Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: locality

This is the online Japanese dictionary developed by Free Light Software. With our tool, you can find easily an equivalent Japanese word from English, or send queries to Japanese search engines without knowing Japanese translation. Click on a Japanese word to browse in Japanese search engines. Click on a globe icon to find the position of a locality on Japanese map (maybe take a few seconds to display). The dictionary of Japanese general terms is available at Online Japanese dictionary.
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Dazaifu

太宰府
alternative words: Dazai-fu, Dazai fu
keywords: locality
related topics: Asuka period , Rebellion of Fujiwara no Hirotsugu , Heian period , Tenjin , Kamakura period , Invasion of Mongols
related web sites: http://www.dazaifutenmangu.or.jp , http://www.city.dazaifu.fukuoka.jp
explanation: After the political center of Japan moved to Kinki, Kyushu still remained important due to its proximity to the continent. For that reason, a special place, Dazaifu, for the administration of the whole Kyushu and an entrance of foreigners was created in 7th century. Its director, "Dazai no sotsu" had a rank of minister. Though since Heian period, he stayed in Kyoto and sent his aid, "Shoni" instead, Dazaifu remained important: Mongols tried in vain to conquer it during Kamakura period.

Dejima

出島 出島
alternative words: Deshima, Dejima island
keywords: locality
related topics: Edo period , Sakoku
related web sites: http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/dejima/
explanation: Small artificial island built inside Nagasaki harbor in 1634. Initially served as the trading post of Portuguese merchants, after their expulsion from Japan, Dutch merchants were moved there from Hirato harbor in 1641. During Sakoku period which spanned between 1639 and 1853, it had been the unique place where western merchants were allowed to trade with Japanese. Dejima means "jutting island"

Edo

江戸
alternative words: Tokyo
keywords: locality
related topics: Tokugawa Ieyasu , Edo period , Shogun
related web sites: http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp , http://www3.justnet.ne.jp/~tamio-enomoto/ , http://www.gojyaku.com/tabi/edo/edo-top.htm
explanation: Located at the bottom of Tokyo bay and mouths of many rivers, Edo had been a privileged place of human activities such as temple town Asakusa and Edo castle built by Oota Doukan in 1457. But the real growth of Edo began with the arrival of Tokugawa Ieyasu to Edo in 1590 and his nomination to shogun in 1603. Each seigniors being forced to stay at Edo every 2 years, it became quickly a great consumer city of 1 million population. Edo changed its name to Tokyo in 1868.

Ezochi

蝦夷地
alternative words: Ezo-chi, Ezo chi, Land of Ezo, Land of Ainu, Ezo domain, Ainu domain
keywords: locality , northern territory
related topics: Edo period , Ezo , Mogami Tokunai , Mamiya Rinzo , Matsuura Takeshiro , Matsumae domain , Hakodate bugyo
related web sites: http://www.komonsan.on.arena.ne.jp/htm/tokusyu12.htm , http://www.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/hokkaido/mukashi/nenpyo.html , http://www.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/collection/hoppo/
explanation: In a narrow sense, it designates actual Hokkaido but more general sense, it does all the lands where Ainu were living. For example, during Nara period, it begins from actual Tohoku region but, later, from Muromach period its border embraced actual Hokkaido, Sakhalin and Kuril. During Edo period, this term had been synonymous to Matsumae domain because it is this family who governed those lands.


Heiankyo

平安京
alternative words: Heian-kyo, Heian kyo, Capital Heian, Heankyo, Hean kyo, Capital Hean, Kyoto, Kyo no miyako
keywords: locality
related topics: Emperor Kanmu , Heian period , Taira no Kiyomori , Minamoto no Yoritomo , Onin war , Toyotomi Hideyoshi , Kebiishi
related web sites: http://japan.park.org/Japan/Kyoto/info/shimizu/home.html , http://www.heiankyo.co.jp , http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/kyoto/heian.html
explanation: Built by Emperor Kanmu in 794 following Chinese capital "Choan" as model and remained as capital during more than 1000 years until 1869 excepting a short period of Fukuhara-kyo by Taira no Kiyomori. Its size is 5.3km from north to south and 4.6 km from west to east. After the opening of Kamakura shogunat by Yoritomo, its political role had greatly diminished. During Onin war of Muromachi period, most of the districts had been burned out but restored later during Hideyoshi's period.

Heijokyo

平城京 奈良の都 奈良
alternative words: Heijo-kyo, Heijo kyo, Capital Heijo, Heijo capital, Hejokyo, Hejo kyo, Capital Hejo, Nara, Nara no miyako
keywords: locality
related topics: Nara period , Nagaokakyo , Fujiwara no Fuhito
related web sites: http://www.gns.ne.jp/eng/cael/sketch/heijokyo/heijokyo.htm , http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~DS3S-OOMR/kodai/asuka/heijo_toin.htm
explanation: Capital of Japan between 710 and 784. It was built by Empress Genmei, following Chinese style architectural plan. Its size is 4.7km from north to south and 4.3 km from west to east and each district is separated by straight roads running from north-south and west-east directions. The imperial palace was at the center in extreme north. After the move of Japanese capital to Nagaoka, all the districts had been deserted excepting for Buddhist temples like Todaiji and Kofukuji.

Kushunkotan

久春古丹 大泊
alternative words: Kushun-kotan, Kushun kotan, Korsakov, Ootomari
keywords: locality , northern territory
related topics: Edo period , Ezochi , Matsumae domain , Santan people
explanation: Created in 1679 by Matsumae, it has become the biggest trading post on Sakhalin island during Edo period. It was open only during summer to trade with Ainu and Santan people. There were some hundreds Japanese sojourning there in summer and most of them left the island at the beginning of each autumn. In 1806, a Russian frigate attacked the trading post to burn out warehouses. The town was called Ootomari between 1905 and 1945. The actual Russian name is Korsakov.

Nagaokakyo

長岡京
alternative words: Nagaoka-kyo, Nagaoka kyo, Capital Nagaoka, Nagaoka
keywords: locality
related topics: Heijokyo , Heiankyo , Emperor Kanmu
related web sites: http://www.city.nagaokakyo.kyoto.jp , http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/kyoto/nagaokakyo.html
explanation: When Emperor Kanmu surprisingly decided to leave Nara in spite of an opposition, he chose Nagaoka because 3 rivers joining there, it seemed an ideal place to build a capital. But after the move to Nagaoka in 784, a flood demolished the main gate of his palace and Nagaoka's weak point was discovered. In order to avoid a discontent of the people which might ask the return back to Nara, Kanmu immediately gave up Nagaoka-kyo and moved the capital to Kyoto in 794.

Sakhalin island

樺太 唐太 サハリン 北蝦夷
alternative words: Sakhalin, Saghalian, Sagalian, Karafuto, Karafuto island
keywords: locality , northern territory , russia
related topics: Matsumae domain , Kushunkotan , Shimoda treaty , Saint Petersburg treaty , Portsmouth treaty
related web sites: http://www.karafuto.com
explanation: Sakhalin is a very long (1000 km) but narrow (200 km in its largest extent) island located between Japan and Russian maritime territory. It is separated from the continent by a narrow strait of 6 km width and for that reason, first, westerners thought it should be a peninsula. During Edo period, Matsumae exploited the southern part of Sakhalin with Kushunkotan as its center. The 3 successive treaties, i.e. Shimoda (1855), Saint Petersburg (1875), Portsmouth (1905) changed the ownerships of Sakhalin.

Shiranushi

白主
alternative words: Shira nushi
keywords: locality , northern territory
related topics: Ezochi , Kushunkotan
explanation: Situated at the extreme south of Sakahlin island near cap Nishinotoro (cap Crillon) facing Soya strait (La P�rouse strait), Shiranushi had been the second trading post after Kushunkotan. When the latter closed at the end of summer, Japanese moved from Kushunkotan to Shiranush and remained there until the end September then left Sakhalin because the snow will begin to fall and all the activity cease in Sakhalin.
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