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Relations with foreign countries
Here is an introduction of stories related to other countries. |
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Soy sauce |
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 It
is Wakayama Prefecture that created soy sauce, a condiment known
the world over. It is said that the creator of soy sauce was
a priest at Koukoku-ji named Kakushin during the Kamakura period.
At present it is exported all over the world. |
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Hamaguchi Goryo |
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 Hamaguchi
Gihee is a famous person from Wakayama as the founder of a soy
sauce company. Hamaguchi Goryo devoted himself to making soy
sauce as the seventh Gihee and also took an active part as a
politician. He flourished from the end of the Edo period to
the Meiji period and communicated with many intellectuals. In
the writings of Fukuzawa Yukichi, he was said to be "a
person of broad knowledge".
He predicted a massive tidal wave from a change of waters in
the sea and wells in Hiromura (Wakayama Prefecture, Hirokawa-cho
at present). So he set fire to his own rice field and warned
the other villagers. Writer Lafcadio Hearn was impressed with
his actions and introduced him as "a living god" in
his work . |
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Turkey |
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 In
1890, the Turkish navy ship "Ertu rul" was shipwrecked
on Wakayama Prefecture's Kushimoto-Oshima island. The storm
claimed 587 lives, and only a few dozen men such as officer
Haidar that survived. They dragged themselves ashore, and begged
help from the people on Ohima island. The people nursed
them, providing clothing, blankets, and plenty of foods. The
results of this incident remain to this day, Kushimoto is a
sister city of Mersin city and Yakakent town in Turkey even
now. |
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Denmark |
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 The
Danish ship Ellen marks was sailing for Kobe, and came upon
a ship which was being overcome with flames off the Hinomisaki
cape on the Midwestern side of Wakayama Prefecture. The Ellen
Marks desperately undertook rescue activities. Only one sailor
at survived the fire, and he had fallen into the sea. Chief
engineer Knudsen attached a lifesaving belt and dived into the
sea to aid the distressed sailor. However, in spite of the valorous
struggle of Knudsen, the pair were dragged under the sea and
drowned. In Hidaka, where the body drifted ashore, a memorial
tower to honor Knudsens memory was erected. At "Knudsen
on Oka" (Knudsen hills) on the Hinomisaki cape, stands
a monument and bronze statue of the valorous Knudsen.
oka(Knudsen hills)" on Hinomisaki cape, monument of his
applauds and bronze statue are built. |
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Japan-U.S. amity |
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 62
years before Perry landed in Japan, the merchant ship "The
Lady Washington" landed at Kishimoto on Oshima island in
1791 near the southernmost tip of Wakayama Prefecture. The crew
replenished their water and firewood supplies. They also tried
to trade sea otter furs, but as the natives did not how to utilize
these furs, these attempts failed. It was the first contact
between Wakayama an the United States, and the "Japan-U.S.
Amity Commemoration Building" has been erected on the spot
where it took place. |
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