Liner Notes

Volume 16: Son of God

• Shirou Amakusa- Real Name: Tokisada Masuda. 1621-1238. Originally from the Higo-Amakusa area (in modern-day Japan, that would be part of the Kumamoto Prefecture), the leader behind the Shimbara-no-ran. In 1637 he became the leader of the Christian followers of Japan, but was defeated by the government army and executed a year later.
  
  
• Kanei era- A more specific era under the early stages of the Edo period. 1624-1643. (Year 14 is 1637).
  
  
• Douhou- I would usually say "comrades," but since Shougou has that "religious" (note quotes) aura I decided to use "brothers" instead.
  
  
• Shimbara-no-ran- "Chaos of Shimabara," also known as Amakusa-no-ran. A riot of the farmer class between 1637 and 1638 in the Shimabara (in modern day Japan, the southeast portion of Nagasaki prefecture) and Amakusa Areas. Twenty-some-odd-thousand Christians, led by Tokisada "Shirou" Masudam took root in the old Hora castle. They managed to win against the army led by Shigemasa Itakura, but were defeated by the army led by Nobutsuna Matsudaira.
  
  
• Hakama- It usually refers to the pants (or rather, a divided skirt) that men use to wear in Japan. (the pants in the outfit that look like formal men's kimonos)--but for women it can mean just a pleaded skirt.
  
  
• Beedoro- Stemming from the Portuguese "vidro," the old Japanese word for glass. It's also another name for "popin," a glass toy which is a tube with a thing bottom, and by blowing gently in and out of the open end of the tube you pop the bottom in and out.
  
  
• Choshu- The area of Japan which today is the western and northern areas of the Yamaguchi Prefecture.
  
  
• Tensho era- An era slightly before the Edo period (in the Azuchi-Momoya period), 1573-1591.
  
  
• Kikiude- The arm with which you are more adept in, so you could say "the writing arm."
  
  
• Nan ban- Originally meaning "barbarians from the South," the term usually refers to islands or goods that are imported South of the pacific. In this case, "nanban" refers to Portugal and Spain, and it was used in the same context as "Kirishitan."
  
  
• (kokur-) Kirishitan- ("hidden") Christians-note that the Japanese say "kirisuto" for Christ. The reason they were hidden is because they Tokugawa shogunate banned Christianity (as explained in the main portion of the show).
  
  
• Edo Period- General term for the areas under the Tokugawa shogunate (1600-1867 with the period of the revolution being from about 1857 on.)