News On Japan

Life of Medieval Japanese Wet Nurses (Beating the System With a Dangerous Strategy)

Nov 05 (Linfamy) - Rising through the ranks of the Japanese imperial court was like a walk in the park—at night. It was a rigid system designed to keep the powerful in power, leaving little room for anyone outside the elite circle.

Many government roles were controlled by influential families, with positions passed down from father to son, ensuring a tight grip on authority.

However, there was one path to influence that is rarely mentioned today. This method not only played a part in the downfall of one of Japan's most powerful clans, but it also opened doors for women from weak, unremarkable families to reach the highest echelons of the court, even gaining proximity to the emperor himself.

The story unfolds during Japan's Heian Period (794–1185), an era when the Fujiwara clan reigned supreme over the court, maintaining a formidable hold on political power.

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As of 9 a.m. on October 6th, Typhoon No. 22 (Halong) was located over the ocean south of Japan, moving slowly northward with a central pressure of 994 hectopascals and maximum sustained winds near its center of 23 meters per second. The system is projected to develop into a strong typhoon by October 8th and may reach a “very strong” category when approaching the Tokai region around October 9th. However, the storm’s path remains uncertain, and weather authorities are urging the public to stay alert for new updates.

A collision occurred on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line on the night of October 5th when a local train attempting to arrive at Kajigaya Station in Kawasaki City struck a stationary out-of-service train, causing several cars of the latter to derail. Investigators from the Japan Transport Safety Board arrived at the scene on the morning of October 6th to begin examining the cause of the accident.

A Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear while visiting Shirakawa-go, the UNESCO World Heritage village in Gifu Prefecture known for its traditional thatched-roof houses, on October 5th. The incident adds to a growing number of bear encounters reported across Japan in recent weeks.

Sanae Takaichi, elected as the Liberal Democratic Party’s new president on October 4th, declared on stage, “I ask everybody to work like a horse,” after defeating agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff to become the party’s first female leader.

A string of so-called “honey trap” cases is drawing attention across Japan as schemes once limited to extortion have become increasingly violent, involving physical assaults and life-threatening intimidation.

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