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Uguisu
The Japanese bush warbler (''Horornis diphone''), known in Japanese as (), is an Asian passerine bird more often heard than seen. Its distinctive breeding song can be heard throughout much of Japan from the start of spring. Description The Japanese bush warbler is olive brown above and tending toward dusky colors below. It has pale eyebrows. It has a beak that curves up making it look like it is smiling. The bird is typically in length. Distribution and habitat The Japanese bush warbler is a common year-round resident throughout Japan (except Hokkaidō) and the northern Philippines. In summer the Japanese bush warbler can also be found in Hokkaidō, Manchuria, Korea, and central China. In winter, the bush-warbler can also be found in southern China and Taiwan. It was introduced to Oahu between 1929–1941 and has since spread throughout the main Hawaiian Islands. In summer, it ranges from low hills to high mountains, preferring bamboo thickets and black pine trees. In wint ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uguisu No Fun
, also called the "Geisha Facial", refers to the excrement () produced by a particular nightingale, the Japanese bush warbler (). The droppings have been used in facials throughout Japanese history. Recently, the product has appeared in the Western world. The facial is said to whiten the skin and balance skin tone, as well as treat skin affected by hyperpigmentation. History The use of nightingale excrement dates back to the Heian period (7941185) when it was introduced to the Japanese by the Korean people. Koreans used the guano to remove dye from fabric, allowing them to make intricate designs on clothing. The Japanese used the bird droppings to remove stains from silk garments such as kimono. During the Edo period (16031868), the Japanese expanded its use by using it as a beauty treatment. Geisha and kabuki actors used white makeup known as that contained zinc and lead, which likely caused many issues such as skin diseases. was used to thoroughly remove this makeup an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nightingale Floor
' are floors that make a squeaking sound when walked upon. These floors were used in the hallways of some temples and palaces, the most famous example being Nijō Castle, in Kyoto, Japan. Dry boards naturally creak under pressure, but these floors were built in a way that the flooring Nail (fastener), nails rub against a jacket or clamp, causing chirping noises. It is unclear if the design was initially intentional. It seems that, at least initially, the effect arose by chance. An information sign in Nijō castle states that "The singing sound is not actually intentional, stemming rather from the movement of nails against clumps in the floor caused by wear and tear over the years". Legend has it that the squeaking floors were used as a security device, assuring that no one could sneak through the corridors undetected. The English name "nightingale" refers to the Japanese bush warbler, or ''uguisu'', which is a common songbird in Japan. Etymology refers to the Japanese bush ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chion-in
in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan is the headquarters of the Jōdo-shū (Pure Land Sect) founded by Hōnen (1133–1212), who proclaimed that sentient beings are reborn in Amida Buddha's Western Paradise (Pure Land) by reciting the ''nembutsu'', Amida Buddha's name. The vast compounds of Chion-in include the site where Hōnen settled to disseminate his teachings and the site where he died. History The original temple was built in 1234 by Hōnen's disciple, Genchi (1183–1238) in memory of his master and was named Chion-in. While the temple was affiliated more closely in the early years with the Seizan branch of Jodo Shu, its 8th head priest, Nyoichi (1262–1321) was deeply influenced by the priest Ryōkū, a disciple of Ryōchū who was the 3rd head of the Chinzei branch of Jōdo-shū Buddhism, and disciple of Benchō. Later Nyoichi's successor Shunjō (1255–1355) advanced this further by citing a biography where Genchi's disciple Renjaku-bo and Ryōchū agree that t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heinrich Von Kittlitz
Friedrich Heinrich, Freiherr von Kittlitz (16 February 1799 – 10 April 1874) was a Prussian artist, naval officer, explorer and naturalist. He was a descendant of a family of old Prussian nobility ("Freiherr" meaning "independent lord" - ranking with a baron). He collected specimens and made illustrations on major expeditions and wrote a few books on his travels. Several species were described on the basis of specimens collected by him and a few are named after him including Kittlitz's plover. Life and work Kittlitz was born in Breslau to Prussian Captain Friedrich (1769-1825) and Henriette Ehrenfried von Diebitsch (1771-1835). He went to grammar school in Oels and joined his father's battalion as a volunteer in 1813. He became a second lieutenant in the 16th Silesian Infantry Regiment and saw action at Glogau. He went to Paris in 1815 and was garrisoned in Mainz when the Landwehr regiments were dissolved. It was here that he became interested in nature after meeting Eduard Rü ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Renga
''Renga'' (, ''linked poem'') is a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry in which alternating stanzas, or ''ku (''句), of 5-7-5 and 7-7 morae (sound units, not to be confused with syllables) per line are linked in succession by multiple poets. Known as ''tsukuba no michi'' ( ''The Way of Tsukuba'') after the famous Tsukuba Mountain in the Kantō region, the form of poetry is said to have originated in a two-verse poetry exchange by Yamato Takeru and later gave birth to the genres '' haikai'' () and haiku ().Kaneko, Kinjirō. ''Rengashū, Haikaishū''. Tōkyō: Shōgakkan, 2001. Print. The genre was elevated to a literary art by Nijō Yoshimoto (, 1320–1388), who compiled the first imperial renga anthology '' Tsukubashū'' () in 1356. The most famous renga master was Sōgi (, 1421–1502), and Matsuo Bashō (, 1644–1694) after him became the most famous ''haikai'' master. Renga sequences were typically composed live during gatherings of poets, transcribed oral sessio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cettia Diphone Crying
''Cettia'' is a genus of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers") which make up the core of the newly recognized family Cettiidae. They were formerly placed in the Sylviidae, which at that time was a wastebin taxon for the warbler-like Sylvioidea. The range of this genus extends from Europe to southeast Asia. The genus gets its name from the Cetti's warbler, itself named after the 18th century Italian zoologist Francesco Cetti. The cettiid or typical bush warblers share the lifestyle and related adaptations and apomorphies with '' Bradypterus'', the other genus called bush warblers. However, ''Bradypterus'' is related to the grass warblers of ''Locustella'' and '' Megalurus'' and is more distant from ''Cettia''. Both "bush warbler" genera are smallish birds well adapted to climbing among shrubbery. They are markedly long-tailed birds, at first glance somewhat reminiscent of wrens. These are quite terrestrial birds, which live in densely vegetated habitats such as thick forest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kimono
The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono is traditionally worn with a broad sash, called an , and is commonly worn with accessories such as zōri sandals and socks. Kimonos have a set method of construction and are typically made from a long, narrow bolt of cloth known as a , though Western-style fabric bolts are also sometimes used. There are different types of kimono for men, women, and children, varying based on the occasion, Seasonal Wardrobe Change in Japan, the season, the wearer's age, and – less commonly in the modern day – the wearer's marital status. Despite the kimono's reputation as a formal and difficult-to-wear garment, there are types of kimono suitable for both formal and informal occasions. The way a person wear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skin Whitening
Skin whitening, also known as skin lightening and skin bleaching, is the practice of using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten the skin or provide an even skin color by reducing the melanin concentration in the skin. Several chemicals have been shown to be effective in skin whitening, while some have proven to be toxic or have questionable safety profiles. This includes mercury compounds which may cause neurological problems and kidney problems. In a number of African countries, between 25% and 80% of women regularly use skin whitening products. In Asia, this number is around 40%. In India, specifically, over half of the skin care products are sold to whiten skin. In Pakistan, where skin lightening products are popular, creams have been found to contain toxic levels of hydroquinone and mercury. Efforts to lighten the skin date back to at least the 16th century in Asia. While a number of agents — such as kojic acid and alpha hydroxy acid — are allowed in cosme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nijō Castle
is a flatland Japanese castle, castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings (Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is , of which is occupied by buildings. It is one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. History In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, ordered all the Daimyō, feudal lords in western Japan to contribute to the construction of Nijō Castle, which was completed during the reign of his grandson Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. While the castle was being built, a portion of land from the partially abandoned Shinsenen Garden (originally part of the imperial palace and located south) was absorbed, and its abundant water was used in the castle gardens and ponds. Parts of Fushimi Castle, such as the main tower and the ''karamon'', w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji
Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji (永観堂禅林寺) is the head temple for the Seizan branch of Japan's Jōdo-shū (Pure Land) Buddhist sect, located in Kyoto, Sakyō-ku. It was founded by Shinshō, a pupil of Kūkai, and is famous for its fall foliage and for its prominence in the past as a center of learning. Names The temple is commonly referred to as either just "Eikan-dō" (永観堂, "View of Eternity Hall" or "Hall of Yōkan"Though the characters 「永観」 are typically read as ''Eikan'', this name actually derives from that of the seventh head of the temple, Yōkan, who wrote his name with those same characters.) or "Zenrin-ji" (禅林寺, "Temple of Forest of Zen"). However, it also has two other names. "Shōju-raigō-san" (聖衆来迎山) translates roughly to "Mountain where the saints welcome you", while "Muryōsu-in" (無量寿院) means roughly "Temple of Immeasurable Life". History The temple got its start when Kūkai's pupil, the monk Shinshō, aspired to found a temp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ninja
A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as early as the 12th century. There is little evidence that they were assassins. In the unrest of the Sengoku period, '' jizamurai'' families, that is, elite peasant-warriors, in Iga Province and the adjacent Kōka District formed ''ikki'' – "revolts" or "leagues" – as a means of self-defense. They became known for their military activities in the nearby regions and sold their services as mercenaries and spies. It is from these areas that much of the knowledge regarding the ninja is drawn. Following the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th century, the ninja faded into obscurity. A number of ''shinobi'' manuals, often based on Chinese military philosophy, were written in the 17th and 18th centuries, most notably the '' Bansenshūkai'' (1676).; b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
