tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81116271004157032242024-03-13T21:05:10.394-07:00samurai actionBlog that covers samurai and samurai related subjects. Famous historical samurais, movie reviews, definitions of words used in movies.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-20745443975379141952013-09-28T09:13:00.000-07:002013-09-28T09:13:13.087-07:00Lyle Anderson - samurai spiritAs some of you know, for the past 16 months, I have been recovering from spinal cord injury, which left me temporarily paralyzed, and made for my goal, to be able to run a 5K run. I'm at the point where I can walk a 5K - but the motion of running is something I can't do, yet.<br />
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Today, on AOL's everday health page, I read a story of Lyle Anderson, who was diagnosed with MS almost seven years ago. This year, he will be competing in the Ironman Championship in Kona, Hawaii. <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/multiple-sclerosis/lyle-anderson-ms-patient-compete-ironman.aspx?xid=aol_eh-ms_8_20130923_&aolcat=AJA&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl12%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D382858" target="_blank">Click here</a> for his inspiring story. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-11912372471284432612013-09-23T22:19:00.002-07:002013-09-23T22:19:55.143-07:00Official Executioner for the Shogunate?I've always read that the position of official executioner for the Bakufu was a fictional position, thought up by Kazuo Koike, for the manga, <em>Lone Wolf and Cub</em>.<br />
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However, I am reading a book titled, <em>Behind the Face of Japan</em>, which is another post in itself as it was originally written in 1934, and revised in 1942, that mentions the last of the official executioners, but not by name, so I couldn't research it through that means. <br />
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However, coming across this tidbit of information has generated curiosity in my part to further research this subject more. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-75068732421511172312013-09-19T08:56:00.003-07:002013-09-19T08:56:46.972-07:00Zombies and ninjasI just finished writing a short story about zombies attacking a commuter light rail train in Los Angeles, and the ninja, <em>Kaze no Katsumi </em>(which turns out to be my alter-ego, in the story) has to save the commuters.<br />
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It is available on Amazon Kindle. Please check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FAI38YM" target="_blank">Zombie Brawl, or Rants and Raves of a MAss Transit Commuter the Day the Zombies Attacked the Train</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-40177973187049864812013-08-18T10:45:00.000-07:002013-08-18T10:45:17.180-07:00Anime: InuyashaThis is more of a teen-age girl fantasy/romance, but it does take place during the Sengoku era.<br />
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It's one of the most popular animes from Japan. It lasted for almost 200 episodes, and the manga, I think, went on for about 12 years.<br />
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Although the series had been going on for years, and ended a couple of years ago, I recently found a dvd of the first 54 episodes and I got hooked. <br />
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Basically, the plot is about a 15 year old girl who time travels back to the Sengoku era. Apparently, she is the reincarnation of a priestess, who fights demon, but was killed. She resurrects a half-demon young man who wants to be a full-fledged demon. But in the ensuing battle, she shatters a gem that has magical powers. The entire series is about collecting all the fragments of the gem - for use - good or evil, depending on who gets hold of the whole gem.<br />
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As I write this, I realize it is pretty in-depth. Here is the wiki to the story: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InuYasha">Inuyasha</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-3418487644543349352013-08-01T09:56:00.000-07:002013-08-01T09:56:16.517-07:0047 Ronin movie with Keanu ReevesI just saw the trailer for 47 Ronin and this is worse than Frank Miller's 300. At least that movie had a connection to the <span dir="auto">Battle of Thermopylae (as fictionalized as that was). This movie has nothing to do with the revenge killing of Lord Kira for the forced seppuku of Lord Asano. </span><br />
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<span dir="auto">I'm sure it will be an enjoyable film, as I enjoy the movies of both stars, Keanu Reeves and Hiroyuki Sanada. But really, did they have to title the movie, 47 Ronin?</span><br />
<span dir="auto"></span><br />
<span dir="auto">Normally, in a post like this, I would link to the preview, but I'm not going to do it for this one - Unless they change the title. </span><br />
<span dir="auto"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-70546022145798781192013-07-16T21:09:00.000-07:002013-07-16T21:09:19.491-07:00The Last Samurai - The Tom Cruise movieI actually remember the call for extras when this movie was being made. Then I remembered the critisism by some Japanese Americans who felt that an Asian actor should play opposite Cruise since it was an American picture. <br />
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Truth be told, I would love to see Asian-Americans play Asian-Americans rather than Asian-Asian actors playing Asian-Americans. But this movie was about the transition of Japan from the Shogunate government to a Constitutional Monarchy - so to have Japanese actors play Japanese-Japanese was no big deal to me.<br />
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As for the movie - I liked it a lot, despite the inaccurate and the unbelievable. <br />
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The main inaccuracy was that the final battle scene was that the Imperial Army fought with modern weapons and the rebels only used swords and arrows. In reality, whether it was the Boshin War, or the skirmishes between the new government and old Shogunate diehards after the war, both sides fought with guns and cannons and other modern weapons.<br />
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Then there was the unbelievable. Tom Cruise, during those few months of captivity, can handle a katana to duel Hiroyuki Sanada, who has trained all his life, to a draw.<br />
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Then there was Tom Cruise surviving the final battle - but that was a given - you need Cruise's character to tie up the loose ends. But this was kind of worse because before going off to battle, the movie lies to the viewer - but it was the quality of the acting that made it so, too. I knew Tom Cruise would survive the battle, but for a moment, before they went off, I thought he was going to die - the send off was really poignant.<br />
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All movies have unbelievable parts, so in that respect its no different - the sign of a good movie is that it can pull off those unbelievable, illogical moments - and this one did - I liked the action - the ninja invasion was as well choreographed as any chambara movies made in the seventies. Not only that, but the swords used by the ninja and samurai were accurate - ninjas used the staright blade with the square swordguard and the samurai used the curved blades with the round swordguard. The chemistry betwen the actors was good also. <br />
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I saw the film three times at the theatre, and three or four times on tv since. I really do enjoy the movie, but I wouldn't show it to a class on Japanese history as a truthful depiction of that period of transition.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-16618273006607507872013-07-09T20:16:00.000-07:002013-07-09T20:16:35.979-07:00The Yagyu Clan in fictionThe Yagyu clan served as minor officials during the Tokugawa reign, most notably as the fencing instructors to the Tokugawa clan. <br />
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In fiction, they have become a first family of samurai - good and bad - of sorts. <br />
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Two of the best known Yagyu clan members in pop fiction are Jubei and Retsudo.<br />
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Yagyu Jubei, son of Yagyu Tajima no Kami Munenori, considered one of the greatest swordsman in Japanese history, in pop fiction, is a bigger than life folk hero - as I was explaining this to a person, the reply was, "Oh, like Davy Crockett, but Japanese." The most iconic portrayal of Jubei, is of course, is by martial arts master, Sonny Chiba. In fact, although in Kill Bill, Chiba plays a character by the name of Hattori Hanzo (another larger than life historical figure Chiba is associated with), it is music from Chiba's Yagyu television series that plays in the background in a couple of the scenes.<br />
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The other famous Yagyu in pop fiction is Retsudo, who is the villian in the story series, "Lone Wolf and Cub." He has his sights set on the Yagyu clan being the controlling force of the Japanese government during the Tokugawa reign. His son is beaten out of the job of official executioner by Ogami Itto - The Yagyu clan, led by Retsudo frames Ogami as a traitor - Ogami is stripped of his title, and lives his life as an assassin pushing along a baby cart carrying his three year old son, Digoro. In the story, Retsudo is the youngest brother of Jubei. To be honest, I don't know if he actually ever lived. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-47357371227628993662013-07-08T21:32:00.000-07:002013-07-08T21:32:11.939-07:00The Vampire KageuraThis past weekend, I started another blog, titled, "The Vampire Kageura." It can be found at <a href="http://www.thevampirekageura.blogspot.com/">www.thevampirekageura.blogspot.com</a>. It is my thought process as I write the sequel to the novella, <u>Sword of the Undead</u>. It takes place in modern day Los Angeles. Kageura is set upon raising an army of vampires, and will once again battle Yagyu Jubei. It only has two entries thusfar, but please check it out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-40768761927932834382013-07-06T20:04:00.002-07:002013-07-06T20:04:35.847-07:00I'm BackA couple of months after my last post, I contracted meningitis, spent two months in the hospital, and the disease had left me temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Slowly, I started regaining movement, and had to earn how to walk again. I t's been six months since I last used a wheelchair, and three and a half months since returning it to the medical supply company that I had been renting it from. <br />
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Now, that I'm back, I'm planning on starting a couple more blogs, one a "sequel" to <u>Sword of the Undead</u>, title, "The Vampire Kageura," and another one which will focus on spinal cord injury. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-73942676534459451662012-02-15T20:52:00.000-08:002012-02-15T20:52:14.554-08:00Great Photo I found on pininterestHere is a great photo I found on pininterest, so I re-pinned it<br />
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<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/274508539756994295/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="678" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/128774870564610466_o4NsWZNN_c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="float: left; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;">Source: <a href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf9pf0MGQL1qakya1o1_500.jpg" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">27.media.tumblr.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/authorsteve/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Steve</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-20874936025060204312012-02-11T22:55:00.000-08:002012-02-11T22:55:42.384-08:00Sakamoto Ryoma Folk Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/bp879loDwM8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Sakamoto Ryoma is such a popular figure in the former Tosa domain, that there is a folk song about him. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-8073608653826627192012-02-09T22:03:00.000-08:002012-02-09T22:41:31.840-08:00Battle of SekigaharaThe Battle of Sekigahara was the one which would bring the Tokugawas into power, which they held onto for over 250 years.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UJgkmov4GqI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-75040154979806479202012-02-08T21:33:00.000-08:002012-02-08T21:33:44.613-08:00Sakamoto RyomaSakamoto Ryoma is one of the heroes of early modern Japan. He was one of the key figures during the struggles to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate. In his early political days, he was part of a movement to overthrow the Shogunate and supported Imperial rule. He went to Edo to assassinate a high ranking Tokugawa official by the name of Katsu Kaishu (an advocate of modernizing Japan in order to eventually repel the Western powers which had gained much influence in Japan), but instead became Katsu's protoge. Under Katsu's direction, and help from Western powers, he help build a modern navy that defeated the Shogunate navy. He was assassinated on his birthday, in 1867. The actual group that assassinated Ryoma is not (and probably will never be known), but most accounts assign the assassination to the shinsengumi. However, the Mimawarigumi (another group of samurai assigned to protect the Shogun's interest in Kyoto) took credit for the assassination. The following year, the Tokugawa Shogunate fell, directly related to Sakamoto's negotiations with the Shogunate to cede control to the Imperialists. <br />
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This period of Japanese history is very confusing. Although both the Imperialists and the Shogunates wanted the Western Powers to leave Japan, both sides seeked Western technologies, especially in weaponry. Sakamoto himself wanted the foreigners expelled, but also wanted to model a "new" Japan after the ideals set forth in The United States' Declaration of Independence - a Japan free of fuedal structure. As far as the struggles between the Imperial forces and the Shogunate, as enjoyable as Tom Cruise's movie, The Last Samurai was, it is an inaccurate portrayal of the two sides, as far as weaponry goes.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-35300749817725191292012-02-07T22:32:00.000-08:002012-02-07T22:32:28.668-08:00Samurai Photos- repostI posted this before, but recently came across it again on YouTube. Photos of samurai from the 1860's to the (ex-samurai) around 1880 or so.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/hSgAAlE_4oc/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hSgAAlE_4oc&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hSgAAlE_4oc&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-64401570106024253112012-02-06T19:49:00.000-08:002012-02-06T19:49:38.527-08:00ShinsengumiThe Shinsengumi was a group of samurais who were loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate. With more an more clans supporting the restoration of Imperial rule, the Shinsengumi "patrolled' Kyoto to protect the interest of the Tokugawas. This group is portrayed a lot in film, and depending on the perspective, are portrayed as either villians, or heroes. After the Meiji restoration, members of the Shinsengumi contined to fight Imperial rule.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-28799828373156095832012-02-05T21:04:00.000-08:002012-02-05T21:04:10.754-08:00Time to start posting againI will try and start posting again. I just completing a book on personal finance, titled, $10 a Day to $1,000,000. I hope to have this book out by the end of March, and no later than the end of April (cross my fingers). I'm not a financial planner by profession, but along the lines of I wanted to write a book that emphasized the importance of time and savings, and preparing for retirement at a young age.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-31910097507754244822011-01-09T21:51:00.000-08:002011-01-09T21:51:21.641-08:00Promotional video for the bookHere is a video promotion for the book by Danbowentv.<br />
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<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jzzUcPdkhkY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jzzUcPdkhkY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-59960907127338349842010-11-08T20:24:00.000-08:002010-11-08T20:24:48.144-08:00Food as a Link to the PastI attended the Japanes food festival in Los Angeles, CA on November 7, 2010. I realized how food is a link to the past. Take away the processed foods of modern times, and many of the foods we eat were eaten by our ancestors. The nigiri sushi in Japan is a rather young food - it might be the original fast food. During the Edo Period, Edo was a fast paced city and people wanted their food fast. Viola! the food vendors placed toppings (usually a slice of raw fish) on top of rice, wrapped it with a band of seaweed, and it was the pre twentieth century version of fast food. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-72058478022486742162010-11-06T09:09:00.000-07:002010-11-08T20:19:21.057-08:00Secret Passages Bookstore in Long Beach, CaliforniaSecret Passages is a new independent bookstore in the East Village Arts district of Long Beach, CA that specializes in horror/sci-fi/fantasy/anime. <br />
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If you are looking for a huge mega-store with everything under the sun, you won't get it here. What you do get is a small, inde shop, the type that makes for great browsing. I came across some interesting titles in the used section that are probably out of print. The owners are friendly and knowledgeable about the genre they represent.<br />
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Not only are they a retailer, but they are community minded and support literacy, and the owners love for this genre, and using that as a base to promote literacy is a great. I grew up reading comic books, and many times, I found words from the weekly vocabulary list from English class used in comics, and I'm sure reading comics helped develop in me, my love for reading and writing. <br />
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If you are in the area, visit them at 406 East 3rd Street, Unit A, Long beach, CA.<br />
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And now for the shameless self-promotion: I am a featured local author on their website.<br />
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Here is the link to the featured author page on their website:<br />
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<a href="http://www.secretpassagesbooks.com/?page_id=249">http://www.secretpassagesbooks.com/?page_id=249</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxLMlfJ0a38swaCh3lG1eIfdPv8lhpmpwf61ZnGGRZLta-VRJLFhD_ClZB3X5e19yxSqcIkwCv5sYSaZf_eqhPa_Ry1Ne3sOpTS4IBNW8L-ChkQAGI93-9hTa38gBHo7cUfllHKtf5FOg/s1600/sword+of+undead+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxLMlfJ0a38swaCh3lG1eIfdPv8lhpmpwf61ZnGGRZLta-VRJLFhD_ClZB3X5e19yxSqcIkwCv5sYSaZf_eqhPa_Ry1Ne3sOpTS4IBNW8L-ChkQAGI93-9hTa38gBHo7cUfllHKtf5FOg/s320/sword+of+undead+window.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-15392280820339037412010-10-18T21:21:00.000-07:002010-10-18T21:21:35.768-07:00Mongolian Invasions of Japan(1274 and 1281) Japan, having refused to become a tribute state under the Mongolian Empire, was ordered to be invaded by Khubilai Khan. In 1274, the Mongolians quickly overran two lightly defended small islands, and landed on Kyushu. They held the upperhand for most of the day, but at night, retreated back to their ships, thinking that the Japanese would be reinforced and thus, have the advantage in night fighting. A typhoon hit and many of the invading ships sunk. In addition, the Japanese counter attacked with smaller ships, setting the larger Mongolian ships on fire and also invading other ships for close hand to hand combat, in which the Japanese had the advantage.<br />
In 1281, the Mongolians invaded with a larger force with two waves. The first wave came from Korea, and found that the Japanese had worked on the fortifications. The first wave was boxed in at a small island. When the second wave arrived, they chose another landing point, and the Japanese fought them to a standstill for five weeks. At that point, a typhoon hit and sunk most of the Mongolian ships. Those Mongolians who didn’t drown reached land were eventually worn down by the Japanese in subsequent land battles.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-70796202660728606742010-10-17T18:11:00.000-07:002010-10-17T18:11:53.592-07:00Kane KosugiKane Kosugi is the son of Sho Kosugi who was a cross over martial arts action movie star in the United States. Moving to Japan as a teen-ager, he continued in his father's footsteps and is a martial artist and action movie star in Japan. He has had supporting roles in United States productions, such as Rush Hour III, and DOA. <br />
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Here is a clip from DOA:<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bmgANIlEIlE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bmgANIlEIlE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-78304738690823768542010-10-14T20:58:00.000-07:002010-10-14T20:58:30.892-07:00Sword CatchingThey always show it in the movies, but I just came across a video which shows a real life demonstration. Maybe it's so old because no one would dare do this anymore, except for someone featured on Stan Lee's Superheroes.<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/Qcm-9Jvn46c?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/Qcm-9Jvn46c?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-39842148217568729072010-10-13T20:37:00.001-07:002010-10-13T20:37:15.602-07:00Siege of Osaka Castle<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(1614 - 1615)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the Battle of Sekigahara, many clans on the losing side held grudges against the Tokugawas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was now retired, but still controlling the government through his son, and Hideyoshi’s son engaged in a feud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As news of the rift grew, many clans who opposed the Tokugawas came to the aid of Hideyoshi’s son, Hideyori.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several minor battles ensued, but Tokugawa finally trapped Hideyori and his followers inside the castle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tokugawa, then had his forces’ cannons aimed at the residence of Hideyori’s mother, who happened to be Tokugawa’s niece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A truce was signed, but soon afterward, Tokugawa had the moats covered, and stated that any new attempts of fortifying the castle would be considered breaking the truce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In September, 1615, skirmishes broke out again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hideyori had once force in front of the castle, one that flanked Ieyasu, and one inside the castle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Ieyasu’s forces got close enough to bombard the castle using the cannons, and when they got inside, they saw that Hideyori had committed seppuku.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-36477216718158502622010-10-11T21:20:00.000-07:002010-10-11T21:20:51.430-07:00Real Samurai PhotosThese are some photos of samurai from the end of the Edo period transitioning into the Meiji restoration. <br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hSgAAlE_4oc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hSgAAlE_4oc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111627100415703224.post-39063883242374770882010-10-05T21:29:00.000-07:002010-10-05T21:32:03.007-07:00Sonny ChibaSonny Chiba is well known in Japan as an action star actor, and also as a movie fight choreographer. In Japan, two of his most memorable roles are as Yagyu Jubei and as Hattori Hanzo. The Hattori Hanzo character got an American introduction in the movie, Kill Bill. Chiba's name also got revived as he experienced popularity here as the star of the 1970 movies of <u>the Street Fighter</u> movies.<br />
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Here is Sonny Chiba, along with regular co-stars Etsuko Shiomi and Hiroyuki Sanada in a scene from the film, <u>Shogun's Samurai</u><br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/axvcsc9Hes4?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/axvcsc9Hes4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448286933967154683noreply@blogger.com0