人類史という巨視的な歴史には圧倒的な、有無を言わせぬ迫力を感じさせられる。
　現代世界にまで繋がってくる「魂のルーツ」みたいなものが深く襲ってくる。わたしもしばらくぶりにこの国立科学博物館を訪れたので、たぶん展示が相当にリニューアルしているのか、わたしの不注意での見落としか、思わず目を見開かされていたのがこの「マンモスの骨製の家」。
解説は以下のようだった。
　〜マンモスの骨を利用した住居
　機能的な住居の建設技術は、寒冷地へ本格的に進出するための必要条件だった。とくに草原の広がる東ヨーロッパ地域では寒い冬に避難できる洞窟や岩陰が少ないのでなおさらである。ウクライナを中心に、マンモスの骨を利用した3万～1万年前の住居跡が数多く見つかっている。なかでも圧巻なのはメジリチ遺跡第1号住居（1万8000年前）で、95個の下顎（かがく）骨をはじめ400にものぼる骨が使用されていた。この展示では、メジリチ遺跡の例をモデルに、当時の住居を部分的に復元した。〜
　人類のグレートジャーニーでシベリアの地は難関として立ちはだかり、陸続きのベーリング海峡を抜け、アメリカ大陸に到達するまで人類は寒冷気候に進路を阻まれていたとされる。当然、その寒冷地で「どう生存していくか」知恵が絞られた。食糧はマンモスなどの大型動物をハンティングすることで満たされていただろう。逆に言うと、人類のグレートジャーニーの「動機」は、そうした大型動物獲得が最大の「導き」だったのだろう。
　一方で人類が「魚類」を食用源として最適化させたのは、日本列島到達グループだったと思える。現代にまでつながる食習慣として、ユニークな人類史なのかも知れない。
　で、北方に向かえば当然、日々の暮らしの拠点である「住宅」は重武装化、寒さへの対応を必然化させる。いや、そもそも住宅の構造材として「木材」が獲得できなかった。そういう現実に直面した人類が、マンモスの食用後の巨大な骨に着目したのは、ごく自然だろうとは思う。
　また、一方で「断熱」という機能について、その外皮の毛皮が着目されるのもこれまた自然。
　しかし、複雑な形状の骨をどう「組み合わせるか」、最初期にこうした住宅を考えた祖先は、知能をフルに活性化させたに違いない。「えっと、あの骨は継ぎ合わせ部分がこうなっているから・・・」と複雑な３次元形状と格闘しながら、創造に向かったことだろう。　性能とデザイン・・・。

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[Houses Made from Mammoth Bones: The Prototype of Human Housing in Cold Climates]
The question of “How to survive in a cold climate?” presented humanity with a monumental challenge for survival. Structure and insulation. Our ancestors brought a brilliant “solution” to life. …

　The grand scale of human history evokes an overwhelming, undeniable sense of awe.
　A profound sense of the “roots of the soul”—something that extends all the way to the modern world—came over me. It had been a while since I’d visited the National Museum of Nature and Science, so perhaps the exhibits had been significantly revamped, or maybe I simply overlooked it due to my own inattention, but what really caught my eye was this “house made of mammoth bones.”
The explanation read as follows:
　~A dwelling constructed from mammoth bones
　The technology for building functional dwellings was a prerequisite for full-scale settlement in cold regions. This was especially true in Eastern Europe, with its vast grasslands, where caves and rock shelters offering refuge from the cold winters were scarce. Centered in Ukraine, numerous remains of dwellings built using mammoth bones dating from 30,000 to 10,000 years ago have been discovered. Among them, the most impressive is Dwelling No. 1 at the Mezhyrich site (8,000 years ago), which utilized as many as 400 bones, including 95 lower jawbones. This exhibit partially reconstructs a dwelling from that period, modeled after the example from the Mezhyrich site.~
　During humanity’s Great Journey, Siberia stood as a formidable obstacle; it is believed that until humans crossed the Bering Strait—which was then a land bridge—to reach the Americas, their path was blocked by the frigid climate. Naturally, they had to rack their brains to figure out “how to survive” in that cold environment. Food needs were likely met by hunting large animals such as mammoths. Conversely, one might say that the “motivation” behind humanity’s Great Journey was largely driven by the pursuit of such large animals.
On the other hand, it appears that it was the group that reached the Japanese archipelago that optimized “fish” as a food source. This may represent a unique chapter in human history, as it has led to dietary habits that continue to this day.
　So, as they headed north, it was only natural that their “dwellings”—the centers of their daily lives—would become heavily fortified, making it essential to adapt to the cold. In fact, they couldn’t even obtain “wood” as a structural material for their dwellings in the first place. Faced with this reality, it seems perfectly natural that early humans would turn their attention to the massive bones left over after eating mammoths.
　Furthermore, regarding the function of “insulation,” it’s also natural that they would focus on the fur covering the mammoths’ bodies.
　However, when it came to figuring out how to “assemble” bones with complex shapes, our ancestors who first conceived of such dwellings must have fully engaged their intellect. “Hmm, since that bone has this kind of joint…”—they likely embarked on a creative process while grappling with complex three-dimensional shapes. Performance and design…

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.
　

Posted on 7月 23rd, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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昨日に引き続き，東京国立科学博物館展示での「ネアンデルタール人と現生人類は価値観を共有していた」展示について。
　昨日食用には適さないアフリカタモトという貝ガラについて、発見者の方の肉声報告を書きましたが、どうも伝わらなかったようです。食糧の確保がきわめてキビシイ環境下で生存のために必死に海辺で暮らしている中で、食べられない貝殻を、ネアンデルタール人も現生人類も、共通してそれを採集していたことに、発見者たちは深く「えぐられていた」のですね。
　生存のために必死な貝の採集時に、あえて非食用の貝類を収集していたのには「装身具」として使っていただろうことがあきらか、なのですね。このことを発掘現地で体験した人には、人間という種の根がらみのいのちの叫び声が聞こえたのでしょう。すなわち、美へのこころのときめき。それが、食べるという基本命題と、まったく同位の価値観を持っていることの発見・・・。
　「芸術や好奇心が人類普遍の根源的な欲求である」ことを直視させられた実体験報告。
　〜■ウチャーズリⅡ洞窟に住んだネアンデルタール人とサピエンスは、2万年以上にわたり交流し、均一な文化を維持していた。
・同じ方法で石器を作り、同じものを食べ、同じ貝殻を集めていた。
　■種の垣根を超えて共通した文化を持ち得たのは、交流があったからで、その基盤には、「役に立たないが美しいもの」にまで至る共通の価値観があったのではないだろうか。
・共通の価値観が、両種の間に起きた交雑の基盤になったのでは？〜〜
　このような交雑の結果、わたしたちのDNAには、ネアンデルタール人の痕跡も残されている。その具体的な「発掘の状況」までが、克明に展示公開されていた次第。２枚目の写真が、トルコ共和国南部に位置するウチャーズリⅡ洞窟の外観。一方、上の写真は、クロマニヨンの人びとの「心象世界」を伝えてくれる洞窟内絵画。
　人類の「こころの歴史」というものへの視点に鮮明な返答が示された気がしてならなかった。「アフリカタモト」への心象反応と同質のものが、絵画というカタチになって遠雷してくる。そしてその心象のDNAは、わたしたち現代人にも深層に宿っているのでしょう。
　こういう「科学」理解が学ばせられた次第。高齢期になって知る人類の深層部分。

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[The Depths of Cultural Coexistence Among “Different Human Species” Over 20,000 Years]
An experience that concretely revealed the “depths of the history of the human heart.” We confront “physical evidence” that shows a penchant for beauty, art, and curiosity are fundamental, universal human desires. …

Continuing from yesterday, I’d like to discuss the exhibit titled “Neanderthals and Modern Humans Shared Values” at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
Yesterday, I wrote about the shell of the African clam, which is unsuitable for human consumption, based on a firsthand account from the person who discovered it, but it seems my point didn’t quite get across. Living on the seashore, desperately struggling to survive in an environment where securing food was extremely difficult, the fact that both Neanderthals and modern humans were collecting these inedible shells deeply “struck a chord” with the discoverers.
　It is clear that the reason they deliberately collected these inedible shells while desperately gathering shellfish for survival was to use them as “ornaments.” Those who experienced this firsthand at the excavation site must have heard the primal cry of life inherent to the human species. In other words, the heart’s thrill at beauty. The discovery that this holds a value entirely on par with the fundamental necessity of eating…
　A firsthand account that forced us to confront the fact that “art and curiosity are universal, fundamental human desires.”
　~■ The Neanderthals and Sapiens who lived in the Uchazuri II Cave interacted for over 20,000 years and maintained a uniform culture.
・They crafted stone tools in the same way, ate the same foods, and collected the same seashells.
　■ The fact that they were able to share a common culture across species boundaries was due to their interaction; might the foundation of that have been a shared set of values that extended even to “things that are beautiful but not useful”?
・Could these shared values have served as the foundation for the interbreeding that occurred between the two species? ~~
　As a result of this interbreeding, traces of Neanderthals remain in our DNA. The exhibition even provided a detailed account of the specific “excavation findings.” The second photo shows the exterior of the Uçahirli II Cave, located in southern Turkey. Meanwhile, the photo above depicts cave paintings that convey the “inner world” of the Cro-Magnon people.
　I couldn’t help but feel that this provided a vivid response to the perspective on humanity’s “history of the heart.” A mental response similar to that evoked by “Afrikamotomo” reverberates like a distant thunderclap, taking the form of these paintings. And surely, the DNA of that mental imagery still resides deep within us modern people as well.
　This is the kind of “scientific” understanding I was taught. It is a deep aspect of humanity that I have come to know in my later years.

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 7月 21st, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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　さて、昨日は今回の東京移動での主な会合参加が無事終了。
　あらゆる事象についての活発な意見交換会で、アタマのなかもスッキリさせることができました。やはりまだまだ老け込むことは許されない（笑）。
　で、会合参加までの時間で上野の東京国立博物館参観。平成館での「空海展」がメインで参観していましたが、さすがの国立施設なので、その「深み」は圧倒的な迫り方。わたしは迷える真言宗徒なワケですが、あの平安期の時代相の中で、真言密教の果たした日本文化への影響力の巨大さを再認識させられました。
　通常のトーハク参観よりも巨大なインパクトでした。で、こちらの方は仏教寺院関係者、いわばプロのみなさんもたいへん多数参観されていたようでした。わたしとしては、最近取り組んでこさせられている（笑）手書き筆文字・一部くずし字の大量古文書群への「見方」が、それこそ「見よう見まね」で活用出来てきているなぁと意を強くさせられた次第。・・・まぁ「なんちゃって」であることは自明ですが、それでも書き手の古人と少しくは「対話」できるような気がしてきていた。自分的には「長足の進化」ぶりで、これはいよいよ、取り組みを深めたいと思わされました。新体験。
　・・・というような参観でしたが、この空海展会場ではさすがに西洋系の外人さんチラホラ程度だったのが、その会場を出てトーハクの館内に出ると、ほぼ外人しか目に入らない状況。昨日ブログで書いた状況が、こうした施設ではさらに顕著に表れている。きのう記載の渋谷・東横線どころではなく、外国語が飛び交って海外からの来館者が非常に多い印象を受けた。
　写真はショップの店内状況ですが、ほぼ８割くらいの印象比率。
　昨日のブログを書いた後、仏教伝来期前後での大陸半島からの大量の「帰化」状況について調べてみたいと思って「帰化人と在地の人との間で、トラブルや逆に融和の様子を伝える伝承などはないだろうか？」とAIと対話してみたら以下のような返答があったので、その一部転記。
　〜京都の太秦における帰化人（秦氏）と在地人との関係についてトラブルと融和の双方を伝える伝承や記録が古典や神社の縁起に残されています。後から来た技術集団である秦氏が、もともとそこにいた人々とどう関わったのか、具体的なエピソードを。・・・〜
　この内容についても今後探究してみたいのですが、また別の稿で。
　本日大雨との札幌に帰還予定。無事に着陸できるのかなぁ・・・。

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[Even at the Tokyo National Museum, the shop is almost entirely filled with foreigners (lol)]
I’m happy to see foreigners who want to “get to know Japan deeply”—welcome. Japanese history is also a flexible cultural history marked by the acceptance of “naturalized citizens.” …

　Well, yesterday I successfully wrapped up the main meetings I attended during this trip to Tokyo.
It was a lively exchange of views on all sorts of topics, and it really helped clear my head. As expected, I still can’t afford to get old just yet (laughs).
　So, before the meetings started, I visited the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno. My main focus was the “Kukai Exhibition” in the Heisei Hall, and as you’d expect from a national institution, its “depth” was truly overwhelming. I’m a somewhat lost Shingon Buddhist myself, but seeing the Heian-period setting really made me realize once again just how immense the influence of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism was on Japanese culture.
　It had a far greater impact on me than a typical visit to the Tokyo National Museum. It also seemed that a large number of people associated with Buddhist temples—in other words, the “pros”—were visiting as well. For my part, I felt my confidence grow as I realized that the “perspective” I’ve been developing—through my recent efforts (laughs)—on a massive collection of ancient documents written in hand-drawn brush script, some in cursive, is starting to pay off, even if it’s just a matter of “learning by imitation.” …Well, it goes without saying that I’m still just “faking it,” but even so, I’ve started to feel as though I can have a bit of a “dialogue” with the ancient scribes. For me, this feels like a “giant leap forward,” and it has made me want to delve even deeper into this work. A new experience.
　…That was my visit in a nutshell. While there were only a few Western visitors scattered about at the Kukai exhibition hall, once I left that hall and entered the rest of the Tokyo National Museum, almost everyone I saw was a foreigner. The situation I wrote about in yesterday’s blog is even more pronounced at facilities like this. It was nothing like the Shibuya and Toyoko Line areas I mentioned yesterday; foreign languages were flying around, and I got the impression there were a huge number of visitors from overseas.
　The photo shows the scene inside the gift shop, where foreigners made up about 80 percent of the crowd.
After writing yesterday’s blog post, I wanted to look into the mass “naturalization” of people from the Asian continent and the Korean Peninsula around the time Buddhism was introduced to Japan. I asked my AI, “Are there any legends or records describing conflicts or, conversely, harmony between naturalized immigrants and the local population?” and received the following response, so I’ve transcribed a portion of it below.
　~In Uzumasa, Kyoto, folklore and records preserved in classical texts and the founding legends of shrines describe both conflicts and harmony in the relationship between the naturalized immigrants (the Hata clan) and the local population. I’m looking for specific anecdotes about how the Hata clan—a group of technical experts who arrived later—interacted with the people who were already there. …~
　I’d like to explore this topic further in the future, but I’ll save that for another post.
I’m scheduled to return to Sapporo today amid heavy rain. I wonder if I’ll be able to land safely…

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 7月 19th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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　さて昨日、所用があって東京へ移動。東京の「広尾」地区を訪れる用件を終了後、歩いていたら目前に「広尾中学校複合施設（仮称）」という工事現場を通りかかっていた。
　建設会社は東急建設で、設計者名には「山下設計・藤本壮介設計共同体」ということ。工事の状況は２枚目の写真の通りですが、そこそこの広さがあるので、大型の建築が想定されるところ。広尾中学校という公共施設の建て替えだけでこういった有名設計事務所が関わることはないでしょうから、その公共用地と施設を核にしながら、ひとつの「タウン機能」を満たすような建築が想定されていると推察。
　まぁ、わたしは住宅オンリーのフィールドで生きてきた人間なので、大型のタウン造成工事などについての情報は門外漢ですが、ちょっとした「地縁」でもあるので、興味を持たされた。というか、こりゃぁ広尾が大きく再開発されて、渋谷地域の変貌がさらに巨大化するのでしょうね。
　この広尾から最寄りの恵比寿駅ではなく渋谷駅方向に下りて行ったのですが、そこから都心の宿泊地まで移動する地下鉄渋谷駅まで、学生時代からサラリーマン時代までの８年間ほど親しんでいた「渋谷」とはまったく思えないほどの地域変貌ぶり。とくにここ数年の変容ぶりにはほとんど迷子状態（笑）。どうも地域再開発のグランドデザインがまったく見られない。混沌がそのまま表出の大都会ぶり。
　・・・というところですが、そういう道すがらでも昨日お伝えした、従兄弟同士での「家系史研究」対談をデータ化して、それを使ってまとめていくためのAIとのやり取りは同時並行。
　やはりこの時期の東京の温熱感はスゴいのでホテルに入ったら即爆睡後、やおら起き出してのやり取り。やはり「プロンプト」の書き方が決定的に重要ですね。簡単に「ハルシネーション」に落ち込ませずに、働かせるには「情報管理力」みたいなものが決定的なのだなぁと痛感させられる。
　しかしわたしなどの世代は、そもそもIT化の最先端変容の第１世代という経験知を経た存在である上に、いまはAI変容をも第１世代として受け止める存在。そういうなかでの「高齢化」なので、世代としての共通興味ゾーン「この世あの世」を強く意識する世代として、家系の情報の「デジタル的変化」にも取り組んでいかなければならない宿命。ふ〜む、これもこの時代を生きる者の因果応報なのかなぁ？

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English version⬇

[Exploring Family History with AI & Discovering a Large-Scale Development Site in Shibuya, Tokyo]
Walking through a rapidly changing metropolis while using AI to organize our family history. A construction site in Hiroo and a late-night conversation about family history at a hotel. Reimagining both the city and our memories…

　Well, yesterday I traveled to Tokyo on some business. After wrapping up my business in Tokyo’s “Hiroo” district, I was walking around when I happened to pass by a construction site labeled “Hiroo Junior High School Complex (tentative name).”
　The construction company is Tokyu Construction, and the design firm is listed as the “Yamashita Sekkei and Sou Fujimoto Design Consortium.” As shown in the second photo, the site is quite spacious, so it’s likely intended for a large-scale building. It’s unlikely that such renowned architectural firms would be involved just for the reconstruction of a public facility like Hiroo Junior High School, so I surmise that the plan is for a building that serves as a “town hub,” with the public land and facility at its core.
Well, since I’ve spent my entire career in the residential sector, I’m a complete outsider when it comes to large-scale urban development projects, but because I have a slight “local connection” to the area, it piqued my interest. Or rather, this probably means Hiroo is undergoing major redevelopment, which will further accelerate the transformation of the Shibuya area.
　From Hiroo, I headed down toward Shibuya Station rather than the nearest Ebisu Station, and the area’s transformation was so drastic that it was completely unrecognizable as the “Shibuya” I’d been familiar with for about eight years—from my student days through my time as a salaryman—all the way to Shibuya Subway Station, where I’d transfer to reach my downtown lodging. The changes over the past few years in particular have left me practically lost (laughs). It really feels like there’s no overarching master plan for the area’s redevelopment at all. It’s just a big city where chaos is on full display.
　…Anyway, even while walking along those streets, I was simultaneously working on digitizing the “family history research” conversation between my cousins that I mentioned yesterday, and using that data to compile my notes through interactions with AI.
　As expected, the heat in Tokyo at this time of year is intense, so as soon as I got to the hotel, I fell into a deep sleep, then woke up slowly to continue the work. It really drives home how critically important the way you write “prompts” is. I’m keenly aware that “information management skills”—or something like that—are essential for keeping the AI working effectively without letting it slip into “hallucinations” too easily.
　However, people of my generation have not only experienced the first wave of cutting-edge IT transformation firsthand but are now also the first generation to embrace the transformation brought by AI. Given that we’re “aging” in this context—as a generation strongly conscious of our shared interest in “this world and the next”—we’re destined to tackle the “digital transformation” of our family history. Hmm, I wonder if this is just karma for those of us living in this era?

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 7月 17th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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　九州福岡県の久留米の家と縁づいたことで、その地を巡った旅路。歴史・地理の社会科系が大好きな性格ですので、それを機会に仕事の一線から離れたこともあって、九州全県巡りをしました。
　で、その肝心の久留米をあちこち回って訪れてみたのが、この「草野歴史資料館」。
　住所名に「久留米市草野町」といまもその氏族名が残っているわけですが、学ばせていただいたところ、この氏族は1164年にこの地域に根付いて、豊臣秀吉の九州攻めに際して1588年に敗亡している。この地に深く関係したのが425年間で、滅亡してから438年経過している地域豪族。
　北海道人的な感覚からすると、まことにはるかなる世界。
　そういう歴史的存在に対してこの地域としては「歴史資料館」を建設してその情報を「鎮護」している。そのことがちょっと実感を持てない。やはり九州、その人間活動の歴史蓄積に驚く。
　この中世豪族・草野氏の要約は以下。
　〜筑後草野氏は、1164（長寛2）年に肥前高木より筑後吉木に入国してから始まる。源平争乱（1180-1190年）に際してはいち早く筑後平野を見晴らす高良山で兵を挙げ「竹野合戦」で平家軍を破ってから各地を転戦し源氏方の勝利に貢献した。その功により1186（文治2）年、源頼朝の推挙により筑後国在国司・押領使職に補任されて以来、当国に確固たる地位を獲得し。
　文永弘安の役（1274～82）に際して、草野永綱・経永父子は、神代良忠や西牟田弥次郎ら筑後の諸士とともに果敢に戦い侵攻した蒙古軍を撃退した。また南北朝期には南朝の征西将軍・宮良親王、菊池武光の下で活躍し、1361（正平16）年九州征西府の掛立に貢献。
　室町～戦国時代にあっては九州の覇権をめぐる豊後の大友、肥前の龍造寺、薩摩の島津らによる争いに翻弄されながら一族の存亡をかけて戦ったが、豊臣秀吉による九州国割後の1585（天正16）年、肥後南関において、肥後一揆鎖圧軍蜂須賀家政によって誘殺され、約425年間の歴史を閉じた。〜
　・・・阿倍比羅夫の遠征や奥州藤原氏の北方交易などの断片的な歴史事跡しか持っていない北海道人としては、こういう時代の事実関係の資料などが積層していることに、さらにそれも滅亡した氏族の痕跡が残り続けていることに驚嘆。ワクワクさせられる北の旅人。
　日本史の奥行き、民族史の深さに朦朧としながら、鮮烈さに目が覚める思いであります。

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English version⬇

[Regional Traditions Preserving the History of the Chikugo “Kusano Clan,” Which Fell in 1588]
I was just casually looking around, but I was overwhelmed by the fact that this region still preserves such a wealth of historical records about a medieval powerful clan that fell 438 years ago. …

　A journey through the region of Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, sparked by my connection to a family there. Since I’ve always loved social studies—especially history and geography—I took this opportunity to step away from the front lines of my work and tour every prefecture in Kyushu.
So, after exploring various parts of Kurume itself, I visited this “Kusano Historical Museum.”
　The address “Kusano-cho, Kurume City” still bears the name of this clan, and from what I learned, this clan took root in the area in 1164 but was defeated and wiped out in 1588 during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s campaign to conquer Kyushu. They were a regional clan deeply connected to this land for 425 years, and 438 years have passed since their demise.
　From a Hokkaido resident’s perspective, this feels like a truly distant world.
　In response to such a historical presence, the region has built a “History Museum” to “preserve” this information. I find it a bit hard to truly grasp the significance of that. As expected of Kyushu—I’m amazed by the accumulated history of human activity here.
　Here is a summary of the Kusano clan, a medieval regional clan:
　~ The history of the Chikugo Kusano clan began in 1164 (Chōkan 2) when they entered Chikugo Yoshiki from Hizen Takagi. During the Genpei War (1180–1190), they were among the first to raise an army on Mount Kōra, which overlooks the Chikugo Plain. After defeating the Taira forces at the Battle of Takeno, they fought in various locations and contributed to the Minamoto clan’s victory. In recognition of these achievements, in 1186 (Bunji 2), upon the recommendation of Minamoto no Yoritomo, he was appointed Governor and Military Commissioner of Chikugo Province, thereby securing a firm position in the province.
　During the Bun’ei–Kōan Campaigns (1274–82), the Kusano father-and-son duo, Nagatsuna and Tsunehisa, fought valiantly alongside Chikugo warriors such as Kamidai Yoshitada and Nishimuta Yajirō to repel the invading Mongol forces. Furthermore, during the Nanboku-chō period, they played an active role under Prince Miyara, the Seishi Shōgun of the Southern Court, and Kikuchi Takemitsu, contributing to the establishment of the Kyushu Seishi-fu in 1361 (Shōhei 16).
During the Muromachi and Sengoku periods, while caught in the turmoil of conflicts over hegemony in Kyushu—including the Ōtomo clan of Bungo, the Ryūzōji clan of Hizen, and the Shimazu of Satsuma over hegemony in Kyushu. He fought for the survival of his clan, but in 1585 (Tenshō 16), following Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s redistribution of Kyushu, he was lured and killed at Nankan in Higo by Hachisuka Iemasa, a commander of the forces suppressing the Higo Uprising, bringing an end to a history spanning approximately 425 years. ~
　…As a Hokkaido native who is familiar only with fragmentary historical events—such as Abe no Hirafu’s expedition and the northern trade of the Oshu Fujiwara clan—I am amazed by the wealth of historical records documenting the facts of this era, and even more so by the enduring traces left behind by this extinct clan. It’s thrilling for a traveler in the North.
While I am somewhat dazed by the depth of Japanese history and the richness of ethnic history, I am also awakened by its vivid intensity.

● Announcement
My book, *Writers and Living Spaces*, has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.
　

Posted on 7月 15th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
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