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nagaeyari
Asuka no Kami
Forum Kanrei
Joined: 05 May 2006
Posts: 2333
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:09 am Post subject: Byakko-tai |
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Why did the "Byakko-tai" choose such a name? The "White Tiger Corps" or "White Tiger Brigade"--what significance did this have?
Do historians know? |
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kitsuno
Forum Shogun
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 8965
Location: Honolulu, HI
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:27 am Post subject: Re: Byakko-tai |
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| nagaeyari wrote: |
Why did the "Byakko-tai" choose such a name? The "White Tiger Corps" or "White Tiger Brigade"--what significance did this have?
Do historians know? |
Byakko was one of the "shijin", maybe there is a connection there. |
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nagaeyari
Asuka no Kami
Forum Kanrei
Joined: 05 May 2006
Posts: 2333
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:34 am Post subject: |
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Right. I emailed Professor Farris (U of Hawaii, Manoa), as he's been of great help in emails in the past, and he gave me the low-down on the name "Byakko."
Now, I plan on continuing the correspondence, focusing on the "shijin" (四神).
As for the "Byakko-tai," he too wondered exactly why the group held the name. I think it's feasable for these men to have heard of Byakko, as they may or may not have had a Confucian background. |
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AngusH
Castle Guard
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Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 377
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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| nagaeyari wrote: |
Right. I emailed Professor Farris (U of Hawaii, Manoa), as he's been of great help in emails in the past, and he gave me the low-down on the name "Byakko."
Now, I plan on continuing the correspondence, focusing on the "shijin" (四神).
As for the "Byakko-tai," he too wondered exactly why the group held the name. I think it's feasable for these men to have heard of Byakko, as they may or may not have had a Confucian background. |
Tell him he needs to release another book, and SOON. 
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"While he hears Masashige alone still lives, let him believe that he will prevail at last!" |
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nagaeyari
Asuka no Kami
Forum Kanrei
Joined: 05 May 2006
Posts: 2333
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Don't worry about it!
He informs me his next book is on its way. It's already been sent off to the publishers and is coming any week now.
It's about population and society from around end of Heian to Kamakura times (up to 1600).
I am very excited about it, from what he has told me about it. |
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Ashigaru
Wakasa no Kami
Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 1874
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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I was in Aizu last year and got to visit the castle and various Byakko-tai-related sites. The name *is* related to the Shijin. There were troops named after the Suzaku, Seiryuu, and Genbu as well, but the Byakko-tai is most famous because of their tragic sacrifice despite their young age (the other three tai were composed of adults, but the Byakko-tai was reserved for the young samurai-in-training).
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Meditate upon exile, torture, wars, diseases, shipwreck, so that you may not be a novice to any misfortune.
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nagaeyari
Asuka no Kami
Forum Kanrei
Joined: 05 May 2006
Posts: 2333
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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Do you have any more information on *why* they choose "Byakko"?
Any books with citations?
Thanks! |
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Ashigaru
Wakasa no Kami
Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 1874
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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I can't provide anything more specific, sorry. All I picked up was from museum placards and conversations with staff. Bakumatsu is not my area.
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Meditate upon exile, torture, wars, diseases, shipwreck, so that you may not be a novice to any misfortune.
- Seneca |
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shikisoku
Osumi no Kami
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Joined: 10 May 2006
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Location: 天領 Tama
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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| nagaeyari wrote: |
Do you have any more information on *why* they choose "Byakko"?
Any books with citations?
Thanks! |
How about "Kyoto Shugoshoku Shimatsu" 京都守護職始末
The book was written by former Aizu-han Karo Yamakawa Hiroshi,published in late Meiji.
http://www.bakumatsu.net/archives/2005/05/post_11.html
I believe you can read the book at government site.
Last edited by shikisoku on Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Oyakata
Merchant
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Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 92
Location: Singapore
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| Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| nagaeyari wrote: |
Do you have any more information on *why* they choose "Byakko"?
Any books with citations?
Thanks! |
Bakumatsu is not my thing  but I thought I'd learn something new today so googled this. The first site that came up was http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~byakko/ According to this site, Aizu-han created 4 "divisions" based on age, each named after one of the Shijin 四神. So there was the Genbu-tai, the Seiryuu-tai, the Suzaku-tai, and the Byakko-tai.
Unfortunately the site doesn't say why they chose the Shijin as the naming device.
Hope this helps a little - the explanation seems plausible but again this is just a simple Google search so hopefully someone with a bit more expertise can jump in and help.
Oyakata
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kitsuno
Forum Shogun
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 8965
Location: Honolulu, HI
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| Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Oyakata wrote: |
| nagaeyari wrote: |
Do you have any more information on *why* they choose "Byakko"?
Any books with citations?
Thanks! |
Bakumatsu is not my thing but I thought I'd learn something new today so googled this. The first site that came up was http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~byakko/ According to this site, Aizu-han created 4 "divisions" based on age, each named after one of the Shijin 四神. So there was the Genbu-tai, the Seiryuu-tai, the Suzaku-tai, and the Byakko-tai.
Unfortunately the site doesn't say why they chose the Shijin as the naming device.
Hope this helps a little - the explanation seems plausible but again this is just a simple Google search so hopefully someone with a bit more expertise can jump in and help.
Oyakata |
Well, the Shijin were "guardians of the compass", so each one corresponded with a direction, could it have had something to do with where in the area each group was founded or based (n, s, e, w)? |
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