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Ohaguro
is the name given in Japan to the custom of Teeth blackening, blackening one's teeth with a solution of iron filings and vinegar. It was especially popular between the Heian period, Heian and Edo period, Edo periods, from the 10th century until the late 19th century, but the opening of the country to Western customs during the Meiji (era), Meiji period led to its gradual disappearance. It was a tradition practiced mainly by married women and some men, almost always members of the aristocracy and samurai. In addition to Japanese society's preference for black teeth, it was also considered beneficial to health, as it prevented tooth decay by acting as a dental sealant. The practice of dyeing one's teeth black was also a known and widespread practice in southeastern China and Southeast Asia, although with different recipes. Etymology The word is composed of the honorific prefix , the term , and the term .1988, (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), w:Tōkyō, Tōky ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Teeth Blackening
Teeth blackening or teeth lacquering is a custom of dyeing one's teeth black. It was most predominantly practiced in Southeast Asian and Oceanic cultures, particularly among Austronesian, Austroasiatic, and Kra–Dai-speaking peoples. It was also practiced in Japan prior to the Meiji era, as well as in India. It was also performed among some groups in the Americas, most notably among the Shuar people of northern Peru and Ecuador. Teeth blackening is usually done during puberty. It was primarily done to preserve the teeth into old age, as it prevents tooth decay similar to the mechanism of modern dental sealants. It was seen as a sign of maturity, beauty, and civilization. A common belief is that blackened teeth differentiated humans from animals. Teeth blackening is often done in conjunction with traditions of tooth sharpening and dental evulsion, as well as other body modification customs like tattoos. Teeth blackening and filing were regarded with fascination and disapproval by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hikimayu
was the practice of removing the natural eyebrows and painting smudge-like eyebrows on the forehead in pre-modern Japan, particularly in the Heian period (794–1185). means "pull" and means "eyebrows". Aristocratic women used to pluck or shave their eyebrows and paint new ones using a powdered ink called , which was made of soot from sesame or rapeseed oils. History first appeared in the eighth century, when the Japanese court adopted Chinese customs and styles.''Kokushi Daijiten''. Yoshikawa, 1985. Japanese noblewomen started painting their faces with a white powder called . One putative reason for was that removing the natural eyebrows made it easier to put on the . At this time, eyebrows were painted in arc shapes, as in China. Women also started painting their teeth black, known as . Japanese culture began to flourish in its own right during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), as Japanese arts and culture flourished in their own right at the Imperial Court in Kyoto. With ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heian Period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. It is a period in Japanese history when the Chinese influences were in decline and the national culture matured. The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature. Two types of Japanese script emerged, including katakana, a phonetic script which was abbreviated into hiragana, a cursive alphabet with a unique writing method distinctive to Japan. This gave rise to Japan's famous vernacular literature, with many of its texts written by court women who were not as educated in Chinese compared to their male counterparts. Although the Imperial House of Japan had power on the surface, the real power was in the hands of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful aristocratic f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They had high prestige and special privileges such as wearing two swords and ''Kiri-sute gomen'' (right to kill anyone of a lower class in certain situations). They cultivated the '' bushido'' codes of martial virtues, indifference to pain, and unflinching loyalty, engaging in many local battles. Though they had predecessors in earlier military and administrative officers, the samurai truly emerged during the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1185 to 1333. They became the ruling political class, with significant power but also significant responsibility. During the 13th century, the samurai proved themselves as adept warriors against the invading Mongols. During the peaceful Edo period (1603 to 1868), they became the stewards and chamberlains of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lacquer
Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be called "true lacquer", are objects coated with the treated, dyed and dried sap of ''Toxicodendron vernicifluum'' or related trees, applied in several coats to a base that is usually wood. This dries to a very hard and smooth surface layer which is durable, waterproof, and attractive in feel and look. Asian lacquer is sometimes painted with pictures, inlaid with shell and other materials, or carved, as well as dusted with gold and given other further decorative treatments. In modern techniques, lacquer means a range of clear or pigmented coatings that dry by solvent evaporation to produce a hard, durable finish. The finish can be of any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss, and it can be further polished as required. Lacquer finishes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kimono
The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono is traditionally worn with a broad sash, called an , and is commonly worn with accessories such as zōri sandals and socks. Kimono have a set method of construction and are typically made from a long, narrow bolt of cloth known as a , though Western-style fabric bolts are also sometimes used. There are different types of kimono for men, women, and children, varying based on the occasion, the season, the wearer's age, and – less commonly in the modern day – the wearer's marital status. Despite the kimono's reputation as a formal and difficult-to-wear garment, there are types of kimono suitable for both formal and informal occasions. The way a person wears their kimono is known as . Though previously been the most common Japanese garm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica Online''.Taboo. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Retrieved 21 Mar. 2012 Such prohibitions are present in virtually all societies. Taboos may be prohibited explicitly, for example within a legal system or religion, or implicitly, for example by social norms or conventions followed by a particular culture or organization. Taboos are often meant to protect the individual, but there are other reasons for their development. An ecological or medical background is apparent in many, including some that are seen as religious or spiritual in origin. Taboos can help use a resource more efficiently, but when applied to only a subsection of the community they can also serve to suppress said subsection of the community. A taboo acknowledged by a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The term first came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 15th century, particularly the British, denoting the Far East as the "farthest" of the three "Easts", beyond the Near East and the Middle East. Likewise, during the Qing dynasty of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the term "Far West (Taixi), Tàixī ()" – i.e., anything further west than the Arab world – was used to refer to the Western countries. Since the mid-20th century, the term has mostly gone out of use for the region in international mass media outlets due to its eurocentric connotations.Reischauer, Edwin and John K Fairbank, ''East Asia: The Great Tradition,'' 1960. The Russian Far East is often excluded due to cultural and ethnic differences, and is often cons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oshiroi
is a powder foundation traditionally used by kabuki actors, geisha and their apprentices. The word literally means "white powder", and is pronounced as the word for white () with the honorific prefix . When worn by geisha and , is notable for only partially covering the nape of the neck, as an uncovered nape was traditionally considered erotic in Japanese culture. Description is traditionally applied over a base of two types of wax used as a primer: is applied to the eyebrows, whereas (facial wax) is applied to cover the rest of the face and the neck. The upper portion of back is also covered if the wearer will be dressed in a ("trailing skirt") kimono, where the upper half of the neck will be visible. The is mixed with water before being applied with a wide, flat brush over the neck, face and back. The must be mixed carefully with water to achieve the right consistency, and can be difficult to achieve, as that has too much moisture will not apply smoothly to the fac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minister Of The Left
The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''sadaijin'' in the context of a central administrative body called the ''Daijō-kan'' (Council of State). This early Daijō-kan was composed of the three ministers—the ''daijō-daijin'' (Chancellor), the ''sadaijin'' and the ''udaijin'' (Minister of the Right).Hall, John Whitney ''et al.'' (1993)''The Cambridge History of Japan'', p. 232./ref> The ''sadaijin'' was the Senior Minister of State, overseeing all functions of government with the ''udaijin'' as his deputy.''Shin-meikai-kokugo-jiten'',Sanseido Co., Ltd. Tokyo 1974 Within the ''Daijō-kan'', the ''sadaijin'' was second only to the ''daijō-daijin'' (the Great Minister, or Chancellor of the Realm) in power and influence. Frequently, a member of the Fujiwa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leuven University Press
Leuven University Press ( nl, Universitaire Pers Leuven) is a university press located in Leuven, Belgium. It was established in 1971 in association with KU Leuven KU Leuven (or Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. It conducts teaching, research, and services in computer science, engineering, natural sciences, theology, humanities, medicine, l .... It publishes about forty books a year, with about half being in English or in combined French, German, and Italian, and the other half being in Dutch. References External links Official website {{Belgium-company-stub University presses of Belgium Publishing companies established in 1971 KU Leuven 1971 establishments in Belgium ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
