#Kamatari Fujiwara

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[eclecticpjf]

Now watching:

The Hidden Fortress (1958, dir. Akira Kurosawa)

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[chernobog13]

Poster for the Akira Kurosawa film The Hidden Fortress (1958).

This film is often touted as one of the influences on George Lucas when he wrote Star Wars (aka A New Hope for you young 'uns).

The story is about two peasants, Tahei and Matashichi, who end up assisting a disguised princess and her loyal general escape from hostile territory.

The peasants, best friends although they constantly bicker, are obvious the influences for C-3PO and R2-D2, while the princess became Leia and the general Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Toshiro Mifune gets top billing, and he gives his usual commanding performance, but this is really Tahei and Matashichi's film. Aside form the connection to Star Wars, it's still a great adventure movie, and well worth watching.

[sonimage1965]

Kamatari Fujiwara

Tokyo Twilight

dir. Yasujiro Ozu

1957

[citizenscreen]

Birthday remembrance - Kamatari Fujiwara #botd

[porquevi]

"Os sete Samurais" (Shichinin no samurai) - cinema.

Clássico de Kurosawa em cópia restaurada, exibido em 4K, no cinemarquise aqui na cidade. Já vi nesse cinema "Os Bons Companheiros", sessão de clássicos. Fiquei sabendo da exibição por acaso, a divulgação é muito fraca. Já vi esse filme algumas vezes, em VHS e DVD, mas essa deve ser a primeira vez no cinema.

depois de ver: acredito que nunca de verdade tinha assistido ao filme. o tamanho da TV não lhe faz justiça. merece uma tela maior. é um espetáculo.

[spryfilm]

Blu-ray review: “Seven Samurai” (1954)

[randomrichards]

THE LOWER DEPTHS (1957):

In decaying shack

Residents cope with the slumps

Search for any hope

[kyotodreamtrips]

This is the thirteen-story wooden pagoda of Tanzan jinja in Sakurai-shi, Nara-prefecture. It was built in 1532 and is a reconstruction of the structure built by Jo'e in the Asuka Period.

[bearbench-img]

フジワラノカマタリ

藤原鎌足（ふじわらのかまたり）は、奈良時代の政治家で、藤原氏の祖とされています。生年は不詳ですが、645年に大化の改新を推進し、天智天皇の信任を受けて大きな影響力を持ちました。鎌足は、中央集権体制の確立や律令制度の整備に貢献し、国家の基盤を築く重要な役割を果たしました。また、彼の子孫は藤原氏として権力を握り、日本の歴史において長い間影響を与えました。鎌足は、政治的手腕だけでなく、文化や教育の面でも重要な功績を残し、後の時代に大きな影響を与え続けました。彼の死後、藤原氏は日本の政治において重要な地位を確立しました。

手抜きイラスト集

[coolmika745]

I found some information that I want to share about Amenokoyane and the clans that he is the ancestor of; so, I am going to translate two of the paragraphs.

Who is Amenokoyane?

This is the god who performed a special prayer in front of Ama-no-Iwato Cave, and is the god of prayers. He also accompanied Ninigi's descent from Heaven. His descendants became the Nakatomi clan, and Nakatomi no Kamatari (later Fujiwara no Kamatari), the Fujiwara clan reached its peak of prosperity. The Onakatomi Clan, head priests of Ise Grand Shrine's inner shrine, are also descendants of Amenokoyane. The Nakatomi clan is a family whose job is to mediate between the and people. It is also believed that they became the Nakatomi because they act as an intermediary between the gods.

Kotodama Faith

The scene where Amenokoyane offers prayers in front of Ama no Iwato is said to be the root of Kotodama belief. Kotodama is a divine spirit that resides in the mysterious power and function of words. You say, ``Words helped me.'' Words that act on our hearts in various ways have an impact on our hearts, for better or for worse. Kotodama belief is based on the idea that ``words have a soul and have great power,'' and it is said that words such as prayers are said to be the strongest kotodama. In that sense, chanting prayers can be thought of as an event that uses the power of words to bring good fortune and ward off misfortune. It may sound exaggerated, but it may be possible to move the world through the power of words. Amenokoyane, who has the power of words, may be the strongest god.

The Urabe Clan were descendants of Amenokoyane two, but the page doesn't mention them.

[whencyclopedia]

Fujiwara Clan

The Fujiwara Clan (Fujiwara-shi) was a powerful extended family group which dominated all areas of Japanese government during the Heian Period (794-1185). Founded by Fujiwara no Kamatari in 645 CE, male members held on to key official positions, many acting as regents to the emperor, and ensured their daughters married into the imperial line. By the 12th century CE, Fujiwara power declined as successive emperors abdicated in favour of their own chosen heir while still maintaining their hold on power in retirement. The Fujiwara were ultimately replaced by the rival Taira and Minamoto clans.

Fujiwara no Kamatari

In the 7th century CE the court official Nakatomi, later to become Fujiwara no Kamatari (614-669 CE), became a useful ally to Prince Naka no Oe, and together they staged a coup in 645 CE which deposed the powerful Soga clan who had hitherto dominated government positions and were threatening to usurp the power of the emperor. A series of political reforms were then initiated, known as the Taika Reforms (Taika No Kaishin). These reforms were based on the Chinese model of strong central government and they nationalised land, reorganised the court ranking system, forbade the ownership of unauthorised weapons, and attempted to root out corruption. When the Prince became Emperor Tenji (661-671), he gave Nakatomi and his descendants the surname Fujiwara and made him his special minister.

Kamatari's son Fubito (aka Fuhito, 659-720 CE) married the daughter of Emperor Mommu, and his four grandsons each formed the four branches of the Fujiwara clan: Nanke (Southern House), Hokke (Northern House), Shikike (Ceremonials House), and Kyoke (Capital House). The Fujiwara line was now firmly established and they would keep a tenacious grip on power as they not only dominated policy and government bodies such as the household treasury office (kurando-dokoro) and Council of State but also managed to marry off their daughters to emperors.

Further weakening the royal position was the fact that many emperors took the throne as children and so were governed by a regent (Sessho), usually a representative of the Fujiwara family. In total there would be 21 Fujiwara regents from 804 CE to 1238 CE. Even when the emperor reached adulthood, he was still advised by a new position, the Kampaku, which ensured the Fujiwara maintained their influence. To guarantee this situation was perpetuated new emperors were nominated not by birth but by their sponsors and encouraged or forced to abdicate when in their thirties in favour of a younger successor. Thus, for example, between 858 and 956 CE there were 10 different emperors. As a consequence, key Fujiwara members could act as regent to three or four successive emperors in their own lifetime.

Continue reading...

[erstwhile-punk-guerito]

[mrscottdavis]

Filmmaker-A-Month: Akira Kurosawa- Day 18

The Hidden Fortress (1958) Kakushi-toride no san-akunin Director: Akira Kurosawa Writers: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni, Ryûzô Kikushima, Cinematographer: Kazuo Yamazaki Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara Seen before: No

[fistfuloflightning]

Just discovered an Edo period genderbent version of Beren and Luthien—The fable of Tamatori-hime 玉取姫 "Princess Jewel Taker" and the Tide Jewels:

The legend of Princess Tamatori (Tamatorihime), or Ama, developed around the historical figure Fujiwara no Kamatari (614–69), who was the founder of the powerful Fujiwara clan. Upon Kamatari’s death, the Tang dynasty emperor, who had received Kamatari’s beautiful daughter as a consort, sent three priceless treasures to Japan in order to comfort his grieving lover by honoring her father. One of the treasures, a pearl, was stolen by the dragon king during a storm on its way to Japan in the inlet of Fusazaki. Kamatari’s son Fujiwara no Fuhito (659–720) went in search of the pearl to the isolated area where he met and married a beautiful pearl diver named Ama, who bore him a son. Ama, full of love for their son, vowed to help recover the stolen pearl. After many failed attempts, Ama was finally successful when the dragon and grotesque creatures guarding it were lulled to sleep by music. Upon reclaiming the treasure, she came under pursuit by the awakened sea creatures. She cut open her breast to place the pearl inside for safekeeping the resulting flow of blood clouded the water and aided her escape. She died from the resulting wound but is revered for her selfless act of sacrifice for her husband Fuhito and their son.

and

The story of Princess Tamatori, which was highly popular in the Edo period. In this story, Tamatori is a modest shell diver who marries Fujiwara no Fuhito of the Fujiwara clan, who is searching for a pearl stolen from his family by Ryūjin, the dragon god of the sea. Vowing to help, Tamatori dives down to Ryūjin's undersea palace of Ryūgū-jō, and is pursued by the god and his army of sea creatures. She cuts open her own breast and places the jewel inside; this allows her to swim faster and escape, but she dies from her wound soon after reaching the surface.

It’s very reminiscent of Beren stealing a silmaril from Morgoth on behalf of his love Luthien, and being pursued by Carcharoth to his death even though he returned with one of the silmarils in hand (literally…)