The distinction of being a “Son of Heaven” is relatively easy to assign but extremely hard to justify. Rulers might amass wealth and build impressive palaces but there are always enough industrialists whose fortune is even more considerable - or outright dictators and other usurpers whose residences (be it palaces, castles or mansions) are much more ostentatious and gaudy. As long as rulers remain mortal, they need access to food, water and air; they can feel unwell or moody… In other words, even the most powerful humans can't help displaying frailties that are typical of their species but unimaginable for a deity. That might be the reason that, throughout history, many kings liked to be seen as “divinely ordained”, but very few would claim the actual divine or semi-divine status. That also might be the reason that even those precious few who did, sought confirmation of their status after death rather than during their lifetime. Hence the Pyramids - Pharaohs' burial ground, unique and famous enough to prompt a Egyptian proverb: “Humans fear Time but even Time fears the Pyramids!”. Hence yet another of the Original Seven - Mausoleum at Halicarnassus whose very name derives from Mausolos, a 4th century BC king of Caria (which is now the city of Bodrum in Turkey). Essentially, mausoleums are regular tombs but they are located above ground - and that's what helps to turn some of them into burial palaces whose luxuries compete with (and defeat!) those of the mightiest among the living. Hence Daisen Kofun (Big Mountain Tomb) in Sakai, just outside of Osaka (on the above picture).&nbsp;Strictly speaking, it's Mozu Kofun - 49 tombs scattered all over the area and housing the elite of the Japanese society in the 3-6 centuries AD. However, the tomb associated with Nintoku, the legendary 16th Emperor, is by far the most famous of them - and that renown has everything to do with the tomb's size, as implied by its name. In addition to being one of the main attractions of the region, the tomb is located very close to Sakai train station - so, it's very easy to find by just following a sign like “Daisen Kofun - 600 metres”, and in a minute or two seeing something like that<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680897/7kwonders/DSCF_2005_adff00fd09.jpg" alt="DSCF2005.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680897/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_2005_adff00fd09.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680897/7kwonders/small_DSCF_2005_adff00fd09.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680897/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_2005_adff00fd09.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680897/7kwonders/large_DSCF_2005_adff00fd09.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">or that<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680994/7kwonders/DSCF_2006_12670d2d8d.jpg" alt="DSCF2006.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680993/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_2006_12670d2d8d.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680994/7kwonders/small_DSCF_2006_12670d2d8d.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680994/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_2006_12670d2d8d.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728680994/7kwonders/large_DSCF_2006_12670d2d8d.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">A placid, quaint, typical Japanese park that, one would naturally presume, leads to the tomb - only to finally realize that the park IS the tomb, and seeing the whole of it would require looking from space or, at least, from a plane. Sakai City Hall's panoramic observatory provides some approximation of the experience by allowing a glimpse of the keyhole shape the tomb is best known for.The observatory is part of Sakai's effort to deal with the unusual wonder that is literally hidden in plain sight, and the town does its best to let visitors experience that wonder vicariously. There is a permanent Kofun exhibition in the town museum, and it's replete with both visual<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728723443/7kwonders/DSCF_2095_6906f6ffe4.jpg" alt="DSCF2095.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728723443/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_2095_6906f6ffe4.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728723444/7kwonders/small_DSCF_2095_6906f6ffe4.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728723444/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_2095_6906f6ffe4.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728723443/7kwonders/large_DSCF_2095_6906f6ffe4.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">and textual information<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728724344/7kwonders/DSCF_2102_8222c3ad86.jpg" alt="DSCF2102.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728724343/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_2102_8222c3ad86.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728724344/7kwonders/small_DSCF_2102_8222c3ad86.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728724344/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_2102_8222c3ad86.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728724344/7kwonders/large_DSCF_2102_8222c3ad86.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Key #22: Son of Heaven - Part 3, A Divine Tomb

Meiji Restoration was a social revolution that brought about a seismic change in Japanese history, as - for the first time in centuries - the Emperor became the real wielder of power in Japan. One would naturally presume that an event of such importance was named after Emperor Meiji who led the revolution or, at least, encouraged it. As a matter of fact, the exact opposite was the case: there was no ruler named Meiji, but a young prince Sachi who received an adult name, Mutsuhito, upon ascending the throne at not even 15 years old. As for "Meiji", the word translates as “enlightened rule”, and it was chosen as the name for a new era. Emperor Mutsuhito became known as “Meiji” only after his death in 1912 - in other words, the ruler was (nick)named after his era rather than vice versa! That occasion started a tradition that has likely been quite unique and almost as revolutionary as the social changes that the truly “enlightened rule” facilitated. Moving the nation's capital happened to be the first of those changes.Kyoto had been built in the 7th century as a replica of one of Chinese capital cities - so, it was aptly named “Heiakyo”/Heian Capital. &nbsp;When the court moved there in 794, the "Heian" part became outdated, and it was replaced with simple “to”/city. Likewise, relocating the capital from “Capital City” to Edo resulted in another name change: to tell the new capital apart from the old one, the former was called “Eastern Capital/Tokyo (since both ”eastern" and “city” originated from respective Chinese words, the two completely different meanings happened to share a very similar sound “to”). Upon moving to Tokyo, Emperor Mutsuhito stayed away from his childhood home for eight years but eventually he did pay it a visit - only to find out that the familiar premises looked abandoned and sad. Whether for sentimental reasons or for some less obvious practical ones, the Emperor ordered the palace and adjacent gardens completely renovated, refurbished and “invigorated” - and that's where the modern story of Kyoto Imperial Palace began. &nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728156065/7kwonders/DSCF_3309_ab220ff541.jpg" alt="DSCF3309.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728156064/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_3309_ab220ff541.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728156064/7kwonders/small_DSCF_3309_ab220ff541.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728156064/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_3309_ab220ff541.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728156064/7kwonders/large_DSCF_3309_ab220ff541.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">Unlike the <a href="/blog/key-20-son-of-heaven-part-1-nara">“Palace Town”</a> that belonged to Nara in name only, its counterpart in Kyoto is right in the heart of the city - both geographically and spiritually. Nara Imperial Palace is all about history, and a fascinating place for history buffs to visit, but it's quite unlikely to be chanced upon. The Palace in Kyoto has a potential to create history buffs out of regular nature-lovers, because its park, doubling up as a Japanese garden, is one of the city's most beloved recreation spots - and its attraction is enhanced by the aura of history<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728158698/7kwonders/DSCF_3291_c040bb0712.jpg" alt="DSCF3291.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728158697/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_3291_c040bb0712.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728158697/7kwonders/small_DSCF_3291_c040bb0712.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728158697/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_3291_c040bb0712.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728158697/7kwonders/large_DSCF_3291_c040bb0712.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">The Palace is welcoming, free to visit and - judging by the visitor number issued at about 3 pm on a Tuesday - quite popular, as about 30,000-40,000 people must have made their rendezvous with it every month<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728162929/7kwonders/DSCF_3181_72d6ed9302.jpg" alt="DSCF3181.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728162929/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_3181_72d6ed9302.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728162929/7kwonders/small_DSCF_3181_72d6ed9302.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728162929/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_3181_72d6ed9302.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728162929/7kwonders/large_DSCF_3181_72d6ed9302.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">Necessarily a reconstruction (as many historical buildings are), the Palace still serves as an invaluable source of first-hand experience of Japanese architecture,<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164184/7kwonders/DSCF_3252_f506e25dca.jpg" alt="DSCF3252.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164183/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_3252_f506e25dca.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164184/7kwonders/small_DSCF_3252_f506e25dca.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164184/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_3252_f506e25dca.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164184/7kwonders/large_DSCF_3252_f506e25dca.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">while highlighting some of the most iconic pinnacles of Japanese culture as a whole<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164441/7kwonders/DSCF_3183_3713aa932c.jpg" alt="DSCF3183.JPG" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164441/7kwonders/thumbnail_DSCF_3183_3713aa932c.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164441/7kwonders/small_DSCF_3183_3713aa932c.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164441/7kwonders/medium_DSCF_3183_3713aa932c.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1728164441/7kwonders/large_DSCF_3183_3713aa932c.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">

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Key #21: Son of Heaven - Part 2, Kyoto

Throughout history, the two most powerful anvils, shaping nations and countries, have been religion/ideology and government. For Japan, the former meant Shintoism and, mostly, Buddhism that almost singlehandedly created the utterly unique samurai culture. As for the government, it kept switching between military rulers (shoguns) and Emperors, while the second half of the 20th century threw democracy into the mix, as well. Both shoguns and Emperors had ruled the country for centuries on end, and both left an indelible imprint on its identity - yet, their contribution and style of ruling were utterly dissimilar. Military leaders would rule hands on and take direct responsibility not only for state matters (such as civil laws, foreign affairs, fiscal policies…) but also for every aspect of daily life - from construction styles to social relationships based on a strict occupation-related hierarchy. <a href="/blog/key-19-a-commonplace-wonder-fukagawa-edo">Regulating toilet stalls</a> is a telling - even if rather extreme - example of that approach. As opposed, Imperial rule had always been steeped in symbolism.The cornerstone of Japanese Imperial lore is the notion of legendary Emperor Jimmu being a great-grandson of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. That supposed relationship, effectively establishing the status of Jimmu and all his descendants as semi-deities, earned Japanese Emperors an official title “Son of Heaven” - and determined ultimate importance of everything associated with them. Amaterasu's gifts to the newborn - a sword, a mirror and a jewel ("baby shower gifts" in modern terms) - turned into key state regalia, and no Emperor would ever leave the capital without them for almost two millennia. No feudal lord, however powerful, would ever dare decline Emperor's invitation. No general, however victorious would ever hope to become Shogun, unless approved by the Emperor (most Shoguns-to-be managed to obtain such an approval but none of them would be a legitimate ruler without one). While many hereditary kings would claim power as their birthright, precious few rulers could do the same when it came to unquestionable moral authority. The semi-deity status placed Japanese Emperors among those few, thus enabling them to remain the centerpiece of Japanese society even if they chose to do nothing but “participating in ceremonies, hunting, playing board games and proliferating”, as a Nara Imperial Palace guide once put it…&nbsp;“Nara Imperial Palace” is a somewhat misleading description. A palace is essentially a building, big as it may be - often next to a number of auxiliary structures. The palace in question is, in fact, a network of buildings interspersed between fields, and stretching several kilometres in each direction. The following picture gives but a rough idea of the size of the complex<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727552554/7kwonders/IMG_0413_b29c304400.jpg" alt="IMG_0413.jpeg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727552554/7kwonders/thumbnail_IMG_0413_b29c304400.jpg 117w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727552554/7kwonders/small_IMG_0413_b29c304400.jpg 375w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727552554/7kwonders/medium_IMG_0413_b29c304400.jpg 563w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727552554/7kwonders/large_IMG_0413_b29c304400.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw">It is indeed located not far from Nara City Centre - by modern standards, that is. Since transportation means in the 8th century AD didn't include cars and trains, the “not far” notion had to be significantly modified - and that modification would imply a much more important change in perception. Not exactly a single building, and not exactly in Nara - “Palace Town” looks like a much better name for what's officially known as “Nara Imperial Palace”. As it turned out, Palace Town had its own citizens and its own fashions<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558122/7kwonders/IMG_0383_ba2d5529cc.jpg" alt="IMG_0383.jpeg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558122/7kwonders/thumbnail_IMG_0383_ba2d5529cc.jpg 117w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558122/7kwonders/small_IMG_0383_ba2d5529cc.jpg 375w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558122/7kwonders/medium_IMG_0383_ba2d5529cc.jpg 563w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558122/7kwonders/large_IMG_0383_ba2d5529cc.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw">Fashions were formal but also practical because they were colour-coded: the darker the colour the higher the rank of the wearer. Fast forward to “here and now”, and if you are into trying an ancient garment, red would be the most popular colour on offer (as purple was reserved for Emperor alone, it's considered sacrilegious to keep it in the collection used by mere mortal visitors!).&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558790/7kwonders/IMG_0410_f4bcc2da2a.jpg" alt="IMG_0410.jpeg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558790/7kwonders/thumbnail_IMG_0410_f4bcc2da2a.jpg 208w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558790/7kwonders/small_IMG_0410_f4bcc2da2a.jpg 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558790/7kwonders/medium_IMG_0410_f4bcc2da2a.jpg 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727558791/7kwonders/large_IMG_0410_f4bcc2da2a.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw">Palace Town also had its own suppliers<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559298/7kwonders/IMG_0354_b438b14a44.jpg" alt="IMG_0354.jpeg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559297/7kwonders/thumbnail_IMG_0354_b438b14a44.jpg 117w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559297/7kwonders/small_IMG_0354_b438b14a44.jpg 375w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559297/7kwonders/medium_IMG_0354_b438b14a44.jpg 563w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559297/7kwonders/large_IMG_0354_b438b14a44.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw">and established routes of delivery<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559436/7kwonders/IMG_0371_7bae00f7cb.jpg" alt="IMG_0371.jpeg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559435/7kwonders/thumbnail_IMG_0371_7bae00f7cb.jpg 117w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559436/7kwonders/small_IMG_0371_7bae00f7cb.jpg 375w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559436/7kwonders/medium_IMG_0371_7bae00f7cb.jpg 563w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727559436/7kwonders/large_IMG_0371_7bae00f7cb.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw">Meticulously registering and storing every food item was within purview of the Palace Food Department traditionally led by one of the highest-ranked “red” administrators whose annual income would amount to about 300,000 $ in today's currency. Tens of other departments employed thousands of workers - cooks, artisans, builders, gardeners… Hunter was likely a full-time profession, and hunt masters must have ranked among top administrators<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727561568/7kwonders/IMG_0348_c79050d174.jpg" alt="IMG_0348.jpeg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727561568/7kwonders/thumbnail_IMG_0348_c79050d174.jpg 117w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727561568/7kwonders/small_IMG_0348_c79050d174.jpg 375w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727561568/7kwonders/medium_IMG_0348_c79050d174.jpg 563w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dpwp8vga3/image/upload/v1727561568/7kwonders/large_IMG_0348_c79050d174.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw"> Likewise, ceremony master, while board games and proliferation were less formalized, more spontaneous, and almost certainly unpaid for…&nbsp;

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