Ancient Japanese Research Articles

M\xf6ssbauer and Raman characterization of ash produced by burning ancient buried Japanese cedar and investigation for its unusual color tone

Mössbauer and Raman spectroscopic characterization of colored ash samples made by combustion of ancient buried Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) was carried out, and the factors governing the color tones were investigated mainly in terms of the chemical species of Fe. The ash samples displayed various unusual colors, depending clearly on the individual ancient tree and the part of it. Some of Mössbauer spectra of the ash samples showed magnetic hyperfine splittings due to internal magnetic fields. The Mössbauer and Raman spectra suggested that the primary Fe-containing species in all the ash samples was calcium ferrite, Ca2Fe2O5.

An origami-inspired dynamically actuated binary switch

Origami, the ancient Japanese art of folding paper to create esthetic sculptures, has recently emerged in the scientific literature as an innovative means to build mechanical structures with tailorable properties. Along those lines, the Kresling origami pattern has been used to design and construct bi-stable bellows with tailorable stiffness. In this work, we exploit the inter-well dynamic behavior of such bellows to develop and characterize a cluster of mechanical binary switches that can be selectively operated using a single input. This input is in the form of a harmonic resonant excitation with a pre-selected frequency and magnitude applied at the base of the switch. Using a phenomenological model of the switch, we study its nonlinear dynamic behavior and approximate its activation frequency bandwidth. We also demonstrate that multiple binary switches of different geometric characteristics can be combined to create a mechanical memory board of multiple bits placed on a single harmonically excited platform.

Critical transitions in the shape morphing of kirigami metallic glass

Kirigami, the ancient Japanese paper cutting technique, has been applied to achieve high stretchability and low energy loss of designed metallic glass. Despite the exploration of the underlying deformation mechanism of kirigami-inspired structures from the energy point of view, the morphable responses of the kirigami patterns and the origin of the kirigami response are yet to be fully understood. This study reveals the mechanical driven-forms of the kirigami structure with the corresponding deformation stages. Based on the beam deflection theory, the elastic buckling behavior of kirigami metallic glass is manifested and a critical force prediction model is developed. Moreover, a force concentration parameter is introduced in the rigid-plastic deformation stage, predicting the nominal ultimate force. The kirigami-inspired facture force is firstly proposed. The findings of these models are in good agreement with the experimental size-dependent kirigami responses, and expected to provide significant insights into the understanding of the deformation behavior and the design of kirigami metallic glasses.

일본 중학교 역사교과서에 나타난 고대 한·일 관계 기술의 분석 －｢渡來人｣, ｢歸化人｣ 관련 기술을 중심으로－

일본 중학교 역사교과서에 나타난 고대 한·일 관계 기술의 분석 －｢渡來人｣, ｢歸化人｣ 관련 기술을 중심으로－

Manipulation of mechanical properties of monolayer molybdenum disulfide: Kirigami and hetero-structure based approach

The two-dimensional monolayer structure of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is widely used in the advanced flexible electronic devices due to their unique mechanical, physical, and electronic properties. The main disadvantage of MoS2 is the limited mechanical strain, which restricts its application in flexible and stretchable devices. Therefore, it is required to develop various methods to modify the mechanical behavior of MoS2 monolayer depending on the environmental situation and the complexity of real applications. In this investigation, we have incorporated Kirigami and hetero-structure approaches for the manipulation of the mechanical behavior of MoS2. Kirigami is an ancient Japanese art of paper cutting. Monolayer MoS2 with circular/square/rectangular Kirigami pattern have simulated under uniaxial tensile load using molecular dynamics simulation. We observe that the stretch-ability (mechanical strain) significantly enhanced by the shape/size and location of Kirigami pattern during uniaxial tensile deformation. However, strength (mechanical stress and Young's modulus) of MoS2 can be enhancing by creating a hetero-structure with graphene. A large number of simulations have been performed to explore stress/energy distribution, Young's modulus, the effect of temperature, and strain rate during load applications. We believe that our results will provide extensive information related to enhancement in the mechanical strain and strain toward the application in flexible devices.

Philology for an Enchanted World: Motoori Norinaga and the Study of Japanese Language and Literature in Early Modern Japan

Abstract This article focuses on a pioneering figure in the philological study of language and literature in early modern Japan, Motoori Norinaga 本居宣長 (1730–1801). In his studies of Japan’s “ancient Way,” Norinaga describes the correct understanding of the syntactical elements of the ancient Japanese language as a way to restore a lost sense of the world as enchanted, the abode of powerful presences known as kami. For Norinaga, the study of Japan’s ancient literature and language was thus situated within a broader interpretive framework. This article will show how philology contributed to the configuration of this framework as the method by which the disciplined individual was empowered to retrieve a lost sense of enchantment. As such, it takes the position that Norinaga’s philological restoration of enchantment is best understood as a re-enchantment, an attempt to transcend (early) modern disenchantment.

НАПИТОК БОГОВ В ПОВСЕДНЕВНОЙ И ПРАЗДНИЧНОЙ КУЛЬТУРЕ ЯПОНЦЕВ

The subject of research is sake – traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage. The purpose of the arti-cle is to determine the role of sake in Japanese culture, to identify the ideas, national stereotypes, and a system of values behind it. The relevance of the study is determined by the symbolic value of gastro-nomic culture as a means of identifying an ethnic group. The national cuisine of any nation is formed under the influence of various factors: natural and geographical features of the area, type of civilization, and fundamental cultural values. Its analysis allows us to come closer to understanding more global issues of identity formation, preservation and translation of cultural heritage, and features of national thinking. Due to its semiotic functions, food can serve as a symbol in various life situations. Using a specific set of products endowed with cultural meaning, the nation retains its original features. Thus, gastronomic culture reveals traits of a national character and contributes to the preservation of cultural identity. Sake is a ritual beverage with a thousand-year history, a concentrate of cultural meanings that identify a person and society in their inextricable relationship. For centuries it has been part of the life of almost every person in Japan, has inspired forms of conduct and ways of thinking because of its importance in rites commemorating everything from birth to death. Sake is more than a drink taken to enjoy. It also serves a vital social purpose at the defining moments in life. The author has analyzed sake as a sacred beverage, mentioned in the ancient Japanese Chroni-cles, showed its close connection with Shinto rituals, determined the role in the everyday and festive culture of the Japanese. Belief in the divine nature of sake is rooted in ancient myths and legends. Tolerant attitude towards the drunk in Japan also goes back to ancient rituals. Turning to literary sources and Japanese phraseology made it possible to significantly expand the research base and to reveal the totality of ideas about sake in the worldview of native Japanese speakers. The main methods of work are conceptual and contextual analysis, lingvocultural commentary, implemented in the methods of classification and systematization of material. Аnalysis of numerous examples made it possible to explicate the spiritual, sacred significance of sake, to conclude that in the Japanese worldview it is more than just an alcoholic drink, it is associated with ideas that encompass the entire sphere of a person’s life: life, death, work, family, generational communication, change of seasons. As a cultural marker sake carries culturally significant information and serves as the most important means of understanding cultural identity.

식민지 조선의 고대사 연구와 일본 신도

식민지 조선의 고대사 연구와 일본 신도

An improved Simulated Annealing algorithm based on ancient metallurgy techniques

Simulated Annealing (SA) is a single-solution-based metaheuristic technique based on the annealing process in metallurgy. It is also one of the best-known metaheuristic algorithms due to its simplicity and good performance. Despite its interesting characteristics, SA suffers from several limitations such as premature convergence. On the other hand, Japanese swordsmithing refers to the manual-intensive process for producing high-quality bladed weapons from impure raw metals. During this process, Japanese smiths fold and reheat pieces of metal multiple times in order to eliminate impurities and defects. In this paper, an improved version of the SA algorithm is presented. In the new approach, a population of agents is considered. Each agent conducts a search strategy based on a modification of the SA scheme. The proposed algorithm modifies the original SA incorporating two new operators, folding and reheating, inspired by the ancient Japanese Swordsmithing technique. Under the new approach, the process of folding is conceived as a compression of the search space, while the reheating mechanism considers a reinitialization of the cooling process in the original SA scheme. With this inclusion, the new algorithm maintains the computational structure of the SA method but improving its search capacities. In order to evaluate its performance, the proposed algorithm is tested in a set of 28 benchmark functions, which include multimodal, unimodal, composite and shifted functions, and 3 real world optimization problems. The results demonstrate the high performance of the proposed method when compared to the original SA and other popular state-of-the-art algorithms.

Himiko and Yamatai: A New Synthesis on the Emergence of the Ancient Japanese Monarchy

The recent discovery of a complex of large-scale buildings at the Makimuku site in the southeastern Nara basin, together with advances in dating the construction of the Hashihaka tomb and thereby the start of the Kofun period through typological analysis of triangular-rimmed mirrors along with 14C dating of relevant sites using native dendrochronologically based calibration, plus the analysis of Han period mirror distributions based on their dates of production, combine with renewed understandings of documentary materials for the period preceding the Wei Chronicle’s account of Himiko and Yamatai to provide a more detailed image of the conditions attending the emergence of the earliest pan-regional Japanese monarchy, now understood as based in Yamato, around the start of the third century A.D. Focus turns next to an even earlier hegemony which made a diplomatic overture to the Han dynasty at the start of the second century. Questions about the nature of that prior event and its leader indicate that debate over Kyushu versus Yamato as locus of the earliest political alliance in Japan, while apparently settled with regard to Himiko, is reborn with a new set of players.

Combating Starvation: Comparing Agrarianism, Ethics, and Statecraft in the Legend of Shen Nong and in Andō Shōeki’s Thought

This article examines different ways agrarian thought has been interpreted and employed by ancient Chinese and early modern Japanese philosophers to criticize and attempt to limit the state’s power, and, in at least one case, to try to strengthen it. It analyzes the manner in which arguably the most fundamental human activities of farming, weaving, and governing have been conceptualized in a normative way, and the extent to which thinkers and statesmen in these East Asian historical contexts debated their correct interrelation. The state’s critics were deeply concerned about the tragic occurrence of death by starvation during their ages, and by the conditions that allowed it to happen. They identified and advocated certain ethical values and political measures they believed would mitigate and help prevent this avoidable circumstance. Conversely, the state’s supporters appropriated agrarian thinking to demonstrate how the sovereign’s control of the realm and its subjects could be significantly enhanced by strategically apportioning the land in a particular way. Lastly, both groups of thinkers sought unity, ethically or geopolitically (or both), but they conceived of this ideal in contrasting ways.

Ґендер у Країні сонця, що сходить (за дослідженнями російських японістів). Частина 1

The gender situation in the cosmogonic myths of the peoples of Japan is considered on the example of mythopoetry of the Ryukyu region, as well as the influence of these myths on the gender balance of the old Ryukyu societies both before Christ era and from its beginning up to the 19th century. The researcher E. Baksheev, based on the achievements of N. Nevsky – the founder of the Russian School of Japanese Studies, as well as his colleague A. Sadokova, reconstructed the role of a woman in the ancient Japanese society on the example of mythopoetry of the Ryukyu region. The chronicles «Records of Omorho Songs» (1532 – 1623), «Records about the path of the Ryukyu gods» (1603 – 1606) by the Japanese monk Taytyu: Rio: teya, «The Mirror of the Generations of Thu: Dzan – the Kingdom of the Ryukyu» (1650), «The Genealogy of Thu: Dzan» (1697 – 1701, 1874), «The Rite of the High Priestess» (1875) were the sources of the research. In the Japanese society, before the Meiji Revolution, at all social levels of its organization, along with a man who had socio-political and economic power – from the head of the house to the head of the rural community and, further, to the regional ruler and the king – there was a priestess (a relative and mainly a sister). Her functions were to rely on the authority of the leader spiritually and ritually, relying on the deities’ «will». The kings of Ryukyu were forced to rely on mediation of the priestesses so that siji (shōjo magic power) would come from the Other (parallel) light to protect the throne and the prosperity of the state in this light. In those old times, the status of such a priestess was even higher than that of a male ruler who ruled on her behalf. The Russian specialists on Japan define such a structure of power as diarchy («dual power»), and the system of government as theocratic. In the terminology of Japanese researchers, the theocratic system of government is called as the policy of «unity of worship and governance». In the XIII – XIV centuries the local and regional rulers were put under the control of the King Ryukyu. The priestesses also lost their independence and had to obey the High Priestess from the royal family. A single secular and religious power was divided into the highest (court) and lower (local) levels. A special feature of the Ryukyu mythology is the late records of the texts with preservation of many archaic motifs and their «applied», frankly social and political biased character. One of the main tasks of such myths was consecration of the status of the ruling elite and the magical assertion of its high status to support the current social hierarchy. «The Records of Omoro songs» (a poetic anthology in 22 volumes, which includes 1,553 old ritual priestly chants), as well as «The Records about the path of the Ryukyu gods» were not completed as in the early 17th century the Kingdom of Ryukyu became the target of aggression from the Japanese clan Satsuma and was under its indirect control. The following chronicles were created under different ideological supervision, which, however, did not change their essence. Also in the period of the 9th – 14th centuries, as an exception, the rare images of a female warrior appeared, and then disappeared in the 16th – 19th centuries before the Meiji Revolution, being replaced massively by the disenfranchised Japanese women – the wives of samurai, peasants, artisans and merchants. After the Meiji revolution in 1879, the government of Japan established the Okinawa prefecture.

일본어 수동표현의 변화양상 - 8~10세기 고대어를 중심으로(1) -

This paper, for the description of the aspects of the Japanese passive sentences, will first provide statistics on the distribution of the usage of the predicate verb of RARU form and the types of verbs used in the passive style, focusing on data from the 8th to 10th centuries. The Japanese passive sentences indicate an Inanimate-Subject or an Animate-Subject influenced by something or someone resulting in an action or an effect, regardless of the subject's will. In the case of the passive Inanimate-Subjects, although the concrete noun comes to the subject in the same way, many subjects in verses are natural things while they are artifacts like boats and shrines in proses. In relation to the meaning of “meiwaku (inflection)” of Inanimate-Subject passive, in the ancient Japanese language, it means “lucky (Megumi)”, “neutral”, and “meiwaku”. This confirms that the meaning of “damage” is not caused by structural characteristic such as Intransitive passive.

Architected Origami Materials: How Folding Creates Sophisticated Mechanical Properties.

Origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, is not only an inspiring technique to create sophisticated shapes, but also a surprisingly powerful method to induce nonlinear mechanical properties. Over the last decade, advances in crease design, mechanics modeling, and scalable fabrication have fostered the rapid emergence of architected origami materials. These materials typically consist of folded origami sheets or modules with intricate 3D geometries, and feature many unique and desirable material properties like auxetics, tunable nonlinear stiffness, multistability, and impact absorption. Rich designs in origami offer great freedom to design the performance of such origami materials, and folding offers a unique opportunity to efficiently fabricate these materials at vastly different sizes. Here, recent studies on the different aspects of origami materials-geometric design, mechanics analysis, achieved properties, and fabrication techniques-are highlighted and the challenges ahead discussed. The synergies between these different aspects will continue to mature and flourish this promising field.

Creating modern designs for narrow interior spaces inspired by the art of origami

When it comes to design our homes, which have a limited space, we are looking for all available means to successfully furnish the house, despite its limited space, so it is imperative to reach the smartest solutions for furnishing this house. These solutions would be conducive to getting the most out of small spaces, and it is preferable to use furniture pieces that are convertible from one function to another so that the furniture pieces perform more than one function, while taking a small space in the house. The multi-use furniture is the result of effective and innovative solutions in the field of interior design to the problem of small living space in light of the population growth and the financial crisis facing the world and the tendency of countries to horizontal expansion which is the acquisition of pieces of furniture that can be transformed from one shape to another or from one job to another in line with the modern style using the art of origami in order to achieve several objectives, including solving the problem of small spaces and making good use of them in addition to adding an aesthetic touch to the interior space, and this is done using the art of origami. Origami is an ancient Japanese art that means forming paper to make three-dimensional models using techniques of folding and carving and combining these techniques with various paper shapes to create composite designs. From the standpoint of emphasizing the role of the interior design in finding solutions for limited spaces, the idea of research came to conclude ideas for multi-use and convertible designs that serve narrow interior spaces using the art of origami.

Rediscovery of marine culture from the ancient Japanese literature “Nihon Eitaigura” by Saikaku: “Snapper” and “Boat racing” at a Nishinomiya-Ebisu shrine

Rediscovery of marine culture from the ancient Japanese literature “Nihon Eitaigura” by Saikaku: “Snapper” and “Boat racing” at a Nishinomiya-Ebisu shrine

ВЕРХНИЕ СЛОИ СКАЗАНИЯ О ДВУХ БРАТЬЯХ И МОРСКОЙ И ГОРНОЙ УДАЧЕ КАК ИСТОЧНИК ПО ИСТОРИИ ЮГО-ЗАПАДНОЙ ЯПОНИИ ПЕРИОДА ПОЗДНЕГО ЯЁЙ

В статье анализируются сказания Южного Кюсю, в которых сохранились сведения о путешествии предка династии Ямато в заморскую «страну морского бога» и покорения им народа хаято, обитавшего в Сацума и Осуми. Исследователи пришли к выводу, что эти верхние слои сказания, судя по ряду признаков, относятся к периоду позднего яёй и являлись в это время событием ещё не столь отдалённого прошлого. Кроме того, как установили учёные, понятие подводный мир по представлению древних японцев было синонимом любого места на море очень удалённого от суши.Установлено, что описываемые в сказании события должны были происходить на рубеже II-III вв. н. э. По сообщению китайских династийных историй, в это время в Японии закончились «великие замешательства» (60-е - нач. 70-х гг. II в.), связанные с созданием федерации Нюй-ван-го в северном Кюсю во главе с правительницей Бимиху, а в годы Гуан-хэ (178-184 гг.) случился мятеж противников Бимиху, которые (судя по археологическому материалу) могли бежать в Южный Кюсю. Среди них, видимо, был отец двух братьев – главных героев сказания. Получается, что путешествие в «страну морского бога», описанное в сказании, могло произойти в начале III в.Локализация дворца Тоё-тама-хйко и Тоё-тама-химэ (предков рода Адзуми-но мурадзи) по сказанию находившегося «на далёком острове» определена как местность Тоё-тама на островах Цусима (описанных в китайских источниках как владение Дуйма-го). Сказание о Тоё-тама-хйко и Тоё-тама-химэ, правивших вдвоём «на далёком острове», отражало реальную ситуацию с организацией власти в виде диархии верховной жрицы-правительницы и мужчины-соправителя (яп. химэ-хико) в юго-западной Японии в I-III вв., что подтверждается китайскими и корейскими летописями. Описание дворца Тоё-тама-хйко совпадает с описаниями дворцов местных правителей юго-западной Японии в китайских династийных историях.Таким образом, группа сказаний о путешествии Хйко-хохо-дэми в страну Тоё-тама-хйко (находившуюся на далёком острове) является смутным воспоминанием общинников Южного Кюсю о контактах с населением островов Цусима и общинами северо-западного Кюсю III в. In this article, the legends of the Southern Kyushu, in which data have remained on the travel of the ancestor of a Yamato dynasty to the overseas “country of sea god” and conquest by him of the Hayato people, living in Satsuma and Osumi, are analyzed. Researchers have come to a conclusion that this the upper layers of the legend, judging by a number of signs, belong to the period late Yayoi – and were the event not of the so remote past at this time. Besides, as scientists have established, the concept of “underwater world”, on representation of ancient Japanese, was synonym of any place at the sea, very remote from land.It is established that the events described in the legend had to take place at the turn of the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. According to the Chinese dynastic histories, at this time in Japan have ended “great disorder” (60’s - early 70’s of the 2nd century), related with creation the Nü-wang-guo federations in northern Kyushu led by the woman-ruler Bimihu; and in Guang-he years (178-184) has happened the mutiny of opponents to Bimihu who (judging by archaeological material) could run to the Southern Kyushu. Among them, probably, there was the father of two brothers – the main characters of the legend. In result, the travel to “the country of sea god” described in the legend could take place in early 3rd century.Localization of the Toyo-tama-hiko and Toyo-tama-hime palace (ancestors of the Azumi-no muraji clan), according to the legend, being “on the far island” – is defined as Toyo-tama area on the islands of Tsushima (described in the Chinese sources as Duima-guo community). The legend on Toyo-tama-hiko and Toyo-tama-hime governing together “on the far island” reflected the real situation with the organization of power in the form of diarchy of Supreme priestess-ruler and male co-ruler (Jap. hime-hiko) in southwest Japan in the 1st-3rd centuries AD that is confirmed by the Chinese and Korean chronicles. The description of the palace Toyo-tama-hiko coincides with descriptions of palaces of local rulers of southwest Japan in the Chinese dynastic histories.Thus, the group of legends on the travel of Hiko-hoho-demi to the country Toyo-tama-hiko (which was on the far island) is Southern Kyushu community members’ vague reminiscence about contacts with the population of the Tsushima islands and communities of northwest Kyushu in the 3rd century.

日本 古辭典 雜考 - 고사전과 일본어

日本 古辭典 雜考 - 고사전과 일본어

Kirigami-Inspired Highly Stretchable Nanoscale Devices Using Multidimensional Deformation of Monolayer MoS2

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, such as MoS2, are greatly attractive for flexible devices due to their unique layered structures, novel physical and electronic properties, and high mechanical strength. However, their limited mechanical strains (<2%) can hardly meet the demands of loading conditions for most flexible and stretchable device applications. In this Article, inspired from Kirigami, the ancient Japanese art of paper cutting, we design and fabricate nanoscale Kirigami architectures of 2D layered MoS2 on a soft substrate of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using a top-down fabrication process. Results show that the Kirigami structures significantly improve the reversible stretchability of flexible 2D MoS2 electronic devices, which is increased from 0.75% to ∼15%. This increase in flexibility is originated from a combination of multidimensional deformation capabilities from the nanoscale Kirigami architectures consisting of in-plane stretching and out-of-plane deformation. We further discover a ...

上代語における完了化辞「つ・ぬ」の差異と下接語

上代語における完了化辞「つ・ぬ」の差異と下接語