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xenowlsome · 5 years

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If I have to do all the worldbuilding work for Kishi, I might as well go all out.

Warning: extremely long post, pathological overthinking and faked knowledge of various languages

Naruto world - geography and countries

(Note: many of the names are phonological approximations to the original names and so may not make much sense)

Geography:

→ Land masses:

Kigi Peninsula (木木半島 / “Peninsula of the many trees”) - peninsula on the north-east extremity of the continent; named so for the dense forests covering the mountains

though this is the name proper, the peninsula is often called by the country name

Crescent Peninsula (三日月半島 / Mikazuki-hantō) - peninsula connected by a small strip of land to the eastern side of the continent

Tomoe Islands (巴島 / Tomoe-jima) - two islands to the east of the Mikazuki Peninsula

Pearl Islands (珠群島 / Tama-guntō) - a cluster of islands in the Eastern Sea

Baratan Island (薔薇痰島 / Baratan-jima) - an island off the southern coast of the continent

The Nose (鼻半島 / Hana-hantō) - a small peninsula in the Ice Sea

→ Mountains:

Senzan Mountain range (千山 / “A thousand summits”) - the great mountain range stretching across the continent

Western Mountain range (西山脈 / Nishi Sanmyaku) - the range between the Great Desert and the plain

Tengu Mountains (天狗山脈 / Tengu Sanmyaku) - the highest peaks of the Senzan Mountains

Original name: Тэнгэр Нуруу (Tenger Nuruu / “Sky Mountains”)

Kotesuwa Mountains (コテスワ山脈 / Kotesuwa Sanmyaku) - part of the Senzan Mountains on the Kigi Peninsula

Original name: कोटेश्वर (Koteshwor / “Ten million gods”)

Kōdai Plateau (広大 / “The great expanse”) - plateau north of the Senzan Mountains

→ Lowlands:

Central Plain (中原 / Nakahara) - the plain stretching between Senzan and Western Mountains to the sea; “birthplace” of the Central Empire

The Great Desert (大砂 / Ōsuna “Great Sand”) - the rain shadow desert to the south of Senzan Mountains

Original name: Улы кум (Uli Kum / same meaning)

Ōmu Desert (大無の砂漠 / “Desert of great nothingness”) - the desert in the southern part of the Kōdai Plateau

Original name: Оэмно Элс (Oemno Els / “Southern Sands”)

Jukai Forest (樹海 / “Sea of trees”) - the forest taking up the south-east part of the Central Plain

Western Wilderness (西荒野 / Nishigoya) - the expanse of land to the west of the Great Desert

→ Rivers&Lakes:

Black River (黒川 / Kurogawa) - the great river flowing from the Tengu Mountains and through the Centrain Plain; the continent’s longest river

the name stems from its clearness before it enters the plain

Kisaki River (后川 / “Queen river”) - the river flowing north through the Kōdai Plateau; technically a part of the Black River

Original name: Хатан Гол (Hatan Gol / same meaning)

Hanasen River (華千川 / “River of the thousand beauties”) - the river running from the Western Mountains along the southern coast

Original name: Ана өзен (Ana Ozen / “Mother River”)

Fire River (火川 / Higawa) - the river tracing the north-west edge of the Central Plain; named so because it was rumored to have had scalding waters at the beginning of the world

Utoga Lake (烏兎が湖 / “Sun-and-moon lake”) - the lake in the Tengu Mountains, the highest lake on the continent; a place of worship for local religions as well as for (the Narutoverse equivalent of) Buddhism

Original name: Хутга Нуур (Khutga Nuur / “Knife lake”)

→ Seas:

Ice Sea (氷海 / Hyōkai) - separates the North Pole from the continent

Inner Sea (内海 / Utsumi) - between the mainland and the Crescent Peninsula

Eastern Sea (東海 / Tōkai) - the waters between the mainland and the Pearl Islands as well as the ocean beyond

Countries:

The Five Great Countries:

Fire → Chugoku (中国 / “Central Country”)

name inherited from the eponymous empire

Water → Chōson (朝尊 / “Precious dawn”)

Original name: Joson

Lightning → Akasa-goku (赤矢国 / “Red arrow”)

Original name: Akāsā-Bhūmi (“Sky land”)

Earth → Mōn (蒙ん)

Original name: Монх Улс (Monkh Uls / “Eternal land”)

Wind → Kaze-goku (風国) / no change

Original name: Chelana-Kara (“Land of the wind mother”)

Other Countries:

(Note: the small countries on the periphery of Chugoku are former provinces and have kept their province names)

Iron → Kurogane-goku (黒金国 / no change)

Historical name: Томоргазар (Tomorgazar / “Iron land”)

Snow → Shimo-goku (霜国 / “Frost country”, we don’t need two countries that are basically the same)

Tea → Shizuyama (静山 / “Silent mountains”)

Rice Fields → Aota (青田 / “Green rice field”)

Grass → Shirono (白野 / “White field”)

River → Kawagata (川潟 / “River lagoon”)

Rain → Fukugawa (福川 / “Good luck river”)

Waves → Seigaiha (青海波 / Name of the traditional waves pattern)

Hot Water → Ōita (大分 / Ōita Prefecture in Japan is famous for its hot springs)

Waterfall → Yamamon (山門 / “Mountain gate”)

Shirono, Fukugawa and Kawagata are collectively known as Kansai, or “West Barrier”.

#naruto #naruto worldbuilding #naruto meta #kind of #scribble scribble #Story: teru teru bōzu #all corrections/suggestions/questions are welcome!#stupid shinobi

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identeiteis · 1 year

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SPOT LIGHT, MAKE ME SHINE MORE

#denonbu #kurogane tama

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solisnumen · 5 years

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rebclangcl replied to your post “❛ You’re more deceiving than most. ❜ (perhaps how kurogane dies--hit-)”

plz kick his ass tama plz

tama vc: he can kiss my boot

#rebclangcl #↪ CRACK.▐ ☼ ( achieve justice through the crotch violence. )

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mangaiwanttoread · 7 years

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Plan to read

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SORE WA TOTSUZEN, UNMEI NO AITE GA KUROGANE (KEZAWA HARUTO) TRUE LOVE (SUGIYAMA MIWAKO) KIMI NI KOISHITEI DESU KA. HAJIMARI NO NIINA GAMBLE FISH SIDOOH DEAR MAJO NO SHINZOU BREAK BLADE OTOME TO METEO THE PALE HORSE SHERYL - KISS IN THE GALAXY LOVE SO LIFE GEKKA NO KIMI EROTIC FAIRY TALES: THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL SHINKEN DE WATASHI NI KOI SHINASAI TSUBAKIKAN NO UTSUKUSHISUGIRU GARCON KOBAYASHI GA KAWAI SUGITE TSURAI!! CHEONSAENG YEONBUN REBIRTH KNIGHT SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA BLOODLINE LAST GAME TRUE LOVE (SUGIYAMA MIWAKO) JITSU WA WATASHI WA FULL MOON WO SAGASHITE KORE WA KOI NO HANASHI AI YORI AOSHI IMPROPER CAPTURE METHOD OF CLASSMATES & LABYRINTH HANA KIMI NENNEN SAISAI WAKE UP DEADMAN MUNE GA NARU NO WA KIMI NO SEI AJIN SORE WA TOTSUZEN, UNMEI NO AITE GA NISHIKI-KUN NO NASUGAMAMA DEFENSE DEVIL TRINITY SEVEN Shokugeki no Soma SHAKUGAN NO SHANA HITOMI-SENSEI NO HOKENSHITSU YUMEIRO PATISSIERE nisekoi komi naoshi ID (The Greatest Fusion Fantasy) BAROQUE CHRYSALIS TOUKYOU KUSHU AMATSUKI JINJUU HOURETSUDEN PARFAIT TIC SHIRO ARI Cousin (IKUEMI Ryou) AKATSUKI NO YONA NUIGURUMI KURASSHU SHIRAYUKIHIME TO 7-NIN NO SHUUJIN FATED TO LOVE YOU POOR POOR LIPS REAL CLOTHES KARE WA DIABLO CHEONSAENG YEONBUN SUICIDE PARABELLUM KYOU, KOI WO HAJIMEMASU TAIYOU NO IE UZUMAKI JIGOKU SHOUJO [SWITCH] BOKU NO HATSUKOI WO KIMI NI SASAGU CHARON SIPHON YUUTAI NOVA BLOODY CROSS AREA D - INOU RYOUIKI NORAGAMI ROSE OF VERSAILLES MAHOU SENSEI NEGIMA! YUUREITOU CANIS MEGANE APATO ADEKAN KOI TOKA, KISS TOKA, KARADA TOKA. TERA GIRL MONOKURO SHOUNEN SHOUJO KATAKOI TRIANGLE OTOME HOLIC KAICHOU, SUKI TTE ITTE MO II DESU KA? SHOUNEN OUJO ARE: AFTER BOYFRIEND KAICHOU-KUN NO SHIMOBE NANA MARU SAN BANTSU YANKEE-KUN TO MEGANE-CHAN SENSEI TO, UWAKICHUU SHUUKAKU NO JUUNIGATSU HOW TO BECOME A LEGEND BISHOUNEN NO OHEYA ONII-CHAN COMPLEX MILLENNIUM SNOW RUTTA TO KODAMA DOUSHITEMO FURETAKUNAI KONBINI-KUN VASSALORD AI TO YOKUBOU WA GAKUEN DE HOUKAGO MEN’S HAREM B-SHOCK VIOLINIST OF HAMELN BLACK CAT ARES (Manhwa) URUSEI YATSURA CHANGE GUY Manhwa 3X3 EYES ZERO Manhwa CROSS OVER HEN ASU NO YOICHI! TENJOU TENGE WILD ACT! HONEY NA KOTO ROYAL SEVENTEEN NEMURIHIME - YUME MIRU YOU NI KOI SHITERU AKUMA NA CUPID UNTIL DEATH DO US PART JOUJUU SENJIN!! MUSHIBUGYO POYOPOYO KANSATSU NIKKI HATARAKU MAOUSAMA! HIKARU TO HIKARI BOKU TO KIMI TO DE NIJI NI NARU JOOUSAMA NO TAMAGO CYCLOPS SHOUJO SAIPU MEKAKUSHI NO KUNI MANIATTEMASU! OMAMORI HIMARI INARI, KONKON, KOI IROHA AKUTAI WA TOIKI TO MAZARIAU OTOKOMAE! BEADS CLUB KOKO GA UWASA NO EL PALACIO MAHOU SENSOU HATSU HARU KAICHOU-KUN NO SHIMOBE OMAE O OTAKU NI SHITEYARU KARA, ORE O RIAJUU NI SHITEKURE! TONARI NO KASHIWAGI-SAN 3D KANOJO FUJOSHI KANOJO HANAGIMI TO KOISURU WATASHI WAGATSUMA-SAN WA ORE NO YOME HIBI CHOUCHOU POCHAMANI SUGAR FAMILY SENSEI NI, AGERU TRUE LOVE (SUGIYAMA MIWAKO) ANI GA IMOUTO DE IMOUTO GA ANI DE. KOITOMO!? RENAI BOUKUN AKATSUKI NO YONA COME COME VANILLA! KOYOI, KIMI TO KISS NO CHIGIRI O MILLENNIUM SNOW AYAHATORI SHOUKANJOU SEVEN SISTERS! OUJI TO HERO MAKEN-KI! MAHOUKA KOUKOU NO RETTOUSEI - KYUUKOUSENHEN JINJA NO MORI NO NORA NEKO-KUN BOKU GA OTOUTO TO NAKAYOKU NARU HOUHOU HANA WA SAKURA YORI MO HANA NO GOTOKU RERE HELLO WIZARDY ZEO GIRL THE WILD’S TALES OF THE ABYSS: TSUIOKU NO JADE SHAMAN KING FLOWERS PRINCESS TUTU NAR KISS ULTIMATE VENUS BOKU WA TOMODACHI GA SUKUNAI HATSUKOI WAZURAI SHOUKOKU NO ALTAIR WITCH AND PETER GOSHUJINSAMA NI KIWOTSUKETE MELTY BLOOD YOME GA KORE NA MONDE. HOUKAGO KISS AYAKASHI KOI EMAKI TRUE LOVE (SUGIYAMA MIWAKO) TENKUU SHINPAN JITSU WA WATASHI WA HAKUSHAKU TO YOUSEI NORAGAMI BUYUDEN AISURU HITO OTOKO HIME TO MAHOU NO LAMP GUNJOU (KIRIHARA IDUMI) GIN NI NARU TOUKYOU KUSHU KIMI KOSO BOKU NO KOIMONOGATARI ILLEGAL RARE IINAZUKE KYOUTEI SAINT DRAGON GIRL MIRACLE BOKU NO UCHI NI OIDE AMAHARA-KUN + AI ORE! AI YORI AOSHI AIR GEAR AKATEN HERO! AKI-SORA SKYHIGH ALIVE! SIDOOH DENKOU SEKKA BOYS GIOCATORE, HOKAKU KEIKAKU SOUSEI NO ONMYOUJI BOCCHIMAN HI IZURU TOKORO NO TENSHI UWAGAKI KITSUNE NO YOMEIRI AMATSUKI KAINUSHI WA AKUMA STRETCH TEPPUU MAJO NO BIYAKU DR. DUO HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT REN'AI HOUTEISHIKI BARAJOU NO KISS BIORG TRINITY ORE GA DOUTEI O SUTETARA SHINU KEN NI TSUITE BOKURA NO HENTAI YOWAMUSHI PEDAL THE SACRED BLACKSMITH 14 SAI NO KOI OMAIRI DESU YO DEATH EDGE PIXIE POP FLY HIGH! HINA-CHAN NO KOI S+ NIKO TAMA HATSUKOI DANDELION CROSS MANAGE VAHLIA NO HANAMUKO YES ITS ME SHIBATORA TOKYO ESP CHIHAYAFURU BEAUTY POP EDEN NO HANA SEIKETSU NO HAGURUMA CONDUCTOR MOUSOU HONEY OH! MY PRINCE KINGYO SOU MAGA-TSUKI WONTED LIP SMOKE SON YEON JEON (LIMIT) KOI DANO AI DANO SAITEIHEN NO OTOKO SHOUJOTACHI NO KAIDAN ENIGME GRAVITATION Violence Jack VASSALORD DIAMOND NO ACE BOKURA NO HENTAI ATSUMARE! GAKUEN TENGOKU AITSU NO DAIHONMEI NEJIMAKI KAGYU BROTHERS CONFLICT PURUPURU KAMITOKI NO RESIST LAST CLIENT TEAM MEDICAL DRAGON HATSUKIAI SENICHIYA DROP SAKAI Mayu’s Manga FREE SOUL LOVE VIBES KOI NO HANASHI GA SHITAI HOSHI WA AKATSUKI NO KAGE KAPO-N NAGI NAGI NO ASU KARA AKUMA NO RIDDLE KIMI WA BOKU NO TORIKO NARE HATSUKOI NO ATOSAKI [switch] Love in the Mask Genwaku No Kodou Passage From Servant Boy Bousou Kareshi ONEGAI SENSEI 99 HAPPY SOUL SUGARS (YAMAMORI MIKA) Super Lovers [Doumou] Masochistic Communication [English] [Facedesk [Mizuryu Kei] Limit Break (COMIC HOTMiLK Vol.39 2013-04) [English] [CGrascal] RED RAVEN KAIBUTSU OUJO DEFENSE DEVIL BONNOUJI NONCHAN TO WATASHI BMI MIDORI NO HIBI VERITAS RENAI DEMO CLASSIC KONBINI S KYOTEN YUUHOUKI DRIFTERS TOUKEI IBUN YOWAMUSHI PEDAL RYUURODEN ZERO IN Mugen Spiral SHIRANUI KITANROKU HANA NO NAMAE YASHA OKOBORE HIME TO ENTAKU NO KISHI KAINUSHI WA AKUMA HOME KOI TO NATSU TSUBAKI Piece of Cake Hanamachi Monogatari - Hatsuzakura Mau, Yoru No Shitone Versus X Lovers Superior Adekan ORANGE CHOCOLATE THE BREAKER: NEW WAVES AKB49 RENAI KINSHI JOUREI BOKU TO MIRAIYA NO NATSU SHOUKOKU NO ALTAIR CHIHAYAFURU KIGURUMI BOUEITAI JOUJUU SENJIN!! MUSHIBUGYO SAMURAI BABY AKAKI TSUKI NO MAWARU KORO 5 JI KARA 9 JI MADE KANOJO WA USO WO AISHISUGITERU KOKO WA GREENWOOD KAMIDORI Yagate, Ao Ni Naru KAGEROU DAYS SASAKURE MEMORIAL BAMBI NO TEGAMI GWI ANTIQUE BAKERY AREA NO KISHI AI KISS - IDOL KISS Yami Bl ANOTHER KINGDOM SENGOKU DANSHI HANA NO RAN BANANA BREAD NO PUDDING SHADOW (HYEJIN) SHARDS OF SIN ABNORMAL-KEI JOSHI HIGANJIMA HIMEKEI DOLL YESTERDAY WO UTATTE FAMILY COMPO Tenkuu Seiryuu Yasashii Ryuu No Koroshikata TOKI NO MAIGO O SAGASHITE! MONSTER MUSUME NO IRU NICHIJOU MAOYUU MAOU YUUSHA - KONO WATASHI NO MONO TONARE, YUUSHA YO KOTOWARU! KARAKURI CIRCUS -hitogatana- KOMORI QUINTET! D NO FUUIN HANA YAMATA SENTOU HAKAI GAKUEN DANGEROSU P TO JK SAKURASAKU SHOUKOUGUN Boku wa Kimi no Tori ni Narita Super Lovers YONINGURASHI KATSUTE MAHOU SHOUJO TO AKU WA TEKITAI SHITE ITA Hachimitsu Darling USAGI DROP TRANSISTOR VENUS BEAUTY HONEY AKAKI TSUKI NO MAWARU KORO IIKI NO KI Z - SUITES PARAISO KOISOME MOMIJI BLOOD AND STEEL GEKKOH SHINIGAMISAMA NI SAIGO NO ONEGAI O KING OF THORN TOKYO AKAZUKIN YUMEMIRU TAIYOU NICHIJOUSAHAN BI - BEAUTIFUL LIFE ADDICTED TO CURRY 11TH CAT FREESIA BOKU NO USHIRO NI MAJO GA IRU UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI EPISODE 1: LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN WITCH MAGICAL EXAM STUDENT SHINJUKU DXD EDITH (ANTHOLOGY) Superior B-Eyes SEKAIONI ZETTAI KAREN CHILDREN TONARI NO KASHIWAGI-SAN TOUKYOU GENJI MONOGATARI (OZAKI MINAMI) LESSA THE CRIMSON KNIGHT Haou Airen Kanojo Ni Naru Hi Witches MAHOU SHOUJO SITE Operation Liberate Men MAGIKA NO KENSHI TO SHOUKAN MAOU 100% Perfect Girl AREA NO KISHI Jackals Watashi No Megane-kun The Specific Heat Capacity of Love Tamen Di Gushi YUMEKUI MERRY SPRING AGAIN RE:MONSTER CAVALIER OF THE ABYSS DARK AIR ARION MAOYUU MAOU YUUSHA GOKICHA SS SISTERS NANAHIKARI PURE SHADOW KIN NO CAIN INVESTOR Z KUMO NO GRADUALE CYBORG 009 Takeda Shingen (YOKOYAMA Mitsuteru) GRAPPLER BAKI HITORIBOCCHI NO CHIKYUU SHINRYAKU SHADES CAPTOR Black Lagoon USOGUI CHAT CINDERELLA PLOT SENTIRENTAL SHOUJO DENMA SUGAR SUGAR RUNE Togainu No Chi SHIRO NO KOUKOKU MONOGATARI Work In (Yaoi) Zantei, Koibito Keep Out (kisaragi Hirotaka) Mezase Hero Shinshi Doumei Cross MONSTER MUSUME NO IRU NICHIJOU ANGEL VOICE(KOYANO TAKAO) HANA NO ANDROID GAKUEN HONORABLE BAEK DONG SOO YUKIKAZE - MEIJI ISHU KAKUTOUDEN Nijiiro Days JASHIN-CHAN DROPKICK Ashita Dorobou Girlfriend Perfect Twin Yume no Atosaki Natsu No Zenjitsu Skyhigh Shinshou HAPPINESS (FURUYA USAMARU) Mahouka Koukou No Rettousei - Kyuukousenhen Mizu Wakusei Nendaiki Tsuki Ni Kiss No Hanataba O Tadashii Renai no Susume Junai Rosen Love Scar TOREMOROTORA SENAKAGURASHI Vitamin (SUENOBU Keiko) Doulou Dalu Earth Kamiya Yuu Kyousou no Simulacra BUNGOU STRAY DOGS DAINANA JOSHIKAI HOUKOU T R A P AOKI HAGANE NO ARPEGGIO KIMI WA PET HITORIBOCCHI NO CHIKYUU SHINRYAKU mangaiwanttoread Yaya Puri Pani Poni Sadomi Akira to Hiyori Minami-ke Spotted Flowe Himawari Youchien Monogatari Aiko Desho! 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Ijiwaru (Yaoi) SUMARIN KANOJO-TACHI AKA AKATORETACHI NO MONOGATARI SOW DAISUKI ONNANOKO WA DAISUKI DESU KA? ANGEL GAME EVERGREEN DAYS PENGUIN LOVES MEV GETSURIN NI KIRI SAKU 009 RE:CYBORG WHERE TANGENTS MEET ALL THAT WE HOPE TO BE CAT’S EYE TETSUNAKI NO KIRINJI HONEY SWEET KITCHEN pastel Nina My Love Suki wo Choudai Flying Witch YUUSHA GA SHINDA! AKA AKATORETACHI NO MONOGATARI Helck Kyou, Hana No Gotoshi DOUBLE HOUND DOGS Kanojotachi No Saishuu Teiri DOGS: BULLETS & CARNAGE RED STORM DREA-MER DONGGUO XIAOJIE CAT’S EYE OBORERU KNIFE AKAME GA KIRU! YURIKUMA ARASHI ryuurouden YIN ZHI SHOUMUREN ? Wedding Ayashi no Ceres Flowers Of Evil Kounodori - The Stork Mouryou No Hako BOKU-TACHI NO IKITA RIYUU BOKU-TACHI NO IKITA RIYUU UBUME NO NATSU GOLDEN KAMUI Seirei Gakusha Kidan Reikyou Kaden JIGOKU NO ENRA Hana ni Nare The Qwaser of Stigmata YOUKAI SHOUJO - MONSUGA Bad Police SUPER LOVERS ———- NIJIIRO DAYS (MIZUNO MINAMI) YORUHIME-SAMA BITCH NA NEKO WA KOUKISHIN NI KATENAI DARWIN’S GAME Kareshi Glamorous (Yaoi Hard Core Heart (Yaoi) Endo Short Stories Zero 20th century boys Old Boy Blood and Steel Basilisk Xian Ni True Love (sugiyama Miwako) Threads Of Time Kare no Shousou to Koi ni Tsuite (Yaoi) Silver Diamond ??? Stella to Mille Feuille Graineliers Fusoku no Renjou (Yaoi) Jiraishin Pluto Dennou Coil Cashero hongdo Sekai No Owari No Sekairoku Suna No Bara Paper Girls Asami-sensei no Himitsu Yumeiro Patissiere Papa No Iukoto O Kikinasai! Seikaku Warui Uke Ga Guzuguzuni Nakasareru Hon Dark Seed honey & honey holiday part 2 Fukumenkei Noise Aoi Hana Blue Happy-go-lucky yamaji ebine Maka Konjiki no Word Master - Yuusha Yonin ni Makikomareta Unique Cheat Himekishi ga Classmate! kitchen princess A Pudgy Girl Amaama to Inazuma Acony Yokubou Shounen Nagareboshi Lens Kimi to Boku Shiro no Koukoku Monogatari Kaguya Wants to be Confessed to: The Geniuses’ War of Love and Brains Barbara Ultrabaroque Deprogrammer Psychometrer Eiji ao haru ride Yome Ga Kore Na Monde Days Iyayoiyayo mo kiss no uchi Uchi wa Futago de Teippai! Datte, Oishii No Ga Warui. BE-BOP-HIGHSCHOOL Shinjuku Swan Beauty Research Club Hari no Hana TOKYO YAMIMUSHI ASHITA WA DOYOUBI Gugure! Shigaraki-san Bakuon Rettou Vampire Hunter D Rappa (sasakura Kou) Vampire Kusunoki Kei Eko Eko Azarak NIFLHEIM HEART OF A DRAGON KAMISAMA DOLLS Tokyo Boys And Girls Shiwhamong Pornographer Kyuujitsu to satou serial experiments lain THE GOLDEN SPARROW 500-nen No Itonami Given (maybe or maybe not) Unhuman YONGBI BABY Samurai Executioner The Color of Earth Slow Motion wo Mou Ichido Golden Boy The Defiant Subject Crocodile Precinct ORE GA DOUTEI O SUTETARA SHINU KEN NI TSUITE TENMA NO KETSUZOKU

Bameur Geonneun Seonbi

Moritat

Eden

Ore To Joushi No Kakushikoto

Virgin Pink Scanda

Reiraku

Frau Faust

Tsugumomo

blassreiter

Erotic Horror

Kawaii Akuma

Shirouto Yankee Kikiippatsu!!

Sono Otoko, Taka

Coyote (ZARIYA Ranmaru)

Tousei Gensou Hakubutsushi

Shigurui

Black Lagoon

Cesare

Gisele Alain

Oedo Wa Nemuranai

Mononoke

3x3 Eyes

Mai Chan's Daily Life

The Man of Tango

Fallen Flower

Tensei Shichattayo (iya, gomen)

Netsuai (NAONO Bohra)

Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai

Ore To Sex Shite Kudasai

Chi to Chocolate

Sayonara, Itoshi No My Friend

Zhen

Kara no Kyoukai

boku wa nando demo kimi ni hajimete no koi wo suru okita enemyAll

Survival

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kazenofuji · 6 years

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@kurogane-no-shounen

Hijikata Toshizou

Hijikata Toshizo

Vice-commander of the Shinsengumi

Born - May 5, 1835 in Ishida, Tama, Musashi.

[May 31, 1835 in Ishida, Hino, Tokyo.]

Died - May 11, 1869 in Hakodate, Ezo at age 35.

[June 20, 1869 in Hakodate, Hokkaido at age 34.]

Names -

Imina - Yoshitoyo

Penname - Hogyoku

Alternate Name - Naito Hayato

Kaimyo - Saishin-inden-seizan-yoshitoyo-daikoji

Hijikata took the name “Naito Hayato” when he became a high-ranking retainer of the Tokugawa on March 1, 1868 [March 24, 1868]. The first name, Hayato, seems to have been chosen because it was part of his father’s name. However he reverted back to his original name after Kondo was captured and executed.

His “kaimyo” was chosen by Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu. It contains the elements “inden” and “daikoji” which were normally only used for daimyo and the like. As the son of a farmer, this was a huge honor that was granted toward him.

The fact that he could use his surname openly before the end of his life was another oddity. At the beginning of the Edo period, the shogunate had abolished the right of anyone below the social rank of samurai to have a surname. For many this was not a problem since they did not have a family name anyway. However leading families such as Hijikata’s did have one and were forced to make them into “secret names” known only to themselves and to very close friends in much the same manner as their “imina” or “hidden personal names”. It was not until he went to Kyoto that Hijikata was able to use his surname openly.

Physical Description -

Hijikata was considered to have “looked like an actor” and to have been handsome almost to the point of being beyond belief. He turned the heads of women wherever he went and many fell in love with him on sight. His complexion was pale and his hair was so black that it was almost blue. In height he was around 165cm - 167cm tall (about 5'5" - 5'6"), which was tall compared to most men of his era when the average height was between 154cm - 158cm (5'0" - 5'1"). The 165cm is probably closer to his real height since Okita was said to have been taller than he was. He also had a slight “stoop” to his shoulders.

In his dress he appears to have been very tasteful. One person who saw him while he was in Kyoto claimed that he looked like a daimyo. On that occasion he had been wearing a black crested kimono and a hakama of sendaihara silk.

Personality Quirks and Traits -

Hijikata is known for his hobby of writing haiku under the name “Hogyoku”. Before leaving for Kyoto he compiled everything that he had written into a collection which he left with his family. Most who have read his work say that it is not very good.

It is thought that he was fond of ume (variously translated as plum or apricot, but not really either) since many of his haiku had references to the flowers. There was also a blossom carved on the tsuba (handguard) of his sword and the saya (sheath) is also decorated with a few as well. His favorite color was said to be red and even the face mask he wore in training was tied with a red cord. One of Hijikata’s favorite foods was takuwan (pickled radish), especially the ones made by his Hashimoto relatives. Once while visiting with them he praised it so much that the master of the house told him he could take home as many as he thought he would need. This made Hijikata very happy and he took the whole bucket with him! (Note that takuwan is said to have a very strong smell and that the bucket was probably fairly big since the incident was remembered.)

Hijikata is often referred to as the “Onifukuchou” or “Demon Vice-commander” of the Shinsengumi because of his cruel nature. In reality this does not appear to have been the case. Rather the notion is mostly the creation of the novel “Moeyo Ken” by Shiba Ryotaro.

As for the real man, it is recorded that in character he was a plain, frank person who spoke little and rarely laughed or smiled. In Hakodate it was observed that he never behaved in any manner that was not completely befitting a samurai even in private. This natural reserve caused many to think of him as being stricter than he really was.

Hijikata is frequently described by those who met him as having been a kind and amiable man. One visitor to the Shinsengumi reported that even sitting face-to-face with the Vice-commander never seemed in any way unpleasant and that he was actually a “friendly-feeling person”. By the time that he went to Hakodate this trait had become even more noticeable and Shinsengumi member Nakajima Nobori wrote of how “gentle” he became in his later years in the inscription of his famous portrait of Hijikata.

This is not to say that he had a bland personality. As a leader he was charismatic, inspiring loyalty and trust in his followers. His troops in Hakodate adored him and one later recalled that upon hearing of his death they all “cried like babes who had lost their mother”.

Even during the years in Kyoto those under him do not appear to have found his methods to be overly drastic or forceful. Matsumoto Ryojun, a doctor for the Tokugawa government who sometimes tended to the Shinsengumi, was of the opinion that the group would have fell apart much sooner if not for Hijikata. His presence was generally enough to keep Kondo from making serious mistakes that would have made it impossible for the Commander to have good relations with the rest of the group. And when the petition was filed against Kondo by Nagakura and others, not one word was said against Hijikata.

Although many sources report that as a child he was a “spoiled brat” and a “bully” to strangers, but so far there is not a ready explanation of where the idea came from. Those who knew him seem to have regarded him as a good boy actually and when tales about the amount of bloodletting he was responsible for in Kyoto reached Tama they were not believed. And an often repeated comment about him in Hakodate is that he “returned to his original nature” there, implying that he was considered to have been a gentle person before leaving for Kyoto. Possibly his refusal to remain at the shop in Edo is the basis of this claim that he was a “brat”.

A little more on the negative side, Hijikata’s infamy apparently amused him to some degree. He also seems to have had a bit of a dark and quirky sense of humor at times. On a visit home he shocked people by claiming that one of his swords had been ruined by all the blood from his many fights. On another occasion he sent a package to the students training at the Shieikan with a note saying, “I send you something precious.” When they opened it, they discovered that it contained a bundle of love letters that women in Kyoto had written to the Vice-commander. The youths found this very funny and declared that, “Toshi-san gains another point!”

Though for the most part Hijikata was very calm and never acted rashly in the face of danger. It was very rare for him to lose his temper over anything and he was considered to be a tolerant person. However a shogunate scholar of western studies named Kato Hiroyuki commented that once Hijikata did become angry about something, he was even stormier than Kondo. Of the two, the shogunate found the Vice-commander much more difficult to control.

There are many testaments left about his courage on the battlefield and he was said to have been the bravest man in Ezo during the fighting there. He was even better known for his skills as a strategist and his efficiency in getting tasks done. A relative named Hashimoto Masano recalled that Hijikata had read many books, but that his knowledge of warfare seemed to have been an inborn thing with him. Another to be impressed with his martial skills was Frenchman Jules Brunet. He referred to Hijikata as “a true warrior” and speculated that had he been in a European army, he would have been made a general.

Another trait worth mentioning was his practicality. He easily adopted new ideas if their worth could be proven to him. During the time the Shinsengumi was active in Kyoto, eating meat was not a common practice. But when Matsumoto told Hijikata of the nutritional value of adding pork and chicken to their diet, the Vice-commander ordered his men to begin raising the animals for food.

Katsu Kaishu perhaps summed up this remarkable individual best when he called Hijikata “one man of great caliber.”

Family History -

Father - Yoshiatsu (Hayato) - 1792-1835, age 44 [43].

Mother - Etsu - 1792-1840, age 49 [48].

First Son - Tamejiro - 1812-1883, age 72 [71].

Second Son - no name - October 11, 1813 (premature death).

Third Son - no name - June 12, 1815 (premature death).

Fourth Son - Kiroku - 1819-1860, age 42 [41].

First Daughter - no name - August 4, 1821 (premature death).

Second Daughter - no name - May 5, 1822 (premature death).

Third Daughter - Shuu - 1823-1838, age 16 [15].

Fifth Son - Daisaku - 1828-1877, age 50 [49].

Fourth Daughter - Nobu - 1831-1877, age 47 [46].

Sixth Son - Toshizo - 1835-1869, age 35 [34].

Hijikata’s father died several months before he was born. It appears that the cause of his death may have been tuberculosis. His sister Shuu is also rumored to have been isolated for the disease before she passed away in 1838, when Hijikata was 4 [3]. Two years later his mother passed away and TB is again speculated to have been the cause of her death. Hijikata was only 6 [5] at the time.

Tamejiro, the eldest son, was blind and unable to inherit the family property. He was a refined person who enjoyed joruri and tanaka and was probably the inspiration for Hijikata’s own attempts at haiku. He also never let his handicap get in his way. On one occasion when he was returning home from a brothel he found that the Tamagawa (Tama river) had flooded. Instead of stopping he merely wound his clothes on top of his head and waded across.

Kiroku inherited his father’s estate as the next oldest son. It was he and his wife who raised Hijikata after the death of their mother. (He lived with Kiroku up until about the age of 11.) Kiroku’s attempt to set his little brother up in a career with a major store in Edo unfortunately failed because Hijikata would not co-operate and this perhaps strained their relationship a bit. He did not live to see Hijikata become a success in the Shinsengumi, passing away in 1860 - three years before the group was to form.

Daisaku was adopted by another family which practiced medicine. He changed his name to Kasuya Ryojun and became a doctor. He apparently had excellent calligraphy skills and is thought to have written the sign outside of the Shinsengumi’s headquarters in Mibu.

Nobu married a cousin named Sato Hikogoro. Sato’s mother, Masa, was their father’s sister and it was her wish that Nobu and Hikogoro marry. After losing the job Kiroku had gotten for him, Hijikata lived more often at the Sato house. Hikogoro was described as a “stout-hearted” person and the two of them got along very well. Sato also had a dojo built in his home to study Tennen Rishin Ryu because he was concerned about bandits and thieves. It was Kondo Isami who would come to teach these classes, which is how Hijikata first got to know him.

Though the Hijikata family were wealthy farmers of the Tama region. They lived in the Ishida village in Tama, Musashi province. Originally they had lived north of Ishida temple, but were later forced to move to another house near Mangan-ji Temple. The reason was the massive flooding of the Tamagawa in the June of 1846. Part of their property was severely damaged. Hijikata was 12 [11] at the time. In 1989 it was deemed impossible to save this second family home any longer and the place was torn down, though the Hijikata family still owns the property and rebuilt there.

Takahatasan Kongo-ji Temple (Takahata Fudoson) was their family temple. It is of the Shingon Sect and one of the three great Fudo temples in the Kanto region. A statue of Hijikata in his Shinsengumi uniform now stands on the grounds next to the Benten pond.

Hijikata’s family also had relatives in the village of Onoji who were named Hashimoto. When he went to the village to teach later on, he would often stay with a Hashimoto Michisuke. This may have been the person who gave him the takuwan. There was also a Hashimoto Masanao. The family was indirectly related to Kojima Shikanosuke through a grandmother in the Hashimoto family.

(Ages of the Hijikata family in 1835.)

Father - deceased

Mother - 44 [43]

Tamejiro - 24 [23]

Kiroku - 17 [16]

Shuu - 13 [12]

Daisaku - 8 [7]

Nobu - 5 [4]

Before the Shinsengumi -

When he was around 11 years old, Hijikata planted an arrow bamboo plant on the family property with the wish that he could become a samurai and win a reputation. The arrow bamboo is still growing today and stands proudly near the entrance of a datahall attached to the family home where many important Shinsengumi mementos are kept. Also at the datahall is a pillar that was rescued from the old house. Hijikata would use it to practice the “harite” or “slapping” of sumo wrestling.

Around 1845, when Hijikata was 11 [10], Kiroku got him a job at a shop in Ueno, Edo called the Ito-Gofukuten. (This store is now called Matsuzakaya and is a very high-class place.) It sold kimono fabric and had a “men only” household. As a younger brother, Hijikata himself could inherit nothing and so was very poor himself. Kiroku obviously wanted to ensure that he could someday be independent and most likely went through a lot of trouble to make this arrangement for him. Unfortunately these plans had been made without reckoning with Hijikata himself.

Soon after being brought to the shop he quarreled with one of the clerks (some stories say it was actually the owner) and ran away. He returned to Tama along the Kousiyuu Highway, which was a distance of 36km (a bit over 22 miles) from his home. The walk took him about 10 hours and he had to make it at night. He never returned to the store. Needless to say, this sort of betrayed his older brother’s expectations of him and it may have been difficult for him to return to the Hijikata house. It was at this point that he began to live most often at the Sato house.

In 1851, at age 17 [16], he got another job at a shop that was a branch of the other Matsuzakaya. Because of his good looks, they made him sit near the storefront to attract customers into the shop. He was noted to have been very good with scissors. However this job did not last long either because he was caught messing around with a female co-worker and fired. He would later observe that he simply did not have the temperament to be a merchant.

Sato scolded him over losing yet another job, but Hijikata quickly came up with a solution himself. He began to peddle the medicines made by the Hijikata and Sato families. On these trips he would carry his fencing equipment so that he could take lessons at the various dojo he stopped at while plying his trade. In this was he could earn money and still pursue his true interest and this time he was successful. He continued to do this until formally enrolling in the Shieikan in 1859.

On November 6, 1861, Hijikata was at the Sato house when he became seriously ill. His brother Kasuya Ryojun (Daisaku) was called to attend to him and three days later the doctor son of another family acquaintance was brought in to check on him. Although it is unknown exactly what was wrong with him, he was dangerously sick and almost died.

Martial Skills -

Ryu - Tennen Rishin Ryu

Rank - Mokuroku

Teacher - Kondo Shusuke, Shieikan dojo

It is not certain exactly when Hijikata joined the Shieikan. Kojima Shikanosuke recorded that he entered the dojo at about age 17, but the school’s records do not mention him. They do show that he was formally enrolled in 1859, at age 25 [24]. It may be that he was informally associated with the dojo before that time.

Also, Hijikata does not appear to have ever earned a Menkyo (license) in Tennen Rishin Ryu. He is recorded as only have received a Mokuroku, the next to the lowest level. Despite his skill with a sword, all of the lessons he took at the dojo he visited while peddling medicine caused him to have the form of various sword styles mixed into his swordsmanship. It was said that Kondo Shusuke did not regard this mixed sword style as good and undoubtedly he would have been made to start all over again. Still, he was considered to be a formidable opponent and his enemies did not take him lightly.

His Sword(s) -

Long Sword - Izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kanesada - 2'8"

Short Sword - Kunihiro Horikawa - 1'11"5

Toshizo’s favorite blade was made by a swordsmith from Aizu. It is now on display in his family home in Ishida, where he is believed to have left it on his way to Kofu castle. His supposed short sword, the Kunihiro Horikawa, was a blade that was generally something only a daimyo or the like could afford. For this reason it is speculated that Hijikata’s may have been a forgery.

When they set out for Kyoto, Hijikata did not have a sword and had to borrow one. However it is recorded that by October of 1863 he was supposed to have already possessed both the Kanesada and Kunihiro Horikawa. Considering that the Kanesada was made by a swordsmith living in Aizu at that time, it is likely that the domain provided him with this blade.

Shinsengumi Years -

Started out in the Mibu Roshi as a Vice-commander along with Yamanami Keisuke. After Yamanami’s death he continued to fill this role alone. On March 1, 1868 [March 24, 1868] he became a high-ranking retainer of the Tokugawa. Later on he served as the Vice-commander of the army in the Republic of Ezo.

Hijikata helped to form the Shinsengumi at age 29 [28] and is commonly thought to have been the soul of the group. But despite all of his contributions to their success, he never sought replace Kondo as the leader. Instead he tended to treat the Commander in the manner he would have an older brother.

One of the items on display at the datahall in Ishida is a metal forehead protector that he wore during the political change on August 18, 1863 [September 30, 1863]. At this time the group became the Shinsengumi and began to gain some measure of respectability. Hijikata was of course delighted with the turnabout in their fortunes. When an old friend, Tomizawa Mashiro, visited the group in Kyoto, the Vice-commander entrusted this item to him and requested that he take it back to his family in Tama as a memento, along with a letter that he wrote them. Looking at it closely, one can see a small sword scar on the front of it, proving that this piece of equipment did its job on at least one occasion. Considering that the Shinsengumi did not actually fight on that day, the mark was either put there during another scuffle or it may have been a used piece of equipment and so was already scratched when it came to him.

In his free time, Hijikata seems to have liked to play shogi (or go according to some) with Okita. It is remarked that all the other members would gather around to watch the game and that everyone seems to have enjoyed these matches very much.

The battle of Toba-Fushimi would have a profound effect on Hijikata. Immediately after being defeated by western weapons, he decided to take the best of both the modern and the samurai world. He cut his long hair and began to dress in french clothing. He also began to carry a revolver as well as his sword. In this he serves as an example of what samurai may have become had the Meiji government not put an end to the warrior class.

Not long after the defeat at Kofu, Kondo was captured and executed as a common criminal by the imperial army. This event left Hijikata consumed with guilt over his failure to save his friend and only strengthened his own resolve to fight to the death. He told others that he would be too embarrassed to face Kondo in the next life if he were to make peace with his enemies.

It was at some point during this time period that the two pictures of him were likely taken. No one knows exactly when or where this occurred. Sendai is one possibility. Another is that at least one of the pictures was taken in a studio in Hakodate where many of the other members of the Republic of Ezo had their portraits taken. At least one of these pictures was sent by him to the Sato family through his page, Ichimura Tetsunosuke.

On May 11, 1869 [June 20, 1869], the Meiji army began its invasion of Hakodate. Hijikata was unwilling to abandon members of the Shinsengumi who were guarding a fort called Benten Daiba. Instead of remaining at Goryokaku, he made a desperate attempt to get to the other fort and encountered enemy troops. He was killed on horseback by a bullet which struck him in the abdomen and shattered his lower back. He seems to have been dead before any of his men could arrive at his side. It is unknown where Hijikata was buried.

Love Life -

Women were naturally drawn to the exceptionally handsome Hijikata and there is little doubt that he was well aware of this and took full advantage of his looks. Kondo once wrote in a letter that the Vice-commander was bragging about his numerous women. In addition, many of the higher ranking members had more than one home in Kyoto where they kept their lovers. Hijikata was said to have been the worst offender in this regard.

As mentioned before, he received many love letters from women in Kyoto. Another incident which shows the sort of reaction he commonly caused is told of the time the Shinsengumi spent in Goheishinden (now Adachi Ward, Tokyo) just after Kofu. Hijikata spent some of his time fishing in the river there, while still using the name “Naito Hayato”. No one in the area knew that he was actually Hijikata Toshizo of the Shinsengumi, so his reputation was not an influence on what happened next. Before long every girl in the village had gathered on the riverbank to watch the “handsome samurai”. It was agreed by all of them that he was “a nice man”.

So just how bad was he when it came to the ladies? Even during the time he was at the Shieikan he was a regular visitor to Yoshiwara and had a woman there. In Kyoto there was a woman he would go to see in Shimabara, about three geisha in Gion, plus two or three more he would visit in Shimmachi pleasure quarters of Osaka. Also there was another woman who may have been named something like “Kotsuru” or something to this effect. (The translator was not very clear on these names.)

Yet another lover was a woman who may have been called something along the lines of “Okiku”. According to rumor she actually had a daughter by Hijikata, but the baby died soon after it was born. After this the woman said goodbye to him and married another man. It is said that she died very young.

At first glance it is easy to get the impression that Hijikata was merely shallow when it came to women. However there was one relationship that he had before leaving Edo that proves otherwise. Before leaving for Kyoto, he was engaged to be married to a woman named Okoto. The arrangement had been made by his oldest brother, Tamejiro, who played the shamisen. Okoto’s parents owned the shamisen shop that he often visited. Tamejiro introduced his brother to Okoto and their families urged them to marry at once.

For his part, Hijikata seems to have been agreeable to the marriage. However he was already planning to join the Roshitai with Kondo and the others at that point and was reluctant to give up his dream now that he was so close. So he said to them, “After winning a promotion, I want to carry out my marriage.”

Once in Kyoto, he continued to appear to be sincere in his intentions to marry Okoto. He sent her a present and later visited her when he returned to Edo for a brief visit. But the social situation in Kyoto proved to be far more unstable than they had anticipated and when he finally did receive the “promotion” that he sought, he found that the Shinsengumi had put him in a position that would be dangerous for anyone involved with him. Hijikata felt that he had no choice but to cancel the engagement.

Although he had many lovers afterwards, he never again came close to making a commitment to any of them. This would actually become the general policy of the Shinsengumi. Though there were exceptions to the rule, for the most part married men and family heirs would be discouraged from joining the group. The risks were simply too great.

By the time Hijikata went to Ezo, he was avoiding women altogether. As far as anyone knows, he had no children.

Translation of the Inscription on the Portrait by Nakajima Nobori-

“Hijikata was a man of great talent and integrity. In his later years, he became so gentle that people sought him in the way a baby seeks his mother. On the eleventh day of the fifth month of Meiji 2 (1869), during the Hakodate Battle, he fought like a fierce tiger chasing after a helpless flock of fleeing lambs. Taking several of his men, he forcefully headed into battle and was killed on his horse by a sniper. He was a great and noble man of his time.”

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