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Kokujin
The were lower-ranking provincial samurai that emerged in 15th-century Japan Muromachi period. The definition was rather broad and the term ''jizamurai'' included landholding military aristocracy as well as independent peasant farmers. They alternated between warfare and using their relatively small plots of land for intensive and diversified forms of agriculture. They came from the powerful , who owned farmland and held leadership positions in their villages, and became vassals of and later . One of the primary causes for the rise in the number of smaller landholders was a decline in the custom of primogeniture. Towards the end of the Kamakura period, inheritance began to be split among a ruler's sons, making each heir's holdings, and thus their power, smaller. Though many ''jizamurai'' were members of the military aristocracy, they were considered to be lower in status compared to the samurai who ruled in castles and cities. Over time, many of these smaller fiefs came to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yamashiro Ikki
The Yamashiro ''ikki'' or Yamashiro ''kuni ikki'' was a confederacy that emerged in Japan's Yamashiro Province (present-day southern Kyoto Prefecture) during the late 15th century. After the chaotic Ōnin War had weakened the Ashikaga shogunate's authority, feuding samurai armies fought for the control of provinces across Japan. In Yamashiro Province, local samurai and peasants formed an ''ikki'' league and rose up in 1485, successfully demanding the withdrawal of two rival warlord armies. The ''ikki'' members subsequently organized a new provincial government, defying both warlords as well as the Ashikaga shogun in nearby Kyoto. The Yamashiro ''ikki'' continued to operate until 1493, when a new invasion of samurai armies forced its members to reaccept the shogunate's authority. Regardless, Yamashiro Province remained largely under local control, and repeated local uprisings as well as protests continued until 1511. Background Political, economic, and societal situation under ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iga Ikki
The Iga ''ikki'', full name ''Iga Sokoku Ikki'', also known as the Iga Republic, Iga Confederacy, or Iga Commune, was a republic-style military confederation of ninjas (then known as ''shinobi'') based in Iga Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. One of the two major schools of ninjutsu, Iga-ryū, is attributed to and takes its name from this confederation. During the second half of the 15th century, the ninja families in Iga formed a military confederacy dedicated to the defense of the province. After centuries of rivalry with its northern neighbor, Kōka District, Shiga, Kōka District in Ōmi Province, eventually Iga worked closely with Iga–Kōka alliance, in alliance with Kōka. In the 16th century, a constitution was drafted based on principles of Defense pact, mutual defense and voluntary association. The confederacy produced legendary figures such as , , Hattori Hanzō, Tateoka Doshun, and Shimotsuge no Kizaru. The activities of Iga eventually drew the ire of the O ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaga Ikki
The Kaga ''ikki'', also known as The Peasants' Kingdom, was a theocratic feudal confederacy that emerged in Kaga Province (present-day southern Ishikawa Prefecture), Japan, during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The Kaga ''ikki'' was a faction of the Ikkō-ikki, a gathering of peasant farmers, monks, priests, and '' jizamurai'' (upper-ranking peasant warriors) that espoused belief in Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism. Though nominally under the authority of the head abbot of the Hongan-ji, the '' Monshu'', the ''ikkō-ikki'' proved difficult to control. During the Ōnin War, the ''ikki'' in Kaga, with the approval of the Monshu Rennyo, helped restore Togashi Masachika to the position of '' shugo'' (military governor). However, by 1474 the ''ikki'' fell into conflict with Masachika, and in late 1487, they launched the Kaga Rebellion. Masachika was overthrown, and Togashi Yasutaka, his uncle, took his place as ''shugo''. Under Yasutaka's son, Taneyasu, the Kaga ''ikki'' ass ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samurai
The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court downsized the national army and delegated the security of the countryside to these privately trained warriors. Eventually the samurai clans grew so powerful that they became the ''de facto'' rulers of the country. In the aftermath of the Gempei War (1180-1185), Japan formally passed into military rule with the founding of the first shogunate. The status of samurai became heredity by the mid-eleventh century. By the start of the Edo period, the shogun had disbanded the warrior-monk orders and peasant conscript system, leaving the samurai as the only men in the country permitted to carry weapons at all times. Because the Edo period was a time of peace, many samurai neglected their warrior training and focused on peacetime activities such as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oda Clan
The is a Japanese samurai family who were daimyo and an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they reached the peak of their power under Oda Nobunaga and fell soon after, several branches of the family continued as daimyo houses until the Meiji Restoration. After the Meiji Restoration, all four heads of the houses of the clan were appointed viscounts in the new system of hereditary peerage. History Origins Oda Nobunaga first claimed that the Oda clan was descended from the Fujiwara clan, and later claimed descent from Taira no Sukemori of the Taira clan. According to the official genealogy of the Oda clan, after Taira no Sukemori was killed in the Battle of Dannoura in 1185, Taira no Chikazane, the son of Sukemori and a concubine, was entrusted to a Shinto priest at a Shinto Shrine in Otanosho in the Echizen province. This Chikazane became the founder of the Oda clan. According to modern theories, there is no evidence that t ... [...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] |
Ninjutsu
, and are terms for the techniques and skills used by spies and scouts in pre-modern Japan known as ninja. Some of these techniques are recorded in ninja scrolls, some which have been published and translated. The study of these scrolls have changed the perception of ninja and ninjutsu. While there are martial arts schools that claim to be Modern schools of ninjutsu, modern styles of ''ninjutsu'', the historical lineage of these styles only go as far back as the 1950s. Training The skills required of the ninja have come to be known in modern times as , but it is unlikely they were previously named under a single discipline, rather distributed among a variety of espionage and survival skills. Some view ''ninjutsu'' as evidence that ninja were not simple mercenaries because texts contained not only information on combat training, but also information about daily needs, which even included mining techniques. The guidance provided for daily work also included elements that enable ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iga-ryū
is an umbrella term for ninjutsu traditions that come from the Iga region, according to Japanese legend. It became one of the two most well-known ninja traditions in Japan. The ''Iga-ryū'' traditions originated in the Iga Province in the area around the towns of Iga, Ueno, and Nabari (modern Iga City and Nabari City in Mie Prefecture). ''Iga-mono'' is a synonym for Iga ninja. History Since the Nara period, the Iga district had supplied lumber to jisha (寺社, temple-shrines). But in the Kamakura period, jisha declined in influence while shugo (governors) and jitō (manor administrators) grew dominant. The power of these functionaries then waned in Iga while that of bushi (warriors) rose instead. Iga was divided into local jizamurai regions locked in guerrilla war for which Iga warriors developed specialized skills and tactics. During the early Muromachi period, the people of Iga became independent of their feudal overlords and established a kind of republic—'' Iga Sokoku ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kōga-ryū
Kōga-ryū (甲賀流, "School of Kōga") is an umbrella term for a set of traditions of ninjutsu that originated from the region of Kōga (now the city Kōka in Shiga Prefecture). The samurai of Kōga-ryū were known as "Kōga-no-mono", and operated as '' shinobi'' throughout Japan's turbulent Sengoku period. History The beginnings of the Kōga-ryū may be traced to near the end of the Muromachi period. While the district of Kōga, in Ōmi Province, was under the jurisdiction of the Rokkaku clan, it was a kind of autonomous municipality, composed of localized unions called ''sō'' (). The Kōka ikki">Kōka confederacy called itself the Kōka-gun Chūsō (甲賀郡中惣, "General Assembly of Kōka District"). All important decisions in the municipality were made by a majority vote from the union representatives. This kind of system was uncommon for the period in question. At this time, the leaders of the Rokkaku clan, using Kannonji Castle as a base, started to steadily build up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Princess Mononoke
is a 1997 Japanese animated historical drama, historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Set in the Muromachi period of Japanese history, the film follows Ashitaka, a young Emishi prince who journeys west to cure his cursed arm and becomes embroiled in the conflict between Irontown and the forest of the gods, as well as the feud between Lady Eboshi and a human girl raised by wolves named San. Produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho, it stars the voices of Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yūko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi (actor), Kaoru Kobayashi, Masahiko Nishimura, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Akihiro Miwa, Mitsuko Mori, and Hisaya Morishige. Miyazaki began developing early concepts in 1980 and later considered basing a film on the Japanese literary classic the (1212); elements of both evolved substantially into the eventual film. After taking a break to direct ''On Your Mark''(1995), he led the production with a budget of , making it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Anime, Japanese animated feature films, and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished filmmakers in the history of animation. Born in Tokyo City, Miyazaki expressed interest in manga and animation from an early age. He joined Toei Animation in 1963, working as an inbetween artist and key animator on films like ''Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon'' (1965), ''Puss in Boots (1969 film), Puss in Boots'' (1969), and ''Animal Treasure Island'' (1971), before moving to Shin-Ei Animation, A-Pro in 1971, where he co-directed ''Lupin the Third Part I'' (1971–1972) alongside Isao Takahata. After moving to Zuiyo, Zuiyō Eizō (later Nippon Animation) in 1973, Miyazaki worked as an animator on ''World Masterpiece Theater'' and directed the television series ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Toho is best known for producing and distributing many of Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya's ''kaiju'' and ''tokusatsu'' films as well as the films of Akira Kurosawa and the anime of Studio Ghibli, Shin-Ei Animation, TMS Entertainment, CoMix Wave Films, and OLM, Inc. The company has released the majority of the highest-grossing Japanese films, and through its subsidiaries, is the largest film importer in Japan. The Doraemon film series, distributed by Toho since 1980, is the highest-grossing film series and anime film series in Japan. It is also one of the highest-grossing non-English language film series. Toho Company Limited logo with full name in native language Toho's most famous creation is Godzilla, featured in 33 of the c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
