|
Kamikaze Pilot
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to destroy warships more effectively than with conventional air attacks. About 3,800 ''kamikaze'' pilots died during the war, and more than 7,000 naval personnel were killed by ''kamikaze'' attacks. ''Kamikaze'' aircraft were essentially pilot-guided explosive missiles, purpose-built or converted from conventional aircraft. Pilots would attempt to crash their aircraft into enemy ships in what was called a "body attack" (''tai-atari'') in aircraft loaded with bombs, torpedoes and or other explosives. About 19% of ''kamikaze'' attacks were successful. The Japanese considered the goal of damaging or sinking large numbers of Allied ships to be a just reason for suicide attacks; ''kamikaze'' was more accurate than conventional attacks and often cau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bushido
is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. There are multiple bushido types which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. ''Bushido'' is also used as an overarching term for all the codes, practices, philosophies and principles of samurai culture. It is loosely analogous to the European concept of chivalry, but there are major differences. Origin Bushido formalized earlier samurai moral values and ethical code, most commonly stressing a combination of sincerity, frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery and honour until death. Born from Neo-Confucianism during times of peace in the Edo period (1603–1868) and following Confucian texts, while also being influenced by Shinto and Zen Buddhism, it allowed the violent existence of the samurai to be tempered by wisdom, patience and serenity. Bushido developed between the 16th and 20th centuries, debated by pundi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ise Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today includes most of modern Mie Prefecture. Ise bordered on Iga, Kii, Mino, Ōmi, Owari, Shima, and Yamato Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . History The name of Ise appears in the earliest written records of Japan, and was the site of numerous religious and folkloric events connected with the Shinto religion and Yamato court. Ise province was one of the original provinces of Japan established in the Nara period under the Taihō Code, when the former princely state of Ise was divided into Ise, Iga and Shima. The original capital of the province was located in what is now the city of Suzuka, and was excavated by archaeologists in 1957. The site was proclaimed a national historic landmark in 1986. The remains of the Ise kokubunji have also been found within the boundaries of modern Suzuka. Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, Ise was ranked as a "great country" () and a "close country" (). Two Shinto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waka (poetry)
is a type of poetry in classical Japanese literature. Although ''waka'' in modern Japanese is written as , in the past it was also written as (see Wa, an old name for Japan), and a variant name is . Etymology The word ''waka'' has two different but related meanings: the original meaning was "poetry in Japanese" and encompassed several genres such as ''chōka'' and ''sedōka'' (discussed below); the later, more common definition refers to poetry in a 5-7-5-7-7 metre. Up to and during the compilation of the ''Man'yōshū'' in the eighth century, the word ''waka'' was a general term for poetry composed in Japanese, and included several genres such as , , and . However, by the time of the '' Kokinshūs compilation at the beginning of the tenth century, all of these forms except for the ''tanka'' and ''chōka'' had effectively gone extinct, and ''chōka'' had significantly diminished in prominence. As a result, the word ''waka'' became effectively synonymous with ''tanka'', and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Makurakotoba
are figures of speech used in Japanese poetry in association with certain words. The set phrase can be thought of as a "pillow" for the noun or verb it describes, although the actual etymology is not fully known. It can also describe associations and allusions to older poems (see ). Many have lost their original meaning but are still used. They are not to be confused with ("poem pillow"), which are a category of poetic words used to add greater mystery and depth to poems. are present in the , one of Japan's earliest chronicles. History and usage are most familiar to modern readers in the , and when they are included in later poetry, it is to make allusions to poems in the . The exact origin of remains contested to this day, though both the and the , two of Japan's earliest chronicles, utilise it as a literary technique. In terms of usage, are often used at the beginning of a poem. The is a similar figure of speech used in poetry, used to introduce a poem. In fact, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the spirits of venerated dead people. Many ''kami'' are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans (some ancestors became ''kami'' upon their death if they were able to embody the values and virtues of ''kami'' in life). Traditionally, great leaders like the Emperor could be or became ''kami''. In Shinto, ''kami'' are not separate from nature, but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, and good and evil characteristics. They are manifestations of , the interconnecting energy of the universe, and are considered exemplary of what humanity should strive towards. ''Kami'' are believed to be "hidden" from this world, and inhabit a complementary existence that mirrors our own: . To be in harmony with the awe-inspiring aspects of nature ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamikaze (typhoon)
The kamikaze ( ja, 神風, ) were two winds or storms that are said to have saved Japan from two Mongol fleets under Kublai Khan. These fleets attacked Japan in 1274 and again in 1281. Due to the growth of Zen Buddhism among Samurai at the time, these were the first events where the typhoons were described as "divine wind" as much by their timing as by their force. Since Man'yōshū, the word ''kamikaze'' has been used as a ''Makurakotoba'' of waka introducing Ise Grand Shrine. History The latter fleet, composed of "more than four thousand ships bearing nearly 140,000 men", is said to have been the largest attempted naval invasion in history whose scale was only recently eclipsed in modern times by the D-Day invasion of allied forces into Normandy in 1944. The size of the fleet is often disputed by modern historians, however. Events In the first invasion, the Mongols successfully conquered the Japanese settlements on Tsushima and Iki islands. When they landed on Hakata Bay, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fukuryu
were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units prepared to resist the invasion of the Home islands by Allied forces. The name literally means "crouching dragon," and has also been called "suicide divers" or "kamikaze frogmen" in English texts. Personnel Six thousand men were to be trained and equipped with self-contained diving gear including a diving jacket and trousers, diving shoes, and a diving helmet fixed by four bolts. They would be weighed down with of lead and be sustained by liquid food and an air purification system with two 3.5-liter bottles of oxygen at . They were expected to be able to walk at a depth of , for a period of up to ten hours. Personnel were organized into six-man squads with five squads to a platoon, five platoons plus a maintenance platoon to a company, and three companies to a battalion of approximately 540 men. The 71st Arashi was headquartered at Yokosuka with two trained battalions and four battalions in training. The 81st Arashi at Kure was p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shinyo (suicide Boat)
Shinyo (''shinyō'' or ''shin'yō'', depending on the word, in Modified Hepburn) may refer to: *''Shinyō'' (支繞) the common Japanese name for radical 65 (Chinese character) *Japanese aircraft carrier Shin'yō, Japanese aircraft carrier ''Shin'yō'', a Japanese aircraft carrier of World War II *Shinyo (suicide boat) (''shin'yō''), Japanese suicide craft of World War II *SS Shinyō Maru, SS ''Shinyō Maru'' (1941-1944) a Japanese 'hell ship' POW-transport, sunk during World War II, originally named the Clan Mackay in 1894 *SS Shinyō Maru (1911), SS ''Shinyō Maru'' (1911) (1911-1936) a Japanese liner on the trans-Pacific service, from Japan to San Francisco via Hawaii {{disambig, ship ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kaiten
were crewed torpedoes and suicide craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II. History In recognition of the unfavorable progress of the war, towards the end of 1943 the Japanese high command considered suggestions for various suicide craft. These suggestions were initially rejected, but later deemed necessary. Various suicide craft were developed in the Japanese Special Attack Units. For the Navy, this meant ''Kamikaze'' planes, '' Shinyo'' suicide boats, ''Kaiten'' submarines, and ''Fukuryu'' suicide divers or human mines. The ''Kamikazes'' were somewhat successful, and the second most successful were the ''Kaitens''. Research on the first Kaiten began in February 1944, followed on 25 July of the same year by the first prototype. By 1 August, an order for 100 units had been placed. Development The very first Kaiten was nothing much more than a Type 93 torpedo engine compartment attached to a cylinder that would become the pilot's comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
