Remember when Mr. Trouble wrote about Ieyasu TOKUGAWA and how after his death he became a Shinto god of sorts? No? Don't worry. I don't remember that kind of stuff either. But the post is here and you can take a look at it, if you want.
Anyway, after his death, this Tokugawa guy got enshrined under the name Tosho Daigongen (東照大権現) and his shrines are known as Toshogu (東照宮). The most famous of them is in Nikko, of course.
He is also famous as the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868) a.k.a. the Edo period. Edo is the ancient name of Tokyo, btw.
It was during the Tokugawa shogunate when Japan introduced the Seclusion Laws, a.k.a. Sakoku (鎖国) in 1633. What that meant was that no foreigner could enter Japan and no Japanese leave. Penalty for violating this law was death.
The countries that were allowed to trade with Japan when this law was in effect (until 1853 or so) were: Korea, China and the Netherlands.
Anyway, enough of this boring historical stuff.
What I want to show you today is the new addition to my Hello Kitty cellphone strap collection - Ieyasu Tokugawa Kitty!
I just got out of a History of Japan class that I nearly nodded off every week during.
This image of Tokugawa Kitty would definitely have helped me keep interested during the dull times.
"He wasn't such a mean guy. I mean, look at how cute he is."
Posted by: 日本ロブ | February 01, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Hear hear!
Japanese history puts me to sleep like nothing else.
But now I want a Nobunaga Oda Kitty too! Do they even make that one? LOL!
Posted by: Anna Ikeda | February 01, 2010 at 12:21 PM