Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: northern territory

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Honda Toshiaki

本多利明
alternative words: Toshiaki Honda
keywords: famous person , northern territory , scholar
related topics: Ezochi , Edo shogunate , Mogami Tokunai
explanation: Born in Niigata prefecture in 1743. He came to Tokyo at the age 18 to learn mathematics and astronomy. He opened his own school at the age 24. In 1801, he navigated to Hokkaido as captain. In 1808, he was asked to explore Ezochi by Edo shogunate but recommended his disciple, Mogami Tokunai. He wrote "Keisei Hisaku", a book where he recommended a state managed foreign trade and colonization of Ezochi to overcome an economic problem of Japan. He died in 1820.

Ino Tadataka

伊能忠敬
alternative words: Tadataka Ino, Inou Tadataka, Tadataka Inou
keywords: explorer , famous person , northern territory
related topics: Edo shogunate , Mamiya Rinzo
related web sites: http://www.sawara.com/tadataka/ , http://www.sokuryo.or.jp/kaishi/inou/inou1.html , http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~meibun/inouzu/inouzu-1.htm , http://www.izumishobo.co.jp/iode27-3a.htm
explanation: Born in 1745 in Chiba prefecture as a rich farmer, but thanks to his generous donation, he became a samurai. After retired at the age of 50, he went to Tokyo to learn astronomy and survey technique from Takahashi Yoshitoki. By his recommendation, Ino had been engaged by Edo shogunate as an official surveyor. He traveled for 17 years the whole Japan on foot to create a detailed map (Dai nihon enkai yochi zenzu) with scientific instruments. He died in 1818.

Kaisho

会所運上所
alternative words: Unjojo, Trading post
keywords: northern territory
related topics: Matsumae domain , Edo period , Ezochi , Santan people
explanation: During Edo period, several dozens of trading posts had been opened on Hokkaido, south Kurils and south Sakhalin by Matsumae domain, where indigenous people (Ainu, Kamchadal, Nivkhi, Guiliyak or Orochin) and Japanese merchants were allowed to trade securely under the control of Matsumae officials. In 1806 and 1807, Russian frigates attacked Japanese trading posts of south Sakhalin and south Kurils to oust Japanese from the region.

Kondo Juzo

近藤重蔵
alternative words: Juzo Kondo, Kondou Juzou, Juzou Kondou
keywords: explorer , famous person , northern territory
related topics: Edo shogunate , Ezochi
related web sites: http://www.marimo.or.jp/~nmcinfo/mugenko/p05/P043_1.htm
explanation: Born in 1771 at Tokyo in an important family of samurai. After divers official functions of Edo shogunate, he had been nominated to a responsible of Ezochi administration in 1798. After having explored different parts of Hokkaido, he reached Etorofu Island in South Kuril and erected there a Japanese landmark. In advanced age, his life turned to be less glorious. Accused of a murder committed by his son, he was sentenced to a banishment and died in 1829.

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".

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.

Laxman

ラックスマンラクスマン
alternative words: Adam Erikovich Laxman, Laksman
keywords: famous person , foreigner , military man , northern territory , russia
related topics: Daikokuya Kodayu , Ezochi , Sakoku , Matsumae domain , Edo shogunate
explanation: Russian army lieutenant, born in 1766. He was dispatched by Empress Catherine II to establish a diplomatic relation and to return back a Japanese seaman, Daikokuya Kodayu. They arrived in 1792 at Nemuro and passed a winter. Next year, they sailed to Matsumae and met Bugyo Ishikawa Shogen and Murakami Daigaku from Edo shogunate. Due to the national seclusion policy, his mission failed but they gave him a credence letter for a further discussion in Nagasaki.

Mamiya Rinzo

間宮林蔵
alternative words: Rinzo Mamiya, Mamiya Rinzou, Rinzou Mamiya
keywords: explorer , famous person , northern territory
related topics: Edo shogunate , Ezochi , Ino Tadataka , Siebold
related web sites: http://www.karafuto.com , http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~XC8M-MMY/ , http://www.town.ina.ibaraki.jp/mamiya.htm
explanation: Born in 1775 in Ibaraki prefecture. Being very clever at mathematics, he went to Tokyo to learn the surveying technique from Ino Tadataka. After repeated incursions of Russians to "Ezochi", Edo shogunate gave him an order to explore the northern part of Sakhalin island. In 1809, he reached the north Sakhalin and showed that it is an island separated by a narrow channel. In 1828, he denounced a plan to export secretly a detailed Japanese map by von Siebold. He died in 1844.

Matsumae domain

松前藩
alternative words: Matsumae han, Matsumaehan, Seignory of Matsumae, Matsumae
keywords: northern territory , state
related topics: Muromachi period , Toyotomi Hideyoshi , Tokugawa Ieyasu , Edo shogunate , Ezochi , Basho , Kushunkotan , Hakodate bugyo
related web sites: http://www.karafuto.com
explanation: Domain located in Hokkaido and controlled by Matsumae family until the end of Edo shogunate. From Muromaichi period, Japanese began to immigrate to Hokkaido. Matsumae unified this chaotic movement and Toyotomi Hideyosu as well as Tokugawa Ieyasu granted their domain. Sparsely populated, Matsume let exploit it to wealthy Tokyo and Osaka's merchants. When Russian incursions began in the 18th century, Edo shogunate put the domain to direct administration.

Matsuura Takeshiro

松浦武四郎
alternative words: Takeshiro Matsuura, Matsuura Takeshirou, Takeshirou Matsuura
keywords: explorer , famous person , northern territory , statesman
related topics: Edo period , Meiji period , Ezochi
explanation: Explorer of the late Edo period and the beginning of Meiji period. Born in 1818 in Mie prefecture. First he became an itinerant Buddhist monk to travel all over Japan. He was then engaged by Edo shogunate to explore all the regions of Ezochi and gave the name of Hokkaido to it. In 1868, he was nominated to an administrator of Hokkaido by the newly created Meiji government but quickly quit the post. He spent the remaining of his life with travel and writing. He died in 1888.
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34 articles extracted from postgresql database.