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A Merchant Sees Gold in Human Form In 267 BCE, in the bustling city of Handan—capital of the Zhao state in ancient China—a wealthy merchant named Lü Buwei encountered what would become history’s most audacious investment opportunity. To understand the brilliance of his gamble, you need to know the context. China during the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) was fractured into seven major kingdoms locked in a brutal competition for supremacy. Think of it as ancient China’s version of Game…

“Buy low, sell high” — this fundamental principle of commerce remains unchanged throughout history. But around 2,300 years ago during China’s Warring States period, one man took this concept far beyond basic trading to deploy sophisticated market manipulation techniques that made him fabulously wealthy. His name was Lü Buwei (呂不韋, Lǚ Bù Wéi). He wasn’t just a merchant. He was a pioneer of “scarcity marketing” — a strategy still used by the diamond industry today — and ultimately rose to…

About Yasuke Yasuke doesn’t appear frequently in Japanese historical records. Therefore, we don’t really know whether he actually played such an active role as Oda Nobunaga’s page (personal attendant) like he does in video games. The Honnō-ji Incident If Sasuke had truly been one of Oda Nobunaga’s pages, he would have been with Nobunaga during the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582. The Honnō-ji Incident was a major historical event where Oda Nobunaga, one of Japan’s most powerful warlords, was betrayed and…

Here’s the English translation with explanations for those unfamiliar with Chinese history: The Prince Gong’s Mansion in Beijing belonged to Prince Gong, an important member of the Qing Dynasty’s imperial family during the late imperial period. The most famous Prince Gong was Aisin Gioro Yixin (1833-1898). The Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) was China’s last imperial dynasty, ruled by the Manchu people. Young Prince Gong Yixin Born as the sixth son of Emperor Daoguang, Yixin showed exceptional talent in both literary and…

The Evolution of Manchu Policy in the People’s Republic of China 1. From Exclusion to Integration – Initially, revolutionaries sought to exclude all Manchus – Later shifted to the “Five Races Under One Union” (wu zu gonghe) concept – This change was driven by concerns that Manchu exclusion might spark independence movements 2. Treatment of the Chunqin Prince House (Puyi) – Puyi received special consideration after the war – Underwent thought reform, was granted amnesty and citizenship – His family…

I’ll translate this historical account of Prince Su Shanqi into English, maintaining the same structure and detail. Prince Su Shanqi (1866-1922): A Reformer Caught Between Tradition and Modernization in Late Qing China Noble Lineage and Special Status Prince Su Shanqi was born into a noble lineage descended from Hooge, the eldest son of Hong Taiji, the second emperor of the Qing Dynasty. His family, the Prince Su household, was one of the “iron-cap princes” (tiemao wang), a special hereditary princely…

The Light and Shadow of History History is often told from the perspective of the victors. In modern Chinese history after the Xinhai Revolution, while Miyazaki Toten, who supported Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary movement, is widely known, the stories of those who remained loyal to the Qing Dynasty are rarely told. Today, we introduce the life of Kodaira Soji, a figure hidden in the “shadows of history.” Devotion to the Qing Dynasty Born in 1876 in Hotaka Village (present-day Azumino City),…

Organizing the Facts On the night of November 10, 1931, Puyi escaped from Tianjin and arrived in Yingkou on the 13th, heading toward Manchukuo. Sixteen days after Puyi’s departure, on November 26, an escape operation for Empress Wanrong was executed. The Operation Team – Planner: Yoshida Chutaro, translator for the Tianjin Garrison – Accompanying members: – Kawashima Yoshiko – Mrs. Yoshida Chutaro – Wanrong’s brother – Imperial eunuch – Lady-in-waiting – Japanese Army Colonel The Moment of Decision About ten…

The Beginning of Turmoil In 1911, with the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, the Qing Dynasty faced a crisis of survival. Taking advantage of this situation, Yuan Shikai, who held military power, plotted to force the young Emperor Puyi to abdicate and seize power for himself. The Final Resistance In this critical situation, two important royal figures stood firmly against the emperor’s abdication until the end of the imperial conference: – Prince Gong (Puwei) – Prince Su (Shanqi) They advocated…

Why was Puyi given special protection? After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the privileges of the imperial family and aristocracy during the Qing Dynasty were supposed to have been completely denied, restoration of honor and special protection were given to Emperor Puyi and the mellow imperial family. Why is that? Sun Yat-sen’s “Republic of the Five Tribes” In the early stages, the revolutionaries adopted an extreme Manchurianism that regarded the entire Manchu tribe as the enemy and…

Rikugien Rikugien is a garden in Kita-ku, Tokyo that is considered a masterpiece of the Edo period in Japan. Its name comes from The Six Elements of Poetry, a description of the classification of poems and their techniques of expression derived from the Chinese Shijing. It is not, however, a Chinese garden. The garden was created by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, who has reflected scenes from ancient Japanese waka poems in his garden. We hope that visitors to the garden will be…

The National Palace Museum in Taiwan houses outstanding historical artifacts and treasures from China. In ancient China, there was a strict class distinction in rituals. Only the emperor could worship the gods of heaven and earth. Vassals and dignitaries were allowed to worship the mountains and rivers. The common people could worship their ancestors. This is a jade book, known as a “jade tablet”, modeled after the bamboo slips used for writing in ancient times. This jade tablet was used…