Fusanosuke

黒船-- くろふね-- Black Ship
A generalizing term for Western ships arriving in Japan in the 15-19th centuries.

I remember this term because of the quite new manga magazine クロフネZERO (website), latest issue - クロフネZERO (ゼロ) Autumn 2009年 10月号. I remember that the publisher had specifically announced the reference to the Black Ship, though I cannot really recollect why it is important. This magazine is rather pretty, but has only 2 issues per annual.

長州五傑--ちょうしゅうごけつ--
were members of the Choushuu clan who studied in England from 1863 at University College London.  noteworthy is that at that time leaving Japan was still illegal under the policy of Japan's isolation.

I came across of this bit of historical information in the manga.  5 very dashing young Japanese men traveling to England.  They've got to wear European clothes and they look very smart in it )))))

長州ファイブ vol.1
長州ファイブ vol.2 by ユキムラ (Yukimura) - artist, 五十嵐 匠 (IGARASHI Takumi ) - author.

The Oooku (or often alternative romaji - Ōoku) is the location of the Edo Castle (江戸城,) reserved as living quarters for the women of the Shogun (将軍).
大奥 --おおおく-- (n) shogun's harem; palace's ladies chambers
大奥様 --おおおくさま-- (n) lady of the house
奥 --おく-- (n) interior; inner part; inside

Oooku was functioning as female quarters since 1607, established by Tokugawa Hidetada (徳川秀忠), and lasted for about 200 years.

What I find much more interesting is Alternative Universe (AU) manga featuring Japan under matriarchy with the males as the residents of the Oooku and a female shogun. A very smart setting and very interesting switch of gender roles. 大奥 (1) manga by よしながふみ (Yoshinaga Fumi).
My favourite ever double-page spread from this manga:

上様の!
お成り!
上様 --うえさま; うえざま; かみさま-- (n) (1) emperor; shogun; (2) honored person (honoured);
Just so amazingly fabulous! And in 2009 this manga got Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

It has been the practice in many Asian empires to give a special name to time eras. In contrast to China and Korea where the era calendars ceased to exist, in Japan this chronological scheme is still in use. Since 1867 (the ascension of the Meiji Emperor) naming of eras are standardize in such a way that with each new Emperor a new era launches.

My favourite era in Japanese history is Taishou 大正時代 --たいしょうじだい --1912-1926.


From my little knowledge about Japanese history [really minuscule knowledge to my shame] Taishou era seems to be the period full of new liberal thoughts, ideas of modernisation and progressive perspectives. It overlaps with Weimar Republic (1919-1933) in Germany; Great Prosperity of the US economy (after WWI till the Black Tuesday, 1929); Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement in India (1918-1924); 2 Russian revolutions of 1917; Lost Generation in literature and ragtime in the night clubs. Must have been very interesting time: still innocent before the massacre of WWII, but already poignant with opium of knowledge and freedom.


I really like the atmospheres of mangas that are set in the Taishou era; the mixture of kimonos and old-fashion cars; beautiful suits with bowlers and canes; boys in breeches with suspenders on iron bicycles; and Vienna-alike cafés with chocolate cakes. I adore the feeling of streets pulsation of those stories set in Taishou.