mahoutokoro-at-nagumo

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Every relative I’ve ever asked has referred to the traditional Chinese medicine reason that cold water is bad for the body. I really can’t stand hot drinks, though I’ll refrain from drinking anything too cold after I’ve exercised.

Why do Chinese people drink hot water?

For many Chinese people, nothing is more common than drinking hot water every day. However, the simple habit is like a mystery to some from other countries, since it’s not a common practice in many parts of the world to drink hot water alone.

With this year’s ‪‎Two Sessions‬ underway in Beijing, a picture repeatedly appeared on TV showing waiters at the conference hall pouring hot water into the senior officials’ cups at their tables. Some people used the water to make tea while others just drank it straight. The phenomenon even had the curiosity of some western media and was covered as a news story.

For many Westerners, the idea of drinking plain hot water is very odd. However, most Chinese people think the Americans’ habit of drinking ice water is equally bizarre and even unhealthy. Some seniors would even carry a tea kettle when they travel, since their Chinese stomachs refuse to take the cold water from the tap.

Honestly, most of the Chinese people themselves can’t figure out the reason for the preference for hot water over the cold. Most people would just attribute it to a matter of “custom” or “cultural difference”, with a number of explanations:

I. Tea culture: 

Some argue that the hot water habit is derived from China’s ancient tea culture. Since the love for tea in China can be traced back to ancient times, it has caused Chinese families to use boiled water. However, neighboring countries like Japan and Korea, which also share a similar tea culture, don’t seem to enjoy the pleasure of hot water.

II. Hygienic concerns: 

In China, it is believed that boiled water can greatly reduce the bacteria from tap water, which is why it’s considered healthier. Some people argue that the simple sterilization method has actually saved China from many major plagues in history like the Black Death. Even today, the hygienic practice is still something in urgent need in some parts of the world.

III. Historical reasons: 

A relatively new perspective on this issue says the habit has a lot to do within certain historical context. In the 1950’s, China called on its people to drink hot water for health concerns, and built many boiler rooms providing hot water supply for all residents nearby. It is a relic left over from the days of the centrally planned economy.

In China, there’s nothing strange in requesting a hot water in your restaurant, just like asking for free tap water in a western restaurant. Nowadays an increasing number of Chinese doctors are encouraging more people outside China to take on the habit of drinking hot water, especially for women when they are menstruating, stating it is simply more soothing to the stomach.

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Do you have any idea if there are differences between Chinese and western wandlore? Like difference in materials and different philosophies about actually making the wands?

There is definitely a difference in materials and philosophies! You can browse the wandlore tag on my sideblog @chinesewizarding-xianxia for various materials (cores & woods) and their use in the Chinese wixen world.

Philosophies will definitely differ, but I haven’t thought too much about the details. Both China and Japan have used peach wood in purification/dispelling evil spirits since ancient times (you can read more about the significance of the peach and peach wood to Chinese culture here).

I do know that in my headcanons, Japanese wandmakers prefer to use a minimal amount of magic/spells when carving their wands, as they believe this interferes with the wand and core’s innate magic. Chinese wandmakers might also believe this, perhaps even more than the Japanese ones, due to how they view magic and interacted with it over the centuries. There is some truth to this, since yokai/yaoguai magic both differ from the standard human magic and exert a lot of influence on the environment in their respective countries of origin.

#Japanese Wizarding World #Chinese Wizarding World #JWW: Wandlore #Wandlore #CWW: Wandlore #ask #supersurffer

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

I never did reblog this from my sideblog, did I. This is my more detailed answer to an ask about the Four Symbols in the magical world.

The Four Symbols

A continuation of a discussion from the main blog regarding the Four Symbols and their inclusion in the Japanese and Chinese wixen worlds.

The Four Symbols are “four mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations…viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions” (Wikipedia).

As the name implies, the Four Symbols are only symbols and not actual magical creatures in my opinion. The Four Symbols were used to classify the night sky, encompassing all the star clusters in a particular direction (Black Tortoise = North, Azure Dragon = East, Vermillion Bird = South, White Tiger = West). When these divisions were outlined and created, the areas were named after real animals or magical creatures.

Divination can be based on the stars (astrology) and/or directions and arrangement of objects in the environment (geomancy). The Four Symbols were used in these methods of divination from the early days. In astrology, they were used as groupings for the stars that could then be used to divine the future. In geomancy, they were used to define the directions and through this became associated with different elements, seasons, yin/yang, etc. Geomancy is also how the Four Symbols became viewed as “guardians” of the directions. 

For example, it is said that the Four Symbols guard Kyoto’s Imperial Palace. In the wixen world, it is probably the case that protection spells were placed and the addition of arranging them in the four cardinal directions probably strengthens those spells or adds up to a much larger array/complex magic. The fact they popularized the Four Symbols as the guardians of the palace is probably a form of propaganda in the wixen world as well, since it sounds good to say that the four beasts, and by extension the heavens, are guarding an important place in the country that also happens to be the center of the government.

In reality, magic and the wixes who designed and maintain it, are the ones doing the heavy lifting. It is “magical” in a sense, but not divine.

(The island of Nagumo, where Mahoutokoro is located in my headcanons, also has a similar set up with shrines at each of the four directions and protective spells originating from these four points. It caught on to refer the four corners of the island based on the Four Symbols.)

#Japanese Wizarding World #JWW: Magic

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Hi! How do you think the meiji restoration phase affected magical Japan?

Many of them were on the side that resisted outside influence, but there were some who supported opening the country to the rest of the world after so many years in isolation. In fact, the strongest proponents of moving towards a modern era were some of the old greats like the Abe clan - and possibly because of their history of producing truly great Seers, there were many who were swayed by their fears for a future in which Japan didn’t open up to the world.

It was true that none of them were really enthusiastic about mingling with the other magical communities (ahem mostly the western ones), but some saw the need for it, especially on the non-magical side of things. Magic is somewhat of a stagnant thing in a sense - though Japanese wixes were always trying to improve their spells and work towards an unobtainable mastery of it, spells/rituals from 1000 years ago wouldn’t necessarily lose out to modern spells. On the other hand, muggle technology can be surpassed and quite easily at that, given enough advancement - so they were right to be worried.

In my headcanons, there was far less divide between magical/non-magical Japan in the past, so wixes’ allegiances aligned with that of their families/clans. There were some conflicts that occurred only on the magic side of things, but largely everyone’s fates were intertwined.

#Japanese Wizarding World #JWW: History

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

is their set up for the hospital wing the same as Hogwarts?

Nope! You can read more about Nagumo (Mahoutokoro) and its basic layout here.

Short answer: The Japanese “castle” includes in its definition the main keep, watchtowers, and castle town. The main keep (the big castle building you’ll see if you search for images of a ‘Japanese castle’) is used as an administrative building that has open areas to host events, meetings, and ceremonies, as well as some offices for administrative staff. 

However, in my Nagumo/Mahoutokoro, this main keep is not used for the school’s day-to-day activities; the space simply wasn’t made to accommodate such things. It was mainly a giant defense tower with some living space at the top for the lord of the castle.

The infirmary would be located in a dedicated building (likely an old pharmacy/apothecary) in the castle town surrounding the main keep. The academic buildings are also scattered throughout the castle town.

The setup I would choose is that of a Japanese machiya (a traditional townhouse), pictured below.

Details under the read more:

The front would look like a store with medicine cabinets (see below) lining the walls, similar to the ones in Spirited Away if you’ve ever seen that movie. Beyond the store space would be an area for examining patients (the green area labeled “reception” would likely be converted for this function) and keeping them overnight, if they need observation. Since much of the space in traditional Japanese houses could be partitioned using the sliding doors, you could narrow or expand the space as necessary.

The wixen doctor (medi-wix?) would live on-premises, in the upstairs living space. 

And, if for some reason they needed more space to house students overnight, there are nearby houses that don’t have anyone living in them that can be used (Nagumo owns the entire island, so this wouldn’t be an issue; the businesses in the castle town are simply renting the space).

#Japanese Wizarding World #JWW: Medicine #Mahoutokoro #Mahoutokoro: Locations #Anon #ask

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

The Sengoku Jidai. How did it affect the magical society of Japan?

Not that much, actually, since the magical society of Japan in the past was much more intertwined with non-magical society. Having wixes in the family, especially the nobility, was seen as an asset.

As a period of upheaval, however, it was also a time when wixes had to put quite a bit of research and effort into keeping the yokai and yokai magics at bay. A lot of them saw it as their duty to protect their people/land.

The aftermath of the Warring States period did cause the fracture of old families, with some branching off and creating the little pockets of magical society that still exist in modern times.  

#Japanese Wizarding World #JWW: History

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

I agree with both of you that the Four Symbols wouldn’t be magical creatures, but concepts based off the image of animals and mythological creatures that existed at the time.

Deeper thoughts on the development of the Four Symbols to be discussed on my sideblog @workshop-at-mahoutokoro, which is for ramble-y content needing a lot more words to cover (link here).

For reference, the Four Symbols are the White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, Azure Dragon, and Black Tortoise (translations vary). They originated from a Chinese system used to classify the night sky. In the wixen world (China & Japan), they are still used to refer to the directions in astrology and are used regularly in divination and geomancy.

Basically, the position of the stars can be used in divination and magic related to geomancy (like feng shui), and the star clusters were given names to identify them - those names were inspired by real animals and/or magical creatures and given by the wixes from that time.

Hi, I was thinking of asking what is the significance of the Four Symbols in the magic world? Apparently they're not considered to be magical beast but considered more of a mythological spirit guardians of the cardinal directions and has a big influence on the East Asian Cultural sphere.

I would definitely go along with the idea that they’re not magical beasts but much more symbolic but for actual details with regards to this I’d advise asking the mod of both @mahoutokoro-at-nagumo and @chinesewizarding-xianxia! This is exactly their sphere and I’m sure they’ll have a more comprehensive and thought out answer for you!

#themonsterblogofmonsters #JWW: Divination #JWW: Magic

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Famous Wixes: Abe no Seimei [安倍晴明]

Gender: Male

Birthday: February 21, 921

Death: October 31, 1005

Lineage: Hanyou (half fox spirit)

Name Meaning: 安 means ‘relaxed, peaceful’; 倍 means ‘double’; 晴明 can alternatively be pronounced ‘Haruakira’ and means ‘clear light/brightness’

One of the most famous wixes in Japanese history both magical and mundane, Abe no Seimei was the only child of Abe no Yasuna and fox spirit of the tenko rank, Kuzunoha. As a fox spirit hanyo, he was born with an exceptional talent for divinatory magic and under modern classifications would be counted as a particularly gifted Seer. His contributions to onmyodo and position as divinatory advisor to the emperor and the government cemented the Abe clan’s power in the capital, which continues into the present day.

Many rumors and myths surround the wix known as Abe no Seimei. Some accounts state that he appeared perfectly human, having mastered the illusionary magic he inherited from his mother at a young age. His contemporaries often described him as clever and foxlike despite his outwardly modest and cordial demeanor; however, his rival Ashiya Doman claimed that he was as prone to exposing foxlike features when caught off guard as any other fox spirit.

Perhaps due to his hanyo status, Abe no Seimei was one of few onmyoji to ever have success with summoning complex shikigami familiars - not the simple paper charms imbued with magic that are used in the postal system today, but the intentional mixing of one’s innate magic with that of yokai magic. Abe no Seimei authored a comprehensive manual, “The Summary to Judgements of Divinations”, which details techniques utilizing shikigami and cautions wixes wishing to pursue this line of magic.

Notes:

Myth and fact have been obscured by time, to the extent that Abe no Seimei is to magical Japan as Merlin is to magical Britain.

No historical accounts of Abe no Seimei’s friendship with Minamoto no Hiromasa exists in the mundane world, so officials were shocked when it appeared in a series of novels. Since most muggles regard it as fiction, the Department for Preservation of Magical Secrecy has reluctantly let the matter slide.

Poetic descriptions often described Abe no Seimei’s hair as being the same golden-white of his mother, but whether this was true is unknown.

Exactly how talented of a Seer he was, and the extent to which the fox spirit bloodline contributed to his abilities, is unknown. His mother, Kuzunoha, encouraged him to pursue divination only through human methods - most likely to avoid persecution as a hanyo.

Image Source: Left, Right

#Japanese Wizarding World #JWW: Famous Wixes #clan: abe

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Japanese Wizarding Clans: Three Great Onmyō Clans

The three great wixen clans in the Shinto-based magic called onmyōdō are the Abe, Fujiwara, and Tsuchimikado.

Japanese magic is generally divided into two sub-categories: Shintō-based magic and Buddhist-based magic. These two schools of magic developed side-by-side, but practitioners often opposed each other and made great efforts to spread the practice of their chosen school through politics, religion, and culture.

The Abe are one of the most powerful and influential wixen clans who have practiced purification rites and onmyō for centuries. They reached the height of their influence in the Heian period as experts in the onmyō arts of divination, astronomy, and calendar-making. Since the birth of Abe no Seimei, the Abe clan has produced many seers due to the influence of yōkai heritage in their bloodline. The importance of these seers to the imperial family and shogunates in later centuries secured the Abe clan’s position in wixen politics despite their half-blood origins.

The Japanese Aurors, the Yami-Barai (闇祓い), were founded by members of the Abe clan in the early 1900s, but long before the formal establishment of the Yami-Barai, the Abe involved themselves in all matters of magical incidents and happenstance that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Fujiwara. As far as wixen law enforcement is concerned, the Abe have always played an important role, even if sometimes from the shadows.

The Fujiwara clan gained political influence through marriage into the imperial family. Their accomplishments and contributions in the field of purification arts led to their appointment over all shrines in the country. The Fujiwara and the Tsuchimikado family were the sole regulatory powers in charge of administering annual rites and managing the shrines, up until the modern day when the role was officially handed over to the Japanese Minstry of Magic’s Division for Magical Codes and Regulations.

Of the matters that the Fujiwara helped to define and enforce were schedules for the annual purification rites, registration of Shintō priests and priestesses, and regulation of fortune-telling in the wixen and mundane worlds.

The Tsuchimikado are a small family with close ties to both the imperial family and the Fujiwara clan, thus the chrysanthemum crest that they share with the imperial family. The Tsuchimikado were once in charge of the regulation of the shrines, a duty they shared with the Fujiwara. As their numbers waned and times changed, the Tsuchimikado also declined in influence. Today, the few members left are on the board for regulations concerning magic education across the country, including schools of magic other than Nagumo Academy of the Magical Arts (Mahoutokoro).

Image Sources: Abe Crest, Fujiwara Crest, Imperial Crest Haraegushi, Hama-ya, Tamagushi

#Japanese Wizarding World #JWW: History #Wizarding Clans #Wizarding Families #clan: abe #clan: fujiwara #family: tsuchimikado

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Japanese Wizarding Clans: A Brief History

The Four Noble Clans

The four most important clans in Japanese politics during the Heian period (794–1185 AD). The Minamoto, Taira, Fujiwara, and Tachibana clans held great power and influence over both wixen and mundane matters. Of the four, only the Fujiwara were completely unrelated to the imperial family at the time of its conception. The other three clans - the Minamoto, Taira, and Tachibana, were founded by relatives of past Emperors who were granted titles of nobility.

The Taira and Tachibana clans lost much of their power in the past to the Minamoto and Fujiwara, respectively. The wixen members of these clans fell alongside their mundane relatives, though several of the Taira escaped to small secluded hamlets, the clan’s former power and status forever lost.

The two clans that survived the power struggles of the Heian period enjoyed a much longer rule. The Minamoto clan, which wielded the most military might, would later establish the first bakufu at Kamakura and give rise to the Ashikaga, Nitta, and Takeda clans. The most notable of the Minamoto clan’s wixes practiced Buddhist schools of magic, several becoming monks. Although the mundane side of the clan would eventually fade into the tides of history, the Minamoto name lived on through its wixen side and they still hold some influence in modern wixen Japan today.

However, it was the Fujiwara who were the most successful of the four noble clans. Although they did not claim descent from the imperial family, early on they gained power through marriage into the imperial family and the mundane side of the Fujiwara acted as advisors to the Emperor for many generations. But it was the magic side of the clan that thrived long after control over mainstream politics waned. Fujiwara wixes have always been leaders in the field of the purification rites right alongside the Abe clan, and long ago were granted the responsibility of governing all shrines across Japan.

Immigrant Clans

The immigrant clans were formed by non-natives of the Japanese isles, some originating from kingdoms in modern day Korea or China. Of these, the most important to the Japanese wixen world are no doubt the Hata and Koma clans.

The Hata clan claims descent from Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China, and its mundane and wixen members once worked together to help establish the capital of Heian-kyo as well as many famous temples and shrines across the country. Its mundane members acted as financial advisors and its wixen members helped import sericulture - the production of silk - and with it, numerous spells and magic associated with the process.

Although the mundane branches gave rise to several samurai families and later died off, the wixen branch of the clan led to clusters of Hata descendants in Osaka and influential families involved in Noh theatre. Notably, no descendant still bears the name ‘Hata’, as this was reserved solely for the main line of the family that has since died out.

The Koma clan was founded by a Goguryeo prince and came to inhabit a vast land in modern day Saitama Prefecture. Many of the original settlers were wixes, who helped develop the clan’s strong ties to temples and shrines that continues to this day. The Koma clan mostly kept to itself, thus surviving the major conflicts that would lead to the decline of so many other influential clans. Its wixen members are less obvious about their magic nowadays, but this community has always been quite secluded and open to the use of magic amongst its own.

Samurai Clans

Of the many samurai clans that came into existence, two promiment ones must be mentioned when discussing the history of wixen clans in Japan.

The first is the Ashikaga clan, descendants of the Minamoto who assumed the prestige that came with the Minamoto name after the mundane side of the clan declined. The Ashikaga would reestablish diplomatic ties with China, both its mundane and wixen governments. Although they were eventually defeated by Oda Nobunaga, enough wixen members survived to the present day.

The Tokugawa clan were also descendants of the Minamoto through the Nitta clan. Originally, Tokugawa Ieyasu was a Matsudaira, a clan founded by a Buddhist monk related to the Nitta clan. This relation led to the rise of the Tokugawa clan’s influence in wixen matters, and they clashed with the Fujiwara on many occasions. Their feud continues to the present day.

Defunct Clans

Although these clans died out long ago, they are credited in the history books for their important contributions to wixen Japan’s development.

The Soga clan was one of the most powerful in the Asuka period (538-710) and spread Buddhist magic throughout Japan and were always at odds with the priogenitors of the Fujiwara - the Nakatomi.

The Otomo clan were powerful allies of the Ashikaga shoganate, and were one of the first clans to make contact with the Europeans. They encouraged trade and interacted with both the mundane and wixes, citing the economic benefits of these exchanges. Christianity also spread into Japan from the Otomo clan, who were more open to it. Later on, this would cause considerable tension and end in persecution for its wixen members in the years leading up to the second world wars, as the Japanese wixen government became more and more nationalistic.

[This long post that I have been putting off since the very start of this blog is finally done. People have asked before how large each clan is, so I can now say with confidence that the Fujiwara, Abe, and Koma are the largest in that order. They are followed by the Tokugawa and Minamoto, some of whom do not necessarily have those surnames anymore but trace their lineage back to them.]

#Japanese Wizarding World #JWW: History #Wizarding Clans

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Breaking the Statute of Secrecy? Tokyo’s Trendy Food Industry Risks Revealing Magic to Muggles

from the Yōki Shimbun

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of reports to the Department for Preservation of Magical Secrecy over the possibility that restaurants and food vendors in major cities across Japan have broken the Statute of Secrecy by offering foods of very clearly magical origins in their menus.

Identifying these potential violations has been difficult for the Department, mainly for the fact that the businesses selling these foods are often located in the muggle areas of the city and have not been registered as wixen businesses. Another factor adding to the difficulty in regulating these foods can be traced back to the very first magical foods introduced to muggles. We interviewed Sanada Kimie, who decided to transfigure her watermelons for easier storage one summer. Mrs. Sanada’s family is entirely non-magical except for herself, and she still lives and works on her parents’ farm. One day, her muggle cousin saw these transfigured watermelons and, upon finding out that magic was responsible, took it upon himself to figure out a way to achieve this highly convenient shape without magic.

Many other foods with magical origins, such as squid ink and horse flesh ice cream, were also recreated by muggles. This raises a very interesting question for the Department – should wixes who sell these foods to muggles face sanctions, when muggles have recreated and distribute the very same food items – just without magic?

[source]

As seems to be a common trend in recent years, one wix transfigured her watermelons for easier storage, at which point her non-magical cousin took it upon himself to figure out how to achieve this convenient shape without magic.

[source]

This strange flavor of ice cream was originally created by wixen siblings Iida Haruka and Naoto, but muggles have since recreated it without the use of magic.

[source]

Oddities such as this ‘cotton candy ramen’ continue to trouble wixen authorities in the Department for Preservation of Magical Secrecy.

[source]

Wix or not? Investigations revealed that this floral mochi was actually a purely muggle creation.

The older generation has been surprisingly supportive of these ‘problematic’ food items, many expressing anything from humor to approval, even if they personally do not see themselves trying ‘squid ink’ ice cream anytime soon. “Society was like this originally,” said one long-time Tokyo resident. “If you make it [magic] part of everyday life, muggles barely stop to question it. As long as nothing dangerous is put out there, I don’t see the harm.”

Even those who have faced fines for selling to the non-magical public admit that they will probably continue to sell their products. “They [muggles] make up more than half of my customers on any given day,” one such shopkeeper reported. “Putting money aside, it makes people happy. I’ve seen kids drag their grandparents in here because they want to try our ramen, or classmates taking pictures and daring each other to try the more adventurous options[…]I think being able to bond over food is wonderful and something we can all relate to, magic or not. I do get asked how I make it [the food], or where I thought of the idea, and at that time I just smile and say, ‘It came to me in a dream!’ or ‘It’s a secret!’. People accept those answers without a second thought. No one thinks ‘Oh, it must be magic’ first.”

#Japanese Wizarding World #JWW: Culture #JWW: Entertainment #JWW: Food #Newspapers: Yōki Shimbun

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Hello! You may have noticed an overhaul of the blog’s theme if you view it on desktop mode. I have been meaning to change the theme for quite some time. Let me know if you run into any bugs, but it should be good to go otherwise.

I have been really busy, but I am tentatively back - at least to write some posts that I have wanted to write for months and years, so look forward to some fun posts about weird Japanese foods, the radio, and rentable therapy animals, among others.

And a huge thank you to everyone who still follows this blog despite my really, really infrequent posting!

#announcements

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Ambient Magic

Ambient Magic is an unusual phenomenon, with some places lacking it entirely. Magic is a strange thing, after all, known for at times gathering in areas not due to a long history of magic in an area, not due to the spells cast there breaking down into no more than magic but simply because it is a place where magic decides to settle. There are some areas with high concentrations of background magic where magical individuals have chosen to settle precisely because of that magic, though there are just as many areas which were settled by magical individuals and eventually attained high levels of background magic. Hard to define and to measure such areas are generally detectable through a combination of certain magical and pseudo-magical fauna and flora - strains of plants and animals which are known to especially seek out areas of greater magic - Ambient Magic can also come in several strains, including Yokai and Yaoguai Magic, which have their own quirks, as well as Quiety, the actual absence of such background magic.

Areas of high Ambient Magic are often rich in magical and non-magical wildlife and plant life. A most notable example is things such as the Wild Bluebells common throughout Europe as indicators of high levels of background magic, Atomies and Tama-Mizu likewise serve as such indicators in aquatic spaces, and Ghosts in magical settlements, while Dragons are amongst the largest such indicators with many preferring to live in areas with high quantities of background magic, though they are capable of living elsewhere. Especially notable areas of Ambient Magic often, over time, become protected spaces, being legally marked out and protected, often as Dragon Reserves, Forbidden Forests and Enchanted Gardens or, in some areas, magical settlements. However, while such areas are often fantastic Reserves for magical ecosystems, that is not the only such thing such areas are known for.

Ritual Magic (including such magics as Exorcisms) can, in theory, be cast most anywhere, especially if it is being done with multiple magical participants. However, all the world has some level of background magic, and this can be invoked if handled carefully. In areas with high background magic, such as is usual with Exorcisms, even Squibs have been known to be highly effective ritual practitioners, directing magical energy they can readily gather through the actions of ritual in order to perform works highly difficult to wixes trained to wands.

(Images Source)

(I hate that I have to include this but PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THE IMAGE SOURCE OR MY CAPTION.)

#themonsterblogofmonsters #JWW: Magic #Others Headcanons

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

What were the Japanese Wizards reaction to the Treaty of Peace and Amity, the Shogun signed with the Americans and the Europeans? Also, were Japanese Wizarding Families involved in the Boshin War (1868-1869)?

My apologies for the late reply! First this hellsite never gave me a notification that this was in my inbox, then I got really busy and couldn’t answer it.

Up until the aftermath of the two World Wars, Japanese wixes had a hand in politics and advising the country’s leaders at the time. They were strongly encouraged to distance themselves for good after the wars of the early twentieth century.

In addition to the Treaty of Peace and Amity, the Japanese wixen world was forced to interact with the outside world again and they weren’t very pleased about it, to say the least. Some forward thinkers were intrigued by the cultural exchange it would bring, but most were not so accepting at the time. One of the things they really despised was the enforcement of the Statute of Secrecy. Japanese wixes at the time of course thought themselves superior to their muggle counterparts, but they took that as a mandate for themselves to become the nation’s protectors, if you will...To them, a massive separation of muggle and wix society was never a thing and should not have to be a thing.

#ask #mkofficial357 #JWW: History

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

Does prejudice related to blood status exist in Japanese wizarding world?

It certainly does, but the line between pureblood/half-blood prejudice is a little different. It’s really connected to family lines in the Japanese wizarding world, so if you are a half-blood wix, it matters more if you are...say, half Fujiwara, half Minamoto, with the Minamoto parent being non-magical, than if your parents were a Fujiwara marrying a non-magical commoner. So, a half-blood from noble lineage isn’t really discriminated against. A half-blood who has some common blood would receive some prejudice because half of their family has no rank or prestige.

The “commoners” were a little less uptight about this, they generally also married with good lineages in mind though (by lineage, I mean “marry into the wealthy rice farmer family”). So what matters is that you are part of the Takeda family, not that you’re half-blood, first and foremost.

The only exception is the Abe clan. They were mindful of keeping their blood “pure” (magically pure) because the strength of their seer abilities (from their half-yōkai nature) depended on it. However, it wasn’t frowned upon if wixes of the Abe clan married non-magical members of the imperial family (which they were known for), since the social status trumped the magical status.

#ask #Anon #JWW: Social Issues

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

what would be the equivalent of auror in japanese wizarding world?

I’ll talk a bit about law enforcement in general in the Japanese wizarding world:

The exorcists who deal with yōkai.

The onmyōji who deal with maintaining the balance between negative yōkai magic and the civilized world. They are called in by the magical police to deal with anything requiring more advanced charms, wards, etc. In some parts of the country, monks from temples who practice Buddhist-oriented magic take on this role just with a different approach.

The “magical police” like the Aurors – I haven’t given them a formal name, if I recall, but they function like police/detectives and often are the first on the scene. There are different ranks, some more elite and others more like regular law enforcement. They’re very organized, and have a sophisticated chain of command (maybe a little too sophisticated – citizens often mock them for only knowing how to pass troublesome situations off to others to deal with).

If a situation calls for more expertise than the regular magical police are capable of handling, they basically have a call list of experts (so things involving accidents with potions aren’t something they would handle outside of a containment situation).

Since a lot of the “dark wizards” and crimes they deal with involve abuse of negative yōkai magic in some manner, the “Auror” division works closely with onmyōji, and some hold a dual appointment in both divisions.

#ask #Anon #JWW: Law

[mahoutokoro-at-nagumo]

You know how the Brits have House Elves serving them, what do the Japanese have? Do they use people as servants or just do things themselves? I see that only the upper class people could only afford servants.

They usually hire people or do the job themselves. Although a few exorcist families would use or create shikigami, it’s always been a very imprecise art that easily backfires. Most people scorn the shikigami families, because of the risks. Given how yōkai and their mutative magic tend to the negative, it was considered dangerous to have them around all the time, and it was easy enough to hire wixes from poorer backgrounds to work in exchange for housing and food.

Nowadays, with how convenient Western magic is, a lot of wixes just do the work themselves. If older families have servants, they’re actually paid workers - usually young wixes from muggleborn backgrounds, who need a bit of capital and connections. Others can be from wixen families that have served the main branches of their families for generations, though that’s very rare, probably only a few still exist amongst the oldest noble families.