Wasshoi Magazine

21/09/2024

‘Falling Thunder and Flooding Rivers
The Disasters Portrayed in the Karmic Origins of Tenjin’

‘On a spring day in the year 903, Sugawara no Michizane passed away at his humble residence in the southwestern borderland of the country. He had been demoted and sent there in exile from the Heian capital after his political enemies, from the powerful Fujiwara 藤原 clan, framed him for treason. Michizane would have remained an obscure Heian courtier who, among others, fell from grace in political struggles, were it not for a series of catastrophes and ill-fortunes that would befall the imperial court and, as literature scholar Stanleigh Jones puts it, ‘catapult him to a far more illustrious place in Japanese history and popular culture’.’

By:
Fengyu Wang
Discover more about ‘Falling Thunder and Flooding Rivers
The Disasters Portrayed in the Karmic Origins of Tenjin’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #7

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_7/26

The uncontrollable and frightening presence of natural catastrophes in Japan is one of the main subjects in its literature, movies, prints, paintings, and much more. This edition presents eleven contributions which analyse the impact of natural disasters on the Japanese society between the 10th and....

12/08/2024

‘Falling Thunder and Flooding Rivers
The Disasters Portrayed in the Karmic Origins of Tenjin’

‘Lightning strikes at the imperial palace!
Breaching the roof, a thunder deity descends on black clouds. Raising his drumsticks in both hands, he blasts the space with thunder on the drums flanking him either side. Lightning bolts are unleashed in crooked, flaming strikes with gold flares. The courtiers flee and perish – one is struck down and thrown into the air, relinquishing his bow and arrows, wielded in vain defence; another, falling onto his back, has his face catch fire, his official cap tumbling and his hair queue wavering; others, too, succumb one after another, scattering around a raised tatami-mat in disarray.’

By:
Fengyu Wang

Discover more about ‘Falling Thunder and Flooding Rivers
The Disasters Portrayed in the Karmic Origins of Tenjin’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #7

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_7/26

The uncontrollable and frightening presence of natural catastrophes in Japan is one of the main subjects in its literature, movies, prints, paintings, and much more. This edition presents eleven contributions which analyse the impact of natural disasters on the Japanese society between the 10th and....

10/07/2024

‘“Memories” of Earthquakes Natural Disasters in Heian Literature’

‘The Kokinwakashrū is not an easy text to understand. Where the difficulty lies is that ‘loving someone other than you’ does not clearly connect with the ‘waves washing across the mountaintop’. Why should the sea break over Sue if the speaker is unfaithful to his (or her) beloved?
There is no doubt that this is a love poem. Consequently, we can easily assume that waves washing across the pine-grown mountaintop at Sue is something that will never happen. In other words, according to this interpretation, if I fall in love with someone other than you, the sea will rise up over the mountain; but since that will never happen, I will only ever love you.’

Discover more about ‘“Memories” of Earthquakes Natural Disasters in Heian Literature’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #7

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_7/8

By: Yukiko Fujii

The uncontrollable and frightening presence of natural catastrophes in Japan is one of the main subjects in its literature, movies, prints, paintings, and much more. This edition presents eleven contributions which analyse the impact of natural disasters on the Japanese society between the 10th and....

07/07/2024

‘“Memories” of Earthquakes Natural Disasters in Heian Literature’

‘The Kokinwakashū, compiled in 905, contains 13 ‘Eastern poems’ composed in the Eastern provinces (now the Kantō and Tōhoku regions). This one belongs to the seven Michinoku poems, Michinoku being a province located on the Pacific side of modern-day Tōhoku. Its administrative centre was located in modern-day Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tagajō fort. That area has now become the city of Tagajō, while the remnants of the fort have been turned into a sightseeing spot. There is a small hill in Tagajō. Some believe it to be the ‘pine-grown mountaintop’ of Sue referenced in the poem. It is located approximately 2km inland, close to the sea at Sendai Bay.’

Discover more about ‘“Memories” of Earthquakes Natural Disasters in Heian Literature’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #7

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_7/8

By: Yukiko Fujii

The uncontrollable and frightening presence of natural catastrophes in Japan is one of the main subjects in its literature, movies, prints, paintings, and much more. This edition presents eleven contributions which analyse the impact of natural disasters on the Japanese society between the 10th and....

03/06/2024

‘100 Years Great Kantō Earthquake: A Brief Historical Overview’

‘The earthquake of 1923 also acted as a �catalyst for the growing mass consumerism and entertainment. The reconstruction of the capital propelled massification in society. The term taishū or mass was often used in both theoretical discussions and everyday news, and referred to ‘the techniques of mass production, distribution, and consumption.’ The effects on culture were clearly visible as a promising future was presented in various media such as film, gramophone, magazines, advertising, etcetera. The newly built brick buildings with neon lights in Ginza, the first subway system (1927) running from Asakusa to Ueno and Ginza, and the introduction of the radio (1925) only confirmed such progress.’

Discover more about ‘100 Years Great Kantō Earthquake: A Brief Historical Overview’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #7

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_7/6

By: Aurele Baele

The uncontrollable and frightening presence of natural catastrophes in Japan is one of the main subjects in its literature, movies, prints, paintings, and much more. This edition presents eleven contributions which analyse the impact of natural disasters on the Japanese society between the 10th and....

28/05/2024

‘100 Years Great Kantō Earthquake: A Brief Historical Overview’

‘1 September 2023 marked the centenary of the Great Kantō Earthquake. This disaster struck Tokyo and its immediate surroundings just about a minute before noon on September 1, 1923. Buildings and housed were destroyed and many lives lost by the powerful destructive force of the earthquake. That was not the end. Charcoal and gas stoves were burning to prepare the lunch all over the city. Fires brook out in multiple places as these stoves tumbled in the collapsed wooden buildings. However, it was not only stoves. Chemicals and a dense network of electrical wires also played a role.’

Discover more about ‘100 Years Great Kantō Earthquake: A Brief Historical Overview’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #7

By: Aurele Baele

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_7/6

The uncontrollable and frightening presence of natural catastrophes in Japan is one of the main subjects in its literature, movies, prints, paintings, and much more. This edition presents eleven contributions which analyse the impact of natural disasters on the Japanese society between the 10th and....

04/04/2024

Shinjuku Station: An Historical Guide to the World’s Busiest Railway Terminal

‘Today, Shinjuku Station is a sprawling complex. The excitement of Ryūtanji’s vortex has been replaced by the uneasiness of traversing Shinjuku’s labyrinthine network of passages and exits. Rather than dynamism, the station is associated with getting lost, equated to a dungeon by some commentators. Despite this, the centrality of Shinjuku to Tokyo’s transport network and its popularity as an entertainment centre make it unavoidable. The station’s magnetism attracts a diverse group of users: commuters, shoppers, youth in search of entertainment, and those seeking escape on their way home from work.’

Discover more about ‘Shinjuku Station: An Historical Guide to the World’s Busiest Railway Terminal’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #6

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_6/82

By: Brian Rogers

One last contribution from our previous issue: Wasshoi! 6

Read Wasshoi! Magazine #6 by Wasshoi! Magazine on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

01/04/2024

Shinjuku Station: An Historical Guide to the World’s Busiest Railway Terminal

‘Since its founding in 1698, Shinjuku has been defined by the movement of people and goods. Asakusa merchants established the town as a ‘new post station’ (shinjuku, 新宿) at the fork of the Kōshū and Ōme highways. Similar post-stations outside other major entrances to Edo, like Senju-juku, Shinagawa-juku, and Itabashi-juku, had already proven to be lucrative enterprises. Processions of daimyo travelling to and from Edo, under the Shogun’s system of alternate attendance, formed a steady supply of customers. However, workers transporting goods along these roads were at the core of the post station economy.’

Discover more about ‘Shinjuku Station: An Historical Guide to the World’s Busiest Railway Terminal’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #6

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_6/82

By: Brian Rogers

One last contribution from our previous issue: Wasshoi! 6

Read Wasshoi! Magazine #6 by Wasshoi! Magazine on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

11/03/2024

‘Guten Appetit!: The Expatriate Tastes of Japan’

‘‘Vegetable korokke コロッケ, fried to a golden crisp, with mashed potato patty inside, still soft and glutinous, suffusing the air with leguminous aromas; teriyaki salmon, grilled on both sides, only slightly over medium well so that the soy-saucy, saccharine flavours can fully infuse into its tender core; kara’age 唐揚げ fried chicken, greasy, juicy, soft and chewy, a lemon quarter at your disposal; a burger patty, made of tofu, carrots, and crunchy lotus roots, covered in mushroom sauce. All the main dishes are carefully laid upon fresh lettuce leaves, adorned with extra greens. White rice is sprinkled with the furikake ふりかけ seasonings of dried plums and seaweed.’’

Discover more about ‘Guten Appetit!: The Expatriate Tastes of Japan’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #6

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_6/70

By: Fengyu Wang

Read Wasshoi! Magazine #6 by Wasshoi! Magazine on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

07/03/2024

‘Guten Appetit!: �The Expatriate Tastes of Japan’

‘Shortly before noon on an otherwise uneventful Thursday, a minivan pulled over into a small opening on the newly renovated Bergheim Campus of Heidelberg University. A Japanese vendor opened the trunk and set up a table full of bento boxes simply in front of her vehicle. The prices ranged from €7.50 to €9 back in 2019, plus 50-cent deposits for the plastic trays. What was offered was nothing more than common domestic dishes one could find in the recipe books of most Japanese families. Bento INAHO 弁当いなほ, simply known on the campus as ‘the Japanese bento’ immediately became the most popular source of delight among the Thursday lunch goers.’

Discover more about ‘Guten Appetit!: The Expatriate Tastes of Japan’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #6

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_6/70

By: Fengyu Wang

Read Wasshoi! Magazine #6 by Wasshoi! Magazine on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

13/02/2024

‘Ricchezza riflessa: �Nippon Connection 2023 e To the SUPREME!’

‘Se c'è una consapevolezza in grado di sconfortare chiunque sia appassionato di cinema, è quella inerente all'impossibilità di accedere facilmente a produzioni che si discostano dal mainstream. Si tratta di un problema diffuso, che influenza anche il cinema orientale. In Giappone, difatti, è altrettanto complicato vedere in sala pellicole dai contenuti più ricercati e intimisti, perché gli esercenti preferiscono puntare su cavalli più sicuri, che siano il blockbuster americano di turno o l'anime del regista commerciale del momento.’

By: Christian Esposito

Discover more about ‘Ricchezza riflessa: �Nippon Connection 2023 e To the SUPREME!’

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_6/60

Read Wasshoi! Magazine #6 by Wasshoi! Magazine on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

31/12/2023

On behalf of the Wasshoi! team we are proud to announce the publication of our new magazine: Wasshoi! Interdisciplinary Magazine on Japan #7.

https://www.wasshoimagazine.org/magazine/issue7-winter-202324

This publication is our second thematic issue dedicated entirely to natural disasters. The uncontrollable and frightening presence of natural catastrophes in Japan is one of the main subjects in its literature, movies, prints, paintings, and much more. This edition presents eleven contributions which analyse the impact of natural disasters on the Japanese society between the 10th and the 21st centuries. As usual, our content spans over different disciplines, such as literature, politics, art, sociology, history, gender studies and more. Enjoy reading the magazine!

20/12/2023

‘Kanji: It’s Not That Bad’

‘Kanji, to put it simply, are immense. There are actually over 50,000 kanji in total, but in reality, you only need to know 2136 kanji to survive in Japan. These 2136 kanji are known as the ‘daily use kanji (jōyō kanji 常用漢字)’. Each kanji has its own distinct meaning, with most having a Chinese reading (on’yomi) and a Japanese reading (kun’yomi), and some even having multiple of each. However, there is no need to know all the readings for every kanji, as some are used less often than others. Kanji usually make sense. As long as you know the readings of a kanji, you can understand it without any problem; but things are not always so simple.’

Discover more about ‘Kanji: It’s Not That Bad’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #6

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_6/48

By: Dominique Jenkins

Read Wasshoi! Magazine #6 by Wasshoi! Magazine on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

19/12/2023

‘Kanji: It’s Not That Bad’

‘Kanji haven’t always looked the way they do now, nor did they originate from Japan. Their use can be traced way back to ancient China, namely the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BCE). When the ancient Chinese wanted to communicate with the gods, they would poke a metal rod on the underside of a turtle's shell, apply a heat source, and then a scribe would record the cracks that appeared, along with the accompanying result. These cracks were said to be the answers to the topic of divination at that time; as well as messages from the gods.’

Discover more about ‘Kanji: It’s Not That Bad’ in Wasshoi! Magazine #6

https://issuu.com/wasshoimagazine/docs/wasshoi_magazine_6/48

By: Dominique Jenkins

Read Wasshoi! Magazine #6 by Wasshoi! Magazine on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!