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Mononoke
are vengeful spirits (onryō), dead spirits (shiryō), live spirits (ikiryō), or spirits in Japanese classical literature and folk religion that were said to do things like possess individuals and make them suffer, cause disease, or even cause death. It is also a word sometimes used to refer to ''yōkai'' or ''henge'' ("changed beings"). Summary ''Mononoke'' can be often seen in literature of the Heian period. As a famous example, in the 9th volume of the ''The Tale of Genji, Genji Monogatari'', "Aoi" is the ikiryō of Lady Rokujo, who possessed Aoi no Ue. Other than that, there are also statements about ''mononoke'' in publications like ''Ōkagami'' and ''Masukagami''. In those times, when medical knowledge had not been fully developed, people like monks and Yamabushi, shugensha would perform incantations and prayers against diseases caused by ''mononoke'', and by temporarily moving the ''mononoke'' into a different person called the "Yorishiro, yorimashi" (usually servants, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural entities and Spirit (supernatural entity) , spirits in Japanese folklore. The kanji representation of the word comprises two characters that both mean "suspicious, doubtful", and while the Japanese name is simply the Japanese transliteration or pronunciation of the Chinese term ''yaoguai, yāoguài'' (which designates similarly strange creatures), some Japanese commentators argue that the word ''yōkai'' has taken on many different meanings in Japanese culture, including referring to a large number of uniquely Japanese creatures. are also referred to as , or . However, most Japanese generally think of the two loose classes of spirits as highly different, although some academics and Shinto practitioners acknowledge similarities within the seeming dichotomy between the natures of them and most ''kami'', which are generally regarded as relatively beneficent in comparison, and class the two as ultimately the same type of spirits of nature or of a m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aoi No Ue
is a fictional character in '' The Tale of Genji'' (''Genji Monogatari''). Daughter of the Minister of the Left (Tō no Chūjō's sister) and Genji's first principal wife, she marries Genji when she is sixteen and he is only twelve. Proud and distant from her husband, Aoi is constantly aware of the age difference between them and very much hurt by Genji's philandering. Aoi temporarily gains Genji's favour after giving birth to his son Yūgiri and experiencing spells of spirit possession. The episode of spirit possession itself ('' mono no ke'') is extremely controversial and brings forward two female characters of the tale: Aoi (Genji's wife) and Lady Rokujō (Genji's mistress). The relationship between the two women may be that between victim and aggressor, if one follows the traditional interpretation of spirit possession, Aoi dies at the end of the "Aoi" chapter and her exit from the tale is thus definitive. ''Aoi no Ue'' is also the title of a Noh play about her, translated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nihon Kōki
is an officially commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 840, it is the third volume in the Six National Histories. It covers the years 792–833. Background Following the earlier national history '' Shoku Nihongi'' (797), in 819 Emperor Saga ordered the compilation of the years since then. Primarily edited by Fujiwara no Otsugu, Minamoto no Tokiwa, Fujiwara no Yoshino and Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, the text was completed in 840. Much of the text was lost during the Ōnin and Bunmei Wars in the late 15th century. Of the original 40 volumes, only ten currently exist: 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20–22, and 24. Contents Written in kanbun-style, the contents covered the years 792 through 833. It spans four imperial reigns: Kanmu, Heizei, Saga, Junna. The text is characteristic in that it contains criticism of emperors and officials as well as poetry. The ''Nihon Kōki'' is well known for marking the earliest observation of cherry blossom bloom by the Imperial Court ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Saga
was the 52nd emperor of Japan, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Saga's reign lasted from 809 to 823. Traditional narrative Saga was the second son of Emperor Kanmu and Fujiwara no Otomuro. Brown and Ishida, p. 280. His personal name was . Saga was an "accomplished calligrapher" able to compose in Chinese who held the first imperial poetry competitions (). According to legend, he was the first Japanese emperor to drink tea. Saga is traditionally venerated at his tomb; the Imperial Household Agency designates , in Ukyō-ku, Kyoto, as the location of Saga's mausoleum. Events of Saga's life * 806 Saga became the crown prince at age 21. * June 17, 809 (): In the 4th year of Emperor Heizei's reign, he fell ill and abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by Kanmu's second son Saga, the eldest son having become a Buddhist priest. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Saga is said to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fujiwara No Hirotsugu
Fujiwara (, written: 藤原 lit. "''Wisteria'' field") is a Japanese surname. (In English conversation it is likely to be rendered as .) Notable people with the surname include: ; Families * The Fujiwara clan The was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ... and its members ** Fujiwara no Kamatari ** Fujiwara no Fuhito ** Fujiwara no Michinaga * Northern Fujiwara clan ** Fujiwara no Kiyohira ; Art and entertainment * Fujiwara (owarai), Japanese comedy duo (kombi) consisting of Toshifumi Fujimoto (藤本 敏史) and Takayuki Haranishi (原西 孝幸) *, Japanese photographer * Harry Fujiwara (Mr. Fuji) (1934 - 2016), Japanese-American wrestler *, Japanese musician, trendsetter, producer, and designer *, Japanese actor *, Japanese actress and film director *, Japanese voice act ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shoku Nihongi
The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the '' Six National Histories'', coming directly after the and followed by ''Nihon Kōki''. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi served as the primary editors. It is one of the most important primary historical sources for information about Japan's Nara period. The work covers the 95-year period from the beginning of Emperor Monmu's reign in 697 until the 10th year of Emperor Kanmu's reign in 791, spanning nine imperial reigns. It was completed in 797 AD. The text is forty volumes in length. It is primarily written in kanbun, a Japanese form of Classical Chinese Classical Chinese is the language in which the classics of Chinese literature were written, from . For millennia thereafter, the written Chinese used in these works was imitated and iterated upon by scholars in a form now called Literary ..., as was normal for formal Japanese texts at the time. How ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Nagaya
Nagaya ( ') (684 – 20 March 729) was a politician of the Nara period and an imperial prince of Japan, a son of Prince Takechi (grandson of Emperor Tenmu). His father was Prince Takechi and his mother Princess Minabe (a daughter of Emperor Tenji and Empress Genmei's sister). He married Princess Kibi (his cousin, a daughter of Empress Genmei and Empress Genshō's sister). He was substantially influential in politics owing to his membership of the Imperial family of the most noble birth, and there were no other competitive Imperial members at that time. A large residence was allocated to him in a prestigious part of Heijō-kyō. The Fujiwara clan were the most powerful competitors of Nagaya. Fujiwara no Fuhito, the leader of the house, had been the most powerful courtier in the court in the days when Japan was under the reign of Empress Genshō, a cousin of Nagaya's. After Fuhito's death in 720, Nagaya seized complete power within the court. This power shift was the sour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nihon Ryōiki
The is an early Heian period setsuwa collection. Written by Kyōkai between 787 and 824, it is Japan's oldest collection of Buddhist setsuwa. It is three volumes in length. Title Commonly abbreviated as ''Nihon Ryōiki'', which means "Record of Miraculous Events in Japan," the full title is . It may also be read as ''Nihon Reiiki''. The book has been translated into English under the title ''Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition'', but this does not represent a literal translation of the Japanese title. Contents The work is composed of three parts contained within three volumes. Each volume begins with a preface, and the final volume contains an epilogue. There are a total of 116 tales all dealing with Buddhist elements. There are also a total of nine poems. Manuscripts There are five existing manuscripts, two of which are designated National Treasures: * Kōfuku-ji, 904 ( National Treasure) * Maeda estate, 1236 * Raigō-in, late Heian period ( Nationa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Sawara
(circa 750 – November 8, 785) was the fifth son of Prince Shirakabe (later Emperor Kōnin), by Takano no Niigasa. Biography In 781 he was named heir-presumptive after his elder brother succeeded the abdicated Emperor Kōnin as the Emperor Kanmu. In 785, the administrator in charge of the new capital of Nagaoka-kyō, Fujiwara no Tanetsugu, was assassinated. Prince Sawara was implicated because of his opposition to the move of the capital, exiled to Awaji Province, but starved himself (although a mystery remains) and died on the way there. He was made a Crown Prince by the Emperor Kanmu after his wife died and his son fell ill (the son allegedly possessed by the spirit of Sawara). Later that year, he was elevated posthumously to become . This is the then only recorded instance of posthumously raising someone to the rank and title of emperor.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' p. 128. He was reburied in Yamato. Additional concerns led to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enryaku
was a after '' Ten'ō'' and before '' Daidō''. This period spanned the years from August 782 through May 806. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 12 November 782 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous era ended and the new one commenced in ''Ten'ō '' 2, on the 19th day of the 8th month of 782. Events of the ''Enryaku'' era * 782 (''Enryaku 1, 6th month''): The '' sadaijin'' Fujiwara no Uona was removed from his office and exiled to Kyushu. Some time later, the emperor did permit him to return to the capital. Fujiwara died there following his return. In the same general time frame, Fujiwara no Tamaro was named '' udaijin''. During these days in which the offices of ''sadaijin'' and ''udaijin'' were vacant, the major counselors (the ''dainagon'') and the emperor assumed responsibilities and powers which would have been otherwise delegated.Titsingh p.86./ref> * 783 (''Enryaku 3, in the 3rd month''): The ''udaijin'' Tamaro died a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taihō Code
The was an administrative reorganisation enacted in 703 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the . It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awata no Mahito. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Taihō Code" in . The work was begun at the request of Emperor Monmu and, like many other developments in the country at the time, it was largely an adaptation of the governmental system of China's Tang dynasty. The establishment of the Taihō Code was one of the first events to include Confucianism as a significant element in the Japanese code of ethics and government. The Code was revised during the Nara period to accommodate certain Japanese traditions and practical necessities of administration. The revised edition was named the . Major work on the Yōrō Code was completed in 718. The Taihō Code contained only two major departures from the Tang model. First, government positions and class status were based on b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
