, this importance was not changed even though the rulers of Japan changed from noblemen to samurai. Creating 'Waka' poems continued to be a standard knowledge.
      

'Kokin-denjyu' was the kind of teaching of this original literature. When 'Kokin-denjyu' system was born, everything was changed tremendously from the things written by ancient great poets. If some people had a high-level ability to creat 'Waka' poems, they would feel it difficult to understand the value of 'Kokin-wakasyu' poems. For example, the way to appreciate nature, experience, and meanings of words. So, system specialists of reading 'Kokin-wakasyu' taught meanings was born.

This teaching was succeeded limited person as secret. And, the 'Tou' clan drew attention, because they were good at creating 'Waka' poems for generations. They learned the secret ideas of 'Kokin-wakasyu' from a noble family famous for creating 'Waka' poems. It was around 550 years ago when the 'Tou' clan became famous as a successor of 'Kokin-denjyu'.

Tou Tsuneyori who lived these days was the most famous poet among his clan. He was samurai, so the era he lived, many samurai fought each other in the battle fields, but he didn't have any episode as a warrior. Furthermore, he had several famous episodes of 'Kokin-denjyu'. 


Power of 'Kokin-denjyu'

We want to mention one famous episode of 'Kokin-denjyu'. When the famous battle named the 'Sekigahara-no-tatakai' war was happened, some Hosokawa's castle was surrounded by the enemy. And, he had only 300 people and his opposite had 30 of times soldiers for the siege. It was obvious he would be defeated and killed soon. Soon after the news was brought to the noblemen's society in Kyoto, they begged his life and he was released. Because he was a famous 'Kokin-denjyu' master at that time. If he died, no one could succeed the 'Kokin-denjyu' secret, noblemen were afraid at the fact and they tried to beg his life. It was quite remarkable incident at that time. So, 'Kokin-denjyu' was more important than wars. 

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This area where ’Tou' clan's residence had been located was developed as a theme park named 'Kokin-denjyuno-sato' recently. Comfortable lodges are there. Which are restaurant, learning space and resting area.   

A restaurant in the theme park

A learning space

Inside of learning space

You will enjoy silence

Gohyaku Rakan temple

Who were the people called 'Gohyaku Rakan'? 

The founder of Buddhism, 'Shaka' had a great many of his disciples. Facing his death, his disciples gathered by his sickbed, and he died under the watchful eyes of his disciples. 'Gohyaku Rakan' were the five hundreds disciples who gathered and were allowed to enter the meeting place. That was a huge cave where at least five hundred people entered and discussed. They discussed and determined to develop the teachings of Buddhism. So, 'Rakan' means the immediate disciples of 'Shaka'. And they were very important people in Buddhism sect.


Gohyau Rakan 

Five hundred arhats 'rakan', a Buddhist art subject developed in China featuring large numbers of Indian wise men usually accompanied by servants. The origin of the grouping is unknown, although several Chinese texts mention 'rakan' as protective saints, who guard the Buddhist law until the coming of 'Miroku', the Buddha of the Future. The Chinese belief that Five hundred arhats inhabited a peak beyond the Stone Bridge 'Shakkyou' on 'Mt.Tiantai' is probably an adaptation into popular Buddhism of Taoist legends about the locale as the home of immortals. Tang period Chinese were also familiar with Indian legends of five hundred arhats believed to live on 'Mt. Buddhavanagirl' near 'Rajagrha'. It is not clear whether the number '500' refers to 500 specific individuals or simply indicates a large number. (from JAANUS)
If you're interested in, please check JAANUS in the Internet directly.

Inside of the Gohyaku Rakan Dou

There isn't detailed information here, but making statues of 'Rakan' people was started during the Kamakura period, around eight hundreds years ago. This trend was imported among the 'Zen' sect people of Buddhism from China. 

We suppose the existence of many disciples makes other new followers understand the high priority of this sect. Five hundreds immediate disciples of 'Shaka' was persuasive for the ordinary people, because 'five hundreds' makes them imagine 'many'. Then, it acted a very important role for the sect. 

On the contrary, founding new 'Gohyaku Rakan' temples was a very hard trial for the founder. Because of realistic problems such as hard working to produce five hundreds of statues and much amount of funds to pay. There are many 'Gohyaku Rakan' temples in Japan, but the ratio of them is small compared with the whole amount of temples. Please imagine, supplying five hundreds of statues were really difficult for someone who intended. 

Outside of the Gohyaku Rakan dou

The Tenneiji temple was a 'Zen' sect temple, and founded by the Ii clan who was a rural lord of Hikone district. He did one mistake that he ordered to kill a retainer who was estimated guilty, but later was proved not guilty. With his great regret, he built this temple for her peace of the dead soul. Because she had been pregnant with his son's child when she had been killed. The relationship between the fact and the reason why 'Gohyaku Rakan' was chosen is in the sealed book named history. 

This 'Gohyaku Rakan' was made two hundreds years ago. So, they are not so old in the historical range. However, five hundreds of statues are quite mysterious. 

When you want to visit this temple, you can use JR Biwako line and get off at Hikone station. It is the same route to the Hikone castle. From the station, it takes approximately 1 kilometer. So, maybe you should not use any public transportation. This temple locates the opposite side of the castle sandwiched JR line.

Sumo wrestling stable

A report around visiting a sumo stable. The gist is follows;
1. Sumo wrestling's historical aspect is?
2. We visited Nagoya in July, because of a Sumo festival.
3. Sumo wrestlers' usually live in Tokyo and they visit several cities for the 
    tournament. When they visit other cities, how they practice?

Sumo wrestling has a quite long history, and it began long before the Sengoku period. As we mention the sumo wrestling during the Sengoku period, Oda Nobunaga was fond of sumo wrestling. There were several famous episodes about his fondness.

We wanted to visit sumo wrestling in the present, before talking about the history of it. Now, sumo wrestling is put on by 'Japan Sumo Association', and held the sumo tournaments in several cities 6 times a year. So, we visited Nagoya City to see several places concerned with the sumo tournament which is held in this city every July.

The main facility of sumo wrestling is at the Ryogoku-kokugikan arena in Tokyo. In every time when the sumo tournament is held except in Tokyo, the sumo stables rent some facilities to practice before the tournament. These sumo stables are scattered around the indoor stadium at Nagoya City. Several sumo stables open in accessible places in Nagoya City, even if we use public transportation. Big fans of sumo wrestling gather these sumo stables when sumo wrestlers practice every day. This is an event that reminds summer for Nagoya-ites. 

Again, the sumo tournament in Nagoya city is held every July. So, if you visit Nagoya city as your schedule and search the sumo stables, you can't find them. You have to select the right days that are usually from 2 weeks before the tournament will start to the final day of the tournament. Furthermore, these practices are held from early morning to around 10 o'clock in the morning.

No explanation about public transportation until Nagoya city required, because we visited Nagoya city so often. On the other hand, finding temporary sumo stables which are opened only during the tounament in Nagoya city will be difficult. As the locations, 'Japan Sumo Association' opens the information on the Internet. But, you need to find public transportation for these places by yourselves.

Visiting some sumo stable, we couldn't find well-known wrestlers who we saw in the news broadcast but many young and vigorous. They began practice games. The stable master was sitting in the center of the waiting area and he rarely brought out his words. And on his exact front, Dohyo or a sumo ring is there.

Some young wrestler won a practice game, then other wrestlers gathered in front of him and appealed for the next game with him. Because the winner continued practice games unless he lost the games. Furthermore, wrestlers couldn't start practice games if the winner wrestler agreed him to be the next opponent.

In each stable, there is only one Dohyo. If someone waited for being called by the winner wrestler, he would not play any practice games during the practicing time. Every wrestler hustles to be called as the next opponent.

If some wrestler won several games, others they all had strong pride couldn't forgive the things that he was keeping on game. They strongly requested the next game with the winner wrestler. In this way, strong wrestlers played more practice games.

How strong they were, they couldn't keep on this practice games. And sometimes a strong wrestler was beaten by the wrestler who didn't look so strong. There was serious atmosphere all around the stable.  

From the Internet

Soon, we noticed that sumo wrestlers exposed bodies came to wet and glisten. And many of them were covered with sand because all of them were pushed down on the earthen ring much time. Initial charges were so different from the beginning.

Then, the uncomfortable dull sound which was made from the collision of skulls echoed. Some wrestler had his own blood on his forehead and continued the practice games.

Furthermore, some another wrestler had injured and was bleeding near his hip.  Maybe, when he played a practice game, his opponent tried to grab his Mawashi or sumo wrestler's loincloth and made scratches severely.  

By the way, Sumo wrestling is the most popular sport in Japan. From a different point of view, it doesn't belong under the 'Sport' category.

From the Internet

For example top sumo wrestlers, 'Yokozuna' dedicate their fixed performances, 'Dohyo-iri' in front of the deity before some sumo-tournaments. Before the Nagoya tournament, they perform patterned performances at a famous shrine, 'Atsuta jingu'. We think it's beyond the 'Sport' category, but traditional ceremony.   

Wakayama castle

Up until now, we've been avoiding story that needs explanations of historical circumstances. So, we prefered descriptions of buildings or areas to people's individuality or their expectations. However, if we avoid "calculations between Sengoku lords and their opinions", you can't find interesting points of the Wakayama castle. 

The main tower of the Wakayama castle

Its charm is behind the historical circumstances. To understand them, you need a little knowledge about Sengoku lords' correlations. So, please challenge to understand several Japanese history at the Sengoku era.

The Wakayama castle is, if anything, a standard castle (it located at 60 kilometers south-west of the Osaka castle). If it was not one of the three branch Tokugawa families' castle, it's difficult to distinguish it from others.

From Osaka city, you can use JR super express. From Wakayama station, the distance to the castle is around 1 kilometer. So, you may get tired a little. 


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This castle has many historical flavorings or suffered from many influential Sengoku lords' calculations. And this flavorings are the most attractive point for fans nowadays.

First flavor is from Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler of Japan before Tokugawa Ieyasu (the first Shogun of the Edo shogunate). Hideyoshi commanded a famous lord who was his brother to construct this castle in 1585 for the first time. Because he thought this place was very important to protect his headquarter castle, the Osaka castle. Before the success of the sweeping operation against the Kishu area (1584), he had been annoying about opposition group's military operatons.

Second flavor is from Tokugawa Ieyasu (as we mentioned, he was the next ruler of Toyotomi Hideyoshi). After he became the ruler of Japan, the Osaka castle in which the Toyotomi family lived was destroyed by a famous war. Until his political situation got into this, the Wakayama castle was very important to surround his enemy's head quarter. However, in spite of the downfall of the Osaka castle (1615), he still respected this Wakayama castle. He ordered one of the three branch Tokugawa families to be the lord of this region (1619). And we want to emphasize that this decision was ordered after the ruin of the Toyotomi family.Was there another other purpose here?

Stone walls

Third flavor is from a post-war prossecing after the Osaka-no-jin war. Tokugawa family ordered to reconstruction of the new Osaka castle at the same place of the former Osaka castle (1620 ～ 1629). After its complishment, they used it as the strong point of this region. So, the importance of the Wakayama castle was decreased, which located a little far from the political center of Kansai area such as Osaka and Kyoto. Why they stayed in the Wakayama castle?

We want to mention again that we have talked very little about political circumstances around the year the Osaka-no-jin war (1615) happened. So, it's difficult to feel the atmosphere of the Sengoku lords who were throwned into this great change. 

Picture of Wakayama Castle

The main tower of the Wakayama castle was reconstructed of reinforced concrete, although it looks like a typical Japanese castle. It looks attractive from the outside area, because, we suppose, we look up at the top of the castle mountain. However, when we looked again at the very entrance of the main tower, we felt unsatisfactoriness with this building. We felt it had less alertness in the layout around the main tower, compared with the Himeji castle which was made by the same method, Hirayama-jiro method.

The Himeji castle's northern area is a steep cliff, so there is only a narrow flat space. On the contrary, the Wakayama castle's backside or the south side is not steep cliff, so maybe they needed further defensive area or 'Minami-no-maru' area. According to the limiting condition, this castle needed wide defensive area in its backside. As a result, this castle couldn't have enough width to make ingenious facilities such as the Himeji castle.

The Minami-no maru or the enclosure of the south side was a storage area, we suppose. However, this area was used as defensive facilities, if the battle was happened at this castle. Accordingly, the Torafusu mountain area or the center of this castle didn't have complex defensive facilities such like the Himeji castle. We felt that the layout of this castle was not so strategical but laid back.

In this Wakayama castle, the Hommaru palace was ruined during the Kisyu-Tokugawa families lived in this castle. They had made new Ninomaru palace, but it became cramped. So, they made the Nishinomaru palace and connected two palaces with a roofed passage. This scenery is quite unique.

Roofed passage

There were many examples of Japanese castles that new wider residences were made later. These residences were made in the surrounding area for the substitution of the original place. Because the original residences were made top of the castle mountain and they could not secure enough space for the luxury life of the lord's families.  

However, this idea was from little information we could gather. We cannot avoid another theory exactly that the Wakayama castle was the castle which had many strategical facilities and clever layout planning. 

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There are other examples of Japanese castles that lords' holiday houses nearby the casle. What conditions made them do so, the Wakayama castle's holiday house was located inside the castle, between the Nisinomaru compound and Torafusuyama (nearly equal to the Hommaru compound). They would be able to make their holiday house, but there is no data about it.

After that, we found information about a huge holiday house connected with the Kisyu-Tokugawa family. It's located at a scenic peninsula south-west of the castle. This holiday house was named 'Yousui-en' garden. 

According to a paper we were handed there, this holiday house had been made in 1818 (about two hundred years ago). Then, this house was made during the late Edo period. There are many wide holiday houses owned by the Daimyo who received the same amount of the harvest every year around this period. So, the Kisyu-Tokugawa family also wanted to take possession like other same scale of Daimyos.

Lost battle ship

Now, we are visiting the exhibition room named 'the collection of the Wasen laboratory'. Looking at the exhibitions, we want to review the history of Wasen or Japanese wooden ships. We wrote an article about the battle ships in the Sengoku period before. Now, we want to write a little more about them and find the reason why 'the Sengoku battle ships' were lost, or moved into decline.  

exhibition room named 'the collection of the Wasen laboratory'

We think the reason is associated with the history of Japanese ships until then. Japanese style ships were uniquely developed after many years. And the most typical feature was 'flat bottom structure'. It was effective even in the battlefield in domestic ocean. However, in a big battle in the foreign ocean, Japanese battle ships exposed a weak point at the end of the Sengoku period. Because the flat bottom structure was weak against a big impact made by enemy ships' body check and a damage from cannon balls. They were disadvantageous in the combat areas of the ocean.

To find out the reason why the Japanese style ships achieved this form, we want to look back on the history of them roughly. The oldest ocean-going ships were made in the purpose of trade and transaction with China approximately 1400 years ago. But these ships were imitations of Chinese style. Own unique development of Japanese ships was supposed to begin in the latter half of the Heian period (approximately 1000 years ago). Then, a big domestic war happened between the Genji group and the Heishi group then. They fought each other around an inland sea of Japan, and it was a trigger.

Next several hundreds years, ships were not important in the battles. So, the development of Japanese ships was not achieved during these days. Next development came from a need to trade with China in the Muromachi period (approximately 600 years ago). For the purpose, they needed big ships which could travel to China through the ocean. Then, there was a development making big scale ships.

This development leaded to the investment of "the Atake ship"in the Sengoku period. And, it was an unrivaled ship in the domestic sea of Japan during this period. However, this big ship had a weak point, and it had an awful defeat in the war against neighboring foreign country. After this war, the government banned to make these big ships. That avoids the battles of the ocean, and there was no development of the battle ships in Japan during the Edo period (approximately 400 years to 150 years ago).   

From a memory of Verkehr museum

During the Edo period, the development of ships was concentrated on the domestic trade around Japan. The famous Kitamae ships were developed then. We visited the Wasen Research Institution's collection exhibition room in the Kanagawa University in the Kanagawa prefecture. These history we explain above are displayed in this room with many models of ships. 

To visit the Wasen Research Institution's collection exhibition room in the university, you'd better use Shinkansen super express. Getting out at Shin-Yokohama station, you transfer to the JR Yokohama line. Then, get out at the next station, Kikuna, and transfer again to To-yoko private line for Yokohama. Only 1 station before you get out at Hakuraku.

One of streets in front of the station is a shopping street toward the Kanagawa University. We suppose the university is deeply accepted by people in this town. You can arrive there belong to a stream of people, but, you may double-check Google Map. Riding from Shin-Yokohama to Hakuraku by 20 minutes or so, and from the gateway of the Hakuraku station to an entrance of the university is about the same.


An examination about the defeat

We want to reconsider why the Atake ships were defeated in the battle of the outer ocean in the Sengoku period. Even though they were unrivaled among the domestic ocean. The most important reason is lower level development as the wooden battle ships because of less experience. The Atake ships were active in the inland sea, the Setonaikai sea. Less experience leaded misunderstanding that making heavy armor around the whole ship would overwhelm speed. So, they had less capacity of moving that ended up becoming a fatal weak point in the battle field of the ocean. If they experienced battles which needed ships' speed, they would focus it.  

There was another weak point in the body of the Japanese battle ship at that time. Because it developed from a trade ship during the Muromachi period, they didn't notice its weakness of the body. Japanese ships' bottoms were made flat being different from other foreign wooden ships. They had a weakness when a big vibration such as a collision with other ships made their body's water tightness lost. When they had fought against small ships in the domestic battles, they had no problem about their body. However, when they fought against bigger foreign ships, the impact of collisions made their bodies broken. Compared with Japanese battle ships, foreign battle ships bore the vibrations.

There was another weak point in the body of the Japanese battle ship at that time. Because it developed from a trade ship during the Muromachi period, they didn't notice its weakness of the body. Japanese ships' bottoms were made flat being different from other foreign wooden ships. They had a weakness when a big vibration such as a collision with other ships made their body's water tightness lost. When they had fought against small ships in the domestic battles, they had no problem about their body. However, when they fought against bigger foreign ships, the impact of collisions made their bodies broken. Compared with Japanese battle ships, foreign battle ships bore the vibrations.

Furthermore, Japanese battle ships mainly had arquebuses but few canons in them. However, foreign battle ships had many canons. Japanese battle ships had few experiences fired by canons on the battle field of the ocean. This was the first experience for the Japanese ships getting canon balls directly. Japanese wooden battle ships' bodies were not made by thick boards. So, they were broken widely by one hit of enemies canon balls, and if they were hit, soon sank.