The Demon in the Teahouse # 5

Summary:
Seikei visits Genda's house because he wants to ask him about his brother that killed himself for Umae. A woman serves Seikei tea, but then later it turns out that the woman as actually the old, bearded samurai that called himself revenge. The woman is called Suzu and she just dressed up as a man because she wanted to know why her husband, Genda's brother, killed himself. The woman took Seikei in a room, where she would close Nui up too. She would burn the house and Judge Ooka would find the dead bodies and assume it was Umae all along, but Seikei new that the judge wouldn't be fooled. Suzu locked Seikei and Nui in a room and binded them, but Seikei used a sword to unbind himself and then Nui. The tried escaping the fire and the way they escaped as by climbing onto the roof. They tried to climb down somehow, while Suzu was approaching them. While Seikei and Suzu, the demon, were fighting, Nui was laying beside them trying not to fall. Judge Ooka shoots the demon with an arrow and Suzu falls down the roof. Judge Ooka, Seikei and the shogun summarize the case along with tea and delicious cakes. Finnaly the case of the murdered women is finished and the demon in the teahouse was Suzu or the bearded Samurai.
Iva

Investigator-Fabi

Feudal Japan (19th Century)
From 1185 to 1333 is a period that marks the fovernace of the Kamakura shogunate and the transition to the Japanese "medieval" era, a nearly 700-year period called the Kamakura Period. During this period, the emperor, the court, and the traditional central government were left intact but were largely relegated to ceremonial functions. Civil, military, and judicial matters were controlled by the bushi, which is another word for the samurai class, the most powerful of whom was the facto national ruler otherwise known as the shogun. This period in Japan differed from the old shoen system in its wall-to-wall military emphasis.
In the 1185, Minamoto no Yoritomo defeated the rival Taira clan. In 1192, Yorimoto was appointed in Seii Tai-Shogun by the emperor. He set the base of power in Kamakura. Yorritomo ruled as the first in the line of Kamakura shoguns. But, after Yoritomo's death, another warrior clan, the Hojo, came to rule as officials for the shogun.
A traumatic eventof the period was the Mongol invasions of Japan between 1274 and 1281, in which massive Mongol forces with superior naval technology and weaponry attempted a full-scale invasion of the Japanese islands. A famous typhoon referred to as kamikaze, translating as divine wind in the Japanese, is credited with devastating both Mongol invasion forces, in addition to the defensive measures the Japanese built, on the island of Kyushu. Although the Japanese were successful in stopping the Mongols, the invasion attempt had devestating domestic repercussions, leading to the extinction of the Kamakura shogunate.
The Kamakura period ended in 1333 with the destruction of the shogunate and the short restitution of imperial rule under the Emperor Go-Daigo.
The Japanese Middle Ages, thus, started with the Kamakura period and lasted until the Meiji Restoration.
Fabi

Vocabulary

ta bi-types of Japanese socks
soba-a type of noodle soup
yoji-a substance used to beautify the teeth by blackening them
sepuku-suicide
Fabi

How do feel about the ending? - It was OK......

How do you feel about Seikei in the last chapters of the book? - He was very brave and courageous.

Viktor

Conenctor to History

Muga- This is what the Samurai were trained to do during combat or while shooting a bow, they were to clear their minds of all distractions and this would help them focus on their opponent.

Vance

The Demon in the Teahouse #4

Summary:

After Umae opens her presents, she announces that Nui is her new and official sister. While Umae as entertaining her guests, Seikei aids an older daimyo, Lord Iwakuri. Just before Lord Iwakuri leaves, Umae gave a gift to Nui. The present was a beautiful tea bowl, but Seikei thought that the bowl was haunted. He thought this because anyone who possesed something of Umae, or someone who was close to Umae, was in frat danger. Seikei figured this out because the geisha that was drowned was wearing Umae's kimono. Later, Lord Iwakuri warned Seikei that a brother of one of the samurai, Jugoro and Genda, killed himself out of passion for Umae. The next day Kiru appears in the teahouse and reveals to Seikei that it was him that stole Seikei's clothes and lit the fire in the teahouse several days ago. Then Seikei and Hiru traveled to Judge Ooka in Yoshiwara because Seikei thought that Kiru had a lot to explain and tell Judge Ooka. Judge Ooka orders Seikei to look after Nui. and that Kiru will stay at his residence until they discover the mystery. Then Kiru would have his job as a teahouse attendant again. After Seikei came back and went to bed he noticed that Nui and Umae went to Yoshiwara to the Temple of Kannon. Since he was supposed to take care of her he raced down just to discover that Nui had disappeared. He talks to Umae a while and notices that she is actually a heartless, calculating woman who is very smart and knows more than what he expected her to know.

Iva

Investigator:

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCJAPAN/CONST.HTM

Above you can find a link to a website about the ancient Japanese Constitution. The website gives a few laws found in the ancient constitution, and a few important laws that are not part of the constitution but were very well respected and were considered a great sin to break. Many of the laws have to do with being a good person, harmony, praise, respect and loyalty. I hope you like this website!

Fabi

Director Q/R:

1. Is it good that Nui is Umae's sister?
2. Why do you think that Seikei has to look after Nui?
3. Does Kiru want his old job back?

Viktor

Connector to history:

Jitte-The jutte or jitte, literally meaning "ten-hand" (i.e., the weapon with the power of ten hands), is a specialized weapon which was used by low-rank law enforcement officers (called okappiki or doshin) during Edo period in the history of Japan. Nowadays, the jutte is the subject of the Japanese martial art ofjuttejutsu.

Samisen-The shamisen or samisen (Japanese:, literally "three flavor strings"), also called sangen (literally "three strings") is a three-stringed musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The pronunciation in Japanese is usually "shamisen" (in western Japan, and often in Edo-period sources "samisen") but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix (e.g., Tsugaru-jamisen).

Sake-This beverage is called sake in English, but in Japanese, sake (酒) or o-sake (お酒) refers to alcoholic drinks in general. The Japanese term for this specific beverage is Nihonshu (日本酒), meaning "Japanese sake".

Sake is also referred to in English as rice wine. However, unlike true wine, in which alcohol is produced by fermenting the sugar naturally present in fruit, sake is made through a brewing process more like that of beer. To make beer or sake, the sugar needed to produce alcohol must first be converted from starch. But the brewing process for sake differs from beer brewing as well, notably in that for beer, the conversion of starch to sugar and sugar to alcohol occurs in two discrete steps, but with sake they occur simultaneously. Additionally, alcohol content also differs between sake, wine, and beer. Wine generally contains 9–16% alcohol and most beer is 3–8%, whereas undiluted sake is 18–20% alcohol, although this is often lowered to around 15% by diluting the sake with water prior to bottling.

Tabi-Tabi are traditional Japanese socks. Ankle high and with a separation between the big toe and other toes, they are worn by both men and women with zori, geta, and other traditional thonged footwear. Tabi are also essential with traditional clothing—kimono and other wafuku. The most common colour is white, and white tabi are worn in formal situations such as at tea ceremonies. Men sometimes wear blue or black tabi for travelling. Patterned and coloured tabi are also available and are worn most often by women, though they are gaining popularity among men as well.In contrast to socks that, when pulled on, fit the foot snugly because of their elastic weave, tabi are sewn from cloth cut to form. They are open at the back so they can be slipped on and have a row of fasteners along the opening so they can be closed.

Vocanulary finder:

Doshin- Doshins were a low-ranking guard of the capitol of Japan (Edo) and other cities.

Lamp-lighter-A lamplighter, historically, was an employee of a town who lit street lights, generally by means of a wick on a long pole. At dawn, they would return and turn them off using a small hook on the same pole. Early street lights were generally candles, oil, and similar consumable liquid or solid lighting sources with wicks. Another lamplighter duty was to carry a ladder and renew the candles, oil, or gas mantles. In some communities, lamplighters served in a role akin to a townwatchman; in others, it may have been seen as little more than a sinecure. In the 19th century, gas lights became the dominant form of street lighting. Early gaslights required lamplighters, but eventually systems were developed which allowed the lights to operate automatically.

Alluring- to attract or be attracting.

Vance

The Demon in the Teahouse #3

Investigator

Punishment in Japan
During the Edo Period, Japan used various punishments against criminals. These can be categorized as follows:
-Death Penalty
-Incarceration and Exile
-Penal Labor
-Confiscation of property
-Corporal Punishment

Death Penalty-
Serious crimes such as murder and arson were punished by death. The shogun maintained execution grounds for Edo at Kozukappara, Suzugamori and Itabashi.
The shogun executed criminals in various ways:
-Boiling
-Burning
-Crucifixion for killing a parent, husband and so on
-Decapitation by sword
-Sawing
-Cutting the person in half

Incarceration and Exile-
"Depending on the seriousness of the crime, magistrates could sentence convicts to incarceration in various forms."
-Exile to an island. (Criminals in Edo often confined on Hachiojima or Miyakekima. Tattoos were received by the criminals.
-Imprisonment. (A jail called Kodenma-cho was maintained by the government of Edo.)

Penal Labor-
For crimes requiring punishment, convicts could be sent to work at labor camps such as the one in Ishikawa-jima in Edo Bay.

Confiscation of property-
The government would punish certain criminals by taking away their land, homes, or several other things they owned. Sometimes, they also confiscated one's business or job.

Corporal Punishment-
Handcuffing allowed the government to punish the criminal while the criminal lived at home. Depending on the severity of the crime, the sentence might last 30, 50 or 100 days.

By Fabi

Discussion Director Questions and Reactions

How do you feel about these chapters?
-So much happened - we can't really decide.

In chapter 10, do you think that Seikei has the right to be humiliated?
-No, because he was innocent and he didn't commit the crime.

How do you feel about Nui in these chapters?
She is a bit mean to Seikei, and she is very self-centered.

How do you feel about Umae's choice?
-We think it's good because she stands up for what she believes and she is brave and not scared.

By Viktor

Connector to History

A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term "tea house" or "tea room."

Mon (紋^?)(plural mon), also monshō (紋章), mondokoro (紋所^?), and kamon (家紋), are Japanese heraldic symbols. Mon may refer to any symbol, whilekamon and mondokoro refer specifically to family symbols. Mon serve roughly similar functions to badges, crests, and coats of arms in European heraldry.

By Vance

Summary

After Umae gets a present from the old samurai, who calls himself revenge, she tells Seikei to burn the beautiful kimono she got as a gift. Umae said that that it wasn’t Seikei’s fault that the old samurai gave her this gift. The two other geishas, Odori and Maiko, think that Seikei is the demon and that he caused Umae to feel the way she did, but they are wrong. Later, when Seikei is ordered to walk to walk them home he discovers many things for Judge Ooka. He walks a frightening walk back to the teahouse and comes in time for a fire. Seikei’s “stolen” clothes magically appear back and then he thinks this is the demon’s doing. Then, three drunken samurai accuse Seikei of the fire which occurred in the Teahouse of the Falling Cherry Blossoms. They accuse him of this fire because the actual person who lit the fire, took Seikei’s clothes and dressed up in them in the morning. Judge Odozo comes to examine seikei once again. This time he considers Seikei guilty and so he puts him in a cell where Seikei awaits a torturer. Instead of an unfamiliar and unknown torturer appearing, Bunzo appears and saves Seikei. Bunzo reminds Judge Odozo that seikei is safe and then Seikei returns to the teahouse. In the meantime, During Seikei’s absence, Oba Koko’s other nephew, Kiru, replaces Seikei. Seikei discovers that Kiru was the one who stole his clothes the other morning, and he notices that Kiru is dressed in the outfit that the person who lit the fire was dressed in. That same day Kiru is kicked out and doesn’t come back because Umae visited the teahouse again. This time she gets many gifts and chooses samurai Jugoro’s gift first.

By Iva

Gnat-any of certain small flies, esp. the biting flies-like a mosquito

Kago-a small basketwork strung from a pole, each end on which rests on the shoulder of a bearer

Doshin-the magistrate’s patrol

Fugu-a fish with a great delicacy but a poisonous liver

By Iva

The Demon in the Teahouse

Summary
The first 36 pages in the book, The Demon in the Tea House, are about an adopted fourteen-year-old boy named Seikei. He is adopted by a Samurai judge, Judge Ooka. Judge Ooka is one of the shogun's most trusted officials. his shogun is named Yoshimune. Seikei's trainer is called Bunzo and his theory about being a good Samurai is, "Not watch, but become. Not think, but be." This is the idea with which Seikei is being raised. His first experience of becoming a Samurai is when he travels to the town of Edo (today known as Tokyo). In Edo a fire is burning and women are getting killed one by one. Seikei starts getting prepared for a very educational and exciting Samurai life.

By Iva


Director questions and reactions

1. Who is Seikei? - Seikei is a boy - fourteen years old, adopted by Judge Ooka, is training to become a Samurai.
2. Why is the book called The Demon in the Teahouse? - A fire happens in a Teahouse, and women are being killed.

3.Who is Judge Ooka? Judge Ooka is the man that adopted Seikei

4. Who is Bunzo? Bunzo is Seikei's Samurai trainer, hired by Judge Ooka.

5. Who gets murdered? - a local woman

By Viktor

Samurais-

Samurai is the term for the military nobily of pre-industrial Japan. Samurai's were warriors or armsmen. People didn't just become Samurais because they wanted to. They had to be born to a Samurai or to someone that had relations with Samurais. If you were born to a merchant, for example, you would become a merchant as well, unless you were adopted. Samurais used a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns; but their most famous weapon and their symbol was the sword. Samurais were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). In 1868, Japan's feudal era came to an end, and the samurai class was disestablished.

By Fabi

Vocabulary

teahouse - a public house or restaurant where tea and light refreshments are sold

shogun - one of a line of military governors ruling Japan in earlier times

momentarily - for a moment

kami - Japanese word for spirits

obi - a sash for a traditional Japanese dress

By Viktor