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#25 The Edo Shogunate
Click here to go to the YouTube Video As you know, the current capital of Japan is Tokyo. With a population of 14 million, Tokyo is a world-class metropolis and the political, economic, and cultural center of Japan. In this episode, we will look at how the Edo period (1603-1867) began, which triggered the development of Tokyo. ご存知のように東京は現在の日本の首都です。14,000,000 人の人口を持つ世界的な大都市で、日本の政治、経済、文化の中心です。今回は東京の発展のきっかけとなった江戸時代がどのように始まったのかを見ていきましょう。 After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, based in the Kanto region, rose to power and came into conflict with Ishida Mitsunari, who was trying to protect the Toyotomi regime. In 1600, the two sides clashed in the Battle of Sekigahara, which Ieyasu won. Then in 1603, the Imperial Court…
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#24 The Momoyama Culture
Click here to go to the YouTube video A wealthy and powerful culture emerged in the war-torn country, reflecting the spirit of warring feudal lords and wealthy urban merchants. It is called the Momoyama Culture after the name of the area around Fushimi Castle, which Hideyoshi built in Kyoto. 戦国武将や裕福な豪商の気風を反映した豪華で力強い文化が、戦乱の世に現れました。秀吉が京都に建てた伏見城のあたりの地名から「桃山文化」と呼ばれています。 There are only 12 castles with a castle tower still in existence in Japan. Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, also called White Heron Castle because of its beautiful white exterior, is a good example. It was registered as a World Heritage site in 1993. 日本には現存の天守閣を持つ城は１２しかありません。外壁の美しさから「白鷺城」とも呼ばれる兵庫県の姫路城はその代表です。１９９３年には世界遺産に登録されました。 The halls of these castles were decorated with gorgeously colored folding screens and “fusuma-e”, or…
