Otogi Zoshi (TV)

Hitachi province (常陸の国) is an old province roughly contiguous with modern-day Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo, and it would have been at the limits of Heian-kyo's effective imperial influence at the time of this story. Do not confuse it with Hitachi city (日立市), a city in Ibaraki prefecture that gave its name to the electronics company (although of course the two names are closely related).

The poem that Minamoto no Raikou writes in his sickbed is not in Japanese, but Chinese (it seems to be a standard 7-character "jueju" quatrain, a popular style among Tang dynasty poets, but the last line has the wrong rhyme -don't quote me on this, though). "Kanshi," or Chinese poetry, was formally the preserve of men in Heian times: Hikaru's uncommon education is made even more evident by her implied ability to read Chinese.

Suou province (周防の国) is an old province in the southwestern tip of Honshu island, now the eastern part of modern Yamaguchi prefecture. Even though to Western eyes Hikaru & Co seem to be going "south", it is conventional in Japan to refer to that side of Honshu as "West".

The Kumaso (熊襲) tribe, or "Bear-people" were a (probably) non-Yamato ethnic group that lived in southern Kyushu island (the area of Kumamoto, which is named after them). The Nihongi records several wars between the Yamato court and the Kumaso, ending in their final conquest by the legendary prince Yamatotakeru around the 4th century. They are last mentioned siding with the Korean kingdom of Silla and rebelling against the Yamato court at the time of Empress Jingu (around six centuries before the time of the tale).

Kintarou (a.k.a. Kaidomaru) is one of the most famous characters in traditional Japanese folklore, reputed for his superhuman strength. He is most famous for wrestling bears as a child, a feat which in this story is replaced by wrestling "Kumaso."

Traditionally, Minamoto no Raikou's four companions -Watanabe no Tsuna, Usui no Sadamitsu, Urabe no Suetake and Sataka no Kintoki a.k.a Kintarou (all male, btw)- are referred to as the "shitennou" (四天王, the four Heavenly Kings er Four Devas), after the Buddhist protective deities of the four directions. You can see big honkin' statues of the Tennou at the entrance of most Buddhist temples in Japan.

The formal political structure in the Heian period was originally modelled on the Tang dynasty pattern, but had evolved by the time of this tale. There were two main branches of government, the Jingikan (神祇官=division of Deities) in charge of supernatural affairs (including the very important onmyouji), and the Daijodan (太政官=Council of State) with three main ministers: The Grand Minister had relatively little power, despite the title. The Minister of the Left (in charge of four departments: Central Affairs, Aristocratic Affairs, Personnel and Commoner Affairs i.e. tax collection), was the most powerful. The Minister of the Right controlled the other four main departments (War, Imperial Household, Justice and Treasury).

As every Fushigi Yuugi fan knows, each of the five cardinal directions has a patron heavenly creature. Each of these is associated with one of the five elements (or five "phases"). Seiryuu, the Blue (or green: same word) Dragon of the East is associated with Spring and Wood. Suzaku, the Red Bird of the South, with Summer and Fire. Byakko, the White Tiger of the West, with Autumn and Metal. Genbu, the Black Turtle of the North is associated with Winter and Water (the color of water is black, not blue, in Chinese tradition). The Center is associated with Earth and the Passing of Seasons. In Chinese tradition, the creature of Center is a Yellow Dragon (huanglong 黃龍). In Japan (and in the series), it is often a Yellow Kirin (Chinese Unicorn). You can see what a Kirin looks like by getting ahold of a can of its namesake beer.

The bib-and-hood-wearing statues that the old man shows Hikaru at Shiba Park are statues of the "Mizuko Jizou," the protector of prematurely dead children. These offerings to the Bodhisattva Jizou (Ksitigarbha) are intended to facilitate the rebirth of infants who died under the age of one (sometimes two), miscarriages, and aborted fetuses -collectively known as "mizuko" or "water children". Mizuko are perceived to be in a sort of out-of-samsara limbo, having lived an inchoate, karmaless life. A Jizou statue is therefore an appropriate offering for what the old man fears happened to his sister.

Sadamitsu (somehow... appropriately) works as one of the ubiquitous "scouts" for the sex industry. The practice of "Shirouto Nanpa" (literally, "Amateur pick-up") is a (exceedingly annoying) staple in busy nightlife areas like Kabukichou in Tokyo or Nanba in Osaka. The recruiter *very* aggresively follows, grabs and tries to convince girls to give hostess clubs, AV films, or other such fine occupations a try. Needless to say, they are often connected to the local Yakuza, and sadly very few women react as forcefully as Sadamitsu's target in ep 17.