•Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA. . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started.

•Today's topic is Samurai. They were both the armed forces and a political elite that ruled Japan from the Kamakura period (1185-1333), which began in the 12th century, to the Edo period (1603-1868), began in the 19th century. But what exactly is a Samurai? What does it mean? How did they rise and decline? How did they influence Japanese society ?  Today, I’m going to answer these questions. First of all, a samurai was a person who served the imperial court and the aristocracy, which were the ruling classes at that time. Samurai excelled in martial arts, were allowed to wear a sword, and rode a horse. They were a group that existed to protect the land of the lord. But gradually, as they served the imperial court and learned to cultivate the land and manage the farmland, they became more powerful, arming themselves to protect the farmers, protecting the public order, and pacifying the northeastern region. Eventually, they gradually became more influential than the Imperial Court in Japan, and after battles between Genji clan and Heishi clan, the Kamakura Shogunate finally began to manage the state centered on the samurai class in the 12th century. The Kamakura Shogunate took the lead in governing politics, courts, and the police. This samurai-centered political system continued until the Edo period in the 19th century.

•Actually, Samurai class emergence is related to Japan's land ownership system. There was still some land in Japan that had yet been cultivated in the 8the century. Originally, that land belonged to the aristocrats, who were in the imperial court and also the powerful people of the time, and by harvesting the land and collecting royalties, the aristocrats lived a rich life. In a sense, the land was managed by the state. However, in the 8th century, the manorial system began. This made it possible to privatize the land. This marked the beginning of the liberal economy. Everyone sought to enrich themselves without paying taxes to the government. Everyone began to search for land, develop it, and own it. This created an economic disparity within the country. And as a result, this economic disparity leads to crimes such as looting and robbery. This is where the samurai who protected the land came in. They took up arms to deter crimes such as looting and robbery. In other words, the samurai became knowledgeable about various issues such as cultivating the land and guarding it. Thus, they came to replace the nobility in power. Eventually, as the country developed, the samurai began to fight each other in major battles over the land nationwide. In this way, Japan became a country of constant conflict over territory.

•In the battle, Samurai warriors were equipped with helmets, armor, and swords in order to be active in battles and in guarding. The helmets indicated which unit they belonged to and had a mark on the head indicating which clan they belonged to. Think of it like an emblem on an automobile today. Other hairstyles were also used by the samurai, called “CHONMAGE”. They would shave the front part of their heads. The reason seems to be that they would wear helmets in a battle, and need to keep their head cool. They also carried swords on their waists. Even in western movies, cowboys have a pistol at their waist. In the case of Japan, that was the Japanese sword. There is a famous phrase, "kirisute-gomen. This is a story about a samurai in the Edo period, and the rule is that if samurais are disgraced, they are allowed to cut down their opponent. However, there is a strict rule about this, and it only applies if someone intentionally insult the samurai. In addition, a witness was required to prove insulting behavior in the case of murder. In western movies, too, it is a question of who laid a hand first. Just like in war, the one who laid hands first has to prove and explain why did it. That is how much influence they had over the city people at that time in Japan. As the word “Gekokujo" (subordination) suggests, during the Warring States period in the around 15th century Japan, samurai in Japan frequently betrayed their lord or killed each other's family members or brothers. Just because you were a samurai did not mean you were obedient. However, with the advent of the Edo period (1603-1867), the Edo shogunate established laws and provided thorough education, which established the idea that it was wonderful for a samurai to swear absolute loyalty to his parents, siblings, and lord. The famous  episode of "Chushingura" represents such a samurai's sense of beauty.

•However, such samurai gradually lost their power at the end of the Edo period as the wave of internationalization swept over Japan. Japan needed to have a more modern military and education to counter Western colonial rule. After the Meiji Restoration, the influence of the samurai rapidly declined. The times were changing, and the nation was no longer run by swords and battles, but by assemblies and the will of the people. After the Meiji era, the sword disappeared and the samurai began to belong to more modern organizations such as the police and the military. Thus, their era came to an end with the Meiji period in the 19th century.

•Now, what is the spirituality of the samurai culture today? Originally, in the Kamakura period around 13th century, the samurai class was deeply connected with Buddhism, and their spirituality was always directed toward themselves. Basically, they were introspective and not socially oriented. In addition, samurai from the Edo period onward tended to place great importance on hierarchical relationships, and it was considered a virtue to endure unreasonable demands from superiors, to be patient, and to be cool under pressure. Mentally, they sought calm and tranquility of mind, and physically, they trained themselves through swordsmanship. In other words, it was considered beautiful to show one's thoughts through one's attitude and actions rather than words. This sense of beauty gave rise to a communication style unique to the Japanese, in which people understood each other with short words and attitudes, and did not explain themselves in detail too much. Maybe this communication style makes westerners feel wonder. 

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye.

 
【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】 
１．ルース ベネディクト 、『菊と刀 (光文社古典新訳文庫)』、光文社、２００８年 
２．岡倉天心 (著), 新渡戸稲造 (著), 内村鑑三 (著), 関岡孝平 (翻訳)、『現代語新訳 世界に誇る「日本のこころ」3大名著 ──『茶の本』『武士道』『代表的日本人』』、パンローリング株式会社、２０１４年 
３．山本常朝 (著), 田代陳基 (編集), 山村魏 (その他) 、『葉隠 上 (国立図書館コレクション)』『葉隠 中 (国立図書館コレクション)』『葉隠 中 (国立図書館コレクション)』、Kindleアーカイブ、１９３７年 
４．橋場日月 (著)、『ビジュアルワイド 図解 日本史 Kindle版』、西東社、２０１４年 
５．菊地正憲 (著) 、『オールカラーでわかりやすい！ 戦国史 [戦国史シリーズ] Kindle版』、 
西東社、２０１５年 
６．加唐亜紀 (著) 、『ビジュアルワイド 図解 日本の合戦 Kindle版』、西東社、２０１４年 

Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA. . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started.

•Today's topic is " Shinto ". "Shinto" is a religion originating from Japan. Shinto and Buddihsm are deeply rooted in Japanese life. But, What is Shinto in the first place?Who was the founder?  How is doctrine ? Why so important in Japanese history? How did they influence Japanese society? Today, I'm gonna answer these questioins. 

•There are two religions in Japan. Both have many followers and a long history. One is Buddhism and the other is Shinto. Shinto has about 87 million followers and Buddhism about 84 million. This is one of the unique aspects of the country of Japan.  Japan has mythology similar to ancient Greek, namely the Kojiki and Nihonshoki. Shinto in Japan is a religion that has developed based on mythology. This is the biggest difference between Shintoism and Buddhism. While Buddhism is a foreign religion that came from India via China, Shinto is based on a story that describes how the Japanese archipelago was born and how the earth has developed. And the basic idea of this story is 8 million gods. In other words, we have a polytheistic world. So, just as Greek mythology has temples and statues of gods, Japan also has temples and statues in various places. That is what we call a shrine.The fact that there are 8 million Gods means that there are really numerous types of Gods. For example, there are the gods of nature also the gods of person. Furthermore, the nature itself is a god.  

•Shinto is a soul requiem for dead, a prey for harvest, a wish for people’s hapiness. In a sense, it means that the powers that be had a sense of guilt about their wrong decision at that time and wanted to prevent people from being cursed or faced with adversity.

Not only that, there are also other deities who are prayed to for good luck and good health. So, I do not know if Japanese people are religious or not, but it is a fact that they revere these various deities. The basis for the “legitimacy" of the imperial family also derives from the stories of the Kojiki. In the Shinto worldview, the nature and “KAMI” are recognized as one and the same, and shrines are the places where these rituals are performed.

In other words, festivals are the main events. And “KAMI” are believed to dwell in all things, including weather and terrain, and these are referred to as the “Yaoyorozunokami”.These characteristics of Shintoism are that there is no detailed theory for meaning of life, suffering and death like in Buddism. nor is there a famous leader to transmit it. The most significant concept is life cycle ritual. Shinto is not so much logical compare to Buddism. It is a religion that emphasizes life events that mark milestones. For example, when a baby is born, the infant is given a meal of rice and sea bream at 100 to 120 days after birth, “Shichigosan”, which celebrates the growth of the child at the age of three, five, and seven, “coming-of-age ceremony” ,it is called “SEIJINSHIKI”. which celebrates the child's becoming an adult at the age of 20. In addition, the age of 25, 42, and 61 for men, and 19, 33, and 37 for women is considered bad luck season. Therefore they get purified in shrine in this season , it is called “OHARAI”. The religion also holds ceremonies to celebrate longevity, such as 88-year-old called BEIJU (88 years old) and 90-year-old called SOTSUJU (90 years old). It is a very simple religion that celebrates the safe aging of people and prays for the prevention of misfortune and disease.

•Such is the Shinto religion, but it underwent a change when Buddhism entered the country from China around the 7th century. Perhaps because the Shinto worldview did not resolve the issue of individual suffering in life, there was a call for a theoretical solution to this problem. In the 7th century, there was a dispute over whether Shintoism or Buddhism was more important in the management of the state. As a result, Japan imported Buddhism and incorporated it into its state administration, but the Shinto forces were not destroyed; they were reconciled with the Buddhist forces and survived in Japan. This is called the Shinto-Buddhist syncretism. Thus, there are cases in Japan where there are temples inside shrines. This mixture of two religions is probably a unique phenomenon in the world, and in the 19th century, when the Meiji government internationalized Japan, the Shinto religion once again attracted attention domestically when the trend toward Shinto as the state religion occurred. However, Shinto was often used as war propaganda during World War II, and after the war, Shinto education and ideas were suppressed by GHQ in the United States.

•However, Shinto shrines and Shinto events did not disappear, as they were deeply rooted in the Japanese way of life. If Buddhist temples are places for ascetic practices, Shinto shrines are places for festivals and various events. Among the events held at shrines, a ceremony to give thanks for the rice harvest is held every year on November 23 at shrines throughout Japan. This is called “NIINAMESAI”. This shows that Japan is a country of rice cultivation and that rice is very important to the country. New Year's Day also brings Hatsumode, New Year's visit to shrines. During Hatsumode, people visit shrines in large numbers every year to draw omikuji and pray for good health.

Omikuji have a number of good and bad fortune decisions:”it is called DAIKICHI , SYOUKICHI and so on. Many people pray for good luck in their lives. In this way, Shinto shrines have taken root in local communities as places where people can get some kind of power to fulfill their wishes, such as to get married, to go to a good school, or to be cured of an illness.

Moreover, shinto is also characterized as a religion that is deeply concerned with cleanliness.For example, before worship, it is necessary to cleanse the hands and mouth. One hand is cleansed with a ladle, and the mouth is rinsed afterwards. The development of such manners may be one of the reasons for the cleanliness of cities in Japan. Actually,there is a scene in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) in which three gods are born when IZANAGI washes his face with water. The reason why Japanese people like to bathe and keep their environment clean may also be connected to Shinto values. Thus, Shinto has taken root and become a commonplace part of Japanese life.

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye.

【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】
１．かみゆ歴史編集部 (編集), 平藤喜久子 (読み手)  、『カラー版 一番よくわかる神社と神々 Kindle版』、‎ 西東社、２０２１年
２．三橋健 (著) 、『カラー図解 イチから知りたい！ 日本の神々と神社 Kindle版』、西東社、２０１９年
３．山本博文 (読み手) 、『ビジュアル百科 写真と図解でわかる！ 天皇〈125代〉の歴史 Kindle版』、西東社、２０２１年
４．かみゆ歴史編集部 (編集) 、『マンガ 面白いほどよくわかる！古事記 Kindle版』、西東社、２０１７年
５．地球の歩き方編集室 (編集) 『御朱印でめぐる東京の神社 週末開運さんぽ 改訂版 (地球の歩き方 御朱印シリーズ) Kindle版』、地球の歩き方、２０２２年
６．地球の歩き方編集室 (編集) 『御朱印でめぐる九州の神社 週末開運さんぽ 改訂版 (地球の歩き方 御朱印シリーズ) Kindle版』、地球の歩き方、２０２２年
７．地球の歩き方編集室 (編集) 『御朱印でめぐる京都の神社 週末開運さんぽ 改訂版 (地球の歩き方 御朱印シリーズ) Kindle版』、地球の歩き方、２０２２年
８．地球の歩き方編集室 (編集) 『御朱印でめぐる関西の神社 週末開運さんぽ (地球の歩き方 御朱印シリーズ) Kindle版』、地球の歩き方、２０１８年

•Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA. . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started. 

•Today's topic is "Buddhism". "Buddhism" is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. There are so many Buddhist in Japan.But, What is the characteristic of Buddhism? How did they influence Japanese society? Today, I'm gonna answer these questioins. 

•There are many Buddhists in Japan, and Buddhist teachings are deeply rooted in our lives. Originally, Buddhism was a foreign religion brought to Japan in the sixth century by foreigners. It originated in India and entered China via the Silk Road. It came to Japan in earnest during the period when China developed nations such as the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty. At that time many people from Japan crossed the sea to adopt the advanced culture and civilization of the continent. This is how Buddhism came to Japan via China. However, Japan had Shintoism. These two religions were in violent conflict, but from the time Prince Shotoku came out and began to administer the state through Buddhism, Buddhism became dominant in Japan. Throughout the Nara and Heian periods, many temples were built in Nara and Kyoto. In addition, because of the harmony with Shintoism, these two religions have come to coexist side by side in Japan. This is the reason why there are so many temples and shrines in Japan. 

•Early Buddhism was elitist in nature, run by elite class. It was used to rule the country, so its teachings were not for the ordinary people. However, as time went by, people such as farmers and fishermen who cultivated the fields, came to have power, and the warrior class that protected the land also began to gain power, which led to more conflicts and battle in the country. In addition , epidemic spread nationwide at that time. In the end, the pessimistic idea spread that the individual felt powerless. This is why the Jodo sect became popular during the 12th century Kamakura period (1185-1333). The Jodo sect was different from the elite because it focused on the salvation of the individual. From this point on, Buddhism in Japan quickly spread throughout the country, becoming a variety of sects, teachings, and ways of thinking. The Jodo teaching is a little bit similar to Christianity. Their world view has heaven and salvation of the individual soul. Besides that, Zen Buddhism, in particular, was protected by the Kamakura Shogunate and the Muromachi Shogunate, and it developed culturally and had a great influence on the Japanese people. 

•Today, there are 13 major groups of Buddhism in Japan. There are famous temples mainly in Nara, Kyoto, Kanagawa, and Tokyo prefectures, and many Buddhist statues have been created and spread throughout the country. The teachings are about disconnection from the world. In addition, since Buddhist monks practice in isolated temples , actually it is not necessarily convenient for the authorities. Buddhist seeks personal salvation by refusing to be involved with the ordinary world, so the way of thinking of rulers of the time are incompatible with their beliefs. In the Middle Ages, mosks often became a mob, and was suppressed by Oda Nobunaga. There were lots of battles between temples and authorities. But, It was Tokugawa Ieyasu who managed it in earnest. He established rules to prevent Buddhist forces from becoming a mob and to enable them to live economically. That is called the danka system, and even today in Japan, it is the job of temples to guard graves, and there are frequent opportunities to contact with Buddhist teachings on a daily basis, such as sutra reading at funerals and preaching at Buddhist memorial services. However, even during the Meiji period (1868-1912), when Japan was trying to modernize, Buddhist teachings were suppressed again through the abolition of Buddhism. Thus, one of the characteristics of Buddhism is that it is not necessarily compatible with the powers that be. In the 19th century, when the Meiji government internationalized Japan, Shintoism became the state religion. However Buddhism never disappeared from Japan. 

•Buddhism has such a long history, and one of its most famous concepts is that of reincarnation. The concept of reincarnation is that a person is reborn 49 days after death. It is the idea that if we do good things while we are alive, we will have a good reincarnation, and if we do bad things while we are alive, we will have a bad reincarnation. And the purpose of human beings is to get out of this cycle of suffering. Getting out of reborn cycle is called GEDATSU. In Buddhism, human life are viewed negatively. It is a religion that focuses on the suffering of life and how to escape from it. And in order to escape from such suffering, they seek to reach a calm and unattached mental state where one does not fear death. There are various methods of Buddhist practice, such as breathing exercises, sitting called zazen, and in some sects, cleaning and working in the fields are also considered as part of Buddhist practice. Even today, there are many temples throughout Japan, numbering about 75,000. When a person dies, a funeral is held in which Buddhist monks give sutra chanting. There is also a time called Obon in the summer when people make offerings to their ancestors, and many companies are closed during that time. It is believed that during this time, ancestors return and visit relatives. 

•In this way, the idea of Buddhism is rooted in our daily lives. It is accepted as a religion that teaches people how to cope with the suffering of living and dying. Many temples were built in Japan as places to spread the teachings of Buddhism, and many arts were created such as paintings and sculptures. The design of temples also differs depending on whether they were associated with the warrior class people or the imperial court people. Temples and Buddhist statues in Kyoto are somewhat mellow and elegant, while those in the Kanto region are more heroic and powerful. Because Kyoto is linked to imperial court, whereas Kanto region is linked to Samurai class. Buddhism is not taught in schools, but it has taken root in the daily lives of Japanese people, who have Buddhist altars in their  homes and have opportunities to come into contact with its ideas and teachings at funerals and Buddhist memorial services. Even today, 46.5% of Japanese people are Buddhists, and it has a great influence on the way they think and feel. In any case, its history is quite long, so the ideas and customs have become as common for Japanese people today. 

OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye. 

【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】
１．ムック編集部 (著, 編集)  、『知っておきたい日本の仏教 エイ出版社の実用ムック Kindle版』、ヘリテージ、２０１４年
２．宮元 啓一 (著) 、『わかる仏教史 (角川ソフィア文庫) Kindle版』、KADOKAWA 、２０１７年
３．地球の歩き方編集室 (編集) 『01 御朱印でめぐる鎌倉のお寺 三十三観音完全掲載 三訂版 (地球の歩き方 御朱印シリーズ) Kindle版』、地球の歩き方、２０１９年
４．地球の歩き方編集室 (編集) 『御朱印でめぐる京都のお寺 改訂版 (地球の歩き方 御朱印シリーズ) Kindle版』、地球の歩き方、２０２１年
５．地球の歩き方編集室 (編集) 『御朱印でめぐる 東京のお寺 (地球の歩き方 御朱印シリーズ) Kindle版』、地球の歩き方、２０１９年

日本列島はユーラシア大陸東の沿岸沖に位置し、4つの比較的大きな島と、その周辺の6852の島々で構成されています。そして、海に囲まれています。この海は日本海、オホーツク海、太平洋、東シナ海の四つです。日本の歴史は今の関西や四国辺りから始まって、九州沖縄、中国四国地方、関西関東地方、東北北海道地方を平定していった歴史でもあります。そんな日本にとって、この日本列島以外からの敵の侵入や攻撃というのは、驚きだったわけです。日本の歴史は文化や宗教や教育を支配する朝廷勢力と、土地と軍事と警察を支配する武家勢力が拮抗しながら発展してきたと言ってもいいでしょう。そして、この勢力のバランスが崩れるのは、いつでも外圧がきっかけとなります。日本列島にとって、初めての外圧がモンゴル帝国を築いたフビライハンでした。時代は13世紀の鎌倉時代であり、現在の神奈川県が政治の中心になり、土地と軍事と警察を掌握した武家政権が中心の時代でした。

さて、源平合戦に勝利した源頼朝でしたが、その子孫は三代で途絶えてしまいます。鎌倉幕府成立当初は、実の弟であり戦争に活躍した源義経を殺したり、兄弟や親族の間での揉め事が数多く起こりました。「沈黙は金」「出る杭は打たれる」「勝って兜の緒を締めよ」といった言葉が日本にはありますが、これは、ちょっとした言葉で謀反の疑いをかけられ殺されたり、実の兄から殺されたりするなど、迂闊な発言や、目立った力を持ったことにより殺されてしまうという事象が武家政権時代にかなり発生したことが原因になっているのかもしれません。とにかく、鎌倉時代成立初期は一族内での争いが絶えない状態だったんですね。1970年代のニューヨークにいたマフィアの抗争状態を想像すればよいと思います。

そんな中、源頼朝と血縁関係にあった北条氏という一族が力を持つようになります。日本の中心が武士のいる現在の神奈川県である鎌倉なのか、それとも朝廷のある京都なのか、政治の中心が揺れていた時代でもあります。そんな時代に女性のリーダーがいました。それは、源頼朝の妻であった北条政子です。彼女は尼将軍と呼ばれ、日本史上に残る名演説で武士の心をひとつにしたことで有名です。源頼朝の子孫が途絶えたことで、時の天皇は幕府の中心にいる北条氏を打倒するための命令を発しました。その時に、源頼朝の妻であった北条政子は集まった大勢の武士の集団に対して、「初代将軍がしてくださった恩を忘れたか、武士が貴族から蔑まれていたのを忘れたか、ここまでいい暮らしや身分を得たのも、そもそも武士の世の中をつくるといった源頼朝がいたからじゃないか、そんな彼の恩を忘れたのか！？それでもお前は侍なのか？」といった趣旨の演説をします。これが当時の坂東武士の心に響いた。なんと、彼ら鎌倉の武士は京都にいる天皇が派遣した軍隊に歯向かったわけです。こういった対立を経て、それから六百年も武士が中心の世の中になりました。しかし、この時の武士は、天皇を殺すことも国外追放することもありませんでしたので、京都の朝廷は残り続けたわけですね。

さて、このようにして北条政子という女性リーダーによって一致団結した鎌倉幕府でしたが、やがて、日本の歴史上では、初めてと言ってもいいかもしれません、外国からの侵攻が起こります。この戦いは日本の鎌倉時代中期の1274年・1281年に、当時モンゴル高原及び中国大陸を中心領域として東アジアと北アジアを支配していたモンゴル帝国（元朝）およびその属国である高麗によって2度にわたり行われたものです。1度目が1274年の文永の役、2度目が1281年の弘安の役と呼ばれます。時の執権を北条時宗といい、彼は若干20代でこの戦闘を指揮する立場になりました。彼は当時、モンゴルによって脅かされていた南宋の僧侶と親しくしていたため、モンゴルからの侵攻には徹底抗戦の構えを見せます。文書を無視したり、遣いに来た者を処刑したりするなど、かなり過激な外交を行いました。結果、モンゴル帝国との戦闘に発展していくわけですね。この二回の戦いは現在の福岡県で行われ、九州にいた武士である御家人が大活躍し、防衛に成功します。モンゴル帝国は海から攻めてきましたので、海辺には防塁と呼ばれる壁が建設されました。武力に勝る九州御家人の力に、悪天候も味方して、モンゴル帝国の船団は壊滅します。日本の御家人の馬術や弓術などの戦闘能力が大変優れていたようで、当時世界最強と言われた軍隊を撃退します。この結果、日本は二回の防衛に成功しました。

さて、防衛したこと自体は良かったのですが、この戦いが鎌倉幕府の権力を弱体化させることとなりました。戦争はお金もかかりますし、人の命も失われます。鎌倉幕府の弱体化も元寇から始まりました。当時、鎌倉幕府の統治の特徴として、御恩と奉公という報酬制度がありました。これは初代の将軍である源頼朝が平家を滅ぼす際に、味方の兵を集めるインセンティブとして土地を与えたことから始まっています。幕府が御家人へ領地を与えることを御恩といい、御家人が幕府のために戦うことを奉公と呼びました。つまり、武士と幕府はギブアンドテイクの関係性だったわけです。ここから、武家では、どれだけの土地を持っているかというのがその武家の偉大さを示すものでした。それはすなわち、それだけの危機を救ったという実績を示していたわけですね。鎌倉幕府はこの御恩と奉公という報酬システムで機能していた武家政権だったわけです。

しかし、この13世紀の二度に渡る外国からの侵略は防衛戦争でした。つまり、新しい領土を得ることができません。鎌倉幕府は御家人を戦争に駆り出したわけですが、彼らに与える報酬がなかったんですね。これによって、御家人の不満が爆発することになり、国内の紛争につながっていったというわけです。外国との戦争によって報酬システムがバランスを崩して、国内の不満や対立が深まり、鎌倉幕府に代わる政府が必要だという機運が高まっていきました。このように、日本では13世紀には土地を媒介とした報酬システムと、主人と従者での間でのギブアンドテイクの契約関係が確立されていました。元寇はそんな鎌倉幕府の御恩と奉公システムに潜む、領土がなければ報酬が渡せないという弱点を露呈させることとなったのです。この頃から、日本国内は内乱の絶えない状態へと突入していきます。そんな鎌倉時代でしたが、日本人の人格形成に、やはり大きな影響を与えたようです。自分の成果をひけらかさない慎重な態度を崩さない性質や、自分の持ち場で一所懸命になって何かを頑張る性質というのはモンゴルの襲来に対して必死の抵抗をした、この頃の武家中心の鎌倉時代に形成されていったのかもしれませんね。

•Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA. . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started.

•Today's topic is "The Tale of Genji". "The Tale of Genji"  is a classic work of Japanese literature written in the early 11th century by Murasaki Shikibu. She was a great writer and storyteller. The tale of genji is the masterpiece of Japanese literature. But, What kind of story is The tale of Genji in the first place? Why so important in Japanese history? How did they influence Japanese society? Today, I'm gonna answer these questioins. 

•The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu in the Heian period (794-1185), has been called the greatest work of literature in Japanese history. The story is filled with the aesthetic sense of the Japanese people. It was established in the 11th century during the Heian period. The location was Kyoto where is the center of Japanese politics and culture.   

•At that time, the emperor was the central figure in the management of the nation, and those who assisted the emperor were the powerful. The Tale of Genji" also depicts the human condition in the aristocratic society of the Heian period. The main character is Hikaru Genji, the second prince, and the story is about a man blessed with good looks and talent who falls in love with many women, climbing up the ladder and fall from grace, and ending his life. Anyway, many women appear and he falls in love with them. It is the Japanese version of Don Juan.

•From a modern perspective, this literary work has three unique characteristics. First, there is the marriage form called “TSUMADOIKON". This is a form of marriage in which a man visits a woman’s room and spends the night. Moreover, the couple did not always spend time together, as is the case today. Therefore, for people in the Heian period, parting in the morning was a very lonely experience. The woman would wait for the man to come through, spend the night together, and when morning came, the man and woman would part. And so men sometimes go to other women. This is why there are many poems about the morning of separation in Japanese waka poetry. In contemporary Japanese music, too, there are many songs about the desire to meet. So this is also a tradition of waka poetry since the Heian period.

The second characteristic is the uniquely Japanese aesthetic sense of mono no ahare. Mono no ahare, simply put, refers to the emotional response of being moved by something. Both men and women have the sense that becoming well-versed in the various movements of the human feeling through many love affairs is a way of becoming more sophisticated as a person. This way of thinking has created a uniquely Japanese aesthetic sense.

The third characteristic is the value of cause and effect. Cause and effect is a Buddhist value that states that there is a present reward of happiness or unhappiness according to one's past or previous lives, and that there is a future reward according to one's present actions. In the Tale of Genji, the hero, Hikaru Genji, has relationships with many women, and this leads to problems and misfortunes for his children, the women, and himself. He had relations with his father's wife,that it would be unthinkable today, and this caused Hikaru Genji to suffer greatly. This depicts the anguish caused by love and family relationships.

•The Tale of Genji was born at a time when Japan was in the process of developing its own culture after the abolition of the Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty in 894. What developed at that time was a uniquely Japanese script called Kana script, known as hiragana and katakana. At that time, kanji was used for official documents, but hiragana and katakana were used for private occasions and by women. The Tale of Genji was written in these kana characters. Thus, it was during the Heian period (794-1185) that Japan developed a culture based on its own unique script. Speaking of Samurai, they think more concretely and economically materialistically because they focus on land and battles, while aristocrats' lives are centered on class, study, and ceremony. As a result, they tend to be more religious, cultural, and idealistic. In other words, the Heian period is a period filled with a cultural atmosphere. We can clearly see that the imperial court was the center of cultural development through writing, costumes, waka poetry, and love. At that time, there were no telephones or iPhones, so correspondence was the main form of communication. Therefore, men and women fell in love by communicating through the composition of waka poems. Now and in the past, love is one of the things that people are most interested in. At that time, there was another famous female writer who is called Sei Shonagon. Both were court ladies and were rivals to each other. Murasaki Shikibu depicted love and human karma in The Tale of Genji, while Sei Shonagon left excellent essays about what comfort, beauty, and elegance are. Both were women writers, and both were at the height of their popularity at the time because of their extremely good and beautiful writing. You might say that they were artists' rivals like Mozart and Salieri. This period was also a time when such women's sensibilities were in full display.

•The culture of the Heian period (794-1192), which gave birth to such values as the formality of marriage, the beauty of things, and the rewards of cause and effect, greatly influenced the aesthetic sense of the Japanese people.The Tale of Genji was set in the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The Kyoto Imperial Palace was the residence of the emperor at the time, and is located in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture. Whenever an emperor acceded to the throne, this was the place where the ceremony was held. Until the Meiji era (1868-1912), the emperor lived here in Kyoto. And the Kyoto Imperial Palace was also the residence of the emperor for about 500 years, from 1331 to 1869. So it was the place where the emperor's residence, political and educational institutions of the time gathered. This is where The Tale of Genji was born. I recommend visiting the Kyoto Imperial Palace when you come to Japan.

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye.

【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】
１．谷崎潤一郎 (著), 紫式部 (著) 、『潤一郎訳 源氏物語 日本文学歴史時代小説文庫 (SHIBA BOOKS) Kindle版』、千歳出版‎、２０２２年
２．出口 汪 (著) 、『源氏物語が面白いほどわかる本 上 (中経の文庫) Kindle版』、KADOKAWA、２０１１年
３．渋谷栄一 (読み手) 、『こんなに楽しい源氏物語 Kindle版』、イースト・プレス、２０１１年
４．『源氏物語大辞典』編集委員会 (著)  、『世界一わかりすぎる源氏物語 (角川ソフィア文庫) Kindle版』、KADOKAWA、２０１４年
５．紫式部 (著)、『大人は絶対読んでいる 源氏物語 完全版 Kindle版』、ゴマブックス株式会社、２０１３年

•Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started. 

•Today's topic is "Hyakunin Isshu". "Hyakunin Isshu"  is a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese waka by one hundred poets in 13th century. Many poets depicted Japanese sense of beauty in this anthology. But, What is the characteristic of "Hyakunin Isshu"? Why so important in Japanese history? How did they influence Japanese society? Today, I'm gonna answer these questioins. 

•The Hyakunin Isshu is a set of waka poems selected by Fujiwara no Teika in the 13th century in Japan , a court nobleman active from the late Heian Period to the early Kamakura Period. A waka is a poem composed of 31 characters (5, 7, 5, 7, 7) that describes a season, a thought, a beautiful scenery, or love. In the Hyakunin Isshu, there are 100 poems written by 100 poets, each of whom wrote about nature, such as mountains, sky, clouds, moon, rivers, and oceans; about the four seasons of Japan, spring, summer, autumn, and winter; and about the pain of not seeing each other in love and the sadness of parting. 

•The compiler of the Hyakunin Isshu was a man named Fujiwara no Teika. He was a poet who lived during the transition from the Heian to the Kamakura period. He was sensitive to the changing trends of the times, from the aristocracy to the samurai government. At that time, there was a rebellion by the emperor against the rising power of the samurai Kamakura shogunate. This was the so-called Jokyu Rebellion. The person involved in the Jokyu Rebellion was Emperor Juntoku, the last poet of the Hyakunin Isshu. In other words, the Hyakunin Isshu is composed from Emperor Tenchi, the beginning of the Heian dynasty, to Emperor Juntoku, the end of the dynasty. In the Jokyu Rebellion, few soldiers gathered on the emperor's side. This was the reason why the emperor's centripetal force had been weakened. Fujiwara no Teika was watching the authority of the Heian dynasty decline before his eyes. So, there is an aspect of a requiem, so to speak. 

•There are two characteristics of waka poetry that flourished during the Heian period. One is the beauty of the margins. This is a technique in which the author does not explain everything, but only hints at what he saw or felt, or why he composed the waka poem. Through this kind of expression, the aristocrats were searching for a far-fetched or fashionable way to express themselves. 

Another characteristic of waka poetry is that it focuses on the movement of the heart. Waka poems depict many feelings such as loneliness, restlessness, and sadness in one's heart. This is a point that is also common in the current Japanese culture, but there is a place that treats sentiments with great importance. Basically, there is a lot of looking back to the past. This attitude of looking back to the past and the communication style of not saying everything and leaving it up to the other person's interpretation may have something in common with the current Japanese outlook on life and communication style. 

•The Hyakunin Isshu has distinctive rhetorical techniques. The first is the Kakekotoba. This is a technique that uses homonymy to give a word two or more meanings. For example, the English words "night" and "knight" have the same pronunciation. That is Kakekotoba.

Another example is the use of Makurakotoba are words that are used in such a way that they are always followed by a specific word. For example, if the word ashihikino is used, a certain rule is established so that the specific word "mountain" follows. This has the effect of enriching the expression by using a pattern that follows a certain word. It's like  "freedom and democracy" pops up United States of America in our head. That's similar to Makurakotoba. 

•The Hyakunin Isshu is a collection of poems that expresses well what Japanese people consider beautiful. It is clear that the Japanese have always loved nature, the four seasons, and love. In particular, each season has its own way of enjoying and events, such as cherry blossom viewing when spring comes, cicadas singing in summer, enjoying the autumn leaves in fall, and enjoying snow in winter. Japanese people have always enjoyed nature, such as cherry-blossom viewing and moon-watching. 

•This attitude of the Japanese is expressed in the phrase "kacho-fu-getsu" (flower, bird, wind, and moon), and there is a value in Japan that says it is wonderful to have a relaxed and elegant mind, such as loving flowers and listening to birds singing.

Today, the Hyakunin Isshu is a sport-like competition called karuta. It has even become a club activity in high schools. This is a one-on-one competition played on tatami mats. Each player lays out cards in front of the other, listens to the first verse of the tanka poem read by the reader, and takes a card in front of own side or opponent side . When a player takes a card of the "opponent's" team, players send any card of their own team to the opponent's team. The winner is the player who runs out of cards in their own team. In this way, the Japanese sense of the Heian period has been handed down in Japan now.

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye. 

【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】
１．島津 忠夫 (翻訳)、『新版 百人一首 (角川ソフィア文庫) 文庫』、‎角川書店、１９７３年
２．バラエティ・アートワークス (著)  、『百人一首 新版 (まんがで読破) 』、Teamバンミカス、２０２１年

•Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA. . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started. 

•Today's topic is " The Tale of the Heike ". "The Tale of the Heike" is an epic story prior to 1330 of the battle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). But, What kind of story is  The Tale of the Heike in the first place? Who was the leader? Why so important in Japanese literture? How did they influence Japanese society? Today, I'm gonna answer these questioins. 

•The masterpieces of Japanese classical literature are The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Heike. The Tale of Genji depicts the tragicomedy of aristocratic love, while the Tale of the Heike describes the fall from grace of a samurai. 

•In this time, I would like to introduce the Tale of the Heike. In the past, there were two powerful military groups in Japan. One was called the Heike and the other was called the Minamoto clan. In the early 12th century, conflicts began to arise among those who served as the emperor's assistants. At that time, the political center was the emperor and his assistants. Originally, the armed groups did not hold power within the imperial court, but in the early 12th century, a reversal of positions gradually began to occur. These first warriors to rise in the imperial court were the Heike and Taira no Kiyomori. The Tale of the Heike describes the exploits of a godfather named Taira no Kiyomori and the fall of his family after his death. Taira no Kiyomori was a dynamic businessman with military and economic power. He was a man who had a great impact on Japan both militarily and economically, be it by ruling over disputes or by stimulating trade with China. He consolidated his power by appointing his own people to various posts. Finally, he became the first samurai to be appointed minister. Until then, in the Japanese Imperial Court, how close one was to the Emperor was important in one's career. So the power structure was based on blood relations. In other words, if one wanted to rise in the ranks, the shortcut was to marry off one's daughters to the emperor's family and thus become a family member. Whereas Kiyomori had a meritocracy aspect. He built a port in the Seto Inland Sea, arranged trade with the Sung Dynasty, and circulated money domestically to build wealth. He also owned a lot of land in the country and built a majestic shrine on the sea to show his authority. 

• In this way, they began to flaunt their own power over the emperor, which eventually led to conflicts with the imperial court. The Minamoto clan, a rival group, emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Gradually The Heike clan, which had reached the height of its power thanks to Kiyomori's successes, began to weaken after his death. The downfall of the Heike is depicted in the latter half of the Tale of the Heike. In this fall from grace story, two concepts emerge that are uniquely Japanese. 

•One is the impermanence of all things. What is the impermanence of all things? It means that everything in the world is destined to change, to be born again, and to disappear again, and that nothing remains the same forever. The other is "thriving and declining," meaning that even those who are prosperous and vigorous now will surely decline someday. The Tale of the Heike was passed down orally by a man called Biwa-houshi. 祇園精舎の鐘の聲、諸行無常の響き有り。 沙羅雙樹の花の色、盛者必衰の理を顯す。 驕れる者も久しからず、唯春の夜の夢の如し。 猛き者も遂には滅びぬ、偏に風の前の塵に同じ。 This is a phrase that many Japanese have come to love. It is a Buddhist worldview, but there is a sense among the Japanese that nothing is absolute in this world. Although Taira no Kiyomori was heroic like Napoleon or Caesar, he never crossed the Rubicon and became emperor himself. This is the one of characteristics of Japanese history, 

•Four years after Kiyomori's death, the Heike clan was destroyed by the Minamoto clan at the Battle of Dannoura in 1185. It was Minamoto no Yoshitsune who played a major role in this battle. He was one of the very popular military commanders among the Japanese because he excelled in valor and strategy and reigned victorious in many battles. He was not a man who excelled in politics or economics, but a man who excelled in battle. His athleticism is depicted as he rode his horse down steep slopes and jumped around on boats. The battlefield where the final decisive battle took place was the Kanmon Straits in present-day Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. This is the sea between Yamaguchi and Fukuoka prefectures. The battle on the sea was dramatic, and it was a great battle that brought together all the skills of the warriors of the time, including horses, ships, bows, swords, and dances. The number of boats is said to be 830 for the Minamoto clan and 500 for the Heike clan. In this battle over the boats, the Minamoto clan gained the upper hand due to traitors from the Heike clan. Then, realizing their defeat, the young emperor and his grandmother threw themselves into the sea. Many members of the Heike clan threw themselves into the sea during this battle. Thus, the Heike clan was defeated by the Minamoto clan, and the Kamakura shogunate, a warrior government led by the Minamoto clan, was born.It is a very sad story of a man who had reached the height of his prosperity and fell, and in the end, his clan threw themselves into the sea and perished. 

•Despite this sad history of the Tale of the Heike, the Itsukushima Shrine left behind by Taira no Kiyomori still remains today and is registered as a World Heritage site. The shrine was built on the sea, and the best architectural techniques of the time were used to design a shrine that could withstand storms and ocean waves at high tide. So the grandeur of this temple, the subsequent fall of the Heike clan, and the trade and navy that developed around the sea were the main topics of conversation in Japan at the time. When you come to Japan, please visit Itsukushima Shrine and the Seto Inland Sea. After this Taira no Kiyomori, the samurai began to gain power and the authority of the Imperial Court gradually weakened. And after the victory of the Minamoto clan, the center of politics shifted from Kyoto to Kamakura. The Kamakura shogunate would last for about 150 years until it was destroyed in 1333. 

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye. 

【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】
１．千明守 (読み手) 、『こんなに楽しい平家物語 Kindle版』、イースト・プレス‎ 、２０１２年
２．バラエティ・アートワークス (著)  、『平家物語 (まんがで読破) Kindle版』、Teamバンミカス、２０２３年
３．佐藤 謙三 (著)  、『平家物語（上） (角川ソフィア文庫) Kindle版』、KADOKAWA、２０１４年
４．山﨑白露 (著) 、『原本現代語訳『平家物語』上下巻合本 (史学社文庫) Kindle版』、史学社文庫、２０２０年

•Hi everyone welcome to the concept of Japan. This is Morita . . I’m from Japan and now I’m in Japan. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started.

•Today's topic is "TAIHEIKI". "TAIHEIKI" is a Japanese historical epic written in the late 14th century and covers the period from 1319 to 1367. Kamakura shogunate power and authority gradually declined and Japanese people wanted new order. But, Who overthrew Kamakura shogunate? How did they beat up on them? What is the main problem after shifting the goverment? We can see through "TAIHEIKI".

•At first,the Kamakura shogunate, centered in present-day Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, was a samurai government. It ruled over domestic disturbances and prevented invasions from foreign countries. The wars continued for too long, and people began to desire peace. However, it would take several hundred more years for the country to actually move toward peace. The Kamakura shogunate, led by the Hojo clan, was weakened and the world was in turmoil.

At this time, groups of villains began to appear in the country, and problems such as bribery, looting, and poverty began to abound throughout the country. Samurai in various regions stopped obeying orders from the central government. In English, they are so-called "badass." The Taiheiki was written around this time. The Tale of the Heike depicts the Heian period as it gave way to the Kamakura period, while the Taiheiki depicts the warfare that took place between the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period in the 14th century Japan. The ”Taiheiki“ describes the period when the center of politics was about to shift again from Kamakura to Kyoto.

Here, There were three famous generals, Ashikaga Takauji, Nitta Yoshisada, and Kusunoki Masashige.  At that time, the war leader is Emperor Godaigo. He planned to create a political system centering on the emperor again. It was the 14th century.

The most popular one is Kusunoki Masashige. Without him, the Kamakura shogunate would not have fallen. Originally a scoundrel, he did not come from a distinguished family. Moreover, his fighting style was like that of the movie Home Alone. In a way, it was comical. He set all kinds of traps to repel the attackers of his castle. One time you dropped big rocks, boiling water, or feces off a cliff, another time you burned down the opponent's ladder, and so on. And finally, they burned down the own his castle and run away. When he burned it down, he put his own armor on the corpses and made their opponents think he was dead. Thinking they had won, the Kamakura forces took over that castle and repaired it. Kusunoki Masashige then returned, and took over the castle, began to resist it again.  Meanwhile, the warriors of Emperor Godaigo’s groups began to rise up all over the country in Japan. Kusunoki Masashige was truly a warlord of wisdom and wits. He was a Japanese badass who hit the blind spots in the rules and can think outside the box.

•And it was Nitta Yoshisada who attacked and destroyed Kamakura, the base of the Shogunate. He was also a cool guy. Kamakura was a place with many mountains and was protected by hills. When he realized that attacking from the land was disadvantageous, he decided to go around from the sea side. However, he had to cross the ocean on horseback in two hours while the tide was low. To inspire his soldiers, he prayed to heaven and threw his sword into the ocean, just as Moses did when he parted the sea. Then the tide of the sea receded. From there, he crossed the sea on horseback and attacked and destroyed Kamakura, an important city at that time. It was a very dramatic victory. Compared to Kusunoki Masashige, he seems to have excelled in cavalry battles on the plains. He fought on horseback over a wide coast. He was more of a warrior than a politician.

•However, it was Ashikaga Takauji who finally took the highest position of a samurai, that of a “Seiitaisyougun”. With his strategy and tactics, and his long-term perspective and political gamesmanship, he had all the qualities of a war leader. He attacked and destroyed Kyoto, an important stronghold of the Shogunate. So he was originally a servant of the Hojo clan, and while Kusunoki Masashige had the Shogunate forces pinned down, he too turned against them. He turned on his heel at Shrine, and suddenly gave different instructions, even though his retainers had thought that he was going to defeat Emperor Godaigo's side until then. He must have been quite popular, since his subordinates followed such a sudden order. While  Kusunoki  Masashige was stalling for time with his wiles, Nitta Yoshisada captured Kamakura and Ashikaga  Takauji captured Kyoto, and the Kamakura shogunate was finally defeated by the activities of these three shoguns.

In the meantime, another problem occurred when they moved to the next political system. Emperor Godaigo favored the court nobles over the samurai. Not only that, he was not a very good politician. His policy on land was particularly bad, and as a result, the country was in turmoil. Since agriculture was the mainstream at that time, policies regarding land for agriculture were very important. So they conducted politics to concentrate power in the Imperial Court. In the first place, the samurai who were the guardians of the land became angry. Then they asked who should be the leader of the warrior class. Then, the name of Ashikaga Takauji came up. From there, there was a momentum to make Ashikaga Takauji the shogun because of his achievements in overthrowing the Kamakura Shogunate.

However, Ashikaga Takauji apparently did not want to fight against Emperor Godaigo, and he managed to escape from becoming the leader by becoming ordained. But instead of being indecisive, he took a very long-term view, gathered his friends, waited for the right moment, and prepared for a sure victory, didn't he? That is what was so amazing about him and why he was recognized as the master builder of the Muromachi shogunate. He traveled back and forth between Kanto, Kansai, and Kyushu, assembling an army of warriors from all over the region. And the reason for fighting was more important than anything else for the warriors of that time. If they became the imperial enemy, they would just be a group of criminals.

To oppose Emperor Godaigo would be like starting a rebellion. At that time, there were two families producing emperors in this period. One is called the Daikakuji lineage and the other is called the Jimyoin lineage. Emperor Go-Daigo was an emperor of the Daikakuji lineage. Therefore, Ashikaga Takauji gained the support of the Jimyoin line of emperors, and was formally spared from becoming a court enemy. In this way, Ashikaga Takauji visited various places to gather forces and also to make a good name for his cause. After making such careful preparations, Ashikaga Takauji destroyed the forces of the Imperial Court led by Nitta Yoshisada and Kusunoki Masashige.

As you can see, to become the leader of a warrior clan, it is important to be strong in battles, to have a solid bloodline, to have support from influential people in various parts of the country, and to have a great sense of purpose. Ashikaga Takauji fulfilled these conditions by traveling throughout the country. Thus, he kicked out Emperor Godaigo's army, but he did not kill or exile Emperor Godaigo. He respects the Emperor's family. However, this also creates a distortion of power. At that time, Japan had two emperors, and the country entered the period of the so-called "Northern and Southern Dynasties." That was the situation in Japan in the 14th century.Thus, Japan came to the end of the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period began.

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye.

 
【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】 
１．エイ出版社編集部 (編集)、『図解 南北朝争乱 (エイムック 3824)』、エイ出版社 、2017/9/19 
２．かみゆ歴史編集部 (編集)、『完全解説 南北朝の動乱 』、カンゼン、２０２２年 
３．横山まさみち (著) 、『太平記(一) 楠木正成 笠置の巻』、ゴマブックス株式会社、２０１４年 
４．横山まさみち (著) 、『太平記(二) 楠木正成 千早の巻』、ゴマブックス株式会社、２０１４年 
５．横山まさみち (著) 、『太平記(三) 足利尊氏 六波羅の巻』、ゴマブックス株式会社、２０１４年 
５．横山まさみち (著) 、『太平記(四) 足利尊氏 室町の巻』、ゴマブックス株式会社、２０１４年 
５．横山まさみち (著) 、『太平記(五) 新田義貞 鎌倉の巻』、ゴマブックス株式会社、２０１４年 
５．横山まさみち (著) 、『太平記(六) 新田義貞 燈明寺畷の巻』、ゴマブックス株式会社、２０１４年 

能は仮面をつけて行う貴族や武士といった上流階級向けの演劇です。荒々しさや派手さや意外性を大切にする大衆向けの歌舞伎とは異なり、静謐や荘厳さテーマの奥深さを大変重視します。基本的には観客は拍手をしません。人間以外が登場するのも特徴で、神様や鬼や仏や幽霊や化け物が出てきて、それらの登場人物は能面と呼ばれる仮面をつけています。西洋の仮面舞踏会にも似た妖しい雰囲気を持っています。舞台は木造で、歌や小さな太鼓があり、独特のリズムでの踊りもあります。そして、この能の合間で演じられるコミカルな演劇を狂言と言います。こちらは人間を描きます。仮面はつけていません。人間が登場して面白おかしい動きで観客を楽しませます。リラックスして気軽に楽しむことができるものです。能と狂言は中世日本を代表する伝統芸能です。茶の湯も同じように室町時代の文化ですが、その精神性はまったく異なります。能は歴史的背景や展開を読み取る読解力を観客に要求する、非常に知的水準の高い文化であり、武士や貴族に愛されました。その合間にある狂言は息抜きのようなもので、真面目で深遠なテーマを扱う能の合間に、一休みするための演劇です。

そんな能や狂言が流行したのは室町幕府の政治が比較的うまくいっていた三代目将軍の足利義満の時代であり、貿易で経済的にも裕福さを求めた時代です。金箔が張られた金閣寺が建設されるなど、幕府が派手好きで華やかさを求めていたころに流行したものです。能は能面という仮面をつけて行う演劇、音楽と踊りと演劇を融合させた歌舞劇、ミュージカルとかオペラに近い、テーマが怒りや悲しみや苦しみを扱っているものです。この演劇には非業の最期を遂げてしまった人への鎮魂歌、弱気ものに寄り添う精神もあります。人間以外のものを演じるというところに独特さがあります。能と狂言はどちらも日本の伝統芸能ですが、能が怒りや苦しみを表現する鎮魂歌だとすれば、狂言は人間の変わらない愚かさ、笑いを追求している演劇です。能が悲劇で、狂言が喜劇だということですね。

能には、幽玄という特徴的な概念があります。幽玄とは、神秘的で深い意味があるらしいが明確にはとらえられない、そんなもののことです。wonderfulに近しい意味合いとも言えます。能では、こういった底知れない神秘的な雰囲気をとても大切にする演劇なんですね。能の世界にはとても有名な風姿花伝という本があります。15世紀に書かれたものなのですが、20世紀に入るまで、その存在すらほとんど知られていなかった本です。これは能楽で大人気だった世阿弥という人が書いた本です。世阿弥には観阿弥という父親がいました。彼も俳優で大人気の一座だったんですね。当時の大名と仲良くなり、能が大評判になったそうです。この世阿弥は美少年だったそうです。世阿弥は少年時代、人気者だった。この世阿弥には子供がいなかったのですが、自分の後継者や家のために、芸能に関する秘伝書として、風姿花伝という本を書いたわけです。風姿花伝は競争の激しい芸術の世界において、いかに人気を保つか、いかに日々の稽古が重要なのか、いかに競争に勝つかということが記されています。

有名なのが、秘すれば花という考え方があります。つまり、自分の手の内を秘密にするということです。すべて言葉にしないということです。風姿花伝は秘密にすることが大事だと説いています。秘密にするからこそ、ここ一番の大勝負で相手を圧倒することが出来るのだという教えです。さらに、もうひとつ、老いてからも人は魅力を出すことができることについても書いてあります。若い頃の動きや容姿がなくなっても、華やかさを演出することは可能で、そのためには日々の稽古を欠かさないようにしなさいという教えです。これは、人間は誰しも衰えていくという現実の中で、うまく老いていくことの大切さを説いたものですね。このように、風姿花伝は努力することの大切さ、ひとつのことを長く続けることの大切さについて語っています。こういったストイックな姿勢が武士などの上流階級に人気を博した理由なんですね。仮面を被って、神様や仏様を演じるというのは、どこか妖しげで、どこかいかがわしい雰囲気も漂わせています。それが上流階級に好まれた能という演劇なのです。

能を保護した足利義満は経済的にも政治的にも成功したリーダーでした。彼はやはり派手で華やかなことが好みなのです。金閣寺というのは、そんな彼の外交的で華やかな性格の象徴でもあります。反対に茶の湯に代表されるような東山文化というのは、八代目将軍の足利義政であり、彼は政治的にも経済的にも失敗したリーダーでした。茶の湯が混乱した時代に癒しを提供する、表現を抑制していく内向的な文化だとすれば、能と狂言というのは、リーダーシップのある男の時代にあって知的水準の高い上流階級向けの外交的な演劇だったというわけです。

禅宗は仏教の中でも特に権力者に保護された宗派のひとつです。また、最も説明の難しい宗派でもあります。仏教のひとつの宗派ではありますが、体系的な理論があるわけではありません。むしろ、そういった理論を拒否するところに禅宗の独自性があります。思い切って一言で言ってしまえば、考えすぎないことの大切さについて説いた仏教の一派です。特別な理論があるわけでもなく、体系だった世界観があるようなものでもありません。いわば、禅はアンチテーゼであり、理論や世界の説明にこだわりすぎる仏教の教えの裏面と言っていいかもしれません。

仏教だけに限らず、世の中には理論が溢れています。宗教、医学、テクノロジーなど、必ずそれぞれの理論や世界観があり、それが正しいかどうか、皆が争い合っているような状態とも言えるでしょう。そのような正しさを競い合うような世界で生きていると、人は疲れてしまい、本当に人生で大切なものが何かを見失ってしまいます。 そんな状況においては、考えすぎを防いで、精神的に安定するための考え方が重要になってきます。 禅は、こういった何かに執着している状態から、いかに抜け出すかということに着目して発展した、ものの考え方や生活態度のことだと言えるでしょう。家や車やお金が欲しいと言って仕事を頑張っている人々に対して、何も持たなくて良いのだ、人間はそのままでも十分に満たされているのだとする考え方を伝える宗派とも言えるでしょう。

禅寺では師も弟子も生活に必要なあらゆる種類の勤労雑役に従うことを大切にしています。生活のひとつひとつの作業の中に、自分を取り戻すチャンスがあるということなんですね。アメリカでも、朝起きてからベッドメイキングをするという習慣があるようですが、こういった発想は禅に近いものがあるかもしれません。自分の部屋を片付けると、気分がスッキリするのを経験したことは誰しもあると思います。まさに、そういった素朴な日常の仕草の中に、気持ちを整えたり、不安を解消するヒントが隠されているんですね。禅はこういった着眼点を大切にします。しかし禁欲的であるというわけではなく、ただ、寝たいときに寝て、食べたいときに食べて、自然のままに、あるがままに生きていこうとする姿勢のことです。日本人は非常に掃除を丁寧にやりますが、これも禅宗の影響が強いと言えるでしょう。日常の目の前のことをしっかりと丁寧にやる。過去や未来を思い悩むのではなく、ただ身の回りのことを綺麗にすることに集中する。そんな生活に密着した宗教、それが禅宗なんですね。

禅宗は5世紀後半ごろのインド人の達磨によって中国に渡り、それから日本に伝わってきたとされています。現在でも達磨と言えば、日本にたくさんの可愛らしいグッズが出回っていますが、これは禅宗のインド人の達磨さんのことなんですね。日本に渡ってきたのは12世紀の鎌倉時代のことです。そこから鎌倉幕府と、後の室町幕府を中心に禅宗は保護を受けました。禅に関する寺は京都と鎌倉を中心につくられて、そこには中国の僧侶や、あるいは中国留学の経験のある僧によって、禅の世界観の普及が行われました。

禅宗の世界観はわびさびと言ったような言葉に代表されるように、都会の喧騒や権力や見栄といった俗物的なものを離れて、独自の境地を切り開くような仙人的な生き方を追求するところがあります。こういった禅の精神は墨の濃淡だけで表現する水墨画や、庭園様式などで表現されるようになりました。禅の特徴はできるだけ空間や言葉などを簡素にするというところにあります。有名な銀閣寺においては、こういった精神が、畳や掛け軸や生け花によって装飾された和室や、岩と砂利を組み合わせて表現した庭などによって表現されます。都会の喧騒を離れて、自然の中で気持ちを安らぎ落ち着かせることが、人生には大切だとする禅の思想からきています。

また、禅の修行には公案というものがあります。これは、すごく簡単に言えば質疑応答なのですが、師匠から数々の質問を投げかけられて、それに答えなければなりません。この質問というのが非常に難解なことで有名です。つまり、ひとつの答えが確実にあるものではないんですね。英語のtrolley problemのようなものだと思ってください。しかし、英語のように論理を組み立てるという感じではありません。もっとシンプルな受け答えになっているのも特徴かもしれません。

禅の教えの代表的な言葉に日日是好日という言葉があります。これは、来る日も来る日も、楽しく平和なよい日が続くこと。一日一日を大切に生きる心構えのことを指しています。また、その他にも、吾唯知足という言葉があります。これは足することを知っている人は、貧しくとも幸せであり、満足することを知らない人は、たとえお金持ちであったとしても不幸であるという禅の教えです。また、本来無一物という言葉があり、これは存在する物は、本来すべて空(くう)であるから、わが物として執着すべきものは一つもないこと。一切のものから自由自在になった心境のことを言います。こういった禅宗の発想は、輪廻転生や浄土信仰のような他の仏教とは、また異なる世界観を持っています。禅の世界観では、善行を積んで生まれ変わろうとすることや、苦しみから逃れて極楽浄土に行こうとするような救済の発想がやや薄く、それよりも物事に執着しないことや、一日一日を大切に生きることが強調されています。

共通しているのは、権力や金銭欲や社会的地位に執着しないということです。何かに執着してしまうと、心身のバランスが崩れてしまうものです。感情は大切なものですが、それらが過剰に出てしまうと、病気や怪我につながってしまいます。このことから、禅宗のお寺や、その影響を受けた水墨画などは、心が落ち着くような表現をしています。見ている人を穏やかな気分にさせる効果があるわけですね。これが時の権力者の心をとらえたようです。

いわゆる、わびさびという有名な言葉ですが、これは貧困と孤独の中に、寂しさや静けさの中に幸せを見出そうとする姿勢のことを言います。この言葉は清貧という言葉とも結びついて、身の回りのことをきれいにしながら、質素に暮らし、その質素の中で満足するのが素晴らしいのだという価値観を生み出し、現在でも受け継がれています。こうやって、みんなで集まってパーティーするのが大好きな西洋文化とは反対に、禅の文化は一人孤独に身の回りのことをきれいにして、自然の中で過ごすのが素晴らしいことだという価値観を生み出していったんですね。

 
茶道には日本の伝統的な美意識が盛り込まれています。湯を沸かして茶をたてて飲むだけではなく、服装や道具や装飾品や、ものの考え方にもこだわる、一種の総合芸術です。茶室では、主人が客をもてなすことが行われるのですが、服装や、挨拶の仕方、お茶の飲み方に礼儀作法があります。茶室は日本庭園の中にあるのですが、そこに至るまでの場所のことを露地と呼ぶのですが、客人がここを歩いていくことで俗世間を離れて、神聖な気持ちになるように設計されています。また、襖や畳で構成された空間の中に掛物や花が静かに置かれてあり、部屋にはお香が焚かれています。そして、お茶をたてるための様々な茶道具も工芸品として美しいものです。こういう空間の中で、着物を着て、正しい所作で座ったり立ったりしてから、和菓子やお茶を楽しむことで、客人はまるで別世界にきたかのような気持ちになります。 

特徴的なのは、茶道では人間の所作というものに非常に着目しているという点にあります。食べること、座ること、立つこと、話すこと、こういった茶室の中での振る舞いをいかに静かに穏やかな気持ちで行うのかということが、茶道という文化では重要になってきます。礼儀作法を大切にしながら、心の平静を保ち、会話は周囲との調和を乱さないように気を配っています。こういった作法を通して、日常の些細なものごとや変化に細かく気がつく感受性を磨いていきます。派手で大袈裟なものよりも、簡素で自然なものを愛する心情を大切にする考え方なんですね。 

そもそも、お茶は奈良時代に中国から渡ってきたものですが、室町時代になると能や禅宗の影響と結びつき、「茶の湯」が誕生します。元々こういった喫茶の文化は貴族や武士の贅沢な遊びだったんですね。そして、16世紀の戦国時代に入って、千利休という文化人の手によって、高価なものよりもむしろ質素なものを好む、そういった、わびさびという文化が茶の湯にも入って発展していくことになります。そもそも「わび」とは質素で不完全なものの中に美しさを見出そうとする姿勢のことを言います。そして「さび」とは古びた様子や、時間の流れの中で枯れていく姿の中に美しさを見出そうとする姿勢のことを指します。どちらも美意識の話であり、完璧なものや永遠のもの、若さや華やかさや成功や出世を求める時代の流れと逆行しようとする、反骨の精神が隠されています。
 
茶室の中に豪華なシャンデリアや高級な絵画が飾られているわけではありません。掛け軸や一輪の花などが、静かに季節やお茶をしっかりと堪能できるように、目立たずそっと飾られているだけなのです。こういった茶室の空間づくりは、貧困と孤独のなかに心の充足をみいだそうとする意識であり、そうすることによって、一人の人間としての自覚を取り戻すための空間設計でもあります。この茶室の中では身分の違いはありません。最も偉いのは茶室を仕切っている主催者です。階級が厳しい封建社会であった日本において、武士や貴族が、世間の身分を離れて、誰でもない、ただの一人の人間として扱ってもらえる特別な場所、それが茶室であり、茶の湯という日本のおもてなし文化を生み出してきたわけですね。 

•Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA. . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started.
 

•Today's topic is "Sengoku era". "The Sengoku era" is the period in Japanese history in which civil wars and social conflicts took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. There were so many famous leaders nationwide, and bulit up the each countries on their own. But, Why did they emerge? Who had power ? Why so important in Japanese history? How did they influence Japanese society? Today, I'm gonna answer these questioins. 

 
•The Warring States period in 15th century Japan was a time when talented local leaders who no longer listened to the central government began to run their fiefdoms independently. It was a time when powerful families there ruled their territories with castle towns as their center.

In addition to the imperial court and the warrior clans, a new power emerged nationwide in Japan. Like the New York Mafia families of the 20th century, various forces were involved in various businesses. Local cities were further developed, and feudal lords emerged who gained power in the area. To protect their territories and develop the economy, they built castle towns, carried out flood control projects, and improved roads. This led to the development of logistics and economy in Japan.

•Thus, the Sengoku daimyo began to profit from guarding their castle towns, defensive wars, agriculture, and industrial development. At that time, the system was such that the family that gained power in this way inherited the land and ruled it from generation to generation. Because rich territories had natural resources and fields, neighbor countries often invaded to take advantage of them, so they began to have their own armies, build castles, and defend their cities. The role of the daimyo was to stimulate the economy of his territory, crack down on robberies, settle disputes among citizens using rules, and prepare for invasions from other countries.
Some of these warring feudal lords began to make their own laws that were valid only in their own territories. This kind of situation, in which a younger brother kills an older brother, a subordinate ousts a superior, lower class leader replaces higher class leader, was called gekkoukyo. In this era, Japan was a world of “Gekokujo”.In order to prepare for invasions from other countries, warring feudal lords had to sneak into neighboring countries to gather information.

•So, so-called ninja also began to appear. Ninjas appeared and played an active role by sneaking into towns and disguising themselves as townspeople, or sneaking into castles and stealing information about their location. They were also heroes like Ethan Hunt and James Bond because of their excellent communication and physical abilities. Representative warring feudal lords were Hojo Soun, Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Shingen, Mori Motonari, Chosokabe Motochika, and Shimazu Yoshihiro. These were the feudal lords who ruled around present-day Kanagawa, Niigata, Yamanashi, Hiroshima, Kochi, and Kagoshima prefectures. In other words, there were no longer only outstanding leaders in Kamakura and Kyoto, but in all parts of Japan.

•They sometimes formed alliances and attacked common enemies for the defense of their own territories or the development of their own families. As a result, the authority of the central government weakened, and the world became a place of constant warfare between clans in various regions.

It can be said that being a feudal lord of the Warring States period was a game aimed at Kyoto. This is because Kyoto was home to the Muromachi Shogunate, whose official guard of Kyoto was also the most prestigious proof of a warrior clan's authority. In other words, the Muromachi Shogunate was the head of the warrior corporation at this time, and receiving the Shogunate's endorsement was a way to rise in the ranks. Entering Kyoto was called joraku, and every feudal lord considered it an honor to be recognized by the Muromachi Shogunate in Kyoto. There were many warring feudal lords, but not many of them had the intention of overthrowing the Shogunate.

•However, the Muromachi Shogunate and its era were full of challenges. Brothers were killing each other in a battle for the governorship, armed religious forces were fighting each other, people were struggling with debts, people were revolting and rioting because of the hardships of life, rivers were overflowing and homes were being washed away, and cities were burned to the ground in warfare.

Everyone wanted peace, security, safety, and affluence in their lives. In such an era, there was a man who tried to overthrow the Muromachi Shogunate and become a new authority. This was Oda Nobunaga. He was the only one among the many warring feudal lords who deliberately planned to overthrow the Muromachi Shogunate and actually did so. Thus, with the advent of the revolutionary Oda Nobunaga, the Japanese system centering on the Muromachi Shogunate came to an end.

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye. 

 
【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】 
１、菊地 正憲 (著) 、『オールカラーでわかりやすい!戦国史』、西東社、２０１５年 
２．菊地正憲 (著)  、『図解 戦国史 歴史がおもしろいシリーズ』、西東社、２０１０年 
３．大村 大次郎 (著) 、『お金の流れで見る戦国時代 歴戦の武将も、そろばんには勝てない』、‎ PHP研究所、２００１年 
４．川口素生 (著) 、『戦国時代なるほど事典 合戦・武具・城の真実から武将・庶民の生活事情まで (PHP文庫)』、平八出版、２０２２年 
５．小和田哲男 (監修) 、『1日1ページ、読むだけで身につく日本の教養365歴史編』、文響社、２０２１年 

•Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA. . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started.

 

•Today's topic is "Oda Nobunaga". "Oda Nobunaga"  was a Japanese daimyō and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He was revolutionary and overthrew Muromachi Shogunate. And he created new world order in Japan. He was icon of unifying Japan in 16th century. He was a great leader. But, What did he do in the first place? What was his achievement? How revolutionary was he? Why so important in Japanese history? Today, I'm gonna answer these questioins. 

•A very famous and popular man among Japanese historical figures is Oda Nobunaga. He lived during the Warring States period in the 16th century. In Japanese history, warriors emerged from the imperial court and conflicts between warriors became constant. After the Kamakura shogunate was established in the 12th century in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture, the Muromachi shogunate emerged in the 14th century in present-day Kyoto and other areas.

During the Muromachi period, there emerged a number of powerful guardian feudal lords in various countries nationwide. In this Muromachi period, there emerged powerful warrior families called “SENGOKU DAIMYO" in each country. They had their own armies, and these armies were fighting each other in various regions during the Warring States Period.

•Oda Nobunaga was a leader who came out with a slogan of unifying the country in such a warring age.Oda Nobunaga is an idol destroyer and a revolutionary. He accomplished change in many aspects. At that time, Japan did not yet have the concept of unifying the country itself. It was also Oda Nobunaga who launched this concept of unifying the country.

•At that time, Buddhism was in power in Japan, and some Buddhists were like a terrorist group, employing Buddhist monks and revolting against the Imperial Court. Oda Nobunaga took a harsh attitude toward this type of Buddhist power, burning down Buddhist temples and so on. He was a leader who took a rather radical approach. Not only that, Oda Nobunaga also changed the concept of war. In the famous Battle of Nagashino, he used guns against an army of mainly mounted warriors. He was the first to use guns in a full-scale battle.

•His economic policy was also innovative. At that time, the compensation system for samurai was based on land, but land is a limited resource. The authority of the Kamakura shogunate was undermined by the lack of rewards even if they took credit for their deeds. Therefore, Oda Nobunaga turned his attention to tea utensils. At that time, the culture of chanoyu was developing. Chanoyu was a very cultural space, a special place where only selected people could enter and leave. The tea utensils used there were used as rewards for taking credit. This policy of Oda Nobunaga led the warring feudal lords of the time to seek expensive tea utensils as a sign of their status. It was like the introduction of bitcoin instead of paper money. Oda Nobunaga was an innovative man from an economic standpoint as well.

•Not only that, he was also innovative in the appointment of human resources. At that time, one had to be a samurai to be promoted, but Nobunaga adopted a meritocracy in which those who achieved results were promoted regardless of their status. By adopting this meritocracy, his army grew stronger. Oda Nobunaga promoted his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was originally a farmer, but he was also a strong fighter and had very high ability. Oda Nobunaga was also innovative in introducing this type of meritocracy.

•Thus, Oda Nobunaga was a man who was quite innovative in military, economic, religious, and personnel affairs. His final death was also dramatic. He was assassinated by his own men at Honnoji Temple in Kyoto in 1582. He is like Caesar, the first Roman emperor. He had a dream of unifying the country, implemented a number of innovative policies, and was finally killed by his own allies, and his body was never found. He was a dramatic and mysterious man even in death.

•Japanese people are conservative and respect tradition, but they also have a characteristic of making drastic changes when necessary. There is a saying, "Yesterday's enemy is today's friend," and the Japanese are quick to change. The same is true of the Meiji Era's de-industrialization of Europe. If the prevailing situation under the country is to change, they have a tendency to make changes at once. This quick change in the Japanese people may have been created by the Sengoku period, when they made realistic choices for survival. Oda Nobunaga is still a popular military commander in Japan as a revolutionary who ran through the Warring States period. 

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye. 

 
【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】 
１、小和田哲男 (監修) 、『1日1ページ、読むだけで身につく日本の教養365歴史編』、文響社、２０２１年 
２．太田 牛一 (著), 中川 太古 (翻訳)  、『現代語訳 信長公記 (新人物文庫)』、中経出版、２０１３年 
３．黒田 基樹 (著)、『あらすじで読む「信長公記」 一級史料に記された織田信長の合戦・城・道楽』、‎三才ブックス 、２０１８年 
４．矢部健太郎 (監修)、『超ビジュアル! 歴史人物伝 織田信長』、西東社、２０１６年 
５．井沢 元彦 (著)  、『英傑の日本史 信長・秀吉・家康編 (角川文庫)』、KADOKAWA、２０１１年 

•Hi everyone welcome to what’s going on  Japan. This is MORITA. . I’m from Japan. I‘ve been living in Japan for many years. I’m one hundred percent of  Japanese. In this channel, I will introduce various kinds of Japanese culture. I’m a guide, I will lead you to better understanding of Japan. OK, Let’s get started.

•Today's topic is "Toyotomi Hideyoshi". " Toyotomi Hideyoshi " was a Japanese samurai and daimyō (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku era regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan. His boss was Oda Nobunaga, and he was not a samurai originally. But he stepped up the ladder under Oda Nobunaga, and finally he became a great leader and got an important title. The most important thing is he created Osaka city in Japan. But, What did he do in the first place? What was his achievement? What was his ability ? Why so important in Japanese history? Today, I'm gonna answer these questioins. 

•Even today, Tokyo and Osaka are Japan‘s two largest cities. And it was Toyotomi Hideyoshi who first developed this city of Osaka. He was the most successful man in Japan’s history. He was a man of mobility, communication skills, popularity, ideas, and the ability to seize opportunities, who was active in the Warring States period of the 16th century Japan, and who rose from a peasant to a lord and even earned the title. In Japan, he is synonymous with success in life. He was a subordinate of Oda nobunaga and a man who took over after Oda nobunaga was killed in Honnouji temple.

•What made him great was the variety of ideas he came up with. In particular, he was very good at building castles and procuring supplies. In modern times, think of him as a sharp business man in the general affairs department or purchasing department. A battle requires the cooperation of many people. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was outstandingly good at obtaining such cooperation.

•There are two famous episodes: the Sunomata Overnight Castle and the Great Return from China. In the Sunomata Overnight Castle, Hideyoshi built a castle in one night by using the prefabricated construction method, which is the current construction method of preparing materials and assembling them at once on site. In another episode, when Oda Nobunaga was assassinated, he led an army of 25,000 men to move 230 kilometers in 10 days to defeat the traitor.  He was a man who worked with overwhelming speed, achieved results, and rose through the ranks of samurai society despite his peasant origins.

•After receiving the title of Kanpaku, he implemented the domestic policies of land inspection and sword hunting, promoted the separation of farmers and soldiers, and professionalized the military. This made the domestic army stronger and food supply more stable. In addition, castle-building techniques improved dramatically during the reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Many castles were built throughout Japan, and towns were built around them. The heads of castles, called tenshukaku, were opulent and representative of the culture of the time. In his time, Buddhist forces lost power and samurai and merchants became the center of politics and economy, so realistic and powerful paintings and architecture developed.

• Furthermore, Toyotomi Hideyoshi developed the city of Osaka in particular. There were many merchants in Sakai, and he opened a port so that trade could flourish. Trade with Europe also began to take place at this time, and trade with Portugal and Spain was also conducted.The cornerstones of the various policies implemented by Hideyoshi after Oda Nobunaga led to the realization of a world of peace and tranquility for two hundred years by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who will appear later.

In his later years, Hideyoshi's actions, such as his invasion of Korea, exhausted the domestic economy. Since Toyotomi Hideyoshi built his city around Osaka, a major war broke out after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death to see who would take the reigns of Edo or Osaka. This was the famous Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, followed by the Battle of Osaka in 1614. Tokugawa Ieyasu, who won the battle, succeeded Toyotomi Hideyoshi and unified the country around Edo (now Tokyo). Thus, the Edo shogunate ruled a world of peace that lasted for more than 260 years, effectively utilizing the separation of agriculture and war and the economic system developed by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi hideyoshi.

•OK!! That’s all for today. Thank you very much for listening. My only hope for you is that this video helps you understand Japan well. I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to subscribe. Good bye. 

【参考文献・参照サイト・参照動画】
１、小和田哲男 (監修) 、『1日1ページ、読むだけで身につく日本の教養365歴史編』、文響社、２０２１年
２．川角三郎右衛門 (著), 山﨑白露 (翻訳)  、『現代訳 川角太閤記 上 (史学社文庫) 』、史学社文庫、２０１８年
３．川角三郎右衛門 (著), 山﨑白露 (翻訳)  、『現代訳 川角太閤記 下(史学社文庫) 』、史学社文庫、２０１８年
４．楠田夏子 (イラスト), 田代 脩 (編集) 、『学研まんが ＮＥＷ日本の伝記2 豊臣秀吉 天下統一を完成させた武将』、学研プラス、２０１４年
５．井沢 元彦 (著)  、『英傑の日本史 信長・秀吉・家康編 (角川文庫)』、KADOKAWA、２０１１年

 日本の16世紀の安土桃山時代はなんといってもお城の時代だ。この頃、日本全国に城が造られたわけだ。城は各都市にあった。現在でも残っている。日本の武士が活躍した戦国時代には、天守に攻め込まれれば敗北という暗黙のルールがあったようだ。その為、城は敵の襲来に備えて、見張りと防御が強化された。防御のために濠があり、石垣があり、櫓がある。櫓のような高い場所から敵を発見したり、弓矢や鉄砲で攻撃したりするわけだ。西洋の城は石造りだが、日本の城は木材で造られている。日本にある石の性質上、綺麗に切ることが難しかったり、地震が多いために石作りの建設物に危険性があったことも理由のようだ。天守閣と呼ばれる頂上の部分は、城の最も重要な部分であり、権力の象徴でもあった。室町幕府を倒して天下を統一した織田信長が安土桃山城の頂上部分につくったのが最初の天守閣であった。城の中で最も目立つ部分だ。戦国時代には大名が各地に城をつくり、その数は二万五千以上あったらしい。 

•16世紀の中世社会の日本では戦国大名が互いに熾烈な争いを繰り広げていた。それは、天守閣を責め滅ぼせば勝利というゲームでもあった。つまり、防御側はいかに本丸に軍勢を近づけないかというのがポイントになった。様々なこういった城の作りを縄張りと呼ぶ。縄張りとは本丸と呼ばれる城の中心を軸に、二の丸、三の丸と呼ばれる城郭を配置するもので、様々な形式がある。そして、それら城郭の周りに門や石垣や水堀をつくることで、敵の侵入を食い止めることになる。周囲の地形を利用するので山や川といった自然を取り入れた防御施設もあった。城を囲む石垣も奥が深い。石垣の組み方にも手法があり、時代を経るにしたがって、より緻密で頑丈な造りになっていく。高さが最も高いのは大阪城で石垣が三十メートルを超える。また熊本城の石垣は次第に垂直になっていくため、よじ登ることが出来ない形になっており、武者返しと呼びれている。そんな高い石垣の更に下に水濠で水が埋め尽くされているのだから、攻め込むのが困難なのがよくわかる。水の掘は美しい。城は桃山時代を代表する、石と水と木の建築芸術なのだ。元々江戸城であった現在の皇居の周りにも水堀がある。城の周りを穏やかに静かに取り囲んでいる。水堀が有名なのは大阪城や江戸城や今治城だろう。その他にも水堀で城郭を囲んだ城はたくさんある。こういった水堀や石垣で守られた城には、さらに櫓や門が設けられており、櫓からは高い場所からいち早く敵を発見し弓矢や鉄砲で攻撃することが可能であった。また大きな門も敵を食い止めるのに必要だった。さらに、城内を迷路のような作りにして、敵が入ってきた時に混乱するように作られていた。日本人は合戦において、相手をいかに混乱させるか、いかに陥れるか、いかにトラップにかけるかということが大好きだったようだ。 

•そのような、様々な仕掛けのある城を攻め落とすには様々な方法があるが、補給網を断ち、閉じ込めてしまうことで降伏を促す方法が主流だったようだ。相手の食糧や水を供給するルートを壊してしまうのだ。確かに城は閉鎖された空間ではあるため、閉じ込められたら勝ち目はない。豊臣秀吉は城攻めがうまかった。高松城、鳥取城、三木城は、水で城の周りを浸してしまったり、食料供給網を断つなどして、相手の戦意を挫くことで攻め滅ぼしている。そんな攻撃側に対して防御側が取るのは奇襲と挟み撃ちである。城を攻める側は大軍で押しかけているので、油断している。そこで奇襲を行うことで、相手の指揮官を殺してしまうのだ。あるいは、他の同盟者と内通して、城攻めにきた相手を城内から出て挟み撃ちにしてしまうわけである。実際、城攻めを行う軍勢は遠征してきているわけなので、補給網が断たれたり、他の軍勢から挟み撃ちにあったりすれば破れ去ることもある。こうして戦国時代には城を中心とした合戦が数多く行われた。 

•有名な南北朝時代の千早城の闘いは面白い。山に作った城に籠城した楠木正成は近づいてくる軍勢に石や熱湯を落として対抗した、また食糧が尽きたと思ったら城を焼き払ってしまって逃げた。勝利したと思った敵が占領して城を修復したところで、舞い戻ってきて奪い返して、さらに籠城を続けたのだ。そうやって時間稼ぎしている間に各地で味方が集まり始めて、最終的には形勢逆転して、鎌倉幕府は滅んだ。また、難攻不落の大阪城を落とした徳川家康は敵対する相手と一旦講和した上で理由をつけて大阪城の堀を埋めてしまった。そして、それを修繕しようとした敵に言いがかりをつけて撃退するという方法で大阪城を攻略している。どちらの合戦も負けて逃げたふりをしたり、和睦したふりをするなど、平野で軍勢がぶつかり合う合戦とは異なり、城攻めは情報戦や心理戦を駆使して、権謀術数が渦巻く戦いを行うのだ。そこがまた奥深く面白い。 

•日本の城は権力の象徴でもあったので、支配者が変わるタイミングで城は消失していくことになった。一国一城令や廃城令、そして日本本土への空襲などで消失することになった。城は中世日本の戦国大名支配の象徴でもあるため、取り壊されてなくなる可能性もあったが、その文化的歴史的価値や美的価値などから保存をしようとする動きがあり、現在でも日本には200城ほどの城が残っている。さらにその中でも、時代を超えて残った天守閣が12個ある。弘前城、松本城、丸岡城、犬山城、彦根城、姫路城、松江城、備中松山城、丸亀城、伊予松山城、宇和島城、高知城である。これは、江戸時代以前に建設された天守閣で何百年も前から残っているままというわけだ。日本の歴史や文化を伝える重要な文化財となっている。世界遺産にも登録されているのは姫路城である。白鷺城という異名を持ち、とても美しい。逆に真っ黒の城が松本城だ。こちらも見るものを圧倒する。 

•19世紀、長らく鎖国して平和だった日本にもう一度戦乱が訪れる。この頃の城には海に向けた大砲が設置されるようになる。アメリカやイギリスやフランスが砲丸外交を仕掛けてきているのだ。もはや、江戸幕府のような農業と警備を中心とした幕府では商工業や科学を指導し、西洋列強に対抗できないことが明らかだった。歴史の舞台になったのは京都の二条城だ。ここで江戸幕府が大政奉還を行い、日本は開国し近代化を推し進めることになった。久しぶりの大和朝廷登場というわけだ。しかし、歴史は単純にはいかない。幕府側と新政府側で争いが起こる。最後の舞台は北海道にある五稜郭だ。この城は上から見ると、なんと星形の城だ。こちらも幕府軍が倒れる最後の戦いの場所となった。城はいつでも歴史的なイベントの舞台になっていたのだ。そんな日本の城も明治時代の近代化に伴って次第に意味がなくなっていった。江戸時代の武家政権の終焉とともに、中世日本の象徴である、城の役割も終わっていったのだった。こうして、織田信長から始まり徳川家で終わる戦国武将が統治した世の中が終わり、日本は近代化を始めるのだった。 

•日本といえば侍、日本といえば武士、そしてその時に出てくるのが刀ではないだろうか。日本刀は世界に誇る鉄の武器である。大砲や戦車や戦闘機が出てきた時代の前、中世の日本では日本刀と弓矢が主力の武器であった。実際、実戦では弓矢ゆ槍が多用されていたようだ。日本刀は平和な時代になればなるほど不要になっていくはずのものなのだが、戦国時代が終わっても日本刀には特別な意味合いが残り続けた。それは日本刀が日本人の職人技であったり、歴史や精神性に深く関わっているからだ。

•事実、現在は日本刀というのは闘いの武器ではない。日本の城と同じように、美術品や工芸品、文化財として取り扱われている。アメリカのボストン美術館にも、メトロポリタン美術館にもあるような文化財であり、美術品なのだ。では、何故、日本ではここまで日本刀というものが重要視されてきたのだろうか。弓矢や甲冑といった武器だって、日本独自の発展を遂げたものである。しかし、日本刀ほど重視されていない。理由はやはり、日本刀が権力闘争の歴史を象徴するものであるからだろう。刀は殺人の道具であるが故に、歴史的な武将同士の闘いや暗殺に深く関わってきた。つまり、それだけ日本の歴史との関わりが深いものなのだ。それそのものの価値が高い日本刀は、闘いが終わった後の褒美となることもあった。有名な武将の間で、所持していることが権威を示すような高級美術品であったのだ。故に、甲冑や弓矢よりも格段に多く日本の国宝になっている。

•そもそも日本には三種の神器と呼ばれるもののひとつに草薙の剣というものがある。三種の神器とは、レガリアであり、三種類の宝物である。その内の一つに草薙の剣と呼ばれる剣がある。これは神話の中での話だが、天界の問題児であった素戔嗚という神が地上で八岐大蛇という大蛇を殺した時に、大蛇の体の中から取り出したものとなっている。日本の歴史の始まりの頃から、このような刀というのは重要な存在だったのだ。鎌倉時代に入り世の中が武士の世の中になるにしたがって、日本刀の重要性は増した。当初は真っ直ぐの形だったのだが、刃物としての性質を向上させるために段々の反りが入っていくようになった。日本刀の美術品としての美しさは、その精巧な造りからくる。先ずは日本刀の刃である。この刃は反りがある。まるで月のようだ。切る部分は決まっているのだ。西洋の剣は盾の上から叩くことを目的としている。日本刀は生身の人間の首を落とすために作られた。刃にも模様がある。波打っていたり、真っ直ぐだったり、この模様に味わいがある。さらに、この刃には施された彫刻がある。これを刀身彫りという。彫刻の芸術だ。刃という狭い空間に龍が剣に巻きついている模様や、仏教で用いられる道具、松竹梅の模様など、刃の上に彫刻表現が広がっているのだ。次に鍔である。鍔とは刀を握る部分と刃の間にある丸い金具である。この鍔にも様々な装飾が施された。ここにも鳥や花や雲が装飾されている。単独でも美術品として扱われる。そして、刀を握る部分である柄である。絹糸や革紐で巻かれていて、ここにも様々なデザインがある。そして刀を納める鞘である。鞘も美しい。鞘が最も彩を持ったデザインになる。黒、黄土色、赤色、青色、様々な色があり、華やかだ。基本的に日本刀は非常にシンプルで保守的なデザインだが、鞘は人目を引く華やかなデザインも多い。日本刀は機能としての美しさと装飾としての美しさが一本に凝縮されているわけだ。さらに言えば、大きさによって種類も豊富にある。我々が一般的に思い浮かべるのは、正式には打刀と呼ばれるもので、その他にやや大きめの太刀、小さめの脇差、短刀、大きいものでは薙刀といった刀がある。種類も豊富なのだ。そういうわけで、日本刀は美術工芸品としての価値が非常に高いわけである。様々な部分に職人技の粋が詰まっているのだ。中世の刀鍛冶は貴族の称号を得ることもあったほどだ。

•しかも、この美術品には各種の伝説が付き纏っているのだ。なんと言っても、過去に時めいていた日本の権力者を渡り歩いてきているのだから。言わば歴史の生き証人なのだ。天下五剣と呼ばれる刀がある。三日月宗近、童子切安綱、大典太光世、鬼丸国綱、数珠丸の5本だ。これらの刀が成立したのは鎌倉時代の頃だ。それだけでも骨董品として価値がある。なんといってもそれぞれに伝説がある。例えば、三日月宗近の所持者でもあった足利義輝は剣豪将軍と呼ばれ剣術が得意であった。最後は暗殺されてしまうのだが、なんと暗殺の瞬間に畳に刀を何本か突き刺して、かかってくる敵を次々に斬り殺していったらしい。三日月宗近はその時に使用されていたという話なのだ。

例えば、足利義輝は天下五剣のうち、四本を所持していた将軍で、非常に剣術に優れていたという。最後は大勢に取り囲まれて暗殺されてしまうのだが、なんと暗殺の瞬間に畳に刀を何本か突き刺して、 かかってくる敵を次々に斬り殺していったらしい。 天下五剣がそこにあったかは不明だが、クーデターの瞬間にも立ち会っていた可能性があるのだ。

その他の刀にも鬼が出てくる悪夢を見ていた将軍が、鬼丸国綱で鬼の彫刻を斬ったところ、悪夢を見なくなったという逸話があったりもする。天下五剣は日本の権力者を渡り歩いたりしているのだ。また、それだけ、様々な戦乱を潜り抜けて、現在でも生き残っている刀達ということで価値が高い。当然、見た目や切れ味が優れているのはいうまでもない。その他、今川義元、織田信長、豊臣秀吉、徳川家康の元を渡り歩いた宗三左文字、新撰組が奮っていたとされる、長曽根虎徹は局長である近藤勇の愛刀とされており池田屋事件という襲撃を行った時に使われたらしい。日本刀は映画や時代劇でも、その人物のキャラクターと一緒になって登場するわけだ。最近の有名な漫画であるワンピースにもロロノアゾロという剣士が登場して人気を博している。日本の幕末の志士は、皆、剣道を行っていた。剣術を習うということは、ひとつのステータスのようなものだったのだ。日本人男子にとって、剣術が強いというのはひとつの憧れであり、クールなことでもあったわけだ。日本では宮本武蔵、佐々木小次郎、柳生宗矩、柳生十兵衛といったような剣豪が人気なのも、現代でも漫画の世界の中で剣術がたくさん出てくるのも、それだけ刀を持って闘う武士や侍がカッコイイものだと思っているという証拠だ。 このように、剣術や日本刀は日本の歴史の中に深く根ざしている。それは日本人の魂のようなものであり、命を賭して闘うことに美学を見出していた前近代の日本人の感覚を後世に伝えている貴重な文化財なのである。切れ味と外観、そしてそれにまつわる伝説、美術工芸品としてのレベルの高さと、前近代の日本の歴史を語る存在として、日本刀は日本人にとって特別な意味合いを持っているのだ。

浮世絵

もし、現在の東京である江戸、17世紀から18世紀にかけて日本で流行ったものを理解しようとするなら、浮世絵を見ればよくわかります。浮世絵の題材は花魁や役者や江戸の街です。つまり、人目につく、目立つものと言ってもいいかもしれませんね。その時代の目立つ人や目立つ景色を描いている。それが浮世絵というものです。

この時代は戦国時代が終わって、各地方都市は大名の城下町によって治められるようになった時代です。要するに、平和な時代でもあります。治安は武士が守るし、農民は米を作っていました。街道が整備されて人の往来が激しくなり、そこに宿泊施設や運送業者が現れます。そして、魚や米が運ばれていく。城下町を中心に都市化した時代とも言って良いかもしれませんね。現代でも日本の首都である東京は人口1400万人もいる世界的な都市ですが、それは今に始まったことではなく、17世紀ごろから、発展していた都市です。

現在でも日本の流行を生み出す東京には二大悪所と呼ばれる場所がありました。それが遊郭と歌舞伎です。現在で言えば歓楽街と映画館といったところでしょうか。どちらも法律的にグレイな部分があり、善悪だけでは割り切れない世の中に波紋を投げかける存在です。浮世絵はそんな江戸の雰囲気を現代に伝える一級の資料と言えるでしょう。

先ず、美人画です。美人画は現在では化粧品の広告やテレビCMで女性芸能人の顔や身体が使用されるようになっています。江戸時代は広告で使われているわけではありませんでしたが、庶民に人気でした。美人画で有名なのは喜多川歌麿という絵師です。柔らかい線で胸から上の女性の姿を描きだしました。この頃の美人の定義は、目が細いことでした。今では目の大きな女性が美人ということになっていますが、この時代の美人の条件は目が細いことだったんですね。髪型や化粧や着物など、かんざしを扱う女性の仕草や表情が細かく描写されています。遊郭で働く女性の飾らない自然な姿を捉えたリアルな作風は幕府から禁止されることもありました。女が美しいのは飾っている時ではなく、飾らない無防備な姿を見せている時だと言いたいのかもしれませんね。喜多川歌麿は権力者の規制と闘いながら芸術表現を追求する気骨のある浮世絵師だったわけです。

そして浮世絵のもう一つの題材が歌舞伎役者です。こちらは男性が描かれています。役者の顔つき、髪型、着物、刀などが描写されています。この分野で有名なのが東洲斎写楽です。喜多川歌麿が女性の艶かしさを切り取ったとすれば、東洲斎写楽は男性の雄々しさを切り取りました。現在でも彼の描く役者の肖像画は非常に有名です。わずか一年程度の活動で150点の作品を描いていなくなってしまうというミステリアスな画家でもあります。役者の微妙な表情や動きを捉えた彼の肖像画は写実的です。醜い部分はそのまま描きました。こういう相手に遠慮せずに真実をズバリと追求する姿勢を持つこと。これが都会的な感性だとも思いますね。

美人画と役者絵は浮世絵の二大テーマと思っていいでしょう。日本にはもともと室町時代の京都で発達した能や狂言といったようなものがありましたが、歌舞伎は江戸で発達した演劇です。能が神や仏といった題材を扱ったのに対して、歌舞伎が扱ったのは人間でした。美人画も役者絵も人間が主役の絵画です。その点が江戸以前の絵画との決定的な違いであります。それまでの日本の絵画は花鳥風月や風神雷神など自然や神や有力者を描いていたものが多かった。しかし、江戸時代になって、ようやく絵の中で人間に、しかも一般の市井の人に画家の焦点が当たるようになったわけです。絵画が貴族や将軍への献上物としての芸術から、一般庶民が楽しむものへと変化したんですね。庶民が自分でお金を持ち、何かを買ったり売ったりしてちょっとした贅沢を楽しむようになり、そこに市場が出来たわけです。というわけで、題材も役者や遊郭の人間になりました。違う言い方をすれば、江戸時代の庶民は美人と歌舞伎役者が好きだったというわけです。ちなみに、この二人のプロデューサーが蔦屋重三郎という人物です。現在でもTSUTAYAと言えば大手チェーンの書店として、日本全国どこでも見かけることができますね。最近ではスタバと併設されてもいます。

もうひとつ、庶民が好きなものがあります。それが旅行です。旅行も17世紀以降の江戸時代に流行し始めたものですね。映画も旅行も貯金が出来て、時間とお金に余裕が生まれなければ楽しめない。遊郭も歌舞伎も旅行も、日々の生活に追われていては出来ないものです。さて、学生や独身貴族のように時間とお金に余裕のある人が行うのはいつの時代も同じで、それが旅行ですね。江戸時代の日本でも国内旅行が大盛り上がりになったわけです。さて、旅行と言えば観光名所。どこのどんな場所の景色が素晴らしいか知る必要がありました。そこで登場したのが風景画です。人々は風景画を見ることによって、あそこに行きたい、ここに行きたいと旅行の行き先を考えるようになったわけです。そして、日本には二人の偉大な風景画の絵師がいます。

この二人は巨視的な視点で江戸を中心とした日本を描きました。彼らの浮世絵は構図も大胆で、色も鮮やかで華があります。自然の雄大さの中で、活気を持って生きる人間活動を見事に描いています。それが歌川広重と葛飾北斎です。世界的にも有名なのは葛飾北斎でしょう。彼は90年の生涯で3万点もの作品を描き続けました。誰もがしっている富嶽三十六景の富士山と波の絵を描いた絵師ですね。風景画で大人気となっただけでなく、美人画や漫画や肖像画も描く多彩な作家でした。そして、この葛飾北斎に影響されて東海道五十三次を生み出したのが歌川広重です。葛飾北斎の方が年上だったわけなんですね。この二つの作品が大人気を博していました。確かに、この二つの作品を見れば、当時の物流や旅行や、それを結んでいた街道や活気のある江戸の街の様子がよくわかります。七夕の祭りや鯉のぼりや花見といったような季節の行事に関する絵もたくさんあります。この二人の浮世絵は色彩感覚も豊かなものです。

この浮世絵を見ていけば、日本人が四季や自然や旅行を愛しているのがよくわかります。そんな浮世絵は西洋の画家であるゴッホやモネやドガにも影響を与え、19世紀にはジャポニズムというブームを起こしたようです。またタイムズ紙の世界に影響を与えた100人にも選ばれています。この二人の浮世絵師の凄さは、カメラやテレビがない時代に、当時の世の中を絵画の中で見事に再現してみせたことです。しかも、ただ再現したのではなく、雄大な自然に負けないで生きようとする姿や、自然とともに生きようとする姿、それを見守る富士山、彼らの浮世絵には日本人らしい感受性が、画面いっぱいに散りばめました。このように浮世絵には江戸時代の日本の庶民の姿が生き生きと映し出されているということでもあります。それは、それまでの時代の宗教的か、あるいは権勢を示すための絵画とは根本的に異なり、都市や商業が発達して力を持った民衆のための絵画だったというわけである。