MAGIC MIRROR CALENDAR FULL

Samurai had indeed the right of life and death over them. They existed solely to produce the food needed to maintain the social pyramid that crushed them. Only the peasants paid taxes, and tax evasion was punished with death. Below were the peasants, above the samurai, or the hereditary military nobility and officer caste that existed from the late 12th century until its official abolition in 1876. Japanese society was rigidly caste-based.

MAGIC MIRROR CALENDAR FULL

The Sei-i Taishōgun, the “Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians,” as he was called by his full hereditary title, was part of a lineage of military appointees who de facto ruled autocratically large portions of the country, if not the whole of Japan, during most of the years between 11. He was a puppet in the hands of the captain of his army, the shogun.

The emperor was divided between his supposed divine origin, which made him untouchable, and the fact that he did not really rule the country. Devoid of a true central authority, Japan was torn apart by century-old clan struggles. Back from the Christian samurai to the late Prime MinisterĬhristianity arrived in Japan on August 15, 1549, brought there by the Spanish Jesuit Francisco de Jasso Azpilicueta Atondo y Aznárez de Javier, famously known as Francis Xavier (1506–1552).“Magic” mirrors like that were used in the 17th century Japan by Japanese Catholics to “hide” the image of Christ, during one of the harshest persecutions Christianity suffered during the entire course of its history. That gift was in fact a contemporary replica of an ancient artifact, and a Japanese artisan crafted it for the Pope at Abe’s specific request. The “magic” mirror may seem little more than a toy, but is in fact a deep sign of devotion and prayer, and at the same time of persecution and resistance. When he was told about the mirror, the Pope moved swiftly to a window to check up the secret wonder, alongside Abe himself, seeking the natural light. The “magic” of that mirror was that, while appearing smooth and normal, when properly moved and inclined to intercept a ray from the Sun it revealed the face of Jesus Christ and the Cross. During these public visits (which sometimes include a private interview) the Pope and his guests traditionally exchange gifts, whose value is symbolic.Ībe presented the Pope with a “magic mirror”-or this is how the press popularly dubbed his gift. It is his visit to Pope Francis in the Vatican on June 6, 2014.

On July 8, 2022, former 67-years old Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo, was murdered during an electoral rally in Nara, the capital city of Nara Prefecture, Japan.īitter Winter focuses on religious liberty, and a particular incident in the life of Abe came to our mind. While we continue assessing the historical significance and the legacy of the assassinated Japanese Prime Minister, his visit to the Vatican in 2014 is worth remembering.īy Marco Respinti Prime Minister Abe (covered) demonstrates the use of the magic mirror to the Pope.

Magic mirror calendar