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40-626: The pictures in Tsuchigumo Sōshi are traditionally attributed to the artist Tosa Nagataka (土佐 長隆), who is also credited with the famous Illustrated Account of the Mongol Invasion , while the text is traditionally attributed to the Buddhist teacher Kenkō , famed for his Essays in Idleness . While these attributions are uncertain, the scroll itself is generally dated to the early 14th century, or

80-493: A broken sword and struck down the king. He crafts an effigy out of his broken sword and heads into the cave. Before long, the two companions encounter an enormous beast some 20 jō , or around 60 metres, in length, with bright, shining eyes. The tip of Raikō's sword shoots out of the shadows and collapses the effigy, and after a struggle, in which Raikō calls on divine aid from Amaterasu , the sun goddess, and Shō Hachimangū , his family's patron, they eventually manage to bring down

120-538: A grave and bury the skulls, before setting fire to the manor that had housed the monstrous spider. The emperor, hearing this story, rewards Raikō's valorous deed with the governorship of Tsu Province , and promotes him to the Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade . To Tsuna, he awards the province of Tanba , promoting him to the Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade. A number of different monstrous apparitions appear to

160-480: A long time and to those who have made distinguished achievements. In recent times , most appointments, if not all, are offered posthumously. A notable recipient of such a court rank is the late former prime minister Shinzo Abe received Junior First Rank (従一位, ju ichi-i ) on 8 July 2022. The national system for ranking politicians and officials who served the Japanese dynasty began in 603 when Empress Suiko enacted

200-494: A ship. He tries to board the ship of general Adachi Yorimune (Yasumori's son), but is turned away. Finally, he finds a boat at Iki Island . He removes his helmet and sets out on a transport ship with other warriors, boarding a Mongol vessel at the Battle of Kōan , where he engages in close quarters combat on the deck. Suenaga and his men cut off the heads of their enemies, presenting them to Adachi Morimune as evidence of their deeds. In

240-463: Is 290 years old, and has served nine generations of lords of this house. She rambles on about various matters and Raikō goes searching for his own answers. Tsuna joins his master, and they encounter various yōkai : possessed household utensils, a nun with a massive head, and a beautiful young woman who throws balls with the appearance of white cloud at Raikō. Raikō strikes at the woman with his sword, but it goes straight through her and crashes against

280-643: Is conferred on many former prime ministers, and the Junior Second Rank ( 従二位 ) on top-class politicians, such as former speakers of the National Diet and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Senior Third Rank ( 正三位 ) is posthumously conferred mainly on civilians who are recognized as having done the most for the nation's development, such as founders of large companies and the novelists and artists who represented Japan. The Junior Third Rank ( 従三位 )

320-625: Is in many cases conferred on artists who created Japan's famous masterpieces. The Junior First Rank is bestowed directly by the incumbent Emperor. The Second through Fourth Ranks are awarded by Imperial decree. The awarding of the Fifth Ranks or lower is decided by a hearing from the Cabinet and a decision by the Emperor to the hearing. In the era when the Ritsuryo system was in place, the official position in

360-550: Is in two scrolls and is entitled Tsuchigumo (土ぐも). Reider suggests that Tsuchigumo Sōshi should be placed alongside the much earlier Nihon Shoki , the slightly early Heike Tsuruginomaki , and the later Noh play Tsuchigumo , as an important source for the popular Japanese image of a ferocious "earth spider" known as a tsuchigumo . Illustrated Account of the Mongol Invasion Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba ( 蒙古襲来絵詞 , Illustrated Account of

400-480: Is subdivided into Upper and Lower Grades. The Senior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade ( 正五位上 , shō go-i no jō ) is the highest Fifth Rank and the Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade ( 従五位下 , ju go-i no ge ) the lowest. The Sixth Rank is divided into Senior and Junior, and each is subdivided into Upper and Lower Grades. The Senior Sixth Rank, Upper Grade ( 正六位上 , shō roku-i no jō ) is the highest Sixth Rank and

440-569: Is the highest, and the Junior Eighth Rank, Lower Grade ( 従八位下 , ju hachi-i no ge ) , is the lowest. The Initial Rank ( 初位 , sho-i ) is divided into Greater ( 大 , dai ) and Lesser ( 少 , shō ) , and each is subdivided into Upper and Lower Grades. The Greater Initial Rank, Upper Grade ( 大初位上 , dai sho-i no jō ) is the highest Initial Rank, and the Lesser Initial Rank, Lower Grade ( 少初位下 , shō sho-i no ge )

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480-488: Is the second highest rank, conferred in many cases on the highest ministers, premier feudal lords, and their wives. Nobles with the Third Rank or upper were called kugyō . Successive Tokugawa shoguns held the highest or near-highest court ranks, higher than most court nobles. They were made Shō ni-i ( 正二位 , Senior Second Rank) of court rank upon assuming office, then Ju ichi-i ( 従一位 , Junior First Rank) , and

520-553: The yamato-e style. They focus on the actions of Takezaki Suenaga , a gokenin (shogun's vassal) from Hizen Province , depicting him and other Japanese troops in battle against the Mongol invaders, on land and at sea. Aside from scenes of combat, the text also gives insight into the Kamakura government's system of rewarding distinguished warriors, as well as the relationship between Suenaga and his benefactor, general Adachi Yasumori. In

560-544: The Taisho era , about 300 years after their deaths. The Fourth Rank is divided into Senior and Junior, and each is subdivided into Upper ( 上 , jō ) and Lower ( 下 , ge ) Grades. The Senior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade ( 正四位上 , shō shi-i no jō ) is the highest Fourth Rank and the Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade ( 従四位下 , ju shi-i no ge ) the lowest. The Fifth Rank is divided into Senior and Junior, and each

600-786: The Twelve Level Cap and Rank System . Each rank was identified by the color of a crown the person with the rank wore. There were twelve ranks: Greater Virtue ( 大徳 , dai-toku ) , Lesser Virtue ( 小徳 , shō-toku ) , Greater Benevolence ( 大仁 , dai-jin ) , Lesser Benevolence ( 小仁 , shō-jin ) , Greater Propriety ( 大礼 , dai-rei ) , Lesser Propriety ( 小礼 , shō-rei ) , Greater Sincerity ( 大信 , dai-shin ) , Lesser Sincerity ( 小信 , shō-shin ) , Greater Justice ( 大義 , dai-gi ) , Lesser Justice ( 小義 , shō-gi ) , Greater Knowledge ( 大智 , dai-chi ) , and Lesser Knowledge ( 小智 , shō-chi ) , from top to bottom. The ranking system underwent several amendments and

640-403: The colophon , Suenaga personally expresses gratitude towards Adachi Yasumori for recognizing his accomplishments and bestowing rewards upon him. He then praises a Shinto kami that he had prayed to, stating that he saw the deity land on a cherry tree in a dream, a sign that the kami was responsible for him receiving the recognition he deserved. The date of composition is recorded at the end of

680-525: The Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade. Junior Counselors required the Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade. The Minister of the Center needed the Senior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade. Other ministers required the Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade. A hereditary title was conferred by an Emperor on an Imperial family member, a noble, or a clan under the kabane system to signify his political and social status. This title

720-522: The Junior Second Rank ( 従二位 , ju ni-i ) . A Major Counselor ( 大納言 , dainagon ) needed the Senior Third Rank ( 正三位 , shō san-mi ) , and a Middle Counselor ( 中納言 , chūnagon ) needed the Junior Third Rank ( 従三位 , ju san-mi ) . Associate Counselors ( 参議 , sangi ) required the Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade ( 正四位下 , shō shi-i no ge ) . Controllers needed

760-661: The Junior Sixth Rank, Lower Grade ( 従六位下 , ju roku-i no ge ) the lowest. The Seventh Rank is divided into Senior and Junior, and each is subdivided into Upper and Lower Grades. The Senior Seventh Rank, Upper Grade ( 正七位上 , shō shichi-i no jō ) is the highest Seventh Rank and the Junior Seventh Rank, Lower Grade ( 従七位下 , ju shichi-i no ge ) the lowest. The Eighth Rank is divided into Senior and Junior, subdivided into Upper and Lower Grades. The Senior Eighth Rank, Upper Grade ( 正八位上 , shō hachi-i no jō ) ,

800-456: The Kamakura period. The artwork is in the yamato-e style. Although the scroll was produced in the early 14th century, it depicts the exploits the famous 10th-century warrior Minamoto no Raikō (also known as Minamoto no Yorimitsu) and his retainer Watanabe no Tsuna as they encounter a tsuchigumo or giant earth spider. It consists of nine paragraphs of text and thirteen illustrations. As

840-469: The Mongol Invasion ) is a set of two Japanese illustrated handscrolls ( emaki ) commissioned by the samurai Takezaki Suenaga (1246–1314) as a record of his wartime deeds and valor during the Mongol invasions of Japan . The first scroll describes Suenaga's actions at the Battle of Bun'ei (1274), as well as his attempts to seek recognition and rewards from the government. The second scroll describes him at

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880-760: The court and ikai of bureaucrats were closely related. For example, becoming the Chancellor of the Realm ( 太政大臣 , daijō daijin ) , the highest position in the administration, required the Senior or Junior First Rank ( 正一位、従一位 , shō ichi-i, ju ichi-i ) . To become the Minister of the Left, Right, or Center ( 左大臣、右大臣、内大臣 , sadaijin, udaijin, naidaijin ) , he had to be in either the Senior Second Rank ( 正二位 , shō ni-i ) or

920-504: The creature—a yamagumo ("mountain spider"). As swift as lightning, Raikō decapitates the beast with his broken sword, and Tsuna goes for the belly, where he finds that it is already cut open—Raikō's handiwork from their previous encounter at the old house. Out from this pour some 1,900 skulls, cutting open its side causes a large number of smaller spiders, each around the size of a human child, to emerge, and digging around in its stomach they find about twenty more very small skulls. The two dig

960-451: The first scroll, twenty-nine year old Suenaga and his clansmen meet with commander Saburō Kagesuke, who would later testify in his favor before the government. They gather their forces, and travel to Hakata to meet the Mongol invaders, passing the torii gates of Hakozaki Shrine on the way. Suenaga and his brother-in-law, Mitsui Sukenaga, encounter a group of Mongol soldiers and force them to retreat. Suenaga then meets and fights against

1000-454: The floor, cleaving in twain the foundation stone of the house. The woman fades from view, and Raikō pulls up his sword, which is broken and stained with white blood. Raikō and Tsuna follow the trail of blood until it leads them to a cave in Nishiyama ( ja ). At the entrance to the cave, Raikō, looking at his broken sword, is reminded of the tale of Mikenjaku of the kingdom of Chu , who took

1040-512: The following ranking system. Each of the First to Third Ranks is divided into Senior ( 正 , shō ) and Junior ( 従 , ju ) . The Senior First Rank ( 正一位 , shō ichi-i ) is the highest in the rank system. It is conferred mainly on a very limited number of persons recognized by the Imperial Court as most loyal to the nation during that era. The Junior First Rank ( 従一位 , ju ichi-i )

1080-598: The highest rank of Shō ichi-i ( 正一位 , Senior First Rank) was conferred upon them upon their death. The Tokugawa shogunate established that the court ranks granted to daimyo by the imperial court were based on the recommendation of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the court ranks were used to control the daimyo . Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were Shō ni-i ( 正二位 , Senior Second Rank) and Ju ichi-i ( 従一位 , Junior First Rank) respectively, but both were elevated to Shō ichi-i ( 正一位 , Senior First Rank) in

1120-567: The latter part of Japan's Kamakura period . Tsuchigumo Sōshi is a picture scroll, or emaki . Noriko Tsunoda Reider of Miami University identifies it as an example of an otogi-zōshi , or Muromachi-period fiction, and it was included in Volume 9 of the Collection of Tales of the Muromachi Period (室町時代物語大成 Muromachi-jidai Monogatari Taisei ), in spite of its technically dating to the end of

1160-764: The lowest. The 1887 Ordinance on Ordination reorganized the ranking system. It abolished the Initial Ranks and the Grades of Upper and Lower of Fourth and lower Ranks. The relationships between ikai and court positions were also abolished. There were then a total of 16 ranks, ranging from the Senior First Rank ( 正一位 , shō ichi-i ) to the Junior Eighth Rank ( 従八位 , ju hachi-i ) , as shown below: Ōkuma Shigenobu (1922) , Tōgō Heihachirō (1934) , Shigeru Yoshida (1967) , Eisaku Satō (1975) , Yasuhiro Nakasone (2019) , Shinzo Abe (2022) Sanjo Sanetomi

1200-404: The main Mongol army at the Battle of Bun'ei , where he and his flagbearer are both dismounted after their horses were shot. Facing Mongol arrows and explosives, Suenaga is saved by a cavalry charge led by Shiraishi Michiyasu, another samurai. After the battle, Suenaga travels to the capital city of Kamakura , dissatisfied that he had not been rewarded by the government for his valor in combat. On

1240-634: The naval Battle of Kōan (1281). The work dates itself to 1293, while scholars similarly believe it was composed between the late 13th century and early 14th century, during the Kamakura period . Their author and artist are unknown. Together, the scrolls contain some of the earliest artistic depictions of the Mongol invasions of Japan. Both scrolls are currently kept in the Museum of the Imperial Collections at Tokyo Imperial Palace . The scrolls alternate between written accounts and illustrations done in

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1280-483: The presentation of ranks has been limited to those who have already died, with the idea of abolishing the privileges associated with conferring honors, and ranks have been presented posthumously. Today, the Junior First Rank ( 従一位 ) is the highest available rank, which is posthumously conferred primarily on persons deemed being served most to the nation out of former prime ministers. The Senior Second Rank ( 正二位 )

1320-638: The second scroll as "the first year of the Einin era", or 1293 CE. However, the illustrations have been modified many times after its completion, with additions, alterations, and retouching. Both scrolls were lost at some point, and only rediscovered in the 18th century. Several copies of the scrolls exist: Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade The court ranks of Japan , also known in Japanese as ikai (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on

1360-490: The second scroll, Suenaga travels to Iyo Province to visit the house of Kawano Michiari, another samurai who fought the Mongols earlier on Shika Island . The two men discuss the state of the war. Suenaga then sets out with the samurai Kikuchi Takefusa , joining the other Japanese defenders in front of the defensive wall at Hakata Bay . Suenaga and his company intend to attack the Mongols at sea, but they have difficulty finding

1400-547: The story begins, Raikō and Tsuna arrive at the cemetery of Rendaino, in the Kitayama ( ja ), a hilly region of the northern outskirts of Kyoto . The two men there encounter a single skull that floats in the air and rises up into the clouds, and, seeking to find out where it is going, they follow it to Kaguraoka. There, they find a large, old mansion. Raikō orders his retainer to wait outside as he ventures inside and finds an old woman. Upon his asking her age, she tells them that she

1440-402: The system of the state . Ikai as a system was originally used in the Ritsuryo system, which was the political administration system used in ancient China , and the indication of the rank of bureaucrats and officials in countries that inherited (class system). Currently, the Japanese court ranks and titles are among the types of honours conferred to those who have held government posts for

1480-417: The two heroes. These are: Against these malignant yōkai , the hero calls upon his divine ancestors, the kami of Japan, Hachiman and Amaterasu , alluding to his own imperial ancestry (his grandfather, Minamoto no Tsunemoto , was a son of Emperor Seiwa ). The most famous scroll is in the holdings of Tokyo National Museum , but a slightly different version is held by Keio University Library , which

1520-482: The way, he visits several shrines and makes offerings. At Kamakura, he meets with many government officials to appeal his case. They ignore him due to a lack of evidence, despite testimony from Suenaga's fellow warriors. At last, after a personal appeal to general Adachi Yasumori, Suenaga's military service is certified in writing, and he is awarded a fully equipped horse, as well as a plot of land in Higo Province . In

1560-608: Was developed by the Taiho Code enacted in 701. Under this system, ranks were established for the Imperial family members and vassals like the following: An Emperor was not ranked. Princes, princesses, and other Imperial family members were ranked depending on the extent of their contribution to the nation or other factors as follows: Under the Taiho Code, politicians and officials other than Imperial family members were graded according to

1600-399: Was the last living person who received the Senior First Rank ( 正一位 ) in 1891, and all subsequent recipients were posthumously received. No persons have been awarded this rank since 1917 when Oda Nobunaga was posthumously awarded. The 1925 Decree on Ranks ( 位階令 ) restricted ordination exclusively to the purpose of conferring honors. Since the current Constitution came into effect in 1947,

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