Tenpyo-Hoji X Day in Omi Province 5 Extra Edition 2: Yayoi Attire in Owari Province (Aichi Asahi Ruins Museum)

This has absolutely nothing to do with the Tenpyo-Hoji Rebellion, but by a stroke of perfect timing, there is a lecture related to the special exhibition "Yayoi Fashion: Spinning, Weaving, Dyeing" currently being held at the Aichi Asahi Ruins Museum. Knowing that it was Professor Junko Higashimura's lecture on "Flax Thread Making and Cloth Weaving in the Yayoi Period," I couldn't help but make a detour.
I had the audacity to apply for the online lecture and, even before receiving the email confirming my attendance, I had already boldly scheduled it into my itinerary (the confirmation email didn't arrive until a few days before I left).

While feeling overwhelmed by the Sunday crowds at Nagoya Station, I looked for a coin locker, but the ones closest to the station gates were already full. I remembered there were others, but where were they? I searched online, but those were full too. Oh my, I felt like there were more before... Oh well, I'll just carry it; it's not that far, so I took the local line to Biwajima.
Even though it had only been half a year, I stood in front of the ticket machine, agonizing over how to buy a ticket for the Johoku Line (an elderly person who couldn't notice the icon to switch to the Johoku Line ticket purchase screen at the bottom right of the screen).
Here is the entry from when I visited at the beginning of this year.

I put my luggage in the museum's coin locker, and now.
No matter where I go or how many times I visit, the permanent exhibition is always fun and interesting. This time, too, I looked at every single corner. Once again, my feet stopped in front of the bone and antler artifacts. Bow nocks with delicate decorations, hairpins, plug-shaped ear ornaments, and well, this shape that reminds me of an animal's canine tooth... was it part of a necklace, or was it used as a pendant...?

In a word, the special exhibition was, "Wow, it's amazing to see all of this in one place!"
Items related to spinning and sewing are wooden artifacts or bone and antler tools that don't easily survive in the soil, and they are generally small or thin.
Needless to say, the cloth itself and the sewing needles are small, but the spindles of the spindle whorls are also thin.
These are artifacts that might have disappeared if not for the good fortune of being discovered in excellent condition, protected by large amounts of moisture because the groundwater level in the area where the ruins were located happened to be high, or because the land was used as rice paddies in later generations. They are found here and there in various regions and stored in the archaeological facilities of each municipality, but they have been borrowed, lined up as examples, and explained and exhibited. I was moved thinking about the hard work that went into this special exhibition...
As Professor Higashimura mentioned, the plaster model of a cloth-feeding tool from the Karako-Kagi ruins survey by Kyoto University in 1937, whose use was unknown at the time of discovery, was preserved by making a plaster cast to keep its shape, and its use could be inferred in recent years. It is a gift from 80 years ago.
Toro and the Heijo Palace site are places that benefited from high groundwater levels and later land use, but artifacts related to spinning found in excellent condition due to the "coincidence" of conditions at ruins all over the country are lined up.
In modern times, the preservation method of replacing moisture with PEG is famous.

Also, in addition to drawings called measured drawings, digitization using 3D measurement is progressing in modern times.

Well, I took a lot of photos, but since many of the items in this special exhibition were borrowed, I won't post them here. The exhibition period is long, from Saturday, October 18, 2025, to Sunday, December 14, 2025. Please do go and see the real things.

Professor Higashimura's talk was about plant-based fibers among the spinning and weaving of the Yayoi period. Plant-based fibers require more work than animal-based fibers. The process of collecting the raw plants, extracting the fibers, spinning the thread, weaving it into cloth, dyeing the plant-based fibers that are difficult to hold color, sewing, and who was responsible for it... It was a comprehensive talk that covered excavation history, research history, experimental archaeology, the "weaving" techniques and tools remaining in traditional industries in Asian countries including Japan, inferences from traces of cloth weave remaining on artifacts, and ancient clothing, allowing one to imagine the "real image." Knowing the specific processes makes you realize the preciousness of the thread and cloth of that time.
I feel every time that having the opportunity to see the excavated items that were actually used and hear such stories is a very precious experience. I'm so happy.

I couldn't go to the YAYOI Modern Design Exhibition held by the Aichi Prefectural Center for Archaeological Operations five years ago, and I was sad, but I was finally able to see the real thing of this costume.

Fully satisfied, I went from Owari-Hoshinomiya Station to Biwajima Station.
There were more people on the Johoku Line platform than I expected, and I thought, "Oh, as expected of a Sunday, right?" when I suddenly made eye contact with a man on the platform. He pointed to the train I had just gotten off and asked, "Owari Hoshinomiya?" Oh, he's not Japanese. I nodded broadly and replied, "Yes, it goes there. The first station is Owari-Hoshinomiya," and he asked back, "This?" When I said, "Yes," he smiled and said, "Thank you."
...I wonder if he went to Kiyosu Castle? I hope you have a good time, I thought, while carrying my backpack and sports shoulder bag from the Johoku Line platform to the Tokaido Main Line platform.
Even so.
Is it because of my travel style that I don't look like a traveler even though I'm carrying so much luggage? (Bitter laugh)
So, while we're on the subject of fashion, let me talk about my own long-distance travel style. Both in terms of age and preference, I have three essential items that have become standard, prioritizing function and comfort over appearance.

Mizuno Scrub Inner
Actually, it's also my work clothes, a second skin that I wear every day, both on and off duty. It's a thin, seven-quarter sleeve stretch material with moderate compression. Since I had an axillary lymph node dissection, I'm grateful for the compression. It has a sweat-absorbent, quick-drying, smooth texture, and is an all-rounder that is cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold. V-neck in summer, low-neck in winter, whatever I wear, this is the first thing I put on.

Puma CORE HERITAGE Pants (Spring/Summer Model)
They have moderate tension, a good texture, are comfortable to wear, and have 3-way stretch so they don't restrict movement. They are more cargo-style straight than training pants, with large pockets. Nothing to complain about.
The autumn/winter items are slightly brushed on the inside and warm, but I feel resistance to movement, so I wear the spring/summer model even in winter.

Asics Pedala (Loafer Model)
About 10 years ago, the New Balance leather slip-ons I had worn for generations were discontinued, and after searching for other good shoes, I finally found this companion for my feet that walks with me every day (at the time, I was standing and walking for about 8 hours, so shoes that didn't tire me out were a matter of life and death).
They don't require hands to take off or put on, are hard to tire in, and are easy to walk in. Both the heel loafer type and the flat sole are easy to walk in, but I only wear the flat sole when traveling long distances, and this is already my third pair. If I had to wish for something, I'd like them to be a little heavier... (they are very lightweight)

Looking at it this way, it's all sports brands.
"You're always dressed the same, aren't you?"
I don't want to be told that by you guys who only wear court robes.
"We didn't wear court robes on our days off either, because we'd be in trouble if we got them dirty."
Oh, is that so? Is that how it is?
"That's right, court robes are important, so we only wear them when we go to the office."
"😄"
Come to think of it, there was a report of damage from a government official whose court robes were stolen along with his household goods in the Shosoin documents...

The Junior Initial Rank Lower Grade is one rank above the Initial Rank Lower Grade. The stolen court robes are written as hemp. I wonder if the color was light blue? Since it was an era where it took many years to be promoted from Lower to Upper, if he had started his career as a government official from the Junior Initial Rank Lower Grade, I wonder if he had been working for about 12 years even if it was a smooth path.
The work to be done for each rank was generally decided (official rank equivalent), and the workplace was not limited to the two offices and eight ministries, but also included high-ranking officials and the household officials of princes, so I guess there were hits and misses.

When I boarded the Tokaido Main Line outbound local train that came in, it was reasonably empty and I was able to sit down without difficulty. Is this local train bound for Okazaki? Most of the passengers got off at the next Nagoya Station, and the train was deserted. During the stop at Nagoya Station, the morning congestion scene crossed my mind, and looking at the time, I felt like, "Oh well, I'll just go to Okazaki like this, transfer to a train bound for Toyohashi, and take the local line back up from Toyohashi."
When I arrived at Okazaki, a rapid train bound for Toyohashi was stopped right in front of me, and I thought, "It's empty?" but at the time I didn't feel any further questions and got on. The in-car announcement just before arriving at Toyohashi was long, and I thought, "Huh? It sounds like information on the operation status?" but it was just when I was crossing the Toyokawa bridge, so I couldn't hear it at all.
While floating a large number of "?" above my head, I got off at Toyohashi Station and finally learned from the station's in-house announcement that the operation of some sections ahead would be suspended all day.
Oh my. Does that mean I can't go up on the local line?
Ah... hmm... but this is Toyohashi, the Shinkansen stops here too, right? When I turned to the Shinkansen ticket gate, there was a line at the ticket machine in front of the gate.
When I started Smart EX again today, there were no vacant seats for reserved or Green cars on the nearest outbound train at the time of the list. Haha... I see. When I re-entered with S Work designation, yes, there were vacancies, so I clicked it and passed through the gate.

I see, is this the third time I've been stranded... I finally realized. What happens twice happens three times.
Perhaps because it's usually an early weekday time, I saw the crowded S Work car and thought, "Things like this happen, too," and went home.
I hit the mark, I had it, what was this trip?
"Don't you understand the feeling of having your path blocked?"
Yes, that?
"Did someone cast a curse on you here?"
A curse or something. It's not like it ended with just this, isn't it just good that I didn't get into an accident?
"😅"
"I wish the people above had thought of it to that extent."
Come to think of it, the Grand Master was a person who valued divination and auspicious signs, but he was not a person who would use curses or false accusations.
"Respect the spirits and keep them at a distance."
"😆"
That's right, that's the feeling.
"Cursing itself was not a special thing. Everyone did it on occasion. There were many things in the colors of clothes and things worn that had such meanings."
That's right... yes, that's true.
The four children also effectively used auspicious signs during the reign of Empress Koken. In this era, the reason why auspicious signs were valued was that they were a representation of the legitimacy of the ruler and also meant to deal with social anxiety. If there were auspicious signs, there were amnesties and pardons, and the era name was sometimes changed. That changed the atmosphere of the practical officials and commoners, including everyone from the group of subjects to the white-collar workers. It may be the same that the atmosphere changes with the change of the era name even in modern times.

It is often forgotten compared to the Taiho Code, but the implementation of the Yoro Code was in 757, the ninth year of Tenpyo Shoho. During the reign of Empress Koken.
Half a century of trial and error had passed since the enforcement of the Taiho Code, and the implementation of the revised and amended new code was the achievement of the Taishi (Grand Master). After Prince Oi ascended the throne, the fact that those who read the Ritsuryo Kyakushiki and the Ijo Tenkun were appointed to positions higher than Shisho (scribes) was likely because they wanted to raise the standards required of officials and improve governance.
Even so, people change as time passes.
The reason why Otsu no Oura and Takaoka no Hiramaro, who had been heavily relied upon by the Taishi for many years, accused the Taishi—this is translated in modern Japanese from the Shoku Nihongi expressions 'fear of disaster reaching oneself' (koka okyu jiko / kuka okyu jiko), but perhaps it could be read as 'I don't want to get dragged into it'? In my eyes, from the perspective of the two who had been close to him for a long time, I can't help but think that they strongly felt the Taishi was deviating from his role as a subject...
That manifestation was likely his last-ditch effort, despite being a subject, to 'install the current Emperor' or grant 'Third Rank' status equivalent to a prince, but even reaching this point, it is also proof that the Taishi himself had no intention of ascending to the throne.
It even looks as if he remained, to the very end, the Fujiwara no Emi (the kingmaker) that he himself had created.

After the conflict, some of the systems and policies that the Taishi had newly established or reformed during his lifetime were reverted. However, many continued to be used as they were (some were abolished once and then used again), and they were passed down through the Konin Kyakushiki to the Engishiki. Together with the Yoro Code, which was the basic legal code, they became the foundation of governance throughout the long, long Heian period, and were inherited until the Edo period, even while becoming mere shells of their former selves through the chaotic Middle Ages.
It is unfortunate that until recently, Fujiwara no Nakamaro was synonymous with an enemy of the court, and even now, the Fujiwara clan is still associated with keywords like 'mastermind of imperial succession disputes,' 'conspiracy of the Fujiwara clan,' and 'power struggles between factions within the Fujiwara clan.'

'The fact that the Taishi's fourth son renovated Taga Castle so magnificently must be because he had seen the Omi Provincial Office that the Taishi had built.'
Yeah, I feel that way too. The tiled-roof government office with a front garden paved with jade stones, the earthen walls with tiled roofs and decorative towers, and the tiles with flying cloud patterns must be exactly that. So, by some strange coincidence, the beginning and the end of the Tosan-do road became magnificent Tang-style architecture.
However...
The towers on the earthen walls and the jade-paved front garden of the government office, which are characteristic of the Taga Castle Phase II government office (which burned down during the chaos of the Iji Azamaro Rebellion) that Asakari-san had repaired, can also be seen at the Omi Provincial Office.
In recent years, as research on the Taga Castle ruins has progressed, the similarities with the Omi Provincial Office have been re-examined, and it seems possible to assume commonalities with the Mono Castle, which was expanded by Asakari-san.
And through re-investigation, it has been pointed out that the renovation of the Phase II Taga Castle was likely started by Asakari-san's predecessor, Saeki no Korenari.
I got goosebumps when I learned this. The Shoku Nihongi does not say much about Korenari's suicide, but it can be read that it is highly likely it was not a death in prison in the capital. If, from the date of Asakari-san's appointment as Governor of Mutsu, Asakari-san himself went down to Mutsu Province and delivered the charges to Korenari...
What comes into view in the background of the Taga Castle monument becomes completely different.

Before I knew it, starting from Taga Castle last year, I feel like I've gone back to the Battle of Baekgang and then come down to the era of the Taishi...
'Perhaps they intended to make the Omi Provincial Capital, along with the Horanomiya Palace, the Northern Capital (Kitano-kyo).'
'😄'
Yeah, I strongly felt that when I went there. The fact that there are three layers just in the inner enclosure suggests they were conscious of the Eikin-ritsu (laws regarding the protection of the palace)... But then, what was the meaning of Prince Oi making an imperial visit to the Ojitahokamoto Palace (near Raikozan) during 'that' period...
As a preliminary step to the relocation of the capital to Horanomiya, even as a candidate site until the dismantling and relocation of the Heijo Palace Daigokuden, Naniwa Palace had a Daigokuden, yet it was Ojitahokamoto Palace instead of Naniwa Palace... hmm...
I feel like I've found a new homework assignment...
'Don't you think Emperor Oi had his own ideas?'
Huh? What do you mean by that?
'You don't think Emperor Oi was just a puppet moving according to the Taishi's intentions, do you?'
Well, of course... wait, hmm, that is undoubtedly a new homework assignment... I will think about it carefully.
This time, the only historical sites and ruins were the Omi Provincial Office ruins. Next, I want to go to Awaji following this flow, but I wonder when I'll be able to go?💦 Is it on hold until spring?
This long trip note, where everything ended up being long. I still feel like my head is boiling.
I'd like to organize this someday, along with new insights into the difficulties of selecting Empress Koken's successor.