07

Bundle 7: Power Centers

Kyoto, Tokyo, Kamakura, Nara, and Osaka have, at various times, been the centers of political power in Japan, three serving as national capitals. These cities teem with history, some of it violent, thanks to battles for ascendancy centuries ago. Those vying for power even turned several temples into political strongholds. Nowadays, the cities pride themselves on culinary specialties, striking architecture, regional products, and prominent temples (one with a gigantic Buddha statue). Proverbs and stereotypes reveal the distinctive personality traits associated with each location.
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京
capital
JOK: 99
Learn to associate the キョウ, ケイ, and キン readings of 京 with very different contexts. Find out which three cities this character can represent. See how 京 pairs with all cardinal directions—but how “western capital” and “southern capital” aren’t what you’d expect. (One has a relationship to miso, the other to peanuts!) And learn about the people of Tokyo and Kyoto through old proverbs.
鎌
sickle
JOK: 1980
You may not need to talk about sickles, but knowing 鎌 helps you discuss crescent-shaped things; the “hammer and sickle” flag; sickle-wielding weasels; certain weapons; and Kamakura, a city where armies once battled for control of Japan. Kamakura is also associated with a giant Buddha, pigeon-shaped cookies, a painful part of canine history, and a word for “emergency.”
畿
city
JOK: 1986
This essay presents everything you always wanted to know about the Kinki region but were afraid to ask! Learn the origin of the name "Kinki," and see how that region compares with Kansai. Find out about a railroad named after the tango, a snack that tastes like deep-fried meat, and old nomenclature for the Kinki area. Also discover what a 都道府県別 approach involves.
阪
slope
JOK: 2097
Enter the city of pleasure! This essay covers everything about Osaka, including its name, history, cuisine (e.g., Kansai sushi), castle, and entertainment industry, as well as the Osakan's colorful personality, conversational style, accent, and dialect. Learn about the "Osaka Metropolis Plan" that terrified some people, and find out about often-used terms such as "Keihan" and "Hanshin.'
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