week10 Shiromaru princess

Do you know Shiromaru princess? She is the mascot character of Himeji. What is called “gently character”. In Japan, it is called ”Yuru-kyara(ゆるキャラ)”. gently characters are mascot characters who works for a region, for example, event, all kind of campaign, making a region, presenting a special product, and PR information of the whole region.

They are used as Corporate Identity.

 

In a narrow sense, gently characters are a mascot character of nation or district or a public institution. Moreover, they are made stuffed toy. In a wide broad sense, a promotion character is considered gently characters.

 

There are three articles to consider gently characters.

①    There are strange messages it is full of love for one’s native district.

②    Behavior is unstable and unique.

③    They has gently it should be loved by all people.

 

Shiromaru princess is a cute girl who has white skin symbolizes Himeji Castle. Shiromaru princess was born to commemorate one hundred and twenty anniversary municipal organization of Himeji, four hundred anniversaries Himeji Castle, and the fiftieth anniversary a port of Himeji. Gently characters were invited by public participation. It was chosen fairly. Shiromaru princess was designed by Tomoko Taguti who is an office worker in Himeji.

 

By the way, I explain a profile of Shiromaru princess.

Birthday: April 4^th

Address: Himeji city

Character: she is gentle like a supply body

Attractive feature: velvety white skin

Trademark: hat of Himeji Castle, a hair ornament of a cherry blossom

Taste: taking a turn in Himeji Castle, taking a tea break in Kokoen

Special ability: singing

Favorite food: a Japanese cake (but she is on a diet),

 

Shiromaru princess take part in the gently characters grandprize. She was 141th place.

Shiromaru princess is not famous. Shiromaru princess is working hard in expectation of promotion. Shiromaru princess explain about Himeji Castle and city. Shiromaru princess is very busy to PR Himeji every day.

 

In Himeji, a license plate of Shiromaru princess is made. This plate is made to love Himeji City and Himeji Castle and to send to out of the city as town of a world cultural heritage and a tourist spot. Himeji technical high school students design it. Color is three kinds, pink, white, and yellow. A natural was abolished. At first, this plate was very popular for women. Many women march in a window. A circulation is number of 5800. But men said “it is so cute that it is not suitable for a number plate.” As a result, Himeji city adopted a natural number plate.

 

I present Himeji Castle and concerning Himeji Castle in ten weeks. What do you think about Himeji Castle. Do you interested in Himeji Castle? I wish you understand Himeji Castle. I have lived near Himeji Castle for 18 years. Himeji is good city. There are many tourist spot and natural. People in Himeji is very kind. Himeji is comfortable to live in. I want you to visit Himeji.

 

Thank you for your reading.

 

Good bye!

week9 education

In Japan, when we graduate from junior high school, we must enter high school now. It is called compulsory education. But the old days is different. The school whoever can go was made after Meiji period. In Edo period, children who is bushi’s family line could enter the school.

 

In middle Edo period, when Japan was peace, bushi start to study positively.  The shogunate government made the school it was called “syo-hei-zaka-gaku-mon-jo(昌平坂学問所)”. That was how, Each place made the school for the bushi’s children.

 

“Ko-ko-do(好古堂)”　is one of the school in Himeji. Kokodo is built inside the Himeji Castle. First, Kokodo was not in Himeji.  Kokodo was built in Gunma by Sakai tadataka who studied hard.  When Sakai moved Himeji, Kokodo was moved together.

 

What kind of school was Kokodo? Now, in Japan, junior high school children study arithmetic, Japanese, music, and so on. But in Kokodo, children study Confucianism. Children learned importance of vertical relation. People wanted children to grow helpful for society.　So only the boy entered Kokodo as “Sodokusei(素読生)”[Sodokusei means  reading a text aloud without thinking anything]when they were eight years old. It was bushi’s compulsory education.

 

In the class, children use a text of Confucianism. Children study a reading and mean from a teacher. Memorizing was mainly. Children had a test so they reviewed every day.

 

When children finished Sodoku course, they went to “Rinkousei” course.  Children enter the dormitory. Rinkousei course was more difficult than Sodoku course. They study not only Confucianism but also history, geography, and science. They have a test again so they study harder till late at night.

 

Children study not only learning. All children are bushi’s family line. They study kendo, judo, riding, and gunnery. It is very important to be a bushi. So Kokodo has a practice room. When children is to be ten years old, they start to practice military arts from each teachers. It is an ideal to be skilled in both literary and military arts.

 

Now, we have a good teacher. Kokodo had many good teacher. The person who did best in study became “tokugaku(督学)”, it means a principal.

 

Tsunoda Shinzo(角田心臓), Kameyama Unpei(亀山雲平), Sugano Kensuke(菅野愃介)are famous persons. Especially, kameyama became an assistant professor when he was only sixteen years old. Kameyama studied in syo-hei-zaka-gaku-mon-jo(昌平坂学問所). Later kameyama became a Shinto priest in Matsubara shrine. He made the school called ”kankai-koudo(観海講堂)” Kameyama rear many people.

 

In the later Edo period, the common ordinary people could study. It is a private elementary school of Edo period, generally run by one teacher. Children studied reading, writing, and an abacus. This is essential for everyday life.

 

In japan, now, it is natural that we can study every day. But old days is different. We must know the history.

 

Thank you for your reading!

week8 a castle town

Many houses in a castle town are build a zigzag course. It looks a saw. So it is called “a sow alley”. Why it stand in a zigzag course?

 

Himeji Castle encloses a castle town with a moat to protect Himeji Castle against enemies when a war broke out.  Many people who are a workman, a merchant, live in a castle town. It is townspeople town.  A moat covered this town completely.  It is large scale.  It is called “sokuruwa(総曲輪)”. If Himeji Castle is besieged, they can live every day.

The whole a castle town is thought to protect Himeji Castle. There are many devices of defense. The street is a complicated winding path, and a junction of three roads. As a result, the enemy can’t get an unobstructed view. So if Himeji Castle is attacked the enemy, it wasn’t attacked at one go.

There are many temples. Soldiers gather at a temple when a war broke out. A temple plays an important part like the Castle. It is one of the devices at the crucial moment.

“A sow alley” is useless at the war. Soldiers hide behind a projection of the house like a sow alley. Soldiers ambush without attracting the enemy’s attention, and soldiers shot his gun and shoot an arrow. It is like a Western film.

By the way, a castle town is incline. A zigzag course is the best way to build houses in leaning land.

 

A castle town has many sightseeing spots. I will explain the spots from the station to th Himeji Castle.

①Mikishi-honjin-ato(三木氏本陣跡): an officially appointed inn for the use of daimyo in the Edo period.

②Mori-ju(森重): a restaurant of an oyster.
③Kin-o-no-chi(勤王の地)：there were the lodgings.
④Funaba-honntoku-ji(船場本徳寺)：there were tombstones.
⑤Nakano-mon(中の門)：it was a gate of castle.
⑥Takasu-yashiki(高須屋敷)： it was a residence of a higher bushi.

It takes 45 minute. We feel thinking of bushi.

 

Many historic building left in the outskirts of the Himeji Castle. But, year by year, a tasteful of a Castle town lost.　It is high cost to repair real buildings. So we devise to repair in low cost. First, they decide on a precise plan. In the first plan, they repair over the town. Second, they make guidelines. They decide the way of repair and expense. Third, they inspect an effect. They research the opinion about changing town among people.   

 

“Matizukuri-juku(まちづくり塾)” is the program about thinking a view and activation in Himeji. In this program, Many students play a key role in the work. Students discuss the doubt they feel usually and the impression of Himeji.

 

We must think about Himeji Castle to keep beautiful. The destiny of Himeji Castle falls on our shoulders.

 

Thank you for your reading.

 

See you next week.

week7 Construction

In the Meiji period, Himeji Castle was about to be destroyed. In 1868, new an emperor started new politics. Sakai Tadakuni who was the final lord of a castle lived in Tokyo. So Himeji Castle was property of the nation. Period of samurai was finished. Many castle it was to make war was an unless object. The government of meiji destroyed many castle.  Fortunately, Himeji Castle was left. But the government thought that they use Himeji Castle as a barracks and a training school of the army. So, many building in the premises were broken. There were no people who funded to repair Himeji Castle, so Himeji Castle was dilapidated.

Some people pay attention of beauty as castle. Some people said to keeping idsn good repair. One of the people who say was Nakamura sigetou. He was resort eagerly to keeping in good repair. Nakamura said “now, well-know castle will break. We must keep well preserved.” Nakamura said to Yamagata Aritomo who was the minister of the army,” we must repair the castle quickly by expenses of the army ministry to keep a thing permanently. ” As a result, the government decided to repair Himeji Castle in 1879. Praising his work, a stone monument was built.

Himeji castle was decided to repair, but the new government had sort of funds. Only a prop include. Weeds grew on the roof. The roof tiles fell. The wall collapsed. When people see this state, people took action to save Himeji Castle. One of them raised a fund for take up collection. In 1908, a town hall meeting was held, and people did a grass-roots movement. The nation finally made up their mind to go to work. In 1910, full-scale construction started.

In 1945, world war Ⅱ finished. Fortunately, Himeji Castle remained. But Himeji Castle was damaged. A repair and keeping stopped by the war. But, in 1950, it resumed．　It cost one hundred million to have Himeji Castle repaired in those days. In this construction, they found that a castle tower leaned. It weighed heavily on stones in the southeast. Stones cracked. Now, a castle tower was toppled, so they though it must be repaired quickly. In 1956, a repair and keeping started again. This construction was largest scale they have never experienced. The person in charge investigate the structure of Himeji Castle. They made a model of castle tower, and they devised way of construction.

In 1964, construction finished. It took eight years. Two hundred and fifty thousand people had to do with this.  It cost five hundred and fifty million to repair only a castle tower. The total come to ten million. This construction called “syouwa-no-tikujo(昭和の築城)”, because it the biggest construction.

In 2009, “heisei-no-daisyuri(平成の大修理)“started. It will take five years.It cost twenty and eight million.　Himeji Castle would be remake earthquake-resistant construction. We can inspect a construction site. It is a rare chance to inspect.  I suggest going to Himeji Castle!

Thank you for your reading!

See you next week.

week6 structure

Hello, today, I would explain Himeji Castle’ structure.

Big castle, when it was built to make war, we think it has a secret passage or street to protect a lord and princess.

A well was though a secret passage or street. In the old day, Himeji Castle had 33 wells. In the present time, Himeji Castle has 13 wells. One of them was called a secret passage.

Especially, we think that the well nearest a castle tower is a secret passage. A  TV station and a newspaper company researched many times. But, as a result, this well is a drain.

A well as a secret passage was used by a ninja.

Himeji Castle has many systems to make war. The best things of Himeji Castle is if an enemy attacked, they could not go to a castle tower, because the route to a castle tower is a maze. Himeji Castle looks very beautiful like kind of woman, but a roped-off area never be attacked.

Let’s take now, I talk about a castle tower. A castle tower develop from a watchtower, it is building to see distance. For the first time, a castle tower put a watchtower like a palace on a tower. A tower of a lower and a upper were different design, so it was lost balance. This style is called “a watchtower model castle tower”

Later, A castle tower became keeping balance like a five-storied pagoda. This style is called “layer tower model castle tower ”

Lengh of Himeji Castle’s castle tower is 30 meter. It was put on a stone wall of tower units its lengh is 15 meter. When we watch Himeji Castle from the outside, A castle tower is five layers. But to tell the truth, watchtower of three layers are put on tower of two layers.

The inside of a castle tower is different of five layers of outside. It is one stories below and six above the ground. The stone of tower units see from outside is the basement.

A castle tower is battle place at the end of war. They stay indoors. Any flower is devised to make war. Only the top floor, it is six, is made like a Japanese –style drawing room, because the top floor is watchtower to see distance and a palace.

Himeji castle has many stones. Stones make the castle looked castle. Stone was called a fort. Way of pile is different in any place. There are three kinds of it.

First it is “Nozurazumi(野面積み)”. Size of stone is irregular, so it could pile up high. Small stones are into an opening to keep balance.

Second, it is “Uchikomihagi(打ち込みはぎ)”. They beat natural stones with a hummer to shave a corner of stones. This way can pile up high and steepness.

Third, it is “Kirikomihagi(切り込みはぎ)”. They shave stones to make a quadrangle. This way can pile up with no opening. This way is new style.

Do you understand about Himeji Castle’s structure?

See you next week!

week5 Event

Himeji Castle held many festival and events. “Oshiro-matsuri” is one of festival. First, I explain about origin. In 1948, when Japan was the postwar period, But Himeji Castle was left miraculously. So people made Himeji castle symbol of revive from war.  “Oshiro-matsuri” was held to make people cheerful and to toward new Himeji city.

“Oshiro-matsuri” is the real feeling of summer. It would be held for three days.

In 2012, The first day, in the morning, ”tournament of sketching Himeji Castle ” was held. Participant was under high school students. They enjoyed sketching Himeji Castle. Win a prizing pictures were displayed at the gallery. In the afternoon, “takigi-nou(薪能) of Himeji Castle” was held to enjoy a Noh play in free. This event was an established custom. Especially, it was held to make young people feel close to a Noh play. 2800 people visited, and they feel traditional entertainment of Himeji. In this event,  a small dram, a flute, and dress, they were used in a Noh play, ware explained. Then for the first time, 14 children who were chosen by inviting public participation appeared “Kurama-tengu(鞍馬天狗)”.

Second day, the big parade was held at o-temae street. 27 resident group took part in the resdent parade, and they took the lead of this parade. 3 lady who were the 44^th queen of Himeji Castle appear in the history parade. This parade took hour and a half hours. This parade made resident and suburb people exited. In Sou-odori(総踊り)、people danced “bansyu-ondo(播州音頭)”

Third day, “Himeji-yoki-koi-matsuri(姫路よさ恋まつり)” was held. Many dancer of Yosakoi　took part in this festival.

Yosakoi-bushi(よさこい節) and Yosakoi-naruko-bushi (よさこい鳴子節)was called Yosakoi-matsuri(よさこい祭り). This festival was born in Kochi in 1950.

In 1992, students of Hokkaido put Yosakoi-bushi of Hokkaido in Yosakoi-bushi of Kochi.

This harmonized festival called “YOSAKOI so-ran matsuri(YOSAKOIソーラン祭り)”was held. Later, Yosakoi-matsuri spread throughout the whole nation.

Yosakoi-matsuri was an energy dance that people use a clapper and move violently with music and dress. In Himeji, in 2000, Yosakoi-matsuri called “Himeji-yoki-koi-matsuri(姫路よさ恋まつり)” began with slogan of “an exchange between person and person”.

In summer, “Yukata matsuri” was held. It was real feeling of summer. This festival was biggest in the west Japan. There were 800 street vendor’s stalls.

week4 legend

Today,I explain about legend in Himeji castle.

There is the old well called “Okiku-ido(お菊井戸)”　this well have a famous ghost story.

450years ago, Aoyama Tessan who is regency of Himeji Castle tried take over it. Aoyama consulted with Tyonotsubo Danshirou to kill Kotera Noritomo who was the lord of castle.

Kinugasa Motonobu who was a faithful follower of the lord of castle noticed plot. So Kinugasa sent Okiku to Tessan’s house to investigate a state.

By the way, Kogoro who was Tessan’s son was locked up in a house, because he noticed father’s plot and tried stop. Kogoro loved Sirotae-hime so he wanted to make her sad. Okiku pitied him and kind. When Okiku Knew Kogoro loved shirotae-hime, she said, ”Do you have anything you said her? I am on good terms with her. So I can tell her”

Kogoro was moved by her kind, so he talked about father’s plot.

Motonobu herd news from Okiku.  Motonobu tryied to kill Tessan. But Tessan was garded from followers. And Tessan run away Ieshima.

As a result, Tessan became the lord of Himeji castle.

Later, Okiku stayed Tessan’s house. Okiku keep investigating a state of Tessan for Motonobu. Finally Danshiro noticed Okiku’s plot.

But Danshiro thought that he have wanted to marry Okiku, so he said. ”If you marry me, I would keep silent.” Danshiro’s opinion made Okiku fearful. Okiku loved Notonobu, so she rejected. Danshiro feel hateful to Okiku.

One day, Okiku put away plates called “Komogaenogusoku-sara” it was a family treasure of an antidote. Normally, there were ten plates. But one plate was shorted. Okiku counted from one to ten many times with trembling. However, there are nine plates.

In truth, Danshiro hide one plate without noticing anyone.

Danshiro made a big fuss about one plate. Danshiro took Okiku to his house. Danshiro hanged Okiku on a pine tree. Danshiro beat Okiku by a bamboo sword and blame her.

But Okiku would not listen to Danshiro. Danshiro got angry, so he killed Okiku. And Danshiro threw Okiku away in the wall.

Since then, any one herd weak woman’s voice.

“one… two… three…nine. ” it was sadly Okiku’s voice with sobbing. When it counted nine, it stop. And Okiku counted again from one.

Later, tessan was destroyed by Motonobu. Norimoto got again Himeji castle.

Norimoto lamented the death of Okiku. So Norimoto pray for Okiku in the shrine called “junisyo-zinja”

After 300 years since okiku was death, the eerie insects grew in the Himeji Castle. The figure was like human who is hang on tree. People said that a deep-seated grudge of Okiku became the eerie insects. People called this insects “Okiku-mushi”

The wall Okiku was threw away is gossiped “Okiku-Ido” in the Himeji Castle.

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How do you feel “Okiku-ido”? it is very terrible story. I think you were so scared you had goosebumps !  love between man and moman is troublesome in present day. Did you enjoy reading this story? I wish you make good use of time!

Thank you for your reading! See you again!