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On the Okinawa Island, the largest of the island chain, the Kingdom of Shuri was established around the 15th century A.D. Its political ideology was characterized by a Sun ritual, and the king was worshiped as a child of the Sun. Women had a sacred role on these islands, and priestesses had the role of introducing sacred power from the Sun to the royal palace. In the religious thought of this kingdom, Kudaka-jima Island was the most sacred. This tiny island in the southeastern sea off the shore of Okinawa Island occupied an important position in royal rituals, including an enthronement ceremony of the highest priestesses who were close kin of the king.  In the Urasoe Dynasty, predecessor of the Shuri Dynasty, it was possible to see the rising Sun of the December solstice behind the Kudaka-jima Island, and the ritual on the December solstice was probably performed for the re-birth of the king. During the proceeding Gusuku Period between the 13th and the 14th centuries, several castles were constructed there with gates that opened toward the June solstice. This custom was meant to introduce the strongest power of the Sun into the sacred place of the castle.  On Kudaka-jima Island facing these castles, there is a folk belief in celebrating both June and December solstices. This paper traces the process in which a primary folk belief of the Sun had been transformed into a political ideology in which the king himself became the Sun, radiating the land and the people.

The earliest colonisation of oceanic islands by Homo sapiens occurred ~50 000-30 000 years ago in the Western Pacific, yet how this was achieved remains a matter of debate. With a focus on East Asia, the research presented here tests the hypothesis that bamboo rafts were used for these early maritime migrations. The authors review the evidence for Palaeolithic seafaring in East Asia as the context for an experimental archaeology project to build two bamboo watercraft. Sea trials demonstrate the unsuitability of bamboo, at least in East Asia, indicating that more sophisticated and durable vessels would have been required to traverse the Kuroshio Current. Keywords: East Asia, Late Pleistocene, bamboo raft, watercraft, maritime migration, Introduction The development of seafaring in the Late Pleistocene opened up new environments for Homo sapiens. It allowed our species to expand into habitable territories beyond the continental landmasses, facilitating [...]

An epidemiological analysis was conducted on production records in Hokkaido, Japan, to investigate the potential association between improved milk quality and longevity outcomes. The study found significant variations in herd somatic cell count levels and chronic subclinical mastitis morbidity based on geographical area and herd size. The analysis also revealed a positive correlation between herd somatic cell count and chronic subclinical mastitis morbidity. Although the hypothesis of a causal link between milk quality and longevity was examined, no such association was found. However, intensive assistance for identified high-risk areas and farms is expected to enhance overall milk quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]