#kamakura🇯🇵

[mazzitak]

You know every time I came to Japan, I actually ended up here somehow. And all the prayers that I did became true. I already won the music award and plus more! So it’s a power spot to me🎉#travel #travelphotography #2022 #japan #traveljapan #kamakura #kanagawa #🇯🇵 #しらす丼 (at Kamakura - Great Buddha) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co4-Ow5rb1u/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tokyowalking]

Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan🇯🇵

[downfalldestiny]

Kamakura Koukoumae, Japan 🇯🇵 !.

[morporkian-cryptid]

🇯🇵Elliott's Japan Trivia Corner🇯🇵

Today we're gonna talk DISEMBOWELMENT! 😃👍

Just kidding. I'm actually going to talk more about the cultural stuff that goes around seppuku, not the actual swish-swish. (Still, CW for suicide and graphic description of death)

For those who aren't aware, seppuku (or hara-kiri) refers to the act of cutting open your stomach, then having someone behead you to shorten your suffering 👍 It was a ritual suicide practiced (mostly) by the samurai, from the Kamakura period (12th century) up until 1991. Yup, you read that right. Seppuku was officially outlawed in 19-fucking-91.

Did you know that, in the Edo era, so many samurai were doing seppuku after the death of their lord, that the government had to ban the practice for that specific case? Fun times.

🤔 So, when can you perform 🗡seppuku🗡 ?

The short answer is: any fucking time you have a problem! 🥳 Boss died? Seppuku! Disagree with landlord? Seppuku! Bowed to someone at the wrong angle and embarrassed yourself? SE-FUCKING-PPUKU!

This form of ritual suicide is meant to either avoid dishonor, or regain lost honor. And in the Edo era you lost your honor like you lost a spare sock.

👉 Originally it was mostly done by warriors in battle to avoid being captured by the enemy.

During the Edo era, after the constant internal wars of the Sengoku period had ended, samurai found themselves without a good reason to show how metal they were by slitting their own stomachs open, and so they invented a bunch of excuses to do it anyway.

👉 As mentioned above, it could be when your lord died and you became a rōnin (a master-less wandering samurai), which apparently wasn't as cool as it is shown in anime, and kinda sucked.

(see the famous story of Lord Asano and the Fourty Seven Ronin)

👉 You could also commit seppuku to formally state your disagreement to your lord. Yes, samurai in the Edo era really went "I recognize the council has made a decision, but given as it is a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to KILL MYSELF ABOUT IT."

That specific practice sometimes even involved taping up your stomach wound, going to see your lord, telling him (respectfully) how much his decision sucked ass, and then un-taping your wound and bleeding out all over his tatami floor.

👉 Seppuku wasn't always exactly a suicide. In fact, most of the people who committed seppuku in the Edo era where condemned to do it in punishment for an offense. It was considered a way for the samurai in question to redeem himself. In fact, sometimes the "cutting your stomach" part was skipped altogether, the knife was replaced with a symbolic fan, and the guy was just beheaded. That was especially the case for court-ordered seppuku, because you don't really want to give a knife to a criminal you're about to execute.

Speaking of 🔥Honor🔥, you know who else could be dishonored forever? The guy cutting off the samurai's head to shorten his suffering! If he did it wrong, he would bring dishonor on himself AND his family for the rest of his life.

That part of seppuku required great swordsmanship, as you were supposed to sever the spinal cord but leave a small strip of skin so the head would remain attached to the body (hello morbid details my old friends...). Because when you order your enemy to commit ritual suicide, the last thing you want is to be assaulted by his flying head. 👹

A little vocabulary clear-up: you've probably heard it called "hara-kiri" more often than "seppuku". In fact, both words mean "cutting the stomach" and refer to the same ritual practice, but seppuku is a formal word used mostly in writing, while hara-kiri is more familiar and used orally.

And to conclude, I am legally obligated to say: DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME! If you have a problem with your boss, resolve it like a mature adult by replacing all their pens with crayons.

[licacecato]

日本🇯🇵に到着 (at Kamakura) https://www.instagram.com/p/CozlyQZpdiF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[gianlucacantaro]

dream house forever 🤍 (t3 house in kamakura by @hitoshi_saruta_architect 🤍🇯🇵❤️) photo by #koichitorimura https://www.instagram.com/p/CkLtocQNlL0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[norbert-weber]

20201020 Bushi (Japanese 武士, also read as Mononofu), also Tsuwamono (兵), is the Japanese name for a member of the warrior class as it developed at the end of the Heian period. 🇯🇵 Initially, the Bushi were used as administrators in peripheral provinces to be secured militarily, but over time their influence increased and they became the second power next to the officials of the imperial court. 🇯🇵 With the establishment of the Shogunate in the Kamakura period, the Bushi became the most powerful group in the country, even if the Kuge nominally had a higher status at the imperial court. 🇯🇵 The Samurai class developed from the Bushi. 🇯🇵 Both terms were and are used in parallel to this day. 🇯🇵 The corresponding noble Bushi families are called Buke. 🌐 The Japanese term "Bushi-no-ichigon" means something like "The word of the samurai", the knightly word in the code of honor of the Japanese aristocracy; an expression that implies honor and truthfulness. 🌐 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj-z1wWKaNt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ialemus-blog]

Buddha 🇯🇵 @apple iPhone 7 Plus Telephoto Camera - 56 mm f2.8 12 MP • 3024 × 4032 • 2 MB #apple #appleiphone #iphone #iphone7plus #kamakura #japan #lovejapan #japantravel #kamakurajapan #dragon (at 鎌倉大仏 (Great Buddha of Kamakura)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjRrE91sfSn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[waka-sorahogiya]

本日より鎌倉出張 ⁡ 都内の早朝からの異常な暑さと、週末のお祭り騒ぎの雑踏ぶり、電車の運行の乱れっぷりに、往路は心が挫け気味でしたが ⁡ 鎌倉スタジオSeeSawさんで3時間鑑定会、第一日目つつがなく終了。 お陰さまで実り多い豊かな個人セッション。ありがとうございました☺️🙏🏼💓 ⁡ 心地よい夜風に吹かれてリフレッシュ、脱熱帯夜 ⁡ そうか、都内の空気が抜けないのは、夜の空気の入れ替えがないからなのねぇ、としみじみと実感 ⁡ そして2度目にして既に定宿🥰 ひとときの素敵ライフを満喫♪ ⁡ 残り2日間も張り切って参ります😉💪🏼🙏🏼💓 ⁡ #businesstrip #trainride #kamakura #ohmachijunction #summerbreeze #blissoftheday #magic #phenomena #wizard #witchesofinstagram #alchemist #alchemistjourney #sorahogiya #japan🇯🇵 #instagram #instadaily #tokyocameraclub #blueraychildren #イニシエート占星術 #宙星祝屋 #2022年 #Y2022 (at Ohmachi Junxion) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfOxt4yvzZZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fidjiefidjie]

Bonjour, bonne journée ☕️ 🧑‍🏫

Écoliers à Kamakura 🇯🇵 Japon

Photo Perso 1979

[itsmarjudgelove]

🇯🇵Great Buddha Of Kamakura

[tokyowalking]

Enoden railway line, Kanagawa Prefecture.

江ノ電の線路　神奈川県🇯🇵

Enoden, short for "Enoshima Electric Railway," is a private railway line in Japan that connects Kamakura and Fujisawa. It's known for its scenic route along the coast, offering picturesque views of Enoshima Island and the nearby beaches. Enoden is a popular tourist attraction and provides access to various cultural and natural landmarks in the Kanagawa Prefecture.

[zenkoisworld]

#nihon #japan #kamakura #kamakurajapan #япония🇯🇵 #камакура #日本 #鎌倉 #enoshima #江ノ島 Эносима - небольшой прибрежный остров, около 4 км в окружности, в устье реки Катасе, впадающей в залив Сагами префектуры Канагава, Япония. В административном отношении Эносима является частью материкового города Фудзисава и связана с секцией Катасе этого города с помощью 600-метрового моста. Остров около четырёх километров окружностью. Расположен в заливе Сагами в устье реки Катасэ, в 20 км от Иокогамы и в 50 км от Токио. Здесь расположены несколько ближайших к Токио и Иокогама песчаных пляжей, остров и прилегающая береговая линия являются центром местной курортной зоны. На этом острове расположены маяк со смотровой площадкой и святилище Эносима-дзиндзя в честь трёх синтоистских богинь, главное святилище богини Бэндзайтэн, одного из семи богов счастья. https://www.instagram.com/p/B8bIZV2i5m0/?igshid=1g3amf5tcxfd1

[lailac-firenze]

L’Agenzia Fiorentina BAIANA propone un viaggio in Giappone 🇯🇵 per il Capodanno 2023 che include un itinerario che va da Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kamakura per finire a Tokyo dal 28 dicembre all’8 gennaio con accompagnatore madrelingua italiana. La tariffa è € 3750 per persona in doppia e ai soci Lailac è riservato zaino e guida del Giappone in omaggio! Chiamate Baiana per qualsiasi informazione 📞 055242020 📧 prenotazioni@baiana.com @lailacfirenze @baianaviaggi #baiana #capodannoingiappone #lailac #giappone #viaggioingiappone #sitornaingiappone https://www.instagram.com/p/CixlP30LqLr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[drjulioduarte]

Kamakura Station, Japan 🚞💃🏼🇯🇵 https://www.instagram.com/p/ChsIfVwLwKAbakg6os4icEW93SqfSZkf8FHMPo0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[gwendolynlerman]

Discovering the world

Japan 🇯🇵

Basic facts

Official name: 日本国 (Nihon-koku) (State of Japan)

Capital city: Tokyo

Population: 123.2 million (2023)

Demonym: Japanese

Type of government: unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Head of state: Naruhito (Monarch)

Head of government: Fumio Kishida (Prime Minister)

Gross domestic product (purchasing power parity): $6.72 trillion (2024)

Gini coefficient of wealth inequality: 33.4% (medium) (2018)

Human Development Index: 0.920 (very high) (2022)

Currency: yen (JPY)

Fun fact: It is home to the oldest company in the world.

Etymology

The country’s name comes from Min or Wu Chinese pronunciation of the characters, which mean “sun origin”.

Geography

Japan is located in East Asia, southeast of South Korea and east of China, and is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.

There are three main climates: warm-summer humid continental on the northern island, hot-summer humid continental in the north of the main island, and humid subtropical in the south. Temperatures range from −2 °C (28.4 °F) in winter to 33 °C (91.4 °F) in summer. The average annual temperature is 15.4 °C (59.7 °F).

The country is divided into 47 prefectures (todōfuken). The largest cities in Japan are Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, and Sapporo.

History

300 BCE-300 CE: Yayoi culture

300-538 CE: Kofun period

538-710: Asuka period

710-794: Nara period

794-1185: Heian period

1180-1185: Genpei War

1192-1333: Kamakura shogunate

1274, 1281: Mongol invasions

1333-1336: Kenmu Restoration

1336-1573: Ashikaga shogunate

1568-1600: Azuchi-Momoyama period

1603-1868: Tokugawa shogunate

1868-1947: Empire of Japan

1868-1869: Boshin War

1869: Republic of Ezo

1894-1895: First Sino-Japanese War

1937-1945: Second Sino-Japanese War

1941-1945: Pacific War

1945: atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

1945-1952: Allied occupation

1952-present: State of Japan

Economy

Japan mainly imports from China, the United States, and Australia and exports to China, the United States, and the European Union. Its top exports are cars, food preparations, and alcohol.

It is very industry-oriented. Services represent 68.7% of the GDP, followed by industry (30.1%) and agriculture (1.1%).

Japan is a member of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the G7.

Demographics

Ethnic Japanese make up 97.7% of the population. The main religions are Shinto and Buddhism, practiced by 70.5% and 67.5% of the population, respectively.

It has a positive net migration rate and a fertility rate of 1.2 children per woman. 92% of the population lives in urban areas. Life expectancy is 84.8 years and the median age is 49.5 years. The literacy rate is 96%.

Languages

The de facto official language of the country is Japanese. Ainu is an indigenous language.

Culture

Traditional Japanese arts include calligraphy, lacquerware, origami, and the tea ceremony. Japanese people are hardworking, quiet, and very polite.

Men traditionally wear a wrapped garment with square sleeves (kimono), a wide cloth belt (obi), a jacket (haori), white socks, and wooden sandals (zōri). Women wear a kimono, an obi, white socks, and zōri.

Architecture

Traditional houses in Japan have wooden walls, wooden pointy roofs, and a garden.

Cuisine

The Japanese diet is based on fish, noodles, rice, seafood, and vegetables. Typical dishes include anpan (sweet rolls filled with red bean paste), gyūdon (rice with beef, onion, and soy sauce), misoshiru (a soup with miso paste, tofu, and vegetables), ramen (a noodle dish with broth, meat, and vegetables), and tonkatsu (breaded, deep-fried pork).

Holidays and festivals

Japan celebrates Coming of Age Day on the second Monday of January, National Foundation Day on February 11, Emperor’s Birthday on February 23, Vernal Equinox Day around March 20, Showa Day on April 29, Constitution Memorial Day on May 3, Greenery Day on May 4, Children’s Day on May 5, Marine Day on the third Monday of July, Mountain Day on August 11, Respect for the Aged Day on the third Monday of September, Autumnal Equinox Day around September 23, Sports Day on the second Monday of October, Culture Day on November 3, and Labor Thanksgiving Day on November 23. It also commemorates New Year’s Day.

Culture Day

Other celebrations include Awa Odori, which features choreographed dances; Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri, with wooden floats, and Sendai Tanabata Matsuri, when people write their wishes on strips of paper and hang them on bamboo leaves.

Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri

Landmarks

There are 25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island, Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area, Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration, Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region Himeji-jō, Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land, Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama, Itsukushima Shrine, Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape, Jōmon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan, Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun, Ancient Tumulus Clusters, Ogasawara Islands, Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region, Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, Shirakami-Sanchi, Shrines and Temples of Nikkō, Shiretoko, Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel Shipbuilding and Coal Mining, The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites, and Yakushima.

Itsukushima Shrine

Other landmarks include the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, the Ashikaga Flower Park, Daibutsu, Fushimi Inari Taisha, and the Hikone Castle.

Hikone Castle

Famous people

Ayako Fujitani - actress and writer

Haruki Murakami - writer

Hayao Miyazaki - movie director

Hideo Kojima - video game designer

Ken Watanabe - actor

Mari Osaka - tennis player

Naoko Takeuchi - manga artist

Shinki Kagawa - soccer player

Suzuka Nakamoto - singer

Yoko Ono - artist and musician

Suzuka Nakamoto

You can find out more about life in Japan in this post and this video.