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ILLUSTRATIONS
Pen and ink illustrations in
this book are reproductions of famous Japanese paintings that were redrawn by Japanese
artists over 100 years ago. Historic figures, anterior to the 14th century were mostly
taken from the ZENKEN-KOJITSU of KIKUCHI YOSAI (1788-1878).
SOURCE OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Escutcheons (MON) / family
crests, of the principal noble families have been included in this book. NOTE: An
explanation of the (MON) is furnished under the heading (MON) in this book. As this
dictionary contains only Japanese names, a supplement, with a short sketch of prominent
foreigners connected with Japanese history from the first arrival of the Portuguese (1542)
down to the Imperial Restoration (1868) has been included. Japanese treties on History and
Geography, a catalogue of which would be too extensive to list was not included. European
writers were not entirely excluded, as much valuable information was derived from H.
CHAMBERLAIN'S books - - - Things Japanese, Handbook for Japan, Moji no Shirube,
translation of the Koji-ki, etc., which are all known for their hight standard of
trustworthy scholarship.
TRANSLITERATION
Transliterating Japanese sounds
into Roman letters followed the rules laid down by Dr. James Curtis Hepburn (1815-1911) of
the mid-eighteen-hundreds. Dr. Hepburn was a pioneer-author of English-Japanese
Dictionaries. His ROMAJI method of romanizing Japanese words are used to this day (150
years) by scholarly linguists.
(KAN-ON) AND (GO-ON) PRONOUNCIATION
Finally, we also give the
Chinese pronounciation (KAN-ON and GO-ON) of the most usual Geographical terms of the
words that most frequently enter into the composition of local and personal names.
LIMITATIONS OF STATISTICAL DATA
I have been obliged to limit
myself in the Geographic aspects of this book. With the exception of historic places, only
such cities mentioned in this dictionary with at least 10,000 inhabitants, rivers of more
than 100 kilometers long, or mountains over 1,000 meters in height have been covered.
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION
THREE PERIODS OF JAPAN'S HISTORY
THE IMPERIAL PERIOD
The History of Japan may be divided into
three periods, the first of which begins with the origin of the Japanese people and
extends to the times of the KAMAKURA SHOOGUN. It is comprised of 18 centuries (660 B.C. -
1192 A.D.). During this period, the power was in the hands of the Emperors. The second
period extends from the MINATO SHOOGUN (1192 A.D.) to the end of the TOKUGAWA (1868) which
was the age of military sway. The third period begins with the Emperial Restoration.
During this time the customes of the people underwent a complete transformation; the
administration of the country follows modern ideas, and accordingly, Japan ranks among the
great nations of the world.
THE STORY TELLER
EMPIRE PERIOD OF
AUTOCRACY 660 B.C.
to 1192 A.D., AND THE BEGINNING OF THE
According to Japanese
traditions, a tribe, probably of Malayan origin, came to the shores of KYUUSHUU in the 7th
century before the Christian era. Later on, they were said to have moved northward, and to
have subjected the Aborigines to their authority, and after numerous struggles for many
years, finally settled in the district of YAMATO. The leader of these adventures HASANU NO
MIKOTO became the first Emperor of Japan JIMMU-TENNOO (1). His enthronement, according to
the aforesaid source of information, took place in the year of 660 B.C. This event is
considered as the foundation of the Empire, and the beginning of a dynasty of sovereigns
who ruled over Japan for more than 25 centuries.
YAMATOTAKERU (81-113 AD)
From 60 B.C. on the Annals of
history are silent for a period of 500 years, after which an attempt at civilization began
under the reigns of SUJIN (10) (97-30 B.C.) and SUININ (11) (29 B.C. - 70 A.D.). Then
comes the legend of the famous hero YAMATOTAKERU (81-113 AD), who entered the western
provinces on a tour of exploration and subjugated the aboriginal tribes at least
temporarily to sway the Imperial authority
Empress Jingoo and Emperor Oojin
YAMATOTAKERU'S son reigns only a
few years CHUUAI (14), 192-200 AD. His widow, the Empress JINGOO (170-269) ascends the
throne after him. Japanese chronicles attribute her to the conquest of the three small
kingdoms (SAN-KAN) in the southern portion of the Korean peninsula, but the Chinese and
Korean annals do not mention this epedition. Moreover, the Empress, being with child at
the beginning of the campaign, found means to retard her child delivery until the
following year. When she returned to TSUKUSHI, a fact which seems to darken, according to
some authorities, the pure sky of divine descent. The child that was born became the
Emperor OOJIN (15), lived for 110 years (201-310 AD), and was honored as a god under the
name HACHIMAN.
OOJIN'S SON, NINTOKU (16) (290-399)
NINTOKU ruled for 87 years
(313-399 AD). His reign is known as the golden time of a patriarchal age, which however,
did not last very long. In the following century rivalry was the order of the day, as
bloody dramas were of frequent occurence in the imperial family. This caused the
disapperance of NITOKU's decendants, when its last scion, a young madman, he was a kind of
Heliogabalus, BURETSU-TENNOO (25) (489-506) by name, and was assassinated in his palace in
506 AD at the age of 17. A lateral branch of decendents from OOJIN was then raised to the
throne, and under KIMMEI (29) (540-571), its fourth soveriegn, Buddhism was introduced
into Japan by bonzes who came from Korea in 552.
HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL
DICTIONARY OF JAPAN
Revised and Edited by:
Bernard F. Mc Mahon
A
ABE - A family which,
in the eleventh century governed a part of the province of MUTSU.
- - - YORITOKI (+ 1057). Son of
TADAYOSHI, possesed six districts, in the center of which he built the castle of
KOROMOGAWA, and established a sort of independent principality, keeping all the proceeds
of the txes, and refusing to contribute to the expenses of the province, etc. The
governors of MUTSU and DEWA marched against him, but were defeated. Therefore, the Emperor
appointed MINAMOTO YORIYOSHI CHIN-JU-SHOOGUN and commissioned him to quell the revolt.
YORIYOSHI took his son YOSHIIE with him - - - YORIYOSHI was killed by an arrow in one of
the first engagements.
- - - SADATOO, (1019-1062), the
eldest son of YORITOKI, continued the war. Attacked by YORIYOSHI at KAWASAKI, he defeated
him and obliged him to retreat (1058). It was only four years later that, YORIYOSHI, who
had been reinforced by KIYOWARA TAKENORI of DEWA, succeeded in defeating him successively
at MOMATSU, KOROMOGAWA and KURIYAGAWA, where SADATOO lost his life.
- - - MUNETOO, the second son of
YORITOKI, at first fought under his brother's banner, but eventually surrendered to
YOSHIIE. He was exiled to TSUKUSHI where he became a bonze. He is supposed to be the
ancestor of the MATSUURA family.
B
BABA, The name of a
SAMURAI family in KAI. They were vassals of the TAKEDA.
- - - TORASADA - A SAMURAI of
the BABA family who was killed by TAKEDA NOBUTORA, to whom he had made some verbal
representations.
- - - NOBUKATSU - (1514-1575) Served
under TAKEDA SHINGEN, and accompanied him in all of his wars, but he lost favor when
KATSUYORI succeededhis father.
C
CHACHA-MARU - See:
ASHIKAGA MASATOMO
D
DAI (1562-1602). Was a
daughter of MIZUNO TADAMASA, a DAIMYOO of KARIYA (MIKAWA). She married TOKUGAWA
HIROTADA,and was the mother of IEYASU (1542). In 1514 she was returned to her family,
because her brother NOBUMOTO has submitted to the IMAGAWA. She then married HISAMATSU
TOSHIKATSU, by whom she had three sons and four daughters. She died at the age of 75 at
FUSHIMI, and received the postumous name of DENZUU-IN, which was also given to the
SOOKEI-JI temple in EDO (KOISHIKAWA), where she was buried.
DAIBUTSU - - Large
statues of BUDDHA DAINICHI-NYORAI or BIRUSHANA. The most remarkable are those located in:
KYOOTO (HOOKOO-JI) - - - - - height
= 17 M.40 - in (1801)
NARA (TOODAI-JI) - - - - - height =
15 M.90 - in (746)
KAMAKURA - - - - - height = 15 M.00
- in (1252)
HYOOGO (NOOFUKU-JI) - - - - - height
= 14 M.40 - in (1891)
TOOKYOO (UENO) - - - - - height = 6
M.60 - in (1660)
E
EBISU - (Barbarians)
The name given to the Aborigines in the East and North of Japan. Those that lived
in the most remote provinces were called ARA-EBISU, or TSUGARU-EBISU. The now called AINU
(aboriginal people) of Japan are the descendents of those aboriginals. A small population
(a few thousand) of the AINU people live in HOKKAIDOO (also known as EDO or YEZO),
formerly know as WATARISHIMA, and they are the only remnants of the race. AINU (men) , are
also referred to as AINO. In the early 1900's the Japanese census indicated that their
number did not exceed 18,000. The invaders from the south-west gradually drove them back
towards the north, eventually nearly all of them settled on the northern island of
HOKKAIDOO. They were finally brought under the complete subjection of the Japanese in the
1700's.
EBISU - - Was the
third son of IZANAGI andf IZANAMI, and is one of the seven Gods of Luck. He is represented
with a fishing-line and a fish (TAI) in his hand. He is also called HIRUKO.
EBISU-KO - - A
festival celebrated, especially by merchants, on the 20th of the eleventh lunar month, in
honor of EBISU.
F
FU - - The seat of an
administration, the chief town of a clan, a capital, a storehouse where treasures are
kept.
FUBITO - - (Literary
men, writers). - - Officials created by the Emperor RICHUU in 403. They collected
historical documents in every Province. (See: FUMI NO OBITO).
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