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Shunkan
Shunkan (俊寛) (c. 1143 – 1179) was a Japanese monk who, after taking part in the Shishigatani plot to overthrow Taira no Kiyomori, was exiled along with two others to Kikai-ga-shima. His story is featured in the '' Heike monogatari'', and in a number of traditional derivative works, including the Noh play '' Shunkan'' and '' jōruri'' play '' Heike Nyogo-ga-shima''. Twentieth century authors Kan Kikuchi and Ryūnosuke Akutagawa also produced works entitled ''Shunkan''. Biography Shunkan was a member of the Murakami Genji branch of the Minamoto samurai clan, and the son of Hōin Kanga, a priest of the Buddhist temple Ninna-ji. He served Emperor Go-Shirakawa as a close aide and was associated with the Hōsshō-ji. In 1177, he met with a number of others in secret in his mountain villa in Shishigatani (some sources, such as the ''Gukanshō'', say the villa belonged to someone else), and plotted to overthrow '' Daijō Daijin'' Taira no Kiyomori who, along with other members ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shunkan (play)
' is a Noh play, which was traditionally attributed to Zeami, but is now ascribed either to his son-in-law Zenchiku or his son Motomasa. The Kita school refers to this play as Kikaigashima. Background The play takes place in the aftermath of the Shishigatani Incident, several years before the final defeat of the Taira and the ascendancy of the Minamoto clan in the Genpei War of 1180-1185. It focuses upon the fate of a trio exiled to "Devil's Island" (''Kikaigashima'', 鬼界島), off the coast of Satsuma province, as punishment for a plot against the ruling Taira clan. When the imperial consort, pregnant with Antoku, the future emperor, falls ill, seers advise Taira no Kiyomori, the ''de facto'' head of government, to placate the spirits by pardoning and compensating some of his victims. He agrees to pardon Fujiwara no Naritsune and Taira no Yasuyori, but not the monk Shunkan. Plot summary The play begins with the dispatch of an envoy to the island, where Naritsune and Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heike Monogatari
is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being the ''on'yomi'' reading of the first ''kanji'' and "ke" () means family. Note that in the title of the Genpei War, "hei" is in this combination read as "pei" and the "gen" () is the first kanji used in the Minamoto (also known as "Genji" which is also pronounced using ''on'yomi'', for example as in '' The Tale of Genji'') clan's name. It has been translated into English at least five times, the first by Arthur Lindsay Sadler in 1918–1921. A complete translation in nearly 800 pages by Hiroshi Kitagawa & Bruce T. Tsuchida was published in 1975. Also translated by Helen McCullough in 1988. An abridged translation by Burton Watson was published in 2006. In 2012, Royall Tyler completed his translation, which seeks to be mindful of the performance styl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fujiwara No Naritsune
was a Japanese courtier of the Heian period who, after plotting against the Taira clan, was exiled along with his father, Fujiwara no Narichika, and a number of other co-conspirators to Kikai-ga-shima. He and his companions in exile, Taira no Yasunori and the monk Shunkan, feature prominently in a number of traditional Japanese dramas, including the Noh play '' Shunkan'' and the '' jōruri'' puppet play '' Heike Nyogo-ga-shima'' which was later adapted for kabuki as well. The lord of Tanba province, Naritsune was married to a niece of Taira no Kiyomori,Brazell, Karen, ed. "Shunkan." ''Traditional Japanese Theater: An Anthology of Plays''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. pp179-192. chief minister in the Imperial government. He features prominently in early chapters of the ''Heike Monogatari'' as it relates the tale of the plot and subsequent exile. According to that text, shortly after his father was exiled to Kikai-ga-shima, Naritsune was, in the sixth lunar month of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fujiwara No Narichika
Fujiwara no Narichika (藤原 成親) (1138–1178) was a Japanese court noble who took part in a plot against the Taira clan's dominance of the Imperial court. Narichika was the son of Fujiwara no Ienari. For his role in the Shishigatani Incident in 1177, he was exiled, along with his son Fujiwara no Naritsune, Taira no Yasuyori, and the monk Shunkan to an island called Kikai-ga-shima in the far south of Japan. Narichika was later executed by the order of the Taira. It is known that he was one of Fujiwara no Yorinaga was a Japanese statesman and a member of the Fujiwara clan who was highly significant in determining the course of 12th century Japanese political history. Early life Born in 1120, Yorinaga had a turbulent youth. He later wrote that he did not ...'s many male lovers. References *Frederic, Louis (2002). "Fujiwara no Narichika." ''Japan Encyclopedia.'' Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 1138 births 1178 deaths Bisexual men Fujiwara c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kikai-ga-shima
is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 7,657 persons. Administratively the island forms the town of Kikai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Much of the island is within the borders of the Amami Guntō Quasi-National Park. Geography Kikaijima is isolated from the other Amami islands, and is located approximately east of Amami Ōshima and approximately south of the southern tip of Kyūshū. It is the easternmost island in the Amami chain. Compared with Amami Ōshima and Tokunoshima, Kikaijima is a relatively flat island, with its highest point at above sea level. It is a raised coral island with limestone cliffs, and draws the attention of geologists as it is one of the fastest rising coral islands in the world. Climate The climate of Kikaijima is classified as has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfa'') with very warm summers and mild winters. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kikai, Kagoshima
is a town located on Kikaijima, in Ōshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. There are reports in 2018 that the volcano is a supervolcano with multiple such eruptive phases in the past. In June 2013 the town had an estimated population of 7,657 and a population density of 134 persons per km². The total area is 56.94 km². The economy of the town is based on sugar cane, ''shōchū'' refining, and seasonal tourism. Geography Kikai occupies all of the island of Kikaijima. The climate is classified as humid subtropical (Köppen climate classification ''Cfa'') with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, but is highest in the months of May, June and September. The town is subject to frequent typhoons. History The village of Kikai was established on 1 April 1908. It was upgraded to town status in 1941. As with all of the Amami Islands, the village came under the administration of the United States from 1 July 1946 to 25 December ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taira No Yasunori
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided into four major groups, named after the emperor they descended from: Kanmu Heishi, Ninmyō Heishi, Montoku Heishi, and Kōkō Heishi. The clan is commonly referred to as or , using the character's On'yomi for ''Taira'', while means "clan", and is used as a suffix for "extended family". History Along with the Minamoto, Taira was one of the honorary surnames given by the emperors of the Heian Period (794–1185 CE) to their children and grandchildren who were not considered eligible for the throne. The clan was founded when the Imperial Court grew too large, and the emperor ordered that the descendants of previous emperors from several generations ago would no longer be princes, but would instead be given noble surnames and ranks ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyūshū
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. Kyushu has a land area of and a population of 14,311,224 in 2018. In the 8th-century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region. Geography The island is mountainous, and Japan's most active volcano, Mount Aso at , is on Kyushu. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, on the east shore, and around Mt. Aso in central Kyushu. The island is separated from Honshu by the Kanmon Straits. Being the nearest island to the Asian continent, historically it is the gateway to Japan. The total area is which makes it the 37th largest island in the world. It's slightly larger than Taiwan island . ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation is . History Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. During the Sengoku period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu ''daimyō'', who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city. They were the initial patrons of Satsuma ware, which was later widely exported to the West. In 1871, with the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures after the Meiji Restoration, the provinces of Satsuma and Ōsumi were combined to eventually establish Kagoshima Prefecture. Satsuma was one of the main provinces that rose in opposition to the Tokugawa shogunate in the mid 19th century. Because of this, the oligarchy that came into power after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 had a strong representation from the Satsuma province, with leaders such as Ōkubo Toshimichi and Saig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taira No Tokuko
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided into four major groups, named after the emperor they descended from: Kanmu Heishi, Ninmyō Heishi, Montoku Heishi, and Kōkō Heishi. The clan is commonly referred to as or , using the character's On'yomi for ''Taira'', while means "clan", and is used as a suffix for "extended family". History Along with the Minamoto, Taira was one of the honorary surnames given by the emperors of the Heian Period (794–1185 CE) to their children and grandchildren who were not considered eligible for the throne. The clan was founded when the Imperial Court grew too large, and the emperor ordered that the descendants of previous emperors from several generations ago would no longer be princes, but would instead be given noble surnames and ranks ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Antoku
was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the Imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans. Minamoto no Yoritomo with his cousin Minamoto no Yoshinaka, led a force from the Minamoto clan against the Taira, who controlled the emperor. During the climactic sea Battle of Dan-no-ura in April 1185, Antoku's grandmother Taira no Tokiko took him and plunged with him into the water in the Shimonoseki Straits, drowning the child emperor rather than allowing him to be captured by the opposing forces. The conflict between the clans led to numerous legends and tales. The story of Emperor Antoku and his mother's family became the subject of the Kamakura period epic poem ''The Tale of the Heike'' (Heike is an alternative reading of the Japanese characters for "House of the Taira"). Antoku's tomb is said to be located in a number of places around western Japa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
