I built a bank.

Eiichi Shibusawa was the person who founded Japan’s first bank. He also devoted his life to establishing as many as 500 different companies and to social contributions. It’s thanks to such an extraordinary figure that Japan has been supported in becoming a comfortable place to live.

Yamataikoku

Himiko ruled the country of Yamatai. It was a state that flourished during the Yayoi period about 1,800 years ago. The historically famous Queen Himiko was said to possess mysterious abilities and could reportedly foresee the future.

wabi-cha (wabi tea)

Sen no Rikyū is the person who perfected wabi-cha. Wabi-cha is one style of the tea ceremony. While the tea ceremony is often associated with luxurious tea rooms, wabi-cha is a style of enjoying tea in a small Japanese room with a calm, subdued atmosphere.

The person who completed the map of Japan

Tadataka Ino was the first person in Japan to complete a map of the country. He was also known for being a strict individual. It’s said that he sometimes gave harsh evaluations to team members with lower ability. The idea of making a map of Japan by traveling on foot suggests an amount of effort and hardship that’s almost unimaginable by today’s standards.

Cookie

It seems that a food resembling cookies has been found at Jomon-period archaeological sites. In addition to acorns, ingredients like walnuts and chestnuts were also used. The creativity of people in the Jomon period is truly astonishing, isn’t it?

Sword Hunt Edict

Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued the Sword Hunt Edict, a policy that prohibited peasants from possessing weapons. It is said that this measure was introduced to allow farmers to devote themselves to agriculture. Various measures were likely proposed to build a stable society.

send salt to the enemy

Uesugi Kenshin’s famous saying is “Send salt to your enemy.” It means not taking advantage of an enemy’s weakness, but instead helping them out of their hardship. The phrase is said to come from the story that Uesugi Kenshin sent salt to his enemy, Takeda Shingen, after hearing that he was suffering from a shortage of salt.

Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain

Takeda Shingen is famous for the Battle of Kawanakajima, but he was also reputed to be outstanding in politics. Incidentally, the phrase “Fūrinkazan” carries the meaning: move like the wind, stay poised like a forest, be fierce like fire, and be steadfast like a mountain.

Sei Shōnagon

Sei Shōnagon was a poet of the Heian period. In that era, women with straight, long hair were considered beautiful, but it is said that Sei Shōnagon had naturally curly hair. The Pillow Book contains passages that convey a sense that she felt self-conscious about such hair.

Treasure Vault

The Shosoin is a raised-floor warehouse that houses many treasures. They were originally kept at places such as Kofuku-ji, Daian-ji, and Yakushi-ji, but now they are stored only in the Shosoin.