2009/11/06|
Hi, this is TOMEKO. I missed you readers just as much as you missed me! Some people, especially the older ones, have a strong tendency to lament over the "corruption of the language," or at least it is the case here in Japan. I believe it it true in your country, too. There is of course only a very very fine line between a "corruption" and a mere change that naturally and inevitably occurs in the language with the passage of time. Now, I do not want to believe that I belong to the "older" category, but the Japanese language is definitely rolling down on the way to a total corruption nowadays. You wouldn't know what "Rekijo" means in Japanese even if you'd been studying the language for a number of years, since this word is a rather new addition to Nihongo, coming into use a couple of years ago. "Rekijo" is a compound term spawned from the combination of "Rekishi" which means "history" and "Joshi" which means "girls," and "Rekijo" refers to girls that take a great interest in Japanese history, reading about it and visiting historic sites around the country. Now, what I can hardly stand is this sort of Japanese compound terms that very often come into being and go out of it soon enough. I am a girl and I like history, however. So I guess I am a "Rekijo" after all. Now, here is something you are bound to love if you love Japanese history. Revoltech Sengoku Basara Series No.079 Date Masamune  This is one of the fascinating characters out of the "Sengoku Basara", or "Devil Kings" as it is better known in the English speaking countries, a video game set in the age of provincial wars. This video game is one of a kind, where historical figures are depicted to be unrealistically powerful and funny characters. Masamune Date, in this game, is a rather dangerous guy brandishing 6 swords at a time, shouting "Let's party!" The game is just hilarious, so I recommend you give it a play in case you haven't yet. Please be careful not to confuse the world of the game with real history, though.  As you can see, they don't call it an "action figure" for nothing. You can make it pose as you like, even in such ways that real Masamune would never have posed. The variation is infinite! It is time to learn a bit about this Masamune Date, for what he really was historically. Born in the northern part of the Japanese main island of Honshu in 1567, he grew up to be one of the best-known warring lords. Although a famous legend has it that he had lost one of his eyes to smallpox as a child, he seems to have had in fact both eyes intact for his lifetime, judging by his portraits and wooden figures. He succeeded in grabbing the reigns of his family at the age of 18, and led his tribes to conquer and rule over local ruling families. By the time he was just about to be ready to start to dominate the whole country, however, Hideyoshi Toyotomi had already gained control of Japan, to the dismay of Madamune who, realizing that his military strength was no match for that of Yoshihide, had no other choice but to join 'em rather than try to beat 'em. Masamune advanced to the status of domain lord of Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, under the Tokugawa regime, but I don't know if it was a satisfying position for some as ambitious as Masamune. As with many other historial figures, his life is full of anecdotes, some credible, some not so credible. If you are interested, why don't you take a look into his life in greater details? Here is something that many people tend to associate Masamune with. Masamune Date Kabuto  This is a plastic model of Kabuto, or a samurai warrior helmet. His was famous for the simbol of crescent moon attached to the front of the helmet. I don't know what practical purpose the simbol was supposed to serve, but it sure does look cool! See you around, folks! TOMEKO |
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