Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: minority

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.

French version

Page number: 1

Ezo

蝦夷蝦夷
alternative words: Emishi, Ainu
keywords: minority , northern territory
related topics: Ezochi , Nara period , Heian period , Sakanoue no Tamuramaro , Ezochi
related web sites: http://www.hi-net.ne.jp/~ma/ , http://yositune.ichinoseki.ac.jp/SATOK/idea/aterui.html , http://www.geocities.co.jp/SilkRoad-Desert/5231/
explanation: Old name of Ainu. Initially populated all Japanese archipelagoes, they had been gradually pushed away to the north. During Nara period, they were still living in Tohoku region and had repeated revolted agains Yamato court. Nevertheless, after a conquest of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro in the early Heian period, their revolts had ceased and their territory had been shrunk to Ezochi, i.e. actual Hokkaido. Ezo is a phonetic deformation of "enju" or "emchiu" in Ainu's language and means "man".

Hayato

隼人
alternative words: Hayato tribe
keywords: minority
related topics: Kumaso , Sumo , Nihonshoki , Nara period , Yamato dynasty
explanation: Minority living in south Kyushu until Nara period. According to Nihonshoki, the tribe stemmed from Hosuseri, brother of Hohodemi who is the grandfather of Jinmu. Contrary to Kumaso, they obeyed quickly to Yamato dynasty and served as guardians of the imperial palace. During a coronation or a visit of emperors, they imitated dog's barking. So, Hayato may have stemmed from south China where many minorities believe their dog's origin. Sumo originated from their custom, too.

Koropokkuru

コロポックル
alternative words: Kor pok kur, Koro pokkuru, Korobokkuru, Koro bokkuru
keywords: minority , northern territory
related topics: Ezo , Konjaku monogatari
related web sites: http://doo.hak.hokkyodai.ac.jp/museum/hakodate/kikaku/jyomon/402crobk.htm
explanation: Pygmies who appeared in Ainu's legend. They coexisted peacefully with Ainu but one day, their relation deteriorated and Koropokkuru went further to the north. Konjaku monogatari written during Heian period mentioned also the discovery of a tiny unmanned ship with a great number of oars like centipede on the shore of Niigata. Man has discovered rice fields of Jomon period with tiny foot prints in north Japan so such pygmies should really have existed. Koropokkuru means "those living under butterbur".

Kumaso

熊襲
alternative words: Kumaso tribe
keywords: minority
related topics: Nihonshoki , Nara period , Empress Jingu , Prince Yamatotakeru , Silla , Hayato
explanation: Minority living in south Kyushu until Nara period. Nihonshoki says that the 12th Emperor Keiko and his son Prince Yamatotakeru both conducted military missions in order to subjugate them. It also says that the 14th Emperor Chuai (husband of Empress Jingu) fought against Kumaso in the northern Kyushu because they had revolted against Yamato court by allying with Silla kingdom on Korean peninsula. They had been assimilated during Nara period and ceased to revolt.

Santan people

山丹人
alternative words: Santan tribe, Santanjin, Santan jin, Nivkhi, Nibuhi
keywords: minority , northern territory
related topics: Edo period , Ezochi , Matsumae domain , Kushunkotan
explanation: Different small people living on the delta of Amur river and the north of Sakhalin such as Nivkhi, Guiliyak or Orochin. During Edo period, they used to go down with small boats along Sakhalin coast in summer season to trade with Japanese at Kushunkotan. They brought not only leathers and feathers of animals but also rare Chinese clothes to exchange with Japanese sake or iron tools. This practice was called "Santan koeki" i.e. Santan trade.

Tsuchigumo

土蜘ツチグモ
alternative words: Tsuchigumo tribe, Ground spider
keywords: minority
related topics: Kofun period , Nihonshoki , Yamato dynasty , Ezo , Kumaso , Asuka period
explanation: Minority who had opposed a resistance to Yamato dynasty everywhere during Kofun period. Contrary to Ainu (Ezo) or Kumaso, they were not associated to any specific geography area. Nihonshoki says that the name stems from the fact they have a small head and long limbs, and living in caves. But it may not be a racial physiognomy but merely an intention to contempt them. They disappeared from Japanese history in the next Asuka period.
Page number: 1
6 articles extracted from postgresql database.