The Crow in East Asian Mythology

The Crow In East Asian Mythology JAPAN crow historically cleaned up after great battles symbolising renaissance after tragedy [Information from Wikipedia, unless otherwise marked] Three-legged crow various mythologies East Asia inhabit and represent the sun three-legged crow originated in China earliest bird-sun motif or totemic:   5000 BC China, severa versions of crows and crow-sun tales Yangwu or Jinwu  = the 'golden crow'   Sanzuwu Chinese mythology 3-legged crow earliest depiction of 3-legged crow:  Neolithic pottery, Yangshao culture Sanzuwu on 'Twelve Medallions decoration of formal imperail garments ancient China Most popular depiction:  'Yangwu' depiction of a sanzuwu ie. SUN CROW commonly called:  Jīnwū (golden crow) colour red rather than black Chinese myth: originally 10 Sun Crows settled in 10 separate suns perched on red mulberry tree - called FUSANG (leaning mulberry tree) mulberry tree had many mouths open on branches Sun Crows would travel around the world on a carriage driven by Xihe - mother of the suns the Sun Crows would take it in turns to travel one would set forth when the other returned SHANHAIJING:  the sun crows ate mythical grasses of immortality (diri - 'ground sun') Sun Crows would descend to feed on immortal grasses Xihe did not like this & covered their eyes 2170 BC - all 10 Sun Crows came out on the same day causing the world to burn Houyi, celestial archer, shot them down all but one Shanhaijing Shan-hai Ching - classic Chinese text (classic of mountains & seas) written by sorcerers + Fangshi based on the experiences they gained from their trips [so it's like an early encyclopaedia] fang-shi = 'method master' a Chinese technical specialist from 3rd Century BC to 5th Century AD incl:  alchemist, astrologer, diviner, exorcist, doctor, magician, mystic monk, occulist, etc 'fang' = place, region, formula, prescription, recipe & 'the way' 'shi' = scholar, intelligentsia, gentleman, officer, yeoman, soldier, technician recorded over 100 diplomatically related realms compilation of mythic geography & myth versions since 4th century BC present form not reached to:  Han dynasty (centuries later) geographical & cultural account of pre-Qin China collection of Chinese mythology ______________________________________________________ yeoman Chinese nobility social system:  Zhou dynasty = Chinese proto-feudalism ordered by combination of: 1.  honours & awards ('Fengjian') 2.  clan law ('Zongfa') ranks: nobles – Zhuhou (zhū hóu), gentlemen ministers (of the royal court) – Qing (qīng), gentlemen bureaucrats – Daifu (大夫 dà fū) - incl. physicians yeomen – Shi (士 shì) commoners – Shumin (shù mín) Zongfa (宗法, clan law) - applied to all social classes order of birth & succession was of importance eldest son of consort = inherits title & rank other sons of consort, concubines & mistresses = titles one rank lower than father Traditional Chinese political theory held that: "All lands under Heaven belong to the emperor, all people under Heaven belong, are subjects of the emperor." title of nobility, Ba Wang, hegemon also used as courtesy title for extended Chinese royal family Therefore:  foreign monarch subject to Chinese Emperor referred to as Wang, implying that one was inferior in rank modern Chinese king:  Wang emperor:  Huangdi Queen Victoria styled: 1.  Nü-Wang (Queen) - Britain' 2.  Nü-Huang (Empress) of India ______________________________________________________ Shanhaijing Shan-hai Ching - classic Chinese text (classic of mountains & seas) written by sorcerers + Fangshi [so it's like an early encyclopaedia] 18 sections over 550 mountains 300 channels descriptions of locations in the cardinal directions descriptions: medicines, animals, and geological features includes:   famous ancient Chinese myth:  Yu the Great who spent years trying to control the deluge ______________________________________________________ Japan raven or 'jungle crow' is represented in mythology called:  YATAGARASU (ie eight-span crow') evidence of will of Heaven or divine intervention mentioned in Shinto depictions on Edo wood art Japan crow historically cleaned up after great battles symbolising renaissance after tragedy Yatagarasu crow-god symbol of guidance in travels of Emperor Jimmu Yatagarasu is incarnation of 'Taketsunimi no mikoto' "Kamo Taketsunimi no Mikoto, the founder of the Kamo-Agatanushi clan, saved the people by turning into a great crow and thus ending the war. The Kamo Ataganushi, which still exist today in Japan, were called the descendants of that kami. Yatagarasu is still worshipped today in many Japanese shrines."  source | narutoforums Otherwise, Yatagarasu appears as 3-legged crow ______________________________________________________ Samjok-o 3-legged crow, Korean mythology symbol of sun 3-legged crow lived in sun turtle lived in moon Samjok-o, highly regarded symbol of power superior to dragon & to bonghwang Bonghwang - aka Fenghuang (known as:  the Chinese Phoenix in west) in ancient China over 8000 years earliest:  on jade & pottery good luck totem, possibly symbol of virtue & grace symbolises union of yin & yang (opposite forces) mythological birds of East Asia rule over all other birds 'Feng' were the male & 'Huang' was the female gender eventually blurred into single feminine entity paired with Chinese dragon (male) known as Adarna in Malay Philippines China and Japan - Fenghuang a symbol of imperial house represented "fire, the sun, justice, obedience, and fidelity" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-legged_crow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenghuang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_nobility#Fengjian_and_Zongfa_of_the_Zhou_Dynasty ______________________________________________________ 3-legged crow Yatagarasu adopted from mythology of China Japan was heavily influenced by Chinese culture in its early period In China 3-legged crow is red and associated with sun The crow was the soul of the sun (mythology first developed southern China to 5000 BC) Some other Chinese mythology associations that are not clear to me ('child-sun'). Crow Tengu play tricks on evil-doers http://thejapanchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/02/crows-in-japan-menace-or-guide-of-gods.html *something is either wrong with the online dictionary, or there's two ways to spell 'occultist'.  I'm going with 'occultist'. COMMENT I wanted to know where the Japanese were re the crow (re my recent video editing fun). Found some cool stuff I didn't know about.   I've only just sort of skimmed all of this, so I probably don't know a whole lot more.  ;)

Planet Tokyo - Asahi Breweries

Planet Tokyo audio | #1 SAMURAI [CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE]  Samurai - Satsuma clan Boshin War period, circa 1867 [source wikipedia] Samurai military nobility & officer cast medieval & modern Japan originally 'bushi' (to attend upon) middle & upper echelons of warrior class usually associated with a clan & their lord trained as officers in military tactics & grand strategy followed rules, known later as:  bushidō samurai numbered less than 10% of Japan's pop. their teachings in today's Japanese martial arts & modern life Kabukimono or hatamoto yakko 1573-1603 AD 'Strange Things' or 'the Crazy Ones' from 'kabuku' - to slant or to deviate composed of:  ronin or samurai or men who worked for samurai families in peaceful times who formed gangs ronin 'wave man' - 'vagrant' - 'wandering man' term originated re serf who fled master's land later used for samurai who had no master samurai with no lord or master Japanese feudal period:  1185 - 1868 AD masterless from death or fall of his master (or upon loss of master's favour or privilege) Samurai Bushido Shoshinshu   (the Code of the Samurai) eg. to commit seppuku Japanese ritual suicide - disembowelment upon loss of master one who chose not to honour code was on his own meaning:  to suffer great shame Ronin, like other samurai, wore two swords also carried bo (to 6ft staff), & walking stick (yumi) weapons, depend on ryu (martial arts school they are from) in Edo period shogunate rigid class system & laws large increase in ronin in prior ages, samurai able to move b/w masters & have occupations could marry b/w classes but in Edo period samurai were restricted forbidden another master without master's permission samurai could not legally take up a new trade looked for other ways to make living with swords ronin who sought steady employment became: mercenaries guarded trade caravans; or bodyguards for merchants Others became criminals, highwaymen, or joined organised crime served as hired muscle for gangs, gambling rings, brothels, protection rackets petty thieves, muggers thugs, bullies, cutthroats, vagrants Kamakura & Muromachi periods warriors held lands that they occupied whereas, ronin was warrior who had lost lands small-scale wars in Japan in this time opportunities for ronin to serve new masters Later Edo period bond between lord and samurai was loose some left masters & sought new lords many served a succession of masters some even became daimyo (powerful feudal lords dai 'large' - 'myo' for 'myoden', private land subordinate only to Shogun most powerful feudal rulers 10th Century to mid 19th Century Shogun general - ie military commander hereditary military dictator in Japan 1192 to 1867 shoguns were de facto rulers of Japan although nominally appointed by Emperor as formality held almost absolute power over territories, via military means shogun's office or administration = shogunate known as 'bakufu' = tent office / government https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogun kabukimono flamboyant dress, vibrant colours short kimonos with light weights in hem velvet lapels wide obi (sash) elements of European clothing or women's kimono used as cloaks kabukimono uncommon hairstyles & facial hair left to grow long  katana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckrycABiJDE katana traditional Japanese samurai swords curved, single-blade, slender, circular or squared guard long grip to accommodate two hands thrust in belt-like sash (obi) victory depended heavily on fast response times sharpened edge facing up intended to: strike target in a single motion usually paired with smaller companion sword pairing is known as: the daishō only samurai could war daishō representative of: social power and personal honour of samurai companion swords: smaller wakizashi traditional Japanese sword cases = koshirae https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana Kabukimono or hatamoto yakko 1573-1603 AD fancy hilts large square tsuba rounded or squared grip on sword round thing that would probably steady the grip / it is at base of sword grip, before blade look like a big button with a hole in the centre (for the sword) have pretty, ornate designs red scabbards, longer than normal scabbards are sword holders they're beautiful - many different designs, depending on culture some kabukimono (ronin or samurai) extremely long kiseru as weapons kiseru = Japanese smoking pipe traditionally used for smoking kizami finely shredded tobacco resembling hair rod with metal ends, extremely long kiseru could be carried as weapon status symbol for the owner, elaborately engraved commoners were prohibited to carry sharp weapon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiseru often very violent, rude cutting down people to try a new sword incidents of violence common eg. in cities Edo & Kyoto wrestling & dancing in streets common  fighting with other gangs at night thought modern yakuza originated from groups of kabukimono others believe yakuza origins in:  machi yakko (private police) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabukimono https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimyo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C5%8Dnin Bushido 'the way of the warrior' way of samurai life anologous to concept of chivalry in Europe samurai code of conduct frugality loyalty martial arts mastery honour until death Bushido from Neo-Confucianism influenced by Shinto & Zen Buddhism allowing violent existence of samurai to be tempered by wisdom & serenity developed: 1500s to 1900s possibly dating back to 10th Century Nabeshima Naoshige daimyo of Hizen 1538 - 1618 proved himself in battle 1570 assisted Takanobu at Saga Castle which was surrounded by 60,000 Otomo clan army versus Naoshige only 5,000 suggested night raid on enemy camp & successfully routed them inherited position from Takanobu (on death) "... it is shameful for any man to die without having risked his life in battle, regardless of rank ..." Seppuku (stomach cutting) Japanese ritual suicide / disembowelment originally reserved for samurai part of bushido honour code either voluntary, not to fall into enemy hands (torture) or as capital punishment for serious crime or bringing shame/dishonour performed as part of elaborate ritual before spectators plunge short blade (tanto) into abdomen from left to right, slicing abdomen open ritual standardised 17th century prior to standardisation, ritual much more painful on standardisation, kaishakunin ('second') appointed duty of kaishakunin to behead the ritual suicide agent at moment of agony kaishakunin is called 'kaishaku' ('nin' is person) suicide ritual agent spared prolonged death ritual is preserved in modern martial art:  iaido ritual varies, depending on fencing school all have steps in common: 1.  sit or stand close enough with katana to strike 2.  if seated, movements are ritualised 3.  when samurai performs seppuku he returns tanto dagger back to its place kaishakunin uses katana to strike back of neck of dying samurai Katana double handed grip for: precision & strength to cut must be precision controlled, cutting only half neck of samurai Intent to: leaving skin to hold head attached to body in single slash of katana Kaishakunin slowly, silently shakes blood on blade of katana movement known as:  chiburi katana returned to scabbard (movement called noto) while kneeling towards samurai corpse remains kneeling position as sign of deep respect to samurai in state of zanshin (total awareness) before standing & bowing to samurai corpse Execution Seppuku - some rituals no disembowelment just movement of dagger, stick or fan across stomach followed by beheading kaishakunin then becomes execution & seppuku becomes beheading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaishakunin jigai = suicide modern Japanese for suicide:  jisatsu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabeshima_Naoshige [ALL SAMURAI INFO FROM WIKIPEDIA] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8t0KTOeMPw Last Samurai Samurai Class Abolished 1867  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSgAAlE_4oc I'm liking all this samurai stuff.  It seems brave and admirable, but I don't think I'd make a good samurai.  I couldn't do the seppuku and I'd probably run away if attacked, but it must be really exhilarating to handle beautiful weapons quickly and effectively. Not sure how much samurai info I'll remember.  Don't yet have a feel for Japanese. The names of things are difficult for me. But I'll remember:   katana. Normally, I don't drink (even socially) ... which is just as well, because alcohol and me is not a good mix. Felt like I drink today, when I saw one being cracked open.  Looked inviting, and I like bubbles.  Having an Asahi Breweries beer (apparently, one of 4 largest Japanese brewers, founded in Osaka in 1889).   Tastes very light, even to a non-drinker.  Nice, though.   I'd planned to watch a heap of videos, but I'm not sure I can catch up with everything I want to watch. Attention span isn't what it should be; I can only handle small bits of info ... and I like pictures a lot.  LOL Dinner's easy, so it doesn't matter if I wind up pissed:  Thai Chicken Green Curry pre-cooked (frozen).  Just need rice and it's good to go after defrost and heat, and dollop of my fabulous home-made yoghurt.

GIF - Hiroshima & Nagasaki & WWII Propaganda

ꕤ Fujiyama Mama | 1957  Wanda Jackson ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Bilingual USA WWII Propaganda US-ANGLO ATOMIC BOMBINGS Hiroshima & Nagasaki Japan August 6 + August 9, 1945 1950 estimate:  230,000 killed only use of nuclear weapons  in history 6 August 1945 Hiroshima first atomic bomb bomb bears name 'Little Boy' initially kills 70,000 {20% of 350,000 inhabitants} Giant shock-wave flattens city centre End of 1945:  further 60,000 die (Hiroshima alone) Result of:  radiation exposure, burns & severe injuries 9 August 1945 Nagasaki {original target Kyoto} second atomic bomb bomb bears name 'Fat Man' 22,000 tons of TNT est 70,000 killed Mitsubishi Steel &  Munitions Works {torpedo construction - used Pear Harbour  (2,403 killed)} shipyards & port 1950 estimate:  230,000 killed US-Anglo Atomic Bombings est. 230,000 killed in two deadly strikes WAR CRIMES Many historians regard the US-Anglo attacks on Hiroshima & Nagasaki as war crimes. Source |  here ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- FUJIYAMA MAMA "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." — Harry S Truman US-Anglo Atomic Bombings President Harry S. Truman Winston Churchill USA (with British consent) as per Quebec Agreement Anglo-American re nuclear energy & weapons Signatories:  Winston Churchill Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1943 initiated by British UK handed over all material to USA Britain received all copies of US progress reports British atomic research subsumed under Manhattan Project until after WWII Post WWII  large team of British & Canadian scientists moved to USA Agreement intent: not to nuke one another to nuke third parties (with each other's consent) to hoard info re Atomic Bomb (codenamed 'Tube Alloys') [wikipedia] ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- The End. ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- ꕤ

Machiavellian USA Spying on Japan - Consistent With US Bid for Total Control on Economic & World Stage

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-08/02/c_134472389.htm Commentary: U.S. spying on Japan proves it has never treated allies as equals English.news.cn 2015-08-02 16:37:13 [More] BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The recently exposed U.S. spying on Japan, one of its most loyal "allies," has once again proved to the world that U.S. foreign polices are still based on realpolitik and it only sees other countries as objects to control, no matter whether they are "friends" or foes. The Wikileaks website on Friday posted National Security Agency (NSA) reports and a list of 35 Japanese targets for telephone intercepts of senior Japanese government officials including the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Bank of Japan, the country's finance and trade ministries and major Japanese trading companies. However, the world is not completely caught off guard when the Wikileaks websites posted NSA reports revealing the United States is also spying on Japan. The United States is often criticized for applying double standards on various issues, but the world's "freedom leader" has been very realistic and consistent when it comes to eavesdropping: from the potential rivals such as Iran and Russia to close allies such as France and Germany. So there is no reason to believe it should treat Japan differently. The United States has been trying to maintain its dominance in global politics, economy and military power. And one of the most important reasons for the United States to spy on other countries is that it wants total control -- to be in total control. Namely, it needs to be "omniscient." Spying on the telephone conversations and emails of other countries' leaders is not only immoral but is also in violation of international law. But the United States did it anyway, because it knew perfectly well that even if it got caught, no one would be there to punish the only super power in the world. The United States' licentious spying on other countries once again proves how hypocritical its course of defending freedom and democracy is. The truth is that the United States has never treated its "allies" on an equal footing, but sees itself as their superior, having the right to do whatever it wants on them. It is also noteworthy that stepping up of espionage activities against other countries actually coincides with the rise of emerging markets and the unification of Europe, which, in the eyes of the United States, is gradually encroaching upon its dominance over economy as well as other fields. The United States is afraid of losing its status as the single pole in the present unipolar world, and the almost reckless spying means, however futile it would be, that it attempts to turn the tide around. But no matter how much the United States has benefited from knowing other countries' secrets, it will always lose more for the distrusts and mutual suspicions it has stirred up among countries. Seeing how the United States treats its "allies," the world can have a better measurement of the values it actually "upholds."  [Ouch] http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-08/02/c_134472389.htm Realpolitik = "politics or diplomacy based primarily on power and on practical and material factors and considerations, rather than explicit ideological notions or moral or ethical premises." "Realpolitik is sometimes used pejoratively to imply politics that are coercive, amoral, or Machiavellian." [wikipedia]  --------------------- COMMENT I love articles from alternate sources. So all that insane spying is to keep the US in control economically and otherwise. But having been caught out, although the US is in violation of international law, there's nobody to sanction the US because the US (Wall Street, Federal Reserve, IMF, World Bank etc) is in financial control, I guess. 'Machiavellian' is a description that definitely fits the US.  Think fake WMDs, Gulf of Tonkin, coups, supporting terrorists etc.

Japan Hyping China Threat

SOURCE http://www.ecns.cn/2015/07-23/174137.shtml Chinese ambassdor to Japan warns against hyping China threat 2015-07-23 08:50   Global Times Editor: Li Yan Ambassador Cheng urges Japan to face history with right perspective The Chinese ambassador to Japan on Wednesday warned against Japan's attempt to hype up "China threat" while adjusting its security policy to a path away from its post-War pacifism. In an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Wednesday, Cheng Yonghua, Chinese ambassador to Japan, said China is alarmed by Japan's recent move to portray China as a "security threat" in its latest defense white paper while mustering support for a defense bill that seeks to expand Japan's military role overseas. "We resolutely oppose the Japanese government using China as an excuse for pushing its security policy. It is dangerous [for the Japanese government] to make up and exaggerate 'China threat,' as it would lead to escalation and confrontation, in particular because China and Japan are neighbors," Cheng told the Global Times. In the defense white paper released Tuesday, Japan's defense ministry said China has continued "attempts to alter the status quo by coercive measures" in the South China Sea. Cheng, however, pointed out that China has historically held sovereignty over the South China Sea. "We have to look back into history, as China since the Han and Tang dynasties become the first to discover, name and manage the islands and reefs," Cheng noted, "During World War II, Japan occupied the islands of Nansha and Xisha. But after the war, the Potsdam Declaration stipulated that these islands be returned to China." The neighboring countries in the region never declared sovereignty over these islands until the end of 1960s, Cheng said. Having worked in the Chinese Embassy in Japan for over 20 years, Cheng has observed a promising development in Sino-Japanese relations, from the four-point principled agreement reached between Japan and China in November 2014, to the increasing economic exchanges between the two countries. But he pointed out that the historical problems have for long cast shadow on the Sino-Japanese relations. This year, which marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, offers Japan an opportunity to, based upon the reflection of the past, turn a new page in history and move forward. As the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascism War this year, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepares to make a statement in August, Cheng urged the Japanese leader to face the history with a correct point of view. "Without a right view of history, the future path will be dangerous," said the ambassador. "Japan must demonstrate sincerity of a perpetrator to the victims, and guarantee through action that history won't repeat itself," he said. With a series of events planned in the country in September to mark the end of the war, China has invited the leaders of all the relevant countries to those events. Whether or not Abe will attend the events in Beijing has not been decided, according to the ambassador. SOURCE http://www.ecns.cn/2015/07-23/174137.shtml ---------------------  COMMENT Why isn't anyone concerned about the Japanese breaking the pacifist position? Is Japan proposing to attack China along with USA and its allies after provoking some kind of confrontation over the South China Sea dispute? --------------------- LOOK-UPS Potsdam Declaration Terms of Surrender of Japanese, WWII conflict - here. Japan didn't immediately act on surrender, so USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Japan $35 Billion Investment into India - joint Indo-Japanese military industrial complex.

Modi's Japan visit is soaked with infra-speak Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Hindustan Times New Delhi, September 02, 2014 First Published: 18:55 IST(2/9/2014) Last Updated: 18:59 IST(2/9/2014) Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe were always expected to get along. They’ve known each other for years. Both are driven by a domestic vision of national rejuvenation. And both see each other’s countries as offering a means to accomplish their goals on the home front. But Modi is known to be a hard-nosed man of business. The true test of a foreign relationship is less the geopolitical element than how much a country can deliver on key, largely domestic, policy objectives. At the top of the list of this is providing India a world-class infrastructure on which he can then build smart cities, a revived manufacturing base and so on. What has come out of the Japanese visit is soaked with infra-speak. The key part is the “partnership for prosperity” section and the lines “Abe affirmed a broader and stronger Japanese partnership” for Modi’s “vision for accelerating inclusive development in India, particularly by transforming the infrastructure and manufacturing sectors.” Modi’s praise of Japan as the country that “has done more for modernising India’s infrastructure” than any other is about as fervent as it gets in his foreign policy vision. Even Japan’s “intention” to funnel $35 billion of investment into India targets “next generation infrastructure, connectivity, transport systems, Smart Cities, rejuvenation of the Ganga and other rivers, manufacturing, clean energy” and so on. Greenfield factories and the like don’t get a mention. Modi took a swipe at China, without actually mentioning the country. And he embedded it in a vision of Asia moving down a path of co-prosperity -- inviting Beijing to say that it wants to do the same and allowing him to then say, "Show me your money." My sense is that he wants evoke a sense of competition between Tokyo and Beijing -- because nations see the India $1 trillion infrastructure market as something that could lift their domestic economies for decades and give their huge pile of savings a place to get a decent return. So he’ll play one against the other a bit, even if he trusts Japan a lot more. As one official in his office said, "We have to avoid having the Japanese believe we are desperate for their investment, which sometimes comes through in our talks." China has and will say little about being called "expansionist" and "18th century." Xi Jinping will land in New Delhi in mid-September and he accepts the trust deficit with India will require some work to bridge. In any case, China was always more worried about Indo-US relations than any other, and that bilateral tie-up is a road under repair. The joint statement and fact sheet had a lot of talk about defence technology and manufacturing cooperation between India and Japan. Again, the foundation of this is the Chennai-Bangalore corridor which notably got more mention than the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. This is partly because the southern corridor will be the infrastructure base for what may prove to be a joint Indo-Japanese military industrial complex. None of this will be easy. Balancing between Japan and China will be diplomacy at its most hair-raising. And while lining up foreign capital for Indian investment is clearly doable, cutting through the thicket of regulations and godawful legislation that holds back infrastructure in India has brought almost everyone who's tried it to their knees. One reason Japan and China are taking Modi seriously is that they sense that in him, unlike Manmohan Singh (who’s vision of Japan was similar), they have an Indian leader who can deliver on his promises. That is the deliverable that will become tangible in time. http://www.hindustantimes.com/comment/analysis/modi-s-japan-visit-is-soaked-with-infra-speak/article1-1259182.aspx

This struck me as rather big news.

Note also, the US has been hanging around India and India recently visited US.

So the US probably want a piece of the action.

Also, the US big ally in the Asia region is Japan ... so I wonder if there's any quiet investment by US???

US - SHALE GAS - JAPANESE and CHINESE MARKETS

Why Japan Will Drive Global LNG Growth There is little reason to expect Japan’s reactors will offset its voracious new appetite for LNG. By Clint Richards August 08, 2014 ... A look at Japan’s LNG consumption since 2011 ... Japanese use of LNG has increased by almost 20 million metric tons, or about 8 percent of global demand in 2013. The Wall Street Journal writes that this increased demand has led to more than 50 LNG export terminal proposals worldwide. However, despite surging demand for LNG in Japan (and China) recently, there are reasons to temper expectations. The Wall Street Journal speculates that a possible Japanese return to nuclear power and China’s staggeringly large new deal with Russia to import regular, piped natural gas should cause LNG speculators to hedge their bets somewhat.  [Yeah, hedge those bets in Europe.] While the question of China’s future LNG consumption may not be clear, demand will surely rise over the short to medium-term, even if that growth ends up being less pronounced than the increase in natural gas demand. Even with the prospect of a slowdown in China’s economy, it is simply too large not to diversify and increase the weighting of LNG in its energy mix, especially as the environmental impact of coal becomes much more problematic in its mega-cities. Japan’s future demand for LNG may also be difficult to gauge, but there are indicators as to what direction the industry in Japan will take. First of all, there are the $10 billion in loans put together by major private banks like Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Mizuho Bank, along with the government’s Japan Bank for International Cooperation, to fund LNG projects in North America slated for delivery between 2017 and 2018. Additionally, by 2020 Japan is expected to order roughly 90 LNG ships worth $19.3 billion. However, the location of the investments is important, as that will signal the long-term viability of LNG imports for Japan. Overall Japanese investment in North America has increased substantially since 2011, going from roughly $15 billion to more than $45 billion in 2013. A significant portion of that investment is being funneled into the emerging shale natural gas industry in both the U.S. and Mexico. Once U.S. shale gas is online, it is expected to be 20 to 30 percent cheaper than Japan’s other suppliers. EXTRACT ONLY - FULL @ SOURCE http://thediplomat.com/2014/08/why-japan-will-drive-global-lng-growth/

That's just the Japanese / Chinese market.

* China will be largely natural gas reliant (Russian deal) ... but some diversity expected.

* Japan is a big market ... but they *could* revert to nuclear, so market not assured?

Don't forget Europe needs energy, too.  Hello Europe.

USA - War or Bluff?

Former Kremlin advisor gives Russia's view of the crisis in Ukraine Chris Uhlmann reported this story on Tuesday, April 15, 2014 07:19:43 [ Alexander Nekrassov, a former adviser to the Kremlin -] ... the economic situation in the European Union and America. Now, if you look at the G7 countries, they are all insolvent. They are all bankrupt. Their total debt is about $30 trillion and growing. And of course we understand that when countries are in a desperate economic situation and they don't really know what to do with it, they try to stage all sorts of spectacular foreign policy stunts, which we are witnessing now. Now America is facing default in two years time, and America is very aggressive across the world and in Europe as well. Now, the cynics in Russia are saying that America needs a big war. I think that the best possible way to solve this situation is for everyone to take a step back, because all this rhetoric does not help, all this aggressive rhetoric does not help anyone. http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2014/s3985549.htm

G7 Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper France President François Hollande Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel Italy Prime Minister Matteo Renzi Japan Prime Minister Shinzō Abe United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron United States President Barack Obama European Union (2014 Chair) Council President Herman Van Rompuy Commission President José Manuel Barroso The European Union is also represented within the G7. The G7 are the seven wealthiest major developed nations by national net wealth, representing more than 63% of the net global wealth ... (2013). The IMF's Managing Director usually participates. [source - wikipedia - here]

Although this dates back to April 2014, it's useful to bear in mind the economics mentioned.

How's the remark about US need for a 'big war'?

Some blog I was on said it was a toss between Japan, China or Russia. 

Not sure why Japan was mentioned, as it's got very close ties to the US (as I understand).

I'm guessing Russia is 'it', although the US looks to be a 'challenger' in the Pacific region, given it's reportedly planning on focusing it's aircraft carrier naval fleet (I think it was) in the region over the next decade.

So what's going to happen?  Is the US going to go to war?  Will it be with Russia or with China?

Most likely Russia, I reckon.  China's where US probably produces their cheap goods, so they're probably not bent on disrupting that.

Russia is singled out for constant Ma-look-what-he-did! (but got no proof) accusations, vilification as an 'aggressor', singled out for sanctions, singled out for a press smear, singled out for 'shunning' and so on -- so it's 'henpecked' by the US-NATO mob as well as the EU arm of this 'thing' that seems to call the shots on a collective, bullying basis.

It's like a form of international 'mobbing' behaviour, that's usually confined to toxic organisations and workplaces.

So is this all bluff or is Russia 'it'?