Erwin Miyasaka: Shimabara Teppo-machi samurai district

The Teppo-machi district of Shimabara is a very well preserved samurai town, but unlike other preserved historical districts, it wasn’t a neighborhood for high-ranking samurai. It was a town of low ranking ashigaru, foot-soldiers who were fighting with firearms called teppo in Japanese, hence the name of the district: Teppo-machi, “Gun town".

A very interesting characteristic of this place is the perfect preservation of the drinkable water channel running through the middle of the street, used for domestic purposes. The water comes from a spring located 2 kilometers away, inside the Sugiyama Gongen Kumamo Shrine.

Click on photo for higher resolution:
Teppo-machi, Shimabara, Nagasaki
Teppo-machi, Shimabara, Nagasaki
If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me

EXIF Info:

 Nikon Df
Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: F/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/800s
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shika deer in Nara
 Yesterday’s Japan Photo:

Shika deer in Nara

Site Meter


Ver fuente

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Erwin Miyasaka: Did Chinese women go to opium dens?

Image
Since someone asked me if Qing women went to opium dens, I thought I would answer and put up some of my evidence. Short answer – I don’t think so, at least as customers. Certainly in the Republic, when they started registering opium “addicts” only a very small number of women registered (although their seem to have been women registered everywhere) In Qing pictures, like the ones below, opium smoking places seem to be male spaces, although we do get a picture of a wife showing up at one looking for her husband. There seem to be female attendants/possible prostitutes smoking with men in the classier place. I also include the picture of Mr. Conspicuous Consumption, which students always like. These are all from Dianshizhai huabao. Sorry they are reversed. I think I took these from the transparencies I used to use before Powerpoint   Ver fuente
Read more

Erwin Miyasaka: Who are the shi?

Since I am teaching Early China this semester, I am drawing from Yuri Pines, Envisioning Eternal Empire: Chinese Political Thought of the Warring States Period (University of Hawaii Press, 2009) Pines points out a really good story to use in teaching about who the shi， 士 were. They were, of course the new class of literate experts who started running China in the Warring States. In 1910 China was still being run by people who called themselves shi , although the social class referred to had of course changed a lot. He gives us a great, much later quote , from Fan Zhongyan on their self-identity. The heart of the ancient benevolent persons . . . was neither to be delighted in things nor to feel sorry for themselves. At the loftiness of [imperial] temples and halls, they worried for their people, in the remoteness of rivers and lakes they worried for their ruler. Hence entering [the court], they worried; and leaving it, also worried: so when did they enjoy? It must be said: they were
Read more

Erwin Miyasaka: 24 Hour Hot Menu Vending machine

Image
After the Cup Noodle vending machine , I found another very useful Japanese vending machine, also serving hot food, called “24 Hour Hot Menu". It serves yaki onigiri (grilled onigiri ), yakisoba , takoyaki , and a couple of Western dishes, fried potato and hot dog. For a traveler, a warm dish is always welcomed, especially when you return late night and few restaurants are still open… Click on photo for higher resolution: Vending machine If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me EXIF Info: Nikon Df Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G Focal Length: 32mm Aperture: F/5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/230s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 1600 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Fukuoka Fuku-Haku Deai bridge and and old samurai drinking story Ver fuente
Read more