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Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 3What color were rice ears in the Yayoi period? Chibanosuke Guide They were growing rice in the Yayoi period, right? Aye, the Yayoi people cultivated the lowlands, built facilities to bring water to the fields, and then started paddy rice cultivation. But, recent research has revealed that rice was also cultivated during the Jomon period. Was rice in the Yayoi period different from rice we have today? Rice grain impressions left on Yayoi earthenware transferred with silicon Indeed. It seems that there were individual differences in the height and size of the ears of rice in

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 4A National Treasure Among Ruins! Chibanosuke Guide The Kasori Shell Mounds is a truly amazing site, isn't it? Yeah! I heard they’re some of the most important ruins in all of Japan. Entrance Stone of Kasori Shell Mounds Park Ho ho... you knew a lot! It's been designated a Special Historic Site. What’s a “Special Historic Site”? These are ruins within Japan that should be specially protected and known to all citizens. Are there many special historical sites? Nay. There are about 460,000 registered historical sites in Japan. There are only

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 5How Did Samurai Fight Back Then? Chibanosuke Guide How did samurai fight in those days? They mainly fought on horseback using bows and arrows. They’d ride toward the enemy, shoot an arrow as they passed by, and then ride off! Since the bow was held in the left hand, they guided their horse to keep the enemy on their left side for a better shot. Wouldn’t it be easier to just aim for the horse from the start? Eek?! Targeting the horse was, in truth, against the rules. So was aiming for the groom

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 6 Who Fought in the Taira no Masakado’s Rebellion? Chibanosuke Guide During Masakado’s rebellion, the imperial court didn’t send out its own army—they had other warriors like Masakado fight against him, right? Indeed. Though they did fight under the court’s command... keeping a conscriptional army cost too much. Hiring warriors was small group but stronger,as a result cheaper. But they wouldn’t fight for free, would they? Nay. The court offered rewards in the form of ranks and titles. ’Twas common in those days to grant social status instead of

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 7Why Did Taira no Tadatsune Surrender to Minamoto no Yorinobu? Chibanosuke Guide Tadatsune gave up when Minamoto no Yorinobu was sent to him, didn’t he? After resisting for about three years? That feels kind of sudden… Lord Tadatsune is actually one of our ancestors. Back when Minamoto no Yorinobu was Governor of Hitachi, he defeated Lord Tadatsune in battle. From that time on, Lord Tadatsune served him as his lord. So when Yorinobu came for him again, well... it’s no surprise he surrendered so quickly. Wait... Minamoto? You mean that Minamoto? Indeed. Minamoto no

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 8How Big Were Horses in the Old Days? Chibanosuke Guide Is this what Japanese horses used to look like? They're so small— kind of like Nomao. H-hey! I’m still growing, you know! Back then, horses stood about 130 centimeters tall at the shoulder— about the size of a modern pony. Even the famous warhorses in The Tale of the Heike were only a little over 140 centimeters. Bones found at samurai residences in Kamakura suggest the same size. Horses today are way bigger, right? Aye. Thoroughbreds, which are common today, stand around 160

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 9Why was Kazusa Hirotsune Killed? Chibanosuke Guide Why did Lord Yoritomo have Hirotsune killed? But Hirotsune played such a big role in helping him become the Kamakura-dono, didn’t he? Aye, but Hirotsune was known to be fiercely independent, and paid no mind to the imperial court. That kind of attitude was bound to clash with Lord Yoritomo’s plans—he aimed to unify his vassals and run the shogunate under the court’s authority. Hirotsune had simply become an obstacle.

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 10Why Is There Writing on Both Sides? Chibanosuke Guide Whoa, this is really hard to read… There’s writing packed on both the front and back! Aye. The paper originally belonged to the Chiba clan, but it was later given to a great monk named Nichiren, who used the back side to study Buddhism. A fine example of recycling, eh? Thanks to that, documents that would have been discarded ended up surviving— and now give us a glimpse into life at the time.

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 11Why Is a Bell from Kyushu in Chiba? Chibanosuke Guide This bell has the word “Saga” on it—doesn’t that mean Saga in Kyūshū? Wait, why would a bell from Saga end up in Chiba? During the Nanboku-chō period, the Chiba clan was split—some lived in Kyūshū, others in Shimousa. When the Kyūshū branch attacked the Shimousa branch, they likely brought this bell from Saga and used it as a signal during battle.

Knowledge Spots｜Chibanosuke Guide 12Why Did Chiba Become a Thriving Town? Chibanosuke Guide I wonder what made Chiba grow into a town? It must be the same reason Lord Tsuneshige chose to settle here. Indeed! Roads from all over the Bōsō region converged here, and there was a port on Tokyo Bay— making it a perfect place for people and goods to come and go. And truth be told, that hasn’t changed one bit. Lord Tsuneshige had a keen eye, he did!