Walking Takamatsu

　　　This is a manhole cover depicting Nasu No Yoichi of the Minamoto clan shooting down a fan from the mast of a ship with a single arrow. It was the 18th batttle between the Minamoto clan and the Taira clan in the Genpei War. The year was 1185. The Taira, who controlled the emperor and ruled Japan, were losing the war. They lost the 18th battle as well, the Battle Of Yashima. Most of　them escaped, only to be defeated in the 19th, final battle.
　　　One princess of the Taira did not escape with the others. Instead she fled to Takamatsu. She must have been terrified and, in those days、 it would have been very　difficult to reach the small town.　What's a princess to do?
Alone, penniless, an outsider, she couldn't understand the local dialect and noone could understand her.
What she did was trade her kimono for some more practical work clothes, a pair of comfotable walking shoes, a wooden bucket and some fish. She was born samurai, but placing the fish in the bucket and the bucket on her head, she became the first itadakisan. She waked through the neighborhoods and sold fish to all the wives. She became quite popular, married a fisherman and her daughters carried on the family business,　as her great-great-great-great-great...granddaughters do today.
　　　　The word "itadaku" means "to be crowned with." It refers to the top or cap. A long time ago, people held their rice bowls above their heads and said "itadakimasu" to show humility before they ate. The Taira princesss, samurai, survivor, was crowned with a wooden bucket filled with fish.
　　　　　There is a very interesting blog with pictures of itadakisan at this site:
http://udoncafe.ashita-sanuki.jp/e140898.html　.
Remember, these women are descendent of samurai. They are very good with their knives.

  

　　　In the U.S., there are regional accents; someone from Boston sounds different than someone from Atlanta, but we pretty much understand each other. Compare that to the differences between American English and Scottish English. You ken?
In Japan, there are many dialects, hougen, each with its own sound , unique words and expressions. In Takamatsu, Sanuki Ben is spoken.
　　　There are no pictures in this blog, because it's about a castle that no longer exists. This is fitting, because I heard this story in a bar that no longer exists.
There used to be a castle in Takamatsu, Tamomo Jyo. I don't know what happened to it. I think it moved to Marugame. Today, there is a park and there are a few old buildings. Admission is charged, so you must pay to see where the castle used to be.　Tamomo Jyo was located at the northern end of Chuo Street, next to the Inland Sea.
There was a feudal lord and there were feudal ladies. There was intrigue- feuds! And there were feudal soldiers to protect everyone.
There were enemies, other feudal lords that would send their soldiers to attack the castle. Today in Takamatsu, there are still many streets that aren't straight; you have to suddenly take a　right and then a left. This was planned, to slow down the enemy on horseback.
　　　　Feudal soldiers, samurai, were posted all around the castle in case of a surprise attack. The main threat lay to the south, so around the southern circumfrence of the castle, the smartest and bravest and strongest samurai stood guard to protect their lord and his ladies.　Around the northern circumfrence, staring into the sea, were posted a bunch of idiots.
This is why, even today, hokko, which litterally means "to look north" is　the Sanuki Ben word for idiot. The castle, the lords and ladies and the samurai　are all long gone. Only the crooked streets and a few hokko remain.