43 Japanese pics

Days have passed.
Still, something has remained somewhere…you know, around my belly.

Days have passed.
Every morning I wear skirt and jeans, the new year interferes me.

Days have passed…
That doesn’t seem to go away easily…

Hi!
It’s been a while…I’m sorry.

Just, I wanted to show you one if you’re interested in some Japanese stuff.

You might know cherry blossom is very special in Japan as flowers and plants.
Every spring, we become mad at them and have parties a lot under the trees.
In Japanese, we call cherry blossoms, “sakura.”

Of course, there’s a tune for it.
“Sakura sakura’
Every Japanese knows that more than the national anthem….
(It’s simply because it’s an allergy of the second world war.
That national anthem is for the emperor and some don’t like it.
It’s ridiculous…music itself doesn’t need to be blamed coz the song is not for wars just adoring emperors and royals.
Thinking about we still have royal families as a symbol, why they attack only that song while they accept royal families’ existence?
I’m not that a person who admire the royals especially but just feeling something stupid in these kind of ditches)

By the way…

The link below will guide you one YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGWy8hGbaxg&fmt=18

A pianist is playing “Sakura Fantasy.”

The real name in Japanese is “Gensou kyoku sakura sakura”
Gensou means fantasy.
Kyoku means song or tune.
About sakura sakura…you don’t need anymore, do you?

Just wishing you like it.
It expresses not only the piano sound but also traditional Japanese instruments.
It blooms and goes.

Chao.

This temple, which has great dignity, has constructed in the last of 6th Century by Soga no Umako.
He powerfully introduced Buddhism in Japan and was proud of his flourishing family.
He enthroned Emperor Sushun but when noticing the emperor wanted to eliminate him, he killed him.
After that he enthroned Empress Suiko.
Her nephew was Shotoku Taishi.
He supported the empress and the three brought Japan a big and great change.

飛鳥寺（法興寺）
あすかでら（ほうこうじ）
Asukadera (Houkouji)

This is the temple which was built by Shotoku Taishi as well in 593.
It’s in Osaka.
Pretty colourful, isn’t it?

四天王寺
してんのうじ
Shitennoji

This is the temple which was build by the order of Shotoku Taishi.
Built in 607 and authorised as a world heritage in 1993.

法隆寺と五重塔
ほうりゅうじとごじゅうのとう
Horyuji to gojunotou

Not a doodle.
This was the prince of Japan.
XD

He was born at a stable according to a legend.
It is said that he could hear more than ten people talking at a time.
When grew up, he supported Empress Suiko.
The situation was serious at that time.
The Sui dynasty of China got enormous power and Japan had to decide to ask protection of them and be a part of them or to be independent.
The empress, Shotoku taishi and Sogano Umako, who was a minister, determined Japan should be a country itself and rushed to build their country powerful enough to be against the Sui.
Shotoku taishi was eager for adopting Buddhism in consideration of its reasonable class system (Buddha, saints and people) to govern the country and so he did through reforming and establishing laws include employing people not because of their family names but their abilities.

And he was a famous person for being printed on bills as well.
His figure was used seven times on Japanese paper money.

聖徳太子
しょうとくたいし
Shotoku taishi

Asuka period: about 6th century – about 8th century

The brown two are a sword…its front and the back.
This was made about 1500 years ago.
Now the brown solid is a national treasure of Japan.
You can see its front and the back have words on them.
It is said that this sword belonged to a man who worked under Wakatakeru Ookimi, King Wakatakeru.

稲荷山古墳の金錯銘鉄剣
いなりやまこふんのきんさくめいてっけん
Inariyama kohun no kinsakumeitekken

This is the biggest tomb in the world (in area).
The full length of it is 486m.
See, small colourful bits around the tomb are houses and buildings.

大仙陵古墳（仁徳陵）
だいせんりょうこふん（にんとくりょう）
Daisenryo Kohun (Nintoku ryo)

Kohun period: about 2nd century – about 7th century

This is the stamped one of 10th pic.
「漢委奴国王」means ‘The king of Na which is a part of the Han.’
At that time, the Na, which is believed to be one of the main power of Japan, paid and got protection from the Han dynasty of China.
This seals was the symbol of that.

金印
きんいん
kin in